The sun came over the horizion and shown through my window. The rays spread through out my room and the diaphanous canopy surrounding my bed. I slowly opened my eyes to the welcoming warmth of the sun. I pulled the covers off of me and slid my legs over the side of my bed. I pulled back my canopy and stepped onto my blue wool rug. The sun had warmed the fabric and it was soft to the touch. I took my dressing gown from the hook next to my bed. There was a light knock at my door and I walked across the cold stone to open the door. I opened the door to find Alston all dressed up. He walked in and I closed the door. I turned to face him and I was met by a friendly hug from my older brother. He picked me up and spun me around and set me on the chest at the foot of my bed. He sat doen next to me and gazed into my eyes.
"What is it Alston?" I asked. He seemed to be worried about something.
"Mother. I overheard her talking to father earlier this morning. She is determined yo find you a husband today at the Easter celebration."
"She may do what she wishes, but I have made up my mind. I will find a man on my own."
"I know you will."
"Thank you. No may I get dressed for tg e celebration?"
"Of course. May I pick your dress?"
"Yes. I think I know which one you are picking."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes. You pick the same one out everytime."
We walked over to my wardrobe and and Alston started going through all my dresses. He finally found the one he was looking for. Same one as usual. Long trail length, long wide sleeves that go past my wrists, with coverage at the top and of course in the color navy. Alston always picks this dress for me. I don't know why he likes it so much. I take the dress and take it behind the dressing screen.
"Ellie?"
"Yes Alston?"
"You do know what is going on with father?"
"Yes. I know he is sick and but he is still as strong an ox. He still has five years left ib him. It's nothing new Alston, the whole manor knows."
"Not that. He hasn't told you yet has he?"
"Alston what's going on?"
"It's nothing Ellie. Father will tell you. I have no place to talk. Bit just letting you know the Eldest son of Lord Dyran will ve at the celebration today. Please, I beg of you Ellie, be kind." I walked out from behind the screen with an irritated facial expression. That boy drives me insane. He thinks he has all authority over me. If Alston thinks I am going to be kind he has got the wrong idea.
"I am not promising anything Alston. What happens happens. You kn ow what he is like. I refuse to give into him and you of all people should know that."
"I know but Ellie, be careful."
"Don't worry about me. How could anything go wring with H-." I was cut off by a kbock at my door. "I'm guessing that's them." I walked over to the door and ooensd it to find Mavis and Hiram standing outside the door. Alston came up behind me and the two boys bowed. I rolled my eyes at them. They always do this.
"Good moring my Lord and Lady." they said in unison. They really know how to annoy Alston.
"Really. Do you two alwayss have to do that?" asked Alston.
"You know we just like to get under your skin." said Hiram as he and Mavis walked into my room. They are our personal knights hired by my father to protect me and Alston. There has been more conflicts with the neiboring manors. There have been threats of kidnappings and murders addressed to Alston and I. Our father fears for our safty, so now we have personal knights. We have all become close friends.
Mavis wrapped his arms around and spun me around. He sat me down on the chest at the foot of my bed. Hey fave me a little smile and I knew what was coming.
"Mavis! Don't you dare!"
"Dare what my lady?"
"You know what I'm talking about!"
"No I don't my lady."
"I mean it Mavis." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hiram and Alston in a deep conversation when Mavis began to tickle me.
"Mavis! Stop!"
"Of course my lady." He stopped tickling me and Alston and Hiram were laughing at me.
"It is not funny boys."
"A little bit." said Hiram. I rolled my eyes at him. I stood up and walked over to my vanity to pin my hair out of my face. The room was strangely quiet.
"Ellie are you ready to go. I see the carriage veing pulled up out front." asked Alston.
"Yes. Let me grab my shawl and we can go." I quickly grabbed my black fur shoulder shawl from the wardrobe and quickly went out the door. We walked down the spiral stair case and to the front of the castle where the carriage waited to take us to the village.
"Your father and mother will not becoming so early they will becoming in the next few hours." Lucy, one of my mother's maids, informed us.
"Thank you Lucy." I said and Hiram helpe d me into the carriage. Alston followed me and the door shut. The carriage driver started the horses for the village. I looked at Alston, his face was full of worry.
"Alston what is wrong?"
"There are more. So many more. I fear for you Ellie. That foreign lord is out for blood. He wants our blood line gone. Ellie, do not leave Mavis's side while we are in the village. I don't want anything to happen to you." Small tears fell down his face. He was incredibly scared. I took his hands and he automatically looked me.
"Don't worry Alston. I will be safe. And so see will you."
"I know." The carriage came to a stop and Alston quickly wiped the tears from his face. The carriage door opened and Alston got out first. I steped onto the steps that helped me down fron the carriage. I took the hand that offered to help me doen. I didn't look to see who it was, I just figured that it was Hiram or Mavis. When I was on the ground an arm snaked around my waist. Usually that would be Mavis nut he's not allowed to do that in public. I looked up to see who it was. Just the person I was hoping to avoid. Brenner. The eldest son of Lord Dryran.
"Hello Ellie." he said as he kissed the top of my head.
"Hello Brenner."
"Would you mind walking with me before the meal is served today." I looked at Alston and he had Mavis cone over to us.
"Alston saud it was alright." Mavis told me. "But I must come with you."
"Of course. But stay a few feet behind us. I don't want you to listen in on our private conversation."
"Yes. I will."
"Shall we go then?" I nodded. Brenner threaded his fingers through mine. He led me down the road, and through long alley ways.
"Ellie... What do you see me as? Please be honest. I know that you think bad of me but why?" Well this was unexpected.
"Umm. Well, your so different than the people from this manor. You are also the son of my father all time enemy."
"Ellie that all could change. Our fathers are trying to stop this long term fued."
"And how would they do that?"
"With my help of course." We were now at the edge of a river. Stansing on a wooden dock. Mavis was standing at the top of the hill, that led down to the river, looking down on us.
"And how could you possibly do that? "
"By confessing something I hace been hiding since we first met ten years ago. Ellie, this is hard for me to say. I have keeping it from everyone. When my father tols me that he wanted the fueds to stop between our two manors I thought by confessing this could help." He slid down on two one knee and took my hands in his. No! NO! This can not be!
"Ellie. I have loved you since we first met when we were six years old. When my eyes landed on you I instantly fell on love. This has been pounding at my heart for a decade. I love Ellie. Daughter of Lord Henry and Lady Mary. I ask for your hand in marriage. Will you be my wife?" He was looking right in my eyes. He stared right into mine, eyes huge. "Ellie..." ehat do I say. I don't want to marry him. I barely even know him. I saw Hary starting to tun down the hill to the dock. Ugg. I just want out of here. I don't want to deal with this right now.
I pulled my hands away and ran toward the village square. I hikwd up my dress so I wasn't tripping over it running up the hill. I stepped on to the brick road. I looked behind me to the dock. Brenner was frozen there. He hadn't moved. Now I saw Mavis running up the hill behind me. I pull up my dress and started running agian. I ran through the streets. I had to dodge people because the meal was about to be served. ai ran past the square and down the road to were the serfs lived. No one will be able to find me down here.
I backed myself up into an alley way. I leaned against the wall and slowly sank down onto my bum. My dress surrounding me. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them. I heard music playing and the cheering of people. My parents must have arrived. These people love them. I heard the pattering of footsteps coming toward the alley way. I pulled my knees in tighter and barried my head. I let my hair drape infront of my face to cover it. The footsteps became closer. Then just as fast as they came they left, yet were replaced with more. These were slow and light. They came closer and I covered my head with the fabric hanging from my sleeves. The foot steps came into the alley way and right toward me.
"Hello?" an accent asked me.
"Are you all right? Are you hurt? Did the knights attack you? I saw a few of them just around the corner." I looked up and saw that the accent was coming from a boy with blonde hair and adorable blue green eyes. He was kneeling next to me and he put his hands on my arm.
"Oh my lady. What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in this part of the manor. This is where the serfs are. You should be in the square where the festival is going on. I shouldn't keep you. I'll be going now." He scrambled to his feet and quickly backed away. He started to walk away down the alley but I caught his pant leg and he turned to look at me.
"Stay. Please." I asked him.
"I really shouldn't. I have to serve at the festival. Besides it is against the cannon law for serfs to interact with the higher power." He said with fear in his eyes. He kept looking ovet his shoulder.
"Don't worry. I have power. No one will hurt you. I want some company." He looked back over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." he said and ran if down the alley.
I watched run off. Tears filled my eyes. Just once. Could someone outside of the castle talk to me. I don't like the position of my father. I love him but his power affects how I am treated. I only talk with Mavis, Hiram, and Alston. I love those boys. But sometimes you just need someone else to talk to. So you know that uou actually exist.
"Ellie?" a voice called
"Ellie where are you?" Alston.
"Ellie. Mother and Father are worried. I know you are over here."
I stood up and brushed off my dress.I walked out of the alley and saw Alston standing a few buildings away. I picked up my skirt and starting running to him.
"Ellie! There you are. So tell your older brother what happened. Mavis said he saw you run off. Why? Was it Brenner?" I nodded. "What happened? "
"He took me to the dock where we would play as kids. We talked foe a while. Then he suddenly got down on a onee and asked me to be his wife!" He looked at me with mixed emotions of happiness, shock, and disapproval.
"Ellie... You know that me being your older brother I am glad that you ran. Then looking at your future I am disappointed. You should have taken the advantage of marrying him. He is a rivalering manor but that could have solved. The problem would have been solved. Knights would focus on the foreign manor. Ellie please think it over." I nodded. He took my hand in his and we walked toward the square.
"Ellie dear! There you are!" My mom said as she leaned over her skirt and gave me a hug. "The meal is about to start. Come and sit." She took my hand and led me to the head of the long table. "Ah Ellie my dear. Come sit." my father said from his seat. I walked over to him and met him with a smile. He pulled out the chair next to him. I sat down next to him. Mother sat down on father's other side. Alston sat next to mother. More people came into the square and sat down around the table. Mavis and Alston joined us, Mavis sat next to me and Alston next to Alston who sat next to our mother.
"What happened with Brenner?" Mavis asked.
"He asked me to be his wife." I told him.
"Then why would you run. He would be a great husband for you. And then the possibility of me going of the fight their manor goes down."
"You don't want to go do you?"
"I'm terrified Ellie. My father sent me here. I didn't want to come. My father gets paid for my service here. He wants to be a freeman. I'm practically my father's slave." He was crying into his hands. I pulled his hands away from his face and we looked into each others eyes.
"Mavis. You know I can't do much about that. And you know that I won't marry someone that I don't love."
"I know. Just think about it." I nodded and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Let us start the meal with a prayer." the bishop said. Everyone closed their eyes and listen to the bishop pray for the food. When he was finished people came out from the little bakeries in the square. They were all in dressed in black. The women and young girls were in dresses with sleeves that went to their wrists and that went right to their feet. The men and younger boys were in pants and long sleeve top. They all hold platers of food. One person caught my attention. Most of the people in my fathers manor had brown hair. We all did actually. But this person had blonde. He started making his way toward our end of the table. We made eye contact for half a second. He quickly turned his eyes from mine. In that short time I saw that he had blue green eyes. The same as the boy that came up to me in the alley.
"Your meal my lady."the accent voice said. I looked up to see him standing next to me. I smiled up at him. He gave me a quick smile back and he leaned down to set my plate on the table.
"Meet me here tonight when the moon is right above." I whispered in his ear. he quickly nodded.
"I'll be here." He quickly said back.
My smile widened. I could not wait for tonight. I wanted to get to know this boy. He seemed very nice. I watched as he walked away. Back to where Alston led me from. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. I smiled back at him, then he turned back around and started running down the dirt road.