She is different

Under the thick covers was Ayden collapsed like a prawn, and shuddering badly like his bones were going to contort anytime soon.

He continued to sniffle consistently, as he flinched delicately on the bed he was laying on. He truly loathed what was happening in his body system, and how things were escalating just because he sneaked out.

'Was he paying for the price of his noncompliance and hardheadedness? Was the cold going to kill him?' were the thoughts that kept reoccurring in his head. He wondered if no one would come even if he does not eventually go for dinner, and allow him to die, cold and desolate under the covers.

The downpour had not halted still and blew fiercely against the shut window, making the situation seem like Ayden would not get better any soon. He thought his ears were doing the tricks when he heard a thump on the entryway. It was almost impossible for someone to come to his room after that time, because he had said he hated seeing anyone come to intrude his peace in the late hours.

But the knock came again and he was certain he couldn't even pick himself up from the bed, to walk over to the huge door and open it for whosever was knocking. They would likely think he was asleep already and simply leave.

And that actually did work because the servant who was knocking left, after she was sure the young prince would be sleeping already. Yet, some way or another the fact that the servant had left not long after, didn't make him feel good at all. At least, they could have just pretended to try to knock more.

"Everyone are just hypocrites," he hissed again and turned to the left side of the room where the window was located.

He somehow wished that the rain would crumbled the palace walls, and crush everyone inside so they would all die peacefully. But deep down, he was not ready to die yet because he needed to show everyone that, he was never a burden in the first place.

******

Azalea quickly stripped from her body, every piece of cloth she was wearing and wiped herself with a dry piece. Subsequent to wearing the new and thick ones, she saw her mother sleeping already and just laid carefully by her side.

Hama's body felt so warm that it calmed every cold nerves in Azalea's body. She smiled happily as she hugged her mother softly, who unconsciously open her arms for her daughter's own to wrap immovably around her.

She was going to try to be strong as she inhaled deeply the air around her mother, like it would allow her see the inner depths of her mother more, or even know her more. Her hands fixed solidly around her mother, like it was going to shield her from anything that could want to take her. In the strong willingness to protect her mother safely, was the seeping fear that something could occur.

The next morning, Ayden's eyes parted simultaneously like he had woken up from a sudden haze, as he breathed out as his eyes grazed around the unfamiliar room. He contemplated whether he had at last dropped from the horrible cold as the night progressed, and had awakened in the likely some place out of the world.

Where could he be? He wondered as let his eyes meander around, carefully observing the place he had woken from. Judging from the whiff of air in the atmosphere, he could probably make a sense out of where he probably was. The weird thoughts of him being at the royal infirmary after he had laid on his bed the previous night, could not allow him instantly believe his unconfirmed theory.

"Why would you suddenly fall sick after a surprising show of happiness yesterday?" the voice came grumpily, surprising Ayden to see who was sitting just few metres away from where he laid.

'Zachary?!' His brain screamed in his mind, 'What is he doing here?'

"Are you feeling better now?" Zachary asked again, puzzling Ayden who was too dazed to answer to his questions. He was wanted to ask what he was doing there, and why Zachary was asking him weird questions like he really cared.

"What happened?" Came out instead of what he had intended, and that felt like the perfect question to know at that particular moment.

"The king ordered you to be called compulsorily for breakfast this morning, and unlike the others days you would decline, he insisted. So, they wanted to get you to come out by fervent knockings, but you wouldn't open. The queen ordered to break down the door if that you get just to come out, and they found you on your bed, half, death. I've never seen the king that timorous before," Zachary explained.

Ayden sneered in doubt to what the last sentence Zachary made, and turned his body to the other side. He could feel the inner heat oozing out of his cold body, and glad that his incessant sneezing that had reduced drastically.

"So why show all that cheerfulness yesterday, and trouble the king today? I'm sure he wanted to have dinner with everyone yesterday again, just to see your very rare good mood. If you had your wolf now, it wouldn't have to be that ........"

"Can you get the healer? Staying in the infirmary for too long is a no for me," Ayden changed the topic by asking Zachary to call the helper and also getting him to leave his sight as well.

He couldn't allow anything to grow on him now, but he was sure leaving the palace for a few days would not be possible. The first successful attempt of leaving, had brought with him a crazy and sick day. He wondered what he would say, if anyone ever asked him why he caught so much cold.

Probably, "I let myself drown the the rain."

Things had taken a good turn and favorable turn in the city, as everyone was glad concerning the year's first rain. The shortage of water and the dying crops would not longer be a problem, that had hindered many things for lot of them including Azalea. As she walked hastily into the market, she avoided been seen by her friends because once they met, they would ask endless questions about so many things.

Why she had not come to the market since? Why she had been? If the herbs she had tried to prepare worked out? Who the person she tested it on, was? They all asked different questions in a chattered manner, still they were always fun to be around.

Her being in the market was not to sell anything, since the herbs could not grow overnight. As she walked on, she mulled on what her importance was about, or what her life being in danger was about. Why she could not even practice simple spells or do magic like normal witches.

"What a waste of identity," she murmured angrily and hissed.

Her mind suddenly wandered off to the previous encounter she had the previous day, at where she had gone to pick herbs. She wondered what someone could be doing at that place at that particular time.

If she had heard the words well, the voice sounded like that of a guy's and of a noble person. But that was even the least of her worries, she needed to get any side job now that would get her a wage by the day's ending.

And just as she thinking about finding her way to inquire for available jobs, she had sighted the companion she could not turn away from.

"Azalea!" Maude called out on seeing her, making Azalea think in her mind that the day would probably end with petty discussions. But she couldn't avoid it anyways as Maude scurried closer to her, and gave her a warm hug.

"How do you do? What about the others?" Azalea asked, surprised that she wasn't seeing the three musketeers, walking together for the first time she had never seen.

"Good. They are at the Blackstals family home working for the upcoming ceremony, and we will getting paid by the end of the day for our work. So, I'm sneaking out of our store to join them. There's no harm in earning an additional money, my mother wouldn't give me for myself," she grinned.

Azalea was already delighted that the day could actually turn out better with meeting them, and when Maude asked where she was going, she just held her hand and said she would follow her to the place.

"I cannot believe this is you. We missed your company," Giselle giggled and smiled, with Sabina nodding in agreement to what she said. They both hugged her tight in unison, with Maude who joined in the group hug. They showed her to the person in charge of cleaning, so she would include her to the list of people to be paid after their job.

The four of them were in charge of washing the numerous plates, utensils and porcelains to be used for the ceremony preparation. And with the chit-chat they exchanged while working, they could get past the first round of work as fast as possible.

Sabina made a joke that if any of them broke the smooth white porcelains, they'd probably become a permanent maid for the family to pay for it. To prevent that, they made sure to finish washing, cleaning and arranging the chinas first, before their discussion got any more intense.

"I hope I get my mate soon," Sabina said and sighed, "I really cannot wait to start my own family. Away, from my right now family."

"Same here," Maude cut in, "Staying at the herbs store is really exhausting because, we are five selling from the family since it's a family business. My elder sister and aunt wouldn't mind, but my mother wants me to always join to. It is annoying!"

"Maybe she wants you to own yours too after marriage," Giselle said.

"Never! I would like to be a stay home mum raising pretty kids, with a well to do handsome mate," she boasted, and the others laughed, "Well Sabina would probably not have a problem doing that. Her mum who is my mother's elder sister says, she would join us again."

"I just hate the family business!" Both cousins said, and the four of them grinned again. It was funny to watch them rant.

"Well, my father says, I would not get married till I turn twenty two. I still have three unmarried elder sisters and four that are married already," Giselle said.

"There are eight children in your family?!" Azalea unconsciously slipped out.

"Yeah, and my mother says she would still have two more, after a grown lady like myself. That woman must be kidding herself," Giselle jibed and the others laughed again. Giselle's family probably had the largest number of females in the city, and they all had pretty features of cute short hairs of different colours. They really stood out beautifully as a family.

The friends who were done saying theirs, were instinctively also waiting for Azalea to say hers too.

"I don't think I ever want to get married," she said slowly, hoping they would not ask further questions about why. She actually knew that was just bizarre wish, and that it was not possible for them not to ask anymore questions.

"Why?!" They all chorused almost at the same time, wondering why their friend had made such weird decision. What lady doesn't want to get married.

"I don't actually know. Never saw a guy and felt like I'd want to love or marry him. That is just me," she shrugged flippantly. And they surprisingly did not press further their questions. Maybe because they knew that, she would probably have no specific reasons for her logic and ideas.

There were so many weird things she did and said, she even rarely joined in any gathering that young ladies of the city enjoyed. She also did not have much of the basic home girl skills others had like, hand embroidery, weaving, decorating and many others. She was just unique in a way they could feel and know, and even her brains to everything they ever learnt together were no joke. It was always precised and detailed.