I once was a Duchess

page 19

"Atticus are you ready?!" I shouted to him
" Yea I'm coming!" He said rushing down the stairs.

Today was the day we left the village. Everything went well and the town was back on their feet. It was beautiful and brought me to tears knowing all these people finally felt at home.
I walked out the door sitting my things on the wagon waiting for Atticus and Elijah.
" Guys come on! It'll be noon by the time you come out." I yelled
" Hush princess I'm right behind you." Elijah said emerging from out of the forest
" Where were you? And why are you always in the forest?!"I asked
"Always? That's a bit a stretch isn't it? Anyways I was gathering more herbs before we left. And something else."
"And that is?"

He suddenly took something from out of his bag. Pouring water on it before tossing it to me. I looked at the very purple and red fruit. It had small leaves emerging from it, Slightly resembling dragon scales. " Is this dorocain fruit?" I asked "Yes."
"But I thought this land can only bore these within time!" I exclaimed
" I guess the land gave you an early gift. For all you did." He chuckled sitting on the wagons front.
I bit into the purple fruit that was a mutation in result to the grand spill, But thanks to our ways the land was reborn and bore this fruit. The fruit was juicy and refreshing, Large in size compared to my hand. While being sweet and melts in your mouth, Soon as you bite into it, it's flavors spill in your mouth and dissolves. All while slightly burning your tongue from its sweetness.
"Is it good?" Elijah asks smiling
But I was to busy stuffing my face so whatever he kept telling me I was far from listening.
"Princess slow down! It's not going anywhere."
"But it's so good!" I say groaning, He starts laughing at me hysterically letting out a ghastly laugh.
"Hey it's not funny! Stop laughing at me!" I say with my mouth full.
"But look at your face! Your shoving your face." He says with tears almost filling his eyes. I finally swallow down the piece of fruit in my mouth. I start to laugh with him, smiling the biggest smile in a long time.

While tears filled my eyes, Suddenly a hand is place on my chin, wiping away the bit of fruit juice off of my face.
"Elijah?" I say looking up to him
"Sorry, you had something on your face for a while." He says quickly retreating his hands away from me.

Atticus finally emerged from the house with all his things. Running to the wagon and placing his things down all to soon feed the horses.
Thanks to the Villa we now had two horses. The white horse is as beautiful as a fresh plate of snow. And the horse was as dark as night I had stolen from that knight the day I rescued Atticus. After he fed the horses an apple. He sat in the wagon.
"You guys okay?" Atticus asked awkwardly wandering his eyes between me and Elijah.
"Yea we're good." I said avoiding looking at Elijah while numerous thoughts wandered through my mind.

I wondered why my heart felt this way, Didn't I have the Duke settled in my heart? But why was I this conflicted? It had been years since it had been the Duke and I. Meant to be married yet stuck in a phase we're we must keep up the act.
Did I even love him?
Did I ever love him?
My heart banged against my chest and my cheeks were flushed red. But Elijah, His ears burned red with each glance I took towards him.

We finally set off towards the Villa.

Passing by the village we all said our goodbyes. To everyone.
Passing by the Villa's name. As we were no longer greeted by a dim and dead Villa but rather a place filled with life and smiles.
The trees were tall the leaves were past the greenest they could be. The flowers that bloomed were the ones that were most beautiful. And the sun glows past the village into the forest illuminating the village in a green light never to be seen before.
The leaves were so green the sun reflected off of them.
It was peaceful. But also a saddened goodbye as they waved to me. As bright smiles shined as brightly as the sun.