30
To call the valley narrow was an understatement. The closer Delilah reached the base the more acutely she was aware of how the rocky mountain sides loomed above her. The wind too seemed to have picked up pace in the narrow channel and soon the ladies in the party were forced to grapple with their outfits in an attempt to keep them modestly nearer the ground. Delilah rubbed her bare hands hoping to rid herself of the pebbly dirt that seemed to be etched on her fingertips; the climb down hadn't been without the need to climb over some large rock.
"I see I cannot compete with a Prince, can I?" Agapito Rossi broke the silence that bore down heavily on him and his companion. They had maneuvered themselves down the pebble and dirt covered path onto the greener plains of the valley and now stood in front of a grove of trees that brought them respite from the windy weather. The trees had low algae covered branches that felt like multiple arms trying to wrap you in their embrace and never let go. The other hikers had now spread out in the grassier parts of the narrow valley floor looking for a comfortable place to settle down. A few servants attempted to create viable picnic areas but the change in weather was proving their efforts to naught. Delilah shivered slightly but that did not lessen her love for the wind.
"What do you mean?" Delilah was momentarily confused but it cleared the next moment and she paused only to shove her erratically moving hair out of her face, "I understand this is becoming a common joke amongst our friends but I do not find humour in it. The Prince is far beyond my station and he already finds me abhorrent to look at. Why pair me with him when there is much more beauty to be found in the quarries?"
"Did he say something?" Agapito was instantly enraged and he searched her eyes, looking for the truth, "Of course he hasn't. You are deluded by your low opinion of yourself," He concluded with a small shake of his head.
"My opinion of myself is neither low nor unflattering. I like myself very much but I know my opinion is hardly a universal one," Delilah spoke emotionlessly finding it hard to speak about something so personal.
"I beg to differ," Agapito protested with a low timber. His proximity to her caught her attention and she took a subtle step backwards.
"I have heard many things said about me for many years. You can hardly blame me for expecting the worst."
He held her face in his hands impulsively, painfully digging his fingers and she jolted, extremely startled. She took another step back, wide eyed, and her back hit the rough bark of a vine covered tree.
"You are extremely beautiful and equally kind. Believe it when I say the diamonds in all the world's quarries could not compare to you," Agapito said earnestly.
"I do not understand-why?" Delilah frantically tried to make sense of the situation. How could a simple conversation about weather turn into something so convoluted?
"Do you not see that you have many admirers? I consider myself lucky I have been able to gain your attention if not as a suitor but as a friend especially with the Prince trying to steal all your attention..." The man gasped the words almost as if he was on his last breath, "I know it is not a possibility. I would have known if you held a shred of feeling for me and I admire you but I know I am happy to just be your friend."
Delilah swallowed harshly suddenly feeling the gravity of what was thrust upon her. Agapito Rossi had torn his chest apart and handed her his heart and what a great weight that was. She was wracked with guilt but she knew she had to do the right thing.
"I have never thought of you in such a way," She whispered softly not sure if she could be heard over the wind. Agapito nodded with his olive eyes closed as if he could not bear to look at her face. Before he had a chance to say anything they were interrupted by a body that barreled through a bush with such speed that Agapito did not even have time to pull away.
"Damian," The man whispered instantly recognizing his friend but the Prince did not seem to hear him; instead he gave the pair a revolted glare and stalked out of the protected wooded area. Delilah immediately pulled away to follow him.
"Like I said, I cannot compete with a Prince," Were the Rossi brother's last words to her as she walked away towards Damian's retreating back. Even days later she would not know why for those seconds it had been more important to have a word with the Prince instead of giving the conversation with Mr. Rossi a satisfactory conclusion. She walked heatedly for a few precious moments before finally realizing how ridiculous her actions were.
Why did she need to explain anything to a man who was neither her guardian nor her brother?
It seemed as soon as soon as she made up her mind to not pursue the Prince, the man stopped in his tracks and turned around to glare at her. He seemed indecisive about whether to continue his march or turn back but like a moth to a flame the Prince shook his head and irritably meandered back to Lady Delilah.
"It was not what it seemed," Delilah uttered stonily with her arms crossed, furious that she felt the need to clarify the situation.
"I did not think you could, you would..." Damian shrugged not finding the right words to describe what he saw.
"I would what?" Delilah probed unforgiving, eyes flashing.
"You allowed, you allowed- Damn you Rossi!" The Prince cursed under his breath letting his long fingers curl up into a fist.
"I allowed what, Prince?"
"You let him touch you!" Damian gestured wildly standing firm against the wind that was gaining momentum.
"I did nothing of the sort. Though why it seems to be worthy of your angst is beyond me. It is none of your business," Delilah couldn't resist informing him while her hair whipped her in the face due to the increasing wind speed.
"It is. It is my business when it concerns you," His voice cracked. "You are my friend. I am concerned for you."
"And Mr. Rossi is my friend and I as well as you know he is an honorable man," Delilah said without looking up.
"So, you will accept his offer?" Damian asked as if the answer would burn him down to his bitter bones though Delilah did not perceive his expression as anything but snotty.
"He has made me no offer," She answered primly.
"He touches you with such uncouth familiarity and yet does nothing honest in return. His virtues are dimming right before my eyes," Damian impulsively stroked her cheek with the back of his hand with gentleness almost foreign to him. She flinched instantly and took an ungainly step back, finding herself trapped in another peculiar scenario.
"Do not turn this into a competition like a sullied, stubborn child. Just because he touched me does not give you the right to take liberties when I give you none," She told him off bluntly hoping to beat some sense into Damian's classically jealous personality.
He clenched his hands painfully wishing they were around Rossi's tanned neck. Damian fleetingly noticed people ambling to and fro making the best out of the weather but he couldn't have cared less if half the Royal court was doing cartwheels around them.
"Then this is the way our acquaintance is to end since I shall be departing the Palace soon. I know where I stand with both of you. At least Mr. Rossi gives me the respect that you do not think I deserve."
"How do you know what lies in my heart," Damian took a step forward vehemently making Delilah lean back, her eyes glinting like metal "I admire you, I trust you, I respect you."
"Even with these pretty words I know what I am worth to you. Do you not remember what you thought of me when we first met? Do not think I have forgotten."
Damian wondered how she had known what he had called her privately in his mind when she had early on rebutted his attentions and ignored him completely. At that time his ego had been stung brutally and his thoughts had been less than charitable but the vengeful thoughts had vanished, before he could blink, in her presence. Unfortunately he had managed to spew some of the venom at her in a drunken bout after downing an uncountable number of alcohol glasses one night. Back then he had no idea his words would come to back to bite him in the rear.
"Thoughts change, feelings change. I did not know you as I do know now. I am not so arrogant to admit I wronged you," Damian apologized sincerely though his voice was barely audible above the howling weather.
Delilah was unable to look at the earnestness in his bright blue eyes and ended up looking at her mud covered boots visible under her flapping dress.
"You haven't answered what you intend to do about Rossi," The Prince cocked his head curiously.
"Thank you for your concern but like I said before it really is none of your business," Delilah was firm in her response.
"You say he respects you and yet he forms no formal connection to prove so. What if something other than me saw you in that position?"
"It would be unfortunate," Delilah imagined the amount of gossip this sighting would generate and sighed, "It is getting tedious to remind people that I have no prospects. No one will want to marry me but that is irrelevant because no one wants to marry me in the first place. So what if the whole world saw us? I am to leave in only a few days and Cecilia has found out that none of her suitors interest her. The scandal can't harm us any worse then if I had my arms around him in front of the whole world."
"You could never the stomach for something so improper. I bet you on that," Damian tried to laugh away the blaze in his stomach.
"Why not? If it were a man I loved..." she paused not liking the gleam in the man's eyes.
"Your statement proves that you won't accept Rossi regardless of whether he proposes or not because you don't love him," Damian crowed feeling the weight lift off his chest.
"You are determined to get pointless gossip out from me but my lips are sealed."
"But I do not need the words because your eyes say it all. You do not want him as a suitor," Damian smirked ignoring the splat of the first drops of rainwater hit his nose.
"You are quite pleased about the prospect of my lonely forever after. But I suppose I shan't be lonely forever since I have a niece I must help raise and spoil," Delilah tried to change the subject. Their conversation was already touching subjects that for years had clawed her insides. To treat them in conversation like fluffy bits of nothingness felt blasphemous.
"I would never wish you ill. I know you shall find someone although it seems I am the one doomed for a solitary life. This year's crop of girls is appalling and if there is another ball then I shall be dealing with children. I don't want to marry a young girl who just barely learnt to walk," Damian too was keen to shift the focus. He could see the sadness tainting the way she looked at him and he was feeling less and less accommodating to how it clouded her grey eyes.
"But you must produce an heir as soon as possible, you cannot risk..." she blurted, stopped and made a face at the sticky, juvenile grin he gave her.
"A court advisor was suggesting an alliance with a foreign princess but I refuse to have a queen at my side who does not share my love for our people," Damian tried to handle the topic maturely but he could not wipe the smirk off his face.
"You are not wrong in your decision," Delilah admitted and a strong gust of wind raged against her enough to move her sideways but the Prince caught her arm before she could fall.
