Hope's secret world [DISCONTINUED]

6: Inspection

  Lief couldn't sleep that night, questions swarmed his mind, urging for some answers. He got out of bed, instinctively heading to his old home. As he did, he watched the sunrise come to being welcoming a new day.
  A few metres in front of him, he saw the shadow of a figure walking out into a meadow. Her golden hair sparkling in the sunlight and large dress flowing aesthetically. He smiled tiredly, his eyes following the girl as she sat in the meadow filled of yellow and pink flowers. Like a flawless picture, she sat with pure grace, her presence a miracle to behold.
He continued walking at a steady pace, the sound of the forest coming alive as the sun rose higher into the sky. He came to his hut and continued working on his piece. He heard the door open and close between the noise of his tinkering.
  Turning around, he sat face to face to May with a lively array of wild flowers.
"Good morning, Lief." She smiled, heading in his direction. When he didn't reply, she frowned, concerned.
  "I'm sorry, I am disturbing you?" Caught out of his daze, he looked at her, then at the hammer in his hands. He smiled.
"Of course not. Make yourself at home." He slowly stood up, dusting his hands. "Wait, let me prepare some breakfast." He turned around to see May. Surprised, he took a step back. May looked down at his rough hands and placed her small hands on top. She looked back at him. Lief blinked, not knowing what to do.
  "There's no need. I'll only be here for a short while." Lief flustered under her gaze, looked away, through the window showing a glimpse of the city of Del.
  "Well, I-I was just finishing up actually. Do you want to grab breakfast together?" May looked back at his hands with a smile.
"I would love too." As she looked down, strands of her hair fell on her face. Instinctively, Lief gently placed the strands behind her ear and picked a pink wild flower, from the bundle of flowers, to hold it back.
"There. Much better," said Lief, smiling with satisfaction. May froze. It grew silent and May covered her face to hide her flushed face. Lief realised and took a step back with his hands defensively in the air.
" I-I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean to-" he heard giggling. May looked up and a playful smile. She picked the flowers she had previously placed on the table top and make her way towards the bedrooms in a big scurry.
When out of sight, May began to slow down, hand over her beating chest. Gliding through the rooms she arrived to the largest room -even though it wasn't big in the first place- and made herself at home. It was more dustier than the last time she was here. Cobwebs grew larger and timber grew old and rusty. She contemplated if there was a time in her schedule to fix it all up. She walked over the bed and placed the bouquet of flowers right in the middle. Mesmerised, she sat surrounded by priceless memories that could never be forgotten. Her centre of peace and comfort. A sharp pain coursed through her head, disturbing her peace. Her hand instinctively landing on the topaz and she shut her eyes tightly. She knew she had to leave before something weird were to happened again. She dashed out of the room, scampered across the living room, pasting Lief as she did. Alarmed, Lief rushed out after her in a flurry. He desperately called out her name, but he was already too late. She was already out of reach and he stumbled back onto the doorstep. He watched her disappear until she was out of range and sat in silence with the morning birds singing their daily song.

  Inpatient to get some answers, he questioned Kest later on that day.
  "You know something about it, don't you?" He had managed to corner her to the wall somehow and their eyes teared into the other, waiting to see who would break first. Kest surprisingly relented.
  "I don't know what your talking about." Lief stood his ground.
  "I'm talking about May. I feel as if she is keeping something from us and it's affecting her in a negative way. If anything, we need to know, so we can fix it!" Kest looked back with a smirk eminent on her face.
  "Hmmm. I never did depicted you as the nosy type, but again maybe I did." Kest saw Lief's frustrated face, then sighed. "Look , I know you just want to know about her personal affairs. But her matters are her business," she stated, curling her fingers. "If she had something to hide, why would she keep it to herself and not tell her friends? Or do you really not trust May?" She turned back to Lief's face to it flush pink. He took a few steps back.
  "I-It's not like that! Of course, I trust May. It's just with everyone worried about her and with her acting all secretive... We just want her to open up to us, that's all." Lief looked up into Kest's eyes, waiting for a reply. There was silence between them. Kest broke it with a scoff.
  "Sorry Lief. But what kind of a friend am I, if I can't keep a secret?" Standing her ground, Lief began to lose hope in finding the answers he needed. If he wanted answers he was going to have to look elsewhere. Conjuring his next possible suspect, he looked back at Kest. His eyes strained and tired.
  "Look, I will find out sooner or later. But... we need the old May back..." his words trailing as he walked down the corridor, glumly. As he exited around the next corner, Kest released the breath she was holding, taking a large gulp of air.
  Leaning on the wall, she eyes gazed out the window. In the courtyard, she watched as May talked with a family of nobles. She could make out a father and a mother with four sons, ranging from different ages. They dressed up all ready for a fancy party, when according to Kest anyways. After all, she couldn't imagine being stuffed in a dress where her wings couldn't be free. Eyes locked with May's, she could see those dark eyes from miles away. Even when it looked like she could collapse at any second, she continued to look cheery and polite.
  Her eyes looked over to the palace to see another familiar face. Looking intently, Lief watched in a solemn position from a window quite a distance away. He had something in his eyes too. Something could couldn't catch from where she was. Was that... Jealousy? She waved it off. Maybe he was just bothered that she was shutting him out, in any case his feelings are coming into show.
  Her eyes twitched with irritation. She was stressed out. Her aching limbs urging her to stretch out and fly. She couldn't resist her body any longer and her legs flung onto the window, arms in position-
  "Hey Kest, what are you doing?" Surprised, she stumbled, her body hanging on the side with the owner of the voice holding onto her. She turned away, flustered.
  "Nothing much. Just going out for a stretch," she murmured. Dain chuckled as he lifted her up and onto safe ground.
  "You know I would have been just fine," complained Kest, crossing her arms.
  "I know, I know," said Dain, giving her a knowing look. He looked at her from head to toe, nodding with satisfaction. "Well then, I'll be leaving now. Aimlessly walking around the castle like I have nothing else to do..." He turned away in the opposite direction, whistling. Astonished by the fact he could even whistle, she stopped him in his tracks.
  "Dain!" He stopped and faced Kest. Kest blind to the happiness hinted on his face. She thought of her words carefully.
  "What was it like? Hiding yourself amongst others, keeping secrets to prevent being exposed?" The air grew tense, but even then Dain didn't show it. He then smiled.
  "Not sure. Can't really remember much. But if I recall it was very easy deceiving you all," he said crossing his arms in a playful manner.
  Kest rolled her eyes and a smile growing on her lips. "What are you talking about? May knew your identity."
  He laughed and pointed to his mouth. "It's hard to see you smile nowadays, looking all glum."
  Kest blinked. Then took a step back, her cheeks growing hot. "Um... Sure, thanks..."
Her mind flashed back to the night before.

~FLASHBACK~

  Kest approached the front of May's room as the sun began to set. She leaned against the wall while tapping to a song she remembered from her childhood. She did not know the time of her arrival, but she would wait all night if she had to.
  It want before long when May made a appearance. Her body worn out. Looking up with a tired expression, she groaned in realisation. Kest ignored this.
  "Tonight you explain everything," she said, her eyes full of seriousness. May, too tired to fight at all, nodded restlessly.
  "Yes, yes," she opened the door with the strength she had left. "Come in."
  When Kest entered the room, May looked around twice before locking the door behind her. In all the times, she had been in this room. She had never felt so awkward and stood in the middle of the room. May, after locking the door, turned to face her but said nothing.
She walked towards her and didn't stop until she slammed into Kest. Kest grabbed her shoulders and looked into May's eyes, full of desperation and tiredness. She sighed, her eyes growing soft.
  "You know, you don't have to keep this to yourself, I'm always right here." May stared back at her with a poker face before returning into her chest.
  "What's up with you today?" May mumbled into her shirt.
  "Did you expose yourself?" Silence. Kest laughed, her eyes watering. May looked up at her with pout.
"Nothing happened. Just... Well, I nearly did." Kest laughed even hard. May released herself and crossing her arms, sulking. It took a minute for Kest calm down. May looked back at her, her expression changed.
  "Do you really want to know?" Kest nodded, sitting herself on the bed, patting the area next to her. May came over and sat next to her. Struggling to be find the words, her mouth opened and closed. Frustrated, Kest leaned forward.
"Explain yourself."
"It's... complicated," she mumbled.
"More complicated than your friends?" asked Kest, her head tilted. May stood up alarmed.
"That could never be the case."
  "Alright. Alright. Sit back down," said Kest, gently. May descended down slowly.
  "It seems that I'm cursed," she whispered softly.
  "Excuse me?" May looked down, her face nearly on the burst of tears.
  "Both when Lief and I were very young, father and mother headed for the Lake of Tears."
Kest modded.
  "I remember Lady Sharn mentioning something like that once, though I can't say I recall it."
  "Well, they happened to meet Thaegan along the way and as punishment, Thaegan placed a curse on me." Kest kept silent, urging her to continue. "I was taken away from my parents and sent in another dimension. It wasn't until about over a year ago, I was able to return."
  "Shouldn't it be broken?" asked Kest. " I mean you did come back." May stood up and walked for a moment before speaking again.
  "I know that all her spells have been broken except for mine. It must mean she used a different sort of magic. Something entirely not of her own..." Pause. "It was some time ago when I concluded if I were to disperse of my existence, I would cease to exist there. It must be the reason why I'm still bounded."
  "Can't you find a way to break it?" May looked at her, her eyes firm and unshaken.
" If I were to do that, I would have to-" She placed a finger running across her throat. "I would rather not want to experience that."
  "I see. It's out of your control," remarked Kest, clapping her hands. May sighed with relief.
  "So you understand!"
  "Well, I kinda-" May looked outside to see the the moon high in the sky.
  "Let's head back, okay!"
  "But-"
  Excited, May pushed her back onto the bed. She looked over Kest smiling mischievously, covering Kest's eyes.

~END OF FLASHBACK~

"Kest. Kest. Kest!" Kest looked down to see Dain shaking her.
  "Are you okay?" His worried face put her at ease.
   "I'm ok... Just need sometime to myself." She turned towards the window and flapped her wings. A hand stopped her.
"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" asked Dain. Kest smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry about me. I'll just be awhile." She jumped out the window and flew up into the sky.