Journey of a Girl

Ajo: Chapter Four

The Queen told Ajo to study romance, and he attacked those lessons as ferociously as any other.

More.

He studied Galeia.

As she wandered the woods, as she swam, as she spent time with Isolam, as she practiced, albeit poorly, spells and incantations.

Winning Galeia's heart became a military campaign, and the Queen was his General, supplying him with strategy and encouraging his advancement.

He took notes with the same meticulous devotion he gave to history and etiquette and politics. When the Queen surprised him with his own book in which to write his thoughts, he quickly filled page after page. He drew pictures of Galeia, in those rare moments when he managed to catch her sitting still. When he grew brave enough, he began to write poetry.

It became a tome devoted entirely to Galeia. Between its pages were thousands of thoughts and musings on the way she held a fork, or the song of her laughter, and various other attributes deemed precious in his heart.

Ajo even sought advice from others, including the human squire, who'd been promoted to the position of Queen's guard. He'd grown a long white beard that reached his chest and sported small flowers in the spring season. The seed the Queen had given him truly was enchanted, for the man, whatever he was now, had long outlived a mortal's useful years, and despite his white hair and deep wrinkles there was a youthful twinkle in his eyes, and a spryness that would have been impossible for a human his age. He'd become an unlikely favorite of the Queen, and seen as a symbol of the impossible becoming reality; a human who had proven his worth to the woods. He was not yet a knight, but it was rumored that the distinction was coming in a few short decades. 

His duties kept him happily busy, but he always made time for Galeia, the "little princess", as he affectionately called her, when she sought his company. It was due to this friendship that Ajo esteemed the guard as one of the most valuable sources of information on Galeia. He hadn't grown as close to the man as Galeia had, but there was a thread of understanding and respect between them.

Ajo had been the one who attempted to save his life when Galeia tried to end it.

He delighted the prince with tales of unfortunate and successful love, but there was one piece of advice Ajo clung to most:

"A heart like Galeia's can't be swayed in the traditional way. Charm and smiles won't go an inch to winning her affection. Whatever captivates her, it's special."

"Tell me what to do."

The guard chuckled. "I can tell ye what not to do, and that's tryin' to force somethin' a'fore it's time."

"It's not force," Ajo argued. "It's destiny. I am meant to protect her, to save her even."

"Save Galeia? From what?"

"Herself. From the darkness inside of her."

"Seems to me that sort o' savin' should come from within, not ou'side."

"Mother gave me the duty herself."

"Well then, what can I say 'gainst that?"

The guard told Ajo of a woman he loved in the towns. She was fierce, similar in nature to Galeia, and he had imagined she was the only one for him. His wooing was awkward, and all the flowery words and tender looks did nothing to entice her. In the end, she married a soldier with broad shoulders and a menacing brow. At first, the woman's choice perplexed the guard, for the husband she had chosen seemed a reckless brute, but he gleaned that it was the bold and surprising nature that won her over, because it was different from every other suitor's approach.