Cherry Tree

-Chapter 7-

~Ariol~

As I stormed away from the mysterious stranger beneath the cherry tree, my mind was ablaze with a mix of frustration and curiosity. Who was he, and what had brought him to the palace grounds on the night of my father's wedding celebration? Questions swirled in my mind, but one thing was certain: I didn't trust him.

I quickened my pace, the echoes of my footsteps mingling with the whispers of the night. The encounter with the stranger had left me on edge, my senses heightened as I navigated the moonlit garden.

Reaching the safety of my chambers, I closed the door behind me with a sigh of relief. Alone at last, I allowed myself a moment to collect my thoughts. But try as I might, I couldn't shake the memory of his piercing gaze, or the way he had challenged me with his words.

Who was he, and what did he want? The questions gnawed at me, refusing to be ignored. But amidst the uncertainty, there was something else—an undercurrent of excitement, a thrill of anticipation.

For as much as I disliked the stranger, there was no denying the spark of rivalry that had ignited between us. He was bold, daring, and infuriatingly confident. And though I loathed to admit it, he had piqued my interest.

With a frustrated sigh, I pushed away from the door and crossed the room to the window, gazing out at the moonlit garden below. The cherry tree stood silent and watchful, its branches swaying gently in the night breeze.

But beneath its shadowy embrace, a game was afoot—a game of cat and mouse, of wits and cunning. And as much as I despised the stranger who had intruded upon my domain, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement at the prospect of our next encounter.

For better or worse, our fates were intertwined now, bound together by the threads of fate and circumstance. And though I knew deep down that our rivalry would only lead to trouble, a part of me couldn't help but relish the challenge.

With a determined glint in my eye, I turned away from the window and strode across the room. Whatever the future held, one thing was certain: I would not rest until I had unraveled the mystery of the enigmatic stranger who had dared to cross my path.