FF: ~Beauty Meets the Beast~ Part 4 Pg 18 - Page 5

The next morning, Geet helped Mohinder pack meat sandwiches and lemonade for their picnic lunch. And then they set off for the orchards. Their walk was pleasant since the mossy trail was simple and open. The trees surrounding it provided them with cool shade, while butterflies danced around the fragrant flowerbeds. After ten minutes, they came upon a clearing. Mohinder set the picnic basket beneath a tree.

"Beta, I'm going to rest here for a while. Why don't you go ahead and pick some nice ripe apples? Oh, and don't forget to wake me up when you get back. Wouldn't want you eating all by yourself now would we?"

Geet chuckled, "Of course not, Papa. You rest up." Geet took her apple basket and walked towards the meadow.

"Ahh...It's too bad we don't get this kind of wind back at the cottage." The gusts blew her hair and dress lightly. It felt wonderful. So free. She put the basket down and opened her arms as if trying to catch as much of it as she can. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, she let herself fall backwards on the side of the hill she was standing on. The soft grass cushioned her impact like a soft fluffy blanket. Geet gazed at the sky overhead and took another breath, but this one was because of longing. She felt that apart from her father, her life was pretty mundane. Ever since her mother's passing, she's been praying for a miracle that could change the lives of both herself and her father. She wanted to be able to find that "something" that was missing in their lives. Why do I feel that the answers to the questions I'm seeking are not here? She sighed, got up, and headed over to the apple trees.

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He grabbed the reins tightly as his steed galloped through the forest at an incredible speed. The wind swept through his curls as he sought to escape from the prison of a castle for the time being. One of the things he enjoyed tremendously was horseback riding in the countryside. It always helped calm him down after the usual routine of his so-called subjects pleading him to help save them. All that banter of "needing money" and "I have a wife and five kids" crap was driving him insane. Why should I bother to waste my time on them? I have a kingdom to run, not a charity service! That morning, he angrily left the Great Hall before he blew up. They were lucky that his prison was running out of space. I ordered the masons from the guild to make new cells days ago! The lethargic logs! He reminded himself to forget about them, since he did come out here to relax. Maan's stomach suddenly growled.

"Oh great. In this entire ruckus, I did not even get one moment's peace to relish breakfast." Then he remembered the apple orchard he'd stumbled upon a few weeks ago during his last horseback ride. He turned his horse towards the path that led him to that place.

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Geet was humming an unknown tune as she picked apples. The green kinds were tarty and just perfect for making pies. The red ones were crispy and the golden ones were extra sweet. She picked her selections and placed them gently into her basket.

"I should be getting back soon, I wouldn't want to worry Papa," she said to herself. Swinging her basket on her shoulder, she started to make her way back, when she accidently tripped over an exposed tree root. Geet tightly shut her eyes, expecting pain to hit her at any second, when out of nowhere, she felt strong arms grasp around her waist tightly. She opened her eyes in surprise and shock.

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Maan wandered aimlessly around the orchard. He munched on the biggest apple he could find and occasionally stopped to feed the extras he'd picked to his horse.

"Here you go boy, you deserve this much at least, for carrying me," he replied to it. After some time, he walked towards the meadow to lay down, when his eyes caught a movement off to the side of his vision. He turned around to stare at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She seemed to be singing to herself'and what a breathtaking sight it was to see. The yellow dress she wore hugged her thin delicate frame. She had rosy cheeks and plump kissable lips. When she smiled, two cute dimples adorned her face, making her appear like a nymph sent from heaven. He watched her intently as she went from tree to tree, gathering the juicy fruits. He liked the way she scrunched her nose as she decided which apples she wanted to pluck. Without understanding why, he started moving towards her in a dazed state of mind. His connection severed when he saw her losing her balance and hastily ran and securely wrapped his arms around her.

Their eyes met.