Ana walked out of her room with a bunch of grapes in her hands. She was walking and eating at the same time gaining the stares of all the maids who looked at her with confusion.
She had changed so much as if she was a completely different person.
"My lady, your highness has asked you to attend your classes strictly. You need to finish the painting you had started and the book you were writing…"
"I do not have any inspiration for both." she cut the maid off as she shook her head.
In her youth, she was full of romance and love. She had idealized things so much in her books and paintings. Now that she thinks about it she cringes.
The maid opened her mouth to retort but closed it knowing well that she was not going to listen to her anyway.
"What snacks are we going to have today? I am already starving." she asked as she ate a few more grapes making them wonder how anyone could starve while eating.
They stared at her for a few seconds before shaking their heads as if they were trying to block a spell.
"The jasmine tea and scones with pudding are already arranged in the garden as you have asked, my lady." a bright smile bloomed on her lips as if she had found a treasure as she nodded her head with satisfaction as she walked towards the garden.
But when she reached the gazebo it was not empty. A young boy was sitting there while looking at everything with his bright eyes. His soft and plump skin was shining pink due to the heat but there was still a smile on his face as if he could not feel the bead of sweat on his face.
When he heard the footsteps behind him, he stood up and bowed his head immediately. "Mother!" was on the tip of his tongue but he refrained remembering the warning of his father.
"Lady Anastasia.." he called the woman in a soft voice that felt like music to others when her eyes narrowed at him. She froze at her place and kept staring at him as if he was a ghost.
Her hands trembled. Tears started to form in her eyes that baffled everyone. They were waiting for her to shoo the child since she was avoiding everyone from the family of duke as if they were suffering from contagious disease but she was looking at the child like… like she wanted to hold him in her arms.
And it was not far from reality. Anastasia wanted to run and hug Rowan with every nerve and cell existing in her body but she was so scared that he would disappear the moment she would touch him.
It has happened many times already. He kept coming to her chamber as if he was criticizing her to run away from her fate but she was ignoring it.
"My lady.. I apologize for coming uninvited. I hope I am not disturbing your tea time." Though her expressions were strange, it was still burdensome to stand there without getting a reply.
Ana finally blinked. The child spoke again! So many times when he had come to taunt her, he had never spoken anything except telling her that she could not change her fate. But now, he was behaving like the child she used to know. So, kind and sweet. Even the dimples on his face looked the same.
Rowan fidgeted on his seat. Ignoring him, would have been different. He was habitual of it but the woman was staring at him without even blinking that was making him conscious.
"Umm, is there something on my face, my lady?" he asked politely, trying his best to smile and hide his restlessness.
"..."
"If you… ahhhhhhh! Ouch!"
"....." Rowan was frozen in his place. He never knew that girls could run this fast. And.. What was that?
He was still asking what the matter was when Ana ran to him and pinched his cheeks hard when he winced. But before he could recover, she fell on her knees and hugged him.
And the hug… it was not the type of hug he often receives. He could feel the trembling of her body. She was shaking like a dry leaf and her grip was so tight as if she was afraid that he would push her away.
He was baffled but the hug felt warm, cozy and nice. And the woman was.. Soft! Her skin was so soft and supple that even his childish skin could not compare.
His hands held her trembling shoulders and he hugged her back as if he was trying to soothe her.
How much time had passed when Ana finally let him go. But she did not leave his shoulders as she kept staring at his face.
"Rowan! Is it you?" she asked as she rubbed the cheeks she had pinched earlier when the boy nodded his head with confusion.
"Oh my! Have you come to meet me? Did you forgive me finally?" she wiped the tears off her eyes and smiled brightly at the child when he blinked.
He did not understand why she was apologizing but looking at her worried face, he really wanted to soothe her pain, so he nodded his head again when he felt her tensed body relaxing a bit.
"Thank you."