Inevitable Spring

chapter 1 -

Chapter 1 -

"Good morning Lady Myra, did you sleep well"

She peeked above her covers and glared at her old butler, Sebastian. He finished pulling open the long drapes to let the morning sun in and turned to face her. He smiled at her sleepy attempt at a glare; she grumbled at him and turned over to fall asleep again.

"Now Lady Myra, it's a beautiful morning so you better get up before you miss it" Sebastian saw that his lady was making no move to get up so he grabbed the end of the quilt and pulled it off her. The crisp morning air hit her and she jolted awake. She swung her lungs around and hung them off the bed muttering profanities about her uncouth butler, Sebastian was sure she had learnt those words from the drunk guards last night.

"Now is that how a lady should speak?" Sebastian handed the red dressing gown to the still half asleep lady. She grabbed the gown and swung it around her shoulders; she then searched for her slippers with her feet while tying a bow around her slim waist.

"Lady Myra, would you like to eat breakfast in the dining room or have it brought up to your chambers?" Lady Myra slowly stood up and made her way over to her large mahogany wardrobe.

"Sebastian? Have the guards come in for breakfast yet?" she pulled open the doors simultaneously and begun sifting through the vast amount of dresses.

"No milady, would you like to break your fast with them?"

"Yes, it is considerably lonesome breaking your fast alone and eating with the guards is always a lively event" she pulled out a simple deep forest green dress that matched her eyes and laid it on her bed. "Tell Lily to come up and help me to get ready for the day"

"Yes milady, anything else you need?"

"No, you may go" Sebastian nodded then swiftly left the room. Myra watched his exit and wondered how an old man could walk with such grace.

Myra swiftly got dressed for the day, struggling with the laces on the bodice but in the end got them tied up. She ran her long fingers through her hair and came across several knots; she gave up and stood by the large window overlooking the town the stood in front of the manor. Myra was abruptly pulled out of her daydreaming when she heard three soft knocks on her door.

"Come in" Lily walked into the grand room and shut the door softly behind her.

"You sent for me, milady"

"Yes, assist me with my hair, it is untameable" Myra walked over to her vanity and sat down facing the mirror, picking up the brush and handing it to Lilly. Lilly took the brush and begun playing with Myra's hair.

"Milady your hair is beautiful; you should take better care for it"

"I don't have time to take better care for it; I have a lot of work to do"

"It's such a shame, you have such lovely features. If dressed yourself like an actual 20 year old woman then you would be the most beautiful lady in the country"

"Lily, flattery will get you nowhere and you know that I can act my age. I have to run the manor and take care of the town."

"Yes I know milady but it is a shame" Lilly finished pinning Myra's hair on top of her head and stepped back admiring her work. "Finished milady"

"Thank you as always Lilly" Lady Myra walked out of her room with Lilly in tow. She walked down the grand stairs and into the large room where all the guards came to break their fast. She noted all the sleepy faces but realise that most of the chairs were empty; some of the guards must break their fast in town or with their family. She walked to the end of one of the long tables and sat in the chair that was on the opposite table to the one Sebastian had set up for her. She also noted how Sebastian had put a pillow on the other chair for her. She waited until Sebastian walked into the room with her breakfast and watched his face as he noticed his work gone to wastes.

"Milady, I set that chair up for you especially, why aren't you using it"

"Sebastian, if I wanted to eat in comfort I would of done so in my chambers. I was to break my fast like everyone else" Sebastian looked down at Lady Myra and noticed the stubborn tilt to her chin.

"As you wish milady" Sebastian set her breakfast down in front of her and went back into the kitchen. Lady Myra began eating one of the delectable pastries her chef makes when she heard clunks of plates being put down near her, she looked up surprised. She looked into the tired but smiling faces of some of her guard.

"Milady, we thought you looked lonesome" a tall gruff one said, Michael she thought his name was.

"So we came over to keep you company" a young brunette said with a smile.

"That is very kind of you all, thank you" their faces lighted up and they smiled at her. She picked up her pastry and begun nibbling on it listening and nodding along to the constant chatter of her guard. This is was she loved, being surround by people you love and car for. She had just finished her pastry when a royal messenger cam walking in with two guards in tow. He scanned the room and stopped when his eyes fell on me. He came rushing over but before he could reach her, the guards surrounded her, protecting her from potential threat.

"Guards calm down, can't you see the royal insignia on his shirt?" the guards relaxed and sat down but still kept an eye on the messenger. The messenger saw this and proceeded with caution.

"Lady Myra of Dalesford, I come with a message from the king" the messenger pulled out a letter sealed with the sign of the king. She began opening the letter.

"Does the king wish for me to reply now or later?"

"He said for you to answer as soon as you read the letter" Myra opened the letter and read the first line.

Dear Lady Myra of Dalesford,

I have written this letter to you because, in your deceased parents place, I wish to see you marry before your life drifts away from you and you leave this world with no heirs. I think that you, my dear, are forgetting your age, your father would not have wanted for you to take care of the manor by yourself.

So for this matter I invite you to stay at the palace for one year to find a husband and by the end of the year I wish to see you married.

Please give your reply to the messenger and I hope to see you with in the month.

Yours sincerely,

The king