Chapter 9: Chapter 9

On the other hand, Celeste had fallen down the door, after closing it, and hid her head so that her crying wouldn’t be heard from anyone else.

She wanted to yell out all her sorrow but didn’t want Steven to come up so…She held her pain in…At least until she got to the bed and put her head into the pillow.

How can two years of loneliness and pain be something so easily removed with such new feelings!?

It was like the two years before Steven came into her life was nothing now because…All she felt was exactly what she had said! She wanted Steven to have a good life, she wanted him to be happy and…

Seeing how he was playing games with her, she was sure that he’d make a good father. He was strong too, doing a lot of work the whole time that he had been with her…He’d make a good husband…

It was so possible! And picturing him doing stuff for his ‘family’ in a future, only made her feel worse because that woman wouldn’t be her!

 

It was almost too much for her, that she really was, already giving up on that pain that put a scar on her heart!

Yes, she wanted him to stay! Yes, she wanted to continue to live with him but…At the same time, she did want the country to change too!

Until now, she really didn’t know how much she did actually want to play a part in this rebellion! The part she played though, did it have to be death?

Well, no it didn’t…It just had been what she had selfishly wanted…

Little John had been trying to talk her out of it all this time!

Celeste’s thoughts came to her in ways she never really thought of before. She needed to confirm what she felt and how she felt about it all. She wanted to make sure that she was sure about changing her mind but still playing a part for her country…She also realized that the feeling of living now, it was for another…It wasn’t for herself, which had only led her down a path that now made her want to stay…No, it was for another that…Well, she knew he had feelings for her…

Perhaps, should she let him stay then? What would happen if she took back her words?

 

Again, Celeste felt sad over having already told Steven to leave…

How embarrassing that she would take back her words but…Did it matter? She wanted him to stay!

Through some groaning to her idiocy and mumbling through her ideas of changing her mind on how she was wanting to live her life from this day onward, Celeste took quite some time to figure out what was going on.

Having gone upstairs after lunch, after doing the dishes, she found that it was night-time by the time she figured out her emotions and decisions.

Looking forward to seeing Steven once again, she had a bounce in her step as she rushed down the stairs.

Walking into the kitchen, unable to hold back a smile, Celeste picked up the apron and put it on, “Steven? Are you hungry?”

Getting the torches lit up, considering it was already dark, Celeste realized that she had heard no noise from Steven since coming down the stairs…

 

Stopping, after lighting another torch, Celeste took a deep breath in, having already thought the worst…

Has he…

He was sick not long ago…Or perhaps he has already left?

Grabbing at the clothes near her heart, Celeste leaned on the bench and tried to control her breathing.

Then, finally, she started towards Steven’s room with a candle in her hand.

…It was empty…

“Steven?”

Seeing a note on the bedside table, Celeste put a shaking hand out to it and picked it up, to read, ‘I left early because there was still plenty of sunlight before dusk. The sun will rise again tomorrow though, and I will see you again soon.’

 

Swallowing, Celeste closed the parchment and then opened it to read it once again.

She had clearly sent him away, so she shouldn’t feel bad about it but…

‘I will see you again soon.’

Smiling, and a tear falling from her face, Celeste let out a laugh.

It seemed that Steven was certain that their paths would cross again.

Elated at knowing he still wanted to be in her life, Celeste just stood there, in the room that used to have a man that would sleep here.

Really, that man, she thought. Ever since he came into her life, her plans and thoughts have changed!

Anticipation ran through her, as she felt like she could trust this feeling!

Yet, at the same time, she felt his loss of presence so…She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

This life of hers was not empty anymore, it was…Overfilling and she didn’t know what to do with herself!

 

***

 

It was a few days later that Celeste walked into the town Forsuremeet, still a day or two earlier then she would have come here normally.

She wondered, since she hadn’t seen Steven come back to the small castle, if he would be here.

The days had gone by very slowly since he left but as much as she tried not to rely on the future meeting between her and Steven, she couldn’t help it!

No chore was the same anymore, no time in the castle was the same anymore…It was almost like the castle was no longer her home. Her home…

Celeste could only shake her head to the amount of power a person can have!

Nonetheless, today wasn’t going to be simple, in her eyes. The idea of today was to tell Little John, or send him a message, to state that she will play another ‘act’ for the rebellion.

 

“Celeste! My dear!”

It was the worst time to be annoyed by this man!

“Calvin.” She stated through clenched teeth.

He didn’t hold anything back when he put a hand around her waist. Just as he bowed to whisper into her ear, Celeste pushed him away, “This is not proper etiquette! Now, I must be on my way! I have important matters to attend to!”

“Important matters indeed! Let’s go to the chapel right now and declare our love for each other!”

Staring incredulously at the strange man in front of her, Celeste was then interrupted by a scuffle at the front of the village.

“Ha! I see a problem, perhaps I should investigate!” Stated Calvin, as he puffed out his chest and started to walk in a big manner towards the scuffle.

Celeste took that moment to rush away towards the tavern. Hopefully she won’t encounter that man again while being here today!

 

“The top floor please.” Celeste asked, a very normal line that she stated, but this time it was taken differently.

“I’m sorry me lady, but the top floor is already being used.”

Really?

That hadn’t happened for quite a while!

“Very well.” Celeste ordered some tea, then just walked to another table and sat down gingerly.

Normally she didn’t like the bottom floor because it was a lot more opened. She could easily look outside the opened windows and see the comings and goings of the village…It was also louder here, where people could listen on to other people’s conversations…Not a good place at all to talk about a rebellion…

Having picked a table in the back corner, Celeste still had all intention to change her place to upstairs as soon as she could.

To what she thought as luck, it really had only been a minute or two after getting her nice, hot tea that two people walked down the stairs.

Smiling, pretty sure that the top floor would now be available to her, Celeste figured she’d wait ten minutes to once again ask for it. She didn’t want to look too keen after all…

 

But…

In the next few minutes, too much happened that the thought of going up to the room upstairs was completely forgotten…

There was a loud noise coming from outside the tavern, and it seemed to be coming towards Celeste.

“You really have no idea on what you’re talking about!”

It was Steven’s voice!

Looking up to Steven holding back another man, she saw him to be familiar…

“Are you insane! She stole you away like some prisoner!”

“I told you already, Freddie, it’s not like that!”

“And go back to my father!? No!” The man being held back by Steven went to leave but Steven brought him closer to the tavern, “Sit down here and let me speak of this properly first!”

 

Being dragged into the doorway, stopping the two that had come down from upstairs to get out, Freddie stopped.

Celeste finally remembered Freddie…But then Freddie raised his eyebrows at her, “Ok, we can stay here for a bit.”

Seeing an interested gaze at her, she already knew that he found her appealing…Well, it wasn’t the first time that she had received that look!

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Steven was confused at his brother’s strange, sudden difference in behavior and looked to where he was looking, to see Celeste.

“Celeste.”

Oh, he’d been waiting for her!

He’d read all the books they had on medicine and had begged the doctor to give him some teachings but…For a while, he was bored! Waiting for her to come here!

 

“Celeste? Who’s that?” Freddie asked his brother.

Steven cleared his throat and tried to stop himself from smiling, “She’s here.”

She was finally here!

Will she force him away? Will she try to run?

He hoped she’d let him talk to her at least once before going back!

He’d have even come to the decision of being her shadow in the rebellion, simply because he felt like that was the best place he could be! Not only for self desires, but he wanted to keep her safe too!

“You mean the Princess is here!? Where!?” Freddie asked, looking back at Celeste, “Is that the Princess!? I thought that she was supposed to be ugly!”

Steven frowned, “She isn’t ugly!”

 

But the two boys had already changed everything to everyone that was close by.

The Princess was here?

Medusa was here!?

That cruel and nasty princess…Was here?

One particular set of eyes searched out the woman that was being pointed at and saw a very pretty being, one that looked a bit like himself. The other beside him instantly took out her bow and arrow and had it pointing at Celeste.

“You dare?” He said to her, giving her a firm gaze.

Robin looked at Amil and swallowed. Putting her hands down, she held both her arrow and bow still, not putting them away.

If that was really the princess, how good would it be to…

But Amil wasn’t ready to just be ‘rid’ of the Princess that was known as Medusa, who seemed to be a terrible and nasty person.

It wasn’t because he was weak, he just wanted to have a conversation, the first conversation, with his blood sister…Just one would be enough. After all, today was the first time that he’d ever seen her!

 

“That’s the Princess?”

There had only been about six people around when this took place, but one ran off, yelling out at the top of their lungs, while another, known as Calvin, looked at her in disgust.

So easily, Celeste seemed to have become ‘the princess’ even though it had been just words by two people that didn’t even live in the village!

Was it really so easy to claim someone as Medusa?

Only two people there knew for certain, and that was Steven and Amil.

But…If it hadn’t been so, if she wasn’t the real princess, how easily might it be for someone else to be claimed as the princess!?

 

Spitting on the floor, Calvin said, “You played me, woman! What a cheap trick!”

Steven frowned at the man who just said that and then looked back at Celeste.

Celeste looked from person to person, quietly, and didn’t know what to say. She had indeed lied to the village, about who she was, but…She wasn’t a bad person, well at least that bad of a person. So, they would get over it right? They knew her for years and she’d never hurt anyone here…

“Get her!”

What?

“What a chance! You know…” The person took a moment of silence then continued, “We could change things, we could lower the taxes…Imagine what we could do!”

“You mean to take her hostage?” Amil asked, frowning.

“Yes, and ransom her off! We could live better, all of us.”

 

Steven let go of Freddie and walked firmly towards Celeste, to stand in front of her, “Not while I’m here.”

It was now Freddie’s turn to frown, “Why are you acting like this, Steven, she stole you away!”

Shaking his head, Steven grabbed a hand of Celeste’s from behind him, trying to bring her closer to him for protection, and said, “She gave me food and a place to stay.”

Raising her eyebrows, Celeste looked at Steven’s back. So, he knew?

He knew that she hadn’t imprisoned him?

Closing her eyes, Celeste smiled.

She was sure, at this very moment, that she loved this man…With all her heart…

 

“Steven move! More than just me want to get to her…” Freddie stated, the most serious he’s ever been in his entire life. He had left his father against his father’s will to come here, it wasn’t like he was just going to give up so quickly!

“Listen to yourselves! Don’t you know her!? She has come here for years and has she hurt any of you!?” Steven yelled.

“It doesn’t mean anything!” One of them said, now the crowd was starting to come, more and more walking or running towards the tavern.

Steven scoffed at them, “It doesn’t mean anything!? Do you even know what she’s doing to help you!?”

Celeste widened her eyes and came out from behind Steven, she just couldn’t get Steven into any kind of trouble! “I am indeed the Princess.”

 

Stunned to those words, Steven looked at Celeste and frowned.

What was she doing?

Steven went to be in front of her again, but she pushed him away, “I won’t run from what I am, Steven.”

Looking at the people, Celeste remembered her original plan and…It saddened her that if things kept going this way, that plan might actually come to pass…On this day.

“I am the one known as Medusa.” She again stated in a firm voice.

“Stop it! No!” Steven first looked at Celeste and then back to the crowd, “She isn’t Medusa!”

“Did you say he was imprisoned by the Princess?” One asked Freddie.

Freddie nodded, “He took my place, so I came here to rescue him!”

“There we have it, she must have made him her puppet or something!” Another said.

 

Celeste watched how everything transpired in front of her and once again remembered a reason why she had wanted to…

People…They just believe anything…

They hadn’t really seen any evidence, they had only just heard rumors…They just think whatever they want to think, without actually getting a side of any story!

There were more of them now, as she looked at the front door of the tavern. So many of them had eyes full of scrutiny, hate…Ah, how could she forget about those eyes…

The last time that she saw eyes like this was at Commorda. They didn’t know her, had never met her personally before, but they had chased her with these eyes!

…Perhaps it was better if she were to just disappear…

“Don’t you dare!”

Looking up at Steven, who now was facing her, she stared at him and forgot everything else.

Steven didn’t know what to do to shut this woman’s mouth, so he just covered it with his own!

 

The silence that overcame the tavern only helped Steven and Celeste forget that they were even there in the first place, as he lightly held her face in his hands.

She was too much of a treasure…

Steven stopped, even more determined now to never let her go!

Turning, making sure she was behind him once again, Steven fiercely looked at everyone, “I will not let harm come to her while I’m alive! And you’d best know that she…”

A window broke and everyone looked outside towards someone looking towards the princess.

Before Steven could even process anything, Celeste started to fall to the floor…

“Ce…Celeste…Celeste…” Steven muttered, slowly going down to the fallen body now on the floor.

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