The Last Monarch

Chapter 4

It was the break of dawn when the lights begin to grow after the night. As usual, whenever I had a meet up with Blaise, I would usually get out of the estate before the sun rises. I followed the path I usually use to get to town. Blaise and I had agreed to rendezvous in front of the Chimera Fountain before travelling to the dark woods. When I arrived at the fountain in the middle of the town, Blaise was already leaning against a lamp post, all armed and suited. From afar, I could see two set of bows hanging behind his back. The other one is for me, perhaps. Darkness had not long surrendered to the light when we met up, there were still thick grey clouds lurking in the sky. Under the dim light, Blaise’s grin made the dull looking town brighter for once.

We did not talk much along our way to the woods. Not long after out meet-up, sunlight started to fill the sky, its hue of golden colour scattered across each crevice of the land. The supposedly dark woods were starting to brighten as we drew closer. Before entering the woods, Blaise paused and faced me.

“Here, take this. One for you and one for me.” He said, whilst handing me the bow and arrows. Noting his action, I felt a clench in my stomach which usually signifies that bad things are about to happen.

With a smirk, he continued, “I thought maybe we could have a friendly competition today. You know, to see who’s the best hunter.”

I rolled my eyes at him. There was no doubt that he was the best hunter in town. Even if I was trained under Ronan, I never received proper training in the woods as Ronan had never taught me how to hunt. Not to mention the fact that I am ridiculously hopeless when it comes to shooting, considering my poor aim and lack of arm strength. Blaise did this on purpose, I can see through his plan already, he would be waiting for me to lose and he would get yet another drink using my money. Even after acknowledging his plan, I did not back down from his offer. Knowing myself well, I would never back away from a competition. I smirked at the thought, slinging the bow across my shoulder.

“So, what’s the rule of the game?” I asked.

“Simple, whoever’s got the most catch wins. Loser pays for the drink.” He smirked yet again. I was sure he is already enjoying his victory before the game even starts.

“Focus, Blaise. Or you’ll be crying later for the drinks paid by your money.” I taunted. His pride is bound to be his downfall someday, and I am going to make sure it is today.

“As if.” He chuckled. “Ready?”

I nodded and with a signal, we both darted towards separate paths. Dead leaves crunched beneath my feet as I quickened my pace. I ran deeper into the woods thinking I would somehow have a better chance there. After running for quite a while, I started to slow down. The woods had become a labyrinth of trees and bushes. As morning rises, the trees shone in golden hues. Night dews cling to the leaves as the plants glistened under their reflections. Birds were calling out to each other, their harmonized melody echoed through the woods like the voices of angels. The stillness of the morning made it easier for me to concentrate. I kept my breathing low as I monitored my surrounding sharply for any slight movement. But there were no prey in sight. Hence, I moved on to another part of the woods. I walked as lightly as I could, keeping the sound of my footsteps to its minimum. I halted at the path between two large trees, bending over to touch the damp soil. My fingers traveled across the tracks on the dirt path, the prints were still fresh, indicating the prey was not far from where I stood. Determined, I strode ahead, moving as nimbly and quietly as I could between trees and bushes. After a few minutes of careful searching, I found myself crouching in a cluster of dead leaves. In front of me was a calm, clear lake. Less than thirty paces away was a small doe grazing on a patch of green grass, seemingly unaware of its imminent death. I eased into a more comfortable position and calmed my breathing. I took a deep breath, with my bow and arrow at the ready. Bracing myself, I leaned against the crude curve of wood before drawing my bow. As the wind hissed through the woods, I took aim.

Peering through the bushes once again, my breath drew to a quick pause. In that instant, the forest went silent. The wind died. Even the songs of the birds paused. A figure in red robes stood before the doe, one hand outstretched to greet it. Behind his hood, golden locks still shine. And his blue-grey orbs shone brighter. The doe seemed to take notice of him and his friendliness, it wasted no time cuddling up to him. His lips spread into a smile as it opened up to him. It was as if I was seeing an angel for the first time. I put my bow down, before realizing I was staring at him the whole time. He must have sensed my gaze as he turned to face me. I hid behind the tree trunks as fast as I could, hoping he had not noticed me. Strange, why am I afraid of him noticing me? Warmth flushed against my cheeks as they reddened. It took me a few seconds before finally bracing myself to face him. I walked away from the trunks, turning to face the clear lake, only to find the doe standing there alone. Puzzled, I allowed myself to walk into the open space, searching for his shadow. But his voice found me instead.

“Looking for me?” he asked in a deep voice. I jumped in surprise, almost cursing.

“Yes… No. No, I was just trying to…” I stuttered, this was the first time in my life I had been so flustered

“Kill the doe? Surely someone as pretty as you wouldn’t want to hurt an innocent animal like it.” He smiled as he speaks. Every word he said seemed to take my breath away and I could not stop myself from feeling this way. His angelic face made me flush before I even realize it. I took a deep breath, snapping myself out of trance and tried my best to face him the way I would face anyone.

“Yes, I would. Maybe some people are just as pretty as they are deadly.” I replied, smirking.

He did nothing to taunt me further, he only stretched his hands just as he did before. I flinched at his actions and immediately felt embarrassed as I realized he was gesturing to the doe. The doe seemed to be fond of him, it approached him unguarded. As he spread his hands to caress the doe, I caught a glimpse of the clothes he was wearing. It was not something people in town could afford. Based on the smooth fabric that formed his white tunic, he is from a noble family for sure. But without an insignia, I could not recognize which family he is from. Realizing the fact that he is a noble, keeping my guards up should be a matter of instinct. My safety is at risk when I am anywhere near the likes of them. But something about him hindered my string of thoughts. Deep in my mind, there was a voice screaming, saying maybe he is different.

“What would your name be, my lady?” He asked, with his gaze fixed on the doe. For a moment, I thought I was jealous of a doe, but I pushed the thought away.

“Anna. My name is Anna.” I answered.

For an instant, his eyes seemed to flicker with emotions I could not understand. It looked as if he was disappointed. But why would he be?

“Why? Do you not like my name?” I asked.

He chuckled, trying his best to hide the feelings away, but I was not wrong.

“No, you just remind me of someone I used to know.” He replied.

My body tensed at his response. I searched my mind for any memory of him but failed. I had never seen him before in my life, even if I had, I am sure I would have remembered. I was quick to make sure he does not relate me to the princess I once was.

“I don’t doubt that you’ve met many pretty ladies in your lifetime, but I’m sure this is the first time we meet.” I insisted. “By the way, you haven’t told me your name.”

His lips parted, the words wanting to slip out, but they never did. A loud shout echoed through the woods, there is only one person crazy enough to scream inside the dark woods. Blaise. The man gave the doe one last caress before departing. He gave me a bow as a sign of politeness. In that moment, I could almost hear my heart begging him not to go. Wait was what I wanted to say, but those words never made their way out my mouth. From afar, I could hear Blaise closing in and without much thought I turned to answer him. He came into view with a deer on his shoulder and a bright smile plastered on his face. Him and his trophy are the last thing I wanted to see right now. Without giving him much heed, I turned to face the man, but he was long gone, leaving only the doe. His presence still lingered in my mind, I could not bring myself to forget him, even after a thousand years, I could not.

“Hey, looks like you caught one yourself! Seems like it’s a draw.” Blaise said as he stood beside me. Staring at the doe, the man’s words crossed my mind once again. I shook my head and walked the opposite way, leading Blaise away from the doe.

“I didn’t catch it, Blaise. I’m setting it free. Consider this your win and leave the doe alone, it’s too young, you won’t get much money for it.” I said , and continued, “Let’s go, drinks on me.”

Blaise followed like a child would his mother. He continued to bicker about his victory just like he always did, but I could not bring myself to hear a single word. My mind was filled with thoughts of him. His heavenly smile, his bright blue orbs. Everything about him triggers something in me.