Soft & Still

Chapter 7

Going from stall to stall, (Y/N) was shopping for dinner for the next couple of nights. In her mind it was far better to purchase everything in advance so that she didn't have to go out everyday shopping and waste time that could be used otherwise.

The shopping trip was nothing out of the ordinary; every Sunday afternoon she as well as many others from her town would make their way to the markets found in each city square. There were many different squares in the vast expanse of the capital city of the country which made sense to (Y/N). On occasion, sometimes those from the more poverty ridden sections of the city would come and shop at the middle class's squares if they happened across a little money just as the same would happen to the squares found in the far more affluent sections with people from the middle class. Typically, they would only go if they had saved up to purchase something high end. That's what (Y/N) had done for her perfume.

Pushing her way through crowds where the people flowed together around each other like waves of water lapping at the bank of the river the locals would go to hang out, (Y/N) found fighting the crowd difficult. Instead of pushing too hard, she decided to try and go with the flow of the crowd, even if it took her a little longer to get what she needed, it was far less exhausting.

From the corner of her eye a black fluff came into view catching her attention.

Just some towns boy with his friend gawking at the prices on some of the more expensive items it seemed.

Sighing (Y/N) found a seat to take a break, the new ache in her lower back told her that if she didn't take a break that she would soon regret it in the coming evening. As she sat, she wondered what part of that boy's hair had managed to catch her attention so quickly. Black hair wasn't an uncommon thing, perhaps it was the way the sun hit it made it seem similar to the prince's hair whom she had only just met a couple of days ago.

Pressing her palm against her eye socket before rubbing the same hand up her face and through her hair, (Y/N) closed her eyes and sighed heavily while leaning onto the back of the seat. Inhaling then exhaling, (Y/N) opened her eyes only to quickly shut them again as the sun, which was blocked by a post holding a tent up while her eyes were closed, was no longer being blocked when she had opened her eyes again.

Raising her arm to block the sun with her hand, she opened her eyes much more carefully and leaned to the side to have the post blocking the sun from her eyes, but kept the hand in the air. Watching the way the setting sun's light colored her palm into a brilliant shining version of its original color, she smiled gently enjoying the relaxing view.

It didn't last long though as another flash of black from the same corner of her eye as last time recaptured her attention. This time however, all she did was glance at it instead of taking the time to actually observe the person. After all, the prince has no business in this corner of the city.

It wasn't but a day or so after her shopping excursion that (Y/N) received an exorbitantly ornate envelope addressed to her rather than to that of one of her other family members. The letter, placed on the one open spot of her disorganized desk covered in fabric scraps and stuffing, was stared at rather relentlessly before it had made its way there. The burning curiosity of her entire family was not so silently begging for (Y/N) to open the letter. (Y/N) was able to get them to agree to wait until after dinner to be finished for her to open it since the mail had arrived whilst they were in the middle of eating and filling each other in on their days. Overall, nothing interesting other than the fancy envelope had occurred so dinner finished a little earlier than usual with the excitement of it causing all of them to eat just a little faster.

Crowding around (Y/N)'s desk, her family huddled as close as they could trying to see the pretty envelope before it was torn open and officially ruined. Using a letter-opening knife, (Y/N) sliced the top and pulled out the papers inside. Buttery smooth yet strong, the paper was of an immensely high quality, more so than they one Madame Rochelle had used, (Y/N) noted to herself.