Even at the distance, that bird's sapphire eyes looked majestic and it met with hers for a second. At that time, a shadow covered the sun and she looked above.
A mesmerizing and majestic lion, white as freshly fallen snow, flew close to her head.
It had two wings that spanned wider than the formation of the twenty cavalry knights, and its wings displaced the air making their enemies fall from their horses; only the enemies fell down, while she only felt a breeze.
That lion gave her a protective feeling. And she felt like she knew the lion. It was a weird feeling, but she thought she was connected to the lion somehow.
The lion landed near the man she was eyeing, shaking the ground and making the dust fly.
With the backdrop of the setting sun, the fire-breathing phoenix, and the winged-white lion, the man lifted his sword up. The trumpets were blown signifying their victory as their enemies started to run away showing their backs.
[Luke...]
Felixa held her chest that was beating fast. As if he could feel her stare at his back, that man looked around.
[He's looking for me...]
Her heart filled with an indescribable feeling. Chuckling, she raised her sword.
[I'm here!]
But then she felt something disturbing behind her and she turned without meeting eyes with that man.
[Danger!]
'Rose!' she heard the man scream in distress. 'Behind you!'
'Alexander!' She heard another voice from her side that was filled with anger. 'You coxcomb!"
Although that fully armored Knight was covered from head to toe, she knew who he was. Her heartbeat got relaxed even though she saw an enemy lunging towards her with his spear.
The pointed tip of the other Knight's longsword went through the armor of the enemy who tried to attack her from behind.
[He's the one I saw before, who handed me the sword. And he is the one who grew up with me!]
[Tubby! That's his name! Well, the name I gave him. His parents named him...]
*Snap*
Felixa heard something snap and she was back in the room she was in before. That bird had changed its form back to the wavy, distorted, translucent form she saw before.
"Felixa," she heard that voice from behind her and she fisted her hands. "Why are you still standing?"
She turned to look at him and his face had a bright smile.
[So he is not mad?]
"Nothing..." her legs walked towards the table filled with delicacies as if they have a mind of their own.
Well, legs won't have a mind of their own. She was just hungry.
She looked at the man walking to the chair near the window with a report in his hand. He sat with his legs crossed and started reading the report.
He was nice to look at. His serious expression as he read the report, his posture, and the way his fingers were holding the report... everything was attractive.
He had long bony hands and slender, proportionate fingers. Some of the nerves in his hands were visible and that had an odd quality of attractiveness to it.
But Felixa was not in the mood to admire his beauty that cannot fill her tummy. Her eyes ended up at the table where the beauty that can fill her up is. But she didn't know if she could eat the food or not.
Her head hurt and all she could remember were the beatings Wispy got because she said that she was hungry. From that day she almost died after getting beaten up for asking for food, Wispy stopped asking for food.
And hence the carrot patch she had! All she had to eat for the past few years are raw carrots. And sometimes they even stole her carrots, leaving her to go to bed hungry.
[She took it all silently. But I am not going to... Why can't I eat food? I am hungry and food is necessary for survival, right? Should I wait for him? But he is busy... Why disturb him?]
She sat in the chair, carefully without making a sound, and started to slowly start eating. The roasted meat, the freshly baked bread, the stew, the sugared almonds... they were all delicious.
Of course, she left out the carrots.
But oddly she could only eat a little. But she realized it should be because Wispy never had her fill and so her stomach must have constricted in size. She knew she needs to see a doctor if she wants to get healthy sooner. She needs to get a proper diet and enough nutrients so that her body regains its strength.
[I need to get my strength back. But how can I get a doctor? Who should I talk to?]
"You don't like carrots?"
While she was in deep thoughts, that deep voice that vibrated in her ears made her heart leap.
"I didn't touch anything!"
Those words escaped her mouth and the next moment she was cowering on the floor with her back pressed against the wall.
[Why did I do that? It's not like I stole gold! I just ate!]
Felixa wasn't thinking much as she acted reflexively even to her surprise. She figured it must have been the muscle memory of the body.
[How pathetic of me!]
She tried to get up, but before that, she saw the tall man kneeling in front of her. Once again, his eyes were red. His big hand reached out to her face.
Although Felixa had the urge to bow her head, she maintained her eye contact with him. She thought she was seeing wrong.
[Why does he look sad?]
"Forgive me..." his voice trembled a bit as he held her cheek. "I didn't mean to startle you," he tried to smile at her. But she saw his lips trembling.
"You didn't... It's just I... I was hungry," she didn't know what to say and stuttered.
"You can eat, if you want," he tried to help her up.
"I ate... I can't eat much," she said and he let out a deep breath.
"Can't?" he asked.
He looked like he was in pain, but he maintained the smile on his face. His features looked gentle and soft.
"I don't get to eat food often and I can't eat much," she didn't know if she can speak openly to him or not. But she did.
His amber eyes... they were so mesmerizing.
He looked at her for some time. His thumb gently rubbed her cheek as he contemplated something and then he let out a sigh.
"We have to drink wine," he leaned closer to her. "And then we can go to bed."
Felixa opened her eyes wide as his face magnified in front of her.
[What is he going to do?]