Lilac Gaze

Cornelia Elizabeth Weiss Kaiser

A maiden such as I could never fathom being in a palace, though I have a noble home with many servants that heed to my every call and follow at my every request.

"Cornelia Elizabeth Weiss Kaiser, come over here for a moment, please." My mother requested my prescence, thus I shall follow. I walk to my mother who sat by the hearth as she read her favorite book. A beautiful darling my mother was, many a suitor that asked for her hand but none caught her eye but my father who was but a shy nobleman who seemed to have his interest piqued by my mother. Speak of the devil, here my father comes from his long expedition, "How are my beloved and my lovely daughter?" He asked as he gave us both a kiss on our cheeks.

I am relieved to see my father once more, it has been months and I worry endlessly, looking through the window, awaiting his arrival. Though I am sure my mother, too, had sleepless nights she wouldn't mention to my father.

"And for you, Cornelia, my snow, I brought home many gifts." Once my name was mentioned, it caught my attention. My father had brought home a lot of gifts for me despite knowing that I care not for material things, all I want is for him to come home with a smile and no scathes. Yet, still he insists on spoiling me as if I were a little child.

"On another note, the king is throwing a ball for his eighth son who just turned of age." My mother announced to my father and I as she waved around the envelope with the royal seal in her left hand.

"Hear that, Cornelia, darling?!" My father was more excited than I, I must say. Which isn't novel for my parents are always more excited than me when it comes to social gatherings. I would rather watch the stars using the telescope with Doctor Schneider and draw what I find in the other end. Well, c'est la vie, I have no other choice than to be with my parents in that ball as my father gloat about me being well educated.

My mother took me to the shop her friend owned. We purchase clothing and other accessories from them and my mother would often get me the expensive and intricate pieces of clothing that Mrs. Carbonneau could make and the seamstress would often give the dress to me at less the price it was made all because she didn't have a daughter she could dress up as such.

"Oh, my sweet Weiss, you beautiful snow." Mrs. Carbonneau greeted me in awe. She squished my face like everytime we would visit her and as per usual, her son, Lucas, assisted her in her work. "Lucas, my boy, look at Weiss, isn't she a beauty?"

Lucas and I met eye to eye and we both knew in the awkward silence that indeed, it has been a while. Both of us have grown, he is no longer the same height as I, he instead, was taller, much to my surprise. Considering that I used to tease him because though I was a girl, I was as tall as him. My thoughts have been wondering around too much that I didn't notice that Lucas actually asked me something, "Are you going to the prince's ball, Weiss?" He asked again, after noticing that I wasn't really paying attention. I averted my gaze from him with both our faces, red, then I answered his question, "Apparently, yes... How about you?"

Lucas could only laugh at the despair in my eyes as I uttered those words to him. He had a faint smile painted on his handsome face as he responded, "Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you to that ball. I have to help my mother with a lot of things and I cannot just abandon her."

His sincerity and love for his mother is one thing I admire from this young man and I cannot remember why I had to distance myself from him. True enough, it has been a while since we have talked.

"I know you would rather be with Doctor Scheider everytime you were asked to be in a social gathering." He told me as he continued folding the fabric behind the counter. "You know, if you love his company so much, why not just marry him? He's a doctor after all, a promising one too."