The grass was wet and long. The smell of sweet dahlias was lingering in the air. It was a new season. Spring, where things like love bloom. I was still very little, a bit over 7. Bare feet, I hushed towards my big brother, trying to catch him with all my will. How long have we been like this…kids, indifferent to what was going out in this world.
I was still catching my breath, huffing my life out, when Martha called out to me.
"..My lady, the lord requests your presence." She said in a quiet voice. A sound which was so soft it could melt yet there was a tedious core about it.
Without any questions, I processed myself to bring myself to him. My brother felt a little sad, with me suddenly going away. I told him to wait…I will come in 5 minutes.
Turning my back, I moved on. Walking to his manor, like forever ever. I'm not a person of lavish taste. Never have I ever worn gowns like the noble ladies from the mainland. Would I even be able to compete myself with them?
I thought, while climbing the stairs of my fathers manor. A plain white dress, I wonder if daddy likes me in this?
The thick wooden door, cold as ever, and so I knocked.
"Come in," he said.
I opened the big door hardly, it was beyond my height. The creek sound which used to come when I earlier opened it was gone. I entered the room. Two men sitting in front of me, on the soft green sofa. Unlike the cold breeze of spring, the place was rather warm. The temperature was perfect, the arrangements of flowers in occasional places, the creeks which were gone. Have they ever been this way, so perfect like that?
I greeted them.
"Father…you requested me..?" I said, directly to the point. A moment later I realised…ops, was that too rude?
"Daughter! I want you to meet this man. He came far away from the mainland, just to see you. Isn't that such an honor?.."
A mild pause.
"Ah, father dear, it is truly an honor to have such a person...to meet…" I was at a loss for words. My real reaction was a 'What.' But who knew even a young lady like me can control such obvious ways of self destruction.
That man smiled at me. Shimmer upon his red hairs, which looked really soft to touch. Grey eyes of deep shallowness. That smile, was that even for me? Maybe it was..yeah, maybe…it was.
He was the first to break the awkward silence. "Ah..Allow me to introduce myself to my lady, I'm Oven Carein, from Ostrich. I was personally sent by his majesty to meet my lady, and get to know about her..and I apologise, I didn't mean to startle you out of the blue.."
Me? His Majesty? Meet? Out of blue? It's not like I was flooded with cluelessness, curiosity, nervousness, naiveness, or unfamiliarity in one sentence. It takes time to gulp in every..unbelievable word he spoke.
"Ah…Is that so.." I spoke. Um???
"M'lady, perhaps it's not just us meeting today. It is indeed a lovely day, won't it be a good time to depart as well? Don't you agree, lord Woods?"
"..Oh well, is that the right pace of things to be going? Either way, I'm happy. Let us prepare ourselves at once then Sire Clause" My father spoke, optimistically.
My head nozzling with doubts, whatever they were talking about, was it related to..me? But he did say he said he wanted to know about me.
"Mister…Clause?" I smiled brightly. "May I know what it is that you wanted to know about me?"
5 minutes have I told my dear brother to wait, yes, I cannot take too much time here..but clearly, I was interrupting…was I not…
They turned their attention towards me. My father grinning a look of "ill mannered child" and the mister, rather eyeing me.
"M'lady..I wanted to know…do you perhaps like the royal palace? In the mainland? In Ortich?"
"Well..sire..I don't hate it."
"Then, would you like to live in it? Like you know, a princess?"
"..I..um…" What did he want me to say, yes? Sure? Why not?
I was 7.
"No." said I, abruptly.
Then the atmosphere mocked me, too bad, you're running hells.
(…)
…I lowered my gaze, unsure what to follow up next.
But, a princess, me? Can I even be able to do that? What if those mainland ladies mock me for being too simple, too foolish. What a simpleton, they might say..
My 'no' had a reason. But, I didn't get why this man was being so persistent about me going to Ortich.
"My lady, please don't say that. It saddens my heart if you don't come with me to Ortich. You see, His majesty has putten a great effort to find the right heir of the throne, and he could find none other suitable than you.." He said, pleadingly with blank stone eyes.
"B-but.." I stuttered as I was trying to hold the grasp of what-so-ever was going to happen to me.
"Mister Clause, I don't know, what are you even talking about..Me being an heir, that's..just.."
"Wyenter," My father interrupted in a cold monotone. "I beg of you, kindly refrain from speaking like that again." He commented on my choice of tone and suturing.
I quarked at his remark. "Oh, y-yes father!"
Lesson one of the day - No suturing and asking too many questions, got it.
"And you are going to the mainland." He continued "I only want the best for my daughter, so you will be happy to honor the throne with your presence." He said in one go.
At this point, what was even happening. I was going to take the throne, be a princess, live in Ortich, what absolute nonsense.
"But father, I-"
"Not another word, Wyenter. Return to your room at once."
…The man, who played a gentle father just now, faded away as the warmth of the room. How, I wondered, Mister Clause thought of his change in behavior to my imprudence. Would he, perhaps, consider me as an ill mannered child, who has her father oversee her. Would that man also make a fool out of me..?
The room no longer adjusted to its perfect pace, it had shifted to some decree.
Oh! I must obey my father in order to bring warmth to this room.
"Yes father." I replied to him. Bid them my farewell, and went away closing the wooden door behind me.
…