Days of the Forbidden

Chapter 5

Dusk soon arrived since it had taken me so long to decrypt the code which was written by Clyde. I reluctantly reached the outside of his room, and softly rapped against the door. I heard as Clyde arose from his bed and approached the door. The doorknob turned slowly, but stopped before opening, as if a decision was being made.

When it did finally open, Clyde looked at me with soft eyes. This was peculiar to me. Now I was very unsure what was to come. He motioned for me to come in, and once inside, he shut the door behind me.

"What is it you need me for, prince Clyde?" I asked, testing if this was nothing more than work.

"Stop," Clyde eased. "I need to speak to you."

I nodded, then turning to him and waited for him to continue.

"I chose," he said sheepishly.

"That's-" I tried to think of a reassuring word, but they all escaped my mind.

"It's awful," Clyde cut in before a word could come to me.

"So will there still be a ball?" I asked.

"No, but that's beside the point. I chose as you told me to do."

"I'm happy for you, Clyde," I said with as much emphasis as possible that I truly was happy for him, although a part of me began to sink.

"But you're not."

"What makes you say that?" I asked with as much deception as I could muster.

Clyde glided carefully towards me, and once near, he gently slid his hand across my face.

"You crave affection, Obie; and more importantly, you crave me."

"What brings you to this assumption?" I was barely able to say this, as his touch truly was intoxicating for me.

"The way you would stare as you worked on your duties this past week. The fact that you cried outside my bedroom door after telling me you would leave if you could. Now, as you show your dazy eyes. You seem content with this small amount of attention you are receiving. Must I go on?"

I looked away turning my head slightly, which caused him to remove his hand. I sighed heavily, realizing he was more than correct: he was spot on. I strolled over to the window and looked out into the dark night.

"What is her name?" I asked sorrowfully.

"Alaya Margarette, princess of the Evergreen lands: a province about a day's travel from here."

"She is beautiful I assume?"

"Yes," Clyde began as he came up behind me and watched the outside world as well. "Apparently she can play the flute, and the piano."

"She is very smart then?"

"Oh, quite. Her mother homeschooled her for years. She wrote to me about the billions of novels she has read, and is extremely excited about a few others she has yet to get to."

"She will make you a happy man," I said, nearly daydreaming about his future myself.

"I suppose she will; but, I could not be a perfectly content king without my loyal servant nearby, now could I?"

I faced him now, looking deep into his emerald eyes. He looked at me with longing, and I wanted to fight it. It wouldn't be fair to his future wife, and queen, if he were to be unloyal. He began to lean in, but I dodged it at last second. I moved a few feet away, feeling a creeping sadness in the pit of my stomach.