Death-Bound

Friendly Foe

Chapter Thirteen

When we arrived at the wet market, she made me stay in a park just outside of it. She gave me a book to read, while waiting. I sat on a bench, under a tree.

“Hot day isn’t it, Lady Jem, Maiden of the Red Stones, was that?” I heard a sarcastic comment from a man who just sat beside me. “reading again?” He took the book from my hand and threw it backwards. Sending it flying to the potted plants behind the bench. “It's a good thing that you were out of the hell hole of a castle! I know how it would have felt. Serving someone who should be fighting his own battles.”

“You didn’t improved, even as a king.” I said smiling making it sound like a compliment rather a sarcasm. “Margaritta is buying meat. She said we can’t feed you with the vegetables we grew ourselves from our garden." I said looking at the market’s entrance. I saw her emerging from the crowd. She was huffing and puffing.  “There she is now.” I said nodding towards the entrance of the market. She was carrying tons of fresh things, as if she is preparing for the whole town’s feast!

“Oh? Having a king for lunch is an honor you know.” He declared, standing up from the bench. Sounding so proud of his new found status.

“But not assisting a woman is a shame for every gentle man.” I commented walking toward the old lady. I went to Margaritta’s aid, Solom followed after me. I took one of the bags she was holding but Solom stopped me and took all the bags from Margaritta. I insisted on carrying my basket though, which was full of flowers we also bought. The bags was almost covering Solom’s face, good thing, he was able to peep from between them. He was walking just fine.

“Who’s this tall gentleman Jem?” Margaritta said in awe. 

“A friendly foe.” I said in a cheeky smile. He didn’t answer back like the usual thing he’d do. But I know he was happy to help! I was smiling the whole time we walked towards our cottage. Margaritta was being suspicious and started to look at me weirdly. But before she could comment,  we reached our with silence. It was quited weird for Solom though, for he  would usually complain about things. This time he did not utter or mutter a single complaint. Margaritta opened the Door for the two of us and Solom went straight to  the kitchen to unload the many things Margartta bought for that night's dinner.

“Thank you young man,” exclaimed Margaritta patting Solom at the back. “Now I better start with cooking, the King will be here soon.” I almost died laughing. Margaritta hadn’t realized who the young man was, and why he was with us. I was laughing like the crazy monkey now, and Solom was ironically smiling whilst looking at me. He did realize that the woman had not met him yet, nor she had witnessed his coronation. But then a gold necklace had proved that he is from nobility. In addition, the crest of the Land of Olives has gave many the knowledge of him being a ruler. But Margaritta hadn’t even noticed, which is an hysteric event. Solom just sighed in defeat cause Margaritta haven’t had any clue.

“It’s my pleasure Madam.” He said scratching the back of his neck being awkward of the fact that he is not in anyway looking like the ruler that he should be.

“I’ll accompany him to the living room, Margaritta.” I said enthusiastically. “We’ll be waiting for the King there.” I walked pushing Solom who was so affected with the whole Not-being-known-by-many issue with Margaritta. I almost had to drag him to the living area of the cottage. “You are a slug, you know that?” I said to him upon sitting on a sofa. He even sat sluggishly to emphasize the disappointed of him not being that famous for a newly crowned king. “At least, most of the nobles recognized you.” I said. His coronation was even attended by the Emperor himself.

He sighed. “how do you spend your time in here?” he said looking around, being bored by the place. “Don’t tell me you spend it here inside.”

I shrugged, I felt happy with him. Unlike the sadness which would always envelop me every time I would see the Emperor. “I water the plants we grow here. Want to see them.” He looked even much bored. I raise an eyebrow. “What?”

“That’s it? You will surely kill yourself with boredom Hy-er-Jem…I’ve been wanting to ask you this for so long. Uhm, ever since we were still schooling I guess.” He said being timid.

“What is it?” I said falsely being curious.

“Will you at least let me take you out for coffee or something?” he said blushing. And I couldn’t react. “I mean we are friends right Jem?” suddenly I felt heavy. I felt like I wasn’t being fair to myself. To go out with a friend was not really banned from me, and the fact that I am out of the castle makes me even more free to go to and fro, from where I wanted to. I smiled and nodded. I couldn’t even described the happiness he made me see. He wanted to dance or even shout with joy. It was as if he won the lottery. “Okay so this afternoon we can go out, right?”

“Yes,” I said. “Margaritta said she wanted to visit some friends of her, so, I am free to spend the whole afternoon with you.” In that moment I heard horses arriving. He heard it too. “He’s coming.” I felt him…the one who owns me. I looked at Solom, he was equally troubled as myself. I felt my bell weighed heavily once again.

“I won’t let him hurt you.” He held my hand tightly. I know it’s wrong to do so, but there was something in his grip that made me secure. I just smiled as we looked at each other.

“Margaritta, a visitor is coming.” I said. She walked past the kitchen door and looked outside. Her eyes widen as she saw the crest of the Emperor.

“I only thought that the King of Olives is coming, not the Emperor.” She exclaimed. “Right, we better add some plates then.”

“We’ll do just that. You see to it that the Emperor is taken care of.” Solom said. He pulled me to the dining area. Margaritta was dumb-founded by how the young man she thought to be no one turned out to be the King she was expecting for lunch, and how he pulled me weightlessly to the dining area. “Hyacinth,” he looked at me. My breathing was now labored. He knew exactly what was happening. The Emperor was raging with anger. Being the object of his rage and his death-bound, I was affected and suffocating. I tightened my grip on Solom’s hand and held my bell—I wanted it off me. There are times that I hated the Man I adored. And this counted as one of those times. I hated being enslaved to the person I love, for he knows the one thing I wanted the most and kept me from it—freedom! I gritted my teeth. I grasped for air as I tried to focus on one thing, I can’t let the two of them kill themselves. I know my master, and he wants Solom to suffer. Solom looked at me troubled by my situation. He knows the pain of this torture for he himself had suffered it in the hands of his father. I can’t fail him this time I had to be strong and resist.