The Night I Flew

Chapter 4

I didn't know what to do with myself after she was gone. I finally had confirmation that my mother loved me and just like that she was gone. It felt like taking a child to a candy shop then telling them they can only look.

Regardless of that I felt like clearing my head so I headed out to the stables. There I found Alex brushing Ash. Ash had always seemed so calm next to me and me alone but now she looked so at ease next to him. I looked between my horse and the boy I had only met a week ago. I looked at him and felt like breaking down because only on a week he had broken down any wall I had. How was that even possible? Was he always like this?

I think he saw the pain in my eyes because he opened his arms and I ran to fill them. We hugged like old friends that had known each other for their whole lives. You would've never guessed we had met a week before. His arms felt like new walls. These walls would keep me safe from all harm, even the growing pains of losing a mother.

I pulled away from him and apologized for my sudden outburst but he just gave me a look filled with sympathy and love. We walked around the grounds and talked a lot after that. We ended up under a tree's shade. He was sitting next to the tree truck and I was laying on the ground next to him.

"Did you love your mother?" He asked looking down at me. "Dearly." I replied swiftly. I smiled at the thought. "How...did your father take the news?" Alex questioned, knowing exactly what my father was like. "He didn't cry. Not even once. He never loved her, not really. He just wanted someone to give him a son and she couldn't do that so in his eyes, she was a failure." I closed my eyes, not daring to look at him and that sorry look of his.

"I never did understand why some men are so obsessed with sons. I would love to have a daughter. Having a son would be great too. I don't care the gender. After all, a person's gender does not define how strong or worthy they are. I know lots of women that are far smarter than most men I know. I also know some women who do far more labor induced jobs than men. I mean have you ever tried to calm a crying baby. Not as simple as some may think".

I now looked at him. He had a sort of twinkle in his eye when talking about his future, specifically his children. "I don't know why or how men think that sons are so important, but I do know that it would be wonderful to marry a man who thinks like you. Who gives us women a chance." I said, without thinking. I realized what I had said and quickly corrected myself after I saw his smile. " I just mean I would want to marry a man who creates me as equal and not just some baby and cleaning machine." I said so quickly my words were slightly slurred.

"You women are not equal though. That is just disrespectful. You are so much more. You give life and love. I and no other man would be here today without a woman. Men are cold and cruel. Women are warm and comforting, but also strong and intelligent. I honestly don't know how men think they are so superior." He said, looking at the sky.

I was dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say. No man I had ever met had spoken like that about women. When I was finally able to find words I said, "You don't seem so cold or cruel." I whispered to him. He turned from the sky and looked at me. "That is because I was raised with many women. My mother, my sister's, and my grandma were all there to teach me to be respectful and kind to women. They showed me how tough they had it. If your life is anything like theirs, I truly apologize. You are a very strong person." He looked genuinely sympathetic.

"I'm not strong... Strong people live. I'm just surviving. Surviving the only way I know how." I spoke. He he looked me in the eyes and asked, "And how is that?", "By being silent." I told him, looking at the sprouting flowers on the ground below me. He lifted my head up so I was once again looking into his eyes. "Then let me help you find and your voice, my dear " He smiled at me.
"Ok" I responded happily.

Just then, the midday bell rang. I looked off into the distance to find a maid coming to get me for etiquette lessons. "I have to go." I said, standing. "Before you go." He said grabbing my hand and turning me around. He placed a flower in my hair. It was a lavender rose, which was very bright against the dark shade of my hair. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." I said, rushing off so the maid wouldn't come looking for me and find us together. I could've sworn I heard him say something, but I just kept going... "Goodbye, my princess."