Come Love A Stranger

Ten

Mariah was confused; so many questions she wants to ask but just don’t know how to start, she glanced up at him, his slivery white hair flowing softly in the soft breeze, all his attention was on the way he was going and Mariah took the time to ponder what had happened that night and the mystery of it all. The stranger suddenly stopped and Mariah who was lost in thought slammed into him, she looked up at him accusingly, rubbing her nose to reduce the pain from the impact.
She expected him to look at her or apologize with his beautiful smile which she haven’t seen his face without but he did none of the above and merely just started walking and pulling her along.
She contemplated on asking him what was going on and when she finally decided to do so, he stopped again but this time she didn’t collide with him, she looked up at him but his gaze was focused on something ahead of them, she followed his gaze to see her family’s cottage not so far away. She was surprised, how could they have gotten there so fast?
The stranger finally turned to her, he smiled but Mariah could see that it was forced and she wondered what could have happened within the short time they walked over there, he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, softly brushing his fingertips on her cheek, sending a wave of current through her body that she shivered involuntarily. She was surprised why she doesn’t repel his touch, and how she often welcomes them and sometimes, it felt like she has been touched by him before, like her body was familiar to his presence and touch.
A genuine smile appeared on his face and Mariah had to look away blushing, why did he look at her and smile like he could hear her thought, like he knew the content of what she was thinking? She felt his touch on her hair and looked up, his eyes were glowing softly, a strange but beautiful mixture of black and gold, which isn’t strange to her anymore, not when she sees it every day nowadays.
“I shall love to see you tomorrow,” he whispered, his voice, soft and velvet that it brushed against her body and heart like a peacock feather, softly being brushed on her body, she shivered once more and tried so hard to hide it, something is wrong with her. She had only seen him yesterday yet it feels like a lifetime, like she has known him all life. She saw his lip move like he wanted to say something to her but at the end he didn’t.
Remembering that he had said something earlier, she nodded softly, “I shall be here,” she promised.
A dazzling smile appeared on lips once more, “I shall be waiting for you, always,” his words felt like a vow, a vow that tied both their hearts and souls. She nodded as an answer, suddenly finding it difficult to take her eyes off his, “go in, I think your parents have good news for you.”
Mariah frowned, if there is good news, how would he know? She wanted to ask but she felt his finger on her lips, it was cold yet warm and her body adapted to his temperature immediately, “see me tomorrow, you promised,” he smiled.
“I shall be here; I am a lady of my word.”
“I shall hold you to it,” he smiled, “go in now, go meet your family. Like I said, I shall be waiting and if you do not come, I shall come find you.”
“I shall come,” she insisted and that somehow made him chuckle, he nodded and softly pushed her ahead of him, but instead of walking away, she turned back to him, “tell me your name.”
“Come tomorrow and I shall tell you.”
“If I do not know better, I would say you sound so sure that I would not come,” she accused.
He smiled as a response and pointed to the cottage with his chin, silently telling her to go in.
Mariah felt anger that he did not believe her words, “I shall be here,” she uttered with a determined voice before turning and running to the cottage. When she was at the door, she turned back and saw him, he wasn’t standing in the shadow this time but a little far from the edge, the moonlight shining brightly on him and his hair twinkling with the light. For a brief moment, Mariah felt like she had seen that view before. She shook her head at that, she had only seen him yesterday and it was in the meadow but the brief picture was still fresh in her mind and in the picture, he was standing just where he was. She blinked to clear off the image and with a wave at him, she went into the house, her mind must be playing a trick on her.
“Mariah, you are back,” Lydia said happily.
Mariah was shocked, it has been a long time she had seen such smile on her mother’s face, she nodded warily and looked behind her at her father and brother who were sitting in the living room with bright smile on their faces as well. “Yes mother,” she answered at last and Lydia only grabbed her hand and pulled her into the living room. She made her sit next to her brother, going back to sit next to her father. The whole arrangement was strange to Mariah and she wanted to know what was going on so badly that she had to ask, “mother, father, what is it?”
“Mariah, the day we have been waiting for finally arrived,” Lydia answered with a smile.
A frown formed on Mariah’s brows but before she could ask what she meant, Josiah spoke up, “general Lloyd was here this night, not long after you left, he arrived with a message from the King,” he smiled, expecting to see excitement on her face but was just so happy that he didn’t feel bothered when he didn’t see any, “the king wants to see us, finally. General Lloyd and his soldiers shall be here on the first light of tomorrow morning and we shall leave with them. Something tells me that the king has forgiven us and we are finally going to return back to our way of life. I didn’t fail you my daughter, everything has finally fall into place.”
“Oh Mariah, here I was worrying that you would spend the rest of your life alone, unmarried and with no family of your own. My prayers have been answered, you shall finally live amongst your friends and who knows, all your suitors might return and you can finally choose one and start your own family. Isn’t this joyful news?” Lydia sniffed, dapping at her eyes to wipe away her tears.
“Yes mother, it is joyful news,” Mariah answered in a whisper that her family almost didn’t hear her. “If that be all, I shall retire to my room now,” she stood up, “goodnight mother, good father,” with a sigh she turned to her brother, “goodnight Roderick,” she left the room and climbed the stairs like she was being forced to.
Her family watched her leave in shock, it was not the reaction they expected from her, none of them had gone to bed because they were finding it so hard to sleep after the general came and they were all waiting to announce the news to her and see her brighten in happiness and the news of going back to their home but it almost looked like she was not happy receiving the news like they all are.
Lydia looked at her husband with worry in her eyes and he smiled softly to her, “do not worry, she shall be fine. She settled in well here more than any of us, it is a surprise to her that she would be leaving. By morning, you shall see her jumping in happiness to be back home.”
Lydia smiled at that, she hope it would be just like that, she closed her eyes in happiness, happy that finally, they would be accepted back into their Kingdom.