This love is like a curse (53)
- What difference does it make whether my lips are purple or green! - she shouted, throwing his cloak to the ground.
Another sigh was heard in response.
My eyes stung with tears.
He smiles at Ayla, but in front of me he just sighs. I can't stand this face.
“Even if I freeze to death here, I will make sure that it doesn’t cause you the slightest bit of inconvenience!” So go to your noble birthday ball for your precious twins! Go and grovel before them as much as you like!
“Even if you spend the whole night here, you won’t freeze to death.” Unless you catch a cold.
- Great! This means you can die from a cold!
Талия заорала, и он резко откинул с лица прилипшие от дождя волосы. This irritated gesture made her flinch involuntarily, but, as always, his voice remained absolutely calm.
-What should I do to make you stop playing the tragic heroine?
There was a hint of mockery in his sarcastic tone, and Thalia's eyes flashed again.
He is always polite to Isla, but he always teases me. I can't stand him.
The girl looked at him angrily, pulled the pearl jewelry out of her carefully braided hairstyle - and without hesitation threw it into the lake.
- Bring it back - then I’ll stop.
Longboat's eyes narrowed.
Thalia was sure that he would flare up or, out of habit, simply turn around and leave. Then she would have stayed here until the night, until she collapsed exhausted.
Let him then be tormented by remorse, looking at my corpse.
But, as always, Barkas did not play by her rules.
He demonstratively began to unbutton the buttons of his uniform.
Talia opened her eyes in surprise, and then chuckled. He pretends to jump, hoping she will stop him. There's no way he'll ever get into the water for real.
Thalia watched as he took off his uniform with ostentatious calm, folded it neatly under a tree, and then pulled off his knee-length boots.
Well, let's see how far you go.
He even took off his sword belt. Now, left in a thin shirt and light trousers, he walked up to the shore and looked at the lake for several seconds, along which the rain was drizzling.
He's just trying to break my will. He thinks I'll give up.
Thalia was about to grin when suddenly, without warning, he jumped into the water.
The girl jumped up.
The gray mirror of the lake swallowed him up in an instant. With a stunned face, she rushed forward and looked into the darkness of the water.
- Longboat?
But the lake was silent.
There was no sign of the eighteen-year-old boy who, over the past two years, had grown into a frighteningly handsome guy.
- Longboat!
Everything around was drowning in the drizzling rain, and only her voice echoed deafeningly over the water surface.
Thalia started to panic.
- Stop fooling around!
The wind swept across the lake, raising ripples. But he was still not there.
Suddenly my breath caught in horror.
Without thinking, Talia rushed into the water. She had barely taken a few steps when the cold water had already reached her waist.
She splashed the water with her hands with all her might, trying to see at least something in the darkness.
- Longboat! Longboat! Where are you!
Silt slid underfoot and branches caught.
She took another step - the water now reached her chest.
Tears and sobs escaped along with her breathing, she frantically thrashed through the water.
- I... I was wrong! OK? So please come out! “Talia lost control of herself and screamed with all her heart.
And then the surface of the lake rose - an elongated figure rose from the water.
Talia was dumbfounded.
Longboat brushed his wet hair from his face, from which water was flowing, and slowly turned to her. His blue eyes twinkled under wet eyelashes.
- Here.
Longboat, as if trying to maintain balance, lightly grabbed her shoulder with one hand and held out something in front of her with the other.
Thalia stared at his hand absentmindedly.
-Are you satisfied now?
On his palm lay the same pearl jewelry that she had thrown into the water with force.
An exhausted laugh escaped from her mouth on its own.
Thalia covered her face with her hand and chuckled through her exhale. But a moment later, as if in a fit of madness, with a distorted face, she snatched the jewelry from his hand and again threw it far away.
He didn't even raise an eyebrow when he saw how she, without hesitation, got rid of what he had difficulty obtaining.
Thalia, who was looking at this, could not stand it, raised her hand and slapped him in the face.
- You did this on purpose, right? Wanted to scare me!
He silently took the blow.
For some reason, it was his silent equanimity that inflamed her even more.
Talia switched to fists and began to beat him furiously.
“You waited for me to tell you that I was wrong!” Sneaky bastard! I can't stand people like you!
- Enough already.
Longboat suddenly grabbed her wrists and lowered his voice.
Thalia looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. Her face directly screamed: “I’m terribly offended.” Seeing her offended expression, he sighed with a hint of annoyance.
- You have exhausted today's quota. Stop the hysteria and get out of the water.
- No! I will never listen to you! I'd rather drown here! And you go wherever you want!
While she was struggling and screaming, he simply took her hand and dragged her to the shore.
Even then, she didn't stop hitting him on the back. Longboat, looking at this with an expression of extreme bewilderment, shook his head, lifted his cloak and wrapped her tightly, tying the sleeves so that she could no longer fight.
Trying to free herself, Thalia jerked with all her might, but, realizing that her hands were not moving, she kicked him in the shin.
-Have you tied up the princess?! Совсем с ума сошёл, разбойник!
- Who would say?
Longboat exhaled heavily, and then threw her over his shoulder like a sack.
Thalia screamed like a wounded duck.
- I am imperial blood, idiot! Where have you ever seen a knight treat a princess like that?!
Without saying a word, he picked up his sword and clothes and, carrying them, walked away through the rain.
Talia, like a wild animal, kicked, cursed, spat - but in the end she went limp and helpless.
Longboat released her only in the palace. Talia, her eyes sparkling with rage, barely had time to get to her feet before she sank exhaustedly to the floor again.
And that same evening, as predicted, she actually came down with a severe flu.
Longboat placed a chair next to her bed and, sitting down, calmly began to read.
How his calm face infuriated her.
Deliriously, she muttered: “Are you glad I’m sick?”
He turned the page without looking up from the book.
- Sometimes it’s not even bad.
With her eyes burning with heat, she stared at him. "Sometimes? “You always think that,” she muttered mentally and buried her face in the pillow.
Deep down, she was incredibly glad that he stayed with her instead of leaving for Ayla's holiday. Therefore, I could condescendingly forgive his slight insolence.
Trying not to smile, she closed her eyes.
Even despite the fever, for some reason I still wanted to laugh.
It's always like that with Barkas. Everything inside is burning - resentment, anger, and despair - but the heart is filled with something inexplicably warm. At times he seemed like the closest person to her.
“Maybe we’re even kind of friends?”
With this blatant illusion in their heads, their common past accumulated, layer by layer.
Maybe it was a heavy burden for him. But for her, these were precious days.
It was thanks to him that she was able to survive her hopeless, lonely life.
However, now these memories became not a consolation, but shackles that did not allow her to move on.