Young Writers Society

“What took you so long?” The King playfully called to her as she approached.

“What you’re doing is out of character you know!” Faina called.

“And what you’re doing is not?”

“That’s not fair…”

“Right now, let’s forget about who we’re supposed to be.” He coyly smiled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the maze. Faina failed to notice a shady figure eyeing them from a balcony ledge, his blade glinting in the sunlight.

“Come on, keep up!” Tyas called as he ran in front of her, leading her deeper into the maze.

“Slow down! It’s not nice to have someone in my condition run!” She laughed.

“Just a bit further!”

She ran until she slammed into him, he had abruptly stopped.

“Oh, sorry, are you okay?” He spun around and looked at her face apologetically. He inspected her face for bruises.

“Yup, everything’s still beautiful!” He confirmed. Faina rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Why have we stopped?” She asked.

“We’re in the middle. My favorite place in all of Russia.”

“The middle…?” Faina trailed off as she looked around. They were in the middle of the maze- it was a small clearing complete with a tiny pond, a pink blossomed tree and a swing. A few benches lined the edges. Ducks splashed in the pond and a pathway of stepping stones led to the swing.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” He said as he placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. He looked quite dashing.

“Tyas, you are a walking cliché.” Faina pushed him playfully.

“Hey, I could have you arrested for talking to me like that!” He played back.

“Oh please…” She rolled her eyes again.

“All right, you have given me no choice…”

“What? Don’t you dare…” She warned as he rolled up his sleeves and began to walk towards her.

“Ma’am you are under arrest for seducing the Czar of Russia!” He authoritively yelled as he scooped her up and carried her in his arms.

“Hey! I thought we were supposed to forget who we’re supposed to be! Whatever we do in this maze isn’t suppose to count!” She said as she struggled. Tyas gently slid her down and sat her on the swing.

“Then that means that if I do this, it won’t count against me.” He whispered as he leaned in close to her.

She had a choice.

She had time to push him away.

SHE COULD HAVE PUSHED HIM AWAY!

Edwin jumped from the balcony to the side of the palace to the ground. He sprinted towards the maze. He was going to slaughter the king. He pulled out his blade and ran into the maze. Anger and jealously crowded his senses. He couldn’t see straight. He was losing his way. He couldn’t calm himself, he couldn’t silence his rage. He ran faster, getting more and more lost in the maze. He gritted his teeth and dug harder into the ground. When he eventually found his way to the middle, they were not there. He threw his knife into a duck and pulled the swing from it’s hinges. He looked around this stupid fake little world. It was shallow and bright. This was not Faina. She was deeper than this. She was truer than this. How could she let herself fall for such ridiculous scenery.; a cheesy king and pretty flowers- Is that really all it took to win her heart? He retrieved his blade and left the maze. He climbed back to the balcony ledge and sat perched like a vulture, searching for the king in the grounds. He could not kill him in the palace. He did not like causing a scene. When he did not see him, he waited for Faina to return. She did not until the sun had set. Edwin had nearly lost his mind.

“Edwin?” Faina remembered him when she walked in the room.. He waited for her to come out to the balcony.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked him as she looked out to the gardens.

“Quite a view…isn’t it? You can see everything.”