A Rose For A Rose

Chapter 4

Constantinople was warm like this in the spring. But the air didn't smell the same here. There the air had a hit of spice to it the closer you were to the markets.

"Eddie raced well today," Lissa said a few moments later. I smiled and nodded. Eddie had raced tremendously. He was a hair shy of crossing the finish line first, but he did very well, so hid his horse. Chester was a good horse and always raced well. It was just a chance that he didn't come first today.

"There was a lady who seems to have an eye for him," Lissa giggled and laughed,  while I opened my eyes and looked at her.

"Eddie courting the sister of the Grand Duke. I can see why Viktoria is interested in him. He's a good match."

Lissa nodded and twirled the rod of her parasol as she nodded, a look of thought on her face.

"But you never..."

I shook my head. "It would be the same as looking at Andre like that. He's nothing more than a dear and cherished friend.

The thought had crossed my mind once. I knew what kind of man Eddie was, the man that he would become. He came from a good family with good morals, and good standing in society. I also knew that he would have treated me well, but I could never see past him being the boy who cleaned my scraped knees in the stream.

He was always going to be another brother to me. I wouldn't be able to see past that in a way that he deserved from a wife.

"The race was fantastic! Would you not agree?"

Lissa and I both looked in front of us and found Viktoria standing before us. I smiled and nodded at her.

"It was a lovely race."

Viktoria gestured to the seat in front of me and I nodded, indicating that she was free to take it. She sat down gracefully and placed her hands in her lap, toying with the wrist-length gloves on her hands. I remembered when I started wearing them, only a year younger than Viktoria was now.

They were itchy the first handful of times, but after a while, they weren't too bad. Thought Viktoria seemed to be pulling at the fastening around her wrist. Lissa noticed it too and smiled.

"Leave the top button unfastened in the hot weather," Lissa whispered kindly.

"Is that not improper?"

"It can be, but when it's hot like this, leave the top one unbuttoned."

Viktoria nodded and forced her hands to be still in her lap. I smiled at her sympathetically when a shadow casted over us. I knew from the size of the shadow who it was, and I shielded my eyes as I looked up.

"Your Grace," I smiled.

Dimitri nodded and took off the hat that adorned his head. I thought it was ridiculous looking, but society dictated what we wore in the summer. So, we had to play our part, or rather, dress our part.

"Ladies. Lovely day," he said and I wanted to roll my eyes at him. I stood up from the seat on the benches and he extended his hand to help me climb down the raised benches.

"Will you be attending the Caster's dance tonight?" I asked Viktoria, but my question was really directed at Dimitri. I flashed my eyes up at me when my feet touched the ground before looking at Viktoria again.

"My brother and I will be in attendance, and so will my sister Karolina and my mother," Viktoria said with a smile, her cheeks flushing. I smirked to myself and made a mental note to make sure Eddie saves a dance for Viktoria.

"Karolina?" I asked as I pulled my hand out of Dimitri's despite wanting to keep it there. There was something strangely comforting about having my hand engulfed in his. It was almost a sense of fulfillment or completion that was confusing to me.