𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐄

Chapter III

   The night of celebration lingered in my thoughts, but as soon as the first light of dawn crept through the curtains of my room, I remembered the promise I had made to Theron. I was to meet him again in the orchard, the place that would now be our spot. Thanks to the celebration, I got only a few hours of rest, but despite this, I woke up earlier than usual, still under the spell of last night's festivities. Surprisingly enough, I didn't feel even a shade of tiredness. In fact, I was full of energy and ready to run right to the orchard just to make sure that meeting Theron wasn't a wild dream of mine.

I quickly ate my breakfast, barely paying attention to the dishes set before me. My thoughts were far from here, focused on the stories of the sea that Theron had so vividly described and on Theron himself, who seemed as if he were from another world, one filled with adventures and unknown lands. I just knew he would take me on another adventure, telling me about the things he saw while traveling.

Once I was done eating, I made sure to take something for Theron after convincing Anatola that I would eat it while spending time outside. He was trying to get some fruits from our orchard yesterday, so I believed he would appreciate some fresh bread and cheese. When I went to help him, I abandoned the pieces of bread aside. I sure hoped he took it with himself before sneaking out of the orchard with the promise of coming back the next day. I couldn't help but wonder if he found himself a good place to stay. Where he slept? If people who gave him cover were nice to him? Maybe aside from well deserved rest, they generously gifted him with a proper meal? I sure hoped so.

   My feet carried me on their own across the beautiful gardens. The grass was still covered with cold dew, which only made me feel more refreshed. Soon I found myself in the thicket of fruit trees, moving further into our extensive orchard.

I walked deeper into the orchard, passing rows of trees. The sun slowly rose, gently illuminating each branch, with light filtering through the leaves, casting warm, golden reflections on my path. The air smelled of damp earth, grass, and herbs, and my heart beat faster with each moment as I drew closer to the meeting place.

I couldn't stop thinking about Theron. It seemed as if his presence, even though so recent, had left a lasting impression. He was like someone out of a story—mysterious, with a touch of wildness and unrestrained freedom. I imagined hearing his low, slightly hoarse voice again, how we would sit together under one of the trees, and Theron would tell me about his sea adventures that seemed to have no end, how he traveled the earth, about things he saw, all the views, people he met on his way—I wanted to know everything in detail. My heart yearned to have it's pace quickened by the images my mind would build up in my head.

I paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and gazing at the line of trees ahead, trying to spot any movement. Was Theron already there? Was he waiting somewhere behind one of the trees, ready for another story? My heart trembled at the thought that I might have been the one to arrive first, forced to wait, with growing doubt, wondering if it all had been just a dream.

A few seconds feel like eternity when you're filled with impatience. That's why I'm not sure how many "little eternities" had passed, but before my brain could turn the impatience into doubt and then into resignation, I heard the familiar, deep voice right behind me.

- Good morning, Ganymede. - Theron said. I didn't really hear his steps. My clear surprise caused mild amusement to brighten the other man's face. - You didn't expect me to come? We agreed to see each other today, didn't we? - He asked smoothly even though his brows were still slightly raised expressing light surprise and his lips curved in a gentle smile as if regardless he was happy to see me.

-... Yes, we did. You just surprised me. I didn't even hear your steps... How did you find me so easily? Our orchard is huge- I noticed even though I didn't want to seem like I was questioning him in case it would irritate him, but my curiosity got the best of me. Theron however didn't seem offended at all. It was a reasonable question after all.