One Hundred Tears In The Sunset

Chapter Five

There was a time,

Where I stood on the mountain,

And watched the world climb below me,

There was a time,

When I decided to join them.

That time was now.

One week later

The night air would be a bitter ice cold, she could feel that already. Even with her back to the long diamond window Tehya knew that outside the wind would be whirling wildly inside the woodland. Even as the pale flesh under her night dress sweated from the mouth drying heat of the attic , she knew that Brooke's tanned skin would be dotted with goose bumps and raised arm hairs fighting against the cold. Teyha could vision him now in his small shed house filling the fire place with huge logs. A flickering flame that the ice air ate up as quick as it came. He wouldn't be warm. He would be freezing, even with a third layer of clothing on, the cold would eat away. The princess frowned as she sat on her bed gazing at her arm. He was always there, just on the tip of her thoughts. It didn't matter what she was doing, even something as simple as eating somehow Brooke would always enter her mind. Did he have enough food? Was he hungry? Was he well? Why do I care? Her finger tips gently touched the raised scabbed flesh on her arm. The corners were wet with a yellow liquid. The burn was infected. Tehya knew that. She also knew that if it wasn't seen by a doctor the infection would spread and slowly, a flu would come and take her away. To mother and father. It wouldn't be so bad. A relief perhaps.

She should have been asleep, tomorrow a midsummer ball in the centre of London was taking place, and her Uncle was forcing her to go. She remembered the short conversation...

"It is a great honour to go to the mid summers ball, all the royalty from over seas will be attending." His eyes had flashed as she looked at her feet,

"I would rather stay here Uncle please."

"No Tehya. You are attending. I have already had a dress made and a carriage waiting for you in the morning. You have been asked to play the piano for the King of Spain, it is a privilege most young Princess's would die for." He had picked out a fat cigar from his inner pocket and glared at Teyha,

"I have not played the piano for a very long time..." She muttered,

"I am told you play like a chorus of angels." Mr Blairs pulled out a match slowly eyeing her with green blazing eyes,

"Very well Uncle. I shall attend." The Princess had whispered before quickly darting away...

Mr Arthur Dumound would be at the ball of course, trying to win her hand. Teyha snorted softly. Well he can keep trying. I will never marry him. The rain outside crashed loudly down on the window and finally she let her gaze fall outside. Harsh screaming winds tore at the trees bending them in every direction and fat ice drops of racing rain pelted down to the hungry earth. She was restless, itchy, her body tense and alert. The castle around her was quiet, and fast asleep. Brooke wouldn't be asleep. Without even realising what she was doing Tehya had stepped from her too hot bed and had grabbed her dress coat swiftly. He will need food and blankets, and maybe, maybe he will need a friend....

***

"I do believe it's raining." Brooke chuckled as he gazed up at the moody black night clouds. The rain seemed to laugh at the man who sat on a water clogged log by drenching his already soaked through clothes further. A clear glass bottle was clutched in Brooke's fist, small beads of rain slithered down the smooth surface,

"I do believe you'll get ya self a fever if ya stay outside much longer." A soft voice mocked from the shadows. Brooke didn't turn his head and instead took another long swig from the burning liquid,

"I never asked you to wander outside Clarence. You should be asleep, it's the middle of the night." He muttered frowning slightly, and finally glancing his blue eyes at the small servant boy who leaned against the bark of an oak tree,

"Ya've been drinking again...Ya gotta stop feeling sorry for ya self and grow up Brooke. Who will look after the horses if ya go and poison ya self on that shite?"

"I'm sure your master would find someone else, or perhaps send them to the slaughter house as dog food." Brooke stared at Clarence with eyes clouded with vodka, "What did you want anyway? Surly you did not come out to the storm to tell me to stop my drinking habits?"

"There is a girl at ya shed of a house, I 'ave no idea who she is coz 'er face is covered. But she is knocking so damn loud I 'eard her from the shite pit." Brooke sat up and a wave of dizziness fell upon him,

"Fine. I will see who she is." He slurred softly,

"Good, m,aybe then I can get some sleep." Clarence went to turn away but stopped, "I remember ya when ya were strong, and proud, and now I see ya drinking ya self to death in a storm..." He went to say more but Brooke cut off his words,

"See you tomorrow, Clarence."

***

She was there. He could see her even in the dark shadows of the night, even in the gloom of the storm, and even under the hood he could see her sweet silhouette standing outside his door banging the wood with a gloved hand. Under her arm a bundle of fabric was clutched tightly. Why the hell was she here in the middle of the night? Was anyone asleep tonight? He would wait for her to leave,then grab another bottle, and finally sleep would greet him. But already his feet had disobeyed his brain before the thought had even finished, and had stepped from the dark shadows,

"Perhaps I am asleep Teyha? It is a late hour to wander the woods." He spoke softly yet even as the wind howled the Princess heard him, and turned her grey eyes to his,

"I have not been knocking for long, and I couldn't sleep."" She muttered her cheeks flushing pink. The dress she wore clung tightly to her figure as rain crashed down from the heavens,

"I know." Brooke chuckled softly and stepped past her to the door, "Well now that your here. I suppose I should let you in?" He turned the metal handle, and walked into the cold room. She followed, closing the door swiftly cutting off the roaring wind,

"I thought you would be cold." Her words were soft but Brooke ignored them and threw logs into the fire place making a swift flame grow in seconds,

"The woodland is dangerous. You shouldn't ever come out here alone." He grunted and lit an oil lamp. Usually he wouldn't bother with the light or the fire but she was cold. He could see her trying to hide her shivers,

"I was careful."

"Sometimes bandits hide in the trees, they climb over the castle walls and hide waiting for a young pretty girl to wander past."

"I brought some food, and some blankets." She ignored him, holding out the bundle of fabric in soft goose-bumped hands,

"Teyha..." Brooke sighed, "You must not come here again, at least not at night and defiantly not in a storm." The vodka had clouded his mind, but he somehow managed to ignore the way her blond hair fell down in long ripples of light, grey eyes filled with so much and yet so little emotion. Her pink lips moist and slightly open, a tiny scar on the edge of her flushed cheeks. The way her dress lifted as she sat and revealed a small patch of pale skin. He ignored it and stared at her eyes, "You must never come into the woodlands Princess, not alone and not at night." He noticed the way her chin lifted slightly,

"I am not afraid Brooke." He laughed at that, and sat down on a wooden chair beside hers,

"I never said you were. Maybe that is the problem, but surly your Uncle had told you stay from the woods?"

"My Uncle says a great deal of things." Teyha held up a hand cutting off his words, "I do not wish to speak of it, please Mr Heath. I mean, please Brooke let us eat something. I brought some Fudge cake with me." She bent down and leaned into the fabric bundle that laid on the floorboards. Her hair slid around her face and the smooth skin of her neck was open to him. He stared at her unable to remove his gaze. It is just the vodka he thought silently.

Tehya handed Brooke the brown gooey cake, his fingers brushing against her thin glove for a moment. She felt her cheeks flushing from the touch but he didn't seem to notice. For the tenth time the Princess wondered if she had made a mistake coming here. What If her Uncle found out? She couldn't bare to think about what he would do to her,

"It is a good cake. Thank you." Brooke stood and brushed the crumbs from his shirt,

"The cook made it, my mother use to make an splendid carrot cake." Tehya said softly as she nibbled the edge of her fudge,

"My mother has never cooked in all her life and she probably never will." Brooke grunted and searched through the small cupboard,

"Do you see her often?"

"No. She is a w***e who sells herself for any man...or any women for that fact," Brooke's voice was so even as he said the words Teyha gasped aloud which made him laugh,

"I suppose a Princess never hears such words." He laughed again and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of clear vodka, "And a Princess never drinks?" He questioned. Teyha frowned for a moment. I shouldn't touch it. I have to keep a clear mind for the morning. Yet she was fed up of what she should and shouldn't do and grabbed the bottle from Brooke,

"A Princess shouldn't wander alone in the woods, and yet I do,"

"Perhaps you are not really a Princess then." He laughed swigging the vodka from his glass,

"If only I was not a Princess Brooke, if only I had no responsibilities." And for a moment the sadness that should have been in her eyes darted there, but it was gone when he looked again.

*******

Did it even happen?

When Teyha opened her eyes she was tucked up inside the warmth of her huge bed. The diamond window shone golden morning sunlight through her attic glinting on every surface.

Was I even there?

Her head didn't hurt or ache like she thought it would, instead there was something inside her, something which had been dead for so long that wanted to sing. Teyha wanted to dance in the gardens and sing and laugh.

Last night had been something I have never known, she thought and sat up remembering parts of the night. The way Brooke had made her laugh with jokes of his childhood, or his story about how Gem the brown mare had once ate his favourite black hat. The vodka had been disgusting but she had drank it, if not for the taste then to impress Brooke. The Princess had read stories about friendship, but she had never for once truly experienced it. Since her parents death she felt happy, and she gave in to the temptation to sing,

"Dancer where ever you may be, I am the lord of the dance said he and I'll be your king wherever it will be and I'll be your king in the dance said he!" She smiled again and closed her eyes remembering when Brooke had walked her back to the castle last night...

"The storm has flew over at last." Brooke smiled walking closely next to her. The night air was crispy and fresh, an owl hooted softly to the singing rustling leaves,

"I do not mind a storm. It waters the gardens."

"And waters my floors." Brooke joked about the leaks in his house,

"I could get someone to fix them. Uncle would..."

"Do nothing. I do not mind the leaks Teyha. There is much more important things then a few holes in a roof." The princess had wanted to say his safety was important, but the mud under her shoe had slipped and made her skid forwards. In a heartbeat, a strong hand had grasped her arm and stopped the fall. Teyha looked up and saw blue piercing eyes gazing deeply into hers. She felt the strength in his hand and the warmth of his touch. For a second they had stared at one another in silence,

"Careful the mud moves." Brooke had released her arm quickly and was limping forwards again. Teyha remembered to breathe and followed him to the clearing of trees,

"Thank you Brooke. I am sorry I knocked so late..." He cut her words off,

"You should only be sorry you wandered the woods alone. Promise me you won't do it again." The princess didn't promise,

"I shall see you soon Brooke," She smiled and turned on her heels running quickly to the castle doors fully aware of the blue eyes following her ever footstep...

The rattle of the attic door banging on it's hinges broke Teyha from her day dream,

"It is time to ready yourself for the ball Teyha." Her Uncle's curt voice spoke loudly in the door,

"Yes Uncle." She whispered feeling the happiness disappear almost as quick as it had came....