I blinked for a few seconds and looked at him again with a little gentle smile creeping on the corners of my lips.
He didn't look shy nor even felt embarrassed at what he had just said. That even I knew, how less serious and random his careless words were..
Hehe..
I narrowed my eyes with a poker face and..
Smack!
Punched the kid's head.
"Is this the way to talk to your, Big sis, little boy!? Apologize now!"
"Nooooooo..!?"
The kid seemed startled at first but then started bailing again miserably. " You won't marry me because you don't like me and think I am boring like the other kids, right..? "
"Oh.. No.. No!..kid.. "
Oh Crap, why is he crying again?...
"Then, Will you marry me..?"
He repeated his words with the exact same expression without a pause.
"What? Why are there no tears in your eyes? "
"Waaaaah, I knew it! You are a liar. Big shiss!! "
"Awww! Fine! We'll see it in future okay.. "
I promised perfectly knowing that we will never meet in the future.
.
.
.
***
But, that's where I was wrong.
The strange visited my house every day after that with his mom, my own mother's pen friend.
I completely hated it at first, but then being the only kids who shared a ton of similarities like, being hated by other peers, haunted by Nobel traditions and learnt to cherish each other with our lives, We soon became best of friends.
Not that we thought alike in every aspect.
For me, Sir Nozen the son of a Count in Fairytale, (whom he introduced himself as) was like a divine gift. He was my only friend and was totally my opposite. I was elder than him but he was the one who often rebuked and teased me for my clumsy childishness.
He was.. the one who gave me the confidence to believe in Prince Charmings again.
When, I close my eyes I can still remember all those childish confessions we had done. And, all the consolement he had told me when I said how pathetic, my life would soon turn when my step sister enters our house after my mother finally marries my step dad. But..
"Don't worry big sister Anasta.. I think, you are just like the little duckling from the story, you once told me. So, I definitely believe that, you will become a pretty swan one day and if my bro-I m-mean.. the Prince Charming, you dream about now, doesn't realize it. I am sure, I will punch his face and kick his butt!"
"Oh my, Sir Nozen isn't it too barbaric for a Nobel.. " I would tell if we forgot to keep our language in check.
"Oh.. is it?"
We used to laugh about it.
Our childhood relationship was very special for us and we thought we would be like this forever when..
.
.
.
"I don't want you to see you anymore, Big Sis Anasta! It's because I was held up with you and spent too much time thinking of those weird nightmares.. that this has happened.. I really think you should know your place! And, why did you come here? Do you wanna ruin my life more worse than it was before! S-Stay away from me, Big Sis Anasta!.. "
That, was day I realized how a single relationship with a person who gave you so much joy and happiness could also give the same weightage of pain and heart aches.
I smiled at him. It was the same fake smile, I had practiced before many nobles. But, my heart was literally bleeding! My eyes grew red by forcing myself to hold in the tears.
Though, Sir Nozen and I were so close, for many years now, we had never really met in any place other than my house and 'The Secret Garden '.
The Secret Garden wasn't really an enchanted place or an area filled with more magic or mana.
But, it was special to "us". As, it held many of our precious memories.
We often come here to cool our mind with our mothers to find peace in our hearts and occasionally bump into each other.
I had been very worried on not knowing the whereabouts of Sir Nozen for many months, since the day both he and his mother had stopped coming to visit us. And, was initially elated and glad to coincidently find him zoning out near this Garden.
But, I had never imagined that he would say something like this.
He wasn't alone. The guards who looked too powerful for guarding a mere son of a Count, stood beside him. He was also accompied by another young boy who looked a bit older than both of us.
The seriousness in the atmosphere was so visible then. I must have understood it and behaved more appropriately.
But, unfortunately, With my only best friend saying those words so bluntly at the silent atmosphere. As though.. he has lost all the emotions he had towards me, I guess, it must have been too shocking for my little ten year old self.
The tears that I had tried too hard to hold in, involuntarily started flooding my eyes.
But, still with the same old smile plastered across my tear streaked face, I made a deep bow before this Nobel child.
"Then, I will take my leave, Sire.. "
I squeaked with a muffled voice ignoring the sudden panic that abruptly replaced Sir Nozen's face as I said those lines.
And before I knew it.. This became the very last conversation we had. Before I knew, he would disappear from my life forever in such a miserable way.
And, soon.. as days passed by, and years rolled by, reality shook me more harder than ever as the events of my fairytale followed perfectly like it was written on the book.
I thought this life would be different, as I already knew about my bad end, (thanks to my mom's fairytale book, The Grim's Tales..)
I thought I could finally have friends.
I thought I could overcome my destiny but..
After, witnessing how Cinderella, (the heroine) entered my life soon after the year, how she succeeded in everything without even trying the half of what I do and how my behavior from a bright young childish dreamer.. were slowly crushed into a selfish, arrogant and a lazy villainess, I am now---
This is how my current self had turned out.
And, Yet, The training, I had done when I had done alone in the forest hadn't gone in vain..
I thought, I had completely forgotten about them But.. It seems my body and mind had trained so hard, that it still remembers much of it.
And, that was the result of me tactfully escaping the prison, fighting the dragon and understanding the tactics of Mr Hook.
Well, But.. I guess,..
I smiled gently, as Mr Hook continues to fill me with the minor details of his passion for pursing his dreams, and gently place my palm against the frills of the gown that covered my chest..
I still remember... those amazing feelings of hope even though many years have passed. My dreams weren't that light to be easily vanquished, after all.
Cause deep inside, I always knew those rays of hope still resided within me.
And I guess, realizing these feelings now, there is no use denying it..Huh? .
I let out a deep sigh and opened my lips to ask the question I never imagined, I would ever be brave enough to converse with another being, let alone a fellow villain..
"So...what is your dream, Mr Hook?"
I asked him with a smile.