Alfonso's Bride

Day with Annie- 17

"Can you read notes?" Annie asked Helena was sitting on the stool besides the piano. Helena gave a shy nod and sighed nervously. Annie smiled at the young woman in front of her.

"You do know that you should feel at ease with me, right?" Helena nodded a bit giving her lower lip a fun by her teeth. "Tell me about yourself, it may help. I mean it can loosen up the atmosphere." Helena nodded and smiled shyly.

"Can we take a walk?" She asked looking up at the older woman who nodded in turn. They put on their coats mechanically and Helena fastened her boots.

They got out into the cold afternoon breeze. They both had their hair tied into neat side buns. Clair had found pleasure in styling everyone in the house's hair, at least if they were female. She made classy braids and formal buns, different from the ones they had on now.

"I have never been in a relationship before. Even when I was young. My father never let me go to coming out celebrations. He believed they were for the slaves who had been freed... He believed it was their celebration to publicly express their right to marriage. It was a public movement or demonstration, he believed. The celebrations were nice, Camille and Peter would be dressed up formally in matching wear. I would wait for them to come so that they would tell me of their night and who they danced with. Camille would then complain the whole night about how Peter did not dance and how he was stuck with her the whole night. We had a good jolly laugh about it. All my friends came out, but we are all married now, I guess coming out was not very much of importance then.

"My father was not all that bad I'm thinking, he was just strict because I was the only he had. I wonder however, why he gave me up for marriage. I was not ready just yet. When I was growing up, I always thought that I was going to marry Peter. The issue was undiscussed, it seemed everyone was settled for it now.

"Peter was calm, we shared beliefs. He would just come up and and say, "lady when we are married, you shall not do such" or "I shalt not allow such when we got married.". We both just saw it fitting.

"Sometimes I would just comment on the names he gave his horses, wild horses to be specific and I would say, "we are not naming our folk such," And I would laugh. Peter never laughed, he was a sad soul I guess.

"When I was told that I was marrying Sir Diego, I was lost of words. I felt as if something had been taken from me. Peter came the night before I was to be married, he held my hand and told me he could not wait to meet the lucky man who had taken his wife away. He was not serious however. He had that glint that always lingered in his eyes.

"My best friend Camille was there too. We lay on the bed together. My father would be angered if he found them there but I needed them very much at that period more than ever. my best friend once said-"

"Now child, your best friend is Alfonso. He needs you at this period than ever. Peter, Cassandra and your father are behind you. Focus on what you have now, and that is Alfonso." Helena pulled up the cloak fixing it at her collar back to her nervous self.

"She is called Camille." Helena corrected softly.

Something caught Annie's eyes and she was forced to pull Helena towards a bush. Helena was confused but quickly saw what the older woman was looking at.

"Berries. I hope they are not hollies, most of them are poisonous. Uh, they are edible. Do have some child." Annie said popping in some. Helena picked one from the tree and looked at it closely before popping it into her mouth. She toyed it with her tongue before finally biting into it.

"They look like winter berries, can we really eat them?"

"Winter berries do not grow here, try those, they are edible. I would never give you poison now would I?" Helena wanted to ask a lot about the berries but was afraid of sounding rude. They ate the berries in silence. They seemed to melt if you placed them in the mouth for too long and the sweet sap would just fuse in your mouth creating a sourish aftertaste. They tasted good actually.