Magnolia's Sweet Sorrows

🍃Chapter 5🍃

All the negative feelings she felt were coming back. She didn't want to go to the city, she didn't want to meet people, and she didn't want to sit on a horse with a strange man she had just met. She sat there quietly fiddling with her fingers. Distracting herself from crying out of fear and stress, worried that she might not be able to go back home.

The man, on the other hand, was elated being able to hold her this close. His horse kept a steady pace and he made sure to hold her close to keep her from falling off. He struggled to stay focused on where they were going, he couldn't take his eyes away from her. She carried a sweet fragrance of Jasmine Tea, and he adored it.

As they went, it was too quiet for the strange man. He missed the sound of her soft angelic voice, even though she didn't seem to speak much.

"Can you tell me your name?" The man waited for an answer, but all he was left with was silence.

"You can call me Arthur, and the horse is Maximus," he paused, waiting for a form of reaction. Still nothing, but he refused to give up so easily. "We've been together since we were kids... I saw on your shelf a couple books about horses. Are they your favorite animal as well?"

Magnolia tensed when he brought up her bookshelf. She turned to look at him only to be met with his pitch black eyes gazing intensely at her. She turned back around and nodded her head.

"Y-y-yes, I like them a lot." The way she spoke through her diaphragm made Arthur's face burn bell pepper red. He wanted to hear more.

"Why is that?" Arthur urged. Magnolia bit her lip on what to say.

Magnolia hates small talk. Never been good at it, and always did her best to avoid it. When she did live around people, she chose to stay quiet or stick to someone she already knew. She was afraid of saying something silly. She preferred the silence.

"W-w-well...um, I always found them to be fascinating, really."

"How so?"

Magnolia pondered on what to say next. As she thought she looked up to see a castle appear above the trees. Feeling as if her eyes are deceiving her she blinked twice and then squinted them.

"Um... Arthur?"

"Yes?" He answered quickly, happy to hear his name song from her lips.

"Is that a castle?"

Arthur looked up to see the castle too.

"Yes. That means we're almost there." Arthur held Magnolia tightly as Maximus galloped towards the kingdom.

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Magnolia starred in bewilderment. Looking around it seemed that she was in medieval times. There were horses and people walking around, and children running around the streets. She forgot how busy it is when you're in town. Or in this case a Kingdom.

They stopped at a store. Arthur hopped down and tied Maximus' reins to a pull. He turned to Magnolia who was completely lost in her own head. He reached for her waist and helped her down, catching her by surprise.

"Wait here next to Maximus. Keep your head down and talk to no one. Okay?"

"O-okay," Magnolia said listening but her focus was still on the people. Arthur noticed and left it alone, as long as she was safe. Before leaving he gently touched a strand of her curls. Which caught her attention. He chuckles by her surprised look. "Stay safe," he said before walking away.

"What a weird man," Magnolia bluntly confessed to Maximus.

Magnolia did as Arthur requested, especially since she didn't know the area, and hopefully he would also take her home as well. They waited for a good two hours. Bored out of their minds. Magnolia leaned on Maximus for support after standing for so long.

"Well what serendipity is this?" Magnolia turned to see a strange fat man, grinning ear to ear, approaching her.

"Hello," Magnolia smiled politely. He guts told her to run.

"You know, I was in the middle of business and I just couldn't help but notice a beautiful specimen standing here." The man walked closer to Magnolia. She stayed close to Maximus for security. "Now do tell, why is a lady like you standing here all alone?"

"I... I'm waiting for my husband," she blurted. The man looked her up and down.

"Well he sure isn't taking good care of you," he smirked maliciously. "Come with me and I can give you diamonds instead of rags. Everyone would be able to admire such beauty. Wouldn't that be nice?" He reached to touch Magnolia's curls but she swatted him away.

"Please don't touch me," Magnolia said sternly as fear built up in her chest.

The fat man reached to grab her hair out of annoyance, but to everyone's surprise, Maximus reacted and started kicking his back legs and making noises. Everyone turned to see what was going on.

The man started yelling at Magnolia to control her horse, spewing threats towards her husband that she doesn't have. Magnolia began to panic, not knowing what to do in such a situation. She held her tears standing there paralyzed as she was being ridiculed in the public eye.