Our eyes seemed to flutter everywhere except to each other, both of us on either side of my horse, taking our time to walk through the forest.

She had said her house was located towards the edge of the forest, wedged in between the entrance to the regions where the villages rested, and one of many rivers.

As we passed that particular river, I was taken back to the night where I lost the chance to fully see the face of a very mysterious woman. It could have been her curves, that didn't need an extravagant gown to be accentuated despite the darkness, or her refusal to speak any words even in her moments of desperation, that still had my curiosity intact.

Women, in general, seemed like epitomes of mystery. My recent interactions with them over the past couple of weeks, promisingly spoke for themselves.

But, the female I was currently walking with, Zyanna, seemed to be much less of a mystery than all the other women I had met. Her layers were easier to peel off to deduce what her thoughts entailed, her eyes mainly being the window to look through. It was definitely reassuring to know that I might not even need to calculate how to open the window that might have had a particular type of lock, for the keys, seemed like they would be easily handed to me.

All I had to do, was ask. 

The comforting silence continued as I surveyed the surroundings, more so than I would have done if I was riding my horse. The number of trees seemed to decrease as we ventured further, but strangely enough, there were more leaves scattered everywhere, even if there were fewer trees to release them.

Suddenly, Zyanna started moving around in a weird manner, her legs swiftly hopping around as she looked like she was trying to carefully avoid stepping on the fallen feathers of many birds. Then, she began to pick up the damaged feathers, as much as her palms could carry, and gracefully delivered it into the saddlebag attached to the horse.

"I hope you don't mind boy, I promise it isn't too heavy." She smiled softly and patted his back.

I refrained from questioning her actions, just choosing to revel in the satisfaction her doings gave me, and it felt delightful to not suffer from an urge to know the reasons behind something for at least once.

In the quick passing of time, it was apparent that we had reached our destination. There was a wide square-shaped clearing in front of a small cottage that delicately sat between two bent trees, the only area that contained no dirty leaves. It marked the entrance to her house.

The cottage emanated a sweet and homely aura, even the natural dust around it adding life to the classic brown colour of the bricks. There was one lamp hanging next to the door, highlighting a little porch, though it wasn't lit yet.

"The place is a little messy inside. Let me go and clear it up a bit so that you don't get too uncomfortable. Also, you can tie him up anywhere you please, Prince Elijah." She hurriedly ran inside the house, as I proceeded to let my horse rest in a suitable place.

The cottage definitely wasn't as messy as Zyanna described it to be, but that could just be a case of my personal sightings being much more severe before. Aaliyah's bedroom was a perfect example of a mind-blowingly chaotic area, where her own clothes had no clue as to where they belonged.

There weren't any chairs at all, instead, I found they were replaced by crimson red carpets. They were neatly spread over the wooden floorboards, most of them conveniently placed near the fireplace. The carpets cleverly matched the similar shade of merlot red painting the walls, all the colours blending perfectly together to be worthy of the fire encased in the midst of their presence. It was a small space, to say the least, but it pleasantly reminded me of a place priests would happily visit to rest their minds in meditation.

It felt peaceful.

Steam slowly started to leave through the windows from where Zyanna was, and I quickly wanted to make sure she didn't require any help. I hoped she didn't because truthfully, my talents in the cooking area weren't all that commendable.

As I was about to enter the little area, lifting the long curtain acting as a door to the kitchen, I thankfully held myself back at the right moment. Because otherwise, I would have crashed right into Zyanna who was holding a steamy little kettle in one hand and two teacups in the other.

"Goodness, I could have poured this all over you! Let me assure you, it would have left you with burns that would take much more time to heal, than my bruise." She disapprovingly shook her head, moving past me, towards the fireplace.

"A bruise inflicted by a hot kettle being much more severe, than one from a fully grown horse makes perfect sense, Zyanna. I will surely inform my soldiers to look out for those dangerous hot kettles on the battlegrounds." I smirked at her, while she shovelled some coal into the fireplace, clearly humoured by her warning.

She turned to look at me, her offended facial expression only augmenting the lack of my seriousness to her words. "One will never learn until it actually starts to burn. You can laugh at me now but it, unfortunately, won't be a remedy for the damage, Prince Elijah."

"Is that a threat I detect Zyanna?" I raised one of my eyebrows at her, as she sat down on one of the carpets, crossing her legs elegantly.

She immediately lifted the kettle, motioning it towards me. "For sure. From the kettle itself. Now, would you like to take a seat? It's much warmer over here." She patted a space on the carpet in front of her, also situated comfortably near the fireplace.

I sat down, giving the light brown kettle a suspicious look, making Zyanna giggle. I realised that it had been quite a while since I had a casual and friendly interaction, completely genuine, with no intention to discuss war, responsibilities or the kingdom's future.

It was ironic, as I was supposed to be here to fulfil a part of my responsibility. Killing two birds with a single stone had never felt better.

Zyanna poured some tea into both cups, pushing one cup towards me. "Should we start now, Prince Elijah?"

I took a sip of the tea, sensing the herbal touch to it, as the leaves ground into the powder left an organic aftertaste. "Of course. But before that, I have to ask, how did you know my horse was a male?" It had unsurprisingly made me curious as to how she knew when she addressed him knowingly.

"If I had known this is what the investigation would entail, I would have definitely arrived at the palace on time," Zyanna chuckled as she sipped the tea. "Well, call it a female's sense. The way he greeted me seemed more masculine, if I can put it like that, because only the males, would immediately respond to any form of communication like that. Female horses, tend to wait before they do anything at all, funnily enough, creating a mental analysis of their 'subject' before deciding to give their time of the day."

I grinned at her explanation. "You clearly know your way around horses. Is it only a 'female's sense'?"

"Pardon me, Prince Elijah, but can you think of anything more powerful?" She looked right into my eyes, lifting her face at an angle that signified confidence and belief.

"I wasn't questioning its strength, Zyanna. I just think that one can't determine the gender of an animal from its little action, without any previous experience. I'm not wrong, am I?"

She slightly nodded her head in approval. "You're not. I actually help the farmers in a village just outside this forest. It's how I know my way around animals, including horses. It's also the only way I can make sure I don't run out of money for milk and other necessities," Even though there were traces of humour in her tone, her eyes depicted none, as she looked out into the open windows.

I didn't know what to say, and I knew nothing was appropriate enough to fill the gap of silence. Therefore, I just smiled, wanting her to know that I wouldn't offer her any sort of sympathy that could be easily misunderstood as a fake and unnecessary emotion.

"It truly is praise-worthy, that you've come this far, with an abode you can call yours. Do you mind me asking whether you have anyone to accompany you here?"

"Not at all. It's just been me, for a very long time. Thank you for your kind words, but the sun is beginning to set. Shouldn't we get started now?" A weak smile lingered on her face, fatigue beginning to show.

Guilt began to flood into me, as I realised how much of her time I must have been wasting at a slightly unsuitable hour, even though I was here for official reasons. "Right, for sure. Firstly, I would like to ask, what were your whereabouts, exactly on this day, but two weeks ago? In particular, where were you from the middle to the end of that day?"

"I was setting up the food for the farm animals, and starting to take my leave after that. I haven't been going anywhere except the farm, the market and coming back to my place, for the past few weeks. It's been a repeated circle really, except for today." We continued to drink our tea, the increasing amount of darkness outside starting to compliment the colour of the drink.

Nevertheless, I continued. "The last time you visited the palace?"

"Oh, I've never actually been to the palace, now that I think about it. I've never been granted the opportunity to visit, except for the purposes of the investigation today, which I also unfortunately missed." She pursed her lips together, blinking her eyes in a sign of an apology once again.

"It's all forgiven now. Can I know your opinion on the dungeons in the palace? How much do you already know?"

"I would assume it's definitely a dangerous place to be. But, I also think the prisoners locked within, have surely committed crimes unforgivable enough, to be placed there." I could see how her mind carefully processed her thoughts before her mouth released them, but there surprisingly wasn't an inch of doubt or fear in her eyes I saw in most women, when the topic of the dungeons were brought up.

"You assume correct, Zyanna. Now, how well do you think you're being protected by the kingdom? Do not be afraid to answer with as much honesty as possible." She didn't reply immediately, as she smiles and looks down at her carpet, before resuming.

"The lack of bruises on my body, must surely speak for itself, Prince Elijah. Although, it is ironic, that the only mark present was caused by someone who is actually supposed to protect me." She elegantly smirked with a dash of cheekiness, if that was even possible, looking right at me again.

"For someone who wants to proceed through the investigation quickly, you seem to digress quite a lot, Zyanna. Lastly, could you tell me about your possible relations with dancing? Are you acquainted with any dancers, especially with a background of serving royalty?"

Suddenly, the comfortable silence that was present before, disappeared as if it was never meant to be there in the first place.

Zyanna took a deep breath, slowly shifting her look to a framed picture sitting on a table in front of the windows, giving it a strange stare only she knew the meaning behind. The picture seemed to contain shades of black and white, many rips of the material visible all over it.

But, what was clear, is that there were two people in it, both of them being females. There was a tiny girl sitting on what looked like many leaves scattered around her, and a beautiful woman also sat nearby. They were both looking down at the leaves surrounding them, though the woman only appeared to have half the joy decorating the child's face. The woman's smile looked thoroughly strained, as if it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"That is my mother. She was a dancer, but I don't know much information about the value of it, or if the profession involved her with royalty. She passed away when I was very little of age." The sadness in her voice was subtle, but it enveloped the peaceful place with a blanket of grief, covering me with it as well.

"I am truly sorry for your loss, Zyanna. Do you have any other relatives?"

She sighed, shaking her head with a fragmented smile on her face, and her eyes never once lowered their movements as her head stayed there tilted straight. It resembled a tremendous amount of strength.

"If your mother was here, she would definitely be very proud of your commitment to this brave solitude. I can tell she has raised you right, even with the little time she had." I meant every word, for I had never come across a female, who flowed with such an inspiring sense of emotional strength, as even her eyes intentionally hid the stories of her loss and sadness within their depths.

"Thank you, Prince Elijah. But I disagree, for I believe she still is here. Just like these trees, this fire, every piece of nature around me swaying by me, she also does. Whether she chooses to observe me within the stars, the leaves or even the winds, I can still sense her smiles, wherever it comes from." Her words came out as a powerful whisper, filled with belief, and I knew, it was only in herself without a doubt.

She adjusted the kerchief around her face, despite the warmth from the fire encasing the area, though I choose not to question it at this particular moment. We continued to drink the tea that I was nearly finishing, the silence falling around us like petals from a flower. She entwined her fingers and resumed her longing stare, but this time, directed it towards the fireplace. There was no tears, no smiles and absolutely no emotion on her face. All of a sudden, there was only an emptiness nothing could fill.

That was when the wind outside gained strength, the curtains starting to sway at a higher pace, followed by the leaves dispersed across the floorboards throwing themselves in different directions.

The silk kerchief adorning Zyanna's face fell.

Though it was transparent, it did not do justice to the truth of grace and beauty hidden behind it.

Because at that moment, her face was completely exposed to everything. To the stars, the trees, the fire and also me.

For me.

~~~

This chapter is unedited. I'm sorry 😢😢😢

I think that was the longest chapter so far. And I'm officially over it, I don't care anymore, lol. But I do care about every single one of you reading out there, including the silent readers, I LOVE YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE!!! You're beautiful, amazing and such precious gems that I will freaking forever cherish! Let's stop before your screen starts getting wet, ew.

Stay blessed,

OceanaCamerons 🌹🌹🌹