Hidden Tales, The Diary of Agatha

THE RAG DOLL

And, as agreed, Ashley waited for Dominic at the village's central fountain. She was eager to see him and finally get to know him a bit more, now revealing their names to each other. However, the young man never showed up. Poor girl... She had finished her tasks so quickly and spent so little time with Margo, her friend. She was so excited for him to see her, even worrying about her appearance, wearing that diffuser necklace, thinking it would make her look more beautiful to him. But... there was no sign of him.

Still, Ashley wasn't angry; after all, the boy was a prince—he must have had his reasons. She let out a long sigh, holding the pendant of her necklace, looking at it, and caressing it with her thumb. She felt embarrassed for thinking that this jewel would make him admire her more. "It doesn't even belong to me," she thought. But indeed, it did! Not only the necklace but also what was inside it—something so valuable that no one else could offer her.

At the same time, two men were walking through the village, close to where Ashley was sitting. They were the same storytellers from the other day. They hadn't been seen by the children yet, who, if they had noticed them, would have rushed to them without a second thought.

Oh, of course. How could they forget Ashley's beautiful face? They recognized her immediately, approaching her and calling for her attention:

"It's been a while, young maiden," the younger one smiled, sitting down beside her.

"What brings you here so early?" Perhaps that was the reason they could walk freely around the place without the children swarming them. The older one remained standing in front of the girl.

Ashley felt uncomfortable having two men so close like that, as it wasn't something appropriate to happen. However, their energy was good, as if there was no malice at all.

She hesitated, but she didn't feel right ignoring them. After all, sooner or later, Ashley would like to hear another one of their stories.

"Did you... know Agatha?" Ashley didn't look at them, diverting her gaze to anywhere else.

"Agatha? Oh, the maiden from the story," the younger one looked at his brother.

"Why do you ask?"

"I got curious... You told me that day: 'If anyone sees you with this book, you'll meet the same fate as poor Agatha.' If she was the villain, why did they pity her when they mentioned her?"

"Oh! What a good memory!" The eldest crossed his arms with a smile. He didn't even remember the comment they made; they were always so busy. "My brother William barely remembers what we ate last night." He laughed.

"That's true," William laughed as well. In fact, he had the worst memory between the two, mostly because he was always so absent-minded. His head was never still, always in the clouds, imagining the possible and the impossible. "Hakon is the master of stories here. I'm just an apprentice."

Ashley remained silent, not laughing at the older men's joke. In situations like this, the two men would usually feel awkward, but... Ashley had a beauty beyond compare... No, there was someone before her... Bloodlines shared in her DNA such grace that it seemed from another world.

They remained silent, admiring her. Their faces burned, yet it wasn't as if they were in love; they were different from others. They respected the small buds that were about to bloom. Disrespecting flowers was unacceptable; besides, they already had someone waiting for them.

"Oh... I think... I have to go..." Ashley stood up, feeling uncomfortable with their attention. As mentioned, there was no malice in the hearts of the two brothers, but how could they not admire someone like Ashley?