"The poor man," Mother said as we watched Oskar work in her garden the next morning. He wanted to be left alone, and it made me hurt for him.
"I know. He hadn't been home in years. I can't imagine how he's feeling."
"Is he going to go back to Havaria at all? He won't be able to get back in time for the funeral."
I shook my head. "I don't know. He hasn't said anything to me yet."
Daniel came back later in the morning and spoke with Oskar by the barn. Oskar looked angry and agitated as they spoke. They finally finished speaking and rode back to town without saying goodbye.
I didn't see him or Daniel again for several more days. I was frustrated with him, but tried to remember how he must be feeling. Cynthia visited often, with little to no new information for me most of the time.
One day she came into the kitchen looking concerned.
"What's wrong, Cynthia?"
She sighed. "The troops are finished with clean up, so there's nothing left here for Daniel to do. We'll be leaving later this evening for the Celestial Palace. The king left days ago, and he's been wanting Daniel back."
I nodded. "I was wondering when you'd leave. I don't know what I'll do."
"Lola, Rita, and Juliet are all returning to the palace too. The royal family has agreed to keep everyone for another year if they want. You're welcome to come back with us too."
I felt torn. I didn't know what to do.
"You can stay here until you decide," she offered. "Just write to me and I can arrange a carriage for you."
"Thank you."
"Do you want to come back to town with me and spend some more time with us before we leave?"
"Yes, I think I'd like that."
I told my mother goodbye and walked back to town with Cynthia.
"It feels just like old times," I told her with a smile.
She grinned back. "Yes, it definitely does."
"I can't believe you'll be a princess soon!"
"I know! It's so strange to think about. People will start calling me 'Your Highness.' I don't know what to think!" She laughed. "My mother was overjoyed about it, as you can imagine."
"I forgot to ask about her reaction," I said. "I figured she would be pleased."
When we arrived in town, we made our way to her parents' house, where our friends were staying. We walked in and I was immediately bombarded by Juliet, Lola, and Rita.
"Are you coming back to the palace with us, Eloise?" Lola asked excitedly.
"Of course she is!" Juliet said. "Why wouldn't she?"
"Let her answer for herself, Juliet!" Rita smiled at me. "Have you made a decision?"
"Not yet."
"What else would you do?" Juliet asked.
"I don't know. That's why I haven't made a decision."
Cynthia wrapped an arm around me. "Give her some space, girls."
We sat down in their sitting room and I listened to the other girls talk about their time in the makeshift hospital. They were so excited to be useful and have talents of worth. They talked about how they wanted to create hospitals across the country and begin schools for healers. I felt proud to call them my friends.
Cynthia's mother invited me to stay for lunch. Cynthia had warned me that her mother would probably try to pair me with Walter again, this time because I was higher ranking and more respected. She wanted the best for her son, after all. My friend's suspicions were confirmed when Mrs. Warner boasted about Walter's role in the war efforts for the whole meal.
After we ate, we all took a walk to visit some shops in town. As we left the milliner's shop, I heard a voice call out to me.
"Lady Taylor!"
I looked around and saw Oskar approaching from across the street.
"Go ahead, I'll catch up," I told Cynthia.
"Captain," I said, unsure of what to say to him.
He offered his arm. "Walk with me?"
I nodded and placed my hand in the crook of his arm. We strolled down the street silently until we found ourselves in the town square where the Festival of Opportunity was held.
We sat down on the edge of the fountain. I waited for him to speak first, but he remained silent.
"This was where we first met," I reminded him, gesturing to the square around us.
"I remember."
"It seems so long ago."
"It does," he agreed.
We fell silent again. I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't seem interested in talking.
"I'm sorry about your father," I finally offered.
"Thank you."
"Were you close?"
"Not really."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. That's just how he was." He cleared his throat. "I've been wanting to put this off, but I'm afraid I can't anymore…"
I waited for him to continue. Something told me that he wasn't about to ask me to marry him. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what he had to say.
"I have to go back to Havaria. I was the only son. I need to take over for my father."
His words hit me hard. I blinked back tears. Something in his voice worried me. "Will you be returning?"
He didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was strangled with emotion. "No," he said in Havarian, "I won't be coming back."
My lip trembled. I couldn't speak. He was leaving for good? I looked over at him, hoping for him to ask me to join him. He loved me, didn't he? Surely he would want me with him.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Eloise." He stood up abruptly and began to walk away.
"Oskar?" I called after him, confused.
He paused a few steps away, his back still facing me.
"I'm sorry, Eloise," he repeated. "Perhaps we'll meet again." Then he walked off and out of sight.
I watched his retreating figure. I felt like I had been kicked in the chest. I had a thousand questions. Did he not love me anymore? Did he not want to marry me after all? I didn't understand why he didn't ask me to go with him. Was he embarrassed by me? Perhaps he didn't want to marry a farm girl after all.
I suddenly realized I knew nothing of him or his family. All I knew is that his grandmother was a lesser-known poet from the same region as my grandmother. His family had to be somewhat well-off, though, if he had been able to study in Rybeth at the Royal University.
I sat on the fountain's edge for a long time, numb from the news. Cynthia and the other girls found me later on. When it was obvious that something occurred, she sent the other three back to the house and waited for me to speak. I reluctantly told Cynthia what happened through my tears.
"Oh, Eloise. I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around me. "I can't believe he would be so unkind about it. Come with me, I'll walk you back to the farm."
At the farm, I told her goodbye. I couldn't possibly return to the palace now. She nodded knowingly and bade me farewell tearfully.
"We'll write," she promised. "All of us."
When she left, the farm felt empty and foreign. It was just me and my mother again. No soldiers worked outside, nobody sat working in the kitchen.
Mother didn't understand what had happened with the captain either, and she comforted me through our confusion.
Weeks passed and I didn't hear from the captain. I had hoped for an explanation, a farewell letter, but nothing came. Not even a note from Daniel, explaining his friend's behavior. Cynthia had my things from the palace sent back to the farm after I insisted I wouldn't be returning. She also sent word that Oskar was well on his way to Havaria.
I inquired about returning back to the school to teach, but they had replaced me with a permanent teacher and didn't need me after all. I felt strangely relieved when my inquiry was rejected.
It wasn't long before my mother finally married Mr. Towne, a jolly man. She moved off the farm to his home in Wadswell. Mr. Towne graciously offered to let me move into his home with my mother. I declined and chose to stay on my farm and help my cousins with the harvest instead. I poured myself into the physical labor of the harvest, distracting myself from the lingering pain of Oskar's sudden departure.
The air turned cold and chilly, and soon I was faced with the realization that I would be spending an entire winter alone.
I was outside chopping wood one sunny, yet cold, afternoon. My muscles had grown soft while I lived at the palace, making it a little more difficult of a task. The exertion kept me warm. I had just picked up my axe again when a man rode in on a small black horse. I shielded my eyes from the sun and was surprised to see Patrick Moore approaching.
"Miss Taylor," he said, smiling.
"Mr. Moore, what a surprise." I set my axe back down and wiped my hands on my apron. I wrapped my shawl tighter around me as he dismounted from his horse. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
He removed his hat and cleared his throat. "I was surprised to hear you remained behind," he said. "I thought for sure you would have gone back to the palace."
"Well, here I am," I said.
He straightened his posture and said, "Look, I'll just get to the point. I know I'm a little younger than you, but I was wondering… That is… perhaps you'd do me the honor of marrying me? You're alone here on this farm, and I'm running my father's farm…" He trailed off, looking embarrassed.
I smiled. "Oh, Patrick, that's so kind of you to ask. I'm sorry, but I can't marry you. You're a kind young man, and I'm honored that you want to marry me, but I can't."
He nodded, not particularly bothered by my response. "I understand. I didn't actually think you'd say yes. I just thought, with winter coming… I thought you might need someone."
"I know. Thank you, Patrick."
"Please let me know if I can help you at all this winter," he said.
He rode off and I felt a strange ache in my chest. I shook my head in the hopes I could get rid of the feeling and returned to my chopping.
The winter wasn't so bad. It was a mild winter, and I was able to distract myself with letters to my mother, Cynthia, my friends at the Celestial Palace, and even Tess, who was already happily married.
As winter died down and turned to spring, I was excited to find out that Cynthia and Daniel had chosen a wedding date. Cynthia asked me to join her at the Celestial palace for a couple months before the wedding. My cousins agreed to take care of the house and my farm chores while I was gone.
When I arrived at the palace, I was greeted by a surprisingly cheerful Madame Trudeau. She took me to my old rooms, where Cynthia, Rita, Lola, and Juliet were waiting.
"Eloise!"
I wasn't sure who had said my name, because they all rushed at me at once and wrapped me in a giant embrace.
"I missed you too!" I said with a laugh.
"If you need anything," I heard Madame Trudeau say over the squeals and happy tears, "don't hesitate to call for a maid!" Then she shut the door and I was alone with my friends.
Juliet's face was covered in tears. "I missed you so much! I can't believe you spent the winter alone… on a farm!"
"Feel her hands!" Rita exclaimed. "You really are a farm girl!"
Cynthia rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm so glad you came."
"I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world, my dear friend!"
"I know that, but you didn't have to come this early, either."
I smiled. "It really was a lonely winter."
"Remember how I told you about that very handsome duke?" Juliet grinned.
"Yes!"
She squealed excitedly. "He asked me to marry him!"
I wrapped my arms around her. "Congratulations, Juliet! I'm so happy for you!"
"Rita found someone too. He hasn't proposed, but he will any day."
Rita blushed. "Oh, quiet, Juliet. You don't know that."
"Don't worry, Eloise," Lola chimed in. "I'm not getting married any time soon."
I laughed. "Thank you, Lola. I appreciate that."
After dinner, I was finally alone again in my rooms. I sat down in a sitting chair and sighed. I smiled happily. Everything was exactly the same, from the vase on the desk to the hundreds of books on the shelves. I was startled to realize that I felt at home, as if my soul had been waiting for me to return. I felt comfortable and able to relax, but not just because I no longer had chores to do.
"I wonder…"
I got up and went to the bookshelf. I pulled out a large book and was ecstatic to find the key to the Celestial Library still hidden where I had left it months ago. I hadn't used my magic hardly at all since the battle, and I was curious to see what new information I could find. I made my way through the halls and passages with ease, as though I had never left in the first place.
When I arrived at the door, I stopped myself before inserting the key. Suddenly the loss of Oskar hit me hard once again. I took a step back, examining the door from top to bottom. It had been over six months since I last entered the room, and that last time had been with Oskar.
I felt my face burn with emotion and tears began to fall. I quickly turned away and returned to my rooms.
The next month went by wonderfully. I joined my friends for their morning lessons and walked the gardens with them in the afternoons. Cynthia insisted that I needed a new gown for the wedding, so I had several fittings during that first month also. Daniel and his family returned to the palace to help oversee preparations.
Every night I gazed at the key that now sat openly on the nightstand. Sometimes I'd sit on the edge of my bed and play with it in the palm of my hand, but I never could build up the courage to go back.
Three weeks before the wedding, guests began arriving at the palace. Royals from neighboring countries came, although Lowendry was appropriately absent. Daniel asked me if I would help him and Cynthia greet the Havarian royalty since I spoke Havarian so fluently.
The Havarian king and his mother arrived suddenly with little notice one afternoon. I quickly changed into my best gown and rushed to stand with Daniel, Cynthia, and Daniel's family.
"The king isn't married?" I asked Daniel as their elegant carriage rolled over the hill and toward us.
He shook his head. "No. I'm actually surprised they came. He originally said they wouldn't be coming. They are technically still in mourning."
"Really? Did his wife pass?"
"No."
The carriage came to a stop and Daniel stepped forward with a bright smile. Their footman stepped off the carriage and opened the door.
As the king's mother stepped down, a footman announced their arrival to the small crowd gathered. "The Dowager Queen of Havaria and His Majesty, the King of Havaria." The queen was a very petite woman dressed in black, with a stern face and white hair. She eyed the scene around her with a raised eyebrow. We curtseyed to her and then she moved aside for her son to exit.
When the king of Havaria stepped down from the carriage, I felt my heart stop. The courtyard spun. I thought I was going to be sick.
Cynthia grabbed my hand discreetly and squeezed it.
The Havarian king looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"Oskar, my friend!" Daniel stepped forward and clasped the king's hand.
I could have turned and run off. They could have made excuses for me, said I ate some bad fish or had woken up with a fever. Instead, I stood my ground and let my cheeks burn with anger at Daniel. He had known what he was doing when he asked me to greet them. He didn't want my help, he wanted me to see Oskar, and he didn't bother warning me.
I didn't pay attention to what was said. Thankfully, I wasn't expected to actually interact with the Havarians. We didn't stay out there long and I was free to return to my room once Daniel, his family, and the Havarian royalty were inside.
Cynthia followed me to my room.
"Eloise, wait!" I stopped at my door and looked back at her with tears in my eyes. She looked concerned. "Please, believe me when I tell you that I had no idea-"
"I know."
She scrunched up her face in frustration. "I can't believe Daniel didn't tell me. Why would he do that?"
"I don't really care why. I just want to know how to best avoid him without being rude. Can you find out how to make that possible?"
She nodded. "I'm so sorry, Eloise. At least you know why he had to leave now?"
"Again, I don't really care why. I don't care about any of this. I just don't want to be around him at all."
Hey! Sorry it's been a *little* while since my last update. Thanks for being so patient! Also, please don't hate me. Another update will come shortly! Only a couple more chapters to go. :(