The carriage ride was long and it was cold. Oida was a northern country covered in snow and ice. It was absolutely stunning, Rosalina and Sondra were in awe by it. They spent the ride up singing their to their hearts content, laughing and joking around with each other. It made the trip fly by so fast.
"Do you see it? Isn't it amazing?" Sondra smiled out the window. Her eyes wide with wonder upon seeing the beautiful dark castle and how it contrast with the snow.
"Wow...it's huge!" Rosa leaned closer to the window.
"They have more land in Oida, more room to build big castles." Sondra laughed. When they pulled up she jumped from the carriage before it even pulled to a stop. As she opened her door a short girl with blonde hair and a bright smile began running towards the carriage.
Sondra jumped out and greeted Ann with a gigantic hug.
"Are you here to visit Ash? He's not here yet." Ann looked up at her.
"And the rest of you!" Sondra ruffled Ann's hair.
Ann giggled and fixed it, "he's kinda working right now." She winced, "don't be mad?"
"I'm not mad," Sondra shrugged.
"Why are you mad?" Rosalina teased joining the pair.
"I'm not mad!" Sondra laughed.
"Ash serves the people, he's trying to prepare to be king." Ann explained.
"What does your father do?" Rosalina asked.
"He listens to the people in councils all day everyday..." Ann gave a bit of a heavy sigh.
Sondra put her hand on Ann's shoulder in a reassuring way, "Rosalina, this is Princess Ann of Oida."
Rosalina bowed making Ann blush, "come on, let's get you two unpacked."
And with that they hurried inside. The lovely guardsmen brought in their bags.
When they entered the castle they began to warm up a bit. It had the tallest ceilings and the purest cream walls.
"I could get used to this." Rosalina smiled running her fingers over the lovely golden detailing accenting the decor.
Sondra shook her head with a chuckle.
"Now I hear you have a middle sister?" Rosalina asked.
Ann nodded and smiled.
"Her names Ella," Sondra told her sister.
"I have yet to meet Ella, I'd love to get to know her." Rosa beamed.
"Follow me." Ann smiled and led them through the hallways. The floors were so smooth, no cracks no bumps. After walking for a while Ann opened the door to a beautiful room. There was a girl with long dirty blonde hair sitting in a chair.
"Ella, we have visitors." Ella let out a squeak as she turned around in her wheelchair, leaving her desk, to roll towards them.
Rosalina was a little surprised, "I had no idea you were so lovely." She said. "And your dress!"
Ella always had the brightest smile on her face, her bangs framed her face and the rest of her hair tied back fall behind her chair. Her eyes were a warm brown color that matched the warmth of her personality.
"What are you working on?" Sondra asked peaking over at her desk.
Ella used her hands to explain her big ideas.
Ann knowing Rosa and Sondra didn't quite know OSL yet decided to explain, "she's speaking in Oida Sign Language, sometimes it's easier than speaking," as Ann spoke she signed as well, "El can hear, but talking isn't so fun for her."
Ella nodded.
"That's okay." Sondra smiled at Ella who smiled brightly.
"She said that our friendship gardens aren't access friendly enough, which means if people are disabled they have a harder time going through it." Ann explained through words and hand expressions.
Sondra knelt down on her knee and looked at Ella, "I've never seen the gardens, will you show me what you're planning?" She asked.
El beamed and rolled herself right out the door as if to say, 'let's go!'
"I'm going to grab my art book, the gardens are where I go to escape things and just draw." Ann said softly and rushed out to go get it, "go ahead, I'll meet up with you guys." She rushed away.
Sondra smiled at Rosa who followed her and Ella to the gardens.
When they got to the friendship gardens Sondra understood what Ella meant, the pathway was narrow and full of bumpy cobble stones. Sondra didn't mind pushing Ella's wheelchair to get out of the cracks and crannies. The young girl pointed at some beautiful trees they looked almost dead but they had a blue and white flower blooming from them.
"Those are incredible." Rosaline smiled, "what is it, Ella?"
She signed something beautiful.
"It's a Snow Fairy flower," Ann said, rejoining the group, she carried a small leather bound art book and a quill.
Sondra looked back to the flowers, "you have flowers bloom in winter? How is that possible?"
"Magic," Ella said softly.
Something stirred inside Sondra at that word, "what did you say...?" She asked softly.
"Magic." Ella repeated in the sweet soft tone.
A lot of people still believed in magic and fairytales. Sondra on the other hand had lost that hope and wonder.
"Like I said it's a Snow Fairy flower, the snow fairies make them. It's said they do this to ask for help." Ann said hugging her sketchbook to herself.
"Help-?"
Rosa could see Sondra's reaction and smiled to the younger girls, "let's keep going. We said the waterfalls were this way, yes?" Rosalina took hold of Ella's wheelchair and gently pushed her along.
Sondra shook off the uneasy feeling and followed talking to the girls looking through the beautiful art that Ann had drawn and getting to know all about how the gardens would be updated. She enjoyed every second of being around Ashton's family. In way it felt like home.
They began their walk along the bridge over the top of the waterfall which was beautifully frozen over in a glittery white powder.
"It's incredible, huh?" Rosalina asked Ella, who nodded with enthusiasm.
Ann leaned against the guardrail. She set her book on top of it and looked out, "Sondra, look that way."
Sondra stood next to her and looked in the distance, there was a beautiful glittery rainbow dancing in the light of the frozen waterfall.
"It's really beautiful here, I honestly don't want to leave." Sondra said sheepishly leaning against the guardrail with Ann.
"When do you have to go?"
"Rosa and I are leaving tomorrow night." Sondra sighed.
"Tomorrow?" Ann stepped back and looked up.
Sondra sighed and looked down just in time to see a ploof in the snow. She looked at the guardrail where Ann had put her sketchbook, gone. "Oh no."
"What-MY SKETCHBOOK!" she looked over the 30 foot drop down at her sketchbook sitting on top of the ice of the frozen waterfall.
YOU ARE READING
The Third Wedding
AdventureThis is my story, essentially these are real events I've lived through and I'm processing it by writing it down as a fairytale. It's probably fine. THIS IS DEDICATED TO MY FRIENDS: You are the ONLY ones who got me through all of these struggles! Tha...
