Charlotte's Secrets

Chapter 1    Murderer

    “I didn’t know she was the princess.” I struggled to speak.

       Mouth full of broken teeth, blood poured out my punctured lip, trickling down my chin and finally drying onto my chest.

    “You didn’t know she was the daughter of Elijah?” He shook his head, displeased. And again, with the slight flick of a finger, he signaled the giant bearded man to take another blow at my swollen face.

      I felt my jaw rattle, as my eyes rolled back into their sockets.

   “You don’t want to walk down this road, boy.” Narrowing his eyebrows, he moved his face closer to mine.

    His breath was foul, as if he exhaled the decaying fumes rising from deep within his intestines. And his gaze was fierce, planted distinctly on my helpless condition.

“Tell me.” He lowered his tone. “How long have you known the fair lady?”

His words brought to mind the sweet vivid memories of her precious existence. Memories so pure, even the gruesome pain could not suppress them.

And at once, I was taken back. I could feel the warmth of her skin, the touch of her soft hands against my face. The way her smile lit the world around us, sparking a flame of admiration in the hearts of all those who planted their gaze on her.

 I remembered our secret meetings, under the abandoned bridge, near the outskirts of the village. It was a dark, breezy night among many, glorified by the light of the moon. The stars smiled secretly as I waited near the calm stream, staring at my reflection, making sure I was suited for her approval.

It was a time when fear prevailed to rule the land and its people. But I remembered feeling excited, a rare joyous feeling, one I could never experience even in a lifetime of eternity. For the very first time---I felt free.

 And her beauty was incomparable. Her skin was pale, like that of an angel and her hair, gold, flowed like silk, curling and waving all the way down to her waist. She resembled a goddess only known to legend and even under the darkest of shadows; the thought of her honey colored eyes caused a tornado of butterflies to whirl in my stomach.

My heart raced at the memory of her scent, the way her skin smelled like a garden of blood red roses. She was a swan. She compelled hearts and enticed laughter. She was indeed, the most beautiful woman to ever walk the face of the earth.

 And I remembered that night as if it were just yesterday. She had traveled for miles in utter secrecy, with news that our bond would be condemned and that her family would never approve our union.  It saddened me, tore my heart to tiny pieces but for her, I would fight. For her, I would sacrifice everything.

And I recalled our first encounter. I had first laid eyes on her in a marketplace near the city bay.

 I was a village boy, just another farmer’s son, travelling from town to town, selling fruits and vegetables in an attempt to make a living for my family.

She walked alone in silence, dressed in an expensive navy cloak, wearing an expression of confusion which drew me closer to her delicate figure. I could tell she was a foreigner, perhaps from another city several miles away. She did not look like any of the other women. She was different and above all the rest.

And her voice, her gentle sound was the sweet tune of a melody I had never heard; a fascinating reality. I would’ve fallen to my knees that very moment but instead, like a farmer’s son, I sold her a bag of cherries, the sweetest bundle from my cart. She was impressed. Surely, she saw something in me that the world had never seen. Promising to return for another bag of fruit, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving my heart anxious for days.