Betrothed

Chapter 1

12 years later...

        "Ha! you missed" a young man's voice laughed.  A second later a snowball slammed into his cheek. "Ah!" he cried, "I'm hit! I'm going down!"   He crumpled into the snow and lay as dead. Another snowball hit him in the thigh."Ohhh." he groaned, "i shall die from this most grievous wound."  A girl ran over, "proclaim me victor!" she said, placing her foot on his hip.

        The man grabbed her leg and pulled it out from under her. She fell backwards unto the soft snow. "Never!" he cried. He picked up a loose clump of snow and dropped it onto her upturned face. "Gah!" she screamed. "i yield, I yield!" The man ignored her and dropped more snow. "Meurik!" She said, laughing, "stop."He relented and helped her to her feet. He laughed."Lira you have got so much snow all over you." Elira pretended to glare. She brushed some of the snow off. "Oh!" she shivered, "I'm freezing. Thanks a lot, we should go in."

        Meurik shook his head, his red hair sending more snow into her face. "Can't, I'm supposed to be a stable hand. You know what the job description is for that right?" Elira shrugged, "lounging around, stealing Cook's pastries, and occasionally-" she held her nose, "-bathing."

        "Ac-" he closed his mouth. Meurik held up his hands, "You know what, I am just going to assume that you are not intelligent enough to even be sarcastic and therefore made that comment out of the sheer stupidity you posses."

        This time Elira's glare was real. "Well." she said, "you can just get back to your 'job'" she made air quotes as she said the word 'job'. He rolled his eyes. They stood there for a moment, silence descended into the crisp, chilly air. Meurik shifted, "we have successfully created and awkward silence." he stated solemnly, a twinkle in his grey eyes.

        Elira burst into laughter. It echoed throughout the empty garden and the still winter air. Meurik began to chuckle. "Lady Elira!" a woman's voice cried. "Eep!" she jumped. Meurik laughed more. This time she rolled her eyes. "Well," she sighed, "guess i have to go." He laughed, "and i'll get back to my lounging and life of crime as master pastry theif." She rolled her eyes again. Hitching up her long red wool dress, Elira ran back towards the grey stoned castle and the calling voice.

        Meurik began to whistle a tune that Jeremiah had taught him and ran off to take care of the horses.