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Jralli
“Hi, Domic,” said Jralli, her entire face brightening upon seeing the handsome young man. His blue eyes twinkled as he smiled and his black hair glinted in the light from the glows that lit the hallway. She stopped walking to look up at him but he just walked right past her. She sighed heavily and watched him walk away, wishing for the hundredth time that he might deem to talk to her. She shook her head and cursed herself silently for being such a fool and headed on down the hall, remembering that she’d been on the way to speak to her mother. Lady Kiljira had sent for both her daughters and when Jralli entered the room her older sister Kilija was already there, sitting in front of their mother’s mirror as she always was. Jralli sighed and went to sit in a chair by the window. She passed behind her sister and glanced in the mirror as she walked a frown creasing her brow. Kilija was beautiful and next to her Jralli always felt quite ugly. Her sister had long dark brown hair that shimmered and bounced as she walked and Jralli’s light brown hair just seemed to hang, dull and lifeless down her back. Kilija’s dark green eyes sparkled when she laughed and seemed the perfect shape, so that she almost looked angelic when the light hit her just right. Jralli sighed and frowned harder, causing her brow to crease and her brown eyes to look very dull. “Jralli, there you are,” said Lady Kiljira with a becoming frown. “Now, Jralli how many times do I have to tell you, don’t frown like that, it puts ugly wrinkles all over your face.” “Why do you even bother, mother?” asked Kilija as she ran her fingers through her hair and admired herself in the glass. “You know she doesn’t care, I mean look at her. Jralli, didn’t you even brush your hair this morning?” “Of course I brushed my hair,” started Jralli frowning at her sister but her mother soon interrupted her. “Kilija dear, be nice and listen up. What I have to say is for both of you to hear.” “What is it mother?” asked Jralli, her frown softening as she sat down. “We have a new fosterling coming tomorrow and one of you needs to show him around. His name is Bodril and he is Lord Lirrin’s son.” “Lord Lirrin of Balden Hold?” asked Kilija turning away from the mirror to regard her mother with a wide-eyed, excited look. “That’s right dear,” said Lady Kiljira with a suggestive smile to her beautiful daughter. “Balden is a very prosperous Hold, and Lord Lirrin is known for being a handsome man. If his son Bodril is even half as handsome he would be well worth having.” Kilija turned back to the mirror, examining her face from multiple angles before smiling, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’d be glad to show him around, Mother.” Lady Kiljira smiled and stood, walking over to stand behind her oldest daughter. “I had hoped you would say so, dear. Bodril would make an excellent match for you.” Jralli rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust, getting up and traipsing out of the room. She jogged out to the garden and threw herself down on a bench, scowling and cursing under her breath. She sat there like that for quite some time, not so quietly grumbling about how unfair her life was. Just as she was beginning her own little private tirade about how if her mother and sister had anything to do with it she’d never be married she heard a quiet chuckle and stopped mid-sentence, her mouth snapping shut and her eyes widening. She turned her head, almost afraid to see who was standing there and saw to her great relief that it was her father, Lord Dajron. He smiled at her and she heaved a sigh, trying to smile back but not feeling capable. He walked over and sat down on the bench beside her, for a while just sitting there in companionable silence with her. She appreciated it and used the time to get her thoughts and emotions back under control. She heaved another sigh, this one a little less exasperated and Lord Dajron turned to look at her. “Having a bad day, sweetie?” he asked with a smile and she nodded her head turning to look at him with a sad look on her face. “What happened?” “It’s Mother and Kilija, as always,” she sighed. “They’re up to their usual tricks and making me feel very bad about myself like they always do.” “Your mother and sister don’t have enough sense to see anything but good looks, dear,” was his expected reply and Jralli nodded her head, still not comforted by it. Lord Dajron smiled down at his youngest daughter. Just then they heard a scream and a young man came racing down the path shrieking and screaming with a huge grin on his face. Jralli tried to stifle a laugh as her little brother ran past them waving his arms about like some wild creature, his nanny running after him. “Stop, mister Darlon, please?” she cried as she ran. “You mustn’t run in the garden! You’ll trample your mama’s flowers!” The boy of course kept shrieking and running and before long the two of them were out of sight and hearing range without ever having let on if they saw the two people they’d passed on the way. Lord Dajron just shook his head, frowning at the ground. “If only your brother had your sense,” he said with a sigh then smiled at Jralli. “Though I must admit if he ever settles down he’ll make a fine Lord Holder. He never let’s anyone tell him how to think. Just like you, eh, Jralli?” “What?” asked Jralli in surprise, looking up at her father, a startled look on her face. “I’ve rarely seen you give in to what other people thought,” he said, giving her a significant look. “Do you remember when one of the fosterlings decided he was a better rider than you and you challenged him to a race? You never let yourself think for one minute that he was better than you and you won that race.” “I remember,” Jralli said, grinning at the memory. She’d done more than just win, she and her runner had won by more than half a dragonlength! “Don’t let your mother and sister tell you you’re not beautiful. You may not be as stunning as your sister is, but you’ve got something better, internal beauty and a determined, no nonsense personality that will take you far in life. Just remember that next time they try to put you down, okay?” he smiled as he finished speaking and stood up, giving her a wink before he headed off the way Darlon and the nanny had gone. Jralli sat there for quite some time, just thinking about what her father had said. She wished once again that her mother understood her as well as her father did then sighed and shook her head. "There’s no use wishing for something that will never happen. I’d better get inside and make sure mother thought to tell the drudges to clean up one of the fosterling rooms for Bodril." Continue... |