Lady Illea (Lady Illea #1)

Chapter Twenty Nine

"And he left!"

"Just left?"

"Just left!"

     Esmeralda heaved a heavy, exagerrated sigh and shook her head, making her jet black curls bounce. Beneath her hair she looked at me with eyes that burned vertigo.

"This is why I hate men" she said the word 'men' with a bit of scorning tone.

Alma plucked another rose from my hair and put it into the bowl I was holding. "I think he's flirting"

I pursed my lips. "He was not flirting!"

Junebug gigled and pulled back the sheets on my bed. "I think he is"

I rolled my eyes. "Well he sucks at it!"

   At that moment Esmeralda spun on her heels and turned to face, pushing her face into mine. She stared at me hard and I had to lean back to avoid her gave.

"Hmm" she squinted, then grinned. "I think its working. You look pretty flushed.

"Do not!" I squealed.

Alma laughed. "You sound like a mouse"

I cleared my throat and plucked a rose from my hair dropping it in the bowl. "Am not" I insisted.

     My room was lit by several candles and a small lamp. After being left on the balcony I decided I didn't want to stay for desert and just went back to my room. Junebug was preparing my bed and Esmeralda glidded into the bathroom to run a hot bath. I was exhausted.

    I left the balcony doors to open and the warm summer night ait filled my bedroom. It rained early and I could smell the scent of rain after it hit the Earth. I kicked off my heels and let my toes sink into the plush carpets. I was dying to go to bed.

   When I came back to my bedroom my girls were sewing together my dress for the Report tomorrow and I didn't spare a moment, diving straight into my story. The sapphire blue dress was soon forgotten, lying on the back of Junebug's favorite chair.

"Alma?" I said, fiddling with the petals of a rose.

"Hm?"

"What do you think of him?"

"Of who, sweetheart?"

"Of Will"

I felt her fingers stop short in my hair momentarily, then she picked up immediately. "I think he's a good man. With a good heart. He loves his country and he loves his family. He will make a great king. He reminds me much of his granparents in that sense"

"Yes but," I thought for a moment. "Loving your family and country is great and all but what are his qualities as a person?"

   The room was silent and even Esmeralda slowly emerged from the bathroom.

Junebug sat in her chair silently and went into her basket of sewing things. "I like him," she said. "Very much so"

"But why" I pressed. "What is so good about him?"

Esmeralda wipped her hands and tossed the rag into her basket. "He's fair" she said with a quiet conviction. "And just, and honest, and forgiving. He believes in equality and treats everyone he meets with respect. There is nothing in his heart of gold that is anything short of pure goodness and love. He's headstrong, and intelligent, and wise."

   If I didn't know any better Esmeralda sounded just a tinge angry, or hurt. I couldn't tell the difference.

After a moment of silence she continued. "If that doesn't make up a good man than I don't know what does." she looked down at her hands. "He's saved all our lives more times then I could count, and far more than I care to admit" she didn't say anything another moment and hastily she grabbe dher basket. "If you'll excuse me."