Company to Accompany

There was a cool breeze in the air, cooling the atmosphere even with the ruthless, burning rays of the sun penetrating through the ozone layer and landing on the surface. It was early in the morning and the streets were active with pedestrians hustling to get to their respective occupations. Bright and cheerful, just like every morning the acquainted citizens of the small town greeted each other on their way. Eleanor observed her surroundings as she pedaled away on her cycle to reach her shop, her gloomy and dampened mood contradicting the animated ambience.

The reason was yet another nightmare had disturbed her peaceful slumber the previous night. The same one that had continuously haunted her in her sleep for a few long years now. She had rings of dark circles underneath her eyes, making her look like a panda in the making. Eleanor was a bit weak in the department of make-up and dressing up. Not that she ever had any use for that stuff anyway. She was a rare, natural beauty who was confident enough to feel comfortable in her skin without the need for using artificial products to amplify her dainty features. Like usual she had used some powder to conceal her eye-bags, which had become a common occurrence with her, and some peach-flavored lip balm to deepen the pink tint of her lips.

As she turned the corner, she caught sight of someone standing at the store's door with their back towards her.

'Who is it?' she questioned herself before picking up pace.

The unknown figure turned around, his face in her direction, and she gasped. She felt her breath getting stuck when she recognized the familiar masked face.

'It's him. Why is he here? Does he need my help?' She wondered if he would tell the reason for his abrupt departure yesterday.

It did hurt her a bit, for she had come to see him as a potential friend she could make, a proper comrade with whom she could share her woes and joy, someone to rant to incessantly, and someone who could give her sound advice in her moments of insensibility. A true friend of a similar age group is someone Eleanor yearned for because of all the stories she had read about loyal friends who genuinely care and want the best for their companions.

It's not like she trusted him fully or anything, not yet. She had just momentarily lowered her guard down to him as he had helped her in more than one situation. His covertness lured her in, making her want to learn more about him.

"Hey!" She called out as she clutched the brakes and came to a stop before him.

"Good morning," he greeted back with a nod. He looked as ordinary and low-key as possible in a plain grey hoodie and track pants, a mask covering half of his face, and the hoodie's cap covering his head. Even so, he looked better than any other person she had seen before in similar clothing.

Eleanor jumped off her bicycle and smiled towards him. "Is everything alright? You left in quite a hurry yesterday."

The prince who was pretending to be an unimportant commoner clenched his fists. He gazed into her emerald orbs, as clear as water.

"Nothing too alarming. A minor issue that required my oversight no need to worry about it."

"Oh, is that so. Then I hope it went well?" She inquired with her wide eyes, looking adorably innocent. His shaded eyes lightened like a storm passes over to let the light shine through, his gaze gentle and endearing. He knew she was trying to probe him to let out more details, but he was adamant in keeping her in the dark for a while longer regardless of it being the right thing or not.

"It has not been completely done away with, but for now, it's better to leave it be. This impasse is not one to be dealt with so quickly and will take time."

"I see," Eleanor nodded thoughtfully, " So, what brings you here? I am happy to help if you need my assistance, so long as it's within my capabilities." Her small smile was simple and understanding, yet it brought complicated feelings to arise in the masked prince's heart.

"I came to apologize for leaving you precipitously in the middle of the dinner. That was rude of me, however unintentional."

Eleanor decided she liked the way he talked, so sophisticatedly with embellished vocabulary. The deep timbre of his voice also added to the effects, amplifying them impressively.

'Wait, what are you thinking? Not the time to notice things like that,' she chastised herself before replying-" You don't have to apologize. I, too, have had my fair share of unforeseen situations arising with the worst timings possible and creating problems. I forgive you."

Her chestnut-brown hair was tied in a fishtail braid, laying tamed on her shoulder in the flowing winds. A few short ringlets framed her heart-shaped face, and she looked like a pretty tomboy in her pastel blue jump-suit, a headband of the same color crowning her head.

The hooded man repeated his nod and muttered out a 'Thank you,' before letting comfortable silence set between them to give him time to ponder over his next words.

"What are your plans for today?"

Eleanor was surprised by this question and racked her brain to form a suitable reply, "I keep the shop closed today. I only came to finish some pending paperwork, do some odd jobs of the store, tally all the bills and update records. Then I will probably be going home to spend time with my aunt."

"You live with your aunt?" He asked as if he didn't already know.

"Yes," she kept her reply short, sighing mentally for the question that usually follows. It never came.

"The forest on the edge of the town, have you ever happened to venture inside it?"

Eleanor welcomed the topic change but felt like the question was strange. "I have. Not very deep because that's where most of the wildlife is, but yes, till the safest distance, I have wandered inside of it."

"Excellent. Would you mind accompanying me for a short walk inside the forest. Being surrounded by nature's greenery is something I enjoy." More like her presence brought him immense joy, but he couldn't say that to her, not yet.

Eleanor looked at him weirdly," Are you sure? There are many gardens that you can visit, you know? They'll serve the same purpose."

"They already have so many people that it's over-crowded, and the loud noise annoys me," he answered instantly, almost as if he expected her to say so.

"The peaceful solitude of the forest attracts me, but I am not familiar with the trail, hence I am afraid to lose my way."

"If I help you with your work, would you come along?" He asked in hopes of compromising.

Eleanor thought over his words and recalled the number of works that she needs to complete.

"Alright," she nodded, not finding a good enough reason to decline. It was still early in the morning, and the work should not take more than an hour or two. That leaves them plenty of time to explore the forest before dark.

Locking her cycle at the usual place near the entrance of the store, Eleanor searches through her pockets to fish out a set of keys and unlocks the glass door with one of them. With one tug at the special rope hanging from the ceiling near the door she pulls the curtains up, letting the bright sunlight stream in through the window like walls.

The prince followed behind her with his hands tucked in his trousers' pockets providing him with the opportunity to feast on her back profile-her narrow shoulders, thin waist, and hips. The sight made the perverted side of him wake up and ogle with glee. When she suddenly turned to face him he was just able to raise his downcast gaze before she caught him staring at you-know-what.

Eleanor glanced upwards at his face and met his glassy stare.

"You can help me by first watering the plants, if you don't mind. The water can is there underneath that desk," she pointed at a corner behind her. "And beside that is a door which leads to a small washroom from where you can fill the water."

"Of course," and he got to work.

The people who have seen the prince grow up would have bled through their eyes had they watched him at this current moment. The devilish man who has always got everything he has ever wanted, has been spoiled rotten, has an irrational attitude, who has not ever made his bed even once-was here watering about a hundred or so plants without a complaint.

The prince's rough, calloused hands which are tainted by blood, have held numerous weapons of all sorts, killed mercilessly, now collected and organized sheets of papers, and copied information in a thick register. The person who can hack into other nation's most secretive, encrypted files, entered data as per the commands of the petite woman beside him.

A lovesick fool- that's what he was going to turn into in the near future.

The power of love is strong, and it's effects on a person's sanity and mentality-most bizarre.