Feeling Adversity

Chapter 5: Father

Larisa felt as if her soul was about to be drained dry, she kept looking at the moving lips of the old man in-front of her as he taught her but nothing registered into her ears, all she knew was that he was talking but she couldn't hear what it was that he was saying.

Her mind started to drift away as she anticipated her upcoming birthday in a few days. She would be turning fifteen and would be given a palace of her own. She was thinking of asking for Orchid palace to be given to her but she wasn't confident that it would happen.

Orchid palace is where she was born and raised for the first seven years of her life by her mother. It was constructed specifically for the kingdoms Queens only and her asking for it could be met with strong rejection from the courtiers but she still wanted to give it a try.

The next few days leading up to her birthday were spent with her acting like a puppet, she would wake up early, practice, greet Consort Ari before heading to the library. She had been used to this kind of existence before but going back to it did not sit well with her.

This kind of existence was draining her emotionally and mentally every single day. When Maynard first appeared in her life, she really didn't care much, he was just another addition to her monotonous life.

She doesn't know when it started but in between all those times that he walked with her to the library, something changed within her and his waiting figure as she left the harem gates became the site she looked forward to the most every morning.

Their tacit agreement of acting as though she didn't rush to meet him and him acting as though he had just arrived and wasn't waiting for her never ceased to bring a smile to her face.

She doesn't know if he will ever know how much it means to her to have him wait for her every morning and accompany her.

Larisa stood at the gate leading to the outer court, the weather was sunny and warm today but she only felt a deep and uncomfortable hollowness inside that left her entire body feeling cold.

It was the fifth day that Maynard hadn't been waiting for her at the gate, after mastering all her courage she had asked her brother about his whereabouts two days ago,

Dario hadn't looked up from his papers as he said, "I don't know where he is or when he will come back."

"But he is your friend, shouldn't you know where he is."

"Like you said, he is my friend and not my son. He has his own private life that I can't interfere in."

She left his study feeling even more helpless, would it be like last time when they hadn't seen each other for months?

She didn't have any confidants in the palace she could send to ask around about his whereabouts and even if she tried bribing someone and they do find out where he is, what then? She couldn't even follow him anyway, she felt like a caged bird.

On the day of her birthday his shadow was still nowhere to be seen. A knock at the door disturbed her sad thoughts

"Come in." she called out.

"Good morning and happy birthday princess," Lifar said with a smile as she placed the food on the table

"Hmm"

Lifar looked at the downcast expression of the princess before proceeding to push the dishes in-front of her.

"Princess, I heard a few gossips from the maids, should I tell you?"

Lifar continued despite Larisa not responding, "The maids were talking about how the young lord looks handsome in formal attire today."

Larisa sat up straight from her chair before she found it too embarrassing to show such anxiousness, she lay back in the chair and coughed a couple times to hide her embarrassment. She looked at Lifar, who had a smug look on her face and looked away as naturally as possible. Lifar's smile still did not dissipate in spite of this.