The Bracelet

Chapter Sixteen

I awaited his return as I laid down on the bed and when I heard the door open, I ran to it almost colliding with his chest since he towered over me. I guess I startled him with the way he halted.

He walked off to the fireplace where he dumped the dead animal I think he killed and as much as I wanted to maintain the silence, I was bored to hunger and my plan had to kick off. So, I decided to talk to him instead,

"Welcome home." 'home?! girl... Is this your home?  I'm crazy'  but all he saw was a charming smile on my face followed by his expression of surprise.

"Why are you so surprised?  Oh, I can see and speak too." he turned from me and walked to the fireplace like I wasn't there. Ouch!

"What's that?" Pointing to the kill which I obviously knew was an animal, 'Gosh girl, really??'

"Dinner," he answered non gallantly,

"How did you catch it?" 'hell no,' I mentally slapped my face.

"Arrows," he answered perambulating in the kitchen. 

"How do you want to prepare it?" I was tired of me at this point.

"Skin it, cut it in pieces, and cook" I was surprised he was still answering me though.

"Guess you'll need a knife." I looked at where he kept them, I brought the whole lot and dumped them before him startling him once again.

He looked from me to the set of knives but continued nonetheless.

"How do you do it? I want to help." I took a knife and held the dead animal's hind legs up waiting for him to respond, he looked at me for a while and succumbed after seeing I was determined.

"Watch," he told me before he began to show me how, which I finally got to understand, after watching him skin the whole thing. But, I joined him in cutting and cooking the meat with the rice while he made the broth.

We set up the table as the food got ready and he cleared the table after we ate together, and I left quietly to bathe after smiling a 'jal mokkgo subnida'.
I took off my gown walked over to the big bath with only a piece of linen around my waist and sat inside.

I lay under the water holding my breath and It brought the memory of the King by the pond, his smiles, touches, and... his pregnant Queen.

I missed the bunch a lot, especially my cupid,  I wondered how he was faring. Was he missing me like I was? I felt my eyes sting with tears as I imagined it pouring out and getting lost in the water.

Tonight I couldn't sleep, after a series of turning and yawning still, nothing. If I was in the palace, the pond was where I'd go. But since I was stuck here, I remembered the lake I had seen a few walks away from the hut when I had taken a stroll into the forest to see if I could find my way out.

I love water, so that was where I was going to but the real problem was, how to sneak out without waking Mr. Scar McTrouble a. k. Buffy the black girlnapper asleep over there; on the other side of the room.

I heaved a sigh when I successfully sneaked out but not without hitting my pinky toe on the table which left me wondering if he didn't hear or pretended not to because the sound was loud. But that wasn't important since I needed that lake water caressing my butt.

I found it with the reflection of the moon and without a second thought, I stripped.
The feeling in my gut urged me to keep the pants on, and I obeyed. I got into the water happy that I always found a new comfort zone no matter where I was.