Yours truly, Anto

Chapter 10- A hand to hold

He closed the balcony door behind him and stood there for a while looking out the window. I had my hands in my hair as I started to hyperventilate. He looked over at me with concerned eyes and immediately came by my side.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into an embrace my tears staining his shirt. 

"Im going to die, im going to die, im going to die." I said quivering.

His embrace only tightened. "With me here, you are not going to be touched by that man."

However, I knew that not to be true. I was to be married at the end of the summer season, and he was leaving for Spain in 2 days time. I would never see him again. 

We stood there for a while hugging and me crying until my legs gave out. Slowly, he picked me up and set me on my bed covering me with the blanket. I kept shaking profusely. He started walking towards the door.

"Don't." I said getting up. 

"Lay here with me, please." 

There was silence. He looked at me, looked at the bed, and contemplated. 

"You want me to lie with you?" 

I nodded weakly.

"Victoria I do not think that is proper."

"Nothing about tonight was proper, Antonio."

He started walking slowly towards me each step seeming to get heavier and heavier while my heart beat faster and faster.

I scooted over and he sat on the edge of the bed looking seemingly puzzled. He then lied down next to me. I turned to face him and realized how close our faces were. I was still shaking however to which he noticed. He put his right arm out and pulled me into him where I nuzzled into his chest. He smelled like ale and the finest perfumes. He smelled like a man. Earthy and strong. 

"Try and sleep." He said.

He started rubbing my arm and I could hear his heart beating. It was getting faster and faster making me wonder what he was so nervous about. However to the sound of his heartbeat and his warm embrace I quickly fell into a trance like sleep.

Waking up a few hours later I reached out to the other side of my bed, trying to feel him. But he was gone. I sat up and looked around the room. No trace of him anywhere. The room was spinning. Too much to drink. I then remembered what occurred that morning and ran out of bed to my balcony door. Flinging it open I went to look down where I saw the mans dead body. It was gone and the blood was gone. I felt my stomach drop as I tried to remember what happened that morning. I turned around and leaned back on the railing trying to go deep into thought. 

There was a man, there was a body, there was blood, and there was Hamish. Am I seeing things I wondered. I went back inside and closed the door still troubled. I looked down at the table by my bed and saw a folded up piece of paper sitting there. I opened it.

Kissing you was the most magical moment I have experienced in all my months of traveling. I hope to do it more often. -Anto 

I started giggling and put the note inside my robe pocket. 

I desperately needed to see Mrs. Weatherington I thought. So, still in my blue dress I put a cloak over it and unlocked my bedroom door. Peering my head out it was quiet. Oddly quiet. I walked down the hall to the stairs and slowly walked down with the clacking of my heels on every step. I turned the corner to the servants door and went down the winding staircase. Mina was in the kitchen along with the other servants. 

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning Princess." They all said in unison. 

Mina started walking up to me.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Modiste." I replied.

"Victoria could you come here for a moment. I need to speak to you privately." She said.

We went into the other hall and she pulled me aside. 

"Something happened last night with King Hamish I believe." She said in a hushed voice.

"What happened?"

"There is talk about him walking in his slumber. He was found down here in the kitchen this morning."

My heart sank.

"What did he look like?"

"There was blood all over him and-" She whispered. 

Before she could continue her sentence we heard the door at the top of the stairs open and King Hamishes voice. 

"Where is Victoria?" His voice boomed.

We both flinched as she grabbed me and shoved me into the kitchen. You could hear his weight coming down the stairs rapidly.

"Get under the table," Whispered on of the cooks. 

I got under and the long table cloth covered me. 

Then all the cooks got silent.

"Your Majesty." They whispered.

"Where is Victoria?" He said.

"We do not know sir, we have not seen her."

"She has not been seen since yesterday evening, where could she possibly have gone?" He asked.

"We do not know your Highness. Truly."

There was silence.

I then heard the sound of someone choking. 

"When you find her, tell her to report to me. If she does not by the evening dusk I will come back and choke you till you are out of breathe." He hissed.

I heard a body plop to the ground and he walked back up the stairs slamming the door behind him.

I was shaking as I lifted the cloth to find one of the cooks on the floor holding her neck and heaving. 

"Mrs. Bartley what did he do?" I said ushering to her along with the other servants.

She spoke choking through breathe. "Run." 

I quickly with the help of Mina ran out of the back door and to the village.

I walked into the modiste panting and walked up the flight of stairs. There was no one there. 

"Mrs. Weatherington?" I yelled out. No answer.

I put my cloak on the hook and walked around the shop. I sat on the nearby bench and heard the front door open. 

Loud and strong footsteps came up the stairs that did not sound like a womans. There was a pit in my stomach. I held the dagger that was in my boot and waited for whoever it was to come up. 

What if it was Hamish?

I got up and got into stance.

That is when I saw his black curly hair pop up through the steps. I sighed.

"Antonio what are you doing here?" I whispered. 

"I came to try on a dress." He teased.

"Seriously, what are you doing here."

"To do this." 

He grabbed me by my arms and started to kiss me.