The Lost Princess

Walking up and down the table he quickly packed a sack with bundles of dry herbs. He looked carefully at each bundle briefly before placing them in the bag. If it were Loraz she'd be doing the same. Each herb he picked up was linked to a time when she was near death and had to figure out how to save herself. He thought back on the various times he saw her reading in the library and wondered if the reason she did this so often was to learn more about medicine. If she chose to step down as the rightful heir to Serenity she could live a pleasant life as a doctor or healer with the vast knowledge she had obtained.

"Has she really been through so much misfortune?" Vestin asked as he looked over a table stocked with dried fruit.

Robert looked back at him and then sighed, "Yes. When father told me of the horrible things that were done to her I didn't want to believe it either."

Vestin walked over to the table Robert was standing in front of and picked up a bundle of burbur vines. He looked over their leaves and the small flower buds that never blossomed then looked over at Robert.

"So you just let your family abuse the woman that you claim to love." He scoffed as he threw down the burbur.

Robert hung his shoulders and looked away from Vestin. He picked up a few bundles of higgle stash and fiddled with the blue leaves. His mind racing with the memories of when he and Loraz were still at the Massca castle. He let out a long sigh and looked back at Vestin.

"It's not what you think. I thought I was protecting her from danger. If they had found out that I had a connection with her then she would have been tortured even worse. I tried to distance myself from her when she first came to the castle. Thinking that if I didn't show any interest in her my siblings and their mothers would leave her alone." He looked down at the bundle of herbs in his hand as his father's words played through his head "My neglect and ignorance are what caused her the most pain. My father was the one who brought that fact to my attention. For that, I have drowned myself in guilt and have had to endure her icy cold stares. We've only just recently become close."

Robert paid the merchant and then walked off.

Vestin clicked his tongue and rushed after him. Reaching his side he looked over at him and grabbed his arm.

"So you ignore her for years and then one day just unload your feelings onto her? Selfish much. Why don't you admit it you don't love her you just pity her and want to ease your guilty mind," Vestin Spat.

Pulling his are away from him Robert shouted as he walked up closer and stared him square in the eyes,

"It wasn't like that! I wanted to be close to her,"

He backed up and tried to calm himself down. His shoulders hung and he passed his hand over his head pulling his hair back in place,"To have talk to her and gotten to know her sooner. It killed me not being able to say anything to her. To have to watch her from the shadows. Don't assume you can sum me up with just a few encounters. You know nothing about how I feel or what I went through to finally get the courage to even be able to spend the time I get to spend with her. She has fought me every day since I have let her know how I felt. She won't admit she has any feelings for me all because her heart still belongs to her first love...to you."

Vestin looked at him then placed his hand to the side of his head and said, "What do are you talking about? I would have saw if she were interested in me. Don't try to give me hope..."

Robert looked around and saw that they were starting to bring attention to themselves and grabbed hold of Vestin's arms pulling him to walk.

"Trust me when I tell you that I am not trying to give you hope. If anything I would much rather you had not found her or come to look for her. Let us just end this conversation for now and get back to Loraz and your comrades."

"Yeah...of course. Follow me I know a shorter route." Vestin muttered.

He led the way down a back alley and Robert followed closely as he held onto his pouch his grip firm. Vestin all the while replayed Robert's words in his head. He tried to figure out what sign he had missed. How he thought it was only one sided and that the day she left he could have given in and confessed then. Maybe things would have been different. They could have run off together somewhere and everything would have been perfect. But then what about the village and the people of Serenity? No, things had to go down the path they went. If not for this he wouldn't be who he is today, Loraz wouldn't be who she is today, and there most certainly wouldn't be any chance of Serenity regaining there freedom from Jayel. He pushed his selfish thoughts to the back of his head and told himself to focus on the present situation at hand.

Robert walked behind Vestin his eyes focused on following his escort. His mind raced with thoughts of every kind as he took each step. Having to admit that the woman that he loves is in fact in love with someone else left a bad taste in his mouth. It was like he was admitting defeat and giving up hope. He looked at Vestin's back and felt a storm of confused emotions start to swell up. Quickly shaking off the feelings of regret, hopelessness, and overall failure he continued to follow Vestin and made a quiet promise to himself that he would win over Loraz's heart and make her his wife, his one and only queen.