Lapse in Time
Chapter 3: Unexpected Meeting
"Yes, your name is Ranna." The woman paused for a moment to breathe, then said, with tears sparkling in the corners for her eyes, "My name is Enila, and I am your mother,"
"Enila," Ranna spoke, testing out the strange word. "How come I don't remember you?" Enila froze for a second, speechless.
What can I say? She pondered. "Well, you were in an accident dear, a terrible accident. You tripped and hit your head on a rock. You sustained quite an injury to your head; you must've lost your memory."
"What is this place?"
"This is our home," Enila replied with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh Ranna, I'm so glad you are okay!" Ranna sat up in her bed and wrapped her arms around the older woman's shoulders in comfort.
"I love you, Mother," she whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One year later....
"Ranna, be a dear and grab the last two baskets for me," Enila called from the main entrance of their house. "And make sure you've packed everything you need,"
Once the two baskets her mother had referred to were secure in her arms, Ranna rolled her eyes. Enila was sometimes a very strict woman. She always worried about her, especially after the accident two years ago. Ranna yawned, walked carefully out the door, and placed the baskets on the old wood cart. She lifted the lid of the first one and peered inside. There were many beautiful necklaces, many of which she had made herself. Each bead glittered in the morning sunlight, and Ranna wished that she could keep every necklace to herself.
She reached into the basket and grabbed a necklace with reddish brown beads. Using them hem of her dress and her delicate fingers she polished each stone until it shone brighter than every other necklace in the basket. The stones, for some unexplainable reason, reminded her of something. Whenever she saw any object that color, her heart was instantly warmed. Ranna figured that these strange feelings most likely had something to do with an event from her past, but she still had no memories of her life before now.
"Ranna, put that back!" her mother snapped. "We can't waste any time! We have to get to town before dark." Once again, Ranna rolled her eyes.
"Yes mother," she said in a sarcastic tone. The older woman raised her eyebrows, but kept silent and finished loading the last baskets on the cart. She swept one hand across her glistening forehead to remove the unsightly sweat forming below her hairline. The heat was far too intense for such work.
"Get on your horse dear," Enila instructed. "My friend is expecting us, and we must not keep her waiting!" Swiftly, so as not to infuriate her mother, Ranna mounted her horse. She stroked it's ebony mane tenderly and waited while her mother attached the cart to the saddles of the horses. They rode off into the beautiful sunrise, never realizing that within a few days their lives would change forever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The large pile of letters looked depressing to Van. He had somehow managed to read everyone, and every letter offered the daughter of some king or noble man. Even more depressing was the face of the older man sitting in a chair on the other side of his massive desk, a face darkened by frustration. The man ran his hand through his greying auburn hair and sighed heavily.
"My Lord," he spoke, "I just don't understand why you can't give any of these offers more consideration."
"I don't wish to speak of this, Pyrus," Van replied coldly, keeping his eyes away from the older man's exhausted glare.
"That is enough Lord Van!" Pyrus exploded. "Ever since the end of the Great War I've had to see you in this miserable condition every day, and it's all because of that girl. That was two years ago! A true king would move on with his life and do what is best for his country!" Van stood up abruptly and slammed his hands down onto the table.
"It has nothing to do with Hitomi leaving me at the end of the war! Don't you remember that day last year?" The young king placed his hand on his face concealing his tears. "All I could find was her bag…and there was blood….she's gone Pyrus. She's gone and I couldn't save her!" Pyrus took a deep breath to calm himself and walked out of the king's study, slamming the door behind him. Van crumpled to the floor and hit the wooden planks repeatedly with his fist in misery.
"Hitomi is gone, and it's all my fault," he whispered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ranna could sense each day growing longer and the chill forming in the autumn air. She instinctively wrapped her cloak tighter against her body as she watched the busy Fanelians in the market moving from shop to shop eagerly. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread surrounded her, and she was tempted to leave her stall and find something to eat; however, she had promised her mother that she wouldn't run off.
Every so often, a customer would walk up to Ranna's stall and purchase some food or fine fabrics, or even one of the gorgeous necklaces that she and her mother had made so carefully together. Every year they would prepare such things to sell in the market, and then they would purchase goods with the money they had made.
Finally, after being away for what seemed like hours, Enila returned with two baskets cradled in her arms.
"Be a dear and help me put this away," Enila said, placing the baskets on the ground. Ranna immediately bent down and assisted her mother.
Meanwhile, coming nearer and nearer to Enila and Ranna's shop was Van along with a small party of servants and one of the princesses of Basram who was in Fanelia for a visit. The princess, whose name was Jenra, clung protectively to Van's arm just like Merle always had. Jenra was young, and she obviously thought Van was going to marry her; the very thought of it made Van sick.
"Oh Van!" Jenra exclaimed in that high-pitched tone she always used around the young king, "those necklaces are so beautiful!" She pointed towards one of the stalls, one with necklaces, baked goods, and fine fabrics for sale. The young princess dragged Van to the store and instantly grabbed a necklace with tiny blue beads and one large navy bead in the center. Van was too tired and miserable to care, so he took some money out of the pocket of his black pants.
"Excuse me, is there anyone here?" the boy king asked. Seconds afterwards, lovely young woman with sandy brown hair and beautiful forest green eyes stood up and smiled at Van.
"Can I help you?"
Van's lower jaw dropped open, and his eyes nearly bulged out at the sight of the woman. He stared intensely at her for a number of minutes until Jenra tugged at his arm.
"What's wrong Van?"
All Van could say was one word, and it came out as a whisper.
"Hitomi?!"
