Beautiful, Beautiful

The Village

The village was alive with shoppers and abled bodies, and although the night was surely approaching, Sun held on to the brightness of the day. Reds and blues blurred together, as did the sounds of small talk, and the pit-pattering of the shoe smith working away. The smell of cooked meat being sold at a stand to Sun's left blended well with the sweet fragrances emerging from a perfume shop to her right. But Sun's favorite sight was the dresses that cloaked each woman she passed as she and Cale ventured further into town.

Those dresses were twice as big as the dress that clung to Sun's body, beneath her red cloak. Each dress was unique in style and color, and it was easy to tell which dresses were more expensive. The costly ones were detailed with more eye-catching patterns and embroidery. The women with the most class accessorized with small umbrellas to keep their skin fair and without a freckle.

"Stay close to me," Cale whispered as he led the way into the village. "And do not remove your hood."

Sun said nothing as they passed a busy pub, full of laughter and cheer. A man stumbled from the doorway looking drunk, but happy. For a man quite so undone, he wore the attire of a rich man, and he smiled cockily at a passing woman. It took only two seconds before he tried to grab at her dress. "Hey, pretty girl, let's have a drink!" he chimed, but the woman continued on as if he didn't exist.

"Is that where father drinks?" Sun asked, remembering Cale's dismay at her father's drunkenness. She hoped her father had more dignity than to behave so boldly.

"One of the many places," Cale responded, monotonously. "Come."

Sun hadn't realized she'd stopped walking to glare at the inebriated man until Cale tugged at her arm. She pulled her hood farther down and kept walking, quickly noticing a young, beautiful maiden around the same age as she. The young girl, focused on Cale's face, giggled to herself as she passed, and soon, she was quickly forgotten.

A minute later, another maiden walked by and did the same. In fact, when Sun paid closer attention, she noticed the admiration for her brother in almost every face she passed. It seemed as though Cale was a sight to see.

"Quite the lady's man, are you?" Sun teased. "I thought I had gotten all the good looks."

"Dear little sister, you may be most beautiful, but I am most handsome ," Cale joked, but his voice was laced with the confidence of a duke. "Well, according to the many women I've slept with."

Sun rolled her eyes as she observed her older brother. He had curly brown hair, a pair of bright, dopey brown eyes, and a smile that lit up the universe. Not to mention, he was strong from working in his father's farm, but it was the compassion in his eyes that warmed the hearts of his admirers.

There were many girls waiting to be courted by Cale, but he didn't pay them much attention. His gift of compassion kept him too busy to even think about finding a wife and starting a family. His life was dedicated to honoring his late mother and keeping his only sister hidden from the evilness of man.