Eyes Of Lia (Slowly Editing/Updating)

Unknown Traveler

.-.- CHAPTER TWO -.-.

"ARE YOU OKAY m'lady?"  I hear a low, yet soft voice question.  

All I could do was close my eyes.  The darkness was pure and overwhelmingly reassuring.  I hear clumsy yet light footsteps circle around me, after not saying anything for a few moments I feel arms wrap around me and slowly lift me up off of the ground.  I couldn't do anything but tense my body, and wince as my brain seemed to jumble around in my skull, causing waves of shooting, explosive pain.  I groan in pain and instinctively reach towards my head, hoping to stop the pain, however my hands do nothing to ease it.

"I am terribly sorry, I hope you will not be mad I really didn't mean to run into you like this."  The soft voice said.  The words blending together, yet falling apart.  Each syllable was pronounced, but quick and rushed.  I couldn't resist the urge to open my eyes, but once I did I was taken back by his eyes. 

They were green.

Green.

I squinted my eyes as I tried to focus on the iris of his eyes, instead only finding a blur of green.  I blink my eyes four times slowly until my vision was restored.  Once my vision was restored I was able to distinguish who this soft voice belonged too.  Only, I really didn't know who it was.  I studied his face, only to see that he was a middle class citizen, probably a son of a wealthy farmer.  I try to sit up, momentarily forgetting about being in this man's arms, his arms tensed around me and his eyes brightened in surprise only to return to their original shade.  He gently placed me on my feet.  Once I supported my own weight, a wave of lightness flowed through me, causing my legs to buckle and my balance thrown off.  My body began to fall back down to the ground, unable to support my weight after hitting my head like that.  The arms returned around me to try to keep me up, and off the ground. I groaned and held my head in my hands, slowly shaking myself from my lightness.  

"I am so sorry for running into you.."  The green eyed man said softly, his breath brushing against my hands, indicating he wasn't very tall, well not taller than my already semi-tall frame.  I push away from him and turn looking at my offender.  "Where am I?"

The green eyes widen and his entire face tilts, his dark locks falling into his eyes. "You are just outside the walls." 

My face dropped, and I begin to make my way away from him.  "I should go back."  I mumble to myself.

"The villages aren't that way.."  My green eyed offender said.  His voice giving away to the confusion he had.

"I need to be inside the walls." I huff, gathering my skirts, realizing I couldn't find my sack of bread and cheese.

"You live inside the walls?"

Why was he trying to start conversation?

I turned around and look at him, he smiles and hands me the sack I was looking for and waits patiently.  "Excuse me?"  

"You said you needed to be inside the walls.  So I asked you, you lived inside the walls?" He said slowly, as if I was stupid and couldn't process the information myself.

"I know what you asked." I snapped, offended by his slow talking.

His hands raise in the air about chest level and he backs up, giving me room.  "I didn't mean to offend you miss."

"Sure you didn't."  I huffed once more and turned on my heels making my way to the walls.  I didn't have time for this, I needed to get back and away from him.

"Are you of royal blood?"  He shoots another question at me.  

"Does it matter?"  I narrow my eyes at my destination.  I hear him catch up along side me, easily keeping up with my pace.  

The green eyed man looked towards the walls and then back at me. "Are you not of royal blood?"

I abruptly stop. "What is this?"  I stare at him hard, daring him to ask another question.

"I am curious.  It isn't often a girl like you is claiming she has to go into the royal walls.  And you don't look like you are of royal descent, nor do you talk or act like it.  Are you a servant or maid for the king?" He questions.  

I groan and throw my head back, this isn't what I planned for today.  "Just because I don't act like a royal doesn't mean I am not of royal descent."  

"So you have royal blood?"

"Yes."

"No you don't." He argues with me.  

This made me stop. "Why are you arguing?" I question him. It is my turn now.

"Because you don't look like the royal daughter, nor their step mother, and I reckon you are not a man, so you are not the king either." He says shortly.

"Lia."  I say hotly.  My temper beginning to leak out of my pores.

"Lia?" He questions.  "Who is that?"

"Me,  I am Lia."  I state. 

"Lia," He pauses, "As in, Lia the princess?"

I stopped.  He didn't believe me. "Yes." I whisper, feeling my anger fizzle out.  

"Lia is dead though."  He says simple, like it was nothing. 

"I am Lia.  I am not dead." I look at him, bewildered that he would even say anything.  "Who told you this?"

"The king.  He said his last daughter died."  He looks me up and down suspiciously. "Are you trying to trick me?"

I step away. I am Lia. I am the  last daughter of the king.  I am alive.  Why did he say I was dead?  I back away and shake my head.  My vision blurring as a prickling sensation behind my eyes occurred.  Everything made sense suddenly, memories of my father and sister enjoying outings, and long trips to far away kingdoms.  People coming up to great them, and on the rare occasions where I came with, they over looked me.  Did they think I was a distant cousin?  A petty servant girl?  Everything that Sarini said, she wasn't twisting words around, what if she was speaking the truth?  I tremble and struggle to breathe.  She is right. Nobody wanted me.  I am dead after all. 

"Lia?"  The offender whispered softly.  Clearly aware of my sudden emotion change.  "Did I say something wrong?"

I shake my head, and continue backing away from him.  Once clearing a few feet distance between us, I turned around and made my way away from him.  I looked up and saw that it was beginning to turn dark within the next two hours.  I bite my lip, knowing if I arrived late I would be in trouble.  I quicken my pace, almost jogging. I look over my shoulder and call out to the man, "I am fine," I pause swallowing the lump in my throat. "Thank you."

It was sunset when I finally walked through the doors and into the large, empty castle.  Instantly a loud, and booming voice was heard.  "Where have you been girl?"

"I have been outside."  I clench my jaw and begin to make my way up the winding staircase, to my room.  

"Are you walking away from me?"  He grabs my arm pulling me back towards him.

"Excuse me, father you are no longer talking to me, you are now beginning to yell, and I am not trying to walk away from you, I am walking away."  I say as calmly as possible and push away from him, quickly escaping to my room.  During my retreat I heard him yell a profanity and something crashed against the wall.  I jump into my room and slam the door, feeling a wave of security.  I didn't know what to do at the moment, but at the same time, I knew exactly what to do.

I began to plan.  Walking around my room and collecting my necessities, shortly after my stomach growled and I crawled on the ledge of my window.  I push the glass gently, feeling a cool breeze enter the room, making the giant apple tree's branches fall in front of my window. Not wasting a second, I reach for the apples and pluck two green apples off the tree, eating them slowly.  My hunger subsiding for the time being.

After all, I was dead now wasn't I?