Customs

"Why do you look so sad??" asked Liam as he turned to look at Wura, she was sitting right across him and she rested her head on the carriage window that was now closed, she looked very miserable, as if she was being forced into this, like a prisoner.

Wura did not say anything, she just shot him a look that read "I do not want to speak to you at all" and he just remained quiet.

Liam was starting to regret coming here to take her with him to the Castle, she made him feel bad, as if he was holding her captive, and with the display of affection he had just seen as they all bade goodbye to each other, he was sure that it was not easy for any of them to let her go, and much more less for her to go herself.

He had seen just truly how much they all loved each other, and he started to feel guilty somehow as if he had done something horrible.

"Do not look at me like that, and please stop looking so gloomy" said Liam as he truly did not like Wura looking like this, he did not want her to be sad at all.

"How can I not, when I am leaving my family behind" said Wura as she finally spoke up, but she did not look at him at all.

"But you do know that you can go and visit them at any time, and so can they" said Liam he was trying to find some sort of way to cheer her up, he had never seen her like this before, she had always held herself high, she would insult him, or be very rude to him.

"It is not the same" said Wura.

"I have never been away from home before" said Wura softly as she turned to look at him, it was then that Liam could clearly see the sadness in her eyes.

"I am sorry…" said Liam as he did not know what else to say.

"For what??" asked Wura.

"For being the Prince?? Or for something else??" asked Wura.

"I do not know" said Liam and Wura snickered.

"Of course it is easy for you" said Wura.

"You are no stranger to getting what you want by unfaithful means" said Wura as she was referring to something else and not what was going on right now.

"Please elaborate more" said Liam as he did not know what she was referring to.

"Is it not obvious, even during the festival that was the same thing you did" said Wura.

"Oh, that is what she is referring to" said Liam to himself, well he did not seem to care at all, it seemed that nothing would change her mind about him, well at least she had stopped being sad and she was back to her usual self.

"Well this is different" said Liam as the carriage was a bit rough since they rode over a stone, and Wura moved her head from the window to sit upright.

"Oh how come??" asked Wura as she snickered at him.

"Well because you are my betrothed" said Liam as it was a fact.

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"You are soon to be my wife, and these are the customs you must go through as my wife" said Liam and Wura just stayed quiet, she said nothing more as they rode in utter silence.

Liam sighed, he had something to give her, but this was not the time for that at all, so he just kept it to himself, he would give it to her when she had calmed down.

…

"Lady Ireti, we have finished cleaning the kitchen, may we go to our rooms now??" asked Beatrice.

"Of course you may Beatrice" said Ireti.

"Thank you Alessia, Thank you Beatrice" said Ireti as she smiled.

"You are welcome Lady Ireti" said Alessia and Beatrice as they bowed and smiled.

"There is carrot cake for the rest of you in the oven" said Ireti as she turned to walk away.

"Thank you Lady Ireti!!" said Alessia and Beatrice both in a chorus as Ireti smiled as she walked away.

"Did I not say it??" asked Alessia as she turned to look at Beatrice.

"Oh you did Alessia you did" said Beatrice with a happy smile, she was very happy, no one made Carrot cake as good as Ireti did, and they all knew that.

…

"My dear Lawrence, what is wrong?" asked Ireti as she walked into her and Lawrence's room, and he looked very sad.

"My dear, you cannot ask me that, I am saddened by the departure of our daughter" said Lawrence as he looked at Ireti.

"But my darling the Prince said that we could go and visit her at any time" said Ireti as she sat down next to Lawrence on their bed.

"Yes, I know my dear" said Lawrence.

"But it is not the same as having her living under my own roof" said Lawrence, it was hard for him to let his daughter go, it really hurt him, he felt somewhat empty.

"We all have to grow up and leave their father's house" said Ireti.

"I am sorry my dear" said Lawrence as he turned to look at Ireti.

"I have been too consumed in my own grief to even ask how you are doing?" asked Lawrence as he held Ireti's hand and he kissed her hand.

He knew that Ireti was not one to express her feelings like he did, she was someone who often kept to herself, and you could never truly be sure of what was going on in her mind.

"I am alright Lawrence" said Ireti.

"All this time I have been acting like she is only my daughter, when she is your daughter as well, she is our daughter" said Lawrence.

"Yes she is" said Ireti as she smiled.

"And she is strong, so believe me when I say that she will be alright Lawrence" said Ireti as she smiled and she lifted up Lawrence's chin with her finger as his head was bowed down.

"How can you always be so strong?" asked Lawrence.

"That is because I learnt to be" said Ireti as she smiled.

"A certain man told me that strength is in the mind, and as long as you are determined to be strong you will be" said Ireti.

"That man really seems wise" said Lawrence as he laughed.

"Yes, he truly is the wisest man that I know" said Ireti as she laughed.

"Not only is he wise, he is loving caring, he is intelligent, and most of all he has a good heart" said Ireti as she smiled.

"And that was why he was able to capture my heart" said Ireti as she smiled sweetly at Lawrence.

"You make me feel flattered" said Lawrence as he laughed.

"Because you deserve to be" said Ireti.

"Wura will be alright, no harm will come to her" said Ireti.

"She is no longer a small girl, she is a woman, and she must go out and feel the world outside for herself" said Ireti.

"And be not troubled, because she has the Prince with her, and I am very sure that he will not allow any harm to come to your daughter" said Ireti.

"You mean our daughter" said Lawrence as he laughed.

"Yes our daughter" said Ireti as she laughed.

"And you are correct my dear, I am sure that Wura will be fine" said Lawrence as he smiled.

"Yes Lawrence, and look on the happy things" said Ireti.

"You will soon be called the Father of the Bride" said Ireti as she laughed.

"And you the mother of the Bride" said Lawrence.

"That is true, but they reverence the fathers more" said Ireti.

"But come to think of it, I have only realized at this moment that Wura and the Prince will be getting married in winter" said Lawrence.

"Yes that is true" said Ireti.

"But you know that Wura does not care for such tales" said Ireti.

"She is not the superstitious type" said Ireti.

"And it seems that the prince is that way too" said Ireti.

"It does seem so" said Lawrence as he seemed to be thinking.

"You know…" said Lawrence.

"Out little getaway was interrupted my dear" said Lawrence.

"Well yes, because we rushed back here on Wura's accord" said Ireti.

"Well we do have to make up for lost time" said Lawrence.

"Lawrence Scot, what are you insinuating??" asked Ireti as she was suspicious of Lawrence.

"You shall see my dear, you shall see" said Lawrence as he smiled and Ireti was wondering what good this husband of hers was planning.

…

"Your highnesses, we have arrived at the Castle" said the Coachman as the Carriage finally came to a stop.

Wura held her breath, she was finally here, after such a long time, she could no longer turn back, and it scared her.