Ahlva: Unbound

Chapter 6

Ahlva

Laying in bed and staring at the ceiling I can't help thinking about the welcome celebration a few days ago. It's still so clear in my head. Green eyes, strong nose with a light dusting of freckles, and built shoulders towering over me. 'Fur fiadhaich' he called me. Wildflower. A blush begins creeping on my cheeks as I bring the blankets closer to my head when suddenly Ronit appears through my bedroom doors.

"If you want me to feed those pups, you must get up now" Ronit walks over to the drapes and rips them open before turning to me and placing her arms on her hips with a huff. I stare at her and hide my smirk under the thick beige blanket. Ronit only rolls her eyes and grunts before walking to the washroom to draw my bath. 

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"What do you think of Aden?" I question Ronit as she rubs the soapy cloth onto my skin, the floral scents washing over my arms. I watch the bubbles swish in the bath as I remember his smile and try not to form one of my own. Over the past few days, I thought of him often, especially since he was around the Keep often. He and my brothers sometimes trained together outside. I would only watch briefly from afar, on my way to morning classes when he trained with the soldiers.

"You mean Captain Boru?" She replies. I hum in response. "He looks to be a strong man, good Captain too. The men seem to respect him a great deal" She leans in to look at me closely, making me chuckle and lean back. "Why do you ask?" 

I shrug and watch the bubbles as they stick to my fingers, "I'm just...curious" I smile inwardly before schooling my features, "I haven't seen him in years and the last time I did see him he was a child that didn't seem to like having me around very much" I roll my eyes. "He preferred Cathal" I mock gagging.

"You are a girl, he probably didn't want to hurt you while Cathal and he played" She sighed, scrubbing my back before moving onto my legs, "If you do wish to be friends with him as Prince Cathal is, perhaps you can sit and watch when they spar in the training grounds today. You can speak to him then" 

I decide right then that Ronit is right. Determination burning the timid bees in my stomach, I will watch them today. Usually, my brothers 'train' (They look more like girls hitting each other with sticks)  in the mornings and afternoons, and the afternoon's is when Aden trains them, due to Father's request at the welcome celebration.

After Ronit helps me put on a yellow and white dress for the day and ties half my hair up with a white ribbon while leaving the bottom flow in loose curls down my back, she leaves to feed the pups and I make my way to morning lessons. 

Even though my 'lady lessons' as I like to call them are boring, I do try to take them seriously. I pay attention and practice constantly, even while Ms. Maureen's voice is so dreary and lacking when she gives little speeches or tells stories about her time in this place or that. The only thing keeping me alert at this lesson is the thought of seeing Aden later today. 

I have no idea why I find him so...appealing. Maybe it's the strong rugged jawline? or the greenness of his eyes that remind me of the forest beyond the castle walls? or how if you look close enough, you'll see an almost brown around the inner most black of the eye... 

I shake my head and focus on Ms. Maureen's talk on the different types of stitching to make the embroidery we're doing on our own pillows look more eccentric -as she likes to put it.

...but I shouldn't be thinking of Aden in this way, he is a Captain, future Captain of the Castle Guard, not a Prince. Father would never allow me to marry him.

Wait...Marry him!? Why am I thinking of marriage??

"Ahlva, focus! This is very important" Ms. Maureen holds her stomach as she speaks, as if she can push in the extra chub from the last piece of cake she ate yesterday with the other maids in the gardens near the kitchen back door.