Chapter 1

 

'Jason!' I spoke in surprise after hearing my door open then slam shut as the Master's son entered into the room. He proceeded to lock the door with the key behind him before turning to face me.

'You left me no choice, but to come and find you here,' he said calmly. But I knew inside that he was anything but calm, as he looked down at me with his darkened eyes. Making me become further flustered as he advanced forward to reach just in front of where I stood. I felt both nervous and excited as my body acknowledged its close proximity to him.

'Jason please you shouldn't be here, the others could come back at any time.

'I will take my chances.'

'But I don't want anyone to find us alone together. It would ruin my reputation if they did, the other maids would think I was getting special treatment from you and would not think twice in reporting me to your father,' I appealed to him as I tried to put aside the turmoil of emotions and feelings that were starting to stir up inside me. But even before he opened his mouth to reply back to me I knew it was a lost cause to try and reason with him.

'So you are all of a sudden worried about your reputation, but that was not the case when you agreed to meet me at our secret place. But why did you not turn up there like you said you would? Did you get a better offer? I've seen you talking to that stable boy....I hope for your sake you are not playing me for a fool!'

'Jason let go of me,' I gasped out as I freed my arm from his tight grip. 'You dare accuse me of playing games....when you're the one hiding things from me.' I could not help but become angry when I thought about his hypocritical behaviour.

'Hiding things....Sabrina talk to me what is making you so obviously angry?'

'Jason when were you going to tell me that you were leaving?' I looked up into his handsome face meeting his gaze full on, wanting him to deny my words, to tell me I had heard incorrectly, that he would not be going away and leaving me behind. But when he did not at first reply back to me I knew it was as I feared, I turned my eyes downwards willing myself not to cry in front of him.

'Sabrina, please look at me,' his voice was now softer. 'I meant to tell you all about my trip, that's why our meeting today at our usual spot was important for you to have made, I was going to tell you everything.' He sounded now apologetic.

'How long have you known that you were going?'

'A couple of weeks but the final details were confirmed only a few days ago, my going was then made certain.'

'When do you leave?'

'Tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow, so soon?! I exclaimed in shock as the reality of the situation hit me.

An uncomfortable silence settled between us before Jason spoke again.

'Sabrina understand that I have to go, my father is right, I need to become a man in my own right, going will do me a world of good.'

'I don't understand how fighting in battle after battle where you risk death will turn you into a man, you're already grown at twenty seven years of age.'

'You wouldn't understand Sabrina you're a woman after all and perhaps too young to comprehend it all, but I have such ambitions I want to be a great general one day, to lead and protect my country, and increase the status of my family name so everyone will be proud of me.'

'Perhaps you're right....what do I know I am just your humble, young and naive house servant,' I spoke trying to remove all trace of emotion away from my voice. 'Jason I think you should leave as I said before, we have nothing to say to each other.'

'Sabrina please do not be like this!' He tried to hold on to my hands with his own but I brushed him away. 'You know how much I am fond of you....it would be silly for us to leave on such bad terms, this was not the goodbye I had anticipated for the both of us.'