𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓼 𓆩♡𓆪
Best friends since their very first memories, Anthony and Ayera had never imagined a life lacking another. But imagination is a cruel sentiment that loves crumbling worlds. The loss of his father had Anthony b...
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Ayera sat on the diwan in the tea room of the Blaic estate. They had the most wholesome reunion on arriving in London. She had hugged the sons of her father's brother until they'd felt the air in their lungs constrict. They had always been more like brothers than mere cousins to her. And she had missed them so dearly, as had they. Everyone-her uncle, aunt, her brothers- Charles and Daniel, and their little sister Emily were saddened beyond extent at the news of her father's passing. They had made sure her mother and she had everything they needed at their disposal. After a refreshing nap, courtesy of their long and exhausting journey, Ayera now sat with her kin and a much livelier mother, pouring herself more tea from the kettle.
"So sister, why have you not yet taken a spouse?" The eldest son-Charles asked.
"Why haven't you?" She perked one eyebrow.
"I meant, come now you do comprehend my meaning."
"I am afraid I do not brother." Ayera did though, she perfectly understood the unfairness of being born a woman but it was not like her to simply admit so.
"Ayera," her mother cautioned.
"What?" She squeaked.
Daniel shook his head, "Dear sister, we only meant to show concern. You're eight and twenty, surely you mean to settle down."
She did not want to. But as she began forming a reply stating why, she found herself blank. Not a single reason came to mind. She'd desired a love match more than anything but after everything that transpired 10 years ago and the possibility of Anthony gone with it, she had never had her soul bound to another again. Now she wondered if she indeed ought to settle down. What was she going to do anyways? With the responsibility of her mother taken care of and having sold their business and property overseas, she found herself-free?
"I do think so, Daniel." He was younger to her by a year, the same age as Benedict. She had missed them all so much and the idea of reuniting with him lit her up.
"Well, then it's a blessed thing that you are just in time for the debutante ball being held tonight by Lady Danbury. Although it might prove a tad difficult competing with women a few years younger than you," her Aunt Blaic spoke.
"Pity the young ladies, aunt. They are competing with the once diamond of the season," she smirked.
20 years ago
They all sat in the backyard of their house, Ayera in her father's lap, counting the number of irises blooming in the bushes around them. Charles and Daniel sparred with wooden twigs in the corner while the ladies talked about the new modiste in town. A butterfly gently flopped down on one of the flowers and Ayera let out a gasp.
She tugged the mischievous strands of hair floating in her face due to the wind behind her ear and faced her father. "Dada, look! It's a butterfly."
Her father broke apart from the conversation with his brother to follow her sight of line.
"May I go catch it?"
Even if he was going to refuse, the twinkle in her eye would have persuaded him otherwise. "Don't go too far."
Ayera let out a cheery giggle at that and jumped up from his lap, pursuing the pink butterfly to her fate. The winds blew the hem of her dress over a branch of a tree, getting it stuck. She inhaled a sharp hiss at that causing a voice to emerge from the direction opposite to which she came.
"Is someone there?"
The voice was followed by a young boy around her age, a head full of brunette hair turned golden where sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees touched it.
"Oh hello, are you quite alright?" He smiled. She had never seen such a pretty smile before.
"Hello, I am Ayera," she said timidly.
"Ayera, I am Anthony. Do you require any help?" He smiled again and Ayera did not know why her heart was beating so fast.
"My dress-its stuck."
Anthony was beside her in two quick strides.
"Let me take a look," he spoke gently.
After he'd rescued her, he introduced her to a his younger brother Benedict who had been searching for him.
"Mama's calling, Anthony."
"I hope to meet you again Ayera. I live right there." He pointed to the extreme right and she realized they were almost neighbours.
"Same here."
She went back to where her family was, the butterfly entirely forgotten and a smile playing on her lips.
"Dada, dada I made a friend!"
"Oh did you now?" Her father tickled her swooping her in his arms.
"Yes. His name's Anthony and he lives just right there. I like him."
Her father brushed their noses against each other and said, "that's lovely my darling."
***
Little did that little girl know, she would have lost both of them in twenty years. Ayera sniffed, she didn't realize she had grown emotional.
"Sister we are leaving in an hour!" Daniel yelled from inside the house.
Ayera left the irises behind and went inside to her room to prepare herself for the ball. And the people and stares that awaited her.
***
She took a few deep breaths steeling herself from the murmur and gossip that would arise the moment they walk in. Charles nudged her shoulder lightly, conveying silently, 'It will be fine'. Ayera wiped her sweaty gloves on her gown and glanced at her mother who was still grieving her husband but in an enormously better state, and pushed past the doors to the ball. For a moment, everything's exactly as it was and she thought luck has finally favored her, when every eye turned to the entrance. She gracefully moved past the crowd, ignoring the already loud whispers flooding the hall. She was cursing herself for ever thinking it was a good idea when she spotted the familiar face of Lady Danbury.
She quickened her pace until she reached her and bowed. "Lady Danbury,"
"Ayera Blaic," Lady Danbury spoke her name in disbelief as if she was going over a memory rather than witnessing it happen at the moment.
And she was not the only one with that reaction. After catching up with the host of the evening, she was reintroduced to a lot of familiar faces, some with a mock smile plastered across their face, others with genuine ones. It felt surreal to be back. Even the Queen was taken aback at her reappearance. After all, she had misplaced the Queen's trust in her all those years ago by not marrying at all. She wondered what gossip would arise when they discover that so is the case till yet.
"So you're searching for a suitor?" Lady Danbury approached her.
"I," deciding to just give up she admitted, "yes."
Lady Danbury took her by the arm. "Then let's find you one. If I may suggest, refrain from mentioning your age."
Ayera was busy learning about the animals bred in the farms of the Lord Lady Danbury had managed to acquire for her when there was a sudden commotion at the hall's entrance. She lifted her head to find a practical mob of young debutantes crowding against a man. The woman directly in front of him shifted allowing her to see the mystery man. Her breathing quietened down and so did the voices all around her save her heartbeat. She was entirely sure her body had become numb but she could not tear her eyes away. And then those beautiful brown eyes met hers. Anthony.
