The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 220: Songbird Sanctuary

The bird cawed again, a sound that almost seemed like a chuckle. Jessamyn laughed, the sound breaking through her melancholy. She sat on a nearby bench, the cool stone a stark contrast to the warmth of Jayjay’s presence.

"You always follow me around. Did he ask you to?" she said, her voice a whisper in the night. "Even when I’m lost in my own thoughts, I am comforted knowing you are always nearby. Do you know that?"

Jayjay cawed softly, as if in agreement. Jessamyn gently rubbed Jayjay’s neck with the back of her forefinger, and the bird nuzzled its beak into her hand. The gesture was tender, filled with an unspoken bond that had grown over time.

"It’s cold here, isn’t it? Have you gotten used to the cold? You live here longer than I do, don’t you?" she asked.

Jayjay looked at Jessamyn, nuzzling closer to her. Jessamyn smiled and covered the bird with her coat, creating a small cocoon of warmth for her feathered friend.

"I eagerly wait for summer. At least the temperatures will reach as high as the coldest winter day in Ravensworth..." Jessamyn laughed softly, her breath visible in the chilly air.

The people in Roche often complained of their harsh summer, but for Jessamyn, the temperature of summer here felt like the coldest winter day in Ravensworth. She hadn’t lived in Roche before, but she had spent last summer in a nearby town, getting a taste of its weather and the people who were built with less tolerance to the sun.

She sighed, thinking of those warm days, and continued to stroke Jayjay’s feathers. "But even in this cold, I feel a sense of belonging, Jayjay..." Her face bloomed into a beautiful smile. "Maybe it’s because of him. His warmth brings a piece of home for me and... I am falling in love..."

She let out a short chuckle, almost startling the bird. Gently, she held Jayjay closer to her chest, covering it with her hand to warm it. "Do you understand anything I say?" she asked softly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The bird looked at her, its dark eyes glistening as the cold wind blew. Jessamyn let out a deep breath, looking up at the stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky. "I wish I could figure out where that jasmine scent is coming from. It feels so familiar, but I just can’t place it."

As she was talking, the bird looked at her, its gaze steady and knowing. Jessamyn stared back, half-expecting an answer. Suddenly, the bird spoke, "Papaya..."

"Huh?" Jessamyn scoffed, her eyebrows arching in surprise. "Are you blackmailing me?" She asked, a mix of amusement and disbelief in her voice.

Lately, Jayjay had become more pitiful as it aged. It was hard for the bird to fly and catch its own food. Jerrick had been helping, and at times, Jessamyn lent a hand too. To think this bird had the audacity to ask her for papaya, especially when it was hard to get during winter in Roche, annoyed her further.

"You know it’s not easy to find papaya right now," she said, shaking her head. "But fine, I’ll see what I can do."

Jayjay cawed softly again, a sound that almost resembled a laugh. "Papaya," she said this time a little louder.

Jessamyn couldn’t help but smile at the bird’s persistence. "You’re impossible, you know that?" she murmured, her tone affectionate. "But I suppose you’re allowed that at your age..."

Jerrick said that the bird might have three or four months to live. She hoped the bird would live until it saw their son.

"I’ll ask Jerry to bring you some. You happy?" she asked the bird.

The bird cawed, a sound that resonated deeply with Jessamyn. Ever since Jerrick had gently told her that Jayjay didn’t have much time left, her irritation with the bird had melted away. In turn, the bird seemed to sense the shift in her heart and had stopped its mischievous antics, opting instead to act endearingly towards her.

She suspected that Jerrick had whispered something to Jayjay, just as he had asked her to be kind to the bird in his own roundabout way. This newfound understanding between them created a tender bond that Jessamyn cherished.

"You know about Jerrick’s secret place, don’t you?" Jessamyn whispered, leaning closer to the bird. "What is he keeping in there?"

Jayjay looked at her with its dark, intelligent eyes, then turned its head to gaze at a specific tree. Jessamyn followed its gaze, her curiosity piqued.

"The answer is in the tree?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Songbird Sanctuary," the bird said, mimicking Jerrick’s voice perfectly.

Jessamyn’s heart skipped a beat. The name alone was enough to make her pulse quicken. "That’s what he named that place?"

Jayjay said nothing more, instead nuzzling closer to her for warmth. Jessamyn held the bird tighter, feeling the fragility of its little body against her chest.

"He goes there often?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of wonder and longing.

"I miss my Songbird..." Jayjay repeated in Jerrick’s voice.

Jessamyn’s heart clenched at the words. "He goes there when he misses me?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, afraid to hear the answer but needing to know.

"I hope she lives well..." the bird said, again mimicking Jerrick’s voice. "I can’t find her... I want to see her... Mynah... Where are you? Let me see you once... Just once..."

Even through the mimicry, Jessamyn could feel his pain as he uttered those words.

A lump formed in her throat, the emotions swirling inside her almost too much to bear. The thought of Jerrick visiting this secret sanctuary, filled with memories and longing for her, touched her deeply.

How many times did he repeat those words so that Jaylene could repeat them with such precision? She could picture him there, surrounded by the quiet beauty of the place, his thoughts full of her.

Her eyes welled with tears, not of sadness but of an overwhelming love and gratitude. She held Jayjay closer, her heart fluttering with the profound realization of how deeply Jerrick cared for her.

She couldn’t wait any longer. Holding Jayjay closely in her arms, she walked to the tree. As she approached, her heart pounded with anticipation. Just as she was about to touch the tree, she sensed someone walking toward her.

She stopped and turned to see who it was.