Chapter 2: “Ilia,” he whispered into my ear as we walked across the soft meadows surrounding the manor, “how magnificent your beauty is.” Arik’s words curling around me seducing me completely, he had been doing so since the moment he arrived. “Please sit,” he asked as he took my dainty hands into his large rough ones. Today I had worn green to emphasize the one feature about myself I cherished the most, though he begged to differ. I sunk into the grass, soft like moss still holding his hand ever so lightly. He kneeled beside me, chasing away the strands of hair that flickered around my face with one of his hands. I was swept away by the intimacy of the moment. “Ilia,” he purred again, “would you bestow upon me the honor of being my beloved wife?”
I laughed, a giggle, how could he not hear my heart thumping hard in my chest? I looked into his face which was full of concern and hurt. His eyebrows were coming together the way they do when he was thinking hard. I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong, but he stopped me with his own words before I could make a peep. “It’s too soon isn’t it?” he said, “I just knew I should have waited, but seems as if your heart longs another very dear to you. And I’m afraid that one isn’t my self. Do I have your heart, the very way I have surrendered mine entirely to you?” He was so bold, and so concerned. “How foolish you are to think that my love is not returned to you when the very moment my eyes fell upon you I prayed you were him.” I assured him.
And oh, how his beautiful brown eyes lit up, none could even imagine. “You do.” he breathed, his lips coming apart displaying the teeth I would hope my children would one day have. We were so different, Arik and I, my hair; strait and black, eyes of green, skin like cream. And his was light, auburn in the sun. He worked hard over the land he came from, Albador, and his skin was darker than mine, tanned, but not dark like the peoples from the other nations. A peculiar sight we must have been, sitting in the meadow, hand in hand, smiling as if it had begun to rain after a very long drought.
The rain began to come down, cold. A ceiling of clouds roaming above us, frantically Arik threw his coat over me and muttered at the sky, “Curse this rain.” I felt a pang, deep inside me, like ice had just been forced deep into my soul. The pain was intolerable, and I collapsed. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was Arik hovering above me yelling for help, fright painted across his angel like face.
“I think she’s coming around, don’t worry too much son, she probably just hyperventilated from the big question.” I heard mother reassuring Arik of my health. Her hands were cool, pressing up against my forehead. My eye lids were heavy so I opened them slowly. Mother was above me tending to my temperature and Arik was in the doorway his brows together, exerting all his knowledge of caretaking, which seemed to be very little. He glanced up looking into my face, “Your awake!” he exclaimed, his eyes glowing. “Yes,” I said surprised when my voice cracked, “what happened?”
“Beloved, when it began to rain you fainted. Your face was contorted with pain. Are you hurt?” he shuttered. “No,” I said, “just taken by surprise I suppose. Umm, I need to take a walk.” Arik came in, hand out ready to assist in any possible way, “Alone,” I added, “I just need to get my thoughts in order. Really, everything will be okay.” Though he did not agree he left, heading downstairs for dinner I suppose. I had not noticed my mother had slipped away. It made me grieve to think that she was all ready breaking the ties between us. I sat upright in my bed, my head began to spin, head rush, I thought. Looking around my eyes adjusting I spotted my cotton dress. Exactly what I needed, I pulled it on, and fixed my hair into a messy knot.
I stepped out of bed, my feet pressing down on the dark nameless wood. It creaked, they would know now that I was up. I walked through the hall and down the stairs, creaking with even the tiniest amounts of pressure from any one of my toes. Giving up on secrecy, I bounded down the last few steps, flew through the kitchen, blasting through the door, into the cold rain. My feet hit the worn path before my brain could tell them to. Every step was taking me further from reality and closer to the spirit of the rain.
Coming around the corner at high velocity I halted immediately. Where was the rain? Surely he would know I would come. Nothing could take me away from him. “I sighed, “Where are you rain?” Thunder. Yes, he heard me. “Show yourself.” I exhaled, then breathing in my favorite smell. Thunder. I stepped forward, “please.” CRACK! Right behind me, I spinned around terrified. Rising from the smoke of the lightening I saw the rain spirit. I felt the drops of rain hitting me in the face. Everyone was a slap I deserved; they stung, penetrating through the warmth of the afternoon.
“Why?” he asked, “do you not know the truth of it?” I heard it again, CRACK! But off in the distance this time. “The truth of what!?” I shot back, letting the heat of my tears fuel my anger. “Do not be naïve Ilia,” he said, calm on the outside. His words stung. I was not naïve. “I ask you for the truth everyday and yet still you deny me of even that!” I yelled, furious now, “My ONLY friend in this cruel Realm and yet still you deny me the truth! You could have prevented this you know! Your pain, my hurt!” I spat at him, accusations unheard but seen in my eyes glowing with anger.
I had caught on. Yes, I thought. The spirit of blessing was envious of the man at my home. The man who was going to be part of my family, and bring me new joy and new knowledge. “How?” I asked unashamed, “How do you envy him? You can live eternally and bring joy to many peoples and you are,” I paused, searching for the word, “jealous?!” “Do not tempt me Ilia, do not tempt me to tell you a truth you need not here.” The rain said. After a few moments, he spoke, though the rain was letting up the distance between us was a cold barrier. “But alas I will tell you for I am not the spirit of happening, for it was his decision for the coming of these events. I am, jealous. Yes, entirely. This person is going to take you away from me. The only one true person I have seen since your grandfather’s grandfather. He spoke the lost language and called me the name that I am, and the name that you bear. I am confined to this place for it is the place of my origin, my home, I can go away, but I must always return.” And that was it, he disappeared and the rain turned hot, steamy and full of hurt only I could feel.


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