Only the stars will tell - Part 3

It’s a sunny day in the village. I’m holding my mum’s hand, skipping beside her as I do so. My mum is laughing about something My dad said. I have a grin, from ear to ear. 

But I’m not with my mum, I’m holding the hand of the Perigrinez. We are not in the sunny village, but instead in the cold, dark castle. 

“Mum? Dad?” I whispered, as I saw their heads. I widen my eyes, and run over. I hug their heads, but stepped back as they were not hugging back. They tip over, and I find that they do not have bodies. I whimper. The Perigrinez snatches my hand back, chuckling cruelly. 

“You don’t have parents, little girl.”  

I rip the covers off of my bed, careful not to let them touch the floor, as the housekeep would be furious. I feel the overwhelming need to get some fresh air, so I put on my shoes, and slip out the door. I walk out into the garden, shivering slightly in the cold breeze of the night, the sickly sweet scent of roses carrying through the air. Goosebumps rise on my skin. I internally curse myself for not wearing something warmer. I look at the stars. I wish I was high up in the sky, away from any cruel humans like the ones here. I sit down on the bench beside a bunch of roses. I’ve always had an interest in the stars. The mystery, the beauty of the them fascinated me. They call me, and I feel pulled in by them. In another life, I would become an astronomer. I sigh. I wish. 

The thought was interrupted when a twig snaps near me. I am alert now, ready to fight if necessary. I stand up quietly, and inch closer to where the sound came from. 

“Get out of the bush, or I will forcibly do it myself.” I say with deadly calm. Slowly, a figure emerges from the bush. I instantly bow. 

“I’m sorry, Prince.” I bite out. The Prince grins, and tilts his head.

“No need, I was the one spying.” He replies. “Also,” he continues, “just call me by the name my father gave me. Diaz.” Right. I remind myself. His father is the king. I force myself to play the role of the blushing servant. 

“Diaz,” I nearly shudder. It’s all worth it in the end. “What are you doing here?” Diaz looks at me, confused. 

“Why, spying on you of course.” I shake my head.

“Why aren’t you sleeping? You couldn’t have possibly known I was going to come out here.” I ask innocently. Diaz blushed, and scratches his head.

“My room is near yours. I simply followed you out.” I look darkly at him, the facade dropping for a second. He laughs. I start walking away, only faltering when he calls out to me. 

“There’s the Yvanna I know.” I stop, and turn.

“How do you know my name?” I demand, not caring for the role of power he has, or the role I’m meant to play. Diaz goes deathly pale. 

“I-” He falters. I raise an eyebrow. “I read your files.” He mutters. I chuckle to myself. 

“The Prince broke into the Perigrinez’s office? I didn’t know you had that in you.” I reply. He rolls his eyes.

“There’s something you may want to know about. Something huge.” He murmurs. I smile, biting back my revulsion.

“And what is that?” I ask coyly. Diaz purses his lips. 

“Let’s not talk about it here.” He looks at me knowingly. I nod. There are ears everywhere. He walks away, and I hesitate, but decide to follow him. He leads me into the castle. Our footsteps echo hollowly in the halls as he leads me up into his room. He has a simple room, with sparsely decorated furniture. The only thing that catches my eye is the single decoration, a painting of a woman. I survey the room, and notice it’s unusually messy. He notices this, and flushes. 

“I don’t let the housekeep clean this place. I can do that myself.” I roll my eyes, and sit down on his bed. Diaz stares at me, and I raise my eyebrows. 

“What do you want to tell me that is so important?” I prompt him. 

“Right.” He mutters to himself, and strides over to the bookshelf, rooting around for something. 

“Who’s the woman?” I ask. He stiffens, his casual demeanor gone. 

“That’s my mother.” He replies. An uncomfortable silence descends, the only sound being papers shuffled. He finds what he is looking for, and walks over to me. He sits beside me on the bed. I take a breath, and smell Diaz’s scent, cedar and soap. A warm feeling flutters in my stomach. I snap myself back. Stay focused. He opens the file, flipping through pages. 

“Feb 13. Yvanna was found after village was taken to the experiment. I pitied her, and took her with me. She asked questions, and I denied it all. No parents, no siblings, no life before me. She will be trained to become the next Assassin.” He reads aloud. I feel my stomach bottom out. I feel hollow. Then I feel anger. 

“Why are you telling me this? Why do you care?” I quietly say. He thinks for a moment. 

“I want to help.” He replies. I narrow my eyes.

“You think I’m pitiful? That I need help?” I reply angrily. He looks confused. 

“No I-” He cuts himself off. “I’m sorry.” He says. I take a breath, and feel the anger drain out of me. I close my eyes. What’s the point in this? 

“Who knows? I'm here to help you figure that out, though.” Diaz replies, and I realize I said that out loud. I feel a small tear roll down my cheek. I collapse onto the bed, and stare at the ceiling. I feel Diaz’s weight shift, and he flops onto the bed beside me. He doesn’t say anything, only offering the comfort of a human nearby. Strangely, I don't feel the same revulsion I normally do when Diaz is this close to me. He lays beside me as I cry, and slowly drift off to sleep. 

****

I awake to the sound of a shower, and I realize, horrified that I am still in Diaz’s room. I rub my head, and note the blanket that was thrown over me. I felt emotionally drained, as if someone stole the warmth that is in my heart. I find a brush, and brush my hair. The sound of the shower stops, and a few moments later Diaz walks out in a towel. 

“How was your beauty sleep, princess?” He asks. I rub my eyes groggily. 

“Ironic coming from you.” I reply. He smirks, and walks over to his wardrobe, fishing out some clothes to wear. I walk into the bathroom. 

“You don’t mind if I take a shower?” I call out. A chuckle comes from the other room.

“There’s another towel in there.” He replies. I turn on the shower. I strip of my clothes, and step into the steam. As I clean myself, I realize I have no clean clothes to wear. After I’m done, I turn the shower off, and wrap myself in a fluffy towel that smells like cedar. Like Diaz. I step out of the bathroom. 

“Do you have any clothes I could wear?” I ask. Diaz spins around, and his breath hitches. I straighten, his gaze sending little sparks of electricity down my spine. What is going on with me? Get a hold on yourself Yvanna. I scold myself internally.

“Well?” I ask. Slowly, he nods. 

“There’s some clothes that might fit you in the wardrobe.” I nod, and rummage around the wardrobe to find them. I walk back into the bathroom, and put the clothes on. They fit a little too tight for my comfort, but they’ll do. I walk back out. 

“What do you think?” I ask. A blush creeps across my face as Diaz studies me. 

“Perfect.” He murmurs.