Why do I make myself suffer like this?

Chapter 1

Rain clouds danced in the darkening sky, the wind making them stretch and twirl like a delicate ballerina on stage. The breeze was harsh and cold, biting at the two adults cheeks as they stood only a few feet apart.

"Why don't you-why can't you love me?" She breaths out, her voice cracking slightly with a small hiccup. Her fists are clenched at her sides in frustration as she stares at him with a heartbroken look in her eyes.

He looked at her with guilt and shame, putting his cold hands in the pockets of his coat. "I can't love you, Elizabeth. It's forbidden." Petah said, his voice quiet.
She sighs, looking down at the ground as she covers her eyes, a tear rolling down her round cheek.

As they stood in the garden of the castle, the wind began to pick up and tugged at the nicely trimmed trees, making them sway forcefully. As the weather worsened, so did the atmosphere between the two, the tension thick enough to be cut and served, like a creamy cake on an afternoon tea party.

"No it's not, we deserve love in our lifes!" She insisted on it, her hands clutching at her chest, right above her heart.

"But we can't be together! Why can't you understand that, Liz?" He shouted, his voice cracking now too as he stares at the black haired woman infront of him. Her breath hitches when he calls her by her nickname-the nickname he gave her.
"I just want to be loved, Petah, is that too much to ask? Did all those nights in this garden mean nothing to you?" She sighs, more tears forming in her eyes and rolling down her reddened cheeks, like freshly washed red apples.

He lets out a soft sigh, looking at the ground and kicking away a small gravel before looking back at her with shameful eyes. "I do love you, Liz, but we can't be together. I'm an elite knight and you're a peasant." He reasons with their ranks- oh those so indifferent ranks, but the feelings are the same. How tragic.

"If you did love me, then you would fight for our love!"

Such heavy last words.

Who would've thought that this forbidden love could have taken an even more tragic turn.

The rain showered the castle and the village surrounding it, a thunder cracking here and there lighting up the dark, purple sky.

Elizabeth blew the candle light away as she sat down on her bed, the furniture making a quiet squeak. Her eyes are still red and glossy from crying earlier. She thought back to her argument with Petah, the memory of it making her heart ache and a lump to grow in her throat. She lays down with a pained murmur and covers herself with a thin cotton blanket, the fabric hugging her body snuggly, but failing to warm her up.

Her eyelashes flutter as she shuts her brown eyes and curls up into fetal position, her arms around herself as she tries to drift off to sleep.

______

A yell of pain and dread wakes her up, her eyes snapping open as she forces herself up into a sitting position, looking frantically towards the wooden door of her modest home. The rain still spills heavily, making the cobblestone streets slippery and shiny in the faint moonlight. Another shout comes from distance before a screech and loud stomping of horses fills the village.

She cautiously gets out of bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor as she slowly walks over to the small window by her front door that opens towards the street, tilting her head to be able to look outside. The faint warm orange color is visible around the corner, shadows of people dancing around on the walls of the other houses. She holds her breath, waiting for something else to happen before suddenly more screams fill the town, making her eyes widen.