Warmth (WMMAP fanfic)

Chapter 9 - Dance

A year had passed, but for Aelin, it felt much shorter. Perhaps it was the cause of the hectic events in the past year that made him feel that way, or maybe he had been so unproductive recently that he had lost track of time. It was already the next spring; flowers blooming beautifully in the meticulously groomed garden, a result of the young master's hard work (and the only productive thing he's done these past few months, besides reading).

Now that he was a year older, like most 10 year-olds, he would be qualified for academic entrances. The blonde had even heard from Jennette that 2 years prior to their meeting, that Alpheus boy, Ijekiel, had left for studies in Alranta, which was the main cause of the girl's loneliness. He had thought about these things previously, and even looked at lists of academies and schools to help make up his mind, but ultimately he had found other interests to pursue upon turning the age of 10.

A leather suitcase laid on the bed, its contents containing neatly folded clothes, some herbs, and stationary. The big book beside said suitcase was all that was needed to explain this situation. Said book donned a beautiful dark red cover, with golden words engraved in graceful cursive: "Archive and Record of the Province of Siodonna".

The librarian had recommended the book after noticing the boy's enthusiastic attitude when researching the province. This book had helped guide Aelin through the vast amount of discoveries about the province, and by now, he basically knew most of it by heart. By just reading it in a book wouldn't suffice; he wanted to know more, to learn more. And thus, we reach our current situation. Aelin finished packing the rest of his belongings, and checked the house again once more. He had spoken with his maids about his planned excursion prior, and though incredibly surprised (and maybe even a little displeased),  they agreed to let him travel to the neighbouring province, not wanting to restrict his freedom. But nonetheless, even as he reassured them that he was fine, they still insisted that one of them accompany him to the province, and only leave once 3 days had passed. They already agreed that Selena was the most responsible, so she would be staying behind to take care of the mansion, as well as Jade, since she knew her way around the garden and could take care of it the best out of the 3 maids. So that left Ivy to go with the young master, and it benefited the situation as well, since Ivy was the best at self defense out of them all, so she could protect the young master the most of the 3.

Aelin sat in the carriage, listening the the sounds of the outside, from the bustling streets, to the calm forests. He decided to doze off for a bit before they arrived, since they had plenty of time to spare, and there was no better lullaby than the natural voices of nature. As time passed, Ivy carefully approached the young master and shook his shoulder gently, signaling that they had arrived. The blonde boy blinked the tiredness out of his eyes and begrudgingly stepped out of the carriage. He raised his head to get a good look at their location, and he was met by a pleasant surprise.

The sky was clear of clouds, and painted with hues of oranges, yellows, pinks and purples. Birds flew by, adding to the marvelous sight, and the colors reflected on a reservoir nearby.

It was beautiful.

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Aelin had spent the entire first day after the arrival simply exploring the area and getting to know it better in person. He strolled the market, aided some harvesters in gathering fruit, and learned more about the province's exclusive herbs from sage who's stall he helped. Overall, the hands on experience was so incredibly different from simply reading off of an archive or guide book; Aelin felt like what the contents of the book couldn't even begin to compare with the actual experience.

It was now his second day here, and he had decided to take it a bit slower, calm down and not rush from the excitement. He was now once again taking a stroll in the market, eyeing for stalls or entertainment he might've missed prior. A he was once again checking the herbs and delicacies of the continent, he heard faint music in the distance. The emerald eyed boy followed the sound and as he got closer, the music got clearer, but so did the rest of the noise that accompanied it. There were cheers from an audience, tambourine like chimes and light bell-like ringing. When Aelin reached the source of the noise, his eyes lit up with child-like wonder, mouth slightly parting in amazement.