The Princess and the Writer

CHAPTER TWO

Though Nadira and her followers had fled the clan, she was not deterred from her mission. And now, the rage and humiliation of her failed attack made her more determined not just to get the throne, but to defeat Nena and take the enchanted book for herself. Her nights were filled with dreams of the wondrous powers the book would give her. She longed to be cloaked by that force field like Nena had been. The things she would do! She would be invincible. Her days were spent forging battle plan upon battle plan, only to dismiss them for none of them seemed good enough to prevail against the princess' sorcery. Her new clan, the Baya clan, thus stayed concealed in a hidden clearing in the forest awaiting the time victory would finally be theirs.

The unknown whereabouts of the rebels did not worry Nena, nor did the knowledge that they would return move her. What moved her was the wish that no one would get hurt once they did. Though she was aware that sometimes one had no choice but to resort to it, she hated violence. She only used it as her last resort.

All that, however, was a shadow in the light of her new joy, for she was engaged to Teral; an age-mate she had long been eyeing since she was old enough to do so. And glad she was for she would have no one else. He was the melody to her song; the joy of her heart, the laughter in her mouth. She did not know about the others, nor did she care, but he was beautiful to her both inside and out. He was strong and gentle and knew how to bring out the child in her. His brown eyes were shaped like almonds, guarded by thick curly lashes. His skin was dark and unblemished, more flawless than hers it seemed. As for his mouth, it was wide and even wider when he smiled, but it suited him somehow. Nena would never have it any other way. Teral...

Someone stopped in front of Anne and cleared his throat. Unhappy about the interruption from her Teral description, she looked up with a scowl. Her scowl quickly melted into a dreamy smile.

"Teral," she sighed.

Then her dreamy smile quickly transformed into embarrassment when she realized that the guy she had been writing about was actually standing before her. He was looking at her with an unwavering gaze; an unwavering gaze emanating from his brown almond shaped eyes; those brown almond shaped eyes perfectly afloat a dark sea of skin.

"Walter!" she exclaimed as she shut her book.

She hoped he was neither longsighted nor endowed with the ability to read words upside down.

Walter smiled casually as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Hi, Anne. What are you scribbling there?"

Anne cringed a little as she stammered out words.

"Scribbling? I don't scribble. I write. But it's nothing really; just a small something to pass the time till lunch break ends."

She could not help but fashion a character in her story after Walter. He was a year ahead of her, and her biggest crush. He was nice to her but she knew that he could in no way reciprocate her feelings. Still, the dreamer in her hoped. In her story though, he did reciprocate, and he was her one and only, just as she was his. And soon they would wed, united for all time.

She realized too late that she had left her mouth hanging open as she dreamily gazed up at him. Therefore, she could not stop the drool from running down the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away, her face burning with embarrassment. She ventured a glance at Walter and saw him looking at her in amusement. Her nose began to twitch.

'Oh no,' she thought to herself. 'Of all the times!'

Whenever she was embarrassed or self conscious, her nose twitched in the most annoying way. She hated that and had been very careful not to include that in her story. She put her hand over her nose in a manner she hoped looked casual.