Chapter 55

JERALD'S POV

 Siran had a heart that glowed softly, lit by kindness. But he was one of those individuals who didn't wish to openly portray that part of themselves. He was withdrawn, preferred to keep to himself. He didn't talk unless he was spoken to and his mind was always occupied by thoughts....one could easily tell. There were instances when he'd zone out, stare at the nothingness of space before his mind returned to the present. 

And he was a hard worker as well. I had woken up at around five the next day and turned to the bed beside mine to find him already up. And I had found him outside, tending to his crops. 

That had been the first night since my arrival in Rabdah when I had actually slept well. The bed nothing like what I was used to, but it had been better than the grand one I had back at the palace. 

This stranger had welcomed me into his home and given me a place to sleep as well as food,and I didn't want to seem like a burden so I decided to help out however I could. I walked to the kitchen and looked around, noticing that the place was filled with things that Aliyah liked. Her favorite fruits,little snacks as well as the type of mint tea she preferred. I made us some, and for lack of anything else I made scrambled eggs and set them out on the table. He must have smelled the cooking from outside because he returned to the house, standing at the doorway with a frown on his face,then he peered inside and realized that I had cooked. He slowly walked in and stood next to the plate I had set aside for him. 

" You didn't have to, " he said and I assured him it was nothing. He nodded and proceeded to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. Then he returned and rolled up the sleeves of his red plaid shirt. I looked at him, at the baseball cap on his head and at his hands that were slightly calloused and again I couldn't help but wonder about him and Aliyah.

Their connection was clear. 

And I suddenly understood part of the reason why my sister had been so willing to accept me, and why she had always wanted me to stand up to my father and make him see that I loved who I loved and had no control over that. Because just like me, she had a love that would never be accepted by my father. 

There was no way he was ever going to allow her union with anyone that did not have status. And that was sadly something that Siran lacked. He was a good person, but in my father's eyes that would never be enough.

We ate in silence,then he took a sip of his tea and looked up at me, the baseball hat casting a shadow on his face. 

" Did you sleep well?" He asked me and I assured him that I had. 

" That's good, " he said, then he continued eating. The house wasn't that big, but it seemed too big to belong to just him, I looked around and wondered whether he lived there alone, I recalled him having mentioned his father the previous day and I wondered where he was. And because the silence wasn't attractive I decided to go ahead and ask. He stopped eating and looked at me, then he shrugged and took another bite of his food. He was almost done yet I wasn't even halfway through. 

" My father doesn't live here anymore. It's just me, you have no reason to worry, " he had misunderstood my reason for asking but I didn't correct him. I was still a fan of the art of observation, and I clearly observed that he did not like questions, and neither did he like conversations with other people. I was much the same way, at least I had been. That was something Seville had slightly changed about me. I wasn't as reserved as I had been prior to my admission to the institution. After he was done he took his dishes to the kitchen and washed them before placing them back to where they had initially been, then he came back to the dining area,with the table built for not more than four people. I keenly watched as he took off the hat on his head and ran his fingers through his hair before placing it back on. An action that seemed to have been done out of habit than anything else, then he told me that Aliyah would be by soon and I should feel free to do whatever I liked around the house. 

He walked out again, his gait focused and confident, his strides sure. 

He went back to his farm where he continued to tend to his livestock. I ate as much as I could before I got full and was unable to eat anymore, so I cleaned my dishes as well and arranged them before I walked out. I leaned against the side of the house and watched him work, smiling when I recalled that time when Calen and I had been talking about farming skills. I had gone back into the house to grab his blazer and put it on because of the chill. I was scared that the more I wore it the less it would smell like him, the less I would feel his presence whenever I wore it. But I wore it either way because I had nothing else to put on. All my clothes were back at the palace...and a majority of them were back at Seville. 

The day seemed to go by pretty quick, and then at about noon, Aliyah had arrived. Just as she had said she would. 

And in her arms was a fairly large box that had me wondering what she was up to. Siran spotted her from a distance, he had been busy milking a cow, he stopped immediately and stood, waiting for her to get closer. I watched them from inside the house, through a window.

He had taken the box from her and carefully placed it down, then he had lifted her off the ground in a warm embrace, I heard her laugh. Filled with nothing but love for the boy who seemed to only be comfortable around her. She took off the hat on his head and gently combed back his hair with the tips of her fingers before she kissed him. Not the other way round, Aliyah had been the one to pull him down for a kiss.

I stepped away from the window since there was something weird about watching my sister relate with a boy. And I went back to the table of four and sat down. 

They walked in a while later.

She gave me a subtle smile and sat on the chair opposite mine, Sarin stood beside her,his hand on the back of the wooden seat,but I sensed that his fingers were rather in contact with her back. 

" For a son he claims to be disappointed in father sure is putting on quite the effort to find you, " She said. 

I wished to hear nothing about the man,he had crossed the line yesterday. The stunt he had pulled with Simra had been a step too far.

" This is however the last place anyone would think about searching, " she added, looking up at her love with a broad and satisfied smile on her gentle face. This princess that had been sought after by other kings before she even turned ten. Who had uncountable admirers spread across the land. Who just like me, had been unfortunate enough to love the one person she could never have. 

" That's yours, " she then said, gesturing to the box. I frowned and asked her what it was, assuming she had packed me some necessities from home and brought them along. 

" Open it, " she said with a shrug. And I saw a little curiosity on her features as well. I stood and looked at the box, it was carefully sealed. Then I recalled her having said she had to pick something from town the previous day. I gently placed my hand on the box before I turned back to her. 

" Did he?" Was all I asked, and when she nodded my heart began to beat a little faster...a little needier.

I had trouble unsealing it and Sarin had fetched a knife from the kitchen and handed it to me, I took it from him with hands that had decided to start shaking. I opened it up, stalling for a bit before I flapped it open, and I was unable to stop the gush of breath that escaped my lips. 

The first thing I saw was my violin case,and on top of that was the green box in which my globe lay, I reached inside and took the contents out one by one. His name an echo in my head, pounding against my temples over and over until I feared that I'd go insane.

I traced my fingers along the things, then I reached inside and pulled out two envelopes, a large one and another that was fairly smaller. 

This love of mine refused to be forgotten.