The Kingdom of Alba…
Tobias's pov;
"Come on , you got to go faster than that if you expect to actually beat me" i laugh as I ride far past Hadassa with my horse , I know I said I was taking her on a peaceful refreshing ride but you can only blame our competitiveness that runs in the family.
"You just wait Bias , I won't just let you win" she actually was put more effort if I'm not careful my sister will actually get ahead *laugh she used to always call me Bias every time when we were little , the name faded with time but I'm happy to hear it once more it means she is coming back to being the carefree sister I knew .
After a few more rounds we stopped by a river to take a break before heading back eventually.
"Well that was fun wasn't it dear sister"we sit under the tree and I can see her smile a bit so I guess this ride was a good idea "It was refreshing, i should maybe consider getting out of the palace more often" she looked calm for the first time in a long time "oh I almost forgot , did mom tell you about the very important guest we are having soon? It's a girl and she is someone very special to you" who is she talking about? And how come I wasn't informed I was to have a guest? "Um I wasn't told anything but do tell" "well it's Thelma , Thelma Ross remember her? She used to be your childhood crush and best friend when you guys where little kids. She is coming with her father the Duke of Persia in 2days , aren't you excited?"
"Well honestly we haven't kept in touch since she went back to her kingdom in Persia so I don't know if we will still have those same feelings like before you know , we were just kids back then don't take it too seriously " I guess I don't mind seeing Thelma once again because she was someone I liked spending time with back then but her coming at this time is kind of sudden I wonder why she is coming back after so many years "do you know why she is coming?" I think Hadassa knows more than what she leads one to think "I actually do but I prefer keeping the mystery and seeing your face when they announce it to you" why is she sly smiling like that , I'm starting to get nervous actually.
"Don't worry little brother all be well trust me , let's head back though I am starving " "yeah- sure let's go" i go back to the castle with many unanswered questions .
Meanwhile somewhere on the other side of the town |
"Mother , father we are back" Ethera announced as she entered the warm home with her nanny/servant Heizel "oh welcome back dear , how was it at the market ? Did you find it fun?" Her mother inquired as they always feel anxious to let her out of the house out of fear , of what nobody knows.
"It was really fun mother , I got to see many people all at once and Heizel taught me a lot about fruits and vegetables to buy and how to negotiate prices too" the young lady exclaims .
You see Ethera was born into a humble but comfortably living family that owned a piece of land on which they grew their crops and tried to get by , her parents have always made sure she was fed and clothed properly but they are a bit reluctant to let her go outside a lot as they believe one day someone would snatch her away as a wife because she was of breathtaking beauty , so pure and full of life , they knew they couldn't keep her a secret for long as she was at a maturing age of 21years old and had to start her life soon as a debutante in society as tradition requires.
"It's great sweetheart, I am glad you get to enjoy these fun parts of life, oh and remember soon you will be introduced to society as a debutante so enjoy these carefree days okay" Ethera nodded absently, she never wanted that day to arrive, she was a quite shy girl who wanted to enjoy a carefree life without responsibilities and without having to pretend to like the guys that will soon be presented to her as husband. Ethera dreamed of another life where she wasn't expected to be like everyone else and fit in society , actually the only person she was close to was her nanny Heizel who acted as a second mother to her but also a best friend she could get advise from.
Ethera never had experience in dating nor did she ever manage to make friends because of her shy personality but she was always kind and sweet to people around her .
Ethera's pov;
"Oh how I would love to just travel the world and discover new places . Maybe even be another person because I'm starting to feel the pressure to be better so that our family can have a chance to get out of a médiocre lifestyle. I am seen as the only hope by my parents, what am I gonna do Heizel?" Ugh I lay down on my bed , Heizel always had the best advice so I expect her to be on my side.
"Dear you know your parents only want what is best for you , they put their hopes on you because they see potential in you to make it big someday and even if there is all this pressure to find a good husband whom you hopefully will love , I do believe all will be okay and hey I am still here right so you will always have someone to turn to if there is need . And as for traveling the world , oh wouldn't it be a dream ? We never actually went out of Alba to see what is beyond , but I can only imagine there must be more to see" Heizel had that shine in her eyes when she spoke of her dreams which are similar to mine in many areas .
Heizel had been with me since i am in diapers so we have a close bond , I can even say I'm closer to her than I am with my own mother who gave birth to me .
" Hey Ethera, do you ever think 'oh what if I was born in a privileged family like the royals' ? Like we could experience all this we dream about , you could easily travel around and see the world outside " I guess I've never actually thought of that because the royal family seems so far, in all terms , they rule from a far and don't really get involved except for their son's occasion appearance to hear the people out "you know what Heizel I don't think I would want that for myself , I feel like the royals have way more rules and do you see the gigantic dresses they make the females wear , that should be so uncomfortable plus the corsets I don't even want to think about it " *shiver in the back then laughs, "Yeah you are right on that one , but let me remind you that you will be wearing a corset yourself soon enough" what is she talking about? And why is she smirking like that?
"And when will that be and what for because I don't recall being informed" "oh you will wear it for a whole 2 weeks as debutante training and the debutante ball of course" "There will be a ball too!?" She nods and laughs as I plop myself on my bed.