I don't usually write romance, but here I think I managed to capture the exact moment this boy fell in love. That's why I'm so proud of it.
It's from my novel "The Price of a Crown."
The demon puffed a cloud of smoke and looked down. The mansion gardens looked pleasant and he wished he could walk in them. At night they were deserted and the only sounds came from the wind and the night birds. He absentmindedly watched a cat going around the topiaries, the patrol guards doing rounds, a woman in red armour trying to hide in the bushes closest to the building... Wait, what? Otys blinked. She was the same woman he had seen by the arena with Princess Eleanor. Where had she come from? Otys had no idea, but sure as the day she was now making her way along the castle wall. The people in the courtyard wouldn't see her, but Otys did. He wondered what she was up to.
There were vines growing by the corner of the building and she stopped there. Otys' window was the last one on the roll, so the vines were pretty close to him. The woman looked around, sticking her head on top of the bushes and after she made sure everyone on ground was busy with their own work she started climbing up the vines. Otys jumped back inside his room and only stuck his head out. By that time, she was already half way up to him. The demon watched her climb with nimble moves and admired her. She was almost as good as him.
When she reached the third story, he thought she'd continue up. Instead she stopped and looked to her side right to the demon.
"Ha!" she vocalised her surprise.
"Ha." Otys confirmed. "What are you doing?" He leaned and puffed from his pipe while looking her over. Her armour was in the colour of old wine and tight enough to leave little to his imagination. Her auburn hair was in a long braid down her back and her green eyes eyed him as a cat would eye her pray.
"I came to see the monster, I hoped you'd be asleep." She smiled.
"Monsters don't sleep at night."
"In that case, perhaps the monster would like to go out for a walk?" she waved towards the vines, then down. "I could show you around like a good hostess."
Otys' gaze followed her gloved hand but he shook his head. "No. I like my room. Outside is bad and you should also go home. There might be more monsters out there."
"I doubt it." She said and made a move to come closer. "Mind if I sit on your window?" she didn't wait for him to agree, instead planted herself on the windowsill, leaving just enough room for him.
"What if I push you?" Otys smirked and turned towards the bed. Rachel was sound asleep, so he didn't have to worry about her. "You need to be quiet, the girl is sleeping, and so is my master, most likely."
The woman nodded and patted the space next to her. Otys sighed and climbed on the window then sat, his feet dangled in unison with hers. He was quite curious about the woman and why she'd come all the way up in the middle of the night.
"I must confess I'm a bit disappointed in you." She said.
"Oh... why?"
"I came expecting to see a monster, you know… something out of the nightmares. Yet, here you are looking quite... normal." She eyed him up and down and smiled.
"Uhm..."
"...and doing... what exactly were you doing?"
"I was reading and listening to the night birds. And smoking." He said. "Why are you here?"
"Since there is no monster, I can listen to the night birds with you. And smoke."
"Who are you?" she was beginning to annoy him with all her concealed answers and that mysterious smile and that shine in her eyes. Green, as if she's collected the whole Great Forest in there.
"I'm just the resident cat. Hush now, are we listening to the song birds or asking stupid questions that don't need answering." she plucked the pipe off his hand and took a few draws. "Oh, you have the expensive stuff."
Otys was about to protest, but he simply shut up. The clouds moved aside from the moon and its rays reached the earth and reflected in the woman's eyes. A bird begun its song from somewhere below them. It was one of the most beautiful sounds Otys has ever heard in nature. Whatever bird that was, it didn't sing up north. It was loud for a songbird and it had a variety of whistles and chips, and the bird seemed to be singing its heart out.
"Here." she gave him back the pipe, and leaned on him a bit.
"I've never heard this one before." He said as he took it and moved a little to make it more comfortable for both of them. She smelled of meadow and hay and he liked the gentle warmth she emitted.
"It's a nightingale." She whispered back and both fell silent again.
Otys had read about nightingales. Bards were telling the truth that it sounded like out of this world and could have a person stunned and listening to it for hours. The bird sung the entire time while the moon travelled the sky. When the stars started fading and the eastern front grew pale, other birds joined in the serenade.
"It's almost sunrise." The woman said and moved a little. Without him noticing, his arm had ended up around her. "I should go."
Otys didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay or he wanted to be able to follow her. He wanted for this night to last forever. Despite his wants the light was coming fast and the magic of the night was melting away.
"Will you come again?"
"Maybe." she released that mysterious smile again and moved over him to grab a hold of the vines.
"Goodbye Cat." he said as he watched her climb down.
"Goodbye Nightingale."
It's from my novel "The Price of a Crown."
The demon puffed a cloud of smoke and looked down. The mansion gardens looked pleasant and he wished he could walk in them. At night they were deserted and the only sounds came from the wind and the night birds. He absentmindedly watched a cat going around the topiaries, the patrol guards doing rounds, a woman in red armour trying to hide in the bushes closest to the building... Wait, what? Otys blinked. She was the same woman he had seen by the arena with Princess Eleanor. Where had she come from? Otys had no idea, but sure as the day she was now making her way along the castle wall. The people in the courtyard wouldn't see her, but Otys did. He wondered what she was up to.
There were vines growing by the corner of the building and she stopped there. Otys' window was the last one on the roll, so the vines were pretty close to him. The woman looked around, sticking her head on top of the bushes and after she made sure everyone on ground was busy with their own work she started climbing up the vines. Otys jumped back inside his room and only stuck his head out. By that time, she was already half way up to him. The demon watched her climb with nimble moves and admired her. She was almost as good as him.
When she reached the third story, he thought she'd continue up. Instead she stopped and looked to her side right to the demon.
"Ha!" she vocalised her surprise.
"Ha." Otys confirmed. "What are you doing?" He leaned and puffed from his pipe while looking her over. Her armour was in the colour of old wine and tight enough to leave little to his imagination. Her auburn hair was in a long braid down her back and her green eyes eyed him as a cat would eye her pray.
"I came to see the monster, I hoped you'd be asleep." She smiled.
"Monsters don't sleep at night."
"In that case, perhaps the monster would like to go out for a walk?" she waved towards the vines, then down. "I could show you around like a good hostess."
Otys' gaze followed her gloved hand but he shook his head. "No. I like my room. Outside is bad and you should also go home. There might be more monsters out there."
"I doubt it." She said and made a move to come closer. "Mind if I sit on your window?" she didn't wait for him to agree, instead planted herself on the windowsill, leaving just enough room for him.
"What if I push you?" Otys smirked and turned towards the bed. Rachel was sound asleep, so he didn't have to worry about her. "You need to be quiet, the girl is sleeping, and so is my master, most likely."
The woman nodded and patted the space next to her. Otys sighed and climbed on the window then sat, his feet dangled in unison with hers. He was quite curious about the woman and why she'd come all the way up in the middle of the night.
"I must confess I'm a bit disappointed in you." She said.
"Oh... why?"
"I came expecting to see a monster, you know… something out of the nightmares. Yet, here you are looking quite... normal." She eyed him up and down and smiled.
"Uhm..."
"...and doing... what exactly were you doing?"
"I was reading and listening to the night birds. And smoking." He said. "Why are you here?"
"Since there is no monster, I can listen to the night birds with you. And smoke."
"Who are you?" she was beginning to annoy him with all her concealed answers and that mysterious smile and that shine in her eyes. Green, as if she's collected the whole Great Forest in there.
"I'm just the resident cat. Hush now, are we listening to the song birds or asking stupid questions that don't need answering." she plucked the pipe off his hand and took a few draws. "Oh, you have the expensive stuff."
Otys was about to protest, but he simply shut up. The clouds moved aside from the moon and its rays reached the earth and reflected in the woman's eyes. A bird begun its song from somewhere below them. It was one of the most beautiful sounds Otys has ever heard in nature. Whatever bird that was, it didn't sing up north. It was loud for a songbird and it had a variety of whistles and chips, and the bird seemed to be singing its heart out.
"Here." she gave him back the pipe, and leaned on him a bit.
"I've never heard this one before." He said as he took it and moved a little to make it more comfortable for both of them. She smelled of meadow and hay and he liked the gentle warmth she emitted.
"It's a nightingale." She whispered back and both fell silent again.
Otys had read about nightingales. Bards were telling the truth that it sounded like out of this world and could have a person stunned and listening to it for hours. The bird sung the entire time while the moon travelled the sky. When the stars started fading and the eastern front grew pale, other birds joined in the serenade.
"It's almost sunrise." The woman said and moved a little. Without him noticing, his arm had ended up around her. "I should go."
Otys didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay or he wanted to be able to follow her. He wanted for this night to last forever. Despite his wants the light was coming fast and the magic of the night was melting away.
"Will you come again?"
"Maybe." she released that mysterious smile again and moved over him to grab a hold of the vines.
"Goodbye Cat." he said as he watched her climb down.
"Goodbye Nightingale."
