"Tell me about yourself, Miss Aerwyna Cornell."
Christopher turned his attention from the other couples around them to his dance partner, while Aerwyna's focus had been his eyes the entire time. "Like what?" She asked, "It would take a million years to tell you everything about me. Are you patient enough?"
He laughed. "Try me." Smirking and looking at her in the eye, waiting for her response. Aerywna raised her right eyebrow, still skeptical, but still proceeded in telling him about herself, her mischevious days, and most importantly her her personal idea of good life.
"See, it barely took a million years." Christopher said, smirking again.
"But what I told you just now is not everything." Aerwyna pointed out, however she did tell him the important bits of her life. What is his idea of having a good life?
"I do not really know. I guess love and pure happiness." She glanced at him again questioningly.
"You just asked me what my idea of having a good life is." Did she say it out loud?
"Yes you did." Did she say it out loud again?
"Yes you did." She really should stop doing that.
"You really should, friend of the sea."
"How did you know what my name means? I mean it is very unusual, most people don't even know how to pronounce my name."
"I'm a professor, remember? I read books and know all about literature, although I don't really have a book with me wherever I go like the professor like you described." He teased. Of course, Christopher Weston was her new young, handsome, blue-eyed and highly intelligent professor.
"And you surely do not have white hair and moustache and eyes squinting every time when focusing on something. Enough about me, what about you? You seem like a mysterious man to me. The things I know about you are your meaning of good life are pure delight and love, you don't want to marry for advantage, you are a professor at the age of eighteen and you are not betrothed to anyone."
"That sounds a lot to me. I assure you that you will know more about me when we look at literature and politics." The music ended, both Aerwyna and Christopher had no idea how long they were dancing. She was about to ask Christopher one more question as another song came up and that was when an excited Hida came and practically dragged her away from him. She looked at Christopher and mouthed "sorry". He only nodded with a smile.
"Who is he?" Hida asked once she pulled Aerwyna aside, standing next to a table of champagne. "You are smiling like an idiot."
"Apparently he is my new professor. He is the one that Father was talking about at breakfast. That is him." Hida's eyes widened and mouth opened which made the girl in the blue dress chuckle. "Yes, that was my response too. Hida, you should close your mouth or you will catch flies."
"Sorry, Nana. He looks a bit young to be a professor, does he not?"
"That was what I said, but he said that he finished his education early and went on being a teacher, now a professor. He is eighteen, going on nineteen. I swear he is a genius and I believe he is too humble about the 'genius becoming a young professor' thing. His name is Christopher Weston. A complete gentleman. Who is the man you danced with anyway? You look absolutely happy out there, I have never seen you this delighted in ages."
"Charming, isn't he? He is the son of Sir Markus Montgomery, Dennis. Have you heard about him before?" Hida followed her dance partner from across the garden.
"Right before I danced with Christopher, Father kept dragging me along with him, introducing me to the nobles and hopefully find me a husband. Sir Markus and Mr Dennis Montgomery were two of them. I thought my parents wanted me to have a good life."
"When I was dancing with Dennis, he told me about his father. Sir Markus is a part of one of the largest and most successful mining businesses in the kingdom."
"So Father is going to marry me, his daughter off for trade? How could he do this? No, this must be wrong. Father would never do this and Mother would never agree to this."
"Arranged marriages are normally for alliances, trades and advantages." Aerwyna silently scolded Hida for saying that. Everything she had known from the day she was born is a lie? "But do not assume that could be the case. It could be just a business between your father and his. Besides I do not believe that your father would marry you off to someone whose status is lower than his." To Aerwyna, that still did not relieve your concern and scattered mind.
"Nana, are you alright?" Oh how she wished she could say 'yes'.
"Just a bit exhausted. I should retire for the night." That was obviously a lie, Hida could see the disappointment and confusion behind Aerwyna's deep brown eyes. Despite her worries, Aerwyna stood on her toes to see if Christopher was still present — he was at the beverage table, alone. She went behind him and tapped his shoulder. This time he jumped, turning around and smiled when he saw the young lady.
"Is this a revenge or something else, my Lady?" He said, recalling the incident that happened at the exact place earlier.
"Nothing in that nature, Mr Weston. I just want to see your reaction."
"I think it's more like revenge than 'I just want to see your reaction', Miss Cornell." With that she giggled.
"I am sorry that I kept you waiting, I was just chatting with my friend Hida. I am afraid that tonight is going end soon for me, perhaps one more dance before I leave?"
"That question is supposed to be asked by me. But of course Aerwyna, I would love to have a dance with my student before I leave as well." Taking her hand and guided her to the middle of the platformed floor. Doing the same thing as we did before — swaying their bodies in response to the melody.
"Something bothering you, my Lady? You seem so quiet." Christopher asked his soon-to-be student, staring into her brown eyes. She turned to his blue eyes and shook her head lightly, giving a weak smile. Aerwyna wished she could tell him, but she did not know him enough to console in him.
"I just want to enjoy the moment while it lasts." It was half-true. Aerwyna did want to enjoy the dance, but at the same time her mind was filled with thoughts of an arranged marriage. Before she knew it, the music stopped. Christopher took a small step back, taking her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles.
"Good night Miss Cornell, I shall see you in two days for your lessons."
"Good night to you too Christopher. I hope you enjoyed the party and looking forward to having the lessons with you." She curtsied and sauntered to the glass doors, up to her bed chambers with Hida following behind. Once Aerwyna entered her dark chambers, she immediately flopped myself onto the bed, not bothering to light the candles.
"Aerwyna?" She heard Hida called. Aerwyna only responded with an unladylike groan. "What is on your mind?"
"Lots of things, too much even." The young lady did not lift her head to answer her friend, her answer muffled as her head still faced the sheets.
"About?" This time Aerwyna sat up.
"You know the answer to that, Dada. Why? Why must I marry someone that Mother and Father choose? I thought good life is love. Since when the definition of good life is advantages and personal gain and greediness? Hence this means that everything I've been taught about good life is a lie, everything I hoped and dreamt of having a good life would never come true. Do you understand, Hida?"
"Of course I do. But I believe everyone's idea of good life is different. It might be wealth, or your own passion, or power. I think you, Aerwyna Cornell, are still in the stage of finding the true meaning behind these two words. You are still exploring about your ideal life every single day, you will know the concept once you experience it. You need not to pursue a good life, but it is good life that comes to you. It does not happen in an instant, it takes time. Let time do the magic and it will happen before you know it. Every life has ups and downs. Sometimes it's the downs that bring the ups, though it takes effort to reach the ups. Miss Aerwyna Cornell, you will have a good life, I promise."
"Then what is your thoughts on good life?"
"I don't know because I'm still searching."
"What would I do without you, Dada?"
"Nothing." Aerwyna smiled, got off her bed and gave her best friend a massive hug.
"Thank you. However I do think that you sounded like a grandmother. First things first, let's get these dresses off and take a nice long relaxing bath. Will you join me Hida?"
"I'm not worthy at all." Aerwyna felt her heart crack. Was this what Hida felt all this time?
"Of course you are, considering you gave me some wise advice and you always being there for me. And now I order you as your Lady to join me." Hida only nodded and smiled, both of them went into the bath together after taking off their dresses.
"Did you have fun Hida?" Aerwyna knew she did. The way she danced with the baronet's heir and her smile afterwards already gave Aerwyna the answer she needed.
"I think you know the answer." She smiled widely.
"Dennis?" Aerwyna did not get a reply. The slight tint of red on Hida's cheek was enough to answer her short and simple question. This was something new for Aerwyna, she had never seen Hida like this — giddy and shy.
"Christopher?" Hida asked after recovering from her heated cheeks.
"No! Or at least not yet. He is my professor. Whatever is between us should not happen, imagine how awkward it would be in our lessons? Besides after tonight, I doubt Father would let me be with him if I wanted to be with Christopher. However his eyes are quite distracting with this beautiful deep shade of blue." Aerwyna paused. "Wouldn't it be strange to be with your teacher?"
"Well if you really love him, then why care?"
"True, but if, I said if. If I am ever going to be with him, Father would never allow it. All this time what he has been telling me is a lie."
"How do you know it's a lie?" She remained silent. This made Aerwyna wonder whether she had been misinterpreting the idea of good life all along.