We rode casually on the horses when we got to the marketplace which was still bustling by this time even though it was Sunday.
"It hasn't changed at all" he commented.
"Indeed,"
"Look," he pointed at the shop. "The baker's shop, I can't still believe Mr Maxwell is still baking his sweet bread and buns"
"And cake"
I added when I smelt the delicious smell of cake.
"Father brought us here every time then," I said and he turned to me.
"You remember?" He asked in surprise.
"Of course I do"
"Let's drop the horses." He said when we got to the stable at the market.
"How much for them to stay sir?" he asked the stable master.
"One silver coin each" A voice answered from the windows.
"Fine" he searched for the coins in his pocket but none was forthcoming. The old man was already out to take the coins stretching his hand to him.
"What?" I inquired of him.
"I think I.. ….."
"That's alright" He must have forgotten to bring any coins in our escapade. I handed the two coins to the old man. "Take care of them."
"Of course sir, but I was just wondering, you two look familiar, are you from this town?"
We looked at each other and then answered. "We are."
"I knew it! I know that handsome face and could remember it anywhere. Who Is your father?"
"The late Mr Houston?"
"Aha! I knew it! Yes, yes. You've all grown. How.…"
I took a look around to see that people were already staring at us. We wanted no attention.
"We will see till we come back sir, take care of our buddies"
"Of course!" He shouted after us as we left his shop.
Taking a stroll through the market was much better. The traders were shouting off their heads calling on customers.
"The Market feels" he commented excitedly.
"You never went to market all these years, have you?"
"What can I say? I'm too busy with the factories, the maids do that for me. And neither have you"
I smiled. "We are not let out of the university, and even when they did let us out, the marketplace was no place to go"
"But isn't it exciting? For a time since yesterday, I felt a pang of guilt for avoiding this place. In my mind's eye all this while I pictured the village dead and rotten, but it turns out that it is…" he took a look around. "Still very much arrive"
"Fancy enchanting jewels! Buy your fancy jewels!"
We stopped at the jeweler's kiosk to take a look at the different jewels.
"Let me see if I can find one for my darlings"
"And here I was trying to do the same?"
He smiled. "Really? Now aren't you a caring uncle to them? I thought you hated children then."
"What?"
"You wouldn't remember but you said then that children were annoying and you couldn't stand them, you even vowed you wouldn't have one"
"What! When did I say such?"
He shrugged and chuckled. "You can get them something else. How much is this sir?..." He bent towards the man to inquire of the jewels.
I looked around the kiosk to find something promising I could gift them. But there was none to my taste as I searched and then far behind in a window shop, I saw it. A sparkling black jewel. It felt like it was calling to me to come fetch it and I wasted no time. I left Dennis and went towards the shop.
"Hello?"
I asked the moment I stepped in. The shop was a bit dusty and lonely, it looked abandoned, and the fact it was at the back of the market made it more secluded. How did the jeweler sell? It would be hard for people to notice anything from the shop as it was.
Shelves were all around the four corners of the walls and in the middle different kinds of jewels were placed at stands displaying their beauty but none like the vermillion flower-shaped black jewel.
It glimmered more as I neared it. Its beauty was unmatched. My hands went forward to touch it but a voice stopped my actions.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh! Good sir," I saluted the bald old man in a brown cloak, with grim glasses, a book in his hand, and a walking stick. He looked offended.
"What are you doing in my shop?"
"I came to look at the jewels, don't you sell?"
"No." He replied firmly going forward to cover the necklaces with pieces of clothes.
"But…I want to buy!"
"No, young man, I do not sell."
"Why do you display it then?"
He turned to me. "I didn't display it, I was cleaning it up" he continued what he was doing.
"Well, if that was the case, you should take it back home. They shouldn't be at the market since they are inaccessible."
His actions stopped and he stalled for a while. "You're right."
"I know." I nodded.
"Well, get on going!"
I flinched.
"They are beautiful by the way" I commented as I turned to leave. Now wasn't it sad? I was thinking of drawing or painting it or perhaps using it as an inspiration to create a piece.
"Wait!"
I turned back. "I?"
He beckoned on me to come back in.
I rushed back. "Are you ready to sell?"
He sighed to take a seat on the stool. He removed his glasses.
"How did you see them? People rarely come here or even notice there is a shop like mine anymore."
I looked at the covered necklace. "It called to me, I don't know why, even from outside its glow shimmered in my eyes though it was far"
"Which of the one?"
"The black one"
His brows squeezed. "The black flower?"
"Yes"
He was hesitant in his seat. "Why it?"
"I've told you before, I like it. Aren't you selling?"
"It's a rare piece"
Well, if it was one it wouldn't be here, would it?
"You haven't heard about it before?"
"Is it some phenomenon?"
He chuckled lightly. "It is called the heart of darkness."
He stood up to remove the cover. I'm telling you reader, the necklace was the most beautiful. When the rays of the sunset that evening glared at it, it sparkled the most.
"Is it…." I was even hesitant to name it.
"A diamond, yes, it is"
He sighed. "It wasn't naturally black, I heated it to the color"
"You are saying you are the maker? Do You make jewels?"
"Of course, I do, a long time ago before the plague. I made and sold jewels of all kinds. Even for the first Lady of Danbank state."
Incredible!
Lady Lilian was the first and only lady to rule the state. The only woman ever! Everyone knew her. It was history. There were a lot of facts about this lady that made her a figure still studied after almost a century. A lot of stories were told. She was the first thing taught in history from elementary school.
And now, he is saying he knew her. But somehow, now that it was linked to her, I felt familiar as if I had heard about it before.
"It was once called the vermillion of beauty"
I knew it.
It was the famous necklace that caused the rift between lovers. Lady Lilian and the late Micheal dawn.
Micheal Dawn the II (second) was the king of Danbank state. The necklace had been sent by an unknown person to the lady as a gift from a secret admirer. Due to its beauty, she cherished it more than was required and thus it caused a rift between her and the king who accused her of receiving a gift from her lover and that was the only reason she cherished it so much. It was even rumored then that she had fired a maid for misplacing it.
They argued one snowy night and the king left the palace in anger into the woods which was where he encountered his death, he was torn by wolves. Only the next morning was his body found.
The necklace, after the incident and funeral of the king was named the Rift of Lovers. It became history told times and times over and over again. But one thing was certain history confirmed that it was lost or possibly the lady hid it away where it would never be found.
I went forward to touch it. It was once red like a ruby. I remember coloring them in our texts in elementary school.
"How come it's here then? It was never made to be found or seen, history believed it was hidden forever"
He shrugged. "But I have it." He said with a reluctant pride.
He wrapped it back and went ahead to sit at his desk further down the shop.
I went towards him at the desk. This piqued my curiosity more than I can contain. I placed my hands on the table.
"So, tell me, are you the infamous secret admirer that gifted this… rift of lovers?"