The Princess Guard

Chapter Fourteen

The Return

I hummed to myself as I slowly moved my paintbrush along the canvas, watching the colors blend.

Classical music played in the background..something I listened to for distraction. All I seemed to be doing lately was distracting myself. I woke up early today and decided to dust off my old paintbrushes and try again. I used to paint all the time, but I got so consumed in work that I stopped. I had lost my passion for it, and now it was back.

The sun was rising and I wanted to capture every color. I went to the roof with my supplies and a speaker. I even successfully snuck past the stand in. I guess he wasn't a stand in anymore. It had been 3 days since Salem left.

I thought of him less now..at least I liked to think I did. I wondered if he had gone back to his previous job. He said he was tired of it though so.. I just don't know. I reasoned with myself over and over again. Trying to convince myself he didn't leave because of me. But I did, or was what I had wanted. Yet I was miserable.

I sensed someone climbing the ladder and I sighed with a frown.

"Princess Dayanara it is breakfast time." My stand in announced and I nodded, taking a pause on my artwork. It wasn't scheduled to rain until later tonight, it would be safe up here until after breakfast.

I wandered down the hallway, smiling at the various workers. My favorite human, Amelia, caught my eye as she walked over to me happily. She had been gone the past month doing training that was considered very high in the human world.

"Good morning Princess Daya." She bowed her head to me and I smiled at her. She was extremely meek when I had first met her. She was 19 now and strong willed with a good head on her shoulders. She started as a maid, but I grew fond of her and started moving her around. She now assisted me in the human sectors.

"How have things been?" She walked alongside me and I shrugged.

"Same old same old." I muttered but she scoffed.

"You have that new hottie guard, I saw." She wiggled her eyebrows at me and I kept my face from falling in disappointment. I was hoping she hadn't seen anything about that.

"He's since been replaced." I spoke firmly and a confused look crossed her face.

"Oh. Why was he outside of your room then? Is he a weirdo? A creep!?" She suddenly seemed ready to fight but I stopped abruptly, grabbing her shoulder.

"What do you mean he was outside of my room?" I spoke hurriedly and she motioned upstairs.

"I went up to your room to say hello and catch up before breakfast. He was walking down the hallway." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and my legs took off on their own, heading for my room. I looked back and forth down the hallway repeatedly. No sign of him. She must've had him mixed up with someone.

I sighed and shook my head. I shouldn't get my
hopes up. That's a silly thing to do.

I returned to where I left her, walking silently as she gushed about her training and everything she had learned. She was so eager to learn and become valuable to this kingdom. Not all humans were so gracefully accepting.

Then again, she had it good here.

We entered the dining hall and I stopped in my tracks.

"Salem..?" I trailed off, my eyes meeting his.

I was hallucinating. That was it. I breathed in too many paint toxins and I was hallucinating and dying.

"Good morning princess." He bowed his head to me and I blinked in confusion.