Love, Tea & Scones

A Kiss Underneath Mushrooms

Terra and Sir Darryl made their way through the streets of Clawnarief. Merchants would call out to them, trying to get them to buy some of their wares. The pair ignored them and made their way to the town park. Not many people were about so Terra and Sir Darryl were basically alone. They strolled causally around the park until they got board of walking so they scouted out a place to sit for a while. They found a bench underneath a large tree with glowing mushrooms growing from the tree branches. Sir Darryl carefully lowered himself down onto the bench, as though he was trying to avoid hurting something. Terra sat down on the bench without a second thought. "You alright?" Terra asked Sir Darryl slowly. He nodded his head quickly, "Aye, I just fell down a few steps earlier so just a bit sore!"He said trying to play down the severity of the injury. Sir Darryl didn't seem like he was going to explain how he fell so Terra moved the conversation onto something else.

"What would you think would happen if I eat one of those?" She asked Sir Darryl curiously as she looked up at the glowing violet coloured mushrooms above them. Sir Darryl sighed and tilted his head back and narrowed his eyes at the mushrooms. "Probably get sick!" He answered with a shrug. We sat in silence for a few minutes, "You would tell me if something was wrong right?" Sir Darryl asked Terra quietly. Terra answered almost immediately "Of course I would!, I consider you a good friend of mine!". Sir Darryl raised an eyebrow at Terra, "just a friend?" He asked in a teasing manner. Terra wrinkled my nose at him and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Come on don't be asking me things like that!" Terra laughed "It wouldn't do you any good if the King heard you say that!".

A darkness filled Sir Darryl's eyes as he turned his head away from her and stared off into the distance. He wanted to say something but wasn't so if he should. After mauling it over for a minute he just came out with it. "Look Terra I get you have an obligation to the King and all since you are competing with the other girls to be his bride but by the gods I just can't stand it any longer so I'm just going to say it!" He ranted as he pushed himself off the bench quickly and started pacing in front of the bench. "I'm in love with you!" He shouted and Terra was sure that he shouted loud enough that someone would have heard him. "I think I've loved you since I met you, back at your cafe the moment I walked in and saw you working at the counter with your hair tied back into that ponytail and you had this stunning smile and I knew then that I was a goner!" He went on "I knew I had my duty to the King but I swear on my life that I wanted nothing more than to ask you out there and then but I was so nervous and then your grandmother came up to me and the first thing out of my mouth was to ask her if she knew any girl willing to participate and then I just had to ask about you and then she got that damn sign up sheet from me and tricked you into signing it, oh how I wished I could have crossed off your name so you wouldn't be stuck in this mess!".

Terra didn't know how to respond to all of this, here Sir Darryl was proclaiming his love for her and poor Terra couldn't take it all in. She knew he had a bit of a crush on her but to tell her he was madly in love with her just confused Terra and she didn't know what to do. Even if she reciprocated Terra was still in this competition and if the King found out on of his guards had fallen in love with one of his bridal candidates Terra was certain he would react badly. Terra did like Sir Darryl, he was kind to her and they were good friends and she was sure she could have fallen in love with him under different circumstances but she was in the situation she was in and she didn't want Sir Darryl to suffer because he had fallen in love with her and most certainly would invoke the wraith of the king.

Sir Darryl got down on his knees in front of Terra and took her hands in his and placed the palm of her hands over his heart. "I love you Terra Riverglade, more than I have ever loved anyone else!, tell me that you feel the same!" He whispered to her with a look of pure love and adoration in his eyes. Terra's heart raced and her mind was going a mile a minute, what was she to do?
If she reciprocated and if the King found out then Sir Darryl and herself was going to be in a world of trouble but if she didn't then it would break Sir Darryl's heart into a million little pieces. Terra knew she had to give him an answer and quickly since the longer she stayed quiet, the more confusion and fear shined in Sir Darryl's hazel brown eyes. Terra didn't want to break his heart but she also didn't want him to get hurt because of these actions. How could someone help falling in love with another? You can't help it if you love someone you just do!