VI. Blessed

Dear brother,

Spring in Elsinore is lovely. It has taken me a long time to adjust, but now that I have, I am certain that I never want to leave. The flowers are finally blooming; if you were here, I would pick you a bunch on one of my walks. I am finally happy here; I feel that the castle can become my home. Ignore whatever Father has written to you about me in the past; I am not ill nor gripped by sadness. There is no need to be concerned for me, dear brother.

If you see that you have the time, perhaps you could travel to Elsinore for the summer. I realize that you are hard at work in France, but it would be a thing to consider. I would very much like to see you again and I will put in all of my sisterly efforts to bring you back to the place of our upbringing. I would very much like to see you again. Correspondences are a wonderful invention, but I do grow weary of them. I would like to see you in person some day.

I hope that this most recent letter finds you in good health.

Your loving sister,

Ophelia

Laertes and I have been writing to each other constantly since I returned to Elsinore. He can always see through me, even my own writing. I have never known anyone who is as good at reading me as my brother. His letters are a dear comfort as I cannot see him in person, but I do wish for the day when he could come to the castle. Laertes will then certainly know just how happy I am as of now. The storm has passed; the light has come out. I am a new woman.

My brother is not the only one who has picked up on my changes of mood. Father has recently told me that there is a certain air about me. He is glad that I have had a change of heart and that I am working to make Elsinore my new home, but he is also cast into suspicion. I do not know if he suspects that I have a lover – knowing him, it is both unlikely and likely that it would cross his mind. My father enjoys gossip too much; it is his greatest weakness. He is very knowledgeable of the affairs of others, but this is the one time I wish that he would keep his eyes and ears far away from my affairs.

It is known throughout the castle that the prince and I are acquainted, but no one knows the full extent of our relationship. We are no longer embarrassed to appear together while in the company of others. We are fortunate, as keeping a fully secret relationship would add pressures that neither of us desire.

The queen has made it known that she approves of my friendship with her son. It was not long ago when she called on me to share her opinion.

"It lightens my heart to see him happy for once," she said. "For many a week it was as if he longed for nothing else but to return to Wittenberg. Your friendship has done many a thing for him and I thank you for it, dearest Ophelia."

It was not long after that the queen continued to call me more frequently to stay with her and keep her company. Father approves; a good relationship with the royals is never wrong, in his eyes.

"My mother enjoys your company, I see," the prince tells me. It is a clear spring afternoon; the weather is uncommonly mild. We are amongst a party of courtiers taking a daily ride out on to the hills beyond the castle. Many are so ingrained in their own conversations that we are left to our own devices: we can speak freely here.

"The queen is very kind to me," I tell him. "I enjoy her company very much."

"She speaks of you fondly."

"She does?"

He laughs. "You do not understand the affect you have on the members of my family, Ophelia!" He grins at me and I have no option but to laugh along with him. "You are dearly loved by all. Happy was the hour that Lord Polonius saw fit to retrieve you from your abode in France."

"And I would not return for all the treasures of this world," I answer.

"Not even for your brother?" he asks.

I fall silent. It is a question that has sprung to mind many a time in the past month. I love my brother dearly and I would trade all the treasures in the world to see him again. But he is hidden away in France; he will not return here unless my father demands it. The chance of Laertes coming to Elsinore is very unlikely; it is a fact that weighs heavily on my mind. If given the opportunity, would I flee back to France and to the brother whom I love, or would I stay here, in the embrace of the man I love?

"I do not have an answer," I say finally, speaking the truth.

The prince has no reply for that. We fall into silence. Why do I sense a feeling of competition brewing here?

"You would like him," I say.

"Who?"

"My brother."

"Indeed."

I urge my horse closer to his and our stallions come to a halt. The rest of the party continues down the hill without us; no one seems to notice that we have stalled.

"He is a good man," I say emphatically, "loyal to those whom he loves. I care for him more than anyone else in this world, save you."

He is slow to answer, taking time to let my words brew. "I would like to meet him some day," he says finally. "Any member of your family deserves as much respect as I can give them. To disrespect your brother would be, by extension, to disrespect you, and I could not do that."

I smile. I am blessed that he understands me so.

"Come," he says. "Let us ride."

We urge our stallions into a gallop and race down the hills towards the end of the party of travelling courtiers, so very far ahead of us.