Walking out of the bathroom, Raman walked up to the closet, pull it open and picked out clothes that were just perfect for him. He beautifully and gracefully creamed his body before putting on his clothes. Though he found it kinda stressful, he gently combed his long hair. Once he was sure he had combed his hair perfectly, he stood from the vanity chair and the first thing that crossed his mind was the stranger he recently just saved and was now staying with him... Ella.
Yeah, that's right. Last night he asked her to prepare another meal for him today. Though he kept trying to ignore it but he couldn't deny the fact that he was actually looking forward to eating a delicious meal prepared by her. Walking out of his room, he kept wondering if he should go up to her room or the dinning room first. After a few seconds of contemplating on which to do first, he found himself walking up to her room.
Approaching the door foyer, he was about knocking when he noticed that the door to her room was slightly opened. He knocked on the door but when he got no response, he slowly pushed the door open only to find the room empty. Taking steps into the room, he traveled his gaze around the room but still found it empty.
"Ella..." He called out, hoping for a response but got none.
She's not here. Maybe she must woken up earlier than him and gone to prepare breakfast already. He thought to himself and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Descending the stairs, he approached the lounge and walked straight into the kitchen but was surprised to find it empty. There was no trace of anyone coming into the kitchen, everything was still in its position, perfectly and beautifully arranged on each cabinet. Walking out of kitchen and into the lounge, he trailed his eyes around and still couldn't see anyone.
Where could she have gone? He asked himself with his left brow creased before he walked up to the front door, with the thought of going in search for Ella. Why is he this worried? In all of his life of existence, he has never worried about anyone talk less of a human and now...? If he can't find her in the mansion, it can only mean that she must have left and he shouldn't worry or care about that but why did he have it in mind to go in search for her. Walking away from the door foyer, he suddenly halted in his tracks when his side view caught something. Turning his gaze to the garden, for some reason, he felt relived to see her seated on the garden chair. Turning to his left hand side, he was about walking up to her but halted when he noticed the sad look she had on her beautiful face and the droplet on tears on her cheeks. Lines formed on his forehead and soon he began wondering what could be making her cry this blissful morning. His curiosity soon began getting the better of him and he decided to succomb to it and figure out the reason she was shedding tears by reading her mind and listening to her thoughts. He was just about streaming through her mind but he suddenly found himself hesitating. Strangely, he didn't want to intrude her privacy but why? Why didn't he want to do it? Why is he becoming hesitant? When did he start caring about respecting people's privacy?
Listening to human thoughts and figuring out their weakness was his specialty. He would read humans minds and use it against them to lure and manipulate them to sin. But he was actually stopping himself this time around. What the hell is going on?
Still watching her without breaking his gaze off, her tears and sad expression just couldn't hide away her beauty. She was beautiful, her beauty really did get him hooked up about her that even in his state of being worried about her and wanting to know what it was that was making her cry, he still couldn't help but admire her and didn't even realize he had lost track of time and had totally forgotten himself.
Finally, he walked up to her, stood at least five feet away from her with his hands well crossed behind his back but he realized she was so lost in thoughts she didn't even notice his presence. The only thing he could think of how to get her attention and did that by clearing his throat and gladly, it worked.
Retreating me from my thoughts was the sound of someone clearing his/her throat. I immediately threw my eyes open and gazed up to see who it was when my gaze fell on no other person but Raman. Immediately wiping my tears away with the back of my palm, I was about sprinting out of the garden but his voice made me retreat my action.
"No... Sit." He said and sat at my left hand side when I had settled myself back on garden chair. "What brought you out to the garden this early in the morning?"
"Hmm... I actually found the view of it through the window very beautiful so I decided to come see it for myself."
"You assured you were gonna prepare breakfast for me today."
"Oh... I'm really sorry hero. I totally forgot, I'll go prepare something for breakfast." I said and was about to stand up and leave.
"It's fine. I'm not hungry yet." Raman replied, stopping me from leaving.
"But..."
"What's wrong? Why were you crying?" He asked cutting me off.
"Crying?... I... I was... I wasn't crying." I lied but I knew I failed miserably cause my stammering clearly gave me out.
"I saw you..." He said and I found myself shutting my eyes tightly. I didn't want him to see me crying. "You seemed to be in pain. Why were you crying?" He asked but I still kept mute. He was asking me these questions with a straight face and he didn't bother turning his gaze to me, "The other day I saved you, you were being chased by the royal guards.... Why?"
"I was supposed to get married to the king but I didn't want to..." I said breaking the short silence that lingered between us for a moment, "...I really didn't want to. I mean, that man is twice my age. He has four wives already and eleven children some even older than I am. My parents kept forcing me to get married to the king whether I wanted to or not. Even if I had married the king, his wives and children would have made my life a living hell. The thought of marrying the king, bearing for him children and watch them grow to turn against each other and fight for the throne alongside other royalties or worse go into exile was killing me. I couldn't take it anymore, I just couldn't bear the thought of having to spend half of my life with the king who was old enough to be my dad and half of my life as the king's widow whom no man will ever want to be with so I decided to run away. But now... " I paused and tried swallowing down the tears that were threatening to burst out of me any moment soon," I have no clue what my parents might be going through all because I decided to run away. I have no clue or idea what sort of punishment the king might give out to my parents and poor little Gina."
"Who's Gina and... How old are you?"
"Gina is the maid's youngest daughter and I'm nineteen." I replied, "Please hero, can I request a favor from you?" I asked and finally, he turned his gaze to me, "Pls, I don't know if what I'm about to ask of you is possible but... Can you please find out how my parents are doing?" I pleaded and intertwined my fingers together, "Please hero... I'll be sure to repay you..."
"You don't have to repay me. You also don't have to worry too or hate yourself or regret your actions for people who never for once saw things from your perspective, for people who never thought of you but got blinded by their greed."
"They are my parents." I said, pointing out that fact to him and he immediately got the hint.
"I'll do it only because you asked me to. Happy?" He asked and I actually kept kind of relieved. Every part of me trusted his words. I nodded my head twice telling him "Yes". "Let's go inside." He said, stood up and left me all by myself.
I watched him walked away before I stood up from the garden chair and followed suite.
Heading straight to the kitchen, I prepared lunch for Raman and I since it was past breakfast time already. Once I was done preparing our meal, I dished it out but this time around, Raman didn't eat much like he did last night. He left his plate half empty, stood up and was about to leave.
"Hero!... Please wait." I yelled out and ran up to him, "I'll be grateful and extremely happy if you bring information to me concerning my parents. If there's any way I can repay you please let me know. I'll gladly repay you withou..."
"I've told you to stop saying you'll repay me." He said and I immediately sealed my lips shut. He continued in his steps and walked out of the dining hall without uttering a single word.