*Rosemary*
We finished eating our omelets and washed the dishes.
"Well, I better get going. If you need anything, ask my mother. I'm sure she has a few extra blankets she can spare you," Saffron said as he stared at his watch.
My face flushed. Did he think I would be cold without him?
"I'll be fine," I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.
He shrugged. "I know you will. But it's always good to have a backup plan."
I nodded, feeling a bit relieved. It was nice to know that he cared about my well-being, even if it was just in a practical sense.
As he headed towards the door, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. I knew that he had to leave, but I didn't want him to go. I wanted to spend more time with him, to get to know him better.
"Wait," I said, running over to him. "Can't you stay a bit longer?"
He turned around as he picked up the luggage he had set by the door. His eyes were on the wooden floor. "I wish I could, but I have to report back to the barracks. Duty calls, you know how it is."
I nodded, feeling a bit disappointed. I couldn't keep him from his job. People's lives could be at risk if I did so. He saved countless lives before, including my own. Then again, mine wasn't while he was in the line of duty.
"I understand," I said, looking at the floor as well.
Saffron walked over to me and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Take care of yourself, Rosemary. I'll write to you as soon as I can."
I smiled slightly, feeling a bit better. "I'll be waiting."
And with that, he left, leaving me alone in the kitchen. As I wiped the kitchen table, I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. But for now, I would have to be patient. I would have to wait for his letters, for his visits, for the day when we could be together again. And in the meantime, I would have to make the most of my new life in the countryside and learn to be content with what I had.
I sighed as stared at the rag in my hands. Moping around wasn't going to make time flow any faster.
Once I finished cleaning the kitchen, I stepped outside to get a good view of my surroundings. Over by the gentle slope, in-laws plowed the fields with their earth mana.
Saffron's siblings sighed in exhaustion by the time I reached them.
"You kids should take a break. I can help," I said, smiling slightly.
"No, that's not necessary. You helping, I mean. You kids can go rest in the shade for a bit," my mother-in-law said, glancing at them.
I frowned. Was this one of those moments where the mother-in-law looked down at her daughter-in-law? The novels I read had plenty of those. Although, usually the mother-in-law would be the one of the better established family. But who was to say that matriarchal behavior didn't exist in less-well-off families too?
I pulled my sleeves back. "You sure? I can at least do this much."
She furrowed her brow. "You sure? It's a bit of a dirty job, even if you aren't using your hands." She raised her dirt-covered apron.
"I'm sure." It was time I proved I wasn't some dainty princess!
"Okay, but if it proves too much, it's okay to back out."
She sounded like her oldest son.
I spread out my orange wings and took to the sky. Lifting both hands up, the ground underneath began to tremble. The kids stared at me in shock.
I twirled my index fingers around, causing the ground to spin. Topsoil flew high into the air, but I didn't let it get too far. Letting the excellent soil fly off would've defeated the purpose of tilling the land.
I lowered my hands slowly, causing the soil to descend back down, now soft and loamy. If only I had had some manure to mix into it. Back in the castle, I would use pegasus dung for my flowers to make my own manure. They grew splendidly. How I missed them. Wonder if that poor white rose I saw that rainy was already dead or if it had managed to hold on for another day.
My mother-in-law and siblings-in-law stared at me in amazement.
"Wow, you're really good at this!" Alli said.
I smiled, feeling a sense of pride. It was nice to be appreciated for my skills, especially since Father only had bad things to say. But, maybe they were just being nice... After all, usually I felt like I had no real skills. Was I even good enough at it to claim to be skilled?
"Ya okay, new Big Sis?" Salvias said, touching my hand.
I force a smile and nodded. "Yeah. Let's continue!"
Together, we poked holes and planted seeds on the ground. It was a time-consuming job, but it felt good to be doing something productive. And as we worked, I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with my new family. We were all in this together, working towards a common goal.
"Ya feel okay, Miss Big Sis?" Salvias asked as we rested under the shade of an oak tree. His mother had decided to go back indoors, saying she had a little something for us.
I took a couple of deep breaths. "Yeah, just a little tired is all."
"Ya sure? Ya face is all red. Ya sure you didn't catch a bug?" Alli said.
I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. Just not used to this kind of work, I guess."
Alli chuckled. "You'll get used to it. It's hard work, but it's also rewarding."
I nodded.
"I brought you hard workers some snacks!" the kids' mom said as she returned with a plate with bread and blocks of cheese.
"Yay! Cheese!" Salvias said, running over to her.
Cheese and bread? I was more familiar with eating cheese with chunks of meat. The bread looked a bit dry. But, it would be rude to refuse and only eat the cheese.
"Sorry, we can't give you something better," my mother-in-law said, looking at the ground.
"It is no issue. I am much obliged by your generosity," I said.
"Hmm, I don't think it's generosity," Salvias said, looking up at me with those green eyes of his.
"Ya part of the family!" Alli said, grinning.
My mother-in-law gave me a warm smile and nodded.
I blushed. There was a warmth inside of me that I had never felt before. They welcomed me with open arms and had shown me that there was more to life outside of those cold palace walls. Maybe I'd made the right decision after all. Maybe.