A Wager Of The Heart

1. A sister, the dragon and a promise

:::Charity:::

I dreaded these days, the few weeks in late spring when I would be confined in doors. And being confined was only half the problem, it was the company I was to endure that I detested so greatly. Every year around this time Geraldine's maternal family paid our small, humble home a visit. They would come to the dirty little house, or so they claimed, each year out of love for their granddaughter.

I looked around my dirty little house and smiled. It was a small house surrounded by lush farmland and running rivers. It was just large enough for my father and my sister and the few servants we kept on hand. Waverly was a young man of about sixteen and he did most of the things for Bastion, my father. Mrs. Lee, she was Waverly's mother, cooked and did laundry. Mr. Lee tended the land with mine and my father's help.

I myself was in charge of cleaning the house and tending to guests. I was also Geri's lady's maid, but my sister rarely needed me for anything strenuous. The disgraced daughter of a Baron didn't get incited to many parties so I was rarely needed in that regard. Most days Geri and I would split the household work and then spend the day doing what we loved, which either included being together or Geri would read and I would be outside in my garden.

I looked up from my musing and stared out of the window where I could just see the iron gate that led to my sanctuary. I longed to leave the conferment of this room and to be a part of the outside world where I was as equally insignificant as everyone else, not more so.

"Chari, what's wrong?" I turned to my sister and smiled. Geraldine was like a summers day with golden blonde hair that shone like the sun, eyes as blue as the clearest sky and skin as white as the purest clouds. She was a vision of eternal youth and beauty.

"I was thinking of ways to escape the arrival of the dragon come to steal our own hoard." I said as she smiled. "You often read books with such daring escapes, what's the first step?"

Geri laughed and put her book down. "It's not one of adventure today, but one of love."

"The usual I presume?" I asked with only a touch of ill humor. "Dastardly deeds committed by evil step mothers to thwart the happiness of the innocent and beautiful young maiden. Then we must take into account the dashing and handsome Prince who kisses her frozen lips and breathes life back into her cold body."

Geri laughed and nodded her head. "Only this one appears to be about a golden ball, a spoiled princess and a prince who was turned into a frog."

Bastion laughed then for the first time and both of us turned to regard him, who was smiling indulgently at us. "There is a lesson to be learned in all stories, even ones about true love and nonsense." He said looking pointedly at me for this last bit.

"That we should not fear death because if we are pretty enough someone will dare to kiss our dead lips?" The sarcasm that clung to every word like moss on a tree did not go unnoticed by the other two in the room.

"No Chicken," Bastion admonished slightly. "The story Geri reads now, I'm familiar with it, and it teaches us to not be fooled by appearances and to learn to love the soul within the body. And love is the grandest adventure." Bastion said wistfully before turning his attention to his own book once more.

I laughed but said resolutely, "I'll not kiss a frog in the hope he turns into a man. Or rather I would kiss a man and watch him turn into a frog." Geri and I laughed.

"Still, you could throw a golden ball into a well and ask my grandmother to fetch it." Geri giggled and opened her book once more. "Then we could cover the well and hope she never escapes."