Love in the Mist

Chapter 1

"My luggage," Alisha Tunrop muttered, she couldn’t break down and cry, why was she supposed to act all dignified? Oh yes, because she was the representative of the US government.

Well, no one claimed life was fair but really this. This was the epitome of unfairness.

Alisha sighed, she could do nothing now. Her luggage, had supposedly been put on a flight to India by mistake while she was in Altriea, a land far off the coast of US, as famous for its unparalleled beauty as it was for its royal family. Royalty here was not just a form of government but more than a choice, a living proof of loyalty that spread over centuries.

That was the first basic lesson given and learnt by Alisha, an economist with the US government; she had been nominated to the office of Altriea to give in her valuable assistance in studying and lending her viewpoints with respect to the incentivization of the handicraft market. Something she excelled in.

And now her luggage was travelling all the way to the exotic land of India and she had been told in polite, firm tone, she shouldn't expect to see it before the end of the week. The airline information giver had made it sound as if it had been all her fault. Where was humanism when you needed it? Not that it would get her stuff back but at least she would have felt a lot better.

Oh well, she had her currency with her. Alisha yet again sighed but commanded her legs and eyes to shift from the inhumane information counter and head to her designated residential accommodation.

She looked out of the window of the car that had been sent to pick her and her lost luggage up, everything seemed different yet familiar. The entire town seemed to have been very well planned. The bountiful use of tree cover notwithstanding the thick forest cover in the background provided a more than a city look. Lush green cover bended well with ethnic preface of the buildings. She had always been a fan of the architecture that intermingled the modern features while retaining the traditional outlook. The buildings weren't just mortar and bricks but stories. Each had its own story to tell. One could visualize the people, the feelings, the comfort they must have associated with their dwellings. It wasn't work but definitely an unaccounted for treasure.

She mulled, Altriea looked like a country governed by the 'right' people. Alisha believed owing to her academic profile that a country's growth could not just be judged by GDP rate but wellbeing of the citizens, the prevailing happiness, satisfaction and a sense of security.

Her attention was diverted when the chauffeur pointed out the castle where she was to be housed in separate guest lodgings.

Alisha couldn't help but admire the way the white castle stood, magnificently aloft facing the ocean. It tempted a man to beg for its history, for its liveliness, for its deep buried secrets.

One could imagine it in its magnificence, heralded with pride, tragedy yet glory. It wasn't just a huge building but dreams and wishes of not just the royal occupants but the people of the small country.

As she was impressed by the modern surveillance techniques used by the security, nothing could beat her reaction on seeing the expansive, curated gardens laid lavishly around the castle. The flowers seemed to sway in her welcome.