One Hundred Tears In The Sunset

Chapter Three

"Alas, never has a touch made one fall and break"

*

Tehya sat upright in the hard wooden chair. Her riding clothes were muddy, crumpled and soaked with damp mud that chilled her to the bone. She glared her empty grey eyes around the small box room; it was a bare empty space with a simple floor bed and a stove oven boiling softly over an open fire. One small thin cupboard sat in a corner and on top a bunch of wild colourful flowers sat in a empty glass bottle. The floorboards were ruff and splintered but they were clean of all dust and a simple square window shredded small amounts of fast fading sunlight into the room,

"I've not got any bandages but I have spare fabric." Brooke muttered as he open up the cupboard searching it's contents. The princess nodded and carried on staring around her. On first glance the room looked bare but tidy, yet if you looked again you could see the patches of damp on the ceiling, the gaps under the window that must let in cold draughts in the winter, and the floor boards were slowly becoming filled with wood-mite bites. Teyha hid her shock under her cold gaze. Her uncle could be harsh, but surly he wouldn't let a servant live like this? After all there was plenty of room inside the castle,

"Ah here we go!" Mr Heathingdale mumbled and stepped back towards her, his hands filled with ripped white cotton. Brooke silently bent down to the floor and gently removed her silk sock. An unexpected chill tingled her back as his bare fingers slid along her skin,

"Why were you in the woods today Mr Heathingdale?" She asked. Brooke glanced up at her with his blue eyes,

"I was searching for mushrooms." He chuckled. Something in his expression told her he was lying but she only nodded and, watched as he began to wrap the material tightly around her sprained ankle. A thick bolt of pain lashed down her bone,

"Oh." She gasped out and bit her lip,

"I'm sorry to hurt you." He said, not sounding sorry at all,, "And why were you in the woods today Princess?" Tehya stared out the window and watched as unexpected thick grey clouds ran over the blue depths,

"My uncle wished me to ride with Mr Drumound."

"And did you want to ride with him?" He pressed her,

"Not particularly." She chuckled, "He has a rather crude manner against himself."

"I remember that." He shook his head,

"You have met him before today then?" The princess frowned,

"Oh yes I have met him." His blue eyes flickered to her questioning gaze quickly, before breaking away quickly,

"May I ask when, Mr Heathingdale?" Tehya asked softly. A silence filled the air until...

"I'm finished, it may be worth getting someone to see to it when you get back however." Brooke stood up and stepped over to the fire his back turned from her,

"Thank you." She muttered and stretched her aching ankle out before her,

"You'll do best to leave before it rains." He muttered just as a heavy splash landed on the window pane. Tehya stared at his still body which stood stiffly before the fire. What had she said to make him act this way? Was it the subject of Mr Drumound perhaps? What had he done to the stable man in the past? The princess longed to ask but her lips never quite found the words,

"I shall be leaving then. I thank you for your assistance today Mr Heathingdale." Teyha's voice was ice cold again. Her face a stone mask as she opened the old wooden door and stared out at the pouring rain. Funny how only moments ago the skies had been sea summer blue but then again this was England, rain did seem to appear from nowhere at times. You didn't live here for the weather. The princess only hesitated a moment and then stepped out into the cold falling drops just as Brooke's voice rang out,

"Wait!" He was beside her in a moment and gently placing his fingers over her arm. Heat flared where his hand rested. Teyha took a breath and stared at his blue intense eyes glaring back at her, "You can't go outside in this." He gestured to the freak storm, "Wait until it calms down at least."

"I can assure you some fine rain does not bother me! I am not a damsel in distress Mr Heathingdale," Tehya, for some reason was mad. He had dismissed her in an instant and now because of some rain he called her back inside. Did he think she was so weak?

"Perhaps not but you are the Princess and if you get ill then who will hold the throne when you become of age?" Brooke's voice was just as bitter, all humour in his eyes were gone. That was the moment Tehya realised she wasn't the only one who could make a stone mask of emotion,

"And that Mr Heathingdale is no concern of yours." She huffed and shrugged his fingers away trying not to gasp as bitter ice drops soaked her through in seconds. Teyha's feet slid on the wet mud and pain stung her ankle again. The cuts which still seeped small amounts of blood pained as water trickled into them. Her torn clothes ripped even more as she stepped down the thin muddy path which was surrounded in thick nettles. A wind screamed down and howled inside the trees, the very air seemed to darken. For a moment the princess was reminded of the day her parents were killed. The weather had changed dramatically then. She remembered thinking how quickly a life can end.

Why am I alive? Why had those men spared me? Had killed my whole world infront of me and then failed to end my life?

Teyha stumbled forwards as her foot tripped on a jagged stone embedded in the ground. Her knees crashed on the floor sending agony flying through her body.

I can not do anything right! I can not even walk to the castle in some rain! She thought fiercely to herself. I do not want to be a princess! I do not want to live here! I want my mother and father! I want to see them! I do not care for anything else! She knelled in the mud, her hands covering her face. The rain lashed down on her for what felt like hours until a strong pair of hands was pulling on her shoulders, lifting her from the path. She sighed softly and for a moment wished she had been left alone in the rain, where her tears could be hidden inside the falling drops,

"I told you to wait till it calms down." Brooke's voice was rough in her ear and he was breathing heavily as he limped into the open doorway leading her back inside the warm room. Tehya stood in silence as he covered her up in a sheet. Why are you helping me? Is it just because I am the princess? Her grey eyes watched as he bent down beside the fire,

"Here, drink this and prey you don't get a fever." Brooke handed her a brown clay cup filled with warm milk, "I don't have any sugar so it'll have to be honeysuckle nectar." He grunted. Tehya clasped the hot mug and sipped the sweet milk. It filled her insides with a blossoming warmth. Her anger had diminished as quick as it had came, and in it's place the normal numbness of broken feelings returned. She gently sat on the floorboards and covered the rough sheet around her,

"You'll have to take off your clothes." He muttered,

"Pardon?" She spluttered on her milk. Brooke chuckled and humour glinted in his eyes once more. His bitterness seemed almost forgotten as well,

"So they can dry princess." He held up a hand, "Please, I am not interested in your royal virtue!"

"I never thought for a minute you were!" She grunted. Brooke limped over to the wooden chair and sat down rather stiffly. He didn't look at her, his face was frozen in stone. She wandered how he had gotten his limp, was it something from birth? Or an accident?

"You're looking like a mouse searching for cheese princess, is there something you wish to ask me?" He stared at her then, his eyes flickering back with humour,

"I was...I was just wondering..." Her words were jumbled as she tried to place the sentence without sounding rude, "Did you hurt your leg? Or did you always..."

"Limp?" He finished her words and then shook his head, "No princess, to both questions. I was neither born with it, nor did I hurt it," Tehya frowned and waited, "No." He chuckled coldly, "My father gave me my limp. One of the only things he did give me," And then Brooke's blue eyes darted away and settled back on the fire. It looked as if he revisiting a different time,

"Your father is still around Mr Heathingdale?" She asked rather softly and watched as a drip of rain fell down onto the floorboards,

"Very much so," He grunted, "I'm getting a bucket for the leaks, you should change out your wet clothes" He stood up and pulled out a long shirt, "You'll have to wear this." And then he was out the door in a matter of seconds. The princess stared after him for a moment and then feeling self conscious, she quickly stripped the soaked riding suit off, and threw on Brooke's long cotton shirt . It came just above her knees and smelt of him. Like fresh flowers and new hay. Teyha bent down and wrapped the damp sheet around her legs. She shook her head softly, If mother could see me now, half bare inside a stable man's house. Her uncle would go crazy when she returned as well, he was probably searching for her now, or then again probably not. He was the type of man who would leave a person in the rain to suffer. Just like he leaves Brooke out here to suffer in this leaky room! The princess returned back to the floorboards and sipped her milk. It seemed that Brooke was a mystery. The way he spoke to her! Sometimes as a gentleman should, and then sometimes as all stable man spoke. He knew Mr Drumound as well but how? Whenever she asked, Mr Heathingdale would avoid the question swiftly.

"Why do you even care Teyha? He is nothing to do with you!" The Princess grumbled to herself. Yet she did care, he may speak rudely to her at times but at least he spoke with honesty. A knock echoed into the small room and Teyha jumped. Her uncle had found her! Her heart hammered loudly against her ribs until,

"Are you finished changing Princess?" Brooke's soft voice called between the wood,

"Yes Mr Heathingdale!" She quickly stole a glance down at her bare legs and hurried to cover them with the sheet ,

"It's still pouring down! Doesn't look like the clouds will ease off anytime soon." He grunted holding two buckets and an arm full of slightly damp wood, "I brought more firewood." Teyha watched him dump the buckets under the drips, and then brushed off the splinters which clung to his damp white cotten shirt. The material sank deeply into his skin as he bent down beside the roaring flames. Tehya found herself staring at the pale pink flesh beneath in wonder,

"I'm afraid my uncle will shout when he realises where I've been." She muttered quickly and looked away as he stared at her with a grin,

"Then do not tell him."

"But how will I explain my clothes and such?" She pondered aloud,

"Don't." It was so simple the way Brooke said it but the princess had seen the rage inside her uncle. Oh yes, there will be some heavy words when I return she thought silently,

"You are the princess by blood. Soon you will be Queen. Understand that, you should not have to explain your actions to your uncle. He may be king at the moment but not for long."

It was perhaps the longest sentence the stable man had spoken for over a year and he ran a hand through his jet black hair, unsure why she could make him speak so freely. Perhaps it is the way her hair falls around her grey eyes as she stares at him from the floorboards. Brooke discarded the thought quickly. I am only helping because her eyes are numb with feelings which she has yet to feel,

"My uncle has a fierce temper Mr Heathingdale. You should have seen him this morn..." The princess stopped her words and glanced away. She wondered if Brooke would press her but he kept silent and watched the drips platter into the wooden buckets, "Do you like living here Mr Heathingdale?" Teyha asked softly,

"I like the peace..." He answered slowly as if choosing his words carefully,

"You like the gaps under the windows? And the puddles of rain which fall through the roof?" She pressed,

"I like the fact that no one bothers me." He muttered,

"I could speak to my uncle. I could get you moved into the castle or we could get work men to fix up your...home. We could make it bigger for you! Add an extra room for a kitchen and maybe a bedroom and a gard..."

"Please princess..." Brooke held up a hand and cut off her words. His eyes blazed with an emotion she couldn't read, "I have helped you today so let me ask you to never talk to your uncle about me."

"But I..."

"Enough!" He cut her off rudely and grabbed her clothes from the floorboards, hastily draping them in front of the fire. The princess stared at him, surprised at his outburst, but she wasn't as mad as she should have been for the way he had spoken to her. Brooke rubbed a hand through his hair and then looked at her. The sheet that covered Tehya had risen up revealing the pale fair flesh of the edge of her leg. The princess followed his gaze and blushed hastily covering her showing skin. Heat filled her chest and she struggled to control her breathing. Brooke didn't move his gaze and Tehya's lips open slightly as if wanting to talk but unsure of what to say. Her grey eyes stared up at him, so numb, he thought sadly,

"The rain seems to have cleared up a bit. Perhaps you should return now?" He spoke softly and offered her a smile. Teyha nodded gently, "I could bring down Fey down and we could ride her back to the castle?" The Princess's eyes widened and Brooke quickly added, "Because you will find it hard to walk or ride with your ankle as it is."

"Which Mare is Fey?" Teyha asked him, her grey eyes filled with interest,

"The grumpy brown lady." He chuckled, "The clothes should be drier now, get dressed and I'll get her saddled up." He opened the door and only stopped when her voice rang out softly,

"And now Mr Heathingdale, are you helping me because I am the princess?" Brooke's knuckles were white as he clutched the door frame,

"Of course" But the lie was easily heard...