Adrian awoke first, two hours before sunrise. She was never one for sleep.
Looking out the window at the moon she gives a small smile and then looks
down at the ground. 'Nothing here.' she thinks with disappointment. Quietly
climbing down the ladder and making her way to the door, she hated the
thought of going outside without a weapon but she had to see if it had left
her knife. Opening the door, she walks around the house several times
without success. Turning onto the path to the gate, she sees someone
standing with her horse, stroking its coat. She jumps the gate and walks
over to them casually yet cautiously, always on her guard. Standing right
behind the woman she speaks, "How did you get her to be so calm?" The woman
turns to face Adrian. She is a beautiful young woman, looking no more then
twenty-five wearing a lovely white dress, a few strands of her blond curly
hair hang over her shoulders.
Marishka looks at the child before her and gives her a soft smile. This was the girl who had defeated her second oldest sister? It could not be true. "I have been around horses for a very long time."
"It could not be that long." She states, showing how young the woman looks and being as kind as possible.
"You are a very polite child. What is your name?"
"I am Adrian. And you?"
"My name is Marishka. Adrian, your parents must be very proud having raised such a kind daughter." Marishka knew she would hit a nerve with that one and saw it clearly on her face. "Oh. Dear. I'm sorry. Are you an orphan?"
Adrian gathered herself, "No, No. Was. I was an orphan. I was adopted yesterday." "Congratulations. I am very happy for you."
Adrian gives a sarcastic smirk, "That makes one of us."
Marishka tilts her head slightly, seeming concerned, "You are not glad you have a loving family?"
Adrian sighs, "They may seem carrying but it's not true." Why was she opening up so much to this stranger?
That is almost what Marishka was thinking 'Why have I not killed this child and taken her body to my Love?' "How are they so deceiving?"
Adrian approaches the horse and they both pet it while talking. "They greet me with gifts and smiling faces but that means nothing when wish you were someone else." She half laughs, "They don't even trust me."
"How is it possible for parents to wish their only child was someone else?"
"They had a child before they got me. Their last daughter was named Viviana. She was killed, nobody will tell me how but they asked specifically for another daughter the same age as their last. They gave me her old room and even call me Viviana when they believe I am asleep." She feels tears but forces them back, refusing to sob in front of a stranger.
Marishka sees the pain in her eyes and forces herself to change the subject. "You asked about the horse as if it were dangerous."
Adrian gives a happy/relieved smile and nods looking at Jetta. "I haven't been this close to her since now and last night I was out here to meet her and she seemed very skittish."
Marishka pats the horses back. "What have you decided to call her?"
"Jetta." Adrian answers, running her fingers through the horse's mane.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful horse." She nudges Adrian closer to the horse. "Go on, you should get closer to the horse, rub her head." Adrian reaches out her hand and Jetta leans out in an attempt to nibble her shirt making Adrian jump back some. "Now now, she is just hungry." She bends down and grabs some hay, handing it to Adrian. "Try feeding her. She will enjoy that." Reaching out to Jetta offering the hay, she reaches out with the other hand and pets the side of her head. She smiles as Jetta eagerly eats the hay and nudges her hand for more. Marishka smiles at the sight then realizes that the sun will rise soon and turns to leave.
"Wait!" Adrian calls. "Where are you going?"
"I need to get home, as you should before your parents wake up alone. If they think of you as just a replacement for their other daughter, they would be heart broken for you not to be in bed."
"Will you be back tomorrow?" Adrian asks quickly.
Marishka is surprised by the question but thinks for a moment. "When you are sure your parents fall asleep come our to the barn and I will be waiting." She is amazed when the child practically throws herself at her and hugs her. The thought of this mortal hugging her was disturbing at first but then she came to the thought. This child was hugging her, and she loved it. She felt... what was it? She turned away and walked off in to the woods where, far out of sight, she changed form and began her flight back to the castle. On the flight she placed the feeling. She felt motherly.
Adrian fed Jetta a little more hay before going inside. Once comfortably in her bed she heard the Rhan's beginning to move. She shut her eyes as the door opened and Mr. Rhan stepped in and moved to the bed where he kneeled down and whispered, "Good morning my dear Viviana." Then left.
Marishka looks at the child before her and gives her a soft smile. This was the girl who had defeated her second oldest sister? It could not be true. "I have been around horses for a very long time."
"It could not be that long." She states, showing how young the woman looks and being as kind as possible.
"You are a very polite child. What is your name?"
"I am Adrian. And you?"
"My name is Marishka. Adrian, your parents must be very proud having raised such a kind daughter." Marishka knew she would hit a nerve with that one and saw it clearly on her face. "Oh. Dear. I'm sorry. Are you an orphan?"
Adrian gathered herself, "No, No. Was. I was an orphan. I was adopted yesterday." "Congratulations. I am very happy for you."
Adrian gives a sarcastic smirk, "That makes one of us."
Marishka tilts her head slightly, seeming concerned, "You are not glad you have a loving family?"
Adrian sighs, "They may seem carrying but it's not true." Why was she opening up so much to this stranger?
That is almost what Marishka was thinking 'Why have I not killed this child and taken her body to my Love?' "How are they so deceiving?"
Adrian approaches the horse and they both pet it while talking. "They greet me with gifts and smiling faces but that means nothing when wish you were someone else." She half laughs, "They don't even trust me."
"How is it possible for parents to wish their only child was someone else?"
"They had a child before they got me. Their last daughter was named Viviana. She was killed, nobody will tell me how but they asked specifically for another daughter the same age as their last. They gave me her old room and even call me Viviana when they believe I am asleep." She feels tears but forces them back, refusing to sob in front of a stranger.
Marishka sees the pain in her eyes and forces herself to change the subject. "You asked about the horse as if it were dangerous."
Adrian gives a happy/relieved smile and nods looking at Jetta. "I haven't been this close to her since now and last night I was out here to meet her and she seemed very skittish."
Marishka pats the horses back. "What have you decided to call her?"
"Jetta." Adrian answers, running her fingers through the horse's mane.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful horse." She nudges Adrian closer to the horse. "Go on, you should get closer to the horse, rub her head." Adrian reaches out her hand and Jetta leans out in an attempt to nibble her shirt making Adrian jump back some. "Now now, she is just hungry." She bends down and grabs some hay, handing it to Adrian. "Try feeding her. She will enjoy that." Reaching out to Jetta offering the hay, she reaches out with the other hand and pets the side of her head. She smiles as Jetta eagerly eats the hay and nudges her hand for more. Marishka smiles at the sight then realizes that the sun will rise soon and turns to leave.
"Wait!" Adrian calls. "Where are you going?"
"I need to get home, as you should before your parents wake up alone. If they think of you as just a replacement for their other daughter, they would be heart broken for you not to be in bed."
"Will you be back tomorrow?" Adrian asks quickly.
Marishka is surprised by the question but thinks for a moment. "When you are sure your parents fall asleep come our to the barn and I will be waiting." She is amazed when the child practically throws herself at her and hugs her. The thought of this mortal hugging her was disturbing at first but then she came to the thought. This child was hugging her, and she loved it. She felt... what was it? She turned away and walked off in to the woods where, far out of sight, she changed form and began her flight back to the castle. On the flight she placed the feeling. She felt motherly.
Adrian fed Jetta a little more hay before going inside. Once comfortably in her bed she heard the Rhan's beginning to move. She shut her eyes as the door opened and Mr. Rhan stepped in and moved to the bed where he kneeled down and whispered, "Good morning my dear Viviana." Then left.