The Girl in the Woods

Chapter 7

Suranne hops and jumps in her cloak as she is heading towards the direction of Lakeside village. She felt her freedom just unleashed. She felt extremely free. All her life she spent in the woods, spending her time with animals, playing around with her fairy friend. This is what she wanted since she got curious about life outside the woods. She understands that they are protecting her, but she thinks she can manage to protect herself now that she grew up oblivious of her true identity and what danger awaits her outside of the woods.

The village was in the same energy when she arrived. People are busy as a bee doing their daily stuff. As she remembers, she only came here a few times with Gwyndolyn, but she can already recognize some of those regular vendors along the sidewalks. She continued pacing without a certain direction, but just to enjoy a day as free as she breathes. Whatever the consequences, when the mother fairy and the knights find her snuck out of the woods, she is ready to face it. She just wanted to be free and happy, just for a day outside of their world which is the woods.

“Do you know that the guy that is doing magic is here?” She overheard the kids talking when she passed by. Out of her curiosity, she stops walking and pretends that she is trying to choose something from the displayed stuff next to where she stands.

“Really?!” The other kid replied surprisingly.

The boy who said the guy is around the village nodded. “I saw him this morning on his horse with his friends,” the boy confirmed to the other.

“That's exciting! I'm going home now to do the chores, so my mother will allow me to come and watch his magical show,” the boy bid farewell to the other, but before he could go, someone spoke from behind.

“Are you kids talking about me?"

Suranne felt the world stop when she recognized the voice. She seems not able to move because she feels the voice is just behind her, so close that if she moves she might bump into the owner of that familiar voice.

“Are you going to do a magic show now, Mister?” the kid asked.

“Not now…”

Suranne felt that indescribable feeling when she smelled that familiar scent. And the voice that is right next to her made her jolted slightly. Subconsciously, she grasps her cloak and grip tightly to hide her face but seems that fate doesn't adhere to her will to hide her identity. She saw a pair of rubber sandals just right next to her and a hand grabbing an item next to where she is holding chimes that she pretends to choose a while ago. Her heart seems to skip a bit when the guy's arms brush her skin. Seems an electrifying sensation overpowering her when his skin touches hers. She pulled her arm abruptly away from him as if we're burnt.

“I'm glad that I met you here, lady!” Prince Darvyn speaks next to Suranne. She steps backward but is too late to realize that she is cornered. She sees another pair of sandals on her right side and she can feel that there are people also behind her.

“I'm doomed!” She thought.

“Don't try to run away like you did yesterday, I won't let you do that this time,” Darvyn said softly as she could feel his grinning smile. She lifted her head and pushed the hoodie of her cloak gently to show her face.

“What do you want, Mister?” She asked bravely, hiding her true feelings of fear that the guy might do something bad to her because of what she did to him the previous day.

Darvyn chuckled. “I just wanted to get to know the girl who punches my handsome face,” he replied. Nicholaus, as observant as he is, was glad to see his Highness while talking to the girl. He can see fondness in his eyes while talking to the girl and he is quite interested to know about the girl. Why does she seem different from all the girls that show interest in the Prince?

“If you wanted me to apologize, okay I will apologize,” Suranne said but she couldn't meet Darvyn's intent stares. His gazes seemed penetrating to her soul that inside her shuddered with excitement that is new to her. Even how she thinks of it, it is a lot different from the excitement she felt when she managed to sneak out from the woods. It's her first time to feel that way.

“I don't need your apology,” Darvyn responded and sneered. Suranne retreated after she heard what Darvyn had said, but stopped when he continued. “How about a meal with me?”

Suranne shakes her head, though she did something silly to this guy she won't trust him that quick. He is a stranger and if he will do something to her, she doesn't have anyone to run to in this place. She is a stranger outside of the woods and doesn't even know what else is outside of the village.

“I apologize, Mister, but I can't go with you. I am not hungry either…” she hadn't done talking when her stomach grumbled loudly that didn't even escape from Darvyn and his men's ears. She cursed her stomach in her mind for betraying her.

“There you go...I think you can't refuse now because your stomach has answered,” Darvyn said laughing softly. He is laughing not because of the grumbling of Suranne's stomach but because of her reaction. Her face is red as a cherry in embarrassment.

Nicholaus enjoys listening to them butting in. “Don't worry, Lady, he...I mean, we won't hurt you. People of this village know us. We just came here to entertain people,” he explained.

Prince Darvyn and the other knights nodded in agreement. Suranne pouted thinking about what to say.

"I can use my extraordinary agility whenever they harm me. Hmmm, just a meal,” she thought.

“Just a meal!” She said right on Darvyn's face gesturing her forefinger to say it just.

“Just a meal!” Darvyn repeated it and walked ahead. Suranne followed him, not removing her cloak to hide her appearance.

Prince Darvyn led her to the inn just opposite where they found Suranne. Earlier, they just came out from the inn and stood at the entrance when the familiar red cloak caught their attention. He decided instantly to approach the girl even though Nicholaus tried to stop him thinking that she might not be the same girl they met the previous day. But, he insisted because the familiar feelings came back just like the first time he saw the girl's face too close and he didn't mistake it. He can still trust his instinct when it comes to what he feels.

The innkeeper meets them immediately when he sees them coming but is reluctant when he sees the girl.

“She is a friend and can you give her all the foods that she likes, please,” Prince Darvyn said to the innkeeper. The man immediately storms out to call his assistant to prepare what the Prince had demanded.

Nicholaus found a table at the far corner of the tavern and called them to follow him. Prince Darvyn and Suranne walked towards him. The three knights stay at the entrance to guard the tavern for the Prince's safety. They didn't know if people were planning to harm him so they should be vigilant at all times.

“Have a seat!”

Nicholaus turned his head abruptly to the Prince but Prince Darvyn glared at him asking him to leave him alone with Suranne. Nicholaus just shook his head. It is strange for him all the Prince gestures. He confirmed to himself that the girl is different from those women that are chasing his Highness. He admitted to himself too that the girl is interesting, she is young yet she has extraordinary confidence. He also witnessed how she contracted the Prince's magic tricks and he is sure that it is one of the reasons why the Prince is interested in her.

The foods that Prince Darvyn has ordered for Suranne arrive. While the servant serves each dish, he notices how Suranne gulped with eyes widened with excitement when she sees the food. His brows furrowed and thought simultaneously why her reaction seemed like it was her first time to see such kinds of foods. His interests arise more towards her.

“You can eat how much you can,” he said when he noticed Suranne's hesitation to grab the food. “And there's no poison in it so you don't have to worry,” he added smiling.

Though she is salivating for the food being laid in front of them, the guy's smile sends a strange feeling to her that makes her uncomfortable looking at him. She grabbed the cup with tea and drank it straight because she felt thirsty the way the guy looked at her.

“Anyways, I'm Dave,” Prince Darvyn introduces himself by a different name thinking that she might know him when he tells her his real name. “We're just people from a different town.”

Suranne nodded gently after throwing him her stares because she cannot speak as her mouth is full. She finds the foods are delicious and seems to be unable to stop eating them. It was like a feast for her to eat such kinds of foods. In the woods, if not boiled potatoes, they have boiled corn or fresh fruits for meals. They have meat when the knights will go hunting and fish when she and Gwyndolyn will go fishing but still, the foods that she is eating now are so delectable and she doesn't want to stop eating until she finishes them all.

Prince Darvyn has so much fondness for watching her while eating, shaking his head gently from time to time the way she munches the food in front of her.

“I'm Suranne…” she said after swallowing the last bite of her food then, drink a glass of water that Prince Darvyn has passed to her.

Subconsciously, she burped the moment he pits the glass on the table.

“Sorry…” she apologizes with an embarrassing smile on her lips.

“Seems that you are too full,” Prince Darvyn said chuckling. Suranne then looked at the plates on the table and there was not even a single grain of rice left on them.

“D...did I… finish them all?” She asked doubtedly.

Prince Darvyn nodded and he found her adorable when she blushed again in embarrassment of finishing all the food that he bought for her.

“Forget about it. Foods need to be eaten and what you did is great. You didn't waste it,” Prince Darvyn said to help her overcome her embarrassment.

Suranne remembers that he was already away for several hours and she needed to go back to the woods. She thought that the mother fairy and her friend might be looking for her at this very hour, so she stood up and was about to bid goodbye to the Prince when he spoke.

“Are you going home now?” he asked.

“They might be looking for me now. No one knows that I left,” she said the truth but had no plans to tell him where she lives.

“I can accompany you to go home…”

“No!” her voice raised that startled Darvyn. “Sorry, not my intention,” she bowed her head to apologize to Darvyn.

“So is it fine to accompany you or not?” the Prince asked again.

Suranne refused. Aside from the truth that she just sneaks out from the woods, Helga and the knights don't like her to befriend strangers for the usual reason that she needs to wait for the time to know her identity then they will give her the right to decide for herself on their guidance.

Prince Darvyn sends her to the main entrance of the tavern.

“We're here for a week..” he said while waving his hand to Suranne as she strides to the opposite side of the road. Prince Darvyn doesn't understand why he seems to hope that Suranne will come back to meet him. He feels confused about the feelings that are new to him.