(Completed) Seraphina [The Lost Queen Series: Book #1]

Chapter 2

Quickly backing away into deeper water, the man stared at me down. He had a black cloak but his hood was down revealing sharp amber eyes and messy hazelnut hair. His warm skin tone seemed far too generous for his cold demeanour as he stood tall with a dark expression.

"What do you want?" I kept my mouth level with the water as he stepped over my clothes. He seemed unamused by my glare as his eyes seemed to glow. It sent chills down my spine as he stared at me for a moment.

"I don't desire anything from you... I wanted to look at the lake but it seems that I'fe chosen a bad time..." His voice was deep and...proper? I could tell he wasn't from Theron but his words were sincere. Foreigner or not I won't take that chance.

"You followed me here..." His gaze was familiar to the one I felt on the way here. "You could've gotten my attention and asked me where the lake was instead of watching me."

He looked at me for a moment before giving me a small smile. "No offence but women tend to be far too touchy when I ask them questions."

So he is a womaniser... I could see the appeal but I'm not interested in him at all. "You're lucky I'm not most women... However, I think you've seen enough..." His gaze never left mine but the water didn't hide me at all.

"It appears that I most definitely have. I do apologise for that." This man bowed as if he was a prince but that's when I noticed the crest on his sword sitting on his hip. It was two red roses... I've definitely seen it somewhere but it has been a very long time. "If I see you at the spring festival then I will have something special for you. If you're not there then I will find you again." It might have just been me but he made it sound like a promise for something big to come.

"Is that a promise?" I smirked as he hesitated for a moment. He seemed shocked by my bluntness but that's to be expected since we are strangers.

"You could perceive it that way... It's something that will grant safety for you if death is inevitable." Hmm it must be something powerful then... What could stop death?

"Why must I wait till the spring festival?" Clearly he would be a guest but it doesn't appear that he knows that I'm a commoner. My scalp began to itch as the loose dirt and filth began to loosen up. I scrubbed it away gently and slowly pulled the loose bits of grass and small pebbles with an occasional twig.

"It'z the only proper way for us to be introduced. I highly doubt this is how most people introduce themselves..." His gaze broke away from mine as I leaned back into the water a bit to get the rest of the grime off my hair. "Could you stop being so pretentious! This isn't how a lady should act in front of men! A complete stranger at that!!!"

"To be fair, you're the one ruining my wash time and I'm no lady to start with." To say he was shocked would be an understatement by a long shot. This man's jaw was sitting at the edge of the lake as a long silence ensued.

"Are... Are you a...tafern woman?!"

Tavern woman... It's a commoner whore who pleases commoners who stay in low class taverns in the outskirts of the kingdom wall. Now normally I would be completely offended but it's clear to me that he has no clue about laws set on those women. "If I was a tavern woman then I wouldn't be out here. Tavern women can't leave without their owners which makes them slaves to be used by anyone who wants them. I am a farmer's daughter and you would know that if you looked at my clothes. Even my hair would have shown you that considering it was caked in dirt and filth that can only be found in the fields!"

Just as I finished speaking I felt a cold chill run through my body as the man seemed to stiffen as his eyes turned cold. "Zo you are a peasant?" I flinched at the cold tone but he didn't seem to notice. "If that's the case then why is your hair blonde?"

Blonde? I pulled a bit of my hair into view to see that he was telling the truth. Surprisingly enough I've forgotten what my hair colour actually is since papa always kept it dirty. "It's always been this way... What does my blonde hair have to do with anything?" I could feel the air shift into an odd silence as I stared at him. "What's so special about having blonde hair...?"

"...There is only one person in Theron who has blonde hair... If you go to the spring festival you will see for yourself." The man gazed out at the lake as a distant look crossed his eyes.

"Actually you're wrong. There is someone the same age as me who has blonde hair as well." As he snapped his attention to me distant voices began to call out from the forest but I couldn't make out their words.

"I've changed my mind. Don't go to the festival. I will find you when the time comes." He dashed off into the forest as my heart skipped a beat at his words. Something was amiss but whatever it was seemed to be far out of my control... I quickly got out of the water and let the sun dry me off enough to get dressed as the sky began to grey over with clouds. The wind picked up as the new leaves fluttered in the wind.

The wind chilled my naked body to the bones as shivers and goosebumps racked through me. This isn't gonna work... I hate wearing wet clothes but it seems like nature has other plans for me. After putting on the filthy dress I ran through the forest just as thunder crackled overhead. Rain followed right behind it as I was immediately soaked. The rain obscured my vision so I could only see a few feet ahead. I came to a stop so I wouldn't trip over any roots or rocks that littered the ground.

I broke off a lower tree branch and began to tap the ground in front of me as the rain fell faster. Lightning strikes across the sky as birds screeched in the distance. This is bad... As I quickened my pace slightly the dark sky made it almost impossible to see. It was as dark as night as the light seemed to vanish instantly.

Faint outlines of trees are the only thing somewhat guiding me as long as I continue in the same direction towards home. I still have my tree branch which is very helpful right now. It didn't help me too much when the ground gave away from under my feet...

As I fell down the slope I could hear horses in the distance. I screamed out in pain as my left arm collided with a rock as I rolled to a stop. My head was pounding as I tried to sit up but as I tried to put pressure on my left arm pain throbbed through it. Tears blurred my vision as the rain pounded against the forest floor.

Clenching my teeth I found my stick within arms reach. As I pulled myself to my knees I used the stick to slow stand up. A loud neigh sounded somewhere above me as a few faint voices sounded above me. I could feel a warm liquid on my arm and head as pain got worse. My body was definitely bruised from the fall but now I have to somehow find a way home...

As I slowly began to make my way back up the slope. I stopped when a faint horse outline could be seen with a few others. "Do you think the woman fell down the slope, your majesty?" A voice yelled out over the rain. "More than likely! We must find her or she won't make it through the night!" This voice sounded very familiar. It sounded like the man at the lake but who could he be looking for? "Remember, she has long blonde hair and grey eye'z!" Grey eyes? That's an unusual attribute. "Just like the Theron king?" Someone asked just as I slipped on a rock causing me to yell as I landed on my left arm.

I heard someone get off a horse and quickly trudge over to me. I couldn't see the person's face because of the black hood but his amber eyes seemed to glow as he stared into my eyes. "Well it looks like we meet again madam."