This third day with my father has been too much. We have been walking around trailed by his servant all day as he gets papers signed by various people. It is almost evening and I believe we have seen nearly every person in the village. My feet ache and I want nothing more than to sit down or sleep. As I lean against the wall of another stand I wait for my father to finish. The women he is talking to is of a spirited sort. She is small and robust. She speaks with a loud voice and gestures with her hands. My father is speaking to her in his no nonsense tone, and I watch waiting to see her bend to him will. I am surprised when she places her hands on her hips and he stares at her silently. As they have a quiet moment of just staring at each other angrily I wait to see who will back down first. My father is actually the one to concede. He walks away from her briskly to talk to his servant. They exchange papers and my father returns with something else. The women read the paper an
Today Io will receive the drawing that is a snapshot in time. I try to picture what her facial expression will be like when she sees what it is. As I sit on this bench waiting for Huli I imagine that it would be shocked at first but turn into extreme joy. I wish I could be there to see it. “Hello Draco” Huli greets as he takes a seat next to me. “Hello Huli, how are you today?” I ask politely. “I am well. Thanks, but I can see from the tapping of your fingers you are anxious to hear about the girl” he says with a smirk. I blush and rub my hands on my robe. “It is okay brother; your courted woman is doing well. She looks much like the day I met her and is in good health. She is always excited to receive her gifts. I did leave the last without talking to her first. My father was insistent that I come home right after studies” he admits. I have never met either of his parents. He does not mention them much. I smile at the news of how Io is. “I am very appreciative
Huli has arrived right as my father, and I were about to sit down for supper. I invite him in to join us, but he declines. He hands me the package and stands there waiting. He looks at my father in the hut behind me and blushes. He seems a bit nervous over how boisterous he usually is. “Draco wanted to make sure I personally delivered this gift. I believe so that he can be told of your expressions” he states handing me the package. “He also says he misses you” he whispers. I smile at him glad to know he has seen Draco. I just have to ask. “How is he.” “He is well given the circumstances. He looks a little tired but is in good health” he says. I nod to myself satisfied with his answer. He flicks his eyes to the package silently commanding me to open it. I pull the strings and open the brown paper. On top of the scroll inside I see his note. I hide it in my hand to read later. When I unravel the scroll I gasp aloud. Then I smile joyously at the drawing. It is like loo
It is early in the morning. As I blink my sleepy eyes I wonder what it is that has awaken me before the sun. I shake my head and begin to lay back down thinking that I was mistaken. There it is again. It sounds kind of like scraping. I peel back the curtain over my window slightly and peeler around the yard. I see no one but I still here the sound. I rise from my bed and tiptoe to the window in the sitting room. The sound is much louder here. Outside the window I see a robes figure digging in our yard. There is not much light out but the whole looks a bit deep. They have been doing this for a while. I slip on my geta and head for the door. I slowly open it, so I will not catch the figures attention. I leave the door open and slowly creep forward. I want to get closer but not so close to where I will not have the distance to run to my father who is in the hut sleeping. Right in ear shot where they should be able to hear my yell I see something on the floor wrapped in fabr
The walk to my home was brief. I should have left sooner though. I will be late meeting my father and I know this will not make him happy. I was surprised when Io came out as I was digging this morning. I thought that I was. Doing the job quietly and she would just be surprised when she saw the sapling with my note attached. I was happy to see her. It felt as if all the weight I have carried on my shoulders away from her finally lifted at her excited embrace. To think that I almost ruined it by telling her how to keep herself safe still baffles me. I rush up to my room and disrobe quickly. I put on a clean one and wash my hands in the water basin. Then I am out the door and briskly walking to my father’s office. When I arrive, his people are moving about as if they have begun long ago. I sigh as I walk into his office to see him at his seat going over parchments with one of his workers. He raises his eyebrows when he catches my gaze as if in question to where I have been. I w
Today I feel out of sort. It was nice to see Draco yesterday after having spent so much time away from him. I still wish I were able to give him more comfort after the horrible things he went through with his father. He had angered me so much with how he handled the situation. If he had just told me at first about his situation instead of making me feel like a child I could have expressed my feelings. I feel a burning need to tell him of the love I feel. I want to know if he feels the same way. I know that he is courting me to be his bride. The only way that I would refuse him when he asks is if he does not love me the same. Deep down I believe he does, but he has yet to speak on how he feels. The situation worries me. I have been thinking on it all morning. My work in the fields could provide no distraction to the pain I feel if he refuses my love. When I arrive home I expect to see Huli who would be bringing me my next gift. However, I am surprised to see the girl who
Today is the seventh day. I will get to see Draco tomorrow. I wonder what he has planned. I would not mind going to my cave again and just being with him. To have him hold me in his arms and sway to our rhythm sounds like heaven right now. I feel as if I have waited forever to see him. I look out the window and see that the sun has rose nearly to midday on the horizon. I did not work today and have just been laying here. I know this is not normal for me and I am itching to do something. I just do not know what. I have read Draco’s book many times as well as his poem. I have read everything in this hut many times. I do need something to do. I swiftly sit up in my bed as an idea comes to mind. I can make the cave more comfortable in case we go there tomorrow. I rush to bathe and out on my clothes. I grab a basket so I can fill it with the items we may need. I add in two more blankets from the extras we have. I also grab an extra pillow. Often when I return home from our visits I
I look into her eyes, and I see my reflection staring back at me. I can see the Hope in my smile but also the fear in my eyes. The seconds it is taking her to answer my question feel like an eternity. Her mouth is gaping open as if she did not expect my proposal. I know it is soon, but I could not wait another day to claim her. Her eyes water and I feel my heart sink into my stomach. Maybe I had this all wrong. I look at the ground feeling my eyes water too as I start to step away. Then a force causes me to take a step back and nearly it the wall. “Yes. Yes I will marry you” she exclaims. I feel my face split into a smile realizing that she has tackled me in her enthusiasm. I pick her up and swing her around so happy that she has accepted my proposal. Then I remember her gift in my pocket. I place her feet on the ground but do not let her go far. I remove the box from my pocket and take her hand in mine. “My grandfather gave this ring with all his love to his second wife. My f