the strings that bind us..

Chapter 11: The 'sneak-in'

Ok now.. The bed is soft, maybe softer than usual, maybe that's why I am not able to sleep.

Yes, that must be it. Not at all because I feel threatened by my own father, definitely not because I ended up 'sort-fighting-or-not' with Charles and definitely not because I had my first kiss.

It's the beds fault , too soft.

Its been nearly four hours since the dinner drama finished and close to two since I finished my 'another talk' with my parents......again.

Two hours on bed and still no sleep, yep not a wink.

Maybe its the dehydration and the too soft bed.

Ya, that must be it, what else would it possibly be.

Stupid kingdom, stupid people, stupid climate.

Don't get me started on the dearth of water.

No wonder father hates coming here, their largest lake seems like a village well of Thristle city.

"Philip..",I can feel my lips curve upwards by themselves.

"yes.. Do tell?" ,WHAT..!!

I immediately sit up and hold the sheets to myself ,"who's there..??",I asked bit bit loudly above whisper.

"GOD, you should look at yourself right now..ha,ha..!",an all so familiar voice drawled on...

"PHILIP....",my throat became dry.

I could see someone's stilettoes near the window.

"the views nice from up here, still gloomy, the city is on the whole is gloomy all the time. "he walked slowly towards me and stopped after catching up on my expression, "chill... Its me ,hey...!!",I threw the nearest thing I could find at him, fortunately for him ,it was a pillow.

"what are you doing here, I mean , how and why.. No ..' How' first and 'why' I can guess..",I was still whispering .

"sh...",he said placing a finger on his lips, I was conflicted between either biting the finger of in anger or the lip in .... I don't know, god!! what was i thinking.

"how is not a big deal... Get a guards uniform , look grumpy and there ,you'll fit in the crowd good enough ."he said nonchalantly.

"how my room..??", i was curious and scared at the same.

"that was tricky but did you notice the walls here are not that high, unlike in Thristle , the castle of Sicily is not built on a steep hill and its as if the wall were built so they can be climbed on with ease. Come here ."he said as he walked towards the window and opened it up. I stood and walked toward him and took his hand as he lent his arm. He tugged me closer to him .

"look its hardly guarded on this side, i wonder why ...", he said .

"its a secret actually."i said still looking out.

"what... The great kingdom of Sicily lacking manpower ."he said with a hint of sarcasm. Unlike him.

"No , its as i like to call it 'keeping-warm-time'."I said smiling to myself on how ridiculous it sounds.

"what..??",he said turning towards me.

"the nights are becoming cooler day by day as winters approaching, the guards need to be prepared for keeping themselves warm enough to sustain fire through out winter."

"I thought they need fire source to produce anything."

"yes , they do."I said sitting on my bed ."but in winter , fire needs them, every person who can use fire needs some in them , for people its generally their warmth. there is a ritual, its done for a month long time before the winter arrives."

"I don't get you, are you saying the element needs them ."he asked sitting on the other end of the bed.

"yes, unlike earth , which is there all the time and self sustaining at all time and, wind and air, which just changes some of its physical characters as its surrounds changes. Fire is not."

"please do elaborate. "he said looking as if the was teaching him and he was mentally noting down points.

"fire is mostly interdependent."

"how do you know so much, I reckon there are still many things but your not ..".he said looking uncertain whether to continue or not.

"my uncle is a really good teacher."

"but these are national secrets."

"but i am family."I said feeling weirdly ...proud for a moment.

"you said fire is mostly interdependent. "he asked still with the studious look on his face.

"some people don't need fire to produce fire,"I saw the confused look on his face ,"let me rephrase , some people don't need a fire source to produce fire."

"but aren't they rare??".

"yes and no. Yes ,they are rare and no, not as rare as they are said."

"its how Sicily sustains in winter ."I continued ,"do you remember the battle of cry. "he immediately stilled ."the war ended after Kratus's three year campaign around winter in the hands of Sirius's forces not by Thristle. How do you think that was??", I questioned him.

"it was Thristle and Sirius together who ambushed the Kratus forces at 'land-of-no-man'."

"yes and no again, yes , the ambush did happen but no, Sirius alone was there ."he moved closer and I  did the same ."Thristle as my father tells me helped to go through and later it was only Sirius forces that fought because our men where holding out the temperature .

"temperature??".

"it rained those days remember, why would it rain on a chilly winter day??, let alone a whole week. our forces held out near the border and caused it ,it took a lot of strength and men to make it rain warm and manage to overcome the wind and at the same time avoid the fire .while the powerful fire users created enough fire for the rest of the army to pull of the stint ."I said proudly.

"hmm ."he said looking angry and on the floor.

"what happened ..??"a put and my hand on his lap.

"no nothing, i think i must leave its getting late."

"you just came.."I trailed off when I saw it was almost about time to dawn ."how long has it been since you can..??"I asked looking at him.

"three hours or so...". He said still looking distracted ."sun rises here early, no wonder its weird."

"how will you go..??".

"just the way i came in, i left the guard uniform down ,I'll pick it up and leave."

"when will i see you again. "the word left my mouth before I could actually think it through my brain.

He looked at me and smiled,"I still have the mirror when you are alone call me, I'll be staying near the castle itself, don't have much work back home, so probably I'll leave with you ."he said .

The next part was too much for me to handle, he suddenly caught onto my wrist and pulled me into a hug.

"hmm..Julia...",I left out a sigh, a sigh of contentment.

He hugged me tighter and a buried his head into my neck.

"your hair..",I managed to sneak my arms around his neck ,"it stinks."

"what ..", I pushed him away and sniffed onto a strand ,"NO..!!".

"I was joking..!! Ha..ha..", he stared to giggle.

"oh god you..",I started to hit his arm repeatedly.

"I'll leave now ."he said seriously.

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I was searching for my father ,I could not find him with mother or uncle.

I was going out to garden to see if was out and then..