"Honor and Happiness"? Yes if only! No, Virita had no doubt that they would willingly take her as a wife. For wealth, pedigree, maybe even for beauty. But will they love?
Virita was angry with herself, tried to change, but nothing worked. She seemed to be living in a suffocating, viscous nightmare. If you tell anyone, they won’t believe you; they’ll say that he doesn’t value his own happiness. Is this really happiness?!
And then disaster struck: the father announced his imminent engagement. And although this did not come as a surprise to the girl, the groom did! As soon as she heard who was asking for her hand in marriage, Virita froze and sank into a chair without strength – her legs suddenly stopped moving.
– But father, he…
“He is a noble man, and he is ready to take care of your well-being.” He even insisted on security for you.
– Why security?
“Don’t be scared, these are our adult affairs,” the father said softly. – Noble families have difficult times.
He said something else, explained that a better party could not be found, that she was being honored, and Virita sat frozen, cursing her too quiet disposition. A single thought was beating in my head like a frightened bird: “What to do?!”
But in the end this nightmare ended: the father, noticing, apparently that his daughter had withdrawn too much into herself, fell silent, grabbed her arm and led her to her favorite gazebo in the garden. He kissed his forehead, sat him down, and said:
– We'll talk later if you want. I see you need to get used to the news.
And left. Virita still heard him sharply:
– Tea for the young lady! – and then a sleepy silence thickened around, broken only by the rustling of leaves, the hum of bees and the chirping of birds.
And in this silence she gradually came to her senses.
Slowly, in small sips, she drank the tea brought to her, sweet, dizzying with the aroma of linden honey and mint. Quietly, with silent steps and almost without breathing, she went to her chambers, changed her light house dress to the thick one in which she usually rode, put some necessary things in her belt bag and just as quietly went down to the backyard, to the stables. She asked, smiling sweetly at the stable boy:
– Saddle me with Chestnut. I want to clear my head a little.