Enchantment of the Miss

Chapter 5

 I continued fixing the table as he watched me from his seat. It is starting to get dark outside and the lighted lamp is the only thing lighting up the whole room.

"That's a lot of vegetable," he commented.

I made face as I sat on the chair in front of him. I'm calmer now but I'm still pissed.

"You can leave if you don't want to eat," I said bitterly.

"Nah. It's bad to leave food at the table," he answered.

I rolled my eyes at him but did not comment.

I clasped my hands and closed my eyes. "Thank you for the food," I said before picking up my spoon.

"Who thought you to pray?" he suddenly asked.

"Pray?" I frowned at him.

"That thing you just did,"

I frowned and tried to remember. It has been a habit for years now to say grace before meal.

"No one I guess," I shrugged. I started getting food for my plate. "I moved here when my parents died. I did odd jobs just so I can feed myself. Then, I noticed the strawberries growing on my backyard. At first, I thought someone must have planted them there so I didn't mind them. But months passed and they withered without anyone harvesting them. Then they grew again. Someone must have planted them for me. Isn't it only right to give thanks?"

He smirked. "That's a nice way to put it. Then maybe I should give thanks too. After all, those strawberries fed you before I met you,"

I looked up at him. He was looking at me differently. There's an unusual softness in his eyes. He smiled, a smile so genuine- like a soft breeze caressing my heart.

"Whatever," I shrugged and started eating my dinner.

"Are you sure? It's already dark," I am standing at my door as he hauled himself at the back of his horse. It's already dark when we finished dinner and he insisted on helping wash the dishes which made my eyebrow raise a notch since he's being a douchebag from the moment he arrived. Scratch that. From the moment we met.

"Yeah. I still have to go through the forest," he answered.

I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. What if something happened to him? My conscience would never let me sleep no matter how badly I hate him.

I sighed. "You can stay for the night. Leave early tomorrow if you want to."

"Alright," he didn't even pretend to think about it. He went down from his horse and walked towards the house.

I gaped at him in disbelief. "I was just being polite. You can actually decline," I said sarcastically.

"I already accepted," he walked past me and into the house.

I followed him.

"I want to take a hot bath," he said as he removed his gloves.

He's unbelievable!

"Can you be more thick-faced?" I hissed.

I stared at the woods making up the roof of my house. They are already worn out. I should get them fix before rainy days starts. I am lying on my back with my pillow holding my head. I can feel the hard wood of my attic floor through the comforter I am using as a make shift mattress. I don't have a bed and I don't intend on buying one since my attic is too small. I don't have any furniture in here except for the small box at the corner where I keep my clothes.

I turned to my right and looked at Alezzander sleeping beside me. Yup. He's sleeping beside me.

...minutes ago...

"Hey, you can't sleep here!" I protested when Alezzander suddenly climbed the ladder to the attic.

I took a bath before him and I am now preparing my extra blankets and pillow for him. I was planning on letting him sleep downstairs but he just came up here without permission. His uncombed hair is still a little bit damp. He just finished taking a bath and had already changed into a new pair of clothes he is keeping at the back of his horse.

"Where would I sleep? You don't have any other room," He went straight for my bed and snuggled in my blanket.

"But it's indecent for unwed to sleep together," I protested.

"Then why don't you sleep somewhere else?"

"This is my house,"

"I am the guest,"

I sighed. How can I complain? It's a common gesture to treat your guest right. My parents always reiterate that. I don't want to cramp at the floor downstairs so I stayed here. It must be fine since we we're using separate blankets. I also made sure there's a space between us.

Alezzander is sleeping on his side facing me. He must be uncomfortable. The mattresses on the castle are really soft.

"You're not really a beast, aren't you?"

"You still believe that?"

"No. You should have eaten me a long time ago but you saved me a lot of time," I answered. "Though, you tend to be really harsh you know."

He smirked. "Our family has been staying at the castle for generations now. The forest has been our hunting ground. I don't know where that myth came from but my great great grandfather was a womanizer. I heard he used to keep the girls who have gone astray in the forest."

I smirked. "Sounds like you,"

He opened his eyes and looked seriously at me. "You're the only one I brought home to the castle," he defended.

I felt my face turn red. I looked back at the roof to avert my gaze.

"But then, you're the only one who's dumb enough to go through that forest,"

I grimaced. "I am not dumb!"

"You don't have to be so defensive," he chuckled.

"I am not," I pouted.

I continued staring at the room roof. No one talked for a while.

"Hey," I turned back to him. "Are you an elite?"

Silence. I waited for him to answer but he is already breathing softly. "Hey."

He did not budge.

Darn. He's already asleep.

I'm used to waking up alone. I have been for seven years now but I woke up today and the first thing I did was to look for someone beside me. For the first time in seven years, I felt disappointed waking up alone.

"Darn! Why do I have to feel this way?" I muttered as I storm inside the house. I already looked around. His horse is gone. He must have left early this morning. "Isn't it only right for him to at least bid goodbye?"

I went to the sink to get myself a cup of water.

"That ungrateful beast," I hissed before gulping down my water. I put it down at the table before taking a deep breath to calm myself.

I frowned. Why am I so frustrated anyway?

"You should be happy Giselle. He already left," I told myself.

I froze when I noticed the present he brought yesterday. The box is still wrapped in red cloth. I totally forgot about it. I walked to the other side of the table to reach for it. I untied the cloth and found a box of oranges.

Oranges.

They only grow in the west, the closest one being almost a day journey from here even by horse.

"So that's why he was gone for two days," I whispered.

I frowned. Did he come here straight from his trip?