Chase

It was 1789. You lived in a small village. Where everyone knew everyone. It so happened that you had small scars all over your body, except for your face. You tried to hide them with long-sleeved dresses. But you were still called ugly and could be beaten. And not only children did this, but adults too. You were very hurt and upset, so you always kept silent, talking only to your mother.

When you were fifteen, your mother took in a boy. He also looked fifteen. He rarely spoke, only to your mother. And you tried not to have any contact with him. In fact, he was a runaway prince from another country. But he would never tell anyone. Better to live in poverty, but in love. He began to help your mother. He helped with the housework, carried water, chopped wood. He read a lot. You lived with him in the same room. Because the house was small. On his side there was a bed, a table, a chair, a wardrobe, and a bookshelf. On your side, a bed, a table, a chair, a wardrobe, and a mirror. He saw your scars, but he didn’t say anything. And he didn’t ask you. When one of you changed clothes, one of you went out so that no one would be disturbed. Besides, you were of different genders.

You went to the same school. It was small, so there were only a few classes. The teachers treated you badly, too. They always gave you bad grades. When they called you to the board, they just asked difficult questions. You sat at the same desk with him. He knew everything perfectly. And you were average. Not good and not bad. You also walked home the same way.
When you left school, and Chase stayed behind with the teacher to work on and review the topics, kids of ten, eleven, and so on started throwing rocks and branches at you, spilling water. You stood there, covering your face with your hands, crying. Enduring the pain. You cried, your shoulders shaking. You couldn't leave; they surrounded you from all sides, shouting and throwing things at you. Someone came up from behind and grabbed you by the shoulders, leading you away. The kids scattered. It was Chase. He carefully led you home through the forest along a path.