Saudade (Published under Indie Pop)

Chapter 3: The Knight and the Ruler

Chapter 3: The Knight and the Ruler

“What were you thinking?!” My father said in a high tone. Obviously, he wasn’t pleased to find out about what I did. The young lady of the East was not supposed to be sneaking out in the middle of the night just to meet the prisoners of the West. And to make it more fatal, I met the prisoned pirates of the West. I couldn’t fault my father. I also thought what I did was stupid.

I couldn’t respond. No matter how calm my thoughts were, my body seemed to be disagreeing with it. My lips were quivering. My whole body felt so cold that I think even my bones were frozen. It felt like any attempt of moving would break me into pieces.

“Caleb, please. She’s had enough for this night. She’s so scared. Our daughter needs to rest.” My mom rescued me. She wrapped me in a thick blanket and led me to my bed.

“My apology, Lord Caleb. I should have secured the prison more carefully,” Lord Magnus said. I couldn’t remember how it happened, but suddenly, the head of the West Family was in my room with Chester Weston. He was looking at me like I was an idiot. God! I so hate him.

“My daughter has been like this for many years now. I’m sorry for bothering all of you,” my father replied calmly.

They decided to put Tarnus outside my room since he volunteered for it. He should be with his men resting but I made him sacrifice sleep just to watch over me. I probably made too much destruction for one night. They decided to settle things first thing in the morning before they all got out of my room. Oh, how I hate having my room as the venue for all the political matters. If only I could kick them out.

When they left, I couldn’t sleep. The Skull. The thought was still echoing in my head. I was talking about Lord Threy Weston and not some part of the human skeletal system. But they seemed to fear this skull. And as far as I remember, being feared was far from the boy’s carefree and adventurous personality. Or had he changed these past five years? We were all entitled for changes but changing for the worse? Was that really possible.

My mind refused to agree. No. They were probably talking about another lunatic pirate. And Lord Threy was no pirate. He was just sailing the sea. He was just looking for someone. I turned to my other side as my heart revolutionized from the idea. He was really stupid to do that. I wish I had done more than I did to stop him before. If I was only strong enough during that time.

My mind was still chaotic when the door slowly opened. It seemed that whoever opened it was trying not to wake me up. My heart beat faster as I remembered what happened in the prison. But before I totally panicked, I saw Tarnus’ head showing up from the door.

“Tarnus,” I said with a sigh of relief.

“Lady Primrose, you should be sleeping by now,” he said softly as he entered the room and approached my bed.

“I can’t sleep,” I answered sitting on my bed to face him. I tapped the side of my bed to offer him a seat. We used to be friends. We still are. However, his duty as the head of security of the East family seemed to have dulled it.

He smiled at me as he pulled up the blanket up to my waist. He was a good-looking man that every girl in the East land desires to marry him. But he wouldn’t. He said he still has more important priorities.

“It’s going to be another long day when you wake up. I’ve heard that there will be lots of political agenda for today. You need enough strength to face everything,” he said. He was always sensible and rational.

I frowned. We were supposed to go home by tomorrow. “What made us stay longer?” I asked.

He shrugged. I think the pirates became a main issue in this meeting. And what to do with them will be the topic of the day. Something occurred to me when I met his eyes again.