The Prince and the Thief

Chapter Five

When Vic came back, the sun was setting and his smile was completely gone. He just seemed stiff. He wouldn't talk to me as he dragged me where we would be eating. I yanked my arm out of his grip before he could pull me into the lit giant tent. He stopped, looking back at me.

"What is wrong with you?" He sighed.

"Kellin. It's not important."

"It is. You were so happy and carefree today." I noticed he was once again wearing a white shirt, the pink belt overlaying it. "What happened?" He walked forward. He cupped my cheek and put our foreheads together.

"It will be explain later. Okay?" His voice cracked in the middle of the sentence. I nodded. He continued leading me into the tent. He brought us to where Anciano was seated. We sat on the small bench, Vic sitting right near Anciano. He leaned into the old man's ear and whispered something. Bunică sat on the other side of the table, setting the napkin in her lap. Anciano rose from his seat and raised both his wrinkled hands, cutting off all chatter.

"¡Atención!" Vic put his lips next to my ear, waiting to translate. The old man started to speak.

"There has been a accident." I laced my fingers with Vic's as his voice cracked again. "As you see Jenna is not here tonight. She's been-" I heard a woman start wailing from the other side of the room. "Jenna was on a walk to another village with Fencia, Takli, and Yondy. They were ambushed by the royal guard. No one survived." Vic pulled away, not continuing the translation. He was chewing on his lip doing everything possible not to cry.

"La vida sigue." Anciano returned to sitting back down.

"Life goes on." Vic whispered. I looked around at the rest of the people. None of them were crying. They just had blank faces as they tried to continue their meal as normal. The children, having no idea what was probably said, were laughing and playing like the whole world was a fantasy land. Vic squeezed my hand and I turned back to look at him. He looked worst than anyone here. "Eat."

"Why is no one crying?"

"It's not polite. You don't cry unless you see the body." I thought about all the people who got swung from that noose. Their bodies were burned after they were cut down. I swallowed.

"What if you never got their bodies back?"

"Then you never cry." He took a bite of the salted pork in front of him. Our hands were still clasped together and I don't think he was planning on letting go anytime soon.

"But Jen-"

"Don't say their names. We don't speak the dead's names." Bunică was frowning at Vic. She spoke to him and his eyes scrunched closed like he was in pain. He muttered something back, continuing to eat.

"I don't understand."

"It's not meant to be understood. Just followed." That's how the rest of the meal was like. Everyone was slowly getting back to normal. Talking louder, eating their fill, and even laughing. It's like that announcement was never made. Vic, on the other hand, looked terrible. He was still not talking and reduced to picking at his food distastefully.
After everyone was done, they started heading out. Vic pulled us with the group. Everyone sat around the fire with Anciano in the middle. Vic put his back against the log, pulling me down next to him. He put his arm around me and held my hand again.

"What is this?" He smiled at me.

"Story time." The children gathered in front of the old man as he started to speak. He was still speaking a different language.

"There was once a pretty young girl with no husband, no father, no mother, no brothers, no kinsfolk: they were all dead and gone. She lived alone in a hut at the end of the village; and no one came near her, and she never went near any one. One evening a goodly wanderer came to her, opened the door, and cried, 'I am a wanderer, and have been far in the world. Here will I rest; I can no further go.' The maiden said, 'Stay here, I will give thee a mattress to sleep on, and, if thou wilt, victuals and drink too.' The goodly wanderer soon lay down and said, 'Now once again I sleep; it is long since I slept last:' 'How long?' asked the girl; and he answered, 'Dear maid, I sleep but one week in a thousand years.' The girl laughed and said, 'Thou jestest, surely? thou art a roguish fellow.' But the wanderer was sound asleep."

I wrapped my arms around Vic's waist, putting my head on his chest as he continued translating the story for me. He rested his chin on my head. "Early next morning he arose and said, 'Thou art a pretty young girl. If thou wilt, I will tarry here a whole week longer.' She gladly agreed, for already she loved the goodly wanderer. So once they were sleeping, and she roused him and said, 'Dear man, I dreamt such an evil dream. I dreamt thou hadst grown cold and white, and we drove in a beautiful carriage, drawn by six white birds. Thou didst blow on a mighty horn; then dead folk came up and went with us--thou wert their king.' Then answered the goodly wanderer, ' That was an evil dream.' Straightway he arose and said, 'Beloved, I must go, for not a soul has died this long while in all the world. I must off, let me go.' But the girl wept and said, 'Go not away; bide with me.' 'I must go,' he answered, 'God keep thee.' But, as he reached her his hand, she said sobbing, 'Tell me, dear man, who thou art then.' 'Who knows that dies,' said the wanderer, 'thou askest vainly; I tell thee not who I am.' Then the girl wept and said, 'I will suffer everything, only do tell me who thou art.' 'Good,' said the man,' 'then thou comest with me. I am Death.' The girl shuddered and died. The end." I laughed quietly.

"That was depressing."

"It's a depressing day." He was running a hand through my hair. I slowly found myself falling asleep. I felt the vibrations of his voice as he started translating another story for me. My eyes closed by theirselves.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up with a start as I felt my body being placed on the bed.

"Shh. You're fine." Vic pulled the covers over my body. He was standing above me, the light from the lantern casting shadows over the walls.

"I'm sorry." He chuckled, moving my bangs away from my face.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I fell asleep." I tugged on his pants until he sat on the bed next to edge.

"It's fine." I closed my eyes again. "You're pretty cute when you're asleep." I hummed, feeling his hand run through my hair again.

"What was your mom's name? And your brother and father?" He tensed. "Did you get to cry for them?"

"No. I never saw my brother or father and I never got my mother's body." I opened my eyes, searching his face. I brushed my fingers along his cheek.

"What happened to her?"

"She was hanged. On the same day as the Great Queen went missing." My pulse quickened. Everything started coming back. My mother taking me to see the gypsies, the small tan boy playing the flute, the curiosity in his eyes, and the name his mom called him, 'Vic'. I had met him before. That's why I felt so safe around him. Vic saved my mother.

"Where is the Great Queen?" I sat up in my bed.

"She's in a different village. Alive but blind, thanks to her husband."

"That's good."

"Don't worry. You'll see your mom soon Kellin." I looked down at my lap, picking at the strings hanging off the quilt.

"How did you know?" He tilted up my chin.

"How could I forget your beautiful blue eyes? They haunted my dreams. The pale boy with black hair and pale blue eyes who watched us with such wonder." He took my hands in his. "You stood up for us over the years even when your father hurt you. Starved you."

"I couldn't remember you. But you were always up there, hidden away." I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"My mother's name was Vivian. She was married to Victor and gave birth to two children. Michael and Victor. I was named after my father but after his death I became Vic."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. It feels weird saying their names again." I laughed.

"It's not a bad thing to remember them. It's healthy." He pulled back and smiling at me. I glance at his lips immediately regretting the decision when he stood up. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"No one else knows. Not even Anciano. You'll be safe here." He quickly kissed me on the cheek then left. He just walked out the door.

"Goodnight." I blew out the fire and watched everything turn dark. I snuggled under the quilt, resting one of my hands on the cheek Vic kissed. I'm glad I remember him. He was worth it.