Between the Veil and Crown

Kylin 8

Despite actually looking forward to whatever work Amelia needed him to do, Kylin found that waking up with no immediate tasks was a relaxing event and ridded him of the pressing weight of the ever growing list of worries.

In fact, so relaxing it was that he woke up well after the sun had risen. But that did not concern him. He took a few moments to stare peacefully out the window in Amelia's room from the well worn and constantly repaired couch he slept on the night previously. It had a perfect view of her apple tree out back, perfectly posed with the forest behind it. Apples not yet picked dotted the branches, with more littering the ground around the trunk. The gentle breeze that came through the window played with the curtains and brought the sweet scent of apples and fall, coaxing a sleepiness into the room.

He slowly closed his eyes, giving into the lethargic atmosphere. Just as his eyes shut and sleep began to reclaim him, his mind rudely reminded him of Amelia's confession and crime.

And in the blink of an eye, all peace was gone.

Letting out a long, low sigh, he sat up and stretched all the muscles that realized their existence. He took one last longing look out the window, wishing that he still had a bit more time, before heading out into the small kitchen.

Amelia was already busying herself in the kitchen. A basket of apples sat on the table next to a lone cup as she tended to a large pot of honey syrup. The sweet scent filled the room, lessened only by the fact that the window and door were open. Her braided hair was tied up in a knot that it was already escaping- slowly, of course, so it would slip her notice. There was another pot next to the honey syrup, filled with a semi-clear liquid. A ladle sat in this pot. Selim was not present.

Without turning around, she greeted him with, "I would have woken you, but I thought you needed to sleep. You did look so tired yesterday."

"It has been a long week," Kylin admitted. "I suppose you ahve already sent the prince out to work?"

"I asked him to repair the shed. My goats will never forgive me if they have to suffer another cold winter with gaps between the boards, and I shall never have rest if I let them in here for another winter. Of course, it wouldn't be an issue if they didn't take pleasure in taking it apart."

He could sympathize with her predicament, having visited her during that time and more than once woke to find himself face to face with a bleating goat. But the memory competed with the idea of Selim attempting to repair the shed.

"If you do not need my help here, I will help him in that endeavor," Kylin said. After she gave a quick nod, he left the cottage, but not before slipping an apple out of the basket and tucking it away for later consumption.

A low, angry tone could be heard from the shed. It sounded as though Selim was quarreling with someone, but no one was responding to him.

Approaching the lean-to, he found Selim sitting cross-legged inside next to a particularly large gap, brandishing his hammer at a goat that was all too curious about his tunic.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times," Selim was saying crossly. "This kind of work requires concentration, and you trying to chew my sleeve does nothing for either of us. You've been fed! And this doesn't taste good! Also, Amelia asked me to do this, and do this I will! I'm not going to let you get in my way of it."

The goat only answered with a loud, "MAH!" and reached out to eat the tantalizing fabric again.

"Having trouble?" Kylin asked, leaning against one of the walls.

Selim immediately tensed, giving Kylin a cold glare. "What're you doing here?" he asked, rising to his feet.

"I came to see if you needed help," Kylin answered, gesturing to the gap in the shed. "Especially since it is my understanding that you haven't really done it before."

Selim's glare did not recede. "Amelia asked me to do this, and I'm not about to let you take the credit for it."

"You'll get the credit that's due to you. But you might want help all the same."

"I have it handled," Selim insisted. "Amelia tasked me with it, and I shall be the one to do it for her."

Kylin thought about pressing the matter. Selim's interaction with the goat alone told him it wasn't going to end well. Either he would do a shoddy job, call it good, and proudly boast of his accomplishment to Amelia, or the obsession potion would drive him to remain there for as long as it took to get it just right, and supposedly earning Amelia's highest praise. The latter Kylin could see taking days, even.

But the prince was determined. Ignoring the goat happily chewing on a leg of his trousers, he stood with his back rigidly straight and his arms folded. His chin was lifted, giving him enough of an angle to appear to be looking down at Kylin disdainfully- an expression worthy of any member of royalty.

Selim would take a while fixing the shed, but Kylin trying to help would only make things longer.

Fighting back the urge to sweep into a mocking kind of bow and addressing Selim as "Your Majesty", Kylin shrugged, saying, "If you say so." He pushed himself off the shed and headed back into the cottage.

Amelia looked up from her work, surprised. "Did you finish it that quickly?"

"Heavens, no. I'll just repair whatever he's done," Kylin said. "It's very clear that we'll never be friends while he's under the influence of the potion."