DOMINIC: THE CONFRONTATION 1

I'm stunned my body's trembling from the over whelming emotions, I'm trying to gather my bearings but failing terribly. of all the places I expected to find her I never thought it would be here, away from the wealthy life and amongst the peasants. Guess I don't know her the way I thought I did and this realization makes my heart ache.

"are you okay prince Dominic" Abel asks from beside me and I nod absently "y-yes, I'm-i'm okay" I say my eyes still glued to where she stands

eight years of searching and coming up blank, of longing, of hopelessness of restlessness of aching of sleepless nights and finally she's within arms reach, relief washes over me. I'm beyond happy.

The God of luck is finally smiling in my favour.

"you must be really enthralled by the lady , if so I'll back off" Michael says with a chuckle "yeah he must really be, he hasn't even touched his food since he noticed her" they talk but I don't pay attention, I don't blink afraid that she might disappear if I do and it was just a trick of my imagination so I don't even breath I can't afford to have any thing disturb this, to wake me up to a painful reality that she's not the one and I'm just hallucinating.

My mind runs a mile on how to approach her because I'm a thousand and hundred percent sure if she notices me now she'll pick up and run, again. So I decide to wait till she's done with her sells I keep my self low and hidden amongst the crowd turning away when she looks in my direction, I know she can feel my eyes on her she's always been sensitive to her surrounding but I can't help it, I can't lose sight of her, I just stay quiet and drink in her ever action.

"prince Dominic, let's head to the meadows shall we?" Abel ask and I break my eyes away to answer "no, go on ahead I'll catch up with you guys once I'm done here" I say and they nod before leaving I turn my attention back to Nyx's stall and my heart stumbles when I don't see her there, i search frantically to find her but nothing and just as I stand up to take a step and move closer to her stall in search, I see her coming out from the back with more freshly baked pastries on a tray in her hands sweat clings to her forehead, temple and neck. I quickly take a step back and move to another stall to blend in pretending to be a customer while keeping my eyes on her.

By the time of evening she packs up her things and folds the stall and leaves, I pull up my cloak's hood to hide my face and follow behind her discreetly. she walk through the village exchanging greetings with the people that she come across.

They all seem close with her, 'how long has she been here?' I wonder

Nyx comes to a stop by a small bakery we came across earlier in our little tour around the village called me 'Jolly backers' she unlocks the door and steps in dropping everything she brought from the stall at the festival. I contemplate showing my self to her here but decide against it. Standing outside the shop I watch her through the glass window. She's busy putting things away and cleaning up the space, but she suddenly stops and before her face snaps in my direction as she peers out the window but I'm faster, I quickly step away and move to the side where the shadow resides blending in. Finding nothing she goes back to what she's doing and quickly finishes up before stepping out and heading home I observe her as I follow her. She has a relaxed and happy aura around her and when she smiles at her neighbours her eyes twinkle. that twinkle that was lost when she was with me.

We walk for a while and finally we appear at a pretty two story cottage with a balcony on the second floor by a small lake the brick wall's decorated with flowers and vines, the whole house is surrounded by brown straw fence that stops just below her chest.

The cottage looks like something out of a children's fairy tale story book, I observe.

she steps into the small gate made of twisted straw and then through the door into the house I also step in through the small gate careful not to make a sound and come to stand by the window watching her as she clears up the house, inside the house isn't so spacious but it has a feel of home, the walls a light shade of brown, with a fire place at the other wall six chairs are placed facing it horizontally and vertically a small table with a floral table covering is place on a peach coloured mat at the centre and a flower vase that's filled with lilac is on it, by the other wall there's a staircase leading up to the next floor and close to it is another door leading to what looks like a kitchen slash dining table with six chairs and by the window I stand peeping from is a shelf containing various things I can't see clearly from my angle, the curtains are of a golden brown. The house has Nyx written all over it. I watch Nyx clean up the space for a while before I decide to make myself known to her.

I move to her front door taking a deep breath I raise my hand and knock on the door "who's there" she asks "Teresa, Is that you" she ask but I don't say anything I hear her small feet pad across the wooden floors of the room coming towards the door I hear the bolt rattle before the door opens and we come face to face with each other and immediately she freezes I take in a deep breath and immediately my lungs are filled with her scent she smells like pastries and butter but underneath all that is her unique floral scent of lilac, I inhale a lung full missing it, I take in her features from up close, I drink in every rise and dip of her face, her hazel doe eyes, her cute button nose, her heart shaped full pink lips that's contributed to my sleepless nights, God she's so beautiful I've always thought so "hello Nyx" I say in a voice barely above a whisper, Nyx blinks a few times probably trying to make sure she's seeing right and when she confirms it, Her eyes widens and the colour drains from her face before she immediately tries to slam the door shut but my hand darts out to stop the door in time "Nyx, wait" I call out my voice desperate, "please just hear me out" I gently push it open and step in without asking for her permission because I Know I'd never get that, she quickly scrambles to the other side of the room creating a distance between us, Her chest rising and falling in quick breath her eyes darting around in search of where to run, she looks like a cornered rabbit, I don't want her like this scared especially of me so I try to ease her.

"How have you been Nyx" I ask quietly my eyes probing into hers trying to put her at ease but they are still wide with panic.

"H-how did you find me?" she ask tentatively

"its purely coincidental, I stumbled upon you at the carnival so I followed you" I admit

"ok, I suppose you came to say hello right" she says her eyes dart to the door before returning to me

"I didn't come here for that, well yes I did, but I came here to… talk abo…" I begin but she cuts me off "Dominic what do you want from me" she ask straight to the point and I take a deep breath "Nyx, I know you are mad at me and you have every right to be as I was never a good husband and acted like the biggest scum there is" I add "I know I messed up, Nyx. I know I hurt you, and I can never forgive myself for that. But I've spent every day since then trying to make things right, trying to find you." I say and she eyes me consciously "why are you saying this Dominic" Nyx asks her eyes sharp and piercing "I-I want you….." she cuts me off with a shake of her head "no,no,no, Dominic" again I catch her eyes darting to the door again her body language showing her impatience and my eyes narrow

"are you expecting a visitor" I ask curiously and her eyes snaps to mine her stare intense "yes…" she answers simply and I'm compelled to ask "who?"

Her eyes dart to the door again before it settles on me again, She tips her chin upwards her stance that of opposition "my husband" she says and my heart stumbles in my chest a growl rumbles in my throat I take one step towards her and she immediately steps back "he'd be home soon and I don't want him to meet you here, use the door please" she says curtly pointing towards the door, I'm shocked to say the least. I expected this but the reality hits different, I refuse to believe her.

"you lie" I tell searching her face to see if she's joking but there no signs of humour there she's serious. Anger washes over me and I immediately Walk towards her with large steps she tries backing away but my hand darts out and grabbing her by the arm, I pull her to me and she crashes to my chest. My body hums at the contact, this is the first time I've touched her in eight years, and from her touch I get the feeling of both assurance and dread. assurance that's she's here and real that this isn't another one of my illusions and dread for the battle ahead of me, the battle to win her heart to keep her by me, Forever. And the first step for that to happen is to let her know my intentions, she's mine and I don't care if there's another.

Nyx struggle against my hold, she's ponding against my chest to get free but I just tighten my arms around her keeping her locked in place and pushing her further into my chest "let go of me DOMINIC!, let me go!" she demands her beautiful hazel eyes glaring daggers as she peers up at me.

"what do you mean by husband Nyx" I demand through gritted teeth's as our eyes Collide the opposing intensity threatening to shake me "what do you mean, what do I mean by husband, what else could it mean aside from what it means Dominic" she bites out her continence drawn back in anger.