Speak

Chapter 17

Cain had glanced out a window, as he was walking down a hall. He saw Scarlet slowly strolling through the gardens, the sun bouncing off of her. He paused at the window, his eyes following her. Through the brick and glass; he could smell her. He still smelled faintly of her, of jasmine. There was something in him, something out of his control, which drew him to her. He had been able to sustain whatever it was, so far, with their daily lessons. Some nights they had dinner. They were never alone, of course. Despite their uneasy friendship, Renee was faithfully there for Scarlet. If it wasn't Renee, then she was under the watchful eye of his cousin Claudia. This was the first time, since he pulled her from the cell in his basement, that he had seen Scarlet truly alone.

He had to go to her. To spend some true time with her. So he went to the attic, and dug out a gift that Dolra had given him a few years prior. Photography had never been a true interest to him, but Dolra had still given him the gift. After a point of time where the thing had gone unused, it was moved into the attic. Now, for the first time ever, it was seeing the light of day. He didn't approach her at first, instead he watched her. Even as she fumbled after the mother duck, he could only see her beauty. When he did finally speak to her, she jumped. Instant regret flooded him, and the same feeling returned after he took her photo. He deeply hated seeing her unhappy.

She took his offer to take a photo. He offered her his hand, and she took it. Her hands had smoothed in areas, while hardened in others. The warmth her hand offered seeped through his whole arm. And he didn't wish to let her go. She did, and she also took his camera. She held it up, he silently watched her. She moved it along the horizon, as he explained how to use it to her. He hadn't expected her to turn and take a photo of him, but she moved at the pace of a human. He at least had the time to pose for the photo. She returned his camera, claiming they were even. She would have left. He could see it in her eyes, but when he asked her to stay... she did.

Though he originally had no real place in mind, his feet took him to the small dock. The same one that he once found Scarlet at during the peak of her friendship argument. He hadn't paid attention to dock before, he rarely did to his home anymore, but it was in a rather ideal place. Secluded on a small round bend, always in the perfect amount of shade. The sun seem to glimmer perfectly from their spots on the dock. Setting her basket down, Scarlet lowered herself to take a seat on the dock.

I love this lake. It's pretty.

"It is. I've lived here for thousands of years, I stopped looking after a while." He took a spot near her, and held up the camera. "Here," he held it out to her, "you take it. You see more beauty in the world than I do." She took the camera, looking at it. She shook her head, sitting it back down.

I see no more beauty than any other.

"I don't think that's true." He picked up the camera, aimed it at the tree tops and clicked the button as a flock of birds went through the sky. He lowered it, and set it back on the docks.

Why do you suddenly have faith and interest in me?

He let out a small chuckle, toying with the camera. "I've always had interest in you." She hadn't been facing him, he could only catch a glimpse of her jaw. She moved just slightly at his response and he caught a pink flush on her cheeks. Looking up, their gazes met. They both smiled.

~~~

Returning back to the mansion, the first worker he saw Cain handed off the used film to them. With strict instructions to get it developed at once, they rushed off as he headed off to a meeting. He had said his farewell to Scarlet in the gardens, leaving her to go to the basement as he went up to the second floor of his home. Through the maze of hallways he worked his way to the meeting room where the war meeting was waiting to take place. Approaching the door, a guard swiftly stepped forward and open it for him.