4 The girl with the green eyes

It had been exactly four days.

Four long torturous days since he laid eyes on her for the first time.

Addie.

If that was even her name.

Never before had a woman so completely captivated his brain. He knew nothing about her, and yet here he was sitting in front of this blasted window watching the market place like he would be so lucky to catch even a glimpse of her again.

He was no stranger to women. Being of the royal family and not unattractive had given him his fair share of attention from them. He had spent many a night in the company of some of the most beautiful ladies his country had to offer.

But this?

This was something different. And he had no answers as to why. He wanted to know everything about her. To see her smile. To hear her laugh.

But mostly he just wanted to see her again.

He should have been formulating some sort of plan to survive and here he was mooning over some girl that he probably wasn't going to ever going to cross paths with again.

Pushing his hair out of his eyes he stood up and paced the room. After purchasing a new set of clothes the few coins Addie had given him were already spent. He had several nights left on the room, but it would eventually no longer be an option for him.

And then he was in serious trouble.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he absentmindedly rubbed his fingers together, the sparks that danced from his fingertips hypnotic and soothing. If anyone were to see him right now, he'd be probably be sentenced to death in this kingdom. To these people he was the enemy. With a small sigh he stood up;

Guess it was time to look for a job.

***

Bathed, shaved and dressed he glided out of the room with renewed vigor. Outside he squinted against the harsh sunlight. Looking around he, he realized he had no idea where to start his search. He possessed no real skills of any sort and never worked a day in his life.

Mustering up every ounce of courage he walked from shop to shop, asking if they were looking for help. Most people just stared at him, eyes wide before saying no. A few glared and basically chased him out, as if he were some wild animal not fit to be in their business. Even fewer seemed kind and sympathetic to his situation. A young woman in a bake shop took pity on him and gave him half a loaf of bread which he gratefully took. Sitting down on a low stone wall to eat his free lunch, he observed the people going by with little interest. Children being rambunctious, lovers quarreling, seniors hobbling from business to business. These were all the inner mechanisms of a kingdom and he was only just now seeing all the dynamics of the human race.

He sensed movement off to his side, but he paid it no mind. Chewing slowly to savor every bite, he considered this day a complete loss.

"I'll be fine right here until you return, Elizabeth." Cillian's ears perked up at the voice.

Surely it wasn't?

As discreetly as possible he moved his eyes to the left to take in the person resting against the wall next to him. The woman was wearing a modest yet flattering dress of dark green. Long wavy golden hair tied back loosely with braids, a cheek that looked soft to the touch , slightly rounded nose, and a captivating full mouth. She was reading a book quite intently, chewing her bottom lip appearing to be lost in another world.

He feared his heart would beat right out of his chest at the sight of her.

Addie.

Before he even had a chance to say anything, she must have sensed his gaze on her. She slowly turned to look at him, and the surprise was obvious in her eyes.

"Oh!" She exclaimed quietly to herself.

Cillian figured it was now or never;

"I am so glad I ran into you again so I could thank you for kindness the other day!" He stammered out quickly, afraid to lose this opportunity. Hopping down from the wall he came to stand in front of her, realizing how tiny her stature was in comparison to his own.

She was silent for a long moment, eyes taking him in as if she were unsure of his sincerity,"You're uh very welcome." She finally said. He noticed she kept casting glances at the shop near by as if she expected someone to emerge any moment.

"I realize that I never introduced myself." He gave the tiniest of bows, "my name is Ci-James. And it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her eyebrow shot up under her hair at his blunder. Apparently she was very observant.

"The pleasure is all mine Mr...James." Addie had the slightest of smirks on her face. An awkward silence fell between them. "I'm glad to see you were able to refresh your wardrobe. It suits you." She finally complimented breaking the tension between them.

Cillian felt the tips of his ears get red. Honestly, was he twelve years old?

"Thank you very much. But I fear your good deed has gone to waste as I still have been unable to find employment despite my new clothes."

Addie seem to contemplate on something for a long moment, "I believe I might be able to help you with that actually." Brushing her skirts off she tucked her book under her arm and began walking purposefully.

Cillian stood there dumbfounded. When she didn't sense him following behind her, Addie looked over her shoulder with eyes that sparkled in the most seductive way. "Follow me."

And Cillian knew he would do just that.

Until the very ends of the earth.