Heart Change

Heart Change

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. Most every other night Sarah would have sat staring at the sky hoping desperately to see a dragon or two. It has been a year now since she had see the great creatures, someone said they moved south because of the curse the Stegmeier witches had put on the forest Sarah called home. She sat staring at the small satchel that carried her change of clothes then turned once more to bid goodbye to the one true friend she had in the world. Once more a tear trickled down her cheek as she stared at the tiny cross above the small grave that held the body of best and only friend.

“Tis not fair,” she said again hoping the Creator understood her pain. She herself did not understand why her little friend had died. The pain of separation began to take its toll and Sarah began to sink in on herself. The beautiful purple sky did not seem to affect her at all tonight, its beauty usually brought a song to mind and she would lie in the grass beside her small hut and hum the tune and all would be right again no matter the trials of the day. But never again she thought to herself, nothing would ever be the same.

“Missing someone greatly, are we?” A soft male voice startled Sarah into a minor panic. She knew this voice, she had heard him many times, and each time elicited thoughts of grandeur. It was the voice of the price of the Golden Realm. It was all Sarah could do to hold her tongue, nobodies like her were not permitted to speak to or even look at the royals. She turned slightly but kept her tear-filled eyes on the ground. “Come, come no one is about. I have slipped my keepers once more. Tis the only time I can be about and be near ordinary folk.” Sarah stole a lightening glace around but was still frozen in place. They did seem to be alone, but fear kept her still.

He waited a few moments and then knelt to meet her eyes. She shut them tightly, sucking in a breath at the beauty of his deep blue eyes. “I mus-musent.” She whispered, her small body shaking still. Though she had reached a full fifteen summers Sarah was tiny in stature, barely above four feet. She had always felt close to the prince because he was also relatively short compared to the others in the royal family, he was merely four inches taller than she, and she had no way of knowing that males generally grew in leaps and bounds in their late teens. He would finish out much taller.

In all of his sixteen years Jacob had never understood the caste system he was constantly being reminded of. He failed to understand why he was permitted interaction with the upper crust freely, people he had no desire to mingle with, and the ones he liked were all off limits. He secretly hoped one day to change things, that is if ever he came into power as a ruler. “I like that cat of yours, he was such a storyteller.” Jacob mused. He smiled then to himself as Sarah forgot herself and looked up sharply.

Her eyes filled with wonder. Suddenly her eyes dropped once more and she trembled. Jacob reached down and tipped her chin up to face him. Her deep emerald eyes fascinated him, they held such wonder, and knowledge of the world he so desperately wanted to know. “H-how did you know Jester?” She asked timidly.

Smiling a little more Jacob stepped back and leaned against the crumbling stone wall along the path. “Ah he visited the castle regularly and we became friends. He was permitted to wander with me when I insisted that he was a great mouser.” He said grinning now. Sarah scoffed, Jester would not be caught dead chasing mice. The thought of him dead brought more tears.

“He is not gone, you know, simply not here.” Jacob said softly. Sarah cocked her head, her golden locks slipping from the tattered hat she wore reflected the purple light emanating from the heavens, it looked magical, Jacob decided. “Cats have nine lives and Jester revealed to me that he was only on his third. Give him time little one, he will return. He often spoke of you when we talked late at night. He made me promise to look after you should anything happen to him.” Now Sarah was truly intrigued and leaned closer.

“They had him killed you know,” she whispered. “That werewolf was set on him two seasons ago. We were planning to leave Crescent Valley when they caught him. Three wolves against one tis unfair.” Her voice took on a timber.

“Come, I have a place to keep you safe until either Jester returns, and which form it will be I have no clue, or two you reach a point where I feel you can fend for yourself.” This last part he made up because he really did not think Sarah would ever hold her own against the old witch seeking her demise. He was also determined to find out why Duchess Carnella wanted Sarah gone.

Timidly Sarah nodded and followed the young prince into the tall elm trees. Somehow she fully trusted him to care for her. Glancing back only once and then clinging to Jacob’s words that Jester would live again she picked up her small case and followed.