Chapter 3
Luwin moved his eyes and connected it with Moriah's scared ones and just as expected, she was freaked out to unconsciousness. Her body went numb and she met the ground with a soft thud.
Luwin exhaled tiredly.
"Am I that bad looking?" He touched his face with sad eyes. If his looks could make someone pass out, then he definitely had a very horrible face.
It wasn't his fault though, he was a cursed being but thankfully his salvation had come to save him. He stared at his salvation on the ground and sighed.
He bent down and gathered her in his arms, carrying her inside the dark cave and placing her on a slab where he normally sat. The only source of light was a green glow from Ashlyn's huge pot of potion which was always simmering like there was fire underneath it.
Benjen Luwin laid the unconscious girl on the slab next to him. He didn't know what to do with her, he didn't know how to resurrect her as he had lost all his powers.
What would he do now? He had to wake her up.
He carefully placed her head on his lap to give it a little support. The girl wasn't moving but her heart was still beating. He stared at her, taking proper notice of her.
Her hair was sprawled and her features were at ease and peaceful. What a beauty, he thought.
She suddenly stirred a little, her eyes slowly fluttered open. The view was very dark, her eyes squinted like she was trying to understand her surrounding and then she suddenly sat up with a great force as she recalled everything that happened.
Benjen only watched as she realized herself, her once peaceful look had been replaced with a worried and scared one .
Moriah remembered the frightful man, she turned to look around and the first thing that greeted her was his face up close to hers.
She quickly retracted away from him, moving back in fear like she had just seen a ghost, well, he was not far from being a ghost.
Luwin watched her retract from him like he was some monster and no matter how much he tried to over look it, it still left a little dent deep within him, no one liked to be rejected, let alone rejected by his supposed mate and salvation.
Moriah stared at him with widened eyes from a distance, her face contorted with confusion and disbelief, mixed with curiosity and amazement.
How could a person be so thin like a skeleton and still be alive?. Is this real? What happened to him?
Benjen said nothing, he only stared at her, allowing her to take in his appearance.
"Who are you?" She asked but got no response. He could not hear her. Moriah noticed that he could not hear her so she spoke louder but it was the same.
"He cannot hear you" Ashlyn appeared in front of her, making her to retract again with a shriek, she move back in fear.
Moriah was more than petrified at this moment. What was going on and where was she? Where was Jude? Moriah had to leave that place. She so badly wanted to leave because if she stayed for another minute, she might have a heart attack.
Who knew what next would pop out or appear before her, scaring her to death. She scrambled up to her feet, her heart beating loudly in her ears, adrenaline rush compelling her to make a move to safety, she casted a final glance at Luwin before quickly dashing out towards the way she came in, running at full speed without even looking back.
Slowly she approached the exit and the moment she stepped out, she opened her eyes to see that she was in her room, on her bed.
MORIAH~~
"She's up!" That was Loraine, I could recognize that little charming voice even in my dream.
I looked to the side and was greeted by my little sister's cute sad face.
"Ria, what happened?" She said to me with sad eyes and I found myself melting, she must have been so worried.
Even I didn't know what happened, so I should be the one asking. I looked up and saw my elder brother and my mother.
"You lost consciousness in the town square so they brought you back. Though the physician said that you were only asleep" Edward explained.
"I was so worried, prince Jude was so lost and short of words, he did not know what happened to you. He was very worried" Mother said with worry laced voice.
"Where is he?"
"He left with his father already"
"You need some rest, the doctor said you are stressed out"
"I'm really tired "
"Alright, let us leave you to rest. Loraine!... Let's go, Ria has to rest okay ?"
Loraine lingered a bit before finally following the others out.
I exhaled and relaxed on my bed. Of course the memory of my fearful encounter was still fresh in my head, I could even feel my heart still trying to calm down and normalize beats. What is all this by the way? Why's going on? Who is this man?
Lord, his face was so scary, what happened to him? And why couldn't he hear me?
So much questions to ask but who will I ask? Who will give me answers?
I definitely cannot tell mother or father, they will think I'm only joking or telling some sort of tales or perhaps I might be going crazy.
I decided to clear my head and get some rest but my stomach rumbled, I was starving. I went out to get some food.
The rest of the week went by really quickly, I didn't see any vision or daydream, neither did I see the mysterious man but my dreams had not been good.
***
Silent whispers, chilly winds, scary buildings, and scary thing dominated her dreams for the past one week. Moriah needed to understand what was going on.
She went on to carry out researchs in libraries. She got books from the palace library and also from the city library too.
All books that looked like they were connected with her recent endeavors. Book on skeletons, witches, ghosts, all manner of scary book but non could explain what she wanted to know.
She wanted to know why she was seeing these things.
The search for an answer took her all the way to Master Green's cottage. A scoccerer.
An old man with white hair at the sides of his head, the middle hid gone bald. He had small framed spectacles on his eyes to aid his poor sight.
The small room was filled with potions and weird books arranged on shelves at the four corners of the room, there was a table and a two chairs on each sides, Master Green sat on the one behind while Moriah sat in front as the client.
"What brings you, my princess"
"I have been seeing things"
As she spoke, master Green jotted down some things on his writing pad.
"What kind of things?"
"Scary things, a scary man with thin skin and dry flesh. He's so so scary"
"How many times have you seen him?"
"Um... Like three or four times"
"Have you talked to him?"
"He couldn't hear me. I want to know why I'm seeing this man "
"Hmmm" Mr Green scribbled some more on his paper before carefully tearing off the paper from the pad, he crumbled it in his hands and a black smoke went out of it as it turned into a black powder.
Master Green blew out the powder and watched it carefully in silence for close to three minutes while Moriah just stared in confusion and hope.
"What did you see?" She asked.
"It's not a good one" he said, keeping her in suspense.
"Just tell me already"
"I don't know your highness. I don't know why these things are happening to you but I do know that you can communicate with this mysterious man and ask him why he is stalking you"
"Stalking me?"
"Yes, you are being stalked. Do not be afraid of him, he might be stalking you because he needs your help."
"My help?"
"Yes, your highness. Ask him what he wants"
***
"My lady?" A voice called from outside my door, gaining my attention from the book in my hand.
"Dinner is served, my lady" came the voice again. I quickly went down to have dinner. Everyone sat at the table that evening which got me a bit skeptical.
Whenever the table was full, it meant something, either an important information is to be told or a celebration of something.
Since there was no celebration, then it was an information. I pulled out a seat next to Loraine and sat down.
Few seconds into the meal, I heard father clear his throat. 'here it comes...'
"The wedding date has been set" I heard him say and looked up at him.
"The twenty second of next month" he continued.
"That is awesome" mother seconded with a cheerful smile, all staring at me.
"Yaaay" I let out a smile and clapped my hands softly, deep down I knew I wasn't so excited as I portrayed. What did I know about marriage? Did I even love Jude? I knew he loved me but what about me?
"This marriage is going to benefit both kingdoms, please don't ruin it" father said to me and I nodded like the sweet obedient daughter that I was.
Once again, there was silence, the only sound I could hear was cutleries on plates which disturbed my thoughts. Everyone was so focused on their meal, I couldn't help but wonder how it would be when I get married. I shook my head and continued with my food but then, something wasn't right.
Something was definitely off with dinner that evening. We seemed fuller that usual. My mind kept telling me that there was a sixth person at the table, across the table beside Edward but I just overlooked it, I had been thinking a lot lately and also seeing unreal things.
Pft!... How could it even be possible? But what if? Just what if?....
I slowly lifted my head to be sure and yes, there was someone beside Edward!
Oh Lord!
I suddenly jerked off my seat as he stared directly into my eyes with those pale eyes of his, his white pale skin standing out under the candle light, his dry bony face had a neutral expression.
My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.
Everyone turned towards me in confusion and then I realized that they couldn't see him.
"Are you okay?" Mother asked.
"I... I'm fine" I gulped down my nerves and stared at her before slowly taking a seat, Remembering what Master Green said to me that day.
I was directly opposite this scary man that only I could see.
My heart raced and my chest tightened as we stared at each other.
.
.