The Spring Where I Met You

The Murklins

Spring is considered as the birth of the new, symbolizes good things in a lot of cultures. That's what a girl is hoping for this year's spring. From her bedroom window, with her hazel eyes, she could witness as the season changes from winter to spring, from spring to summer and from summer to fall. Even if the season changes, something in her life won't. Thinking it's inevitable, she decided to accept her fate. As she's staring at her window watching the tree blooming, she notices a guy around early twenties grooming the roses' bushes. She admires how passionate and diligent the boy looks while making sure everything is symmetry and perfect. Not a surprise for having a mother who obsessively loves roses, especially her "Great Maiden's Blush" that she makes sure to be water and given enough sunlight everyday. Suddenly, the boy shouts out the girl's name. "Lady Sarah! Do you need anything? You've been staring for quite some time". Taken aback, she immediately hides behind the curtain and uses it to cover the windows. "I've zoned out for a while, aren't I?" thought Sarah. She knocks her head a few times before opening the curtains again. With a nonchalant face, Sarah replies "I've noticed you did an imperfect job to my mother's beloved flowers. Shall I let her know or-" not being able to finish her words, the gardener immediately responds " Yes, my lady! I'll fix it right away!" and goes on to work. "Hold it...Hold it.." and the gardener fades away from Sarah's eyesight. A chuckle comes out from Sarah's lips. The way he runs with a fearful expression painted on his face is too funny to not laugh at. "It's quite cute" thought Sarah to herself while the breeze of air flowed to her brown wavy hair.

Growing up, Sarah was bound to a few rules in the household, and one of them is to show no emotions to anyone. And by anyone, that includes her own parents. "Emotions are for the weak", "Let people fear you", "Conceal it", "Show no mercy". While these things were a daily routine for Sarah to hear growing up, she didn't grow up as what her father expected her to be. Sarah instead is her own person with her own personality without the heavy influences of her father, and that's all thanks to her interest in reading, especially about human psychology. In her lifetime, psychology isn't well known amongst the common people, not very popular either among the nobles, not to mention about noblewoman who often get told to be pretty, do the house chores and find a good husband. Education is limited and expensive. Lucky for Sarah, her father is Theon Murklins. One of the most noble men with a successful business of selling books. Their fortunes are not something someone should question about, not when he has a history of donating a big library in the countryside, or when he helped the villagers down the hill whose house got caught on fire. He's known for generosity and being a philanthropic person. Getting Sarah some great educators and books was not a problem when he could literally snap his fingers and Sarah would get anything she wished for in the world. Even with all the riches they have, her father couldn't give her one thing that every daughter would want from their father, and that is a father's love.

Despite not receiving it, she actually didn't turn out like her father thanks to her highly matured mind and wisdom. But to make her father happy, she still acts according to what he asked her to. She just doesn't have the gut to go against him. After all, he's still her father whom she's gonna love unconditionally. As Sarah sitting down by her window quietly zoned out by herself in her room, suddenly she saw a reflection of a woman dressed in a white chemise in her late forties at the front of her door. The woman has blue eyes and blonde silky hair. "Mother- I... What are you doing here?" Sarah nervously asks. "Oh, nothing. Is it wrong to see what my little sweet pie is doing?" the woman replies while leaning her hand on the door. "I just finished rehearsing the piece just like you asked me to" says Sarah while immediately grabbing her violin on the bed. "Such a hard working girl, aren't you? That's my girl." the woman smiles. "But please do remember one thing; No. Emotions. Okay sweetie?" says the woman as her smile suddenly emits a serious and deathly aura hinting that she saw what happened earlier. "Alright, mother.." Sarah quietly replies to her mother. Sighing, Sarah put the violin down and goes to lie down on her soft, pillowy bed covered with the finest material that could ever be found in the kingdom.

Even the "feels like laying on the clouds" mattress that was advertised by the company couldn't even take away her distress. That's just how stressful it is to live in the Chavatillon Mansion. The professionally designed house, magnificent chandeliers, massive statues, breathtaking fountains and a huge family portrait of the three of the family members that could be seen as soon as you walk into the entrance door, it's all just for the eyes of the public to be seen. It's all just a big hoax. The way the Murklins family have painted themselves as a "perfect" or the "ideal" family over the years was all just for a show. What's really happening behind the curtains was something not to be seen by anyone outside the mansion. It has been this way for a long time, all for the family's reputation and dignity. Probably that's why Sarah has been thought to be emotionless at such a young age. To make sure the public sees her as the perfect little angel by not throwing tantrums, rebelling or even falling in love with some commoners. She doesn't have a choice the moment she was born as the next and only heir of the Murklins. Her life has been decided by her own parents and nothing could change that. Playing instruments and learning how to be lady-like, or having no control over choosing her love partner is never up to her to make a decision. She's simply a doll to her parents. Trying to get her mind off what had happened earlier, Sarah grabs a book and starts to read it until late at night.