Then, a thought came to her. She should perhaps take the king to the fabric shop to choose his cravat. But would he accompany her? Surely he would, she helped him after all. And he was not the king here.
"Umm, can you both do me a favour and accompany me to the fabric shop?" She requested. "It won't take long. I wanted to but something for the suit."
The king looked at her and his eyes sparkled.
Mariana averted her eyes. Was she being forward?
"Sure", Lady Hazel said.
"After you, Miss Mariana." The king allowed the ladies to guide him and Mr. Charles towards the fabric shop.
Aaron and Charles walked behind Hazel and Miss Mariana. He watched how his sister held hands with the seamstress after being happy with the satisfied buying.
Aaron watched Miss Mariana's hips sway beautifully while she walked in her peach skirts. Looking at her walk from behind was probably a favourite thing of his.
Scanning his eyes over her top to bottom, Aaron enjoyed the view. She had her hair tied in a loose braid today that reached almost to the small of her back than the regular style of tying them up. It made her look younger and even more innocent. She wasn't wearing a hat and the afternoon sun had given her cheeks a deep pink that made Aaron feel snatch her away from everyone else and look at those cheeks alone. He smirked realising his reaction towards her and averted his eyes towards Charles.
A boy held Miss Mariana's box behind them. Hazel's things were already stuffed in the carriage they had parked behind.
Reaching the shop Miss Mariana wanted to take them to, they all followed and entered. There were racks filled with lots of fabrics. What did women do with all colours, he wondered.
Charles stood back to the wall and Aaron and Hazel followed Miss Mariana. She took them inwards and asked a bald man, "Could you please show me the two fabrics I asked to purchase later."
"Of course, miss." He said and stared to look for something turning behind.
"Oh these colours are gorgeous!" Hazel shreiked and asked a nearby man to show her something she wanted.
Aaron looked at Miss Mariana who had her head bent, eyes alert while selecting something from the strands of fabrics. The was she was doing that seemed as if she was trying to read a secret message sent by a king about the military information.
Aaron found himself in trance.
He eyed every inch of her that was presented to him. Her left eye, her left cheek her delicate curve of the neck. She always wore a cravat or high-necked bodice before him. Today, he saw how fragile and delicious her neck looked. He unconciously licked his lips.
His eyes darted from her neck to her long pretty arms. Her half sleeves gave him the first glance of her limbs and then her palms. She never once wore gloves whenever he saw her. Her palms searched something in the stack of the fabrics and the colourful fabrics eventually hid her lovely palms under them.
"There." Her voice brought Aaron out of his observation.
He blinked.
She held out two peices of cloths, kerchief sized. One, a golden and other, a bright silver. She came towards him and stood in front. Raising both her hands, she held each one on the either side of his face. Aaron merely stood straight enjoying her nearness.
She looked at him then her right hand, then again at him and then her left hand. Then, she tried to look everywhere at once and shook her head. Was she matching something? Her lips was pink, delicious. Her eyes were like his fovourite coffee as she eyed him with speculation. Jer nose was small and only a bit pointed. And what a lovely, little chin she had!
He looked at the clothes she was holding. "I won't like a golden or silver suit," Aaron said to her.
She looked at him and pursed her lips. "They are not for the suit."
Dropping her hands with unsatisfied expression, turned and began rummaging again in the strands of fabrics.
"Then what colour is the suit."
Without looking up, she said, "You told me you trust me."
Aaron smirked. His little saviour was smart and fearless.
She came back to him again with a blue one and a black one. Eyeing them along with his face, she again shook her head.
Then, she came and held a white one near his face.
And smiled. That gorgeous smile could make him do anything. She could smile and ask him for his entire fortune and he could give it.
"This is it," she looked at him, still smiling.
Clutching the white strand of fabric to her chest, she left his nearness. Aaron found himself dissapointed.
She said something to the man and he again began to search.
Aaron looked at Hazel who had placed different coloured fabrics over her shoulder and was looking in the mirror. Had she began shopping for the clothes now? "Good god!"
"What?" Miss Mariana came beside him.
He shot his eyebrows to his sister. "looks like she wanted to shop for clothes, too."
He heard Miss Mariana chuckle. Woman found that interesting, not him. He went to his sister. "I promised only for the jewellery Hazel. If you want fabrics you can ask them to bring it to our home and you can buy then." He couldn't say palace here ."I am not shopping any more."
Hazel laughed. "Relax, brother. I was just seeing." She winked at Miss Mariana. He looked at his little saviour and her brown eyes blinked, stifling a smile.
"Shall we get going," Hazel asked.
They all went out of the shop and Miss Mariana stared looking around her, searching.
"Where is your carriage?" Aaron asked her.
"Mr. Lawrence was supposed to be
her by now."
"You are here all alone? Where is your assistance?" He asked.
What did she find fascinating in roaming the world alone? First the forest and now the market. It wasn't safe for her.
"He is looking after the shop," she replied.
"I'm tired," Hazel said. "I am going to the carriage, brother. Standing here like this won't suit my status," fanned herself with her hands.
Aaron nodded. "Charles, take her to the carriage. I'll be there shortly." They watched both Charles and Hazel leaving.
"You also can go. Mr. Lawrence must be somewhere near," Miss Mariana said.
"And leave you here standing alone?" Aaron eyed the two boys with her huge boxes. "Along With this stuff?"
She pursed her lips. "I was alone before you came."
"Now you have me."
They looked at each other, realising what they had said. Her brown eyes held really deep emotions. They were a bit puffy. She had cried today. No one would have picked that out but Aaron could tell. Was she stressed with work? Did she have any argument with her family? Did a customer say something to her? Did someone hurt her? Aaron found out he couldn't bear that thought. His hands flexed in his trouser pockets, eager to hurt anyone who hurt her. But he swallowed his anger. She didn't need to know he was furious for her.
So, he breathed and merely stared at her. Several people passed around them. Several carriages crawling on the busy streets but Aaron's eyes didn't leave her face. She was the one to avert her eyes. She looked shy, their eye contacts always made her shy and he liked it.
"Perhaps he was waiting at the entrance of the market," she said without looking at him.
"Let's go there then."
"I shall go, you do not need to trouble yourself," she said again, still not meeting his eyes.
Aaron did not say anything for a moment and then as usual, she looked at him.
"Let's go."
She sighed and they began to walk towards where the market began. There were people of every class and status present here. Farmers, peasants, small businessmen, big businessmen, homely woman, independant and working woman.
This market used to be a clear and bare land. Aaron decided to make use of it. People from other kingdoms migrated to his kingdom to start their businesses. First, it was a bit difficult to make people of his kingdom collaborate with others. Then, Aaron had decided to provide the migrants a land here. They started to do there business here. Many different kinds of businesses. Variety of things became available here, both cheap and expensive. Slowly, many of Heavengate's businessmen began to collaborate with them. And so, this market came to be called the new market where almost every possible thing to be bought can be found.
Busy streets made Aaron and Mariana walk closer and slower.
She walked in front of him and alas, he now couldn't see her back side sway because of the nearness. But he didn't mind the nearness. They didn't touch anywhere, but if they were in any other place, this distance would have been exceedingly scandalous.
Aaron took time to study her hair, then. She had very thick and brown hair. Now that they were braided, they stayed just a bit above her low waist. So, her hair without any braid must be really long reaching down to her waist. He knew that their colour was brown but now since he was in close proximity, he could see there were also some strands of honey and bronze. They were like the branches of a very beautiful tree.
He suddenly realised he wanted to see her hair open, free from the barriers of any pins, ribbons or braids. He wanted to weave his fingers through them, smell them, touch them, text their texture.
Urgh! Aaron closed his eyes. What was she doing to him?
They walked for a bit and as they began to near the start of the market, the number of people began to reduce. However, when they came near an alley, they heard a commotion.