A walk in the garden

“You are an amazing young woman, just by seeing you learn a foreign language like it’s nothing shows me that you have a bright mind. You are kind, despite everything that you have been through. I can sense that you feel like you don’t deserve things, happiness, and comfort. We will have to work on that” Bettina said, putting a comforting hand on Mary’s shoulder.

“But for now, know that you do deserve that and so much more. You deserve to live a good life and Kopa and I will make sure that is what you get. I know you must be a bit overwhelmed by everything that is happening. But you are safe, and you can do whatever you want, let’s just keep it with in the limits of the law” Bettina laughed.

Mary smiled and nodded and smiled back at the woman. The more time she spent with her, the more she liked her.

“I know I ask a lot of questions. You have to tell me if I’m bother you” Mary said.

“You can never brother me with too many questions Mary. You are in a new place, surrounded by new things and customs. Ask as many questions as possible that you feel like. Before you know it, you will be a salmisarian woman.” Bettina said encouraging.

Mary liked that idea. That she would become part of this new world. She hadn’t seen much of it but she had liked everything this far.

“Kopa said that you are working as a midwife and herbalist?” Mary asked.

“Yes. In Salmis it’s not unusual for women to work. At least up un till they have children, and even after that as well. I only meet Kopa three years ago, we married a year after we meet. So, I have lived on my own for most of my adult life.” Bettina explained.

“Women can live on their own? Didn’t you live with your family?” Mary was intrigued.

“Of course we can. If you are unmarried or not bonded to anyone, you can choose to live on your own. Some stay with their families. But I always felt like I didn’t want to be a third wheel in my own house. My parents have passed away, so I had to live with my brother”

“I’m sorry to hear that” Mary said, afraid she had asked something that was uncomfortable for Bettina to talk about.

“Thank you, Mary. I have a good brother and he would have let me live in his household. But I felt that I rather be on my own” Bettina continued. Mary understood her. If that had been an option in Domne, Mary would have done the same thing.

“Do you like your work?” Mary asked.

“Yes, I do, very much so. If I hadn’t, I could have stopped working when I married Kopa. We don’t need the money. But I can’t see my self stop doing what I love. And it is nice to have something to do when he’s away on a trip with the Lady” she said smiling.

“Do you get lonely?”

“No, not lonely. I miss him when he’s not here. But I know that he will return. When we meet, we were older and set in our own ways. I think it’s good for us to get some time apart now and again.” Bettina said laughing.

“I know that you come from a place where you meet your partner early and get married and start a family. Verry traditional.” She continued. “But in Salmisara we are more flexible. Not every relationship looks the same because not every couple are the same. What might make someone happy will make another sad.”

Mary thought about that for a while. She had always took for granted that there only was one type of relationship. A man and a woman meet, agreed to court, and then marry. If God blessed them, they would have a family and a long life together. There were of course instances when a husband or wife died, and the other one was remarried. But in the end that new marriage would look like the original one.

But when she thought about it, it would make sense that relationships could look different if it made the couple happy. Mary was naïve and romantic enough to believe that that should be the goal of all relationships, to make the participants happy.

“And the church doesn’t get mad if your relationship looks different?” Mary asked.

“Well, we don’t have a church in the same way that Domne have. But the common rule is that if everyone is happy in a relationship, then everyone else respects it. No one would interfere in the way that people choose to express their love.”

“You don’t have a church?” Mary said in surprise.

“No, not in that way. We have religions, several of them. But not one that is trying to define how everyone must look at the world. But I think Tariana is going to have that talk with you. No one could explain it better than her” Bettina said.

Mary nodded. She would remember to ask Tariana about it next time they meet. She needed to know things like this if she were to live here.

“Did you use to go to church?” Bettina asked.

“Yes, when I was a child my parents would take me. Then after they got sick and died, I didn’t go for some time. I think that made God angry at me. But then I started again when I got time of from the kitchen, and I didn’t have anything else to do” Mary remembered why she started going to church.

“After a while church was a sanctuary for me. My, not happy place, because I wasn’t happy per say, but calm place. A while my friend Erik and his little sister would come with me. I liked that. But then I couldn’t go as we weren’t allowed to leave the castle” Mary explained.

“Do you miss it?”

Mary thought about the question for a while.

“No, not now. I did while I was still in Dermes. But since I left, I don’t need the church in the same way. Now I don’t need a calm place.” she finally said.

“But I do miss father Link. He was always kind to me, his sermons could be a bit long winded and boring, but he truly was a good man” she added.

“I’m happy you don’t feel the need for a calm place anymore. I hope you will se your home, our home, as that place from now” Bettina said smiling gently.

Mary was fascinated that Bettina seemed to have a smile for every occasion. She was always smiling, but her smiles reflected how she felt just as well as if she would have changes facial expressions altogether.

“I don’t think I have felt this relaxed in a place since I moved to the castle” Mary said honestly. “It’s a wonderful house and you have made it into a peaceful home”

“That’s verry sweet of you to say. Both Bota’s and my work can be stressful at times. It’s important for us to have a nice home to come home to and to relax in.”

Mary and Bettina continued to talk and walk in the garden. After a while they went inside, brewed some tea and continued to talk as they sat in front of a fire in the living room.

When the tea was drunk and Kopa still hadn’t come home, Mary got a little nervous.

“Don’t be worried about that giant of a man. If something bad had happened, we would know it by now. Most likely he has run in to someone that have gotten him talking about the journey to Domne.” Bettina said comforting as she took out an embroidery and started working on it.

Mary sat next to her, watching her work, and watching the fire. They sat in a comfortable silence, just like Mary and Kopa use to do. It was almost dinner time when Kopa finally made it home. Mary looked him over worried. But he seemed fine.

“Did it really take three hours to get what I asked for” Bettina scoffed. “You had Mary worried”

“Sorry Mary” Kopa said, looking like a puppy that had chewed on his master’s shoes. “I meet some people I know, and we got started talking”

Bettina gave Mary a look that clearly said, ‘told you so’, and Mary chuckled.

“It’s okay” she told Kopa. “But can I ask you something?” she added looking a bit worried.

“Sure, let me just put this in the kitchen” he said gesturing to the box he was carrying, and she nodded.

“I will go and finish dinner whilst you talk” Bettina said.

“Shouldn’t I help?” Mary asked.

“No, most of the work is done. You just talk with Kopa and keep him out of my way” Bettina said, giving Mary a wink.