Chapter 12 Birthday Presents

Am was organizing and cleaning the bookshelves in the cottage's living area when she heard a knock on the door. 'It might be one of the girls', she thought. But when she opened the door, she found a smiling Maik with a red flower in his hand. "Tomorrow is your birthday, Am, and I brought a red flower for my red flower. Both are beautiful, but your beauty is beyond any flower, or any living thing in this world." Maik spoke as if reciting a love sonnet.

"Oh Maik, you are so sweet. You could've waited until tomorrow."

"Why do I have to wait for tomorrow to tell you that you are beautiful? I can speak that truth every single day of my life. Now, lady Amalthea, would you accept to have a walk with me in this lovely day?" Am blushed as Maik showed a huge grin on his face. Who could refuse?

The handsome friend held Am's arm and closed the door behind them. Am asked him: "Why are you talking like a bard today You sound funny though."

"I must speak to the height of My Lady. Besides, I can't stay behind and look more like an ignorant villager when you have being wooed by gentlemen with the charm and blood lineage of that... Duke Roderick."

"Oh, Please Maik. Maeh promised me not talking any more about the Duke, or the encounter with the Prince in the waterfall..."

"Am, Maeh didn't tell me anything about the duke. Everybody knows of the package you received last month from him... and she never mentioned any encounter with...Wait! What encounter with the prince? In what river? " Maik was standing in front of Am staring fixedly to her green yellow eyes. She knew that look well. Was the same look the Prince gave her when Brhim mentioned the duke in the river. And she was puzzled here again, finding what words she would use to explain Maik what happened that day without revealing certain details or provoking unnecessary jealous reactions in him. Am was getting enough of that.

"Well, it happened a few weeks ago, when we were doing laundry in the Angeleag's Fall. As you know we usually take a bath when we finish the laundry..."

"When exactly did the Prince appeared? Where were you? Don't tell me he saw all of you in the water, naked!" Maik's face changed from real white to a fuming red, thinking the worst with jealousy... 'Oops... too late.' Am thought.

"Not all of us." Am felt the earth was dragging her down with embarrassment. She saw all this was hurting Maik, who grabbed softly but firmly Am's shoulders and demanded: "What do you mean with that? He saw you naked?"

Maik released her and turned around without looking at her. He tried to compose himself, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The image of that... prince looking at her in the way he only had dreamt of was unbearable. Then he faced Am again. She seemed troubled, looking at him with pity. Maik spoke this time slower than before holding Am's hands.

"Did he touch you?"

"Of course not Maik! I was getting dressed behind the bushes. And he appeared from nowhere. But I managed to cover myself with some clothes and he gave me his cloak. Then I dressed completely. He had lunch with us and then departed... And that's the end of the story!"

"It's that everything that happened, Am?" He swallowed the heavy lump in his throat when Am reassured him that nothing else happened.

"Am you know how much I care for you. You know my feelings. I am not playing a fool sending letters or gifts. I might not have power or wealth... but what I have is the purest and strongest love nobody else would be able to give you." And in that instant, Maik put his long arms around her tiny waist and pulling her closer, he leaned down and kissed her in a very passionate and effusive way.

Am did nothing to stop him, she just kissed him back. Am didn't realize what she was doing. Maybe her body was reacting with easiness because that was the way she always acted when Maik was around. With Maik everything went so smoothly. He was the best of the men. Maybe that's why she kissed him back. Her body melted in his strong arms. She was enjoying that kiss. Her very first kiss. She felt how Maik's temperature rose, as his male part too. She could hear him groaning with passion and she continued kissing him more ardently.

Am's eyes closed as she twirled her fingers in Maik's hair, letting her go, feeling entranced in that kiss. But she suddenly pictured someone else's face in her mind. She was not kissing Maik anymore. Am imagined herself kissing another man... Prince Alasther...

Immediately, the spell was broken. Am terminated the ardent kiss and she walked back. She stared once, not twice to Maik's face to make sure who she had been kissing before.
Maik was still gasping for the moment. He saw Am's confused or disturbed face and placing her hands on her swollen lips.

Maik felt guilty. He thought he had assaulted her. Maik excused himself once and twice for stealing that kiss. Am looked at him and began crying. She enjoyed that kiss, but realized she was kissing someone else. Am walked backwards, still glaring at Maik. In the moment he walked closer again, she turned around and ran home.

The next morning Am didn't want to leave the comfort of her bed. She didn't sleep well thinking about Maik and the Prince... and that confusing kiss.

The sun shone through her room's window announcing that it was her birthday... She was forced to wake up when her mother entered her bedroom carrying breakfast in a tray.

"Happy Birthday Am. Wake up sweetie. I brought you a special breakfast today: scrambled eggs with bread and fruit tart. I hope you enjoy it as for the rest of your day." Jocelyn leaned to kiss Am's forehead. She noticed something in her daughter's expression. "What's wrong my dear? You don't look as enthusiastic as someone who just became seventeen? That is the best age Am. You are not that young and certainly you are not that old. It's the age wonderful things tend to happen to a beautiful lady like you... My love, what's wrong? Did you argued with Maik yesterday?"

Am was astonished. Was her mom capable of reading minds? "How do you know? Did he told you something Mamah?"

"Yesterday, when I came home from the Market, I saw you running, looking so heavily distressed. Short After, Maik came running after you shouting your name. He stood in front of the door, hesitated knocking, and finally he left with a sour expression on his face. Very appalled, I'd rather say." Am sat straight oh her bed looking at her mother. A tear escaped from her eyes. Jocelyn sat down on the bed next to Am and told her gently, caressing her daughter's face. "Am, you are not a girl anymore and Maik is a grown up man now... He might be your best friend, but you know how Maik feels for you. He wishes more than a friendship with you. He loves you. And if you don't feel the same way for him, You should not give him wings to fly. Talk to him straight and with sincerity. You will not lose his friendship..."

"Mamah... we kissed yesterday." Am confessed crying.

"Oh... I see... Did you responded to that kiss? You wanted to kiss him too?"

"At the beginning I was... em... feeling comfortable with him kissing me... but later I just wanted to run away feeling embarrassed... and so I did."

"There is nothing wrong with kissing the person you love... If you in fact kiss the person you love... But you don't love him, for what I see. If not, you were not in this amount of distress... The best advice I can give you is to avoid to be alone with him. You are confused. And he must be feeling very guilty as well as confused too after your reaction. You first kissed him, and then you ran away from him... Just let him be for a while. He will come to you when he's ready. He loves you with all his heart. Just don't break it if you don't share the same feelings for him." Am nodded and wiped her tears. She knew Mamah was right. She should avoid being alone with Maik. Both of them will get hurt if that kiss repeats soon. Jocelyn spoke tenderly to her daughter. "Now, Am, get up, eat your breakfast and refresh promptly. When you clean yourself... then you can wear the new gown I bought you for your birthday." Jocelyn opened Am's wardrobe to reveal a bright blue long dress adorned with crème leather ribbons that wrapped around the waist. The neckline was squared with golden embroidery that formed roses along the neck line and the same pattern repeated in the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. It was a simple gown, but very beautiful indeed. Am hugged her mom and took the dress from the armoire and placed it over her bed to admire her mom's birthday present.

Am felt very relieved after having breakfast. She looked very pretty in her new dress. Finally she went to the living room to grab a book and chat with her Mamah. But instead of finding Jocelyn, she found Maik sitting in her father's ebony desk, smiling timidly, holding a beautifully carved wooden box.

"Happy Birthday Am. I hope you like my humble present." He stood up, kissed her in her cheek and gave her the box. She took the box and examined it with curiosity. It was a beautiful red wooden box with golden engravings. She opened the lead of the box revealing some charcoal pencils, feathered pens, an ink well, envelopes and beautiful parchment papers held together by a silky red ribbon.

Am was astounded. "This is an exquisite desk writing set. This might cost you a fortune, Maik! You shouldn't..."

"You deserve that and more Am. Maik stepped closer to Amalthea. Just a few inches separated their bodies again. She took the box and placed it on the marbled top of the desk in the living room. Maik took Am's hands in his and told her in a soft voice: "Am, I want to apologize for yesterday's behavior. I shouldn't kiss you. I disrespected you. I don't blame you for running away from me. I just want you to forgive me and I would be more than happy if you want to be my friend again."

"You are my best friend. Of course I forgive you Maik." Am hugged her friend and smiled. In that moment Jocelyn entered the living room with a tray containing three plates with fruit tart.

A few hours past noon, the people from all around the village came to the house to congratulate Am in her birthday. The girls came too and all the neighbors. Jocelyn was busy in the kitchen cooking some potatoes and making a salad. Maik brought boar legs to roast them outside the cottage on the fire.

They improvised a birthday party right away in front of the cottage. The girls were singing songs merrily accompanied by flutes and pipes played by some neighbors from the village. Some others brought cheese, fruits, cider, mead or beer. Everybody was having a good time in the village celebrating Am's birthday, specially Maik and Am.

Mike is so sweet, isn't he? Who do you like the most for Am? Maik, Prince Alasther or Lord Roderick?