A Lifetime Ago

Chapter 21

“Mommy, I do not want to go to school.” A three year old girl said sobbing against her mother’s chest.

“Timmy, please don’t make it difficult for us honey.” The mother bit her lips in an attempt to control the tears from falling from her eyes. She didn’t want to cry in front of her daughter. They were standing in front of St. Bishop’s Montessori school.

“Daddy please don’t leave me here. I will be a good girl. I will not pee on the bed hereafter but please please don’t leave me daddy..” Her silent sobs were now turning into violent screams.

“Ohh my precious baby girl.. Daddy and mommy promise to come pick you up when the school gets over.” Her father crouched down and hugged her small frame in his arms. Her words were tugging hard at his heart. Timandra was their only child and he didn’t know that her first day at school would turn out to be such a painful moment in his life. ‘Oh dear God! How am I going to let her go when she gets married and goes away?’ He wondered.

“Hello.. It is time for them to get in..” A young woman walked near the distressed parents and held Timandra’s shoulders. “Please don’t worry we will take care of your daughter.” Her assuring words did nothing to pacify their bleeding heart.

“Love you sweety..” They kissed the top of her head and walked away without throwing another glance at her. Her howls and cries were heard till they sat inside their car. The little girl trashed her hands to get out her teachers hold and run behind her parent’s car.

“Please.. please.. don’t leave me.. don’t.. please..” Timandra jerked awake from her dream. when she opened her eyes, the sun’s harsh rays blinded her eyes sharply. As she covered her face with her palms, she noticed her cheeks were wet with tears. Her mind had begun to ponder over her dream. She tried to remember the fragmented pieces of her memory about that dream so that she would be able to connect the dots together.

She remembered the faces of the woman and the man from her dream way too clearly that she doubted they were just dreams.

She recollected calling them mommy and daddy. “Where they my parents? Or my guardian? Where are they now? And how did I end up here?”

The again saw those weird motor wagons and modernised building which she had never seen in Vonentis.

She understood this place where she belonged to wasn’t Vonentis or anywhere near it. She must have either come from a far far away land or she must just be imagining things but she was also positive they were just her dreams. They were so surreal to be mere dreams.

She tried to get up from the bed but winced at the excess pain that radiated from all parts of her body, that for a moment she thought she had been beaten with a whip. The delicious pain in the lower region of her body reminded her of what had happened the previous night and her blush spread all over her face like a wild fire. Momentarily she had forgotten about her dream and instead went back to think of the unfathomable pleasure he gave her.

The prince had woken her up twice after their first time and she couldn’t forget the undeniable attraction they held for each other throughout the passionate night. She smiled shyly before turning on to her side where the prince had been sleeping some hours ago and frowned when she saw it empty now.

She gathered the sheet together against her chest to cover her bare skin and pushed her body to lean back on the head board. She looked around but there was no sign of the prince in her room.

She gazed out of the window and with the brightness outside she knew it must be around eleven in the morning. She thought may be Ragnar had gone out to have breakfast. She remembered he hadn’t come for dinner the previous night.

She decided to take a warm and comforting bath to ease the soreness in her body. Sitting inside the bath, she thought about the prince’s words. He had asked her to call him by his name and assured her that no one would dare to hurt her.

But what about the wedding? His wedding with the princess which was to happen in the next two days? What was he planning to do? Timandra’s chest ached a little thinking about it.

She quickly walked out of the bath and got dressed into whatever she could find in the closet. She pulled her hair together and secured it by wrapping a long strand of her hair several times around it.

As she was almost ready, Avira made her way into Timandra’s room.

“What took you so long?” Avira demanded.

“Sorry, I overslept. I was tired from yesterday night’s ball.” Timandra replied.

“I thought so.. Did you eat something?” She sounded concerned.

“Nope..”

“Okay let’s go eat something.” She said pulling her out of the room.

At the breakfast table they weren’t alone. Many of the guests had woken up late and as a result the huge table was almost half filled.

“Did you see Rag.. I mean the prince?” Timandra asked in a voice as low as a whisper.

“No.. Why do you ask about him?” Avira’s eyes shifted to Timandra who looked down at her plate with loss of words.

“Ahh.. Simply..” She shrugged. What was she supposed to say? ‘Oh yeah! Your cousin and I spent a passionate night together and I haven’t seen him since this morning?’

“He must be cuddling with that swine princess.” Avira said too loudly that timandra thought the person near them had almost heard her from the way he was throwing glares at her.

“Shhh… Avira..” She shushed her. I didn’t know what annoyed her more. Avira calling the princess a swine or the prince cuddling with that swine.

Her appetite was lost as she thought about what Avira just blurted out. She wanted to see him.

“Avira, I don’t feel quite well today. Can you please excuse me?” She said getting up from the table.

“Sure. Do you need any help?”

“No no.. I am good. I will see you later.” She hurried out of the hall. Avira blinked at the weird ways in which Timandra was acting from this morning. ‘There was definitely something wrong with her.’ She mumbled.

She searched around the whole palace for Ragnar. Her pathetic heart was drumming under her chest with eagerness to see him again but the logical part of her brain already knew what his absence meant.

On her way to the lawn of the castle, she met prince Nodin who was clearly happy seeing Timandra so unexpectedly.

“Timandra.” He called her loudly to pull her out of her dazed silence. “What are you doing here.. alone?” He added.

“I was.. just going for a walk.” She said without thinking of its consequence.

“Well.. What a coincidence!! I too was going for a walk. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course not.” She wasn’t really in a mood to talk but she couldn’t be rude to the prince.

The prince kept on talking, most of which went unregistered into her thick skull. All she could think about was Ragnar. 

As she came near the lake, her eyes caught the sight of Ragnar with another woman, princess Drina to be precise. They were holding hands and she was laughing at something he told her. 

Her eyes immediately stung with unshed tears.  Her heart began to ache when she thought Ragnar had just used her for his pleasure. Of course she had gained as much pleasure as she gave yet she somehow felt betrayed. 

She believed they shared something, not just the physical intimacy but something more. They were connected through their souls, that’s what she thought.

‘But I was obviously wrong.’ She mocked at herself. The pain in her heart morphed into anger when Ragnar's eyes landed on Timandra. He was stunned to see her standing there. 

After spending the best night in his life, he couldn't stay with her anymore. How stupid of him to underestimate his feelings for Timandra? He had realized one thing in the morning, that whatever feelings he had for her wasn't just physical, it was deeper than that. Of course, she was amazing on bed. He was drugged by her beauty but what was he supposed to do? He was betrothed to another woman and he was hopelessly in love with this woman. He felt like a moth being attracted to flames.

He was certain he could never learn to love another woman in this life. All he wanted was Timandra which was impossible. So he did what the only option he was left with. He ran away from her right before she woke up, before he unfortunately ended up in the miserable company of princess Drina. She wouldn't leave him at peace for a single minute. He hated when she held his hands, leaned on his chest and tried to sweet talk. 

He noticed the rage in Timandra's eyes. He prayed that the earth would open up and gobble him up but he knew he had to face her sooner or later. The sooner the better, he thought.

'Prince Nodin, I have some work. See you later." Timandra didn't want to look at Ragnar anymore and turned on her heels before he could catch her up. She wasn't going to stupidly brood over the betrayal of a prince. She had better things to do like putting the pieces of her puzzled life together.