Winterfall

I pulled out of Theoden’s view and into my own once more and refocused on my surroundings. The second ring of the noble district. They were still nobles but less powerful nobles. I sat and listened to my surroundings. Dogs barking. Horses trotting on the paths. Children's laughter. Wait… Children's laughter. The sound of joy caught my attention, and I found myself moving towards the sound.

What I came across was four children playing on a neatly drawn hopscotch board. Something I hadn't played in ages. When the children saw me approach, their faces lit up in excitement. "Princess!" They shouted, running to me and giving me a hug.

"Hi.." I spoke softly to them, "may I join?" I questioned them, looking back over the hopscotch board.

"You really want to play with us?" A human little girl with big brown eyes questioned.

I smiled down at her, "of course." She offered me her hand to, which I took, "what is your name?"

"Wren." She spoke, and she looked at the other three, "That is Rhy," She said, pointing to a boy with dirty blond hair who was elven, "Salem," pointing to a girl with the prettiest blonde hair hafling, "and that is Kepler." she pointed to another little boy with brownish red scales of a Dragonborn. "This is hopscotch," she said. "Rhy?" She questioned, gesturing to the board. Rhy followed her order and hopped down the board.

"Seems simple enough," I started my turn and to their surprise, I handled the hopscotch board like a pro.

"Want to jump rope?" Salem questioned as she held an extra rope to me. As the other kids started jumping.

I smiled at her "I wish, I don't think I should though. My dress isn't exactly jump rope material." I looked down at my purple flowy dress. I really did not need to accidentally flash anyone while jump roping with children.

She looked sad but said, "that's okay, Princess," she moved away from me so she could jump.

"Come with me," Wren said to me, to which I agreed and followed.

She took my hand and led me down the street to a cute little cottage house with a large porch. Something, that if I wasn't living in the castle I could see myself living in. She ran inside and out came a middle aged human woman with blonde hair.

"See, Mommy!" Wren spoke, "I told you the Princess came to play."

Her mother smiled at me, "I'm sorry, Princess Maria, for my daughter dragging you here."

I looked between the both of them, "No need to apologize, miss. May I?" I motioned inside their house.

"Well…" The mother was hesitant. I could sense she was nervous about having a royal in her home. But just as I could not refuse Wren with her big brown puppy dog eyes, her mother could not either. "I suppose it would be alright."

Just as she approved, Wren pulled me into their home. Sitting me down on their couch and running to her room.

"I'm sorry about her.." the mother said, sitting down in a chair that was next to the couch.

I gave her a reassuring smile, "It's okay, honestly. I have enjoyed your daughter's company." It was the truth. Being here in this simple home. Wren and her mother made me forget about all the crazy things happening in my life right now, as it took me back to a much simpler time.

"Color?" Wren asked as she came out of her room with a coloring book and a box of colored pencils.

"Definitely," I spoke, letting her hop up on my lap and open the color book as she began to color in a tiger.

"What color should the eyes be?" She questioned as she was having me choose each color she was going to use.

"Brown. Like yours."

As I let her color, her mother and I shared a brief conversation between us. "Do you ever think you will have kids?" Her mother questioned. "I think you'd be a good mother." She spoke as she watched me with her daughter.

I smiled down at her daughter then up at her, "Maybe someday." I responded. There was still too much in the air to think about children. To think about my own family that I would someday have.

I could sense her mother wanted to ask me something but she was struggling to find the words. "Its okay. You can ask." I told her as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

But she remained silent. I turned my attention back to Wren, who was now asking what color the tiger's body should be. "Let's be creative. Let's have the tiger be this shade and this one." I picked up a silver and purple shade.

She just giggled at me. "No, Princess Maria. Tigers are orange and black." She spoke, grabbing the two correct colors of a tiger, and began to color.

"Would you like some tea?" Her mother questioned, standing up. I nodded and watched her head to the kitchen to put on the kettle and rejoin us.

"Thank you for allowing me into your home," I spoke as I looked around the room. Her mother's face turned a bit red. I could tell she was still nervous about having me in her home. Yes, her home wasn't the cleanest home, but I didn't care about that. The little bits of clutter here and there made it feel more homey than the empty castle. "Your home is lovely," I spoke, trying to reassure her.

Just then we heard the hissing of the tea kettle which made me jump slightly but not enough for them to notice. Her mother hopped right back up to pour all three of us a cup. Her hands shook a bit handing me the cup. A cup that had a sunflower painted on it. "Thank you." I spoke watching her sit back down.

"May I ask something, Princess?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what happened to your parents?"

The question took me by surprise, as I wasn’t expecting it. I haven’t talked about my parents death for some time now.

It’s not because I don’t want to, it just still hurts to think about. Besides, being here, with Wren and her mother made me think of how my family was before. How my parents allowed me to be a kid. How I got to color, play games and have sleepovers with friends from outside the castle, like King Alaric and Queen Eleanor.

Then there were also the moments I remember when my dad would take me back out to the stable and ride on my white horse. Where my mother would sit in on tea parties with me, we would escape in the night to private family outings, avoiding our guards or any onlookers. To enjoy each other without the pressure of being someone else.

Then came the point in my life when my father started to push me to learn more of the aspects of royalty life instead of having a normal childhood. That started when I was around one hundred and continued up until they died.

Even that part wasn’t all bad. It was just a lot of work. It was a beautiful life. But that was gone. I stared into my tea cup unsure if I wanted to cry.

"Princess?" Wren questioned as she stared up at me from her sitting position.

"I…" I began, "no, I don't know." I knew my parents died, I just hated talking about it. Even after all this time, it still hurts.”

Her mother reached over and put her hand on my leg in comfort. "I am sorry, Princess Maria. Truly." She spoke in a much smoother voice than before.

I looked between the two, placed my cup on the little coffee table, and hugged Wren. She looked up at me with a warm smile, "my mommy can be your mommy." Wren spoke, and that broke me. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. I could feel them fall just as the word mommy left her lips.

"Oh," her mother said, quickly getting up to get a tissue for me. She took Wren from my lap and held onto her. I watched as little Wren squirmed in her mother's arms. "Mommy, she needs a hug!" she shouted, reaching out towards me.

I cleared my throat, "I'm fine Wren." I spoke as calmly as I could. I could sense Théoden's presence taking much of my feelings away. I knew he was only doing it this time to prevent a disaster in this family's living quarters.

I took a deep breath and dried my eyes. "I am sorry I have to go," I began to head to the door.

"Mommy! You upset her!" Wren cried as she tried to wiggle her way out of her mom's arms.

"No Wren." I spoke to her, "Your mom did nothing wrong." I could see Wren slowly stop thrashing about in her mom's arms.

"But she made you cry." Wren pointed out.

"She didn't make me cry."

"But…" Wren protested.

"She didn't make me cry."

Wren stopped moving in her mother's arms. She just held her hands out right, which I stepped into before I left. Her tiny little arms wrapped around me, hugging me as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry." her mother said.

"It's honestly okay," I said as I was finally able to free myself once again from Wren's hold. “I just wish I knew what happened to them. What I remember of my childhood is that we were happy. That's what made me cry." I spoke. "The combination of not knowing and remembering."

The mother held onto Wren as I waved at them goodbye. I enjoyed my time with them. It brought me back to a simpler time when I didn't have to worry about arranged marriages and devils, a time when I didn't have to worry about war, a time of pure bliss and happiness.

And you will have that again, Mi Amor. Théoden spoke softly in my mind. I'll make sure of it.

His words surrounded me with hope—something we lacked recently even though we tried to imagine it to the point of believing it. Hope is something we have to hold onto in times like this.

As the day progressed, I ended up back in my own bedroom, avoiding any possible attempts at running into Marcel. I opened the book I kept from the library to see if I could discern any more of the old text before I slipped into my trance.

I focused on the book the best I could, but I kept getting lost in translation. What I did manage to pick up was this.

Marcel Blackvale. His weapon sheds a piercing cry. So strong that even those in hell know when he utilizes the hellish scream of the blade.

My mind bounced back to my parents. My parents' death. Those who witnessed it. Some of the guards spoke of the sound of hell emitting from the area where they were killed. But they had not witnessed who killed them as the area was surrounded by smoke and debris. Blocking any visual on the attacker.

I managed to pull my focus back on the reading Responsible for many deaths across the land. Many deaths. Could my parents be two of them? I questioned as I focused back on the book. His dragon, Crimson, is said to be a gift from a devil in the seventh layer of hell. Her breath is that of pure Hell Fire and not just ordinary fire blaze.

I closed the book. Anything I was reading, I was trying to pin the blame on Marcel for my parent's death. Something he may have had nothing to do with.

I sighed laying back on my bed. Rest Mi Amor. Théoden spoke in the bond. I'll visit you in your dreams but you got to rest. I let my body relax hoping I could easily slip into my trance but I found that to be more difficult than anything.