Saudade (Published under Indie Pop)

Chapter 54: The Secrets of the Borgian Castle

Chapter 54: The Secrets of the Borgian Castle

No. Whatever possible explanation my mind was giving, I refused to accept it. That couldn't be true. And yet, the way Lord Boris looked at me and the Skull studied my reaction from where he stood, showed how truthful the statements were. It came as a terrible revelation and I felt like going sick again.

"You're lying." I shook my head slowly as I stared at the both of them. They were just playing a horrible joke at me and I knew better than to believe them. However, the grave look they were giving showed that they had no time at all to play around. "Are you telling me that the land I was born is not actually ours?" I laughed humourlessly, as if that mere thing would make it less real.

I could feel the weight of the situation as they stared at me quietly, assessing whether they made the right decision of letting me know. Maybe they wished they had waited for a little more time. But then, there's really no perfect time to tell the painful truth. It is what it is and it hurts as it hurts. I shivered as I felt the cold wind on my skin. The Skull, who was studying me intently, pulled me gently towards him.

"We should go back inside. It's chilly out here," he said and ushered me towards the entrance of the balcony. I let him lead me inside the castle but I stopped when he was about to open the bedroom door for me.

"I want to hear more about it. I want to know and understand the truth." I was calmer this time and probably more open-minded to welcome this revelation. I already got this far to limit my understanding of things.

The Skull looked at me like I was a hard-headed child who wanted more sweets than she ever needed, though it was a bitter medicine of truth this time. He was probably thinking of my outburst and the possible reaction I would give once I heard everything. He was still thinking of me as that emotional woman who cried in front of the pirates on the stage after singing a song she wrote for a man who just found the woman he was searching for a long time.

There were so many issues between us, a lot of things to talk about and confront, but I put them all aside and meet his eyes. I didn't know what he saw in there but he flinched and turned his gaze from me.

"Wait for us in the library, Boris. I need to have a word with the lady for a moment." He said this in a way that even Lord Boris could not deny the privacy he was asking.

"Well then, if it's really what the both of you need then I'll go ahead," the young Lord agreed before making his way to the direction of the library.

I frowned as I watched him disappear at the corner. I couldn't stop the loud beating of my heart as the Skull and I were left alone before the bedroom door. Hopefully, I displayed enough strength to show him that I wouldn't be swayed by his presence anymore. I even lost count of the times I punched him on his chest. However, I suddenly felt embarrassed when I realized that the walls I built high and strong through the times that I wasn't with him crumbled down easily by just a kiss from the man. Oh, wait! It wasn't just a kiss. It was a deep, hungry kiss. But then, maybe I wasn't really that strong.

"Primrose –" he started but I cut him off immediately.

"If it's not about the land and the rebels, then I don't want to hear it." I was ready to listen. No, I was always ready to listen. But not this time – not from him, and definitely, not about us.

He flinched at the coldness of my voice and the sharpness of my tone. He didn't expect that and probably think that that one kiss had solved everything between us. And that somehow fed the anger inside of me. Just how small and shallow did he think I was?

"I know I messed up. But you have to listen to me –" he continued and I glared at him. And for the second time on that day, I snapped once again.