The Kingdom

The criminals

Part - I

Caspian Ashford steps outside of his carriage to find a beautiful young lady standing, waiting for him.. with her gaze to the ground..

"Well, How are you miss?", Caspian said, he knew Anna wouldn't be talking to him directly, so he started a chat.

"Good, It's really great having you here." She bowed to him..

"Oh no no, please don't do that." He said..
"I am no royalty."

"Well, you are on higher position than me." Anna said,

"If you want to respect me," he said, " you can just smile.." he himself smiles looking into her mesmerizing eyes..
She looks away, just a moment of eye contact breaks..

"Let me walk you to the waiting room..", she hesitated, biting inside of her lip.

Caspian walks happily with her to the room..

He had to wait until the king and queen join him, after collecting both the criminals, they'll be leaving for the journey to The Capital.

Caspian takes the couch, the room was lavish with a huge bookshelf on one side and the other side with masterpieces from different painters.

"They really loved money and status, don't they?", Caspian says, Anna who was assigned to assist him was standing there trying to figure out who he is talking about..

"Sorry?", she ask confusingly..

"The Mayer's.. they really loved their money.. just look at it.." he says still looking at the paintings, "can someone say they made this house just for fun.."

"It wasn't for fun.." Anna said, "I heard they made it for their oldest son.. Evan Mayer."

"Ohh really?" Caspian said, " well even for thier son.. who would put paintings like these in their house?"

"That's called Expressionism art, people like it because it express reality and artist's inner thoughts.. that one over there, " Anna points to the painting on the wall where there was a girl sitting on a bed and a woman was holding her hand.. the child looked in pain..

"That one refers to the girl having an incurable      
disease and she is about to die, the woman is supporting her, but cannot look in her eyes because she thinks she failed her.. and the black spot symbolises death as the little girl is looking at it...", Anna loved art, poetry, paintings, stories, everything..

Her interest and love for paintings was greater, when she came here with the king and the queen, she used to watch the paintings in her free time, studying the art work..

And here Caspian cannot believe that, she is the same girl as before who was shy in front of him..
At this point he was ready to freeze the time just to hear her talk..

Am I really in love? He thought to himself, hiding the smile..

"And that one-," a sudden realisation hit her, she stops herself.
"I- I am really sorry..", she said.. as if she was making a mistake..," I shouldn't have- ", she but her inner cheeck..

A servant isn't allowed to talk or behave friendly with people who hold higher positions.

"No, no it's fine, you can talk.. " Caspian too realises how bad she feels..

"I shouldn't talk this way.. please forgive me." She said.
Her eyes avoiding him..

"Miss Anna, i said it's fine..", she felt concern in his words..

"I'll be waiting outside if you need anything..", she immediately left the room..
Leaving him in silence.

Shit.. should have freeze the time..
He felt disappointed