TWELVE

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

"Kleo...is everything alright?"

She spun about. "Kleo!" He said with a whisper.

"No,'' She said through clenched teeth.

"why?" Archer mumbled.

[KLEO SIGHS]

"I am betrothed!"

[SILENCE] Archer froze in a spot.

"Please. please say something!" She begged.

Archer gave his head a shake. "Come!" He urged and put a handout. If she would be weeping, he would have turned to comfort her, but she wasn't. She was reposeful, but Archer wasn't and never would he be. She followed him as he led the way.

"You need not worry, I believe everything will be alright when you get married."

She drags her hands out of his hold and growls.

"You know not what you are saying, for I will be married to a man, old enough to be my uncle or should I say a brother!"

[KLEO SNARLS]

"I am sincerely sorry, there should be a way to refuse the proposals."

[SIGHS]

Kleopatra swallowed.

"Aye! Everything is going to be all right!" Kleopatra remains quiet.

"Come! I would love to show you something." He grabs her soft hands, running down the woods into the forest.

"Where are you taking me?" She cried.

"A place, you do not know!" He laughed.

"Perhaps I deserve to get a hint!" She chuckled.

"No!!"

[BOTH LAUGHING]

**************************

" We've come to our destination. Welcome to my quiet garden! " He bowed his head.

[KLEO GASPS] Surprise crossed her face at the sight of the enchanted rather, magical garden before she blotted out with a smile.

"As much, I must confess to... some surprise... This is beautiful Archer. How did you come up with these places?"

"My deceased mother! It was her favourite place..." She choked. That's sad.

"I am so sorry about that. I knew nothing about this and I feel very bad for not asking you at first." She murmured

" Why had you not as yet, brought this matter earlier?"

He took my hands in his own and kissed them.

"Because it is not for you to worry about, It is in the past. And I already have an idea in mind."

"I hope so," I said staring into his eyes for the idea.

He carried me off the floor, running round the garden.

"Stop!" [ KLEOPATRA GIGGLED]

"Ok!" Dropping me to the softened grass, then dropped by my side as we stare at the sky.

"I want to know more about you Kleo."

[KLEO SCOFFS]

"Well, I do not have a lot to tell you, I am just a girl who loves adventures..."

Archer's eyebrow quirk ups.

"What?!" [KLEO GIGGLES]

"Tell me more, about your parents, siblings, your lifestyle before I met you."

She thinks for a moment before speaking.

[CLEARS THROAT] I..., uh, I am the last child of my parents and I got the whole attention of the house. I play the violin, well... playing the instrument draws me to nature, the strings and the rhythm is filled with harmony. Do you play any instrument?" She studied the look on his face.

"Oh, yeah, The piano, I play it frequently because it reminds me of my mom and the hope of life."

Splendid! I believe you owe me a show someday."

[BOTH LAUGHING] "I certainly do! The same goes for you!"

[WIND BLOWS]

[WATER FALLS ROARING]

"There is something that has been troubling me and needs a solution."

Kleo turns to his face with a worried look.

'Is everything alright, Archer?"

[SIGHS] "Yes, I assure you that I am fine, is just that I have seen you before..."

Kleo looks around before settling her eyes at his.

"I don't quite understand!"

"I saw you the first day you visited the Orphanage house, you rode off to the woods in a hurry, I am just curious...."

Her face turned white like a ghost, was he stalking her? I hope he doesn't know why am.

"Oh, uhh... I went to visit a friend, she was very ill, so I thought that my presence would make her feel better!" I lied and I have never done it before, I feel so terrible.

His face dropped, buying my lie.

"I am sorry, send my greetings to her."

[KLEO SMILES]

[LADY SULTAN]

"Even the purest of them all lies to hide the truth.[LAUGS BOISTEROUSLY] I say never doubt a lady when she wants things done her way...

He means to disarm her of her candour but rather her artifice.

It isn't working! [LAUGHS] Yet! Or probably at all...

Alright, I leave it for the latter!"

"I'm glad to have the opportunity to apologize for my behaviour in our first meeting" He whispered.

"Precisely! But I am over that now."

"I must say, it was an account of being struck by your charm"

"[CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY] Please don't flatter me"

"I do not flatter but only the truth I speak..."

[KLEO SMILES NERVOUSLY]

"Uhh... ok!"

[AKWARD SILENCE]

[SLOW MUSIC PLAYS]

"Kleo... from the day I saw you run through those woods...[INHALES] My thoughts of you never ends. At night I dream of you... day, I long for your touch but...you ..."

She keeps staring at his face searching for the reason for his weird words.

"I do not understand."

He stares at her a little longer, as their face grow closer, close enough to breathe the same air. He held the tip of her jaw, caressing it slowly as he drew his mouth to kiss her, the kiss gets deeper as time goes slowly. His hands go down to her back, drawing her closer to him as he napes his lips down to her bare skin. [BOTH BREATHING PASSIONATELY]

At the sudden realisation of what they were doing, Kleopatra draws away from the kiss, stepping away from him...

"What's wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"What are you doing?" She growled.

"Uhh, you mean what are we doing?" He chuckled but she glares at him.

Kleopatra picks up her basket, and runs out of the garden, towards the Woods. Archer runs to catch up with her.

"Kleo!..."

"Kleo!"

"Leave me alone Archer."

"Please wait Kleo, let's talk about It."

"There is nothing to talk about and I have nothing to say to you..."

"Come back to the Garden, let's talk about it."

"Stop following me and I said, there is nothing to talk about."

"You walk too fast!"

"Well then, stop following me."

"Will you not listen to me, Kleo!" He grabs her hand, facing him.

"What is there to talk about, Archer, is this how you take advantage of your female friends?" She shouts furiously.

"No! And I do not have any other female friend aside from you."

"Well then, I believe this conversation is over and I will say let's not talk about it in our second meeting."

He nods his head in agreement.

[LADY SULTAN]

"A tempting act, performed by the Prince, the impatient princess is rather irritated with the idea of romance...

He had thought many times about how to tell her the things his heart feels, but the pain of a one-sided love seems to be the obstacle to the truth... Agony seems to hook the prince but still, our Princess is enthusiastic."