Two weeks until I get married off.
I rub my shaking hands together to try and stop them from shaking, cringing whenever Archer’s pacing leads him in front of me. He’s not stressed, he never is, I don’t think Archer’s had a negative emotion while sober. Archer just paces, and paces, occasionally stopping to give Dash the attention he’s begging for. I shuffle back to sit further in the plush couch I’ve claimed as my mental breakdown spot.
“Why?” The question snaps me out of my thoughts and drags me back to the present. Archer’s stopped his pacing and threw himself onto the other end of the couch, his legs are over the backrest and he looks up at me with his emerald coloured eyes.
I look back at my hands in my lap before talking, “...There’s someone else.”
Taking a deep breath, I look over at Archer to try and gauge his reaction but he looks at me blankly before realisation rolls over his features, “Oh.”
“Yeah.” I nod and close my eyes, leaning back into the couch, letting my mind wander to the person I left in Pridor, the reason I’m telling Archer all of this. If anyone can get me out of here it’s him. Archer nods slowly, petting Dash thoughtfully. The dog has squeezed himself in between us, nudging me for head pats. I give in and run my shaking hand through his fur.
“Do you want me to get you out?”
I can only nod at the question, not yet brave enough to put my desire in words. I catch a strand of my hair between my fingers and fidget with it until Archer finally speaks again.
“Levi won’t like this.”
I nod until I finally find my voice, “I can’t marry him, Archer, I can’t. I love someone else, someone at home.”340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8ctjlgkKB
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6aG6Mt5ed
The wood of the desk is cool under my still shaking hands as I stare at the piece of parchment in front of me. Archer’s promised that he’d send a letter on one of the trading ships that will be heading to Pridor. How do I start a letter to my beloved that breaks the news that I’ve been promised to someone else? I stare at the cream paper and pick up the steel nib pen laying next to it, taking a breath before starting my letter.
I’m going to make it back for you, my love. I don’t care if it takes the rest of my days. I will be back.
The ink on the pen runs dry and I pause before dipping it in the inkwell again. After a second of contemplation, I lift my pen back to the page and keep writing.
Meet me by the shore line, I’ll get there eventually.
Yours only,
Eliza.
I hesitate before blotting at the ink, being extra careful not to smudge my carefully formed letters. It’s a short note but I don’t have the will to write a longer one. The paper slides easily into the envelope. I slide my chair back and walk over to Archer, who’s lounging in the tree that’s in the middle of his room for some unknown reason.
“We both should start to get ready for bed, I’ll leave you now.” I look up at him and eventually pass him the letter.
“I’ll get this sent, good night Eliza.” He nods and looks back at the roof, if it was anyone else I’d assume they were deep in thought, but it’s Archer, Archer doesn’t tend to think all that much. That’s what Levi says at least.
I start to move away but turn when Archer calls out to me, “You didn’t put an address on it.” I bink at him before he tosses the latter at me and I rush back to the desk, all this panic is making me daft. I scribble down the address and rush back to the tree, handing it up to Archer.
“Please make sure it gets there.” I whisper quietly, at first I’m not sure he heard but he just nods and stays silent.
“Goodnight, Archer.” I make my way to the door, nodding at his mumbled goodbyes as I walk out into the hallway.
My shoes pad against the wood as I make my way to the room the castle hands took my bags. It’s very strange to me how the queen here insists on the servants being called castle hands instead of servants, she says its to foster a healthy working environment but its probably it’s to make her kingdom look better than the others.
A castle hand spots me and ushers me into the room, offering me pastries as a late night snack (Why do they keep offering me pastries?) and asking if I need more blankets or pillows. I politely try to decline but she keeps trailing me until I get to the door where she stops and bows, bidding me good night before making her way back down the corridor quickly to wherever her quarters are. Strange place, strange people, strange pastries. Finally being in my room offers little relief from the oddness of Kire
All my things have been organized into the closet, probably by the castle hand from earlier, and there’s a tray of pastries on the side table. I saw a similar tray of pastries in Archer’s room but there was less. He probably ate them. Queen Amelia probably feeds him pastries to make sure he doesn’t get hungry while out playing and eats some random berries in the woods and gets poisoned and dies. Archer is not very smart and probably would do so.
I settle onto the edge of my bed and take in the room, a beautiful canopy floods over the bed and there’s a few couches and tables scattered in a chaotic yet orderly manner. The desk is piled with paper and literally every bit of stationary imaginable, I turn around and stare at the notecard sitting on the centre pillow (did I mention there’s five pillows?) I pick up the note and read it.
Welcome Princess Eliza!
The front reads, I unfold it and read the inside.
elcome to Kire, if you want to explore tell your castle hand, Ruby, and she will organize for a guard to take you. I recommend the markets, they’re very livelythis time of year.
I look down at the note of a long while, mildly puzzled over the contents before ultimately decideding to put it on the bedside table and get ready for bed. 340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXSEaqEjS9
340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyWsh977hq
I sink into the soft bed and close my eyes, sifting through my brain for something to think about before I sleep, deciding better than to think of my current situation. When my thoughts land on who I left behind in Pridor. I hesitate before letting them roll over me. I smile softly at the thoughts. The thoughts of her.
and then Add to home screen.