Cold Reality: Broken Heart

"What time of the day is it?" she asked him. The man shrugged.

"I do not know. I, too, only just awoke." He stood, then helped the girl to her feet as well. Taking her hand he spoke again: "Come, let us go."

They made their way out of the caverns and from behind the waterfall to the shore where they first met. The girl looked to the sky. It had not yet started to become dark, though it would shortly. They both needed to return to their homes before they were greatly missed. The man then turned to her.

"Can you come here again?" he asked. She nodded.

"I can."

The man smiled. "Then meet me here again tomorrow evening."

The girl then looked at him in a peculiar way as she realized something. "I don't even know your name yet."

The man grinned again. "All the more reason to come here tomorrow!"

"You can't be serious? You won't tell me your name?"

He laughed. "I've yet to learn your name as well!" With that, he took her hand and kissed it before disappearing into the forest.

"You disappeared again today, Jenica."

"I was in the garden."

The girl's nanny stopped brushing her long dark hair. "You were not in the garden," the older woman replied. "I didn't see you there once." The girl took the woman's hand.

"Oh, Nanna. Where else would I go?" The nanny sighed, looking at her. She then resumed brushing the girl's hair.

"I just don't want you wandering off and getting hurt where we can't find you."

"That won't happen, I promise," Jenica said. She leaned back into the chair, looking at the flower she held in her hand. She twirled it around, admiring the garnet petals and becoming lost in thought. The color of the petals reminded her of the stranger's eyes. The rhythmic brushing of her hair was making her sleepy. After a while, the nanny spoke again.

"Your father should be returning later tonight."

"Wonderful," Jenica said without any emotion.

"You won't see him tonight unless you stay up and wait for him," Nanna continued. "Are you going to wait for him?"

"No, Nanna. I am tired," she responded, bringing her hand up to stop her nanny from brushing her hair. "I am going to go to bed now."

The nanny slowly nodded. "Would you like me to get your nightdress for you?"

"No, Nanna. Thank you. I will get it myself." Nanna nodded again then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Jenica looked at the flower again then sighed and set it on the desk in front of her. She then stood and got ready to go to sleep.

The next morning, Nanna had woken Jenica up earlier than normal and was helping her to get dressed in one of her best gowns. It was similar to the one she had worn the day before in color and style, but was decorated with ribbons and elaborate embroidery. Nanna seemed very excited this morning.

"Oh, Jenica! Your father has such a marvelous surprise for you!" she kept repeating. She bade Jenica sit in a chair so she could style her hair.

"Is it another dress?" she asked sarcastically. Nanna laughed joyously.

"No! No! Not at all! It's much better than that!"

Jenica frowned, a sense of worry overcoming her. Though Nanna was always a cheery person, she was never this overjoyed, especially at one of gifts of Jenica's father. Another dress simply meant another garment to wash. She sat patiently while Nanna fixed her hair.

"There," Nanna said, "Finished." Jenica looked into the mirror in front of her. Her own sad eyes gazed back at her. Nanna knelt down beside her. "Now you just wait one moment. I've a present of my own to give you." Nanna disappeared for a moment, most likely to her room. After a few minutes she returned with a small box. She set it before Jenica, who only looked at it in surprise.

"Go on, open it. I want you to have it." Nanna encouraged. Slowly, Jenica lifted the top of the box to reveal a pair of old silver earrings and a matching pendant.

"Nanna," Jenica started, "I couldn't-"

"Nonsense! I told you I wanted you to have them." Nanna put the earrings on Jenica, then the necklace. "These were my grandmother's. I've waited until this day to give them to you."

Jenica turned to Nanna. "But what is today?"

Nanna smiled. "Let's go," she said, taking Jenica's hand. "You shall see." Nanna led Jenica out of the room and down a flight of stairs. They continued walking until they came to the reading room. Jenica stopped as she saw a person she had met before.

"Dimitri? What are you doing here?" she asked in disgust. She then turned to her father who had walked up to her. He took her hand and kissed her cheek.

"Dimitri is here because today is a very special day for all of us, especially you," her father said happily.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, sick of the fact that she was the only one who didn't know what was going on. Jenica's father beamed at her.

"Dimitri's father and I have arranged for you to be his bride."

Jenica paled and stared at her father in utter shock. "What?" she breathed. Dimitri stepped forward.

"We are to be wed, my love," he smiled.

"No, don't call me your love, I won't allow it! No!" Jenica cried.

"Jenica, Dimitri's family is wealthy. He shall take very good care of you."

"No! He is cruel! He's cruel to the peasant children, he-"

"Jenica, you will marry him for you own good. I thought you would be happy-"

"No!" Jenica cried, tears welling in her eyes. "You don't know a thing about me! I shall be more miserable than I am now! I will not marry him!"

Jenica's father stepped up to her. "You dare defy me, your own father?"

"Yes, I do dare-"

Swiftly, Jenica's father slapped her across the face. She reeled back and brought a hand up to her reddened cheek in shock, tears now falling freely down her face as she looked to him, his hand still raised.

"You always were such a spoiled little girl," said her father quietly.

"No... No! I never asked for any of this-"

"You will marry Dimitri whether you like it or not! I will not have you embarrass me-"

"I will not marry him!" Jenica yelled. With that she ran out of the room and out of her home, their voices calling after her. She did not stop until she was well into the woods. She could still hear them yelling for her in her mind, bringing new tears to her eyes. She kept walking and soon heard a deep rumbling - the waterfall. Jenica walked until she could just see the clear water through the trees. She sat down on a small patch of moss, laid down, and cried until she slept.