The Emotions Within

Curiosity

Nothing hindered her determination. Not the gloomy air, not the wolves howling in the distance, not even the fear of U Thlen, whose murderers wander out at night. She could only see so much in the dark, and she occasionally tripped or got caught on some tree branch.

The wind howled as music's rhythm seemed to get faster and more upbeat. The clouds were blown away by it, revealing the moonlight. She steadily walked along the path, now being able to see better. As stated before, it seemed that whoever played the music wanted to meet her.

Also, it might seem to you now that she might just be stalking the person, but that is not the case, all she planned was to visit them and praise them about the music. After all, curiosity is one of the basic emotions we humans like to nurture.

It was this same emotion that made her unaware of her weary feet. They moved automatically and her gaze was kept forwards. The crickets chirping and the sounds of nocturnal animals added more melody to the music, attracting all kinds of creatures and affected nature itself too. (It was similar to the situation of Orpheus.)

She leaned on an oak trunk and took breaths when she finally reached the top of the hill. She presumed it was midnight and smiled in satisfaction at the sight before her. There was a lone and humble cabin, inviting her to enter. However she was too tired to move another step and settled to sit down by the oak.

Leaning on the trunk, she silently hummed the song. These notes that went from high and shrill frequencies to low and grave tones pierced her heart. They instilled in her a feeling of nostalgia and aroused the emotions that lay tucked within her mind. Tears unknowingly streaked her cheekbones.

Now that she was so close to discovering the identity of the musician, the vibrations of the air had a more drastic effect on her. Her heart started beat faster and she felt her pulse race everytime the notes went faster. When the music slowed, her heart calmed. She didn't know how to explain it. It was fascinating.

The music was a lullaby to her and she sat there quietly, her eyes closed and her body swaying to it. There was one question of why she could not move her feet and remained on the spot, but that didn't matter, nor did she care. She enjoyed these sounds that satisfied her ears. The queen was happy.

•

It suddenly stopped, leaving her desolated. The cold started to seep through her body and she trembled, pulling her cloak closer. She opened her eyes to meet the first rays from the sunrise. The sky was purple, she was surrounded by morning mist and the cawwing of crows replaced whatever sweet music she heard before.

‘It's morning already?!’

She stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. She then remembered why she was there and stood up from the bottom of the tree, stepping in view of the cottage. She looked at it, tempted to knock, but the door was locked from the outside and had no signs of anybody occupying it. Whoever had been living there must have left in the earlier morning.

She huffed in disappointment. If only she had the energy to had knocked at house when the person was in it. She swore that that night, she would not slack off and surely meet the musician. A void ate away her heart; she had immediately missed the sounds and the small adventure she had the previous night.

The cock crowed a second time and she stood still in anticipation. If they discover that she had sneaked out in the middle of the night... Adrenaline poured into her blood while she ran as fast as she could to her home. Running downhill is faster than climbing uphill and she reached back at the palace in almost half the time. She secretly sneaked past the guards that were still in their dreams.

After she climbed the balcony, she was out of breath and plopped down on her bed. All her muscles ached from the unknowingly uncomfortable sleep. She could hear her joints crack everytime she moved herself. Yawning, she slowly fell asleep on the proper, comfortable bed. However, humans are not nocturnal creatures and her servants came knocking on her bedroom door.

It was time for her first chores of the day; she groaned. What made matters worse was that she had a huge headache that annoyed her. She dug her head deeper into her pillow, frustrated. When one of her maids entered, she immediately composed herself, sitting up straight.

"Are you alright, my lady?" she asked.

"Yes," she answered, her voice a little hoarse. Another yawn threatened to come through, but she stopped it. "Go ahead and start your work, I will join you later when I am ready."

The maiden bowed and left, leaving her alone. She released a heavy breath. With the music gone, she felt empty. The horrible loneliness returned once more, ruining her mood and any motivation. She would have enjoyed her day better with the king though. Ugh, again with the king!

She was tired of such thoughts. They drained the energy from her and made things worse than they already were. But how could she? Inside her heart was an empty space for the king, her lover. To be honest, she had not even sealed their marriage physically. He just married her and left for his work, since the kingdom was in a period of instability.

Leaving a twenty-year old, youthful virgin queen like her was dangerous. Since she was the beauty of the land, many eyes laid on her with want. She knew that she must be careful. The king must arrive soon and claim her properly.

"My lady." Another maid arrived to deliver news. "There's a guest who asks for you."

****

Honestly, this chapter is kind of a filler and a little, no, a lot different from the original. This scene never happened, not the next chapter either (they're added because the actual story was too short to be a short story and also has plotholes.)

Keep on reading with anticipation. Comment and vote.

“Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.”
- Ecclesiastes 11:10