Erisa

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

That morning, Hope's head appeared around the door. She walked in, smiling as usual. Today she wore a cobalt blue and black dress that made her eyes sparkle intensely as she gazed at them. At her side was a bulging black bag.

"The king has decided to allow you to have a free day. You may go where ever you wish, as long as you do not exceed the servant's boundaries. If you would like, I could take you-"

"We don't wanna go anywhere." Teris whined.

"Yeah, we're too tired." Cala joined in.

"Okay, if that's what you want." said Hope uncertainly. She turned to leave.

"Hope, do you think that you could take Samanthia and me to the gardens? We would like to see them, if that's allowed."

"Why of course, Erisa. That is a wonderful idea!" Hope brightened visibly and motioned for them to follow her. She led the two girls out into the hall and closed the door behind them.

"I don't know how you can stand to live with those girls!" she exclaimed as soon as she was sure Cala and Teris were unable to hear them.

"Honestly, sometimes I'm not so sure either." Samanthia said while Erisa tried to smother her laughter. They had always been forced to put up with each other, even though Erisa and Samanthia never were able to agree with Cala and Teris' snobby, 'me-first' attitude.

Hope led the girls through more hallways, and Erisa tried to remember the way they were going so she could go to the gardens by herself later. A left here, past three doors, another left, a right... Hope and Samanthia walked side by side, talking and laughing while looking back at Erisa occasionally to ask if she would like to join them. But Erisa just shook her head and went back to thinking to herself. She was still curious about that dream she had had. And she couldn't stop her mind from returning to her lost city; her lost life. To think it all out, she needed to talk to Samanthia about it and tell her everything as soon as Hope was gone. Yes, she liked her, but she wasn't sure if she could trust her yet. Lost in thought, Erisa almost bumped into Hope, not noticing that they had stopped until the last second. They were in a stone entranceway, and a large wooden door blocked their view of the gardens beyond.

"Here we are!!!" Hope exclaimed. "I am so sorry; I can't give you a tour today. I have other things that I really need to get done, but I will come and pick you up in about three hours. Oh, here is your breakfast. I forgot about Cala and Teris', but they are old enough to go down and get some if they're hungry. So, I will see you in three hours, ok?" Hope reached into a small bag at her side and brought out two napkins that were wrapped around pastries. Erisa and Samanthia thanked Hope for her help, and watched as she walked off.

"Have fun!!!" she called, and waved good-bye. The two girls turned around, and opened the huge door that led to the gardens. Erisa gasped as they stepped out into the bright morning sunshine. The garden was beautiful, with cobblestone walkways that wove around raised flowerbeds. Some were patches of healthy spring flowers; others housed magnificent trees or bushes. There were native plants, as well as many that Erisa had never seen before. Samanthia smiled and the two girls began to wander through the gardens. They walked together, passing few strangers while pointing out flowers from home and laughing at old stories from Anasia. It was a beautiful day too, with a light breeze, clear skies and the warm sun. The two girls enjoyed the whole of it as they wandered through the meandering paths.

Quite by chance, Erisa glimpsed a glowing fountain in the very center of the garden, surrounded by a circle of cobblestone. It was pure gold, molded into the shape of a water lily, the royal flower. The tiny rivulets of water that trickled down the petals gleamed in the sun as they made their way to the pool below. Real water lilies of all colors encircled the fountain, floating in the pool.