A Tale of Shadows - THE OUTDATED VERSION

Chapter 21 - Return

The following day, Melinda woke up with reluctance. She got used to everything that would usually await her, and the fact that the sky was as grey as the previous day did not serve to help much. She went through her morning routine with a frown on her face, eyes half-open. The process was as dull as always, especially when she had to stand still while her maid was assisting her with putting on her dress. That day, she decided to wear the dress Malcolm sewed for her, knowing that most people would not even think to ask where it came from, naturally assuming that the royal seamstress made it for her. The person who was most likely to ask was Susanne, and although she was also likely to presume it was a lie, she could never be sure of that presumption. 

All those thoughts went out of her head when the palace bell rang. The sound of it pierced her mind, filling her with life. Seeing the signs, the maid rushed to tighten the ribbons on the back of Melinda's dress, shuddering a bit once she slammed the door. Her white boots echoed against the floor and more people had begun to get outside of their rooms, not being able to hold in their curiosity as to what could be going on. As soon as she had reached the door, she noticed a small crowd of people gathered around her, waiting for her to open it. Her face became even stiffer.

A wide smile appeared on her face when she saw Malcolm in front of her. For a moment, she ignored the questions she had and those who were standing behind her. He seemed pleased to see her as well, and it melted her heart ever so slightly. She told the crowd to stay behind while closing the door behind them, not caring much about that. Looking around, she observed nothing of importance, letting out a sigh of relief. It prompted her to start the conversation.

"Hello, dear. What has caused you to come back here in such a brief period of time?" she chirped.

"The business trip lasted shorter than I had expected."

"How long was it supposed to last in the first place?"

"Two to three weeks, from what I can gather," he muttered.

"And why is that so?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

He scratched his neck. "Our progress was faster than we first calculated it would be."

"Yes, Malcolm, I am much aware of that fact," she said, glaring at him. "All I want to know is what happened there at all and why it lasted faster."

Her glare caused him to stare at the grass instead. "Those matters are private, and Alexander told me not to tell anyone anything, or else everything would go to ruin."

She gently grabbed him by the neck, smiling at him. "Keeping secrets is not a laughable task, which I can easily confirm, but you do not have to fear me as much as you do. After all, I am your lover, the person who yearns to comfort you the most. However, I understand if you are not willing to talk about it, and I admire your dedication when it comes to doing such things. Now, we must come back in and do what we do every day, or else people could become doubtful of us."

He nodded, after which they immediately entered the castle. The crowd was whispering and staring at the two of them, but Melinda was not paying attention to that. As long as they distanced their little theories away from her, she could focus on politics and not something so frivolous as rumours always was. For the rest of the day, she did a lot of paperwork and paid some visits to ruined sites, and by the end of it, she was too exhausted to ponder all of that.

She returned to the castle just as the sun had started to set, greeting her guards on the way to her room. Glad to see the room was empty, she fell onto her bed due to instinct, sighing happily at how comfortable it was. The fact that she did not forget to lock the door made her even happier. She closed her eyes, entering a void, her soul engulfed with peace. At that moment, she did not bother herself with thoughts of the morning that would come after, or anything at all, trying to fall asleep as fast as she could. When she heard someone attempting to open the door, she flinched and jumped from her bed, recognising who that person was. Her plan was ruined, but if nothing, the key was already in her hand, so at least she did not have to search for it while struggling to keep her eyes open.

Once she unlocked the door, she observed that Malcolm was studying her. From his blue face, it was obvious to her that he noticed her pale face, her gaping mouth, her unruly hair, as well as the bags under her eyes. He made a step backwards and began closing the door.

"I remember that you said you would commence teaching me how to waltz for the ball today, but if you feel that you are exhausted, I have no issue with that being delayed."

Her eyes widened. She had the knowledge that she had forgotten something, yet at least she was fortunate enough to have forgotten a business of not much importance. After waking up from her thoughts, she resumed the conversation.

"I apologise for this inconvenience, Malcolm, and I would be glad to fulfil my promise once I get ready for the happening."

He nodded, and as he was about to say something more, she quickly walked over to the small bathroom in her room. He let out a long sigh, and afterwards, he had the time to ponder in complete silence, which was so powerful, that it made him sure something undesirable would disrupt it. Every time he heard another person take a step, he turned around, turning back to stare at the door when it would turn out that no one was, in fact, behind him. 

Not much time had gone by when Melinda opened the door once more, but it seemed like an eternity. Smiling, hand in hand, they went over to the garden while the stars were rising, picking the least apparent path even though there would surely not have been that many people in the hallways. There were not, thus they went there like they had nothing to hide, that feeling remaining even when they were faced with the hollowness of the night. Crickets chirped in the distance, the wind blew at their backs, the stars shone like gems, the sky was a deep shade of blue combined with tinges of black, reminding her of a landscape, and the moon was as mystical as it had always been, so she was left without a reason not to call it romantic. Soon, they assumed their positions, and she thought it even more romantic.

"Due to you being a beginner, we are not going to focus on many steps that waltzes consist of, or mention all the different types of waltzes, or dances in general. These classes are not going to be held that often, which is why this has started so early. Now, let's begin at last. A waltz cannot exist without the three following steps - one forward or backward, one to the side, and one wherein one's feet conjoin. We will repeat them until you have fully grasped them."

He nodded, after which they danced into the night for hours on end. Her smile did not vanish once, despite all the times he stomped on her feet, and after some time, her body was simply going through the moves thanks to her mind ascending to an utterly different place, where beauty never withered and her veins were always filled with joy. It was a location full of all the wonders she could conjure, but he was the greatest wonder that occurred to her in recent memory, and she could do nothing except admire him. Before she had realised it, she leaned in closer to him, caressing his neck, her lips moving towards his. With a slight shiver, he pushed her away.

Her jaw dropped. "What is disturbing you this time, my love?"

He shushed her. "I am not quite sure, but I believe I noticed something move in the bushes."

"That is rather peculiar of you to mention," she remarked, glancing everywhere just in case, "I have no idea as to where you could have got this belief."

"Goodnight, Melinda. Tomorrow will arrive shortly, and we ought not to waste our time," he told her, and as he hurriedly went away from her, she gave him a blank stare, following him briefly afterwards.