Autumn Leaves

Chapter 2

I tensed. "A suitor?" He could not possibly think of marrying me off to some stranger.

"Yes. You are 16, correct?"

"Almost." I grumbled.

"Which is just the right age to marry. This will create bonds with other kingdoms, but most importantly, it will get me... um, us money."

'Money?!' I thought to myself. The rage I could not contain finally came spilling over. "YOU GREEDY MONSTER!" I screamed. The King continued as if he had not heard a word I said.

"I have invited the nearest kingdoms to a ball. They will all arrive in 3 days. You will marry into the family I find most impressive."

"So you don't care how I feel about all this?! About my future?!" Tears were building up in my eyes. "Young girl." My father's tone was dangerous. "This is my kingdom, my decision."

I looked this man straight in the eye. The enemy who was supposedly my father. My voice was deadly calm as I spoke my next words. "I wish mother was here. She would have agreed with me. Besides, she is fit to rule this kingdom unlike you."

With that, I fled from the throne room.

I ran passed all the workers who gave me concerned looks as I flew by, and up the stairs into my room. I slammed the door behind me with such force, my room shook like an earthquake causing a stack of books to tumble off their shelf. I slowly trudged toward the corner of my bedroom and crumpled to the floor. Tears came flowing out of my eyes like a waterfall of anger and regret. Regret that I had ever gone to his throne room. Regret that I was related to him. Not a second later, I heard rapid knocking on the wooden door. I did not answer it.

"Prin- uh, I mean Esther? I know you're in there." Isaac paused. "If you don't answer, I'm coming in...." He began muttering to himself. "Well if I just burst in that wouldn't be very polite or proper of me, but I have to."

He opened the door and scanned the room. It looked nothing different than it did this morning besides the clutter of fallen books. His eyes landed on me, sobbing and trembling in the corner. "Oh Esther." He ran over, kneeling down to look me in the eye. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could somehow change this, but you know I am powerless against the king. Even so, you do not deserve the treatment he's giving you, making you marry a stranger. You deserve the kindest, bravest, most intelligent, humble, caring, loyal man in the kingdom... no, the world."

I lifted my head from my hands, trying to muster a small smile through my tears. "It sounds like you just described yourself."

He blushed bright red. "Oh! I-I didn't think that I was... I didn't mean..." He stopped, taking a breath. "I'm honored you think of me like that, or maybe you were joking..."

"I wasn't joking."

He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well thank you." A long silence settled between us until I spoke up. "I don't want to leave this place, even if I do hate my father. I don't want to get married to anyone... ever." My voice shook. Isaac's face had a strange look. Was that hurt I saw in his eyes?

I thought for a moment about what I had said and the book that I had been reading earlier about Prince Samuel and his one and only love. "Unless it's true love of course." I added. Isaac seemed to relax at that comment, but in all likelihood, it was just my imagination.

I thought about what my life would be like in the months to come. I would leave the castle to marry some random prince who would think he was the superior. I would have to sit on a throne all day listening to boring meetings. My life would be more planned than it was presently. I had always wished to be free from the life that I was living. I dreamed of riding into the unknown, with new adventures and dangers awaiting me. Now, it looked like all those dreams were dying. I would never get a chance to-

"Esther?" Isaac's concerned voice brought me back into reality. I became aware that the stream of tears on my face had grown, I tried to stop, but there was too much pressure and hopelessness weighing me down.

"Look." He said. "It's going to be fine."

Maybe it was the burden of the news that had been dumped on me like a pile of rocks, but I snapped. "How can you say that?! You are not the one whose parent is sending you off to who knows where! So just shut up until you can make yourself useful!"

His eyes widened, brimming with tears as a look of anguish settled over him. "I-I'm sorry for my disgracefulness." He mumbled shamefully, looking down at the floor. He swiped at the tears on his face, trying to go unnoticed. "Why are-"

I dawned on me what I had just said. Out of the heat of anger and distress, I had snapped at my innocent friend who was just trying to help. I realized I had never spoken to him this harshly before and guilt quickly settled in. "No! Don't apologize! I just- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you! I didn't..."

For the hundredth time that day, I began to cry. I probably looked like a weakling by now. I quickly hugged Isaac, surprising him with the sudden embrace. "I understand if you're mad and want to leave now."

He shook his head, hugging me back. "I could never get mad at you." His voice was barely a whisper.

That moment, it was as if something inside me started to change. I was not sure what it was exactly, the fluttering in my stomach, and the irresistible urge to smile. I settled on the idea that it was relief.

Unfortunately, that feeling did not last forever.

Before I knew it, it was time for the ball. I ignored the dress that my father had picked, and put on one of my mother's old dresses. The dress had magically turned up in my closet that night, and I remembered it was my mother's favorite. It was mainly indigo with a dash of white here and there. I heard Isaac knock on the door and shouted, "Come in!" He did just that, stopping in the doorway for a second to look at the dress. "So, you've decided not to wear the dress your father bought you?" He asked, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Yes. I refuse to give my father full satisfaction."

Isaac nodded. "I assumed so." He turned toward the fancy dress that I had disregarded. "This just isn't something you would wear. It doesn't fit your personality." Indeed, it was not a dress I would even think of putting on. It was pink and frilly, with delicate roses lining the embroidery. My friend turned back to me with a pleased look on his face. "And that is why I snuck this dress out of the storage!"