𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 | ❝Hope is good, Hope will never disgrace, but make no mistake, Hope will hit you in the face!❞
In which the Just King becomes betrothed to a princess from a neighboring kingdom, only to fall in love with the prin...
WALKING IN THE WIND iii. TEA BEFORE THE GUILLOTINE
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HOPE IS A CHOICE. To actively have hope and faith isn't something you wake up doing. It's a conscious choice, one that wields more power in our lives than we think. Though metaphorical, hope is a mighty shield that protects us when we least expect it. When she was a girl, Hope's father often advised her that as long as she had hope, nothing could break her.
Sometimes, Hope liked to take that piece of advice rather literally.
See, Hope often felt alone in life. Her parents weren't always around, and from the moment she was born, she was a handmaid to the royal family. On top of that, for the last few years, she only ever spent time with Odette. She loved the princess, but her whole life revolved around Odette and her schedule; what she wore, where she went, who she spoke to. Hope didn't have a life because she was so busy living Odette's.
When Hope was offered to become Princess Odette's lady-in-waiting, she remembered some of the servants in the castle advising her against it. She'd been so thrilled about the opportunity that she ignored them and happily accepted the job. It wasn't until weeks later when she realized she had signed her life away. Suddenly, Hope was too busy to spend time with her friends or even her father. Whenever she had downtime, her friends were busily fulfilling their responsibilities as servants. Like a flower that blooms in the coldest winter, she was alone.
Life became lonelier, but she learned to accept her situation over time. It was times like these where she took her father's advice more literally. As long as Hope had "hope," she would be okay. Do you get it now?
Because of this, Hope tended to overwork herself. She prayed to Aslan under her breath because she didn't have the energy to do so before she slept. She spent her brief moments away from the princess aiding castle servants instead of relaxing because it was the only way she could see her friends. Sure, she was constantly exhausted, but she didn't regret it. Well, not yet, at least.
Despite how hard life could be, Hope never resented Odette or the royal family. She thought she would at some point, but Hope loved her job. Though, sometimes Hope pondered what it was like living freely without having to tend to someone every day. Was that silly to dream of? She wasn't sure. That was why she kept it to herself.
Hope tried her best to be a benevolent and optimistic person. That didn't mean she was never sarcastic or upset and never teased her friends. It meant she tried to be authentic while being the best version of herself at the same time. Of course, she gave herself limitations because, at the end of the day, she was just a servant girl. But she was okay with where destiny had taken her. She was grateful for everything life gave her and tried to focus on that instead of focusing on what life took from her.
