[MATURE: READ IF YOU DARE]
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Alannah Valos had a power. Just like her mother, Alannah could drift through realms and back with just a single thought.
Each realm Alannah would enter, she would discover an entirely different world. It was as if she h...
It had been nearly twelve nights since I had arrived. Since then, I had earned Mr Lyall's trust, allowing me to sleep in the warmth of the house on the floor in front of the fireplace. I had turned the dusty house into an actual house you could live in and I was zero steps closer to finding my mama. But all in due time, it would be hopeless to leave on my own without supplies to travel around the realm to find her.
I was outside, sweeping the pathway that led from the doorway to the large oak pillars that symbolized the entrance to the farm. I was told that a tall fence wrapped around the entirety of the farm, but it mysteriously caught on fire one night and burnt out the majority of the front. It didn't completely burn the fence, just enough that the fences had to be removed. Now all the was left was the fences that trailed around the back and the two large oak pillars that had little more than a few burn marks.
It was beautiful outside, the sun high in the sky and the almost irritating, but soothing sound of the chirping. I was lost in my head when I was startled by Milos scaring me.
"Boo!" He shouted, roaring with laughter as he glanced at my startled- but quickly turning angry face. Shaping up, he back away with his hands high in the air.
"Mercy, mercy!" I quickly glanced down at my broom then back at Milos, a plan formulating in my head. With a horrible war cry, I started swatting him with the broom, his chuckles turning to high pitch screeches of laughter as I beat him with the broom. I quickly stopped though when I heard Mr Lyall's- or as I was told to call him; Bayard- chuckles.
"Now, now. I know my son most likely deserved it, but we have things to do." With that, Milos jumped to his feet, adjusting his brown, posh hat on his head.
"Father said we are going to town." Milos excitedly spoke, waiting for my joyous reaction.
"Lovely, the house will be neat and tidy for your arrival," I said, playing my part as a lowly slave.
Bayard chuckled again, "Darling, you won't be cleaning."
Confused, I stopped sweeping. "I told you unless you want your house burnt down I would advise you not to let me cook." I hated when he beat around the bush, if he wanted me to do something, he should just flat out say it.
"Alannah, you're coming with us."
~
The last time Bayard and Milos went to town, they bought me one of the finest gowns they could afford. It was beautiful. It was a long, wine red that trailed to the ground. It had long sleeves that trailed past my hands, and at the end of the sleeves sat a brighter red with pretty needle weaving. The collar dipped down to just above my breast, in a square fashion. My favourite part was the body of the stress, tight around the chest but flowed at the bottom. It was so flowy at the bottom that I could get away with wearing my own designed undergarments.
It was one of the first things I did actually. I despised what they wore beneath their clothes. I was told- in a mildly uncomfortable setting- that since the lower class couldn't afford to buy undergarments that were fit for your body, the lower class had to wear a thin sheet-like dress that hung off the body, and for underwear- god I missed modern underwear- wore a sack like cloth that had rope to die around the waist and holes cut out for the legs.
That was what I was told anyway, I didn't care to find out and when Milos- now extremely uncomfortable- offered to buy me the undergarments since I wasn't allowed to leave the house.
What I realised when I attempted to sow my own undergarments, was that it wasn't easy. I couldn't count the number of times I accidentally sowed one leg hole shut. Or cut more than three holes in the fabric.
A let out a sigh as I cut my thoughts short, gazing out from the cart that was pulled by the strong horses. It was beautiful, the vast space of land untouched by the growing society just yet.
"Milos," I started, questions forming as he sat next to me, Bayard sitting at the front pulling the horses.
"Yes, Alannah?" He said, purposefully using my full name.
"Alright, Milodrag," I started chuckling as he softly nudged me with his shoulder. "Why aren't you courting anyone yet, from what I learned back... well back where I was from, men your age would've had three children by now." I chuckled, exaggerating.
"Al, It's difficult to explain." He said, attempting to cut the conversation short.
"Milos, you saved me. You can trust me." I whispered, my voice catching by the wind and drifting off. He let out a deep sigh.
"Have you ever wondered why there is no woman of the house?" He spoke, "My mother died in childbirth, it was either blood loss or shock, but either way it took her life. You should've seen how he acted when mother died,
His entire demeanour changed, he was cold and distant and stopped caring about himself. He told me once, and only once, that he almost let me die. It was a harsh winter when I was born, and he couldn't take not having his beloved beside him. Father said he was so heartbroken he blamed me. He blamed me for causing her life and he almost left me out to die in the cold. But he couldn't, he said he looked into my eyes and saw his wife and broke down. He was so skinny and frail and it took all he had just to continue feeding me this long, and when he almost let me die in the cold, it broke him. Because if he died instead of my mother, she would never have given up. She would've continued his legacy and his farm and his child's life." He sighed, his eyes glazing over.
"He got better of course and moved on, grew me into who I am but..." He paused, "I'm scared, Al. I'm scared that when I finally allow myself to love someone they will leave or die and it will break me like it broke my father."
Hearing all of this almost made me cry myself, knowing I shouldn't touch him in public but I didn't care, I threw myself around his neck and cried.
"I'm so sorry, Milos. You are strong, so strong and whoever you marry will be as strong, if not stronger." I said, not being able to find the proper words. So, I sat next to him, my hand holding his calloused one in mine.
I could feel the cart being pulled to a stop, "We are here."
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