War's Love

Lost Time

I went home from the shoreline and I already missed the boy I met four years ago. It was all I wanted since then. He was the only one I desired more than my own life. 

My 16th birthday is today and soon I will be married off to a man I've never met. 

The tradition has been in my family for generations and I wish it was gone. My father was a hard man to give away his daughters to just any man. He makes sure that each of us were taken care of properly, my two older sisters and I. My father always cared about us after my mother died. I never knew her really. She died after giving birth to me. I was jealous my sisters had more time with her than me, but it wouldn't make much difference.

The walk home was nothing compared to the scolding I'll get when I make it back home. My father was never happy that his youngest daughter was running around on her own. He had several reasons to worry. I always came home sick or injured and he had tried to lock me in my room a few times, but he soon accepted I wouldn't listen.

I saw the meadow that was near the river which was close by the village. I paused a moment looking at the Sunflowers swaying as the wind blew gently. It was beautiful, but it wasn't him.

The boy I had fallen for all that time ago seems to be where my mind wanders the most. He ocean cold eyes and his charming smile spread warmth into me every time I picture his slender jawline and the way his cheeks had blushed red.

Get a hold of yourself. I slapped my cheeks, but the image of him was still there like it was frozen in time. How can I forget him? 

I continued on the path and walked over the bridge seeing the townspeople bustling around. It was another day in Acrin. Shops open and selling their services and goods.

Acrin was a town filled with joy most days, but we have been raided a couple of times and nearly lost most of our valuables and women. 

It still bothers me that I was almost completely useless last time. 

Two years ago,  Acrin was raided by a group of bandits. They had attacked women sexually and took gold, diamonds, any jewels or rare items that were sell-able. Some of them had the nerve to attack my sisters and I while my father was travelling. One of the bandits I had provoked, him by catching his attention to his greenish grey irises and his long wavy brown hanging about at his shoulders. He pressed me to a wall  and started feeling me up, but before he got too far, Rickard showed up to stop him from hurting me.

Rickard was the most popular young man in town that excluding his father who was the leader and mayor of our village. Rickard knew me since we were kids and things had changed between us. There was a summer long ago he said he would marry me when I turned 16, but my father refused him. I was glad I didn't have to marry Rickard, but my father would just marry me to another man. Rickard was a sweet guy, but wasn't my type. 

I wanted someone who understood me better than he ever could. The boy who saved me was the only one I had eyes for. He was more my type than Rickard or any man my father decided was good enough to satisfy me. Truth is, I don't want to be married until I see that boy again. 

I had been so focused on walking home that I was at the front gate of our house. It was well structured and looked like a smaller version of the Parthenon. I closed the gate behind  me and went inside the house. 

The large area was sparsely decorated. In other words, we weren't a rich family. We had a few valuable items, but they were there for sentimental reasons. 

"Eleza, there you are," May's voice called. She was my eldest sister who was married and now with child. Her long braided brown hair was hung over shoulder and she was wearing her light sky blue dress which if I had choose, was the best one she had. "Where have you been? You're hair's a mess," She was always like this. I know she was trying to be like a mother to me since mom died, but she was always worried I wasn't as lady like as her and Oriana. 

"I went for a walk near the coast," I wasn't good at lying, so I was bluntly honest with her.

She sighed and her brown eyes dazzled with concern. "Eleza, you won't get a husband by being so spontaneous." As a note, most people call me Eleza which is short for Elezana. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore this speech for the billionth time this month.

I headed up to my room and May followed me. 

"I drew a bath for you, so get cleaned off," she said it in a motherly way, but it didn't make up for the lost time I never had with my actual mother.

She went downstairs to prepare dinner with Oriana and I went to the bath. 

I took off my amber brown dress and stepped into the water. I pulled my hair up and soaked in the water which smelt of lilies. I scrubbed off the dirt and sighed. 

I want to be free from my obligations to my family. I wanted to see the world around me.

I got out of the bath and dried off. 

I went back to my room to find a dark emerald green dress. I assumed Oriana made this for me. She was handy with fabric and outfits, but like May she was married. I was the only daughter that wasn't married off since I was the youngest. 

I put on the dress . It fit me so well you could see how much it added to my natural curves. Oriana was good at this. I twirled around in it for a minute and wondered if I would be happy without ever seeing that boy again, but my feelings toward him were strong. 

I  will see him again. I will.

   Enjoying it? Let me know. So will she see that boy again? What will she do with these feelings?