The Forgotten

Chapter five: Awkward

I watch as she slowly pulls off his helmet and stares up into his green eyes. His hair fell over his face and the woman pushed it out of his eyes with her finger.

"What's a hunk of a royal guard like you doing in these parts," she took a deep pause. "Captain," she uttered. Just the way she said it sent chills through my body. I walk up quickly. When Arthur saw me, his facial expression changed and he started walking towards me with a weird look on his face.

"Belle we have to go, now," he whimpered quietly. I brush past him, completely ignoring him. The woman turns and glares at me.

"Oh, back for more?" she squints at me. I stop, just inches away from her face. I beam down at her. She stands up from sitting on the well Arthur was waiting at.

"Hit me," I pull off my hood and tap my cheek gently. I don't know what has come over me... I didn't know what I was doing, nor could I stop it. She snickers, pushing her tongue against her cheek through a smirk. She swings at me swiftly. I duck and push her, stumbling into the stone pole behind her which held the well sturdy, banging her head. She fell to the ground groaning. I roll her over and bend her arms behind her back. "Arthur get your ass over here with those bloody handcuffs." I sigh and he charges over, quickly latching her wrists together.

"By order of the King, you are hearby arrested for treason against Whitehill Castle... You are sentenced to four years of prison, no bail allowed." he lifts her up off the ground with one arm and she groans. I pick up Arthur's helmet from the ground and placed it on his head as he walks her through the town. I felt anger boiling inside of me... But why?

Once we got to the castle,  we handed her to the prison guard and he placed her in a cell. It all seemed too simple... Too easy...

We walked back to his house and I quickly pulled off the hood, revealing a decent bruise on my left cheek. Arthur got a cold wet cloth and held it on my cheek.

"Arthur..." I sigh. We both sat at his kitchen table. He sat in the seat next to me and pulled it close as he held the rag on my cheek. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Yeah... I know what you're going to say... And I apologize. I should have been more focused on the job we were supposed to do... But-," He looks away from me at the ground. I lift my hand up to his head and lift off his helmet slowly. He looks up at me then looks quickly away.

"Arthur look at me," I set his helmet next to me on the table and he tilts his head towards me. I wanted him to see my anger clearly with his bare eyes. I wanted nothing to block our eyes from connecting as I said how I felt.

"I literally walked around town all day as eye candy just so I could get punch in the face and spit on by some wench... Then she walks out and..." I pause. "Then she walks out and-" I repeat and pause again, looking down at my knees. He pulls the rag off my face and places it on the table, staring over at the rag. I don't think neither of us knew what to say.

"I'm sorry, but that was a really frustrating situation," I stand up quickly and walk away from him and over towards the window. I stand there for a few moments then walk outside. "I'm going for a walk... I'll be back before sundown."

He mumbles something, but I didn't care enough to have him repeat it, so I kept walking. I was thinking about going to the library to see what kind of books they have there. I could really use some Shakespeare right now. I walk aimlessly through town, looking for a library. As I slowly made my way to the castle, I finally spotted it. Once in the library I walk up to the owner. The building was small and had a few shelves of books in rows. The selection was scarce.

"Excuse me sir, do you have any Shakespeare?" The man nods and points over towards the back wall. I walk over there slowly and examine the novels... I could really go to a Romance right about now. I grab Romeo and Juliet and give the man my last coin. I walk out, staring at the beautiful bindings and texture of the book. I slowly make my way back to Arthur's house. I walked and read through town- A skill I have mastered. Once I finally got there, I walk in to see another man sitting across the kitchen table from Arthur.

"My word, who is this lovely lady," he smirks, studying me. I completely blow both of them off and walk into Arthur's room and sit on the bed, eager to continue my book. I finished the first chapter... It was very well written. I put down the book and go back out to where Arthur and his friend sat, talking quietly.

"The lovely lady returns!" The man smiles as I sat next to Arthur at the table with them. The man also had royal guard armor on. His face was old and worn looking and he was bald. He had a long scar going down his cheek.

"This is Isabel, she will be staying with me for a while," Arthur looks at me with a weird look again, and I nod hesitantly.

"Well aren't you a lucky fella," The man elbows Arthur and Arthur's face begins to turn pink.

"N-No... It's not like that, James. She's a good friend." Arthur sputters and the man stands up, chuckling.

"Well I will leave y'all love birds be... Don't let me ruin the fun." I feel awkward and my cheeks are burning. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. The man opens the door and leaves without another word. I quickly stand up and walk into his bedroom to continue reading, leaving him there alone. I got to page 32 before I fell asleep reading on his bed.

I woke up in the middle of the night to Arthur shaking me. "Belle, I just want to tell you I'm sorry for today, and-" he starts but I cut him off.

"Arthur, why are you tell me this now..." I groan in a groggy voice. I close my eyes, still half asleep. There was a long awkward pause.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it and-" I cut him off again.

"I really don't care... It doesn't matter," I roll the other way and groan. "Now let me sleep," I sigh. There was a moment of silence before Arthur also sighs, walking back out. I tried to fall back asleep but now I couldn't because I felt like a total bitch. I sit up slowly and groan in annoyance. I walk out the room and spot him staring out the same window he always does at the moon. I walk up to him quietly, resting my elbows on the windowsill.

"I also should apologize, I completely overre-" He cuts me off.

"You did nothing wrong," He says sharply. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out again. I sit up straight and hesitantly walk away with a sigh. I lay back down in his bed and fall asleep eventually.