The Line Between You And I

Elizabeth

Finally, in mid-October, I swear my mind can't put up with the constant nagging coming from my parents. It's always "Elizabeth dear, would you mind doing this?" or "Elizabeth dear, remember show not tell." It makes me sick. Then again, my mother shows an impeccable amount of resilience to be able to put up with my dad. Today I have decided that enough is enough, I'm going to finally spend a Saturday not obeying every command my parents bark at me like I'm a dog. No, I'm going to do as I choose because, at the end of the day, we have free will right? Might as well use it... Anyway, so I grab my royal blue cloak lined with gold silk engravings from the many empowering women who wore it before. Each symbol has a story, but you see you have to earn your symbol, they don't just hand it out here and there. After I grab my cloak, I wander down into our family's large woodland area surrounding our mansion of a home.

As I reach the line between being perfect and being different, I pause. I really need to make sure I am making the right decision for myself. I take a breath, slowing my heart rate to reduce stress, then I carry on. Now that I am officially away from my parent's suffocating grasp, I really take a minute to admire how beautiful this place is. You see, I haven't been in the royal gardens since my first birthday when I was baptized. Oh, fun fact of the day I'm a royal catholic. Well, that's what my parents wanted anyway for me and Victoria. I know when to finally stop wondering because I see the place I finally feel at home. In the middle of my surroundings, there is a tranquil pond. The vibrant water lily danced upon the transparent trickling water, as they made their way down the smooth eroded rocks. Neighboring the water's edge, sat a lazy Lincoln green water bank. The river bank sat there all day watching the water come closer and further with every passing minute like a child playing with a yo-yo. The fluffy clouds are sheep in the sky. Not a day goes by when they don't have a spring in their step as they play and chase each other around. Placed directly under the animal-like clouds, is a cluster of broad yet stable trees. Their roots are the foundations of life, and each one of them tells a story. Some of the trees in our gardens have been there for hundreds of years. The older trees, tend to have maroon leaves and nest-holding branches. The more youthful trees have sunshine-washed leaves and perfect branches for owls to perch. Not far from the pond, there is an old wooden bench on which I decided to take a pew on. That's when I see a pair of chocolate brown eyes looking back at me...

I am petrified. I see nobody, no figure to match the eyes, no face even. I felt my heart beat faster with every aching moment. I must have gone pale or something because, at that exact moment, he shuffled. Only far enough so that I could make out what he was wearing. His t-shirt seemed to have holes and stains in it from maybe about last week. He had some baby blue shorts, which clearly indicated that he was not from London. Every single day if it isn't pouring it down, then it will be at least partially cloudy even on a good day. He was also quite tanned which clearly indicated that he couldn't have come from England. Wait that must mean he's a... I grabbed the ends of my dress as fast as my shaking hands could and began to quickly make my way off the chair when...

"Wait!" A deep voice called out.

I froze. The voice in my head I could just about make out from the loud thumping of my heart and the sound of my lungs composing and decomposing faster with each second ticking by.

"Now Elizabeth, show him you want no trouble, this is your garden by the way. He's not the one who owns this land so show him, show him you own him too!"

I turn around. Maybe it was slightly too fast because my dress pulled me closer to this strange man on my land.

"Who are you?" I call out making sure I use my English correctly.

"Um- Max miss, Max Bianchi." He called out slowly rethinking each word.

"What do you want with me and my land sir?" I call out. My confidence slowly slipped as my voice dips in and out.

"Come into the light!" He shouts out.

"How dare you order me about! Do you know who I-"

Before I could even finish my sentence, he ran over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me into the only crack of  sunlight in these deep woods.

I look down, compose myself, and say "Who do you think you are?"

After saying this, I look up and my eyes meet him for the first real time. Now knowing there is a face to match the maroon eyes.

"You're.." The words slip out of his mouth.

" And you're..." I manage to squeeze out my now silent vocal cords.

The things I'd do to just go back to the moment I was perfect...