A Mouse's Tale

Chapter 14

Mouse sighed as she stared out of the window of the Tall Tower, a hangout spot that she and Arya liked to escape to whenever they could, and watched the rain fall upon the land. Rain meant that they would not be able to practice any weaponry today as since they trained in secret and could not practice in the indoor Training Room, they were stuck without anywhere to practice. The room they were in now was secluded enough to work, but it was too small and cramped to allow for the space they needed.

"It's one day, Mouse," Arya laughed. "You will survive one day of no practicing. Plus, the land needs it. The crops need the water to survive and we need the crops to survive. It's the circle of life, my dear friend, so stop your whining!" Mouse's only response was to turn her head around to stick her tongue out at Arya before turning back to stare gloomily out the window once again.

"Oh, come on," Arya exclaimed. "There are plenty of other things you can do! Like... you can read a book! You love to read!"

"Ya, but you don't," Mouse pointed out as she turned around to face her friend. "And I'm not gonna sit here and read and leave you with nothing to do."

"Well, then you can read to me," Arya decided as she began to look through the pile of books on the side table. "How about... this one!" She picked up a small black-covered book. Mouse reluctantly got up from her chair by the window and went out to Arya and took the book from her hands. She flipped it over and on the front printed in gold coloured letters it read: Heavenly Love.

"Really?" Mouse laughed. "You do realize that this is a romance type book, right?"

"So I'm in the mood for a romance," Arya shrugged. "You got a problem with that?"

"Nope, not at all," Mouse replied. "Just surprised is all." She sat down in the chair beside Arya and opened up the book, looking at the back of the front cover to see if there was a synopsis there.

"His job was to protect her, a task which he took seriously. He never expected to fall in love with her. Maybe that was why he made sure that she never got hurt, that nothing bad ever happened to her. But the only problem was that he could never be with her. She would never know that her Guardian Angel had fallen in love with her."

"Ok, never mind," Arya sighed. "That sounds too cheesy. Read something else." Mouse set the book down and began to look through the other ones. She was about to pick up one with a green cover when she heard footsteps on the stone steps leading up to the room that they were in. She abandoned the book as she quickly leapt to her feet and went to stand behind Arya, resuming her proper, formal position.

"Your Majesty," the servant bowed to her once he entered the room. "You said that I was to inform you when your brother returned."

"Marcus is back?" Arya asked, perking up a little bit.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the servant replied, his head still bowed. "His Lordship arrived not too long ago. I would have come sooner, but it took me a while to find Your Highness."

"Is he in his chambers now?" Arya asked, getting to her feet.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied.

"Thank you, you are dismissed," she announced with a nod of her head. Mouse watched as the servant quickly departed then listened to the clacking sounds of his shoes on the hard, stone steps as he descended from the Tower.

"I want to go see him, but I'm scared," Arya confessed, turning to Mouse. "Every time I see him, he always gets mad at me and then leaves again. I wish that he would stay home more often."

"Don't let fear hold you back," Mouse replied encouragingly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's a man. He's not going to be the one to make the first move in repairing your relationship. You've got to make the first move if you want things to get better between the two of you."