Chương 66: Book 2; Chapter 65; Nothing to hide

"King is calling," - Rainee explained. They put out the fire and called their horses. There were only three horses, and Blake seemed not in any mood to fly. Rainee was going to offer Anniet to ride together with her, but then changed her mind and decided to see how things would develop without her making decisions. She mounted her horse, Ruffus his. The horse that brought Anniet here belonged to Blake, so he jumped into the saddle too. Anniet wasn't too concerned about it.

"You three make your way back, don't worry about me. I remember the way, and King is not calling for me, so I will walk." - she said.

"Nonsense," - was Blake's reply. He leaned down, lifted Anniet as if she were weightless, and seated her in front of himself just a moment before urging his horse into a steady gallop while supporting Anniet with one arm around her waist. The other two followed behind. This move took Anniet off guard.

Before she could realise what had happened, she was sitting on a galloping horse in gentle Blake's embrace, pressed to his chest in such close proximity to his face that every time he breathed, she could feel it on her head. For Anniet herself, she was not breathing at all, or at least it felt that way. She was sitting on a horse sideways with her back supported by Blake's holding arm, which was gently but firmly pressing her to his chest.

Her head was devoid of thought entirely, or rather, there were so many thoughts buzzing through her head that they didn't make any sense, so it had the same effect as if no thoughts at all. All the feelings that she tried to forget and bury deep down were yanked back up by this simple move, and she realised that all the efforts she had put into it were swiped away just like that. This realisation frightened and hurt her – if that would be Anthony, she knew until now, things would be so different, but he wasn't.

He was... then she realised that she didn't even know who he was. All she knew about him herself was Anthony from School, and all she knew about the general was only titles and tales heard from others. She tried to think, but her thoughts would leave before she could reach them. All she knew was that the only thing she wanted to do right now was to put her head on his shoulder and stop thinking. She didn't dare to do so, and fighting it was hurting her to the point that tears started to build in her eyes."

What a really distrustful situation", - she thought. But at this very moment, Blake lifted his other hand and gently pressed her head down to his shoulder, right in a place where she wanted it to be. He waited some time until she relaxed before moving his hand away. Anniet was stunned by this action. The thought crossed her mind, "Can it be that he knows what I am feeling?"

"Yes", - came the answer from just above her head. Anniet was dumbfounded. So she was right, he can understand what she was feeling." All the time?" - She thought again with caution.

"Yes", - Blake answered to her. Then another realisation crossed her mind, and she voiced the question aloud this time:"Can you read my thoughts?"

"Sort of," - Blake replied. Then added after a short pause, - "I cannot read or hear thoughts but rather feel them, and this feeling creates a thought in my mind, it can be very accurate or not depending on many things."" So this is how they know so much about each other even when saying a little," - Anniet thought. This is a very tough ability to have – one with it must always be able to sense when the other side is lying.

"Yes," - Blake answered directly to her thoughts as if trying to disclose how little she can hide from him… You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"That can make a life very difficult," she thought not knowing how to react to all what she just discovered,"or very easy depending on how open one wants to be." She was staying tense for a while, not knowing what to do with this new information. The ride was very smooth, as the saddle was different from those she had seen before. It was flat, soft, and comfortable, and the horse's movements could hardly be sensed. It felt more like flying through the air on a cushion than riding a horse.

Anniet started to relax and realisation about all this situation flooded her. So he knew how she felt all the time... Bunch of thoughts were hiding behind the corner ready to take a grip over her but she chased them away." No," she corrected herself, " it makes life very uncomplicated and easy as there is no need to think about how to act or what to say. The best way is just to do and say what you think." With that realisation, such an inner peace engulfed her.

No need to hide anything because all is already known…" What a blessing..." she thought at the same time, putting her arms around Blake's waist in a firm embrace and relaxing herself into this moment. Listening to his heartbeat, inhaling his scent, and feeling his steady breathing. How good it was to be able not to hide any more that she wanted to stay like this so badly. A little smile came to Blake's face as if some hidden tension had been released. Anniet didn't see it.

Truth to be told she didn't see anything around. Right now she was where she wanted to be for so long and nothing else mattered. She closed her eyes and stopped worrying about anything.

Senses started slowly to come back to her. First, she felt the unusual warmth of somebody's body next to her, then smell followed, then the feeling of arms holding her in a cradle. After that, memories started to come back, and Anniet opened her eyes just to realise that she had fallen asleep. No wonder – it was already morning, but still she felt a little embarrassed. Even worse, they were not in a wilderness any more and not galloping.

Horses were now walking at a steady pace through some settlement, and the city could be seen in the distance in front of them. They couldn't gallop any more because, despite it being early morning and raining badly, people were rushing out of their houses to meet and greet them. If they would try to gallop, there would definitely be some casualties, as people, especially children, were getting very close, nearly under the hooves of the horses.

Word was spreading faster than a horse could run, and citizens were very eager to catch a glimpse of the Rainbow Lady and her Dark Knight (as they call them) safe and sound back to the Capital after everyone thought they had been gone for good. Because she was asleep, Blake used both his arms to support her, holding her like a baby in a cradle. She was wondering what people around them thought, knowing his reputation as an unapproachable lone wolf, now carrying her like this on his horse.

She looked up but didn't see any displeasure on his face, but he didn't look back at her either. Calm and somehow cold face was not paying any attention to the crowd around them. Anniet looked around, she couldn't understand how she managed to sleep through all this ruckus – probably this noise was what finally woke her up. She looked to the side and saw that Rainee was riding next to them, and when she felt her look, she smiled warmly at Anniet.

Unlike Blake, she was showing lots of attention and affection to the people around, sometimes even pulling a flower out of the empty air to give to a child. Ruffus was riding behind them; he didn't get so much attention – not because people didn't like him, but he was always here, and no one thought him being dead for the last two years, so all glory and celebration were going to Rainee and Blake. And Anniet. Despite the fact that she didn't need to be celebrated, as no one knew who she was.

Anniet sat up a bit straighter, with regret pulling herself away from Blake's chest. She thought it would be best if he would put her on the ground away from this procession, where she didn't really belong, so everyone could admire their loved Dark General without her being part of it. She looked up again at Blake's face, not knowing how to say it. This time, he looked back at her and gave her a small smile before saying in soft but indisputable voice:"I am not leaving you behind."

Simple and short reply as always." Fair enough …" Anniet thought leaning back to his chest. Then a new thought came to her head, it was raining and people around them were wet, but neither she nor Blake were wet at all… How can it be? She looked up and saw that just before reaching them, droplets of rain were pushed to the sides by some invisible force. She looked at Rainee – same. None of the three riders were getting any rain on them despite there being no umbrellas over.

Actually, around Rainee, there was a pretty large dry area, and children tried to stay next to her and run back to the rain and out again. Around Blake, there wasn't such a dry patch; if anything, the water at his sides looked even more intense, as if trying to keep everyone away.

"I thought you like rain," - she said, suddenly remembering him standing outside and getting soaking wet.

"I do," - Blake replied, - "But it is way too much more challenging to maintain a presentable appearance when wet than simply push the water away." So it was important to him to be presentable after all. Remembering the conversation not so long ago, she probed again.

"But if you want to present yourself in a certain way, even if it doesn't match how you are feeling, wouldn't it be noticeable to everyone straight away?"

"And why would it be noticeable?" – Blake sounded a bit curious.

"Well, if they can understand what you feel and even feel thoughts, wouldn't it be obvious?"

"Who? They? They can understand little and feel even less!"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realise this is a way of communication only for people in the royal palace."

"It has little to do with the royal palace, either. If anything, it would frighten them to death to find out that someone can see through their lying faces. That's why they are terrified of King, as it is impossible to lie in King's presence; that's why they keep flattening themselves to the ground at the sight of his shadow and scoot off as soon as they have a chance. Don't think too highly about this place; it stands only as high as the people who reside here boost themselves up by bragging about themselves".

"Cheerful as always," - Rainee said from aside, - "don't listen to him, people might not be as good as they try to pretend, but they are definitely not as bad as this dark personality says." Blake didn't object to it, just put his gaze back on the road.