11: the book of Wonder (violet)
"Now love, we don't mean that."
"No! I hate you. I really... really hate you."
"Love, I did it for you."
"No! You... you did it for yourself. You're selfish!"
"Love, we don't wanna get hurt now, do we?"
"NO! LET ME GO! Please..."
"Love, you're too precious for me to let go of... too useful."
"Don't call me that."
"Call you what, love?"
"That. You don't love me. Because if you do, you won't do this to me, my family."
"Oh, love, I'll let you live."
I shook my head and looked up to meet his eyes. "You okay?" I only managed to nod since my thoughts are still boggling up my mind. I don't know which to trust. "What book are you looking for?" I asked, trying to divert the subject— but more to the part that I want to forget the memories that the gem revealed. It was too vivid. And the fact that things are a bit familiar with what's happening with me right now is just...
It couldn't be, right?
"Nothing much. Just a book with a purple cover. I've been looking for it but I failed." I stilled. Is he looking for the book I am hiding? I pretended to look around. I don't want any of them suspecting that I have the book. Who knows what they'd do with it and I won't let them take what I have left of gran-gran here in Wonderland.
But I can't jump to conclusions.
"What did it look like?"
"Well, it's violet with a royal red flower."
"I haven't noticed quite a good looking book here. Most are with plain hard-bound covers and the title on the cover itself. Are you sure that it's here?"
"I was. Though now I'm not that sure." He paused and looked at me, extending his hand. "Let's go?" I took his hand and squeezed it with a small smile. He led me to the garden— the same tree where I sat when I met him three days ago. "My love, I can't take it anymore." I met his gaze. His eyes were shimmering as the fireflies danced around us.
"Let's escape this place together."
"Milady, escape with me..."
The next morning, Patricio was early. He was already talking to
the Duke Montreal and his wife about our marriage. Marriage. Quite a big word. A huge challenge but I can't bring myself to smile like I am truly happy. I can't get myself to be happy when I am in this situation.
Wonderland is in danger, the memory gem still not revealing everything and Patricio has been nothing but being all sus to me. All those flashbacks are happening again. Like history itself is repeating. And I want to end it. I just don't know how. The dining area was livelier than usual. Chirps of birds audible and some small chatter and the sound of eating utensils clinking with the plates. And there he sat. Lively as well. Like it was a happy day for him.
"Oh, dearest Lisa! Come join us!"
As I sat, he squeezed my hand with a smile. His eyes were as dazzling as ever. "Patricio here was settling for your dowry, my dear." Dow—what? I looked at them confused and they just smiled. "It's a formality here in Wonderland, my dearest. And he's offering you a castle. I figured we wouldn't need the dowry. But you can keep ot to yourself if you'd like."
"Eh? When will we leave?" I asked making his smile grow wider. But something else was wandering in my mind. It was what the memory gem had revealed while Patricio asked me to elope with him. It wasn't the exact words the man had said but it was likely the same. And I still haven't found time to read the book alone.
"A week from now, love."
That afternoon, I told them that I'll visit the castle Lockhart. When I entered the huge ball room, the cat appeared. "Oh, the young lady has decided to pay the old cat a visit." He chuckled. "So, how's memory hunting?" He said, yawning. He must've taken a nap when I arrived.
"I found something interesting."
"What is it?"
"Why weren't you seen in any of the memories?"
"Good question. But I cannot answer that. There's a time for everything and surely, your earring is revealing them a bit more often now."
"I want to know more."
"It will come. And the person you're leaning on isn't the one you think he is."
"What do you mean?"
"As I've said, there's a time for everything. And if you start reading that small thing dangling from your wrist, you'd know more." He paused before he looked me in the eye. "But never let them know you have it. That holds valuable secrets only your gran knows."
"What secrets?"
"Hep! Read it to know. But please, do read at your own risk. Things in there are facts about the wonder's history and you might not be able to take it." He stood up in his human form and stood in front of me. His towering height almost covering me. "And you might not be able to carry the pressure when you know why you were chosen to save the world of Wonder."
That night, when everyone was asleep, I opened the book and started to read.
†ℌ℮ ♭◎◎к ◎ḟ ẘ◎η∂℮ґ
¢ѦмʝℓℓѦ ґ◎﹩℮ ℓ◎¢кℌѦґ†
†◎ ẘℌ◎℮ṽ℮ґ мʝℊℌ† ḟʝη∂ †ℌʝ﹩: ґ℮Ѧ∂ Ѧ† ¥◎ʊґ ◎ẘη ґʝ﹩к
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ǝuʇɹʎ 01
ʇɥǝ ʍoɹlp oɟ ʍoupǝɹ ısu'ʇ ʍɥɐʇ ıʇ sǝǝɯs. ǝʌǝɹʎ ʇɐqlǝ ɔɐu ʇnɹu nuǝxdǝɔʇǝplʎ ɐup ʇɥǝ dǝodlǝ ʎon ʇɥıuʞ ʎon ʇɹnsʇ ɯıƃɥʇ qǝ ʇɥǝ ouǝ ʍɥo'll qǝʇɹɐʎ ʎon. ı ɥɐp lǝɐɹuǝp ʇɥɐʇ ʇɥǝ ɥɐɹp ʍɐʎ ɐup ı ʍıll uoʇlǝʇ ıʇ ɥɐddǝu ɐƃɐıu. ʇo ʎon ʍɥoɹǝɐps ʇɥıs, ı ʞuoʍ ıʇ ɯıƃɥʇ qǝ ɔouɟnsıuƃ ıu ʎonɹ dɐɹʇ. qnʇ dlǝɐsǝ qǝɐɹ ʍıʇɥ ɯǝ.
ɯɐsʇǝɹ ɐlıɔıɐ ɥɐs lǝɟʇ ʍoupǝɹlɐup ɐup ı ʍɐuʇ ʇo ɟolloʍ ɥǝɹ ʇʞ ɥǝɹ ʍoɹlp. ı uǝǝp ʇo ʞǝǝd ɯʎ ɟɐɯılʎ sɐɟǝ. ı ʍɐs ɐqlǝ ʇo ɟoɹǝsǝǝ ʍɥɐʇ ʍıll ɥɐddǝu: soɯǝouǝ ʍıll dlɐu ʇɥǝ sʇɹıʞǝ ʇo ɔɐnsǝ ɥɐʌoɔ ıu ʍoupǝɹlɐup. ı sʇıll pou'ʇ ʞuoʍ ʍɥo ɐup soou, ʇɥǝ ʍǝll oɟ ʍoupǝɹ ʍıll ƃıʌǝ ɥıuʇs. qnʇ ıʇ's ɥɐɹp ʇo ɟıup ıʇ uoʍɐpɐʎs.
ıʇ's pɹıǝp nd ɐup ıʇ uǝǝps ʇo pısɐddǝɐɹ ʇo ɹǝɟıll ıʇsǝlɟ louƃǝɹ ʇɥɐu ıʇ nsnɐllʎ ıs. ʇɥǝ ʍoɹlp oɟ ʍoupǝɹ ıs ıu pɐuƃǝɹ.
YOU ARE READING
Do You Wonder?
FantasyAN EXCERPT: It was a long table, filled with teacups and people- most of them were actually animals- chattering. The ambience cozy, like there's some familiarity between them. It was an event that makes me feel slapped in the face with "we're happy"...
