Way of the Knights

Chapter 310 - Pen Pal

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***

"Dear, No one."

Anne Fiore, an eight year old girl, muttered as she wrote a letter. Anyone who could see doing this would be incredibly confused as to why she's saying the words she's writing, then again she is a young girl so they could blame it on immaturity. 

"How are you doing? I'm sorry I didn't reply right away, were you waiting for my letter? If so, then yay. If not, then boo." Anne giggled as she continued writing.

"My parents were strict, it's kind of annoying. They wanted me to meet ugly fatties. Those smelly and dirty fatties wanted me to play the zither for them. I don't want to but my parents said that it's fine, so I guess it's fine. But I don't want to meet them again, I don't like the way they stare at me."

She pouted as she wrote, she briefly stopped and adjusted the lamp nearby her desk. 

"Why won't you show yourself to me, Mr. No One? You told me that you're ugly but I don't believe it. I want to be friends with you so that we can play together. It will be more fun to play with you rather than that…boy that my parents introduced to me."

"Anyway, forget about him. Hmph! As if I'm going to marry that boy! I don't like him, not at all. He looks at me like those smelly fatties."

Anne pursed her lips as she twirled the pen briefly before writing again. 

"Hey, you said that you've been watching me from far away right? Mom told me that only stalkers do that. But I don't know what a stalker means since she didn't explain, but it shouldn't be that bad if that's what you're doing right? After all, unlike them, you never treated me like a doll. You treated me like a friend, but you won't shoe yourself so does that mean that we're invisible friends? That doesn't make sense."

"Well, I'll be waiting for you to show yourself. I don't believe your ugly. And even if you are, it doesn't matter. You know where I live, just knock and look for me okay? I'll be waiting."

Anne was about to fold the letter but she remembered something, so she continued writing. 

"Ps. I saw an very pretty earring today, it was worn by an Aunty I met at a party. I wanted one but my parents said that they're not making them anymore, plus it's expensive. It's a pity though, I super duper like those earrings. Anyway, send me a letter right away okay? *Kisses~"

***

Anne's face reddened so much as she remembered the contents of the same letter that she's holding right now. 

Mark who was sitting beside her, can't even look at her as he too remembered the childish and cringy memories from his youth. He was red from his neck all the way to his ears, he's also sweating a lot for no particular reason. 

Anne wanted to find somewhere to bury herself so that she could never be seen again. She was mortified. All this time that she pushed these memories at the deepest recesses of her heart, remember them fondly every once in a while, never in her wildest dreams that her pen pal from before was literally beside her all this time. 

"A-are you…really him?" Anne asked without looking. There was a very awkward atmosphere between them. 

"M-mm…" Mark nodded, also couldn't bear to look at her. 

After a round of silence, Anne couldn't help but said.

"Well…this is, uh…unexpected." 

"Yeah…"

"…"

Silence reigned once more. Thankfully there were no other person here other than them or else it would've been more awkward. 

It really shouldn't have been a big deal. They were just two innocent kids back then, who happened to become friends from writing to each other…albeit secretly. 

But that wasn't the point.

The reason it became so awkward is because Mark was Anne's pen pal back then. It was more because of a specific thing that Mark wrote, oh so boldly.

***

'Wait until we get older. I'll become really, really handsome and strong just like my Dad, then I'll show myself. Don't you dare get any husband before then, okay! I won't take any wife other than you!'

'I'll be your husband! I'll marry you when we grow up. We will have many kids and we'll live happily ever after just like the endings on your fairy tales. I'll make you happy and protect you with my life! I promise.'

***

Inside Mark's brain.

'Dear god, make it stop.' Mark wanted to cry but had no tears, as memories came rushing in. 'Seriously, what the heck is wrong with me? Why did write that? And I brought this to myself too!'

'…but it's not like anything changed really. But please, memories. My cringy memories, spare me of humiliation.'

And just as Mark was silently begging for the memories to stop, Anne was doing the same. 

***

'Hey! Hey! You said it was a promise, so don't you dare break it! I will really wait for you. I too, promise that I won't take any husband aside from you. I'll wait for you okay?'

'I'll be a good wife and mommy. I'll love all of our kids, no matter how many there is! I mean it! I'll marry you, but please don't take too long. Otherwise, my parents and those smelly fatties will take me away.'

***

Inside Anne's brain. 

After a few rounds of internal screaming…

'Girl! What is wrong with you? Seriously? I couldn't believe I was the one who wanted many kids! Wait, no! No! Why am I thinking of that!? Am I seriously considering this? Oh my god!!'

Internal screaming once again…

'…but thus smelly guy really made me wait huh? Wait, no! No, no! That's not the point! Okay, Anne relax. Chill. Breathe nice and slow. Yes, just like that. This is not embarrassing at all…'

'…not at all.'

Another flashback occurred. And she's back into screaming internally again. 

The silence this time around was long. Mark wanted to say something but couldn't. It may not look much but he had been rehearsing for this day. He had his lines ready and wanted to say them, but no matter how preparation he made, it didn't prepare him at all. 

"Uh..."

"Wait…wait! I'm not prepared, can I think this through?"

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"What are you-? Oh…"

"Wait no! No, no. Scratch that! Forget that I said something!"

"But…"

"I said I'm not ready!"

"Wait, I'm not…"

"No! Don't say it! I can't just yet!"

"Yet?" Mark tilted his head.

"Wu~." Anne suddenly stood up and started marching away. She really couldn't handle it. The corners of her eyes were wet and she's feeling so lost and complicated. 

Mark panicked and tried coaxing her, yet he was shaking so bad that he couldn't even bring himself to touch her. He too stood up and followed her, he was trying to explain but…

"Wait, Anne. H-hear me out."

"Come on! I said, I'm not ready to be engaged just yet!"

"I wasn't proposing!"

That made her froze on the spot. She mechanically looked back with a shock evident on her face. For some reason her heart sank, yet she didn't know why. Unfortunately, she didn't get to relish this feeling since the embarrassment ate her away. 

"Look, I just wanted to explain some things, okay? I-I know you're not uh…p-prepared. A-and it's not like I revealed the letter just for that, no. It's just that uh…y-you know. I-I figured it's about time that I told you, so…"

These words sounded way better inside Mark's head but there's nothing he could. He was shaking, he felt cold, embarrassed, nervous and afraid. God knows how much he had been waiting for this moment. He even disturbed the hell out of Raven just so that he could do this. 

He knows that it was falling apart but he wanted to try. He had been waiting for so long. Unexpectedly, instead of coaxing her, his words successfully made Anne cry. 

Mark panicked like never before, he was about to ask what's wrong but then he heard this. 

"I see, you're not proposing huh. I get it! I really do! Pardon me for assuming such thoughts…"

"Do you want me to?"

Mark wanted to say that inwardly but he blurted it out. And since it was out, he couldn't take it back. Nevertheless, that stopped Anne from crying. She looked down and stayed silent.

'Well, she didn't say no.' Mark thought before shaking his head, 'What am I thinking!'

Mark scratched his head and stepped closer to Anne. He didn't know what to do so he just wiped her tears while caressing her face gently. 

"Alright, let's start that again." Mark said softly as he stared at the adorable face of Anne. "We made promise, yes. But we also both know that it doesn't have to be now."

Anne looked up at him, Mark continued:

"There no rush. We have time." Mark looked at her intently. "I fulfilled a part of my promise. I showed myself to you. I'm here. I know what I feel towards you and you know that too. But if you want to, we can take things slowly."

Mark took a deep breath in and pulled Anne closer to him. He then looked straight at her eyes and told her:

"I want to know you better."