It was a beautiful morning, with the fresh scent of earth heightened by the recent downpour. The sun was warm, and missing this serene start to the day would have been a regret.
I had just concluded my training session with Rufus.
"Practice as I’ve shown you, and next week, we can begin defense training with actual weapons," I instructed Rufus.
"Thank you, teacher," he responded. "Since the session is over, would you like to join me for breakfast?"
"Glad you asked, I’m starving. Let’s meet again after we’ve freshened up," I replied.
After a refreshing bath and dressing up, I made my way to the dining hall where breakfast was arranged. Along the way, I noticed workers hauling architectural materials into the palace. Still curious, I set my thoughts aside and took a seat across from Rufus.
"Have you met with Ford since that day?" Rufus inquired.
"No, we haven’t managed to find a suitable time for our meeting," I responded.
"Why are workers bringing tools, wood, and other supplies into the palace? Is there some renovation planned?" I asked, curious about the commotion.
"Oh, about that," Rufus said, looking a bit sheepish. "It's my mistake for not informing you earlier. I assumed Ford had already told you, but that foolish kid… "Anyway, it's actually my birthday next week, and the palace is hosting a ball in celebration. I thought you knew since you and Ford are partners for the event, but—"
"I had no idea about this," I interjected.
"I apologize for the oversight," he said.
"No, there’s no need to apologize," I assured him.
He smiled gratefully.
"May I ask you a question, Rufus?" I ventured.
"Of course," he replied.
"Why haven’t you married yet?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I want to see my brother settled first, so I can have peace of mind," he explained. "Whether he gets engaged by the age of 25 is his decision, but doing my best to convince him is my responsibility. I don't want to distract myself with marriage until he’s made up his mind and settled."
I nodded in understanding. Rufus was sacrificing a lot for Ford. If only Ford and I had gotten along well, many would find peace. The upcoming birthday ball would be a perfect opportunity to get to know him better.
The only issue now was that I didn’t know how to dance and the only person I could ask for helps meeting with me wasn't organised until tomorrow.
“Let it be,” I told myself. I will just visit his shop, it's not like he won't be present.
After dinner, I walked out of the palace to reach Eclipse. I looked up at the sky. The sun was high, and there were no signs of rain.
I had never despised rain as much as I do now. The fear of rain in Ruki made me hate its arrival, too.
I knocked on the door of the shop but heard no reply. I was going to enter the shop but I saw that the door was locked.
Its opening time had gone by a long time ago, so why was it that the shop was still not open? Was it that Ruki didn't open it as he was recovering from the previous days incident, or was it something more serious?
YOU ARE READING
"Eclipse"
Romance"𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧." In a kingdom where 𝐚𝐥...
