Purpleland: Chapter 9

It was three years before I was able to visit Marcus again. I had received occasional letters from my friend and, as it would have been most improper to keep up a correspondence with an unmarried girl, I had to depend on this for all new of Alena. He told me she was well and so was her family, but said little else about the girl who was constantly haunting me in my dreams. When I returned to Marcus’ domain it was in high hopes. I was then twenty-one; Alena would be nineteen. It seemed to me that some of the obstacles to our engagement were removed by the three years since my first proposal.

I sent off a letter detailing my visit two days before I left, but set out towards Alena’s home first. I could not restrain myself from seeing her as soon as possible and her father’s holding was actually to some extent on my way to Marcus’ castle.

I sent my attendants on and rode up to Alena’s home alone. I knocked on the door and was received by an elderly servant who seemed a little awed by my titles and announced me to the family, all of whom seemed to be in the sitting room. I was so overwhelmed by Alena’s beauty that, for a moment, I did not notice the other occupants of the room. The three years had only made her more beautiful. Golden hair cascaded down her shoulders and her grey eyes sparkled with health and happiness. As I entered I heard her laughter and I felt something frozen inside me melt. Smiling like a fool, I made a deep bow. I looked up and noticed that sitting beside her, his hand on her arm, was Marcus. The hand disturbed me slightly, but I was too glad to see both of them to let myself think on it over much.

I embraced Marcus and knelt to kiss Alena’s hand she blushed and I heard her murmur something to Marcus. That bothered me more than the hand, but I stood and made my polite enquires to Alena’s parents. I asked them how they had been. Well. I asked after Shay. It seemed that she had been lately married to a minor lord who I remembered vaguely as much older.

“But that is old news,” Said Alena’s mother smiling widely. “Our second daughter is engaged as well.”

I felt like I had been kicked. I refused to look at Alena. “Really?”

“Yes.” She smiled wider. “Marcus asked for her hand a week ago.”

In books sometimes they say the light became dark before his eyes and that’s the only way I can describe what happened. I sort of stumbled through the rest of the conversation with Alena’s parents and made some excuse to leave. I finally turned to Marcus and Alena. Marcus was biting his lip and Alena was staring at me with something like infinite pity. That made everything worse. I left their house and Marcus followed me but I was passed listening to anything he had to say.