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Chapter 7.5: The Other Heart

Anasthasia stares at the pendant on her palm while she smoothly touches it with her fingertips; a tear falls from her eyes; she shut closes her eyes as she reminisces a memorable moment.

In her memory...

"Anna, close your eyes," A cold deep voice spoke. It was from a young man who had dust-blonde hair and that gorgeous pair of sapphirine blue eyes; it was Henry. He talked to a young lady with platinum white hair and a couple of pink eyes; this is the young Anasthasia.

"Why?" Anasthasia asked curiously to tease while examining Henry's stern face. The bright sun shone on them below; they're at a beach barefoot on the white sand. The wind breeze made their hair fly away, and they heard the sound of the waves from the sea.

Henry looked at her with an annoyed face; he started to get annoyed, "Seriously, just do it, will you," He said in an irritated tone. Anasthasia pouted. Sometimes she wondered why she fell in love with this guy in front of her? But even so, she was thankful and blessed that she did. It was never a regret.

"Jeez, why are you so pushy today?" She asked while crossing her arms to her chest and looking away from him. Then, she looks at Henry's pleading eyes.

"Please?" He begged in a calming voice.

She sighed in defeat, "Fine." No matter how pushy or annoying he gets, she always ends up doing what he told her to do with that pleading eyes of his.

Anasthasia then closes her eyes, feeling the breeze that touches her milky skin. First, she felt a warm body in front of her, and something was wrapped around her neck; second, she passed was gone, "You can open your eyes now," She heard Henry's deep voice.

As soon as she heard those words, she slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see Henry smiling brightly; she was dumbfounded by it, "Happy Birthday, Darling!" he greeted with those scrunch smiles.

She was so stunned that she didn't have time to react. She once saw Henry smile but not this bright. It is so rare for Henry to scrunch a smile as he always has a stern, serious expression on his face. She felt her cheeks heated; she was slightly blushing.

Something was hanging around her neckline that she had felt before. She looked down and saw a blue heart-shaped locket; she grabbed it and scanned, "What's this, Henry?" Anasthasia asked, looking at Henry and back to the locket.

"It's my present for you. You're 18 now, right?" He said while rubbing the back of his head, averting his eyes while blushing a little, "Helly made it; I asked her to."

Anasthasia can't help but smile. She still can't believe that Henry could be this shy around her. She chuckled and opened the locket and saw the letter H and A written calligraphy of each blue heart, between is the hinge that separates the heart in the middle.

"Wow," She exclaims astonishingly. The two letters are the initials of their names. Henry and Anasthasia. She smiled brightly and looked at Henry, who was still averting his eyes, avoiding her look, and he asked, "Do you like it?"

Anasthasia let go of the necklace and ran off to him. She jumped into him to give him a tight hug. Henry was off guard by the sudden hugged of Anasthasia, "Oi!" he shouted and caught Anasthasia's waist, but he was enabled to stand correctly, causing them to fall on the sands.

"Do I like it? No, I love it so much. Thank you," Anasthasia said happily in the embrace of Henry's while Henry lay on the sand and Anasthasia at the top of him; Henry managed to pat her head and slight smile, then suddenly Anasthasia moved closer to his face and placed a kiss on his cheek, "And I love you too." she said smiling cheekily.

Henry's eyes widened, and he felt his cheek heated to his ears. Henry's face was red as a tomato; he was blushing so much. He quickly shoved Anasthasia away from him, stood up from his position, and walked away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Anasthasia shouted asked while sitting on the sand; she quickly stood up too, rubbed the remaining dust from her white dress, and followed him behind, "Seriously! Are you that shy?" She asked jokingly and laughed.

Back to reality...

Anasthasia smiled bitterly at the memory she reminisces, and tears fell from her eyes to her cheek, "I miss you, darling, so much," She mumbled with a sob, "It's been fourteen years, and I still love you,"

A knock was heard at the door; she instantly wiped off her tears and responded to it, "Come in," Servants rushed in a while, holding some materials.

"We are here to get Her Majesty ready for the party," One maid said after curtsying.

"Yes, thank you," she answered, then gave a smile to them; she then wore the necklace around her neck and stood up from her position.

...

"What a dreadful memory."

In a gloomy cabin, only the dim lights of the candles inside the hanging lantern lamps are the source of the brightness in the room, sat a man in his 30's on a ruddy throne chair comfortably in front of a wooden pedestal desk.

The man caresses his forehead in an aggravating manner, attempting to obliterate the memories on his head when a knock has been heard on the wooden door. "Come in," His deep husky, rough voice echoed through the cabin as the door open making a screeching sound.

The noise of footsteps on the wooden floor reached the man and halted a young lad in front of the desk. The man's dust-blonde hair sways as he perks up at the young boy and looks at his eyes, "Oh, did you find the necklace?" He asked in his sharp voice.

He shifted his seat and shoved forward to grab the teacup placed on the desk; he sipped on it before glancing back at the boy with his sapphire eyes. "Yes, I did, but," the youth answered, gazing at the man's jeweled eyes, wondering of something.

The man paused for a moment and stared at him with keening eyes, "But what?"

"Unfortunately, Captain, a particular young lady has it," The young boy with jet black hair said with a polite tone. The man carefully placed his teacup back on his desk, not wanting to break it, and put his hands to his chin while leaning his elbow to the table, aiding the weight of his head.

"A particular young lady has it, you say?" His sharp but deep voice asked with a bit of trinket. The latter nodded. "And who is this young lady perhaps?"

"I believe you knew her, Cap." The young boy said, his deep red eyes staring at his jeweled eyes; this pricks the man's interest; he raised his eyebrow at the fellow in front of him before motioning him to proceed.

"It's the Azalia's pride and joy, Captain. It's the one and only princess of this kingdom," He declared. The man wrinkled his eyebrows while looking at him upon hearing the kingdom's name and, to top of that, the princess.

"You don't mean?" He inquired, trying to hint at the curiosity but failed as the young boy moved to the corner and leaned his back against the bookshelf.

"Yes, Captain. Princess Henriethasia of Azalia," He proceeded, then crossed his arms to his chest, eyeing at him before speaking the last statement, "Queen Anasthasia's daughter."

There was silence after mentioning the Queen of Azalia's name; the young lad studied the man's expression, his face was darkened, but soon after, the corner of his lips rose in amusement.

"Her daughter?" The man asked more like a proclamation; he then changed his posture to lean at his chair. He saw the latter nodded then he scoffs in disbelieve. To think the daughter of his past lover has the necklace he gave on her 18th birthday. How ironic.

'Looks like fate played on us, ha.'

"Although at first, it was snatched away from her," The young lad added, making the man peek in his direction in a query.

"Are you asserting a snatcher is attempting to get the necklace?" The man confirmed, which the youth nodded to, "I see."

"It is remarkably intriguing, captain, to believe the young lady run after a snatcher," He grins, recalling the encounter he witnessed earlier, "How much boldness she has."

"The princess run after the snatcher?" The men unbelievably glanced at him and slightly laughed at that as he saw the young lad smirk, "I see how she's like her," He muttered.

The latter looked at him with keen eyes as the man mumbled something, but he couldn't comprehend what it was. "Set that aside," His frigid voice came back after and evolved to severe, "I speculate you recognize this snatcher based on your expression, so who is it?"

"You're right; it's one of Scarface's men, I believe," The lad answered with a stern face, "He's the only bold enemy to do so, and sending a snatcher is a fierce thing to commit when it comes to that man. He plans to get the necklace too, Captain."

"I see, he's making his move," The man said, sipping another cup of tea before standing up; the young lad watched as he stepped with heavy footsteps to the glass pane window in the cabin.

The man stared outside with the scenery of the palace, radiance with the lights and lively music playing, he could hear the enjoyment of the noble people in the party. Then he clasps something on the collar of his vest; he gazes at it for a moment while playing it with his fingers, "Faris," He called.

"Yes, Captain?" The boy answered with respect; he walked up to him and stayed midway. He peeks at the jewel the man's playing on his finger before glancing at him.

"Prepare with the crew," He commanded with power, still gazing at the blue-heart shape jewel on his hand, "We're invading the palace tonight." The man turned around to meet the look of the young boy, "Might as well greet Her majesty a happy birthday," and grinned under the shadow.

The latter nodded and bowed a little. "Aye, aye, captain," he acknowledged politely before walking his way to the doorway; he opened the wooden door creating a creaking sound; he looked at the man and nodded before stepping out and closing the door behind him.

The cabin went silent again after the youth audience. The man looked back again outside the window staring at the castle in sight, then his gaze went to the jewel in his hand. The other heart of the locket. The other half sky-blue heart-shaped pendants.

The jewelry shimmers as the moonlight reflects it through the windowpane. It's an unexpectedly full moon tonight. The man's sapphire eyes mirrored the pendant on his fingers.

He flings it back, uncovering the silverback of the pendant. The calligraphic letter A was still visible, making him scoff in incredulity along with the half heart and the broken hinge in the corner. Memories of Her flashed before him, making him hissed, "Tsk." He clutches the pendant badly that he wants to crush it.

Almost a little longer, and memories of her will vanish soon enough. A crack was heard, but it was not from the pendant, he glanced at his back, and from his perspective, he saw the teacup already cracked and the tea spilled throughout the table. He sighed and carefully opened his palm and gazed at the pendant still perfectly fair. No matter how much he wanted to demolish this thing, he couldn't. This jewelry, this pendant, is much more potent than he comprehends it before.

Minutes passed, a knock has heard on the door, "Captain, the crew is ready!" The voice of the young lad earlier exclaimed from outside. The man didn't respond; instead clasps the jewelry on his palm before hooking it back on the collar of his vest, making it look like a blue jeweled on his apparel.

He then stepped to the clothing rack, where his coat and pirate hat hung; he wore the coat before grabbing the hat in his right hand. Finally, he strode his way to the doorway with heavy footsteps, opening the wooden door of the cabin; he was welcomed by a frigid breeze that brushes through his skin, making his dust-blonde hair sway.

He steps out to the ship's main deck; he heard the tides crashing to the port and rocking the boat a bit, the jolly commotions of his crewmate on the board and the party going on in the palace were coiling in his ear. Putting his pirate hat on his head before meeting the gaze of his crew with his jeweled sapphire stares, "Avast!" He shouted. The crew instantly ends on their chatters and stays silent after knowing the presence of their Captain.

The man's aura is diverse than before; he presently had that authority atmosphere around him, making him intimidating to look at; he had that incredible charisma. "Crew!" He called with his low husky voice; everyone looked at him with respect and honor; the young lad earlier approached the man and stayed behind him in the corner, "Let's go!"

The crew's manners shifted after the man yelled that. They grinned and lightened, "Aye, aye, captain!" The team shouted back then proceeded to perform their things. The man smirked after then glimpses back at the palace. He walks to a plank to disembark the ship, the young boy and his crew follow him behind. As soon as his heavy boots stride on the wooden port, a loud blast was heard, fireworks were displayed in the sky precisely by the palace in honor of the Queen's birthday.

He sighted back the palace that reflected his sapphire orbs. He slightly grins once again, "Looks like we'll be meeting again, me darling," he sarcastically mumbled to himself before starting stepping on his way to the palace.

To be continued...

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