The Deathly Scream - 𝟙

༒ Fifty-eight ༒

⇺             ⇻ ♕ ⇺             ⇻

I hadn't talked to Cameron since he had given me his letter yesterday. Not in class, not when we stood on the roof with August, not at dinner. My nerves decided to play a game with my stomach and after that, with my head.

I should not go. He wrote that he would understand it, that he couldn't change my feelings. But if I told myself I wasn't feeling anything I would be fooling myself. He was sure that Val wasn't in love with him, but when I think back of the night they watched the sunset, or the many other dates I read about in the newspaper, I couldn't agree.

I was able to escape this, to ignore what he had asked me, simply by not going. There was no evidence, the letter was burned.

I stare into the stove where no fire is burning. When someone knocks softly on my door I stand up and Jade walks in with in her arms at least three different dresses. She lays them down on my bed without saying a word and we both stare at them for a second.

'These are the only dresses I have made over the last week. I'm still curious though why all of a sudden you want a dress', she remarks. I hadn't told her the whole truth for my request, and as usual she could see right through me.

'You have been acting a little strange, Rosa. A little with your head in the clouds', she adds, raising an eyebrow at me. I nod my head in disagreement and take one of the dresses to get a better look of them.

'I only need a dress for tonight', I answer calm when I stare at myself in the mirror. The long white dress she had made was perfect for hunting deer. The long sleeves would be tight enough not to bother me when I hold my arrow and bow and I would still look elegant with the lase details.

'I take this one', I whisper and she puts the others in my closet without answering.

'I wasn't aware that something was going on this night. Otherwise my auntie would have told me', she says after I've put on the dress.

'Well, it is not a big event. I'm only going to hunt deer'. She stares at me for a moment, suspicion in her eyes when she gets a look of me. 'Hunting in a dress? Why don't you wear that cape coat?'

'That would be too obvious for the cameras around the castle, I don't want more trouble. Besides I'm not hunting alone', I explain when my nerves raise up again and I feel sick in my stomach.

'Why aren't you telling me the whole truth?' She whispers and takes a seat on my bed.

'It is a long story', I start but she raises both her eyebrows and I realise that I'll have to tell her the truth. I sigh deep before I turn around and walk through my room, afraid of what she will think. 'Cameron asked me to meet him after dinner in the Rose Garden to hunt deer', I say quickly.

'So you are meeting a candidate?'

'It is only casual. I have to get to know him after all'.

'Rosa, I think that in the six months he has been here, you already have', she notices concerned. I sigh deep, realising how stupid I was acting at this moment. With my head in my hands I sit down next to her, for the first time in my life, afraid to tell her how I feel.

'He wrote me a letter last night and explained that he felt more for me. I can't say his exact words but it comes down to that'. For a moment Jade stops breathing and her eyes open wide. Not sure how to react.

'But he is a candidate, Rosa. If he doesn't love your sister and they realise he feels more for you it could be his death', she says disapproving and stands up in confusion.

'We realise that. I am not even sure what I feel. He told me that he wouldn't do this if he wasn't sure that Val would choose someone else', I defend myself but she doesn't want to listen.

'You don't know what your sister is going to do, Rosa!'

'I realise that!' I raise my voice, afraid for what is coming. Jade sighs, thinking of a possible explanation as she always does. Even today, she seems as helpless as I feel.

'You think this is the right thing to do?' She asks after a while.

'I feel safe with him', I whisper. She nods a little and walks over to my closet, kneeling down when she gets something out of the bottom drawer.

'You'll need this'. She points my arrow and bow at me with a vague smile on her face.

'Why are they here?' I ask confused.

'Levi asked me to lay them in your closet. One of the soldiers had found them in the stable of Spirit'. I smile at her before we hug quickly, seeing the tears in her eyes when I realise Levi is defending our Kingdom in the village right know.

'He'll be safe. You know Levi', I assure her when she blinks a tear away.

'Rosa, I honestly hope that what you are about to do is right. Cameron would be a good partner', she whispers before we hug one last time and I leave my room. Ready to ruin another part of my life.