REPOST: I forgot to change the title within the story from its original. This has been reposted with the correct title.
A Greater Fate
kagomes-wanna-be
Chapter Two
Dearest Margaret,
Being unmarried and 22 is hard, I have discovered. I do not mean that I wish to be married, I am still quite happy with my current life and would not trade it for anything, but I do so hate being gawked at in such scrutinizing manners. Every time I enter a dinner party or business affair, I am introduced as Ms. Alice Kingsleigh, and the entire company seems quite uncomfortable all of the sudden. I can see in their faces that they had expected the 'A. Kingsleigh' of letters to be an Albert or Anthony, but certainly not an ALICE. The rest of the evening is spent with eligible men watching me, deciding whether or not I would find them worthy of becoming their Mrs. and getting their hands in the business, and all the non-eligible men and their wives (for, you see, there are never any other females present besides myself and the wives) spend the night trying to decide what is my flaw that I am not married. It's maddening!
It was not like this when I was 21. Oh, no. It would appear that 21 is the last year that women are allowed to be unmarried. They were still confused in my ventures with the business, but not as concerned with my single status.
In other news, I do greatly enjoy it here in China. The people are so kind and welcoming, and the culture is unlike anything I have ever seen. I find myself more often wearing their ceremonious robes than my own dresses. And their shoes! They do not bother themselves with boots and buttons and buckles. Rather, they wear sturdy sandals that are much more comfortable and purposeful. Honestly, wearing these clothes makes me feel free in a sense.
You should not be surprised if in the near future I merely disappear into this mysterious, foreign land!
I will be returning home soon, however, so I doubt this would be possible. Until then, I will have to soak up as much of this place as I can. I promise to bring back presents for you and mother!
'Til then,
Alice
Alice placed her quill into the inkpot and read back over the letter to her sister as the ink dried. She paused at the end of the second paragraph. "Oh dear, have I made a rhyme?" It slipped out before she realized it had, and she was unable to take it back.
She set the letter onto the desk and leaned back against her chair. Her eyes wandered from the letter up to the window above her. The tree branches outside swung back and forth in the wind as a storm blew in from the south. The thunderheads had been visible since the morning, but they had only just begun to stir overhead.
But she did not see the trees, or the leaves, or the rolling clouds beyond. Her mind was not focused on these things, or anything of this world. Instead of dark and gloom, she saw bright colors and big smiles and warm green eyes.
She slammed her hands and stood to turn from the view in front of her, but as she did, the sleeve of her dress caught her quill, knocking the inkpot over. She cried out as it stained the bottom of her letter to Margaret, snatching the letter up.
Suddenly, an unannounced gush of air blew the windows open, tearing the letter from her hands and sucking it into the storm outside. "No!" she exclaimed. Trying to chase the letter, she pressed her hand to the desk and leapt towards the window, but was unable to stop it.
She muttered obscenities under her breath and ran to the door, pulling on a large robe to cover herself from the brewing storm. It was nearly impossible to see once she was outside. The rain and wind came down in sheets, battering against her. In an instant she realized how ridiculous of an idea this was. How was she ever supposed to find a letter being blow around in this storm? Then, suddenly, she saw the flapping white and black paper caught on a branch in the distance and took off for it.
The letter was torn away right before she could wrap her fingers around it. She pursued, running into the trees around her mountain inn.
"Get back here!" she found herself yelling into the storm, frustration marring her judgment.
Finally, she had run more as much as she could in the defeating wind. Tucking herself behind a tree, she stopped to catch her breath, covered for a moment from the pelting rain. The inn was nowhere to be seen. With a sudden strike of fear, she realized that she was lost in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night, in a country where she didn't even speak the language.
She squatted down, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face into her soaking blonde curls. "I'm going to die here," she told herself as tears began to run down her face. "I've traveled to a different world, infiltrated the castle of a tyranical queen, tamed a bloodthirsty beast, and slain an evil, ancient monster, but this storm is going to be the end of me. And all because of a stupid letter."
Suddenly ashamed of herself, she shook her head. "Get a grip on yourself, Alice. This is nothing but a storm. You've been through plenty of storms in your time. Just stand up and you'll find your way back."
She stood up like she told herself and faced the storm before her. But in the middle of the rain and lightening and destruction, she saw the fluttering of two blue wings struggling to stay afloat. "Absolem?" she asked, holding her hair from her eyes. It was absolutely Absolem. She'd know that blue hue anywhere. "Absolem!" she cried, but he was already being carried away by the wind.
Alice took off after him, praying she could reach him in time. If she thought that she would die in this terrible storm, then a poor butterfly had no chance. The forest around her, filled with unfamiliar trees and shrubbery, flew past. Lightening and thunder exploded the sky above. Absolem was being pulled faster and faster away from her. He was blown around the corner of a tree and out of her sight. She turned the tree, saw the bright flash of a lightening bolt, and screamed as the earth fell away beneath her.
AN: I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Please let me know all of your thoughts, good, bad, ugly, gorgeous or mad :D I'll try to update as soon as possible! And to any of you who are following my other stories, I'm so sorry I haven't updated. I just can't find it in me :(( See you soon!
kagomes-wanna-be
Go, be merry, and review :)
