“Don’tworryaboutit.Havesomethiandthinkitovercarefully.Nowthatyouarefrohsuchasituation,areyouwillingtosiderit?”Dimitrimadeuseofthepretextofchewinghisfoodtostallfortime.Hisbrainwasgoingatafuriouslyfastrate,thinkingofhowtodealwiththisdilemma.Itwasnotaneasyquestiontoanswer.Ifintryingtoslurthingsoverhisanswerwastoovagueandambiguous,itwouldnotveyhistruemeaningaainlywouldnotresolvetheproblem.Oherhand,ifhisreplywasciseandtothepoint,itwouldhurtCharina’sselfrespect.Charina,afterall,wasabeautifuremelyintelligentdyfromawell-to-dofamilyandanauthoressofsomerepute.Forhertosaywhatshehadjustsaidtookalotofceanditwasaremelyhighplimenttohim,Dimitri,thatshethoughthimworthyofher.Howcouldherefuse?Butifhedidnotrefuse,therereallywasnowayhecouldacceptheroffer…Caughtupinthequandary,Dimitriwasatalossastowhattodo.FinallywithCharina’spiergeyesteredonhim,herealizedhecouldnotprocrastinateanylongerandbracedhimselftoreplyinaroundaboutwaysaying,
“…eh…Charina…don’tyoufeel…thatistosay…Ifeel…”CharismilingandlookingatDimitriasiffindinghisawkwardandembarrassedbodynguageandexpressionbothfunnyandamusing.Sheheldupherwinegssandsaid,
“itri,don’tworry.Haveadrinkaalkthisover.”Dimitrigulpeddownhiswhiskeyandtinued,
“Youknow,Charina,everyohisworldhashispdpysarole.YoupyyourroleandIpymiwomysteriouselementsdefinewhichroleoopy:theieoneisbornwithandcharacterwhichisdevelopedter.Takeyouforinstance:yourieismuchbetterthanthatofanordinaryperson.Youwerebornintoapofluxury,havealwayslivedanaffluentlifeandwasverywelleducated.Thenasyougrewupyourcharacterwasinedtowardstheartistidyoulovedtoreadandwrite.Thatnaturallyledtothelifeofaschorandyoubecameanauthorofsomeacciwasthesamewithme.Myiewasverypoor.Iwasbornwithseriouseyeproblemswhichterledtomyblindness.FromthetimeIhadmemory,Iwasalwaysoreets,begging,soitseemedtobethatIwasbornwithwanderlustandroaminghasbeywayoflife.ThatwashowIcametobeablindvagabond.Itisresultofiioweenmyieandcharacterorwayoflife.Youarelikeabird,flyingfreelyintheskies,whileIamlikeafishier.YouandIaretwoentirelydifferentspeciesofanimalsandunfortuisimpossibletobiwoandmakethemliveinthesamehabitat.Iamsuretheclusionisonly‘no’”.CharilookingatDimitriwithatranquilsmileandsaid,
“Areyoudone?Ifso,pleaseallowmetosaysomething.Ifeelthatyivingsarebasedonyravepsychologicalobstacles.Themainreasonisthatyoudon’tthinkyouareworthyofme.Isthatright?ButImusttellyounottobelittleyourselfunwarrantedly.InydomofDreams,youareabenevolentkingwhomallyoursubjectsloveandrespect.Youarea.ItwasyouralentsthatmademeloveyouatfirstsightandthereasonwhyIwanttomarryyou.”Charinastoppedforamoment,sippedalittlewhiskeyandtinued,“Alright,let’spromise.Ihaveapnthatwilldissolvethetradisandsolveourproblems.Duringthedayyoupyyourownroleandroamwhereveryouwant.Iknowyouhavealotofgoodfriendsaswelsyourownbusiotakecareof.Butatnight,pleasereturntomyhouse.Asumptuousmealwillbepreparedforyou.Afterdinner,ifyoufeelunfortablesleepingindoors,Ihaveargebackyard.Feelfreetomakeyourbedanywhereoutdoorsthattakesyourfancy.Itsetsmymioknowyouareinmyhome.”Charinaagainstoppedforamomentahesleepingbagfortwospreadoutbesidethemthatshehadjustbought.Charina’svoicedroppedsolowastobealmostinaudibleassheblushedandtinued,“Iwanttohavechildrenwithyou.Itwouldbeapitytoletyournoblelineendwithyouandnotpassyourroyalbloodalongtoyourdesdants…”Dimitri’sheartlurchedwhenheheardherwordsandwasdeeplydistressed.
“Gosh!”hethought.“Thisdoesit!Howereplytoanofferlikethisfromabeautifundcssydy?IfIrefuseshewillfeelrejected,repulsedandsohumiliatedthatI’mafraidshewouldjumprightdownasteepcliffifonewasnearby.Imagination!Whereareyou?Ineedyourhelp.Showyourselfimmediately!”
Imaginationaivitywereholdinghand,talkingandughinguheshadeofthetalltreewhensuddenlyImaginationbecamestill.ShehadreceivedthecallforhelpfromKingDimitri.HeturoCreativityandsaid,
“Ourmasterisintroubleandhascalledmeforhelp.Imustgoahimoutofwhateverpreditheisin.Youstayhere.I’llbeback.”
“redithebein?”inquiredCreativity,quitepuzzled.“Wasalkinganimatedlywithabeautifulwomahemoonlightamidstthebeautifulroses?Whathelpcouldheneedfromyou?”
“Thatbeautifulwomanisthetrouble!”repliedImagination.“Shehasofferedherselftoourmasterwhodoesn’tknowwhattodo.That’swhyheiscallingtomeforhelp.”
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