They first met by the river, a place off the grounds of Chellam. He was thirteen and she had just turned nine. They had been meeting there for the past six months or so, not, to the knowledge or their parents.
Amethyst sat by the river, her legs dipped into the cool waters. Her hand reached down to touched the clear liquid. At that moment, she forgot all the problems at home and felt completely peaceful.
Just then a voice, one she had gotten herself familiar with, broke the silence.
"Hello, my lady," James said in mock courtesy, and sat down clumsily next to her. "You look extremely well today."
Amethyst glanced at him. "Today?" she echoed. "Is that an indirect insult as to how I look every other day?"
He realised his mistake almost immediately. "Of course not," James said hastily. "It was just a casual remark. I meant-"
"Relax," she cut in with a small laugh. "'Twas just pulling your leg." She heard him heave a sigh of relief and smiled.
"How is your mother?" James inquired concernedly, sub-consciously aware that he was disrupting the comfortable silence by his insensitive urge to kick the water.
Amethyst's smile disappeared and she sounded terribly distant in her reply. "Worse, it would seem," she forced the words out and swallowed painfully.
"I am sorry to hear that," he said quietly. He hesitated for a while before asking her another question, for he did not want to give her the feeling that he did not care. "Why don't you tell me your name? I can get my parents to help."
Her startling purple eyes flashed; his words had obviously struck a nerve. "We do not need charity," the younger girl replied stiffly. "As for our names... we agreed from the start that we would remain nameless to each other-"
"Do not lie that you have never been curious," James interrupted in frustration.
"It was your idea-" she began.
"Yes, and now I take it back!"
Amethyst flinched. "You are scaring me," she said in a small voice.
He sighed deeply. "My apologies," he replied in a low voice.
"'Tis alright," she said quickly and they were quiet once more. It was as though a black cloud had decided to settle above their heads.
"Will you miss me?" James asked suddenly. Amethyst's head snapped up in surprise. "Will you miss me if I am gone?"
"Naturally," she answered automatically, although musing to herself the reason he wanted to leave. "'Course I will."
He smiled in relief. "W-will you wait for me?"
Amethyst's eyes widened. "W-wait for you?" she stammered. She turned away and swallowed again. What did he mean? As friends, well, certainly she will.
She tossed her raven hair over her shoulder to tell James that... only to find he had already left.
Amethyst sat by the river, her legs dipped into the cool waters. Her hand reached down to touched the clear liquid. At that moment, she forgot all the problems at home and felt completely peaceful.
Just then a voice, one she had gotten herself familiar with, broke the silence.
"Hello, my lady," James said in mock courtesy, and sat down clumsily next to her. "You look extremely well today."
Amethyst glanced at him. "Today?" she echoed. "Is that an indirect insult as to how I look every other day?"
He realised his mistake almost immediately. "Of course not," James said hastily. "It was just a casual remark. I meant-"
"Relax," she cut in with a small laugh. "'Twas just pulling your leg." She heard him heave a sigh of relief and smiled.
"How is your mother?" James inquired concernedly, sub-consciously aware that he was disrupting the comfortable silence by his insensitive urge to kick the water.
Amethyst's smile disappeared and she sounded terribly distant in her reply. "Worse, it would seem," she forced the words out and swallowed painfully.
"I am sorry to hear that," he said quietly. He hesitated for a while before asking her another question, for he did not want to give her the feeling that he did not care. "Why don't you tell me your name? I can get my parents to help."
Her startling purple eyes flashed; his words had obviously struck a nerve. "We do not need charity," the younger girl replied stiffly. "As for our names... we agreed from the start that we would remain nameless to each other-"
"Do not lie that you have never been curious," James interrupted in frustration.
"It was your idea-" she began.
"Yes, and now I take it back!"
Amethyst flinched. "You are scaring me," she said in a small voice.
He sighed deeply. "My apologies," he replied in a low voice.
"'Tis alright," she said quickly and they were quiet once more. It was as though a black cloud had decided to settle above their heads.
"Will you miss me?" James asked suddenly. Amethyst's head snapped up in surprise. "Will you miss me if I am gone?"
"Naturally," she answered automatically, although musing to herself the reason he wanted to leave. "'Course I will."
He smiled in relief. "W-will you wait for me?"
Amethyst's eyes widened. "W-wait for you?" she stammered. She turned away and swallowed again. What did he mean? As friends, well, certainly she will.
She tossed her raven hair over her shoulder to tell James that... only to find he had already left.
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