Everyone has an escape, a reprieve. For Milira, her reprieve at home was a nice long bath and the fields behind the house. At the estate, it was the gardens.
Nature calmed her. The green-flowery and colourful goodness sprouting from the ground managed to set her into a mind-set of relaxation, calm, and tranquillity. She assumed her love of nature stemmed from the small town she lived in. Kelpmonth was surrounded by nature, albeit a more pale brown scenery than the vibrant green in front of her. Yet, with the small population living in Kelpmonth, there was peace and quiet and nature flourished. On the estate, the world fell away, even the bustle of the servants were drowned by nature and her birthplace and her second home became one.
Milira drew a breath, her head at war about the mixture of hate and love that twisted and grew, rose and dive for her uncle. Would she hate him forever for his actions? No one understood how badly she wanted to hate a person, as she wanted to hate Alexander but the moment the hate sizzled to the surface, love stood waiting, as if holding the hate back from consuming her.
Her feet followed the curvy and bulging stone path leading through the gardens. Her eyes focusing only on the walkway and her ears on the sound of critters rummaging in the bushes of untamed flowers while they sang their never-ending songs. Her skin soaked up the fresh air around her.
The path forked and instinctively Milira came to a standstill. A gigantic oak stood at the centre, telling of the years it lived through the thickness of its base and bulging roots. For a moment, she admired it before her eye caught onto a drift of smoke evaporating into the air. A smile tugged at her lips and she knew whom those curly wisps of smoke belonged to.
Keeping her footsteps light she made her way over to the tree before leaning back on it, lifting her head to the canopy of green. The rays of sunlight that managed to filter through danced on her body in peculiar shapes.
"Still smoking that crap, I see." She said, lacing her tone with a bit of harmful banter. Milira knew how to accomplish one thing without over thinking and that was to rile up the person standing on the opposite side of the tree, enjoying his smoke. There was a low, deep chuckle before the creaking of footsteps on dry fallen branches. A nauseating tobacco smell smacked her in the face and before she could react by slapping the wielder silly, he stepped away.
"You have to try it sometimes Mil, it will keep that pretty little head of yours sane." Came the playful tease of her childhood friend Aiden Durant.
Without bothering to hide the first genuine smile that danced on her lips, Milira slumped down on the ground, resting her hands on her knees before looking up into Aiden's pea green eyes. The signs of stress plaguing him, not escaping her as she patted a root next to her indicating for him to sit.
"Hmm, maybe now would be a good time to start. Do you think it would piss my soon to be husband off?"
He lifted a cocky eyebrow, his ash blonde hair tumbling into his eyes as he pushed them away. Compared to Damon, the two men differed day and night. Where Damon oozed hormones and muscles, length and compelling goodness, Aiden was scrawnier, the only signs of the amount of tedious work he did was the slight bumps on his arms.
However, Aiden made sure to make his size work for him. Like a rock band's main singer he wore tight clinging shirts which showcased his leans muscles. Milira always teased him about it but in the end for her, his key features was his dangerous eyes, dimpled smile, and sweeping blonde locks. She watched countless times throughout the years as he ensnared girls with a mere look. She still remembered the summer of his sixteenth birthday. Aiden changed that summer. He turned from shy, braces Aiden to confident Aiden. A pep in each of his steps with a huge confident boost. Gone was the boy and in his place was a man. The summer also happened to be the only moment Aiden ever made a move on her. He had pinned her to the same tree they now sat under, and stole her first kiss. Of course, he shrugged it off and said he wanted his first kiss to be with someone he loved and trusted. It was the same summer the two of them came to a mutual agreement that they would never date one another, despite personal feelings.
Aiden feigned shocked, "You're to be married? I'd never peg you my darling for a gold digger, how cruel."
This time he couldn't duck as Milira's hand slapped him on the leg, "I take it you heard the entire pretty picture?" she paused, frowning at her serious tone, wishing she could have the happiness that consumed her a second ago, back. "Who told you anyway?"
Pulling at a weed with calloused hands, Aiden twirled the stem between his fingers, watching it spin faster and faster, "The little gossip birdies, who else?"
Milira knew the gossip birdies all too well. They were kind-hearted servants with a taste of spreading news faster than wild fire amongst the other servants. She was sure since the death of Alexander the entire servant staff knocked on their doors for the daily hearsay. Milira giggled. Had she not joined in on the idle talk throughout her teenage years she would be offended but if anything, she only imagined how absurd the story was by now.
She thought of Jean, the head honcho behind it all. Jean, a sturdy sixty year old loved her big words and her equally big rocking chair, situated in the servant's kitchens. Her face was littered with wrinkles and laugh lines, no doubt from all the tattletale. More so she enjoyed dishing out orders due to her bad back as she kept everyone amused with her stories.
"Heaven help me, I'm sure Jean will get hold of me soon enough and try and squeeze it all out of me," she giggled but it wasn't as genuine as she hoped, "What did she tell you?"
Aiden tossed the weed to the side, before putting his finger to his lips, "Let's see," he bended plucking another weed, before continuing, "There is talk of Alexander having left you penniless, and now you're desperate to keep this place. Oh, Aunt Eve being the typical romantic believes it was love at first sight while Darla's speculation is my favourite. Honestly, that one has her nose in one too many books," he paused, pulling the blue stripped packet of cigarettes from his back pocket, "She thinks you're pregnant."
"Ha! I'll make a point of it to push out my stomach a little when I pass her in the hallway later."
"Good gosh, I'd pay to get a photo of her face before she rushes off to spread the juice." Aiden chuckled while lighting his cigarette.
Darla was the youngest amongst the gossip birdies. Aunt Eve and Jean being more on the ancient side of life often used Darla as their little spy and Milira knew from snooping experience with Darla that the stories Darla replayed always got an extra tail added to them.
Aiden's face grew darker with seriousness, his voice dropping; he took a drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke into the ozone. "Honestly Mil, how are you?"
It wasn't a causal how are you type of question, even if it was, both Aiden and Milira knew each other inside and out. They shared vast amounts of secrets and emotional roller coasters over the years. One being the hamster Aiden sat on and to avoid punishment, since his mother had warned him it would happen, they held a small burial for the little critter. They cried together. Missed the hamster together and both lied about the hamsters true fate, together. They had a connection Milira wished to keep locked in her heart and perhaps share with a lover one day.
Sighing she got to her feet, dusting the dirt from her pants before walking a few steps towards a patch of sunlight where the canopy appeared to have broken off. The tepid light warmed her cool skin, but did nothing to soothe her pain. Strong, hard, guarded. So far, the rhyme of words worked in pressing down the swirling abyss, which made her want to be physically sick. She never believed people could be pushed to the brink, never understood why woman committed murder, not until now...
Not bothering to twist around, she placed her masks on. For some reason a wall was wedge between her and Aiden's open relationship. It could be because they hadn't seen one another in a year, or because they were no longer teens or maybe because Milira saw something in Aiden's eyes. A deep-rooted sadness, something had happened, and he hadn't told her. It upset her. She wasn't being unreasonable, they hadn't seen one another for a year but she still remembers the endless chats throughout the nights. She asked him back then, what ailed him but he had shrugged it off. Now seeing him, she knew it was as she suspected, he did have a secret after all.
Instead of answering, she shrugged.
A few seconds of silence stretched between the two of them, before she heard Aiden's footsteps behind her, followed by his arms going around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. She was use to Aiden's loveable nature but a warning bell chimed in her mind and for a second she tensed but Aiden only tightened his grip.
"Mil, don't be so freaking stubborn. Why are you mad at me?" he questioned, while Milira started to relax against his back and for a while both of them just started out over the gardens, admiring the daisy, pansies, pig ears, and wild flowers.
"I'm not mad Aiden, I-how can I share my feelings with you when you're hiding something?" sighing she slumped further against his back, "What happened to our tight knit friendship? Did growing up really destroy it?" if Milira was honest with herself, she knew whatever happened to their friendship, started the summer they kissed but with both of them being stubborn they ignored it. Now is the perfect time to figure out why, everything's going to shit anyway.
Aiden nuzzled his nose into her neck, his breath heavy, "Do you really want to know Mil?"
"Aiden, you said-"
"I did say didn't I?" Aiden planted a small kiss on her exposed collarbone before pulling away her hair to expose her neck even more, "Back then Mil, hell back then you didn't look so darn appealing, back then your cooties was enough to make me shudder. You're mouth didn't seem so plum, and your body, ha, you were a little pudgy back then, if I remember correctly." He gave a hoarse chuckle, sprawling his hand out over her stomach.
Milira didn't have the courage to deny Aiden, to remind him what he was doing was wrong on many levels but neither did she want to pull away. A part of her always wished for a simpler lifestyle with Aiden. He was easy to get along with. He knew her well. He was the entire package. What had stopped her? What stopped her now? Who knew how soon Damon would wait to get the ball rolling? Before she killed the part of her who hoped she and Aiden could be more, she would enjoy the attention Aiden gave her now even for a few minutes.
When Aiden turned eighteen, she had noticed him for the first time the day they spent at a local dam. He clambered onto the dam wall, wet from the swim, his hair sticking to his oval face, while his eyes grabbed onto her. She knew in that moment, the smouldering look he was giving her was the reason why Betty Evans went loony the second he smirked in her direction. However, Milira never made a move, and the chances to do so were plenty. The night they spent alone under the stars when Aiden traced the naked skin below her bikini strap up until the small of her back. She knew back then, but why didn't she do anything? She was entirely wrapped up in her own world, a world now shattered.
"You didn't smell this good either." He breathed in the scent of her hair, making her shudder. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something whispered, this is wrong, followed by a sadistic true voice. You already killed the hope of a serious relationship between you and Aiden. He doesn't melt your insides like Damon Carleton.
"Aiden as much as I wish our paths had lead us in a different direction, we can't-"
"I know Mil, but allow me this chance, allow me to soak you up before I need to give you back to that bastard, before you become his wife," pausing Aiden dragged his lips up the length of her neck, and nibbled on her earlobe, "Before you share his bed." He spat with vile.
"We could run away Mil, you and me, take our stuff, and hit the road. Like we imagined we would do one day. We could see Greece, Italy, Spain, and you'd never have to be with him. Never have to be forced into an unwanted marriage. An unloved marriage."
Milira gave a hopeless sigh, her mind reeling. How easy could it be for her to throw caution to the wind and give in to Aiden? She knew it wouldn't be too hard to switch it off but logical Milira was smarter and tugged herself back from the edge. She was no longer a free bird. She had responsibilities and people serving under her. Her mother wouldn't be able to cope with the debt, losing her childhood home, her brother's betrayal and a daughter who ran away. The days of being free were over.
She forced firmness into her tone, knowing the words exiting her mouth next could break an irreplaceable bond, "I can't Aiden."
Holding on to her a faction of a second longer, Aiden finally sighed and pulled away, "I need to get back, see ya later."
With that said, he retreated leaving her to fall to pieces again and she realised Aiden never truly admitted what was going on in his life. He didn't share his troubles with her. How many things could go wrong? Sheila always said bad things happened in three's but Milira wasn't convinced. Somewhere in the universe an alternative her did something terrible, while smirking at her from the heavens as the universe dished out her alternatives punishment to her.
For the second time today, Milira found herself escaping to nature. She took one right, two lefts and four rights, cutting past the thick vegetation of the vegetable garden and pushing her way through the ranking ivy's that twisted over each other and over the nearing trees. Though she loved when nature was kept intact by human handiwork, she admired the free spirit of it more and loved it when it burst from its restraints and spread, infesting each crevice.
Before long, she managed to push her way through the emerald, jade, olive and lime greens tumbling over two rocks. The greens acted as a curtain to a hidden world. She pushed it open and stepped into a field of wildflowers. At the centre of the small oasis, a small waterfall cascaded down a man made rock face. The water crystal clear.
Milira laid down among the wildflowers
Whenever she needed to impress her friends, find a quiet spot to read or go for a swim she came here. Aiden had created a rule for the hiding spot, if they brought friends to the oasis they needed to be blindfolded. Aiden, I hope I didn't ruin our friendship forever.
Groaning she picked herself up, said a silent apology to the flowers she'd flattened and moved over to the protruding rocks which stood at the bottom of the pool. They were just out reach of the water, but close enough for her toes to feel the lapping waves the waterfall created. Leaning against an oversized warm rock, she closed her eyes, listening to nature, admiring it, envying it.
One day I'll be free again.
For hours, she sat against the rock, thinking about nothing and doing nothing but striping down to her underwear and taking a swim. By the time the sky turned a different shade of red, she knew it was time to go back and face the music. She would keep her head high, pretend she got lost or that she wasn't fazed by what's occurring. I can't allow Damon to see my internal struggle. He doesn't deserve to have a peek into my soul.
When she finally redressed and made her way back through the jungle of ivy, the sky was already littered with stars. Her legs felt weak, her head heavy and dizzy. Each step forward became a chore. Milira shivered. Her stomach growled and her hands shook. The day had been long, stressful, and rigorous both physically and mentally. She tried hastening her steps. A bath, a warm meal and a good night's rest and she'd be ready to face another day. However, when she stumbled against a tree, she knew her body had enough and she wouldn't be able to reach the house. She wanted to scream out, but her vocal cords were slow to react and somewhere between the oak tree and the house, everything went dark.