The Aunt and the Nephew

The next morning, even before the dew on the grass began to disappear, the men went hunting. Diyath did not go there as he did not like hunting even a bit and stayed at the mansion. He slept until it was late as he could not get a comfortable sleep since they started the journey. Soolen also did not want to go hunting but he thought he could use the time for relaxing in the woods and sketching. He loved sketching very much and he was usually seen with his book and a pencil sitting in a corner whenever he got some free time. He managed to find some space for these in one of his saddlebags during this journey as well.

Before entering the woods, he told Fearyan that he would stop there and not look for him when they return. The rest rode far into the woods while he found a nice place under a tree facing the meadow to sit. A few minutes later he was seen sitting under the tree, leaning attentively on the book as if he forgot the whole world, copying the fascinating scenery in front of him onto the paper using his pencil.

If his book which he carried everywhere with him was checked, it could be seen sketches of a certain beautiful young lady who had frequently modeled for him. There were many portraits of this lady along with other sketches of landscapes, flowers, buildings and animals. Usually, he just sketched whatever he saw, whenever he had the time or felt like it. Among all of those, the portraits of the pretty lady were outstanding, not only because of her beauty but also because of the utmost care and sincerity the artist put especially on them. His feelings for the model were quite obvious through the fine lines and smooth curves he had drawn very carefully and through the broad smiles that appeared on his face while looking at them when he was alone.

Apparently, Elindella's proposal would result in vain after reaching Soolen, as he was passionately in love with this particular young lady. Although they were not officially lovers, he had strong evidence that she also shared the same feelings as him. Let's let him enjoy the solitude to sketch, the rest to enjoy hunting and see what was happening at the mansion.

As Vianelle knew that all the men including his father had gone hunting early in the morning, she did not show up at the breakfast table. It was Fearyan's rule to be present for all the meals at the table for both Elindlla and Vianelle. If he was out of the mansion, Elindella did not force Vianelle to dine together at the table. So, that day Vianelle chose to stay in her room to recharge herself after the exhausting and stressful experience of meeting the visitors. She was retarded as she could not escape from them the whole previous day and she had to sit at the same table for all the meals. Especially, she could not escape from the attentive eyes of her admirer that followed her every possible second.

Therefore, knowing that all men had gone hunting, she was relieved and told Jaila to bring her breakfast into her room. She spent the whole morning playing the harp to regain the lost energy and return to her usual calm self. She did not even come out for the lunch and stayed in the room.

Meanwhile, Diyath slept until it was late and he had already told Elindella not to prepare him breakfast. It was almost lunchtime when he finally got up from bed and dressed up. He sat up for the lunch along with Elindella and was a bit frustrated hearing that Vianelle would not be joining the lunch.

After taking lunch lonely in her room, Vianelle thought of reading a book in her usual spot in the garden as she wanted to get some fresh air. She was calm and her spirit had lifted after spending time alone in her room. She was almost her old self except for the sudden shivers she had when she recalled the sparkling eyes that were fixed on her the previous day.

A few minutes later, she was reading the book at the far end of the garden, where no one came to bother her. Only Jaila knew where Vianelle's favorite spot was and all the others just knew that if she was not in her room, she was reading in the garden. Anyone seemed not to care about what she was doing or where she was, but she was strictly prohibited from leaving the mansion. If Elindella or Fearyan needed to see her, which very rarely happened, they just told Jaila to find her. Jaila was the only one who knew where Vialnelle was and what she was doing.

That afternoon, on the other side of the garden, the aunt and the nephew were engaging in a long conversation. They sat on the bench, where Elindella usually spent long hours thinking and sighing. But that day, she seemed happy talking to Diyath. Although the sun was bright in the summer sky, they were safe from the heat thanks to the many trees that prevented the light from falling directly upon them. The tree still bore the purple flowers and allowed the wind to throw a few of them on the two people who were talking underneath.

"So tell me, how you ended up here, far away North from your home?" Elindella asked Diyath. "Ah, it's a long story. In brief, I've always wanted to travel since I was a child, but you know my father! He only wanted me to learn to be the next king. I had been a stubborn child and always did what I wanted. When I was sixteen years old, I stopped my studies until he allowed me to take some time off and go traveling. Finally, when all the scolding, threatening and even pleading were in vain, he had to promise me to spare two years to do what I like if I complete the studies. I've finished all he wanted me to learn and here I am, living my life for just a year", said he with a broad smile.

"Like father like son", Elindella said smiling at her nephew's stubbornness that he inherited from his father. "Haolmar should be proud of you, having a son with his exact personality," she said still wearing the same sincere smile. "I remember he always tried to do what he wanted, but he knew what was wrong and what was right. He could manipulate others as he wanted, but he was always kind to me. Although he was stubborn and headstrong, my father loved him and believed in him, and his potential of becoming a great king. He was the one to whom I ran whenever I had a problem and he always found a way to help me then" she said reminiscing her happy old days with her older brother a sighed lightly knowing that time would never come again.

"You remind me of your father a lot, but your appearance doesn't look like him at all", said Elindella dearly looking at his bright blond curls and thinking of her brother's black hair. "Ah, I hear that a lot. They say that I take after my grandfather. They also say that I look very much like you. So, since I was young, I always wanted to see you. Once, my father said while scolding me, "If not you resemble Elindella this much, I wouldn't have spared you this time." I see you now and I think what they say is true", Diyath said looking at his beautiful aunt who was smiling at his comments, as she could not deny the fact that they looked alike.

Elindella wanted to ask about Soolen, not because of her past interest in his father but with the idea of proposing him to Vianelle. "Are you close friends with Soolen? He seems like a nice young man", She said changing the topic of their conversation.

"Yes, we are good friends since we were very young and indeed, he is a nice man. My father likes him as if Soolen was his son instead of me", said Diyath with a grin. "He insisted that I should travel with Soolen, unless he wouldn't allow me to go."

"Be careful then, he'll make Soolen the next king and you'll get nothing" said Elindella mocking his nephew slightly. She felt as if a long-lost friend had returned and she was happily talking with him.

"Ah, I wish. I'd be the happiest if someone else become the heir. I can do whatever I like for the rest of my life", he said with the same expression on his face. "Oh, come on! You must be the next king. I know you'd become great", she said patting his hand softly, slightly encouraging him.

"Talking of Soolen, he is calm and farsighted just like his father. He is reasonable and kind and that's why my father likes him even more than me. His father and my father are still good friends", he said remembering that he did not properly answer her question about Soolen.

Many years ago, when Diyath was young, he was playing hide and seek with his friends and it was his turn to hide. He ran to the corner of the garden and hid behind a bench that was covered by a huge bush. Not long after, he heard footsteps coming closer and he stayed as quiet as he could, even holding his breath because he thought his friend was coming for him. But then, he heard them talking and he identified the voices of his father and his grandfather.

"Father, it was clear that Fearyan was not a good match for Elindella, but you still insisted on marrying her to him. And you knew Emygor loved Elindella and they were perfect for each other. If only you thought a little more, Elindella wouldn't have ended up being unhappy. She would never tell anyone what she wanted, but I know she is not happy and I can't forgive you or even myself for her misery". It was years after Elindella's marriage but still Haolmar was against it and his voice showed his utmost regret toward her beloved sister even though he had no power concerning the matter.

"I know. it was me, the one to blame. I can't forgive myself either for what I've done. But you'll understand one day, what it takes to be a king. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices, great ones", said the great king with a deep sigh.

Diyath overheard the whole conversation while he was hiding behind the bush. Since he was young, he acted according to his conscience and hearing what he would have to do after becoming the king, he lost interest in being the heir to the throne. He was told that he looked very much like Elindella and he always wanted to see her. Hearing what had happened to her made him feel bad for her.

He heard many other stories after he had grown up, which had enough proof that Emygor and Elindella were in love. Here when she asked about Soolen, he thought that was because of her past feelings for Emygor. So, he deliberately mentioned Soolen's father to let her know that he was in good health and doing good.

He saw Elindella's expression changed slightly when he mentioned Emygor, but he was surprised by her next question. "Do you know if Soolen has someone he likes?", she asked as it seemed Diyath and Soolen were very close friends. "Well, I think so. He hasn't said it directly to me. But it's obvious that he likes someone from his neighborhood" said he as he has seen Soolen spending time staring at his sketches of the young lady. This answer made Elindella frustrated a little as she thought Vianelle would be a good match for Soolen.

"I was a little surprised by what you asked. Can I know why you wanted to know if Soolen has someone he likes?" he asked as he was truly curious about the matter. "Ah, I thought of Soolen as a good match for Vianelle, but if he has someone, it wouldn't work" she answered making her nephew speechless.

Fortunately, a maid came and distracted Elindella so Diyath could calm himself and think of something to tell her. At first, he thought of telling Elindella about his feelings for Vianelle. After reconsidering, he decided that it was better not to tell her yet. Once, she gave up her own happiness to obey her father and this time, she would possibly be against Diyath's wish, as it was apparent that his father will not approve of this affair.

Elindella had to attend to some work the maid informed and she left leaving Diyath in the garden. He started walking along the lanes without an aim of a particular direction while thinking things through. Without even knowing, he had walked all the distance across the garden to its end. When he was about to turn back, he saw a beautiful bower at the corner of the garden and then he saw the second most mesmerizing visual in his entire life after seeing the same person two weeks ago at the river.