What He Gave Her pt 6

The gardens were a safe spot for him. He would often wander there to simply take a deep breath, without the buzz of the castle. Sometimes he would bring his brushes and canvas, and sit for hours painting the landscape. It was calming; the garden did not judge him, and it did not talk back. He did not see the veiled girl wandering the shadows watching him. He did not notice the gardens were already calming a lost soul when he arrived. He believed they were his and his alone; but he was wrong.

She watched him. Adeline had been going to the gardens for comfort for years, and now it seemed this stranger was doing the same. So she watched him. In the shadows of the garden, on her balcony, she observed him, because while his laughs echoed the halls at day, the gardens were soaked in his despair at night. Adeline felt that on some level, she understood him.

He had heard about her. The girl with the scars, the girl with the veil, the girl in the shadows. He had heard the fear in their voices when they talked about her. He didn't understand their fear. He wanted to meet her one day, he felt that one some level he understood the scarred girl named Adeline.

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They didn't meet under the best circumstances. He was in the gardens, trying to get inspiration, but Adeline was stuck close by getting attacked. Not physically exactly, but the words being thrown her way felt like a blow to her face. She was trying to get to the gardens, her safe heaven, but she was stopped by shouting and cursing tossed her way. It was moments like these where Adeline felt utterly and completely alone.

But he was close by. He heard the shouting, he heard the cursing and he was determined to help. However, when he arrived to the pandemonium he was surprised to see the girl everyone talked about being screamed at by a stranger. She stood up perfectly straight, her veil covering her face down to her beautiful lips, and while her hands were perfectly folded in front of her, she was shaking. He didn't even think before he reacted.

"Excuse me sir, but I think you have said enough. Now if you would excuse us," he then proceeded to grab Adeline and guide her towards the gardens. He tried not to notice how she flinched when he touched her, or how she was breathing too heavily. He tried to focus on just getting her away.

He guided her towards his stool, by all his artistic tools. She had stopped shaking, and was sitting with perfect posture, looking straight afraid. The tension in the air was suffocating. Adeline finally spoke. Her voice was horse from lack of use, from shock.

"Thank you for you assistance." He stared at her. No explanation, just a simply thank you. He looked at her. The veil was blocking her face, her eyes, her soul. He felt blocked from her; he could feel her closing herself off from him. He wanted to scream at her, to show that he understood her pain, that he could help her, that he could be her friend. But he did none of this. Instead, he looked away and said,

"Your welcome," and with that Adeline gracefully stool up and walked back towards the palace. She elegantly walked away from her safe heaven, from a man she thought could be her happiness. She walked away from the man she wanted to know but was to afraid to open up to, for she knew how broken she was, and no on loves a tragedy. And that's what Adeline was, but what she didn't realize was that's what's he was too.