-Celeste-
The man in front of me has been staring at me for a long time. I don't know if I should say anything to him or I should move, but I just kind of sat there in hopes that he snaps out of it.
"Hey, you there?"
Is that... Uriel's voice? By the time I had looked back at where he had been sitting, he wasn't there anymore. Where he could have gone, I have no clue, but the only evidence that he had been there was the muddy footprint on the edge of the branch where he had been resting.
I ended up jumping down and slid myself under the branches before revealing myself to Uriel. Waving as I approached him, he looked at me strangely.
"What are you doing here, My Lady? How strange..."
I smiled. "Good to see you too, Uriel. Sorry, I was following the wolf in your office and he lead me here."
His eyes went wide. "Oh, so you're the one who let Dog out."
Dog? I chuckled. "Is that really the wolf's name? Dog?"
Uriel nodded, sighing. "Yes, Our Highness isn't the most thoughtful when it comes to names."
His Highness? Is he referring to Prince Bastian?
"Right, now that you mention Prince Bastian, do you know where I could find him? I think that I need to introduce myself."
Uriel sighed and shook his head. "You won't find him at this hour. His second hunt of the day normally starts right about now, so it's likely that he's leaving the castle again."
I missed him again? Honestly, is all this guy does is hunt, nothing else? I pity the wildlife of the forest.
"Oh, don't worry about the wildlife." declared Uriel, as if he was reading my mind. "His Highness only hunts when there is an abundance of wildlife, he rarely decides to bring back more than an animal a day."
That's a low average for him? But never mind that, why do I feel like he wants to avoid me? In normal circumstances, shouldn't a Prince greet his future wife in some shape or form? I sighed and nodded to the attendant.
"Thanks, Uriel. I'll try again tomorrow, I guess. Is it alright if I head down to the kitchen to get something to eat?"
He nodded. "Yes, tell the cook that I sent you. He'll make you something nice and warm. Your poor cheeks are flushed."
He wiped the frost rom my rosy cheeks and I smiled, waving at him as I re-entered the castle's interior. Upon seeing me vanish in the distance, Uriel sighed.
"Your Highness, next time that you want to use me as a shield, please be mindful of my reputation."
The young man slid out from behind a wall and brushed himself off. Upon looking up to see Uriel's judgemental face, he grumbled. "What now?"
Uriel shook his head. "She isn't what you think she is. She's your respective bride all the same, Basti. You should at least show your face to her."
The man grumbled. "I did show my face to her."
"Did you at least tell her who you were?"
Bastian went silent. "Come on, Basti. I know that when it comes to women, you don't really enjoy their company-"
"Correction, they scream when they see me."
"That's because the last time you rode through the village, you were covered head to toe in monster blood and you were carrying the decapitated head of an orc in your arm like a trophy for all of those women to see."
"That's my point." he declared. "Women are sensitive creatures, and some lack the bare necessities of intellect."
Uriel frowned. "If you spent even a second in her presence, you'd know that she is not like that. You're making excuses, Basti. Why?"
The young prince didn't speak. All he did was look back at the tree, which had once again fallen silent. Forrester hadn't talked to anyone but himself since the shrub had been planted a long time ago. Then suddenly, it decided to speak to a woman, a foreign woman, who had nothing but ridiculous things to speak about.
It angered Bastian more than anything. How privileged she must have been, being part of the royal family. How she must have had attendants serving her at every turn, how she hardly needed to lift a finger, how she thought she could speak down to people and get away with it-
No, that was a lie again. She didn't speak down to him, though her actions were quite bold and unconventional for a young lady of nobility. Perhaps she entertained Forrester, and that's why he decided to speak with her.
"Basti, I'm not asking for you to full-on tell her about the curse. Just introduce yourself, show her that-"
"I'm not a monster? Put that veil over her eyes? Lie to her?" the young prince spit out, angrily. "No. Lies and deceit are the last things I want to do in this lifetime. She's supposedly my curse's cure, so why do I not feel any better, hm?"
The prince grumbled, turning around. "Never mind. I'm leaving, don't look for me this evening, I'm coming home late."
"Basti-"
But the young prince had already made his way towards the opposite entrance to the small garden, disappearing from his aide's view.
-End of Chapter 12-
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