𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 - 𝙝.𝙥. ⚯͛

𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗎𝖾 - 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗅𝖽𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖿 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

     The Goldleafs were free spirits. Amelie and Elias Goldleaf were the proud owners of Gold's Books, a second-hand bookshop located in the quaint Market Square of Hallstatt, Austria. The couple met in France when they were twenty-two, both seeking something grander in life than what their families had planned for them. Born into the Pureblood House of Francis, Amelie's family did not approve of her marriage to Elias Goldleaf— a Muggle from Germany with nothing more than a battered copy of Frankenstein and a love of stories— but Amelie did not care. Elias was her moon and she was his sun.

     Amelie and Elias complemented one another in every way; they were more than just husband and wife, they were equals. They were life mates. In the lush Spring of 1979, when daisies of every color littered the fields and ducklings waded the cool waters of Lake Hallstatt, their only daughter was born. Elisabeth Jane Goldleaf was a little bundle of joy for the young couple. Hair the color of honey, eyes just as warm and brown, and a freckled smile brighter than the stars, Elisabeth was the light of their lives. As soon as she could walk she danced (and at first, often stumbled) around the house, waltzing on her father's toes as the sweet notes of the piano filled the room, accompanied by the soft voice of her mother. At the age of five, Elisabeth spent mornings curled up in her father's lap as he read her one of the many classic children's books in his collection, and in the evenings, she would pick wildflowers in the fields with her mother or help bake one of their favorite desserts, apple strudel. For many years Elisabeth's childhood was like that of a fairytale, and not just because she inherited her mother's ability to perform magic, but it wouldn't always be that way.

     As Elisabeth got older, she took after her parents in many ways; she had her father's curiosity and love of knowledge, her mother's kindness and zest for life, and their adventurous spirit. She spent most of her days in the gentle arms of a willow tree, a soft breeze blowing through her hair, and a book cradled in her lap. The young girl was as curious and kind-hearted as could be. Always admiring the tiny yellow flowers growing in the cracks along the road, singing along with the bees in her backyard, and gazing up at the clouds, Elisabeth realized that life is full of beauty. Her romantic notions of life would remain with her even when tragedy struck the young girl's family one winter day.

     When Elias Goldleaf fell ill with influenza in the winter of 1985, the small family didn't know that it would be forever changed. The large house, which had once been filled with an abundance of laughter, joy, and light, was quieter. There was still plenty of love in the Goldleaf household, but they all couldn't help but notice that the days in Hallstatt seemed to be grayer, the nights seemed longer, and the summer bleeker. Confined to his bed for about a year, due to unfortunate complications with his illness, Elias' wife and daughter cared for him until the very end.

     Though Elias himself did not fear death, for he knew it was a natural part of life, the young girl lost some of her joyful spirit and retreated to herself after his death. Life with only her mother, wonderful as it was, just wasn't the same as it had been with both her parents. However, as the year went on, the Goldleaf household was once again filled with light— the memory of Elias Goldleaf fully alive and present in each of their days. Amelie continued to run Gold's Books with great spirits while her young daughter helped her mother in any way she could. They continued to sing and dance in the parlor, pick wildflowers, bake together, and gaze up at the moonlight, the way Elias would have wanted them to.

     Unfortunately, Elias's death would not be the only tragedy to strike this family. One day, after an afternoon spent in the flower fields behind her house, Elisabeth returned home to find her mother lying lifeless on the sofa. Though her mother's skin was cold as ice beneath her fingertips, her face still had that rosy glow about it, and on the day of the burial, that glow had yet to fade. Alone and heartbroken, eight-year-old Elisabeth was sent off to the Eugesheim Orphanage in France, unaware of what the future held for her... 

[𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 3]