The Crystal Ball

Chapter One: Sunset

"6 months. 180 days. 4,320 hours. 259,200 minutes. 15,552,000 seconds." Mitchell smiled softly and looked up after he read the paper I handed him. "You did all of that math huh?" I nodded, still yet to speak. "Is this your way of telling me you're ready to go back?"

I took a deep breath and then looked up into Mitchell's bright green eyes. "I am. But not because I'm tired of you, I just miss my family." He reached over the short table that separated our bodies and grabbed my hand. They were cold, as usual, and he resisted the urge to pull away.

"We will leave in the morning, just let me have one last night with you." He looked down at our hands, breaking eye contact with me.
This gave me a chance to steal a few more glances at him. Mitchell was tall, even though he was sitting down, his torso was still long. He had a hunch on his back probably from the hard long days of being a blacksmith. Hours upon hours spent bent over an anvil. This thought made me look down to his hands. They were soft for a blacksmith, I assume. Long fingers and chipped nails, callused and bruised but still so soft. Aside from his green eyes he had the worlds most perfect brown skin. It was dark and provided a beautiful contrast with his eyes.

His head jerked up as if he knew what I was doing, picking out all of his perfections.
"We leave tonight Mitch. I've talked to the witch in the inn. He said he can have a portal ready before nightfall." I spoke almost in a whisper. Its not that I wanted to leave by any means but, there was something pulling me back to my family. Back to my home. Back to Errandite.

"Well, let us make ready then. Nightfall is in less then 2 hours." Mitchell stood up and let my, now warm, hands fall back at my side. I stood up also. We were sitting out on the balcony of the inn looking out over the Lake of Peris for the majority of the afternoon. Now, we had to pack our things and say our goodbyes.

For the past 6 months Mitchell and I had taken a trip out of the kingdom. While my mother and father thought that I was off doing some great deed for the trusted advisor, I was actually making plans to marry my lover. Mitch. While some, like Mitchell, may argue that it would be best if we told the king our wishes, I know that King Nathaniel, my father, would just have him beheaded. It is against the law for royalty to be seen with a peasant, or village folk, so though my love for Mitchell is strong I can not endanger him.

I followed Mitch into the large room of the inn that I slept in. He slept in the room across the hall. I walked him to his room and grabbed his hand. "Mitch, I love you." I said before he could get his door closed. He stepped out of his room and looked me in the eyes. The green of his mesmerizing.

"I love you too Amillee." He whispered this and then placed a kiss on my forehead. Seconds later he slipped away and into his room.
I walked back across the way to my room and the shut the door upon my entering. The room was lightly cluttered so there wasn't much too do. I grabbed my bag and began to stuff everything from wedding plans to clothes into it until it was full. Once that was done I walked out onto the balcony again.

The sun was just beginning its descent behind the mountains. The colors were amazing. Splashes of orange and red, streams of yellow. It was peaceful seeing the sunset from outside of the castle walls.  Thats one thing I don't miss. Being stuck inside of the castle. Not able to participate in festivals or able to see the sunrise or set. "I think I'm ready..." I said aloud to nobody. And yet I stood there as the minutes past watching the sun dip and then vanish all together.