Silent Flower

IV

For a while Prietta showed Micah around the castle herself but then she had matters to tend to so she left, and Micah roamed alone.
The chambers Micah had slept in weren't even Fane's, they were one of the spare ones.
She walked around like a sad haunting spirit and pondered why she was married to him.
Perhaps he never wanted to, and this was just a formality to him.
Days passed and she could never find him, and he never came for her, he was either away hunting or practicing.
So, one day she asked every guard she could see to come and inform her as soon as they saw Prince Fane.
She had something to ask of him.
And while she was taking a bath, one of the guards came running and informed her maids.
Micah got ready in a frenzy and with wet hair, went running to the library where the guards told her he would be.
When she reached the door, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath and collect herself.
This would be the first time she would face him,
"Why won't you let me help you?"
Micah heard the King's voice coming from inside the library.
"What do you mean you don't need my help? I'm your elder brother! Imagine how disappointed Mother would've been, had she seen you like this." The King spoke again but Micah heard no one reply to him.
It was almost as if he was talking to himself.
Micah slowly started to enter and just as the page was about to announce her arrival, she shushed him by joining her hands together in front of him.
Gladly he did and as she entered, she first saw the King and in front of him sat Prince Fane and this time she couldn't let his beauty faze her because she was struck by the sight of him using his hands to sign.
She put a hand over her mouth to keep from gasping.
All this time,
Fane had avoided her because he was embarrassed?
And never said anything.. because he couldn't.
Because he was mute.
"That's why he's called Sword Tongue." She whispered to herself.
She got over her shock quickly, the royal men still hadn't noticed her so she silently went a few steps back and signalled the page to announce her.
As he did, Fane abruptly stopped his hands mid air, and immediately hid them behind his back.
Micah wanted to hold them and tell him it was okay, but she knew it couldn't be that way.
"Princess Micah, what a pleasant surprise." Said King Hertz.
Fane got up from his chair and started for the door but Micah stepped in front of him.
He tried to go around her, but she blocked him again.
"I need your permission. To visit home for a week." She asked breathlessly.
Fane nodded anxiously and went around her,
Micah grabbed his wrist, "When my sister has to go back to her house from our home, her husband comes to pick her up. So, I was hoping, you could do the same. You could even come and meet my family." She asked timidly.
Without giving her any signal or sign, Fane freed his wrist and left.
Micah stared after him forlornly.
"Don't mind him, girl. He just needs time to get used to this." King Hertz said.
"And I reckon I'm so difficult to get used to." She remarked bitterly.
"He'll come around, I'm sure of it. And he already likes you, take my word for it."
Hope budded in her heart at his words and she took a deep breath.
She knew what she had to do now.
✧
She went to her father's library before she even went home and took out all the books she could find on the sign language.
She told her guards to take all the books to her house.
"Oh Micah, you look lovely!" Lailah commented and hugged her.
Micah giggled, "I do, don't I?" They both laughed and twirled around.
"Where are mother and father? There's something I need to tell you all."

"Fane cannot speak. He is mute." Micah said.
Her mother gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth and her father touched his forehead.
"What have I done? I never should've married you off to him, I knew something was off but I did it anyway." He gripped his hair in remorse.
Micah rushed to him and held his hands,
"No, father, you didn't do anything wrong. There's nothing awry about marrying a mute. He's perfectly fine."
"But Micah... will you be okay with having a husband who will never speak to you?" Lailah asked glumly.
Micah smiled, "But he can speak! He speaks with his actions, he signs."
"Mother, father," She held their hands, "The reason I'm telling you this is so that one day I can bring him to you and he can confidently meet you."
Her mother looked at the ground and didn't answer,
"Im going to learn how to sign, and doesn't that solve everything? I'll be able to understand him, everything will be fine."
Her mother touched Micah's cheek lovingly,
"Oh my sweet girl, you are so munificent."
Micah smiled, "And hopefully you will be too."
The following week, Micah worked harder than she ever did to learn her one true love's language and her family helped her, and even learned some themselves.
Everyone was ready to accept the new addition.