The Island (girlxgirl)

Chapter 2

I am nothing.

My name is Rennie though. I'm the oldest daughter of two hardworking villagers. Our village is the one that is closest to the castle and has the large port to the ocean. Father is a blacksmith and Mother works a small garden plot on our tiny land. They also own two chickens and a pig, Mother's inheritance. The rest of her siblings got inheritances such as five horses, the ten acres of land, or a fleet of ships, but no, being the youngest, she received the smallest lot.

Men and women are equal, but oldest is preferred over youngest. Somehow, Mother and Father respect neither tradition. They want me married and out of the house, because I cannot serve as a blacksmith one day, being I have too pretty of a face to dare ruin with soot, they say to my face. My brothers will become blacksmiths or be apprenticed to one of our uncles to farm or sail.

A long time ago, it was discovered I had aptitude in music and sailing, but Mother and Father had long given up on me before that. It didn't matter that I could play any instrument once handed to me, or that any navigation instrument of the high waters I could use easily, I was to be given to a husband and to have perhaps-worthy grandchildren.

On the island, it's perfectly normal to be gay. Mother and Father don't believe in this either. I would call them narrow-minded, but it's not my place. I tried to protest to them that I had only ever been interested in girls, and to not marry me off to a man, but they just slapped me and forced me into painting my face pale with makeup or wearing revealing clothing, to attract suitors earlier, no matter how degrading. I'm considered cheap by the rest of the villagers.

One day, returning to home from visiting another prospective suitor, I suddenly saw a very rare sight: the one princess of the land, Hachi. She was riding on her horse, a mare named Iron, who was the color of gray velvet and wore horseshoes made by Father. His pride was all about how he had made horseshoes for the princess's horse. Hachi walks Iron through the villages every now and then, listening to the gossip and finding servants for her own use. She only picks pretty girls, which makes me suspect her as gay as I am, but Mother and Father hush me, saying she doesn't pick males so she's not tempted into any hasty actions.

Hachi has long flowing black hair, straight and always cleanly combed through even on hot, humid days. Her eyes are silver and gold, very tawny even, but it's impossible to tell the color unless she looks right at someone.

She looked at me. She seriously looked at me. Hachi halted her horse and just stared. Then, she suddenly trotted him back towards the magnificent castle she lived in, made of ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, amethyst, and obsidian crystal. Did this mean she liked me? Did this mean she found me beautiful?

I hurriedly returned home. I don't know what to think.

Mother and Father were scolding me all through dinner, like they normally do. My seven younger brothers all get milk, cheese, eggs, beef, and lamb every night so they grow stronger, while I have always been skinny from eating only greens, water, and every now and then I get almonds. I eat every bite, but my stomach rumbles afterward and Father yells that I should have eaten more. How could I? I'm not allowed to dispense my own food, though my brothers are, and I eat every crumb of what is served me, but Mother and Father still somehow think that I left food on my plate.

"How was that new boy I sent you to today? Harold?" snapped Mother grouchily.

That's not his name, but I don't really care for what it really was. He was leering and perverse like the others, interested in my face but was turned off by my skeletal body. Mother and Father don't realize they defeat their own purposes, but I'll never tell them that.

I mildly replied, "He found me too small and boney. He sent me back, as the others did for much the same."

"Well then honey, eat more." Father grumbled grumpily as he spooned bacon into his mouth. Mother had bought a pig last week from one of her brothers and slaughtered it, giving the household ham and bacon, plus much pork.