Wings of Roses

Chapter 2

My mother tightens the ribbons of my white gown with an expert hand. The bodice is fitted so no feature of my small body goes unnoticed. The sleeves are long and sheer, and the skirt are light and sway against my ankles as I shift with discomfort from standing for so long. "Are you ready to see the capital, love?" My mother chimes, her voice honey soothing my growing anxiety. It's like an endless pit grew in my stomach overnight. Hungry and unyielding. I nod quickly as she ties off the corset. "Sit," she commands, and I do. Her hands start their work on my waist-long hair, brushing out the tangles from sleep and the prior night's extracurricular activities.

Jeremias and I agreed to go our separate ways, but that didn't mean he didn't woo me over, and over. I would have been a very lucky girl if I was able to stay and marry him. My cheeks heat at the thought. My mother hums as she braids hair away from my face. She leaves most of my hair to cascade down my back, though I would rather have it braided to fend off the heat. Today is summer solstice, and in prior years that meant jumping into the lake with Jeremias. Today, though, it means a long carriage ride to the capital to determine if I will be joining the blood legion. It's going to be a long, hot, sticky ride. One that I am certainly not looking forward to.

"You look so beautiful, darling," Mama says softly, running her fingers through the hair left undone. She touches my shoulders, the signal to stand, and when I do, she pulls me into her arms. "I love you so much, Aeris."

"I love you too, Mama."

"The horses are ready!" My father calls from beyond the front door. My mother takes both of my hands into her own, squeezing them tightly.

"Whatever happens, we are proud of you. Don't forget that."

"You're making this sound like a goodbye, mother."

"I just wanted to remind you!" She huffs but smiles as she brushes some hair away from my shoulder and tugs at the skirts of my gown. "Alright, get your pack. You know your father is an impatient man. Best not to keep him waiting." I peck her cheek before skipping to my bedroom. I'm going to miss my small room, the little paintings that peel away from the walls. I doubt I'll have my own room in the soldier's barracks, which means no privacy and no time alone. Sighing, I sling my pack over one shoulder and meet my mother outside.

My father sits in the driver's seat with the reigns resting on his lap. His tanned skin already shines with sweat from the morning sun. "C'mon ladies, we must be going if we're to make it in time for the ceremony." I throw my pack into the open bed of the carriage and help my mother in before pulling myself up. As soon as we're seated, the reigns snap and the carriage jolts forward. I stare at the farm as the horses pull forward. I'm going to miss it. The cottage, the fields, the stench of the manure in the barn needing to be shoveled. Little Belle and the rest of the animals. I stare until the farm is lost among the trees, and only then do I face forward. Tears roll freely and I don't bother wiping them away.

The trees soon disappear as we enter the village proper. People stare from the thresholds of their homes. Some children stop playing to watch us pass by. It still puzzles me as to why we aren't well liked by the villagers, but that's soon forgotten when I look over my shoulder to find Jeremias waiting by his fence. A sad smile parts his lips as he waves, his father and younger sister beside him. We wave back, tears pricking my lashes as we roll away. Just when I thought that would be the last I would see of him, he breaks away from his family and jogs beside the carriage.

"You are brave, and you are strong Aeris. You will persevere. You will conquer, and you will survive." His words mirror that of Rose's from the apothecary yesterday. I reach a hand down to grip his tightly, not caring if my mother is sitting right beside me.

"I will come back."

"I know."

Then he releases me and stops in the middle of the road, watching us until he becomes a speck on the horizon. I cry freely, letting the sobs wreck my body as we draw into the main square. My mother holds me against her as we rock in the carriage, cooing words of reassurance in my ear. Rosalia waves from her doorway and blows a kiss to us. My mother waves and blows a kiss back, making me laugh. I hope to find friendship like theirs. Something that withstands the test of time and heartache.