Little Poppy

Chapter 1

"I can't believe those bastards are daring to come back!"

"Husband, language!"

"This is my house and I'll say whatever I want."

This has been the ongoing "conversation" between my parents since this morning, when we found out that our old neighbors, the Rice family, were coming back for the summer.

"Those traitors should stay where they are wanted, with that woman and all her minions" my father says.

The Rice family actually aren't traitors of any kind. They just chose to support the Queen during the civil war, while my father and some other lords from the region chose to back up one of the many bastard sons that showed up out of nowhere after the King died. And neither he or his friends are dealing well with the fact that they lost the war and that there is a woman on the throne.

"Don't they have a palace where they've been living all these years? Why do they have to come here, to a smaller house?"

That's another thing my father can't deal with. Lord Rice was one of the Queen's generals, and after the war ended, she gave him a title and a little palace close to the city, while he got nothing and our family has struggled a little to keep up.

"They are a bunch of traitors and cowards. They've always been, for centuries" my father continues.

Apparently, our families have hated each other since forever, because a Rice ancestor married the woman my ancestor was supposed to marry. But the thing is that, over the years, some members of both families have gotten married. The last one, my grandmother's sister, and they lived happily ever after up in the north.

"So daughter, you better stay away from all of them" my father says. "Especially from their sons. Though I've heard that only the youngest one is coming with them."

The youngest one. Declan. Despite being a few years younger than me, he was always around, and we couldn't stand each other. I would always call him Deccy and make fun of his odd haircut and how weird he moved. He would call me little poppy. Little because he's always been a head taller than me I guess. But poppy? I have never been able to find the reason behind it, and that has always bothered me.

"Have you heard me, daughter?" my father asks, making me go back to the present.

"Yes, father, I've heard you. I won't be anywhere close to them."

"Good" he says.

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The Rice family have been back for three days, but we haven't seen them yet. Mainly because my father hasn't allowed us to leave the house.

"Please, husband, it's just a walk to the river" my mother pleads. "It's a lovely day. Let the girl go out."

"What if she sees one of those people, uh? I remember how that little devil used to pull her by the hair, and how she would cry for hours when he said mean things to her" he says.

"We were kids, father. He wouldn't dare to do that now. He knows that his honor would be in danger."

"Fine" he finally says. "But be back home before it gets dark."

"I will. Thank you, father" I say while giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

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I'm sitting under a tree next to the river, enjoying my book, when I hear a weird noise next to me. Someone or something is behind the bushes.

"Hello?" I say, my hand already on my boot. During the war my father taught my mother and I how to defend ourselves, and since then I've always carried a knife with me.

"Hello?" I say again, standing up, my knife already out. The bushes stop moving, and the noise is gone. I let out a sigh of relief, but before I'm able to put the knife back in my boot, something jumps from behind the bushes. A dog. The biggest dog I have ever seen. He is staring at me with big black eyes, his fangs starting to show.

"Easy there, boy" I say. I try to sound calm, but my voice comes out as a whisper. The dog is getting closer, and I don't know what to do. I have a knife in my hand, but how can I use it against such a huge animal? I could run too, but with these boots? And this dress? He would catch me the moment I turn my back to him.

My brain is going through all the possibilities I have when a very loud whistle sounds somewhere. The dog lifts his head, alert. The whistle sounds again, this time closer. The dog turns to his left, from where it supposedly is coming. Suddenly, a rock hits him and the dog goes back to the bushes, and I can hear him running.

"Are you alright, my lady?" someone says. I'm still looking at the bushes, making sure the dog isn't coming back. "Little poppy?"

I turn the moment I hear those words. There is a young man standing a few steps away from me, but it can't be him. It just can't.

"Little poppy? Is that really you?"

"Declan?" I finally manage to say. I can't believe it's him. This man can't be the little boy who bullied me as a kid.

"You know my actual name? I thought it was only Deccy for you" he says, smiling while running a hand through his hair. His hair. The odd haircut is gone and now it is the most glorious hair I have ever seen. "Are you going to say something? Hello? Maybe thank you? Here is a suggestion: thank you, Lord Rice, for saving my life and sending that dog away. You are the bravest man this land has ever seen."

"Shut up, Deccy" I say, coming back to reality

"Oh, there she is. I've missed you, little poppy" he says with a smile, my heart stupidly skipping a bit when I see it.

"Whatever" I say as I turn to grab my book, my hands slightly shaking.

"I think you are forgetting something."

"I'm not thanking you for throwing a rock to a dog."

"I was talking about this" he says while playing with my knife.

"Give that back to me. Now."

"This?" he says, raising his eyebrows. That expression makes his eyes look bigger, and they are some kind of blue? Green? Both? I can't believe I had never noticed how beautiful they are.

"Give me my knife back. I'm not asking again."

"A lady should not be going around with a thing like this" he says.

"A lady needs to carry a thing like that to defend herself from thugs like you" I reply.

"You haven't changed a bit, little poppy" he says, smiling again, and I feel my face blushing. Why am I blushing? "I hope to see you again, my lady. And soon" he says while bowing. I just roll my eyes and turn my back to him. "And don't forget you owe me a thank you" he says as I leave.

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On my way home, I can't stop thinking about what just happened. About the huge dog. About Declan, Deccy, showing up from nowhere and probably saving my life. And obviously, about how much he's changed. He still is a head taller than me, but he isn't the awkward kid I knew anymore. He is a man. And a very handsome one.