The next morning, after she was sure Kline had gone from the manor, Pollyanna snuck out. She knew the manor well as she had not left it for a week. She kept to the shadows, avoiding the servants who were calling for her and wishing for her to attend her first lesson of the day. She made her way through the nooks and crannies on the second floor and quickly dashed down the stairs to the first floor when she arrived at them. Because she knew their schedules and knew where to hide from them, she slipped past any servants on the first floor and managed to escape the manor without a soul setting eyes upon her.
In the distance, she saw Rory waving to her. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then she dashed toward Rory with a big smile on her face—waving her own hand. A giant grin adorned Rory’s own face until it changed into an exaggerated grimace as the tall girl came closer and closer and eventually launched herself at him—knocking him to the ground. “You came!”
Rory laughed. “Of course I did! Why wouldn’t I?”
Pollyanna had tears in her eyes as she replied, “Because nobody cares enough about me to keep their promises!”
Rory gently pushed her off, quickly climbed to his feet. “Someone might see!”
Pollyanna frowned. “I’m sorry…”
Rory’s heart bloomed with compassion at her sweet and soft-spoken manner. He stole a kiss—brushing his lips against her cheek—and exclaimed, “Come on! Let’s go where no one will see us!” Pollyanna touched a hand to her cheek at the touch of his lips and felt something she had never felt before; acceptance and comfort in her own skin.
She pushed herself to her feet--wiping her eyes as she did so--and followed Rory who was heading toward the riverbank east of the little town. Gravel and dirt flew under their hasty feet as they ran for yards until the gurgling of flowing water filled their ears, and the bank came into view past a thicket of trees.
“Look at this beautiful grass!” Rory whistled as he dug his hands into the long, luscious grass beside the stream. “Don’t you wish the whole town was filled with grass like this?”
Pollyanna knelt down next to him and nodded. “That would be beautiful. It’d be nice to look out the window at the manor and see a sea of deep green…”
“You know Pollyanna…” Rory said as he took off his shoes, dipping his feet in the gentle, clear stream. “I still want to make you my wife!”
Pollyanna blushed, gasping with excitement as she sat down next to him. “You do?”
Rory nodded cheerfully. “I do! I never thought I’d ever meet a girl who… wanted the same things as me. You do still want to be a hero, right? We should become knights together and…”
Pollyanna snorted. “Girls can’t become knights, Rory. That was just me being a silly child.”
“I know that, but… But you would make a great knight! Remember how much you beat the tar out of me when we were kids?” Rory said, nudging her in the side with an elbow.
Pollyanna giggled. “I remember… I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
Rory shook his head. “I wouldn’t have made any friends if you hadn’t jumped into the fray that day. I became the leader of the Righteous Knights! Sworn to slay the hideous troll!”
Pollyanna was grinning at first, and then frowned at his last sentence.
Rory said hastily, “Of course, I never truly thought you were ugly. I even told the other Righteous Knights that I wanted to marry you one day!”
Pollyanna jerked her chin away from him haughtily. “And how did they respond? Did they laugh at you for wanting to marry an ugly troll?”
Rory grinned awkwardly. “Well… Yes, they did. But I told them to shove off. Lost my friends, but it was worth it.”
Pollyanna felt tears welling up in her eyes. “You did? You gave up your friends for me?”
“I couldn’t have them laughing at my future wife!” Rory said with a wink.
Pollyanna’s eyes became glassy. She hid them behind her palms. She could have been so happy if he had just asked to court her.
As if he read her mind, Rory embraced her, whispering “There’s nothing I regret more than not asking you. I’m so, so sorry.”
Pollyanna enjoyed his gentle and compassionate touch for a moment, before shuddering with sadness. Rory asked her quietly, “How bad is it? Living with that man? Mom and dad have told me rumors of what he did to the girls at Castle Maribel, but…”
Pollyanna meant to tell him how bad it was calmly; she wanted to pretend like she wasn’t in as much pain as he thought she might be, but her words spilled out of her mouth with heavy tears and a teetering, wobbling voice without her permission. “I go to bed every night in terror. I wake up in pain. I feel like little more than a streetwalker; I feel so ashamed.” Pollyanna said through sharp breaths.
Rory couldn’t comprehend her pain. He sat there silently, contemplating her words, letting them sink in. Eventually, he hopped to his feet, exclaiming, “Let’s just run away! I’ll marry you elsewhere!”
Pollyanna was swept off her feet by the idea, and she nearly said yes without thinking. There was no offer more tempting in her life, until reality set in. Running away with another’s man’s wife was a grievous offense warranting death by the law.
But there were other important concerns as well.
“What about your family?” Pollyanna demanded. “What about mine? Mother would be…”
“I love my family,” Rory agreed. “But I don’t want any woman as a wife other than you.”
Pollyanna looked at him in stunned silence.
Nobody had ever paid her such special attention. Nobody had ever wanted her in such a grand, meaningful way. She felt like Yharos could go on spinning without her on most days and it wouldn’t make a difference whether she lived upon it or not. But in his presence, she felt as if the world would stop in its place if she weren’t alive to see the sun rise.
Nonetheless, she let out a disgruntled gasp. “I can’t!”
And she ran away.
__
“You loved him.” Eory said when Pollyanna paused. “You said that love doesn’t exist.”
“It doesn’t.” Pollyanna replied. “I only loved Rory because I felt like he was the only one who could save me.You’ll see him gutted and broken at the end as I promised.” Pollyanna said, closing her wrinkled eyes in pain.