The morning light was really visible and the harrowing breeze still conveyed a piercing sting of chillness to any skin it found itself against. Perhaps not all skin as high flying figure with ripped bodices, pounced through the cold breeze, and brought its footstep to a halt by the hut of an unsuspecting maid.
” Bonis,” he called in an unmistaken tenor of majesty.
” Bonis!” He resounded in a much larger voice as he remained rotund by the door of the chamber.
” Luitsi is that you?” She yawned in a sleepy tone. ” Get a hold of yourself young lady” Said the tone all over again.
” Goodness. My Lord!” ” I’m sorry i didn’t know it was you.” Said Bonis as soon as she heard the voice for the second time.
” Myself and Amelia would be going on short journey this morning. You will need to tend to her needs as soon as possible.” He said and walked away. She followed.
There was a knock on the door of Amelia room. It sounded somewhat like a dream to her until it was heard over and over again causing to attain full consciousness of her surrounding. ” Lady Amelia, a voice called. ” Yes. Bonis is that you?” She asked and slowly sat on her mattress, her eyes locked on the doors.
” Yes it’s me. I was sent by the king. He speaks of a morning journey to be embarked by the both of you.” Said Bonis in a tone of esteemed humbleness.
” Oh yes. Thays so true. ” She said and quickly sprang up on her feet. ” My goodness it’s still dark.” She whispered after gazing at the skies from the window. It didn’t deter her and she hearded straight to the door, unbolting and opening the door with caution.
” What would you like for breakfast.” Bonis asked.
” Anything at all please. Thank you.” She replied and gazed around after stepping out of the room. She was forced to quickly wrap her hands over her bosom to wade off the stinging sensation of the cold. She quickly hovered back inside her room.
” My God it’s so cold out here.” She said and gazed in shock, how Bonis was still faring without a dress.
” How about some boiled potatoes and peppered egg sauce?” She asked.
” Perfect. That’s really so thoughtful of you.” She said and turned to take her leave.
” Bonis one more thing please.” She said in a hurry.
” Yes my lady?”
” I will like to take my bath as well. Would that be possible?” She asked in a skeptical tone.
” You want it at stream or you want to bath in the yard?”
” My goodness.” She chuckled, not the stream please. I mean at the yard with hot water.” She entoned in a plea.
” Sure. I will get that done for you to. Any other thing.” She asked again. Amelia was silent in thought for a while and finally spoke.
” Yes . I was thinking I could get a sweater or a coat or cloak to wrap over my chest. This gown is just fine but reveals too much. And it’s also so cold.” She said not knowing if she had channeled this last request to the appropriate person.
” I have a woolen cloak I don’t use till the snow are here.” ” I can lend to you and have it back when it starts to snow?” She said.
” Yes please. I can would be very grateful.” She said with so much relief.
A knock on the door by this time of the morning didn’t go well with either Luitsi or her stepmother. They were really enjoying the morning slumber and the cold was just perfect to keep on going. It came as a surprise to both of them that anyone would leave his own beautiful slumber to wade off that of another person.
” Has the war started?” Luitsi asked, still lying on her large woolen bed.
” There’s no war Luitsi. It’s me Agiyon.” Said the Chief who had sneaked over to see her personally.
” Agiyon! Is that really you?” She exclaimed in excitement as she sprang up from her bed and rushed outside. ” I had a bad dream about you.” She said and eloped him in a tight hug. The morning was still filled with darkness and no one could really them.
” Oh my Luitsi, how I have missed you. I’m sorry I hurt you so much.” He said, rubbing the back of her hair, passionately with his palm. ” A bad dream you say? what bad dream are you talking about?” He asked with his hands still wrapped around her head.
” I dreamt that you returned with a very beautiful bride.” She said in an emotional tone. It caused him to step backwards away from her, doing it with care and caution. ” Was that really a bad dream my love?” He asked feeling downcast by her reality.
” Yes. Very sad you moron. Why did you stop holding me.” She said with a scowl as she gazed at his body language.
” Nothing. I just wanted some air my love.” He said and staged a smile amidst his Sadness.
” I smell of musk. Is it bad? She asked him.” With an artificial gawk to her expression.
” You smell just perfect.” He said and sighed deeply. ” I have a gift for from my journey.” He said and walked past her as if he was seeking access into the chambers. He bent by the side of the door and quickly got a hold of a basket that lay in the dark. ” I thought you weren’t going to come so I kept it these for you.” He said and took out a full roasted chicken, and keg of rice wine.
” Thank you.” She said and got the wine out of his hands in gusto. She got a good gulp of it and belched so loudly it made her sleepy stepmother to think it was yet another knock on the door.
” Perfect manners like old time.” He said and smiled at her but she seemed to remain pause, as if though and was trying hard to reflect on something.
” Are you okay my love?” He asked in a tense tone as he braced himself for the worse. She gazed at the ground for a while and then gazed to the skies, rubbing the middle of her head with her idle hands. She gazed at him again and there was neither a scowl neither was there a smile.
” Agiyon?” She called out in a flat tenor.
” Yes Luitsi.” He said in a slow tone of guilt.
She inhaled softly, and slowly said, ” Last night I was with Bonis at the square,” ” We saw you with a new bride didn’t we Agiyon.” She inquired in a teary tone while her eyes went moist with the truth. He was silent in sadness and bent his head to earth in guilt.
” Agi.. Agiyon” she stuttered, amidst her deep sorrow that had caused her chin to be moist in tears.
” Yes it was me Luitsi.” ” It wasn’t my Will. They gave me a wife by force.” He said in sullen tone while gazing to the floor in despair.
” You said you will make your bride. You lied to me.” She cried, trembling deeply as she sobbed heavily.
” I’m sorry. I still love you and I will still make you my bride.” He said and raised his teary eyes of guilt to meet hers.
” When?” She asked in a repulsive manner as she cried like a cautioned baby.
” Soon. Very soon.” He said and got wielded by his emotions to elope her in a hug.
” Get back!” She cried out and let go of the keg in her hands. ” You do not love me. You lied to me.” She cried as her sobs were intercepted by the crow of the morning rooster.
Agiyon paused in his steps and took his eyes off her sadness, before finding the words to slowly say ” I’m sorry Luitsi” ” Forgive me.” and walked away with his head bent to floor in wistfulness.
” Don’t be so hard on yourself my child. Come.” She heard her stepmother say.
” Mama.” She cried, standing alone in the cold. ” come to me my darling. A good man shall find you soon.” Said her stepmother and walked out of the room, hugging the sad child in her hands.
” Mama” she cried. There was a thousand words she wanted to say, but her mind was too broken to coordinate a sane speech. “Mama…” she kept crying as she clutched firmer to the womans embrace in a bid to satiate the pain in her broken heart.
The full morning wasn’t what Catori was waiting for, the darkness had waned away leaving behind ebony strands of dark skies that casted a foggy ambience on the over the vast hamlet’s. Amelia who had taken her bath had also just finished having her breakfast and headed outside to meet Catori who stood, gazing at the moon with his spear held over the ground.
” Good morning My king. Shall we begin.’ she said with a rich smile on her face. He turned and gazed at before turning his gaze back at the half moon.
” Good morning Amelia. You look different today.” He opined.
” I got a hold of Bonises cloak. it’s for the cold.” She said as checked herself out. The sporty boots he had given her wasn’t a match for the cloak. ” Let’s go.” We should be there soon he said and began to pounce away while she hurried to grab his arm. ” Is it’s okay that you will walk? Or should I take you on my shoulders.” He asked as they walked away, it brought with them a sweet reflection from the ride on his arm. She loved it and didn’t deny to want it again. ” You will get tired if you did that. I’m just fine.” She opined and found herself galloping as she tried to keep up with his pace. ” I will have to lift you Amelia.” He said but still had his eyes on the meadow as they walked.
” I will walk for a while and then you shall…. My God!!!!” She screamed out.