Kingdom Chronicles: Awakening

Chapter 2.3 - Marian

Drake dismounted his horse and tied the reins around a young pine tree. He stroked his mare's long neck to reassure her before beginning the trek uphill. After making it part way up the hill, he turned to his left and headed back down at an angle before going up again. He continued winding up and down the hill, stepping on patches of leaves and pin straw whenever he could to hide his footprints.

When he finally reached the top, the trees ended, and Drake stepped into a wide-open field. Rows of cotton covered the field and ended somewhere on the other side of the horizon, and it gave the appearance of a winter snow, something Drake had only seen once from a carriage as he passed through one of the northern kingdoms as a little boy.

He walked through the field, careful not to crush any of the cotton plants. Slowly, a cotton mill rose up on the other side of the horizon, sitting on a hill, and a wooden cottage appeared down below in the valley.

As Drake got closer to the mill, he saw a young woman in the field, and she was picking cotton alone. Drake stopped for a moment. The woman had not yet seen him, so he watched as she worked. Her raven hair fell down her back and in front of her face in waves, but he could still see enough of her face to tell she was focused as if every cotton ball she picked had to be perfect.

Once the area surrounding her was picked clean of cotton, she straightened and pushed her hair out of her face with the back of her hand. The sun gleamed off of the woman's olive skin and reflected off of the beads of sweat that had formed on her brow. Her loose-fitting cotton dress hung down off her shoulders, hiding her curves, but Drake knew that there wasn't a single princess or noblewoman who could boast of such a perfect figure as this cotton farmer.

Drake breathed deeply the smell of the sunbaked earth and let out a sigh. These were the moments worth living for. Not droll council meetings or endless inspections of the guards but the sun high in the blue sky above white and green hills with a beautiful woman waiting for him.

She turned toward him to begin picking another area, but she paused and held up her hand to block the sun. Drake saw under the shadow of her hand a smile slowly spread across her face, and he couldn't resist matching her expression. She at her basket down in the field and ran toward him.

Drake threw open his arms and wrapped her in his embrace. He could feel the warmth of her skin through his jacket, and he breathed in the sweet smell of lavender on her skin. Drake picked her up and spun her around, and he heard her giggle. He placed her feet back on the ground and leaned back from her just enough to kiss her lips. He felt her body loosen in his arms, but she resisted suddenly and pulled away from him.

"Not here," she whispered. "Someone could see us." She smiled up at him mischievously, and Drake stole another kiss.

She took him by the hand and led him back behind the cotton mill and into the forest. Drake didn't say a word as they both hurried through the trees until they reached the creek. He whisked her off her feet, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her as he waded through the rushing water and sat her back down on the other side without a splash of water on her dress. They hurried past a few more trees and knelt down to pass under some thick growth. When they came up on the other side, a small clearing lay before them hidden in the trees. The perfect place for two people to remain unseen.

Drake leaned in for another kiss, and this time, she didn't resist. He kissed her long and deeply, taking in the sweet taste of honey that still lingered on her lips. They sank down into the grass together.

The woman pulled away so that she was mere inches from Drake's face. She smiled at him again, her dimples creasing her cheeks. But then it faded away as quickly as it had come.