The Serf

Chapter 13

Ellie's POV

His father died. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer to him. I rubbed his back and he cried into my shoulder. He was so weak and vulnerable. It made him look like he was less than he was. He buried his head into my neck.

"Does my father know?" I asked him. He took his head off my shoulder and looked me directly in my eyes.

"No. He does not. I just found out and wanted to tell you first." Tears filled his eyes again and looked down at his feet. I took his chin in my hand I lifted it up to look at me.

"Talk to my father. All of the planning is being done by him. Tell me what he says tomorrow after breakfast." He smiles at me and wraps his arms around me tighter.

"I will." He presses his lips to my forehead and turns to leave the library. He turns back and smiles. He opens the door and exits. I sink into the arm chair that is sitting at the desk next to me. I shook my head at myself. Why? Why must this happen? I don't want to be married, yet I am telling the man that I am being forced to marry to talk to my father about moving our wedding date closer. I laid my head down on the table and covered it with my arms. I cried to myself.

There was a creak on the door opening. I dried my eyes and wiped away the stray tears. I looked up to see Lila peering in the small gap in the door. I smiled at her and stood up from the chair. "What are you standing in the door way for? Come in Lila." She slowly stepped into the room and towards me. She wrapped her hands around my waist and pressed her head into her skirts. I rubbed the back of her head.

"Lila what's wrong?" I asked her bending down to look in her eyes. She looked up at me.

"I heard you talking to that man, Brenner. Are you marrying him?" she asked her voice soft and innocent. My face drained. "Yes, Lila, I am to marry that man, and you are to be my maid of honor at our wedding."

"Ellie, I thought you were to marry Cy! Like at his home. The dolls were you and Cy and you were getting married." small tears were falling down her cheeks as she spoke.

"No Lila, Cy and I are not to be married."

"Do you love him?"

"Do I love who?"

"The man you are to marry?"

"Lila, what does it matter if I love him? I have been arranged to marry him."

"Do you love him?"

"No, no I guess I do not?"

"Do you love Cy?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one. Ellie do you love Cy?"

"That is a simple yet hard answer Lila. If I say I love Cy, I will want ot run and tell him, but if I say I do not I will be lying to myself. I do not want to ruin my life and my family's reputation if I were to not marry the man I have been given to. Yet I want to live my life the way I wish to live it. I want to be happy. I do not wish to be tied down to a life I do not wish to live and to live in a life that is not for me but chosen by another. I am a fool to say that I must push my feelings aside and keep them locked away. I need to be myself and live to be me. Lila I confess this to you, and you alone," a smile grew across my face, "I am in love with the serf Cy Horan!"

Lila was grinning ear to ear with me confessing my love for Cy. I lifted her up and spun her around. "I love him! I love him! I love him!"

I set her down and ran to the window. It had a clear view of the village square looked down at the people entering the little shops that sold the people their necessities. I saw Cy sitting on the edge of the fountain, small guitar in hand. He glanced up towards the castle. It was as if he was looking for me. I gently waved to him as if he could see me, as far up in the castle I was he probably could not.