#atozchallenge: AZURE

Nat’anael couldn’t help sighing. She turned her ring over and over, finally holding it in front of her to stare at the sapphire that twinkled at her.

“What’s wrong?” Yve looked up from where she was busy writing a report for class. “Prince Charming not responding the right way?”

“He’s blocking me out,” she said, kicking at the legs of her chair. “Pushing me away.”

“If you look at it from his perspective, he’s being faithful.”

“I know! That’s why it’s so frustrating! He’s being faithful to me by rejecting me!”

“It’s not his fault,” Yve said pointedly, putting her pen down. “You could, after all, allow me to subtly leak your secret…”

“No!” Her emerald eyes flashing, she paced the room. “He can’t know. Not yet. Can’t you just imagine how awkward that would be?”

“He will have to visit the palace some day, Nel, pay a courtesy call to your parents, maybe request to see his betrothed and what would happen then?”

“I wouldn’t be at the palace so he wouldn’t see me, ever.”

“There will come a time…”

“The time is not now. I can’t stand to stay in on such a fine day. I’m going out,” Nat’anael said, grabbing her sling bag from the chair.

She clattered down the stairs, lost in her thoughts, coming to a sudden stop when she was suddenly confronted with a pair of blue eyes.

“Your Highness,” she mumbled in greeting, hoping that her cheeks weren’t too red.

“Nel,” he said quietly with a slight bow. “Are you just going out?”

“Yes, Highness.”

“By yourself?”

Nat’anael caught herself mid-shrug. “If Your Highness will permit?” she bit off the words, regretting them almost instantly as he flushed.

“I didn’t mean - at any rate, can you stop with this highness nonsense? I thought I’ve told you to call me Mait. Everyone else does. Why can’t you?”

She allowed herself to sink into his deep eyes for a moment, eyes that matched his heraldry, eyes that were mirrored in the sapphire that hung against her heart, eyes that were scrutinising her now.

“Because you always hold me apart,” she said as she walked away. “And I only reciprocate in kind.”

“Wait, Nel!”

She ignored his call, knowing that he wouldn’t chase after her. As soon as she was far away enough from the manor, she pulled out the ring that hung on a thin golden necklace from where it dangled between her breasts. The gem glinted between her fingers and she sighed again, wishing she could take back the edgy words that stood between her and Maitwe.

“Way to go, woman. This is exactly the way to make him fall in love with you,” she said as she tucked it away safely again.

She hated the way the azure skies taunted her.

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Azure:  

bright blue in colour like a cloudless sky

Heraldry blue

 

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The word "Azure" brought to mind the first novel I ever attempted (and which I still laugh over occasionally) which featured a princess with green eyes and a prince with blue eyes. They were betrothed to each other as babies and their parents exchanged rings that represented the colours of their eyes to seal it. This snippet derives from that story, which I haven't touched in about a decade.  

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Last note, promise. I think I've turned off word verification, but then again I thought I did before and it somehow reverted back. So I hope it doesn't turn up anymore!