The Hands of Fate

Chapter 11

For the past few days Caspian had been miserable. After going out with Amara to get a ball gown he had realized how unbearable she truly was. It was almost as if everyone knew except for his and her parents. Maybe if they did know they'd release the betrothal, and let him marry someone he did truly love; but he knew they'd never find out. Amara wasn't exactly the brightest, but she knew that she needed to be reformed and polite in front of the King and Queen, which made proving her true colors all the more difficult.

If that hadn't been terrible enough, Caspian barely got to talk to anyone—including Farah. He wished for just one day he could be alone with her to talk. Caspian wouldn't know what they'd talk about, but it would definitely be something, something that Amara would never give him the time for.

He knew Farah felt the same about the situation also, he could see it in her eyes. Caspian had somehow become able to read her eyes after the first few months of being friends with her. And the best part was that she never seemed closed off around him either. Caspian wanted to tell her how he felt, he wanted to tell her how much he cared for her, but it wasn't possible. What would happen if someone found out? What would happen if they did something terrible to Farah? He would never forgive himself.

So here he sat on the roof of the palace, watching the sunset all alone as he wished for a million things that he knew couldn't be done. Caspian gazed out into the horizon as he watched the brilliant bright ball of fire that was the sun disappear into the rolling hills and plains. The crimson color seemed to disappear from the sky little by little, and a purple hue filtered in its place.

He sat there alone for a while, drifting away in his thought. That is, until he heard a rustling noise coming from behind him. Caspian whipped his head around, expecting to see a guard or worse, Amara. Instead, he saw a blob of black hair appear out of the window of the highest tower in the palace. Caspian's heart rate sped up, could it be a bear? Could it be coming up here to kill him? But how would a bear get into the palace?

Before he could finish his thoughts a head popped out. It looked down before shimmying out of the open cobblestone window. He knew that face, Caspian knew that face anywhere, especially with a maids outfit.

"Thought you'd be up here," she spoke with a soft smile as she plopped herself down next to Caspian. Strands of hair protruded from her ponytail, but she didn't seem to mind. She looked up at Caspian, seeing his shocked expression, she blushed lightly. "Sorry if I interrupted something, it's just that your parents want you and-"

"I don't care." Farah raised an eyebrow at Caspian's statement. He didn't bother to look away from the sunset. "I don't want to go back in there. Not now, not ever."

"Cas-"

"No, I don't want to hear it. I don't care what you do about it, I'm not going back to them."

"Then what are you going to do, stay on the roof?" Farah challenged with a small smirk.

Caspian gave her a serious glare, making Farah mumble a sorry. He then stared back out into the sunset, not acknowledging her presence for another few minutes.

"I will go back down when I'm ready," he replied to her comment. "But I am not ready now-" he shut his eyes quickly, "-not now."

"Caspian, what's the matter with you?" Farah suddenly asked, "You seem so uptight nowadays, I mean-"

"You don't understand Farah," he shot back at her. "You wouldn't understand, either. You will never have to deal with having to choose between your kingdom and a person. You will never be forced to marry anyone, and will never be forced to do things you wouldn't want to do. You have no idea what I went through as a child, Farah—with my mother always ignoring me and telling me to work on fulfilling my duties as a King. She shipped me off for seven years, and why? So that I could get to meet some brat of a princess that I have to marry. But you would never have to deal with that, no, because guess what, Farah, your not a royal! And you'll never be a royal. So don't come up here talking to me about how uptight I'm acting, because if you were going through what I am, you would be much more than uptight." Caspian spoke bitterly, letting his anger get the best of him as he snapped at his best friend.

Farah stiffened at his words, her green eyes scanned him, seemingly digging into his soul. Her lips parted as she began to think of what she was to say, for whatever she did it would most certainly be a backlash. She just didn't want to say anything that could hurt their friendship, but she didn't want to let what he'd said go either.

"Caspian," she began slowly. "What's come over you? You aren't acting like the kind and modest prince that I know," she frowned, "What's wrong?" She looked over him. He looked the same, but somehow different.

"Don't try that on me, Farah. You know I'm the normal Caspian and-"

"No, your not the normal Caspian," Farah squinted at him. "You know why? Because there's anger in your eyes. You used to never have anger, and when you did you tried your best to be considerate. You showed disappointment and unhappiness, but never anger. The Caspian I knew almost never got angry. He never let it out like this."

"Stop trying to play those games, because I'm not in the mood to listen, maid." The words rolled off his tongue cruelly, and Farah glared at him, stiffening even more, if possible.

"Now listen here, Caspian," Farah said in a patient, yet irritated tone. "You have quite some nerve to say all of those things and act as if I don't face any of them. I don't face all of those problems, but I have other issues in my life," she paused before continuing, allowing the words to sink in. "Caspian, where do you think your laundry goes after you throw it into a basket? Where do you think you get the food for the cooks to make the dinners? Where do you think that you get all of your robes from, and all of your new fresh clothes?

Us maids, as you call us with such distaste, do. We get paid a low salary, making it nearly impossible to get food—and are put on a tight and inhumane schedule, going to bed after everyone in the palace does, late at night, and waking up at the crack of dawn. We are sent out to get all of your clothes, and god forbid one of us maids is late, for we are destined to get horribly reprimanded. I should know," Farah glared at him with hard, knowing eyes. "And where do we all sleep, you may ask? Up in the attic where beds are cramped and stacked together, not in a luxurious room such as the one you sleep in. So next time you're going to insult me," Farah stood on the roof, placing her hand on her hips. "Think it through, your highness," she did a mocking bow before storming off, leaving Caspian alone to ponder her words.

After a few moments his eyes widened, as Caspian had realized what he'd just done.

...

It was torture. Farah didn't talk to Caspian and Caspian didn't talk to Farah. Farah didn't speak to him because of her disappointment in what he had said before, not to mention that she needed some time to cool off. Whereas Caspian didn't speak to Farah because he was too ashamed to apologize about his actions in tearing Farah down.

While the two were moping, however, the Queen and King were rejoicing. They believed that if Farah and Caspian didn't talk at all anymore, they may loose their love for one another; but in Caspian's case they were wrong. The encounter made him only love her more, for she wasn't afraid to speak truthfully to him. For Farah, though, it was almost the opposite. After the encounter, she began to wonder if she really knew Caspian, and if she loved the real him or a facade he was showing her to get her attention. She deep down hoped that it was the real him that she loved, but another part of her hoped it was the facade, for it would be easier to forget about him when he married Amara.

About a day before the ball, as Farah was with some other maids, discussing how to decorate the food, Caspian pulled Farah aside, telling the others it was about the ball. When he did, Farah watched him, waiting for him to initiate the conversation. Words seemed to be trying to escape Caspian's mouth, but were unable to.

Farah waited patiently, reading his expressions, for whatever he didn't say, Farah saw in his eyes. His sadness and pleading for her to be with him again as the good friends they used to be. How ashamed he was of what he had said to Farah, and his nervousness towards her reaction. After a few minutes he finally spoke, "I-I'm sorry, Farah. What I said was... extremely rude and I hope you'll forgive me," the Prince stared at the ground, waiting to hear Farah's answer to his plea.

He blinked as he felt a hand on his check, guiding his head down to meet her gaze. Farah was the one holding it, and he flushed lightly. She nodded to him kindly, telling him she understood and that she forgave him in that one simple movement. Then turning on her heels, Farah strode off to the group of maids that was still talking about the decoration of the food, but what Caspian did not know, was that a bright smile was on her pretty face.