There are times for everyone when it's best to be alone. That's one of the things in which a princess is worse off than a commoner, since time alone for the royal heir is a rarity that's hard to get and never lasts long. Today I had needed to be alone, and I had snuck into one of the garden courtyards scattered throughout the palace. It's one of the lovelier spots in Saillune, with delicate stone arches that hold up a canopy so delicate, it looks like filigree. Roses and ivy climb all over the walls and arches, and hang down from the edges of the canopy in a wild waterfall of color. The perfume of the flowers adds to the air of mystery and serenity imparted by the light filtering through the canopy, and the fact that it's entirely surrounded by the private apartments of the royal family gives it a measure of solitude that can be hard to find anywhere else.
I sighed and broke a rose off of its vine, staring at the red-black center of the showy blossom as if it held the answer to all my troubles. I noticed a presence and broke off my reverie, smiling as I recognized William's friendly face. I gestured to the space beside me on the bench and he sat down in silence, content to leave me to my thoughts until I was ready to talk. That sense of ease and patience makes him one of the very best listeners I've ever encountered. Finally, I broke the silence. "This was my mother's garden. My sister and I helped her plant it, and for years the three of us were the only ones who set foot in here."
William half rose, and looked at me in concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on a private spot."
I waved him down, smiling, but feeling tears building along my eyelashes. "It's okay. I think I need company, after all."
He sat down, and we were quiet for a while longer. A bee buzzed lazily from flower to flower and I let my thoughts drift again. After a while, he said, "I used to have a brother. He would've liked this place, I think."
"What happened to him?" I spoke quietly, and he shrugged, an all over jerking motion that was the first graceless thing I'd ever seen him do.
"Our grandfather took him away when we were still little. He's probably dead, but there's no way to know for sure." He stood and walked to the nearest arch, leaning over to smell a particularly showy blossom. I almost missed his soft, "Not knowing is the worst."
"My sister's been gone for eleven years now. Today's her birthday." I twirled the rose around in my fingers, not sure why I was talking about Gracia now. Maybe because it felt like he would understand. "She's been gone so long, I can't even call her face to mind anymore without looking for her portrait. I don't have her in my memory as much as I have flashes of memory. Her height, the way her hair smelled when she'd lift me up on her shoulders, her laugh when she was puffing off her importance... Little things, but it's all I've got."
William sat on the ground and leaned his back against one of the arches. "I remember Daniel too well sometimes. He was my hero and I wanted to be just like him." I nodded and he continued. "I couldn't walk when I was little. I had been born with a deformed leg and putting any weight on it was painful. Daniel... He made it okay. He made a chair with wheels on it so I could move around, and anywhere the chair couldn't go, he'd carry me."
He broke off, staring up at the canopy. I found a handkerchief to sniffle into, as the story was just too beautiful to resist crying. After a minute, he cleared his throat and started again. "I wish I could've seen him again, or know where he's buried so I can take flowers to his grave."
I sniffled and nodded, understanding completely how he felt. I still scrutinized the face of every tall, dark haired woman I saw, wondering and hoping and afraid. William looked up at my sniffle and gave a lopsided smile. "Would it help if I admitted he wasn't perfect? Daniel - never Danny, but Daniel - had an arrogant streak, and lorded it over me that he was smarter than I am."
I gave a watery chuckle and wiped my eyes. "Maybe he met Gracia and they're currently engaged in a battle of egos, then."
William laughed, his teeth flashing white. I felt my heart warm as the pain I'd carried for years lightened by being shared. I sent a prayer to heaven for Gracia and lifted my face towards the dappled light. I felt William lift my hand to his lips and I looked at him quizzically. His face had turned serious, but showed traces of the laughter that always came to him so readily.
"Amelia, will you marry me?"
(No more until I finish writing the companion piece, The Road to Recovery, which will also require I do some work on Rebian Nights. Please do not hurt the author. In the meantime, go read 'An Ignominious End' by Flarn, or 'Midnight Blue' by Kaitrin - http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=481065 and http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=850617 respectively. They're some of my favorite fics from lately, and I need reinforcements on my quest to beg for more.)
I sighed and broke a rose off of its vine, staring at the red-black center of the showy blossom as if it held the answer to all my troubles. I noticed a presence and broke off my reverie, smiling as I recognized William's friendly face. I gestured to the space beside me on the bench and he sat down in silence, content to leave me to my thoughts until I was ready to talk. That sense of ease and patience makes him one of the very best listeners I've ever encountered. Finally, I broke the silence. "This was my mother's garden. My sister and I helped her plant it, and for years the three of us were the only ones who set foot in here."
William half rose, and looked at me in concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on a private spot."
I waved him down, smiling, but feeling tears building along my eyelashes. "It's okay. I think I need company, after all."
He sat down, and we were quiet for a while longer. A bee buzzed lazily from flower to flower and I let my thoughts drift again. After a while, he said, "I used to have a brother. He would've liked this place, I think."
"What happened to him?" I spoke quietly, and he shrugged, an all over jerking motion that was the first graceless thing I'd ever seen him do.
"Our grandfather took him away when we were still little. He's probably dead, but there's no way to know for sure." He stood and walked to the nearest arch, leaning over to smell a particularly showy blossom. I almost missed his soft, "Not knowing is the worst."
"My sister's been gone for eleven years now. Today's her birthday." I twirled the rose around in my fingers, not sure why I was talking about Gracia now. Maybe because it felt like he would understand. "She's been gone so long, I can't even call her face to mind anymore without looking for her portrait. I don't have her in my memory as much as I have flashes of memory. Her height, the way her hair smelled when she'd lift me up on her shoulders, her laugh when she was puffing off her importance... Little things, but it's all I've got."
William sat on the ground and leaned his back against one of the arches. "I remember Daniel too well sometimes. He was my hero and I wanted to be just like him." I nodded and he continued. "I couldn't walk when I was little. I had been born with a deformed leg and putting any weight on it was painful. Daniel... He made it okay. He made a chair with wheels on it so I could move around, and anywhere the chair couldn't go, he'd carry me."
He broke off, staring up at the canopy. I found a handkerchief to sniffle into, as the story was just too beautiful to resist crying. After a minute, he cleared his throat and started again. "I wish I could've seen him again, or know where he's buried so I can take flowers to his grave."
I sniffled and nodded, understanding completely how he felt. I still scrutinized the face of every tall, dark haired woman I saw, wondering and hoping and afraid. William looked up at my sniffle and gave a lopsided smile. "Would it help if I admitted he wasn't perfect? Daniel - never Danny, but Daniel - had an arrogant streak, and lorded it over me that he was smarter than I am."
I gave a watery chuckle and wiped my eyes. "Maybe he met Gracia and they're currently engaged in a battle of egos, then."
William laughed, his teeth flashing white. I felt my heart warm as the pain I'd carried for years lightened by being shared. I sent a prayer to heaven for Gracia and lifted my face towards the dappled light. I felt William lift my hand to his lips and I looked at him quizzically. His face had turned serious, but showed traces of the laughter that always came to him so readily.
"Amelia, will you marry me?"
(No more until I finish writing the companion piece, The Road to Recovery, which will also require I do some work on Rebian Nights. Please do not hurt the author. In the meantime, go read 'An Ignominious End' by Flarn, or 'Midnight Blue' by Kaitrin - http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=481065 and http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=850617 respectively. They're some of my favorite fics from lately, and I need reinforcements on my quest to beg for more.)