DEVIANT

Four Words

“Emmy.”  Seoras said as he watched Emmy train her Mage powers.   

Emmy was in the middle of helping the flower garden bloom.  She had planted the flowers behind the castle with the help of the gardeners and had waited for the flowers to bloom. However after three days, her patience ran out and she decided to help the flowers bloom and enchant the flowers to stay in a state of its full beauty forever.  

There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead as she concentrated on the magic she placed inside and around the flower garden.  The flower garden was a field of camellia flowers in different colors. The camellia field swayed along with the wind and had a slight glow to them due to Emmy’s magic.  It was as if the flowers were encased in its beauty forever.

When Emmy heard her name being called she turned around to see Seoras in his traveling clothes.  The moment she saw him, she knew it was the time of the year for him to visit the smaller cities and the farms.  He made a tour of his country at least once a year to make sure every inch of Ceco was thriving and well managed. It was a chance for his people to see him and bring up any grievances they may have to his attention.  It was his way of governing and his way of making his presence known to his people. It was also a reminder to them that he was their Master. Their ruler. That their loyalty belong to him. That it would be his strength and his powers that protects them.  

Emmy smiled at him and wiped her forehead in a very unladylike manner and walked towards him.  

“I will be gone for two months.”  Seoras told Emmy.

“I know.”  Emmy said as she stopped in front of him.  

“Will you be okay?”  He asked her as his dark black eyes stared at her.

It had taken Emmy some time, but she could now read his eyes.  At first they were cold and indifferent. But over the four years they spent together.  Those cold black eyes soften from time to time. Especially at times where he had to leave the castle and take care of his people.  

“You always ask that, every time you leave.”  Emmy teased him as she reached out to straighten his coat.  

It was springtime and the air still had a slight chill to it.  To everyone else, the two looked like a loving husband and wife saying goodbye and a wife taking care of the littlest detail of her husband’s appearance.  

But Emmy knew better.  This was the play Seoras and her acted out for them.  This was what they wanted everyone to believe. And their convincing acting caused Seoras’s matchmaking mother to stay away.  There were no more random visits from his ex-fiance. And there were no more social ball invitations for Seoras to attend to.   

Seoras’s eyes harden for a slight moment, before it became soft again.  It happened so quick that Emmy did not notice it.

“Take care of yourself while I’m away.”  Seoras told her.

“You too.”  Emmy told him as her arms drop back down to her side.  The warmth from his body suddenly gone from the tips of her fingers made her whole body shiver with the cold wind.

“You know how to contact me should you need anything.”  Seoras reminded her as if she was a child. “Remember to eat well, sleep early, train everyday…”

“Don’t go out too much, always have guards with you if you do, take care of your mind, your body and your magic.”  Emmy finished for him. “I know. You always say the same things, every time you leave!”

Seoras looks at Emmy as if he had a bad feeling in his gut, but he didn’t know what it was or why it was bothering him so much.  He wished he could just stick her in his pocket and carry her with him everywhere. But that would make her too dependent on him. It would make all her hard work during the past four years to increase her confidence, her abilities, and her power, mean nothing if she relied on him to save her.  He wanted her to believe that she could save herself. No matter how many guards that may surround her. No matter how safe or dangerous the situation around her may be. He wanted her to know and understand that she had the ability to save not only herself, but those around her as well.

Suddenly Seoras’s hand came up to push her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back behind her ears.  His hands brushed her ear so softly that they immediately became red. His finger traced her jaw line and when his hand reached her chin, his hand fell and he took a step back.  

Emmy’s eyes shine with surprise and wonder.  Her heart beated wildly as she stared back at the bottomless black eyes.  Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

Without another word Seoras turns around and leaves.  Leaving Emmy behind wondering. Again. What his actions mean.  What he wants from her.

Emmy watched as Seoras got on his horse and lead 40 guards, 15 servants, 4 wagons, and 2 carriages way from the castle.  Emmy stood in the same spot, until she couldn’t see them any more. Her heart still beating wildly.

For the past six months, he has been giving her mixed messages.  At times he would be so gentle with her, treating her so well, that she would have to slap herself sometimes to remind her that it was all a lie.  Then there were times like today, where he would make physical contact with her, but then pull away immediately, as if it was a mistake and would never say anything afterwards.  It drove her to confusion. What did he want from her?

Since her stay in Ceco, she had not had any sexual relations with anyone.  Being “Lady Tomas” of Ceco, no one was courageous enough to make a move on her.  All the soldier treated her either like a sister or the Lady of Ceco. Always giving her the respect she is due, because of her title and her “husband.”  Emmy was fine with it, because after the Cherry Blossom House, she had nightmares to haunt her for a lifetime.

“My Lady.”  Seth said as he ran towards her with a letter in his hand.  

“What is it?”  Emmy asked as she looked questingly at the letter.  

“It’s addressed to you.”  Seth told her.

“Who is it from?”  Emmy asked as she looked at it, but did not take it from Seth’s hands.

“I don’t know.”  Seth told her. “It just came for you.”  

“I don’t have any friends or family to write me a letter.”  Emmy told him, still refusing to take the letter. “Who would write me a letter?”  

“I don’t know.  But the only way to find out is to open it.”  Seth told her as he pushed the letter towards Emmy.  

Emmy took the letter and slowly pushed her magic into the letter, seeking to see if the letter had any magic that was infused into it.  But it had nothing. It was a normal letter with her name on it and nothing else.

Opening the letter there were four words that made her heart harden.  Four words that made a sentence that made her at first scared, then angry. Her eyes became hard and her mouth tightened with even more fury.  

“What’s wrong?”  Seth asked as he saw the swift change of Emmy’s mood.  

Emmy handed over the letter for Seth to see before she walked away to the soldiers practice yard.  

Seth quickly read the four words and was shocked into speechlessness before he quickly snapped out of it and ran after Emmy.  The letter that held those four words fell down to the ground as it was quickly forgotten, but was soon picked up by a young maid who served Emmy for the past four years.  

Her eyes enlarged as she read those words.

“We’re coming for you.”