The king

26

THE KING
~ Arabella's pov ~

Excruciating would not be the proper word to describe brunch with Lord Channings. He was a lovely gentleman, but I had another in my heart and it was not fair to him. He had ridden myself back home in a silent, awkward ride in his carriage and he knew I would not see him again.

I did not wish for it to become of this. I did not wish for any of it. And I especially did not wish to fall in love with Oden.

My mind was constantly wondering where he had gone or if he was truly leaving this time. I was rushing inside when I arrived back at home, thrusting through the front door in a panting mess. Mother gasps at the sight of me, sitting down her cup of tea. Serena sits alongside with her, throwing off an innocent facade.

"How was brunch?" Mother quickly asks, standing from her seat. "Will you be attending him again?"

"Where is Oden?" My words escape out of my lips and before I know it, I had both of the women's jaws falling open in shock.

Mother's confused gaze meets mine in the midst. "Why are you asking of him?"

"I told you, Mother. She has fallen for her servant." Amusement plays in Serena's word as she stands from the couch, nearing mother. Serena shares a smirk to me, crossing her arms. "That is too bad..."

Mother hushes her with her locked eyes, and Serena looks away. I panic. "What do you mean? What does that mean?"

"Is it true?" Mother asks. "Are you two more than friends?"

I stay quiet, guilt wrapping my vocal cords to keep them at bay from speaking such words. I think she already knows the answer to her answers after my silence and laughter fills the house.

It is Serena's.

"I told you..." Serena teases.

"Serena, please," she begs of her oldest to stop. Serena looks away from her stare, glaring at the floor. Mother focuses back to I. "Are you in love with him, Arabella?"

I am still quiet, almost bursting with emotions that I have kept in for so long. I am shaking, tearing up so much that I cannot see a soul around me.

"Are you?" She questions in a heated tone.

"Yes!" I yell. Yelling it to the world, to my mother, to my sister in hopes of them to leave me alone and leave me to pity myself. "I love him, I do. If you cannot accept, that is fine. It will not change my feelings."

Stunned is my mother and she stands, trying to comprehend it all.

"Mother, tell her," Serena commands of her and she stands frozen to the core.

"Tell me what?" I am back into madness again. What is it that I do not know?

"Oden has left," mother speaks in a soft spoken voice. She looks down in shame, and pitiful eyes stare back into mine when she looks up again. "He made his leave, he is going back home, Arabella."

No.

"No." My voice is hushed. Tears pool my eyes, streaming down my face like a waterfall and I cannot do anything about it. How long ago was this? Could I make haste to him? Could I make it in time to tell him that I loved him truly?

"He left about-" I am running towards the door and mother screams for me, but I cannot hear her through the wind that circles my ears and the panting of my breaths as I shoot for air. My dress flows through the wind and I do care if I am showing any skin to the village.

I have to get to him in time. He has to know.

He was a traveler, where do travelers find their way anywhere? The back roads that leads to the city. Up the hill, I run, the tree that spreads memories of Oden running after me in my time of need brings more tears to flow out of my soul and onto the ground. I stumble down the hill, finding that lone dirt road filled with the forest on each side, travelers make their way down this road during the day, but never at night so I assume he must be walking this path.