Sapphire

Chapter Three

The dress I have on is beautiful. The sleeves are ruffled and fall perfectly so that my hands do not get lost in the fabric. My shoulders are bare as it is off the shoulder and lowly cut. Another layer sits atop the white fabric. The brown fabric laces around my chest and flows to the ground along with the white layer. The skirt flares out more than most of my dresses and my feet are hidden due to the length. My hair flows down my back and rests around my hips in loose waves. My mother surprised me with it only fifteen minutes ago. I come out of my room and walk into the living space. My mother looks at me from head to toe and finally, she nods her head.

Yep, thats it. I give her a confused look and open my mouth but then she cuts me off, I have the most beautiful daughter in the kingdom.

I look down and smile. Of course, she would make a big deal over a dress.

"Nope, scratch that, I have the most gorgeous daughter on this earth." She says finally.

"Mother, you flatter me." I say.

"You are my daughter it is my job to flatter you." She comes back.

"Flatter your husband." I reply.

Just then my father walks in the room

"Oh, Im going to be flattered today?" He rubs his hands together and grins at my mother.

"Tell me Im beautiful" He says and flips his invisible hair.

My mother leans into my ear and cups a hand over her mouth, "Why did I marry this one?"

"Because I wooed you!" I assume he heard my mothers statement. We both burst into laughter and my mother walks up to my father and leans into his side.

"You know I adore you, Dean" She kisses his cheek and he gazes at her with nothing but love.

"And I adore you, Claire." He kisses her forehead and rubs her arms.

My parents relationship is what I strive to have when I find someone. They met in the kingdom when they were just teenagers. My father was just an apprentice then and he had just moved to the city with his father. My mother was a young maid for one of the ladies. They somehow met and instantly fell in love. It sounds like a cliché every time I hear the story, but its so beautiful. They ran away together and started a new life away from the castle. They had me when they were in their early twenties. Their love has never faltered, and it surely has not faded over the years. They started saying I adore you, After they moved. Apparently, it was a mutual agreement between the two because my mother refused to say I love you. I have never questioned the decision and I never will. I guess the phrase became a family thing. My father is always saying he wooed my mother because he made the first move, but really it was my mother who did the wooing. She always has been a very forward person whereas my father has always been a man of very few words.

"Look at my daughter, exquisite." I beam at him and run into his arms.

"Father, you dont need to give me such compliments. Mother does that quite enough." I love compliments, but I never know how to take them. I become overwhelmed and my words rush from corner to corner of my mind.

"If I want to shower my only child with the compliments, she deserves I am going to shower her with compliments."

I unwrap my arms from around his waist and bring my hands to his face. I tilt his head down and plant a soft kiss on his forehead. "I adore you, and I love you" I tell my father. He returns the kiss on my forehead he smiles, "I adore you, and I love you" He says back.

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The festival has always been my favorite event. The night sky is clear, and you can see every star. The moon decided to peak at us instead of fully showing itself tonight. The flames of the bonfire gently fly into the air before disappearing completely. Small children chase each other as mothers and fathers watch with warm smiles on their faces. The festival is a way to honor our past. We have a big feast and a bonfire where everyone gathers to tell stories. It is a way to take a break from our everyday worries.