The feeling of unfamiliarity swept over her. She had felt so warm in the cottage, in Eli's arms. Now she just felt cold, cold and alone. She slowly took in her surroundings. The room and it's furnishings were similar to her own. Although the soft sage green provided a stark contrast to the jewel tones her own bedroom boasted, she found it oddly comforting. Swinging her feet over the side of the bed she noticed a pair of slippers had been set out for her, alerting her that Claire had indeed already come to visit. After sliding her feet into the soft fur, she retrieved a robe from the settee and walked about her room. Her trunks were lined against the wall. Upon closer inspection, most were empty, save for the one with her personal belongings. The rest of the contents had been folded or hung up in the wardrobe next to the garments Claire and the seamstress and provided for her. She was inspecting her new wardrobe when Claire entered the room unbeknownst to her. She was tracing the intricate lace work on a gown with her fingertips when a cough sounded behind her. Startled, Elesia dropped the gown and tried to step away from the wardrobe, effectively tripping over her own feet in the process. She promptly landed on her bottom with a "hmph."
Claire was feigning a poor attempt at stifling a giggle. Extending a hand she said, "I trust everything is to your liking?"
"Yes, it's very nice," she said accepting the hand.
"Did you sleep well?" Claire asked while opening the curtains. Blinding sunshine reflecting off of the snow cam pouring in through the windows.
A blush crept up to her cheeks, "Well enough. What time is it ?" She replied, squinting against the light.
"A little after noon."
"What? Why did you let me sleep so late? What will the prince think of me?" The last question was not one she had meant to let slip out. She couldn't care less what the prince thought of her, but what he thought of her, he thought of her kingdom and her father. Despite being here, in this place, being the absolute last thing she wanted, she didn't want to disappoint her father. She was pulled from her thoughts by a hand resting on her shoulder.
"Dear, we all knew you were arriving late, and after such a long journey it's expected that you would need rest." The woman's smile put her at ease. "No one thinks any less of you for being human." Elesia felt the tension leave her shoulders.
"Now, let's get you dressed. There will be no formal lunch but I've had the cook prepare something small in the kitchens. After you've eaten, I can show you around the grounds, yes?"
A loud rumble sounded in her stomach, signaling agreement on her behalf. The pair shared a laugh. "That sounds like a lovely plan."
Together the two selected a yellow tunic style coat that went longer in the tail and boasted flora embroidered in deep burgundy's, burnt orange, caramel browns, and gold. They paired it with fur lined black trousers and brown knee high boots with a buckle around the ankle. Perfect for traipsing in the snow. Claire made quick work of creating a few small braids pulling her locks away from her face and braiding those into a Dutch braid, gently pulling at the strands to create a looser more natural look. She finished the ensemble by fixing a ribbon matching the jacket to the end of the braid.
"There," she said with a smile "as pretty as a princess."
"I should hope so, considering I am one." She said with a chuckle. She surveyed herself in the mirror. She looked.... pretty, albeit different, but pretty. The pieces suited her wonderfully, like it was natural. She felt warm.
"Are you ready for breakfast m'dear?" Claire asked, extending an arm. Elesia looped her arm through Claire's, "lead the way." The two made their way down for the kitchen and found a spread of cold meats, cheeses and breads waiting for them. Claire prepared two cups of tea, handing one to Elesia, she sat down. Elesia took a whiff of the rose colored tea, "It smells sweet."
"It's a berry hibiscus blend, one of my favorites."
She sipped the liquid, "Ah, it's very pleasant and soothing."
" I figured you would need something warm before we head out into the elements."
That was a forethought Elesia would come to thoroughly appreciate after being outside for a mere twenty minutes.
As they saw the gardens, and the greenhouses, visited the stables, and walked through the orchard that would be filled to the brim with fruit come spring Elesia was rubbing her gloved hands together in a desperate attempt to generate heat. As they turned to head toward the house Elesia heard the sound of running water, she stopped in her tracks while Claire trudged ahead of her. Turning her head she located the sound and caught a glimpse of a mountain stream through the briars that lined the bank.
"Come on dear, let's get inside before you catch a cold."
She made a hasty mental note and jogged the few feet to catch up to Claire. They continued trudging through the snow and stomped into the kitchen, knocking the snow from their boots. Claire began warming some milk to mix with the silky smooth, semi bitter chocolate that she procured from the pantry. Making note of the time, Elesia wondered "I wonder why the prince hasn't summoned me yet."
"The prince has meetings in the villages all throughout this week dear, he won't be back for days."
"Oh"
"Is that disappointment I'm sensing ?"
"No," came the curt reply, "it's anger, and frustration... and embarrassment." She finished weakly. "How dare he summon me here? disrupting my life and then not bother to make my acquaintance for a whole week. It's inconsiderate and rude and .... and.... and...."
Claire saw the look of defeat sprawled all over Elesia's face. "And what dear?" She said expectantly.
Elesia heaved a sigh. "How can I be expected to be betrothed to someone like that?" Tears were beginning to slide down her cheeks and into her hot cocoa.
Claire studied the girls face. "Is that all that's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean..." she said pausing to wipe a tear a way. "No one sheds tears like that over a introduction being later than they thought. Are you really upset that you are expected to marry the prince ? Or are you upset that you can't marry another young man?"
Elesia thought for a moment. "Both I suppose. No one has asked me what I want this entire time. All they do is talk, and I'm expected to listen. First the counsel tells me I'm unfit to be a bride, then father tells me I'm to be betrothed, then Maggie tells me I'm being sent away, then Eli tells me we have to run away..." she stopped abruptly, her hand shooting to cover her mouth. Claire placed a hand on hers, "It's okay dear, tell me about this Eli..."
Elesia found herself telling Claire everything, about the treaty, about how she was sent here with only a days notice, about her and Eli's secret rendezvous throughout her teenage years, about his plan to run away, and about her saying yes to his brazen plan. Claire listening patiently through it all and when Elesia was finished she shook her head solemnly.
"Are you cross with me?"
"No dear, I'm not. This is just a lot of information to process."
"Claire, I just don't know what to do."
"If I may be frank?"
"Of course."
"It sounds like you need to decide for yourself what you want... but, to do that, you need to have all of the information." Elesia cocked her head to the side. "If you want to run away with this Eli, I won't stop you, neither would Andrew, in fact, we'd help you, if that's what you truly wanted but if I may make a suggestion?" Elesia nodded. "Wait until the prince can make your acquaintance, and get to know him, as well as you know your Eli, and then make your decision." She nodded her agreement.
"Claire?"
"Hmm?"
"Why are you helping me? I thought it was your job to ensure I was a suitable bride for the prince?"
"Oh no, when the princes parents passed, we were dear friends, they asked us to guide him, and do what was in his best interest. His best interest is to have a bride who truly loves him, not another man. If you find that you don't love him, or can't love him, then we would be doing you both a disservice by forcing the match."
"What about the treaty? Axiom Veroncia is in dire straits which is why the providences are so anxious for the union to take place."
"The prince is not a horrible man, if the match doesn't suit, he's not going to force matters, and he will still honor the treaty."
"How do you know he will?"
"He's a good man, and a great ruler, I should know my dear, I raised him." She said with a wink.
"I'm sorry I was rude, it was wrong of me to misplace my anger towards you."
"I forgive you dear."
The two women stood and Claire pulled Elesia into a tight embrace, when they separated, Elesia spoke, "Claire?"
"Yes?"
"I think I would like to know more about the prince...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Over the course of the next few hours Claire endeavored to answer any and all questions Elesia had about the prince. She regaled her with the stories of his youth and how he would get into trouble, and sneak treats and about all of the adventures they had. Andrew soon joined them for dinner and joined in on the fun. Elesia was soon clutching her stomach in pain from laughing so hard at the story of Andrew taking the prince fishing for the first time. "The weather was faire with the sun being out even though the water was still chilled. We decided to take him to the lake as he had been begging for the whole of winter. After wrangling him into warmer clothes we set out in a small boat. He couldn't have been more than four at the time. We brought the butler with us although we thought better of it, he was a very prim and proper, stuffy sort of fellow you see. The prince was at the far end of the boat, pole in hand, ready to go. He was an enthusiastic lad. The butler, wanted to sit near the prince to ensure he didn't fall into the water. Me? I knew better, I was at the opposite end of the boat. You see my dear, I had taken him to the stream to learn to cast a few days before. When he whipped the pole backwards he had no control over his line and often hooked the pine cones in the trees near the bank more than he ever did a fish. I tried to warn James, but he just wouldn't listen. Anywho, when the prince whipped his line back, his hook caught a loop on James's trousers. The lad, being used to hooking pine cones, yanked hard on his line in an attempt to free it when James was unawares. That sent him toppling into the lake with a big ole splash." He finished with a hearty laugh.
"The poor lout caught a cold and was in bed for a week." Claire added.
"Maybe next time he'll listen when an old man has something to say." He retorted. Claire rolled her eyes letting out a most unladylike snort. "So what do you ladies have on the agenda for tomorrow ?"
Elesia looked to Claire, "I have loads of work to do tomorrow dear. You can roam about the palace and make yourself at home, I can show you the library or provide you with some sewing materials if you prefer?"
"That sounds marvelous." She said, helping Claire remove the dishes. Elesia soon bid goodnight to Andrew and Claire and after reassuring them she had all she needed for the night she headed to her chambers. She changed into her night clothes and wrapped herself in a furry robe. She opened her private trunk and pulled out the journal her father had given her, the first ping of homesickness resonating in her chest. She gently carried it to the writing desk tucked into the corner near the window. She located a candle and lit it, placing it on the desk top, next to the journal and procured an ink well and quill. She dipped the quill into the ink, turned to page two, and began to write.
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Hey friends!
Next chapter we'll be switching back to Ro's POV for a short while. I haven't forgotten about her I promise!
I'm trying my hardest to update every couple of days (believe me, I hate waiting for the next chapter in an ongoing story as much as the next person, so I try to not keep y'all waiting.)
As always and and all feedback is greatly welcomed and appreciated! Please vote, comment, and share with friends!
Your support means the absolute world to me and with every read I do a lil happy dance. The idea of other people enjoying my art makes me smile. I hope everyone is enjoying the story and that everyone has a fantastic week!
Lots of Love,
~Mads
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Addendum:
AvventuraEveryone has a history, a tale of where they come from. Whether it's folklore told around a campfire or a sea shanty sung into a salty breeze, or an account read from a history book. Everyone wants to know who and what they came from. Most can reco...
