11: The Princess' Chamber

...

It was already dark outside when I woke up from my short slumber. I stretched my arms and gazed at the mural painted on the ceiling.

The painting spoke so much of the past that I think I should remember but I couldn't. I tapped my forehead as a habit in trying to wrack my brain of any sort of memory and gasped upon realizing that there was a bandage sitting across my temple.

I forgot my injury!

Silly me!

I sighed and rose up.

I turned around and appreciated the soft comfortable mattress, the fresh smelling linens and cuddly pink pillows enveloping my dead-tired body.

"It was a nice sleep." I said before I stood up and glided my way to the walk-in closet.

It was nice. Really nice.

No! Nice was an understatement.

That grey door at the corner of the bedroom was in each and every girl's daydream.

As I turned the knob, I was greeted by a number of organized racks of fancy dresses arranged by colors and shades; on my left was a tall wall-mounted shelves of branded bags and limited edition signature shoes. There were a couple of dresser drawers sitting sharply on the other side that keeps those stunning pieces of jewelry, luxurious fragrances, latest make-ups and other fancy stuff safe and in place.

This is another level of a dream!

I felt that I some kind of entered a mini luxury department store and that I can try on anything I want without being chased out by the sales lady or by the security.

"Impressive!"

Could this room be previously owned by a duchess, or by a princess, perhaps?

I walked in and glanced at the glass-top dresser standing at the center of the room. My eyes sparkled as I gazed at the little fringe tiara sitting securely at the middle of the glass display. I couldn't count how many stones and diamonds I've seen in there but it was beautifully crafted for a princess. The graduated diamond posts, having the tallest in the center and descending in size were separated by narrower posts of stones in different shapes. It exudes simplicity yet grandeur at the same time.

It was a total beauty.

I searched for a knob or a pull to open the drawer but there was none.

What a shame! If only I could try it on and feel like a princess even once in my lifetime but the drawer was locked somewhere from the inside.

I just settled gazing at it for a few moments before I headed out to the bathroom.

The bathroom was on a whole different level from the walk-in closet. The rich sense of vanilla tickled my nose as I made my way to the giant bathroom. There I saw a shining white tub with golden rims and diamond studded tub faucets sitting as the focal point of the room.

Three parallel full-length silver bordered mirrors were installed on the left side while two three-tier wall-mounted shelves were hooked in between them. Sitting across the room was a stunning white double sink atop a rectangular wall-mounted floating grey vanity. Four compartments were inside the two soft closing drawers where a pile of clean, fresh towels and linens were stored. There was a frameless mirror medicine cabinet with two doors mounted above the sink.

Just beside the countertop sink was the toilet and the frameless sliding glass towards the contemporary and ergonomically designed shower area. The bathroom fixtures were all sleek and modern in design. Beside the shower glass door was the freestanding towel stand, laundry hamper and floating wall shelves where other bathroom vanities were properly organized.

The tub was the core of the bathroom but the crystal chandelier hoisted above it was the real show-stealer. Like the fringe tiara I saw earlier, the well-decorated chandelier houses different sizes and shapes of yellow and white round cut diamonds.

"What a beauty!"

My eyes travelled around the whole room and everything around me was screaming elegance, luxury, and sophistication. When I turned to the full-length mirror and saw my own reflection, my face was suddenly flooded with disgust and pity.

"What a minger!"

I got my crimson locks all disheveled, my face so pale, my eyebrows a mess, my lips chapped, my skin totally dry. I stretched my gray pull over and shook my tired legs under my black ripped jeans.

"You need a good bathing, Ruth!" I said with finality before I excitedly walked across the marbled-floor and sat by the side of the tub. I veered one of the tub faucets and a steamy clean water flowed out and quickly filled the tub.

"Oh! This is life!" I exclaimed as I emerged from the water-filled tub, bubbles covering my body from chest down. I grabbed my glass of wine I earlier found inside one of the cabinets and enthusiastically sipped on it. My clothes were randomly scattered on the floor.

Oh well! No one's ever going to enter my room, anyway.

"Did I lock the door, though?"

I shrugged off the idea and took another sip of wine. I lifted my legs at the bottom edge of the tub when I felt I hit something and it fell to the water.

"A remote?" I looked on it and indeed it was some sort of a remote control. I pressed the red button in the middle and squealed out a little when a familiar song echoed within the four walls of the bathroom.

"Who knows how long I've loved you…You know I love you still. Will I wait a lonely lifetime if you want me to I will…For if I ever saw you, I didn't catch your name, but it never really matter, I will always feel the same."

"What's with this song?"

Matt played this song in his apartment yesterday when we first met and he listened to it last night too while we were on the train.

Yet this time, it wasn't a girl's voice singing over a ukulele, it was a man's voice singing while playing his acoustic guitar.

"Love you forever and forever, love you with all my heart. Love you whenever we're together. Love you when we're apart."

Hmm…His voice sounded overly familiar. An inner voice kept telling me that I heard that voice somewhere.

Somehow, that soothing singing voice made me feel at ease as if every line and every strum caress my soul, like every letter and every tune strokes my heart with kindness and yearning.

I pressed the volume up, closed my eyes and let my heart listened to it. The song was nice but it was the manly deep voice of the unknown singer that touched my heart and made it collapsed like a melted ice cream in the middle of the summer's scorching heat.

…

"And when at last I find you; your song will fill the air…"

Marcus paused on his way to the corner room and turned to the closed door on his left. He can hear the faint melody coming from her room. It was that song. She was playing that song.

He stood outside her door and quietly listened to it.

"Love you forever and forever, love you with all my heart. Love you whenever we're together. Love you when we're apart."

"And when at last I find you; your song will fill the air. Sing it loud so I can hear you, make it easy to be near you. For the things you do endear you to me, Ohh... you know I will…"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Ruth!"

In a snap, Marcus found himself inside the bedroom with his eyes busy searching for her.

"Ruth! Where are you?!"

"In here!" A fainted voice came from the bathroom.

Without having any second thought, Marcus crossed the room and sprinted towards the closet.

There, he found her body lying on the floor in a very awkward position. Her naked body was leaning against the cold marble floor while her scattered clothes were on the floor.

"What happened?"

"Get me a towel, first!" She screamed cramming which body part she should cover first using her arms.

Marcus grabbed a clean pink robe from the stand and tossed it over her nakedness. He hesitantly turned around and waited for her.

"Can you get up?" There was a hint of worry in his voice.

"Look away!"

"I'm not looking!" He gagged.

"Just don't look, okay?" Her voice trailed off a bit.

He was worried if she hurt herself again.

"Okay." He raised his two arms as a sign of defeat.