Post by AmaranteVioladeVanderlinden(I) on Jan 25, 2007 3:27:15 GMT -5
I had spent all of my young life at my family's home in Azzalle and when I grew up I still spent most of my time there. For one thing I loved the big old house we lived in. It was always a source of wonderful dreams and cherished memories.
I knew that what my mother always said was true; I would never find a husband in my backyard. But I had often hoped that it would be easy like that. I had left home before, but never for so long and the very thought of such a long absence was heart breaking. But it was only natural for me to feel sadness at the thought of leaving all I had known and loved.
"Are you finished with your packing yet dear?" My mother called, knowing full well that I had been packed for hours, the household staff doing most of the work. I however was currently staring out the window at the vineyard in the distance, lost in thought.
"Yes, yes I am." I answered sighing as she entered my bedroom from the adjacent sitting room. They were all part of a huge suite of rooms that she had let me move into as a surprise for my sixteenth natal five years ago.
"Ah good, your carriage has been waiting for you for quite some time, my dear." She said, wrapping me in her arms. "I know this is hard for you, but could you at least smile for me?" She asked.
I gave her the best smile I could manage and looked at her sadly. "I really don't want to leave this place, I'm going to miss it so much. And you, I don't want to leave you either." I said, my smile fading.
"Amara, my dear. It's not forever, you know. You can always come and visit." She said, squeezing me tight. "Besides, you will probably have so much to do that you will hardly have a moment free for yourself. You are going to the City, you know." She was so innocently kind and I wondered at her cheerfulness, and how it was always so catching.
"I know," I said, my smile returning. "You told me all about your time at court, but it seems like a fairy tale to me." I added, turning the rest of the way around to see her better.
She simply smiled knowingly and touched her hand to my chin, "Just wait and you'll see." She said, hugging me once again. "I'll be sure to visit during the summer, alright. Maybe then you won't be so homesick." Was all the more she said on the matter, shooing me off downstairs and to the carriage at the front gate that had been waiting for me for the better part of the day.
I had said my goodbyes to the rest of the staff members earlier in the day so I didn't have many left to see before I left. My favorite friends and staff were the only people that I hadn't had the chance to say goodbye to yet and they were all waiting for me when I found my way down stairs to the top of the grand staircase in the entry hall of the mansion.
I said my goodbyes briefly, and with promises of return visits I made my way down the grand staircase and outside to the carriage, the warm afternoon sun shining on my shoulder.
Mother was waiting for me at the carriage, having used another exit to get there first. "I want you to have a good time, Amara." She said, hugging me once again. "I'll see you in the summer."
"Alright, mother." I said, hugging her in return. We parted with the kiss of greeting as promise of return, and I helped myself into the carriage, waving to her as I left the drive, and all the way down the lane until I could no longer see her standing there.
I faced an unknown chapter in my life, one fresh with new experiences, new sights and new adventures, and for once I had begun to look forward to leaving home.
Little did I know how true my mother's words were then, but I know the truth of them now. I am so busy that I rarely even dream of home anymore, even though I still find myself cherishing my fond memories from old times spent in the vineyard playing till dark and of long winter nights by the grand fireplace.
I am just so swarmed with suitors and invitations that I sometimes believe there to be no end to it all, but it is fun and time has passed quickly. Mother does spend each summer with me and I am grateful for her company, but as she had said, I have found that I have less and less time to spend with her when she is here, but each time is all the more precious for the rarity of it.
If you were to have asked me if I wanted to take back my decision when I first left home, I would have said yes. But now, after all the time that I've spent here, realizing the adventure and wonder that I would have missed had I chosen to go home - Well, I wouldn't trade that for the world.
I knew that what my mother always said was true; I would never find a husband in my backyard. But I had often hoped that it would be easy like that. I had left home before, but never for so long and the very thought of such a long absence was heart breaking. But it was only natural for me to feel sadness at the thought of leaving all I had known and loved.
"Are you finished with your packing yet dear?" My mother called, knowing full well that I had been packed for hours, the household staff doing most of the work. I however was currently staring out the window at the vineyard in the distance, lost in thought.
"Yes, yes I am." I answered sighing as she entered my bedroom from the adjacent sitting room. They were all part of a huge suite of rooms that she had let me move into as a surprise for my sixteenth natal five years ago.
"Ah good, your carriage has been waiting for you for quite some time, my dear." She said, wrapping me in her arms. "I know this is hard for you, but could you at least smile for me?" She asked.
I gave her the best smile I could manage and looked at her sadly. "I really don't want to leave this place, I'm going to miss it so much. And you, I don't want to leave you either." I said, my smile fading.
"Amara, my dear. It's not forever, you know. You can always come and visit." She said, squeezing me tight. "Besides, you will probably have so much to do that you will hardly have a moment free for yourself. You are going to the City, you know." She was so innocently kind and I wondered at her cheerfulness, and how it was always so catching.
"I know," I said, my smile returning. "You told me all about your time at court, but it seems like a fairy tale to me." I added, turning the rest of the way around to see her better.
She simply smiled knowingly and touched her hand to my chin, "Just wait and you'll see." She said, hugging me once again. "I'll be sure to visit during the summer, alright. Maybe then you won't be so homesick." Was all the more she said on the matter, shooing me off downstairs and to the carriage at the front gate that had been waiting for me for the better part of the day.
I had said my goodbyes to the rest of the staff members earlier in the day so I didn't have many left to see before I left. My favorite friends and staff were the only people that I hadn't had the chance to say goodbye to yet and they were all waiting for me when I found my way down stairs to the top of the grand staircase in the entry hall of the mansion.
I said my goodbyes briefly, and with promises of return visits I made my way down the grand staircase and outside to the carriage, the warm afternoon sun shining on my shoulder.
Mother was waiting for me at the carriage, having used another exit to get there first. "I want you to have a good time, Amara." She said, hugging me once again. "I'll see you in the summer."
"Alright, mother." I said, hugging her in return. We parted with the kiss of greeting as promise of return, and I helped myself into the carriage, waving to her as I left the drive, and all the way down the lane until I could no longer see her standing there.
I faced an unknown chapter in my life, one fresh with new experiences, new sights and new adventures, and for once I had begun to look forward to leaving home.
Little did I know how true my mother's words were then, but I know the truth of them now. I am so busy that I rarely even dream of home anymore, even though I still find myself cherishing my fond memories from old times spent in the vineyard playing till dark and of long winter nights by the grand fireplace.
I am just so swarmed with suitors and invitations that I sometimes believe there to be no end to it all, but it is fun and time has passed quickly. Mother does spend each summer with me and I am grateful for her company, but as she had said, I have found that I have less and less time to spend with her when she is here, but each time is all the more precious for the rarity of it.
If you were to have asked me if I wanted to take back my decision when I first left home, I would have said yes. But now, after all the time that I've spent here, realizing the adventure and wonder that I would have missed had I chosen to go home - Well, I wouldn't trade that for the world.