Those Violet Eyes

A Place like home

It has been a few days since I had dinner out with my friends, now I really have to talk to Aunt Lily. I can’t keep putting it off. I walk into the warm cozy living room where Aunt Lily is sitting reading a book. Looking around I take in just how beautiful this room is, with its floor to ceiling bookshelves, big comfy chairs and loads of nick-nacks Aunt Lily has collected from around the world on her travels. I love everything about this room, about this house, but it’s not a place you would find a baby, let alone a toddler. I sigh as I enter the room. Aunt Lily looks up from her book. 

“Is everything ok love?”  

“Aunty......I........we........I have to talk to you about something” I finally manage still standing just inside the door. Twisting my fingers together, I nervously look over to her. 

“Of course, come and sit down. You are making me nervous just watching you” She sits her book down on a side table, then pats the chair next to her. I come around and sit next to her. This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. 

“Aunty, I’ve been thinking, and as hard as this is I think it's for the best” I start but my voice catches. She takes a hold of my hand and gives it a squeeze. I look at her face, I love this woman so much. Just the idea of not seeing her every day is breaking my heart. So, I take a deep breath to ready myself for the conversation to come. “Aunt Lily, I love you so much, and I love living here, but I just don’t think this house is going to be big enough for all of us when the baby comes” I get the words out as fast as I can before I chicken out 

“Everly, it’s ok. I know” she gives me a little sad smile and another squeeze of my hand. “I was just hoping you wouldn’t figure that out till after the baby is born” She grinned at me 

We talked for hours about how we could make this work. I told her about Charlotte’s parents guest house. We looked online at different options till we found one that was perfect. Aunt Lily was now on a mission, so I left her to it. Feeling like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I head upstairs for a nap. 

Today I wake up on a grassy hilltop. Feeling the warm sun on my skin, slowly getting up and look around. Behind me is a forest, I wonder if my waterfall is somewhere in there. In front of me is a bench made from stone, under a beautiful tree I have never seen before. I make my way to the bench and sit down, taking in the view before me. I am almost overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Low rolling fields full of wildflowers. Small little farms dotted along a cobbled pathway that twists and turns into a quaint little village. At the other end of the village is a castle. Its white stone walls shine in the sunlight, its roof and turrets capped in stunning blue tiles. It is large but doesn’t seem overbearing. The whole valley looks like a perfect water painting. I just sit there taking it all in for a while, before I decide to go down there and have a look. I slowly make my way down the hill, through the fields of flowers, running my fingers over the top of them as I walk along. The smell of the wildflowers on the warm breeze is heavenly, I close my eyes as I breathe it in. The fields of flowers give way to paddocks with sheep and chickens happily going about their day. As I pass the first small farmhouse and its rosemary hedges, a little ginger kitten jumps out at me, followed by two more. They run to me so I reach down to pat their soft fur, as they rub around my legs, it’s then that I notice what I’m wearing. It’s a soft cream-coloured cotton full-length dress, much like what would have been worn in medieval times. My hair is free and catching the breeze, gently flowing around me. It has changed so much in the last few months, it’s no longer the mousey dull blonde it was before, now it’s a bright golden colour that when the sunlight hits it, it almost glows. I continue on my way when the kittens spy a butterfly and all take off to catch it. Before long I’m entering the village. The smell of baking hits me as I walk through the streets, it’s only now I realize how hungry I am, I don’t remember the last time I ate. I pass a house with an older man sitting in his garden, it looks like he is planting seeds in small pots. I slow my pace and watch him work. After putting the seed into the pot, he grabs a watering can next to him and waters it. Before laying his hands over the top of the pot. A second later he lifts his hands and there’s a small green shoot in the pot. I stop as I must be seeing things, but the man gets up and walks away with the pot before I can get another look at it. 

I wander around the village for about an hour, taking in everything. It is such a sweet place, and the people are all friendly, smiling and nodding as I pass. There is something different about them, I just can’t put my finger on what it is though. I make my way into what has to be the town centre, in front of the gate to the castle. It’s a wide area with stalls around the outside and a wonderful water fountain in the centre. The fountain is carved into what look like fairies, their beautiful bodies intertwined, large wings spread out, pouring water from flowers they hold. I have never seen anything like it. As I look closer, I notice they have small runes engraved on their sides, in the line running up their bodies. The runes are also engraved around the edge of the fountain. People are sitting on the edge of the fountain, chatting and running their fingers through the water. I decide to do the same. Picking a spot to sit I run my fingers through the water, it’s cold but not unpleasant. 

All of a sudden, hooves can be heard hitting the cobblestones, everyone looks up from what they are doing. The people around me start to chatter about who it could be. 

“It must be the prince!” I overhear a child tell his mother. 

“Oh yeah, he has been gone a long time, this time” she answers as the child bounces on his tiptoes to see the horses coming.  

A crowd starts to gather along the edge of the cobbled way leading to the castle. All wanting to catch a glimpse at the prince as he passes. I stay seated on the edge of the fountain. He must be close as the crowd starts to cheer, then around the corner comes a huge black horse with a knight in full armour proudly seated on its back. He has to be over 6ft tall, his armour is matte black, with a shiny green tree right in the centre of his chest. Three more horses round the corner, each with a soldier in forest green gear. The knight slows his horse to shake hands with passersby, and wave at the crowd members he can’t reach. I see the little boy from earlier make his way up to the knight and his horse. He yells something up to the knight, who reaches his hand down to the boy. In one swift move, the knight pulls the boy up and sits the child in front of him on the massive horse. The boy is grinning from ear to ear. The knight rides with the boy for about a minute before lowering him back down, where he runs back to his mother to tell her all about it. I can’t help but smile at such a simple and sweet act. 

It is only as the horses make their way through the gates of the castle that I notice the soldiers walking behind them. There must be about fifty of them walking three abreast. They are all wearing the same forest green gear except for one who is walking just in front, He is the only one wearing a full-face helmet. As I watch him, my heart begins to race. I find myself getting up and walk towards him, but there are too many people still in the way. Every part of me want to get close to him, the only person I have had this feeling for with was Arwen. Could it be him, that’s not possible, is it? I’m in such a hurry to get to him, I trip over something and hit the ground on my hands and knees, by the time I manage to right myself, the soldiers are all gone through the gates too. A feeling of loss comes over me, so I start to run back to the hill. I want to go home. 

Arwen 

“Are you sure about this my prince?” Edrahil Questions holding my helmet in his hands “You want me to wear your suit and ride in front?” he adds still not sure he has heard me right. 

“Yes Edrahil, I am sure. You know how much I dislike wearing full armour, I would much prefer to wear normal battle gear like everyone else” I remind him, passing the rest of my suit to him. Lucky for me he is about the same size as me, or this would never work.  

“Your father will kill me if he finds out I let you walk unguarded through a crowd” He added shaking his head, but putting on the leg guards. Edrahil is my second in command, and my father's best friend. We both know my father could never stay mad at him. 

“I’m not exactly going to be unguarded, there will be fifty men around me. Plus, do you forget which prince you are talking to? do not mistake me for one of my brothers” I raise my eyebrow at him as I question him. He raises his hands above his head in mock surrender. 

“I’m sorry, my lord. I would never confuse you for your brothers” His laugh fills the room, and I can’t help but join in. 

An hour later I am following behind the horses with my men, a helmet the only thing that hides my true identity from the villages, as they run to the horses. Edrahil is loving the attention, shaking hands, waving to everyone, he is definitely milking it for all its worth. At one point he even lifts a boy up onto my horse. I love hearing the villages talking as we walk past, it’s the best way to see how they really feel about the king or the army. My Father is a great king, I would be shocked if I did hear anything bad. We are almost to the gate when a feeling hits me. A soft breeze passes me and all I can smell is vanilla and rosemary, but it can’t be. She can’t be here, how is that possible. I start looking around the crowd but can’t spot her anywhere. I must be going mad. 

“Are you ok sir?” the soldier beside me asks 

“I thought I saw someone” I sigh, my heart dropping as I walk through the gates to the castle. I swear to myself I’ll find a way to get back to her somehow.