Blake Has a Date
POV: Blake
I was still upset with my brother for not really confiding in me about his feelings for Alexandra. It wasn’t so much the fact that he had fallen for her, it was that he kept it from me. I knew all too well that Alexandra was both beautiful and charming. I was aware that when she came to Vellum that not many men would be able to resist her charms, my brother included. Still, the fact that he would try to hide it from me was messed up. I wondered how long it was that he was keeping this from me. I didn’t really have much time to dwell on it though. I had promised Alexandra that I would take the date with Litha seriously. Not that I thought anyone could ever capture my heart the way she did but a promise made to Alexandra was a promise that I was serious about. I set up another garden-type tea party just as I had for Alexandra because she said that would best for Litha’s personality. She sent word that Litha was staying with her for a few days so she would be arriving from Blackwood. I was standing outside making sure the tea and snacks were ready before Litha arrived when I heard the carriage pull up. I walked over to the front of my castle to assist Litha from the carriage. I knew that she would use that formal language with me that she always did so I sighed on the walk over.
When the carriage came to a stop she didn’t wait for me to try to retrieve her. She pushed the door open and stepped down on her own. I was confused by this act since she had always been a prim and proper lady even when she was a small child. She smiled at me, “Hi Blake. I hope you weren’t waiting for me long.” More confusion set in because she was not using honorifics as she always had. I was fully expecting, “Hello, Your Grace. How are you?” type of sentence but instead she was far more relaxed than usual. I had to say that it wasn’t unpleasant. I offered her my arm and she took it, “I was just making sure the tea was set up properly in my rose garden. Do you like roses Litha?” She nodded, “Yeah, I really like white roses. They symbolize innocence…” Her sentence trailed off as she realized that she started to speak as her mother taught her to. I chuckled, “I see what you’re doing.” She gasped, “You can?” I nodded, “You’re trying to let your own personality come out, right? Did Alexandra tell you to do that?” She blushed and looked down, “Yeah. I guess it’s weird, huh?” I shrugged, “It’s different coming from you but I don’t hate it. I really cannot stand fake for the sake of being proper. The fact that you’re trying to show me who you truly are speaks volumes to me. Don’t expect me to fall head over heels for you but I can definitely see us being friends if you keep this up.” I wasn’t lying to her in this instance because she was friends with Alexandra, I could see us being friends now that she was dropping the prim and proper act. The fact that she was no longer inhibited by her parents probably went a long way for her to feel comfortable enough to act like this around me.
She sighed, “I guess I can take what I can get. Just know, Blake, that I won’t give up my dream of becoming your wife. It isn’t over until you are wed.” I chuckled, “I look forward to seeing how you think you can capture my heart.” We finally came to the table in the middle of the rose garden. On it was a set of pure white china, for some reason Litha always reminded me of purity in its truest form. Perhaps it was because of her prim and proper act or the way she would often look at me with those doe-like eyes though they were bluish-green now that I really looked at them. I pulled out her chair and she sat laughing, “Now who is being prim and proper here.” I cleared my throat, “There’s a difference, I’m not being fake about it. I genuinely want to treat you well…as my friend, of course.” She laughed a little harder, “Sure, as your friend.” I sighed as I took my own seat across from her, “So how are you doing now that the reality of your situation has set in?” As the maid poured her tea, she looked down into the cup with a sad look on her face. It looked even more innocent and for some reason, it captivated me so I let the silence settle in comfortably. She took a small sip from her cup, “Xan, Jess, and now Alesha are all helping me to cope. I think being here with you is also helping. I am more upset that they would try to hurt one of my best friends like that. They really disgust me with their hatred of anyone that isn’t a pyrio or raised as one. I can never fathom that type of hatred and to think that I came from those people. They are absolutely dead to me and I have no problems with that. I am more concerned with Alexandra, she told me that they found someone who really hates her.” I took a sip from my tea and nodded, “Yeah but with so many around her that care about her. Perhaps she can breathe easy knowing that she’s well protected.”
She sighed, “Did you know? About my parents I mean. Wait, of course you did. Were you suspicious of me?” I looked over at a rose that was budding, its last bud of the year before fall took the flowers away. I pulled out a knife and cut it down. I sat and removed all the thorns and handed it to her, “Sadly, those of us that knew of your parent’s treachery were all suspicious of you. I really hope you aren’t offended.” She took the rose and smelled it then shook her head, “I don’t blame any of you. How could you know? How did you find out that I wasn’t part of it?” I laughed, “Remember when you told me that you didn’t remember our date at the retreat?” She nodded, “Yeah, it was weird because I remember the end of it but I don’t remember going out there. I know I passed out though.” I took a cookie off a plate and placed it on her little saucer, “Did you, by chance, do any sort of meditation before our date?” She nodded, “I wanted to calm my mind. Why?” I chuckled, “You reached a higher consciousness and a Goddess inhabited your body while you did so. Athena told me you were innocent, she said she looks in on you from time to time.” She gasped, “That explains why I couldn’t remember. I was possessed?”
The puzzled look on her face was really cute, I had to admit and I suddenly found myself softening up to her. I leaned my face on my hand as I looked at her mischievously, “It’s really too bad, it was kinda nice out there in the moonlight with the glow of the flora out there.” She puffed out her cheeks in a pout, “Now you’re just picking on me.” I chuckled, “Mmm, just a little. You look really cute when you pout though.” Her eyes widened and she blushed the color of the pink rose in her hand. She muttered, “Now I know you’re picking on me. You wouldn’t say such things otherwise.” I smirked at her, “Not in this case, I really do think you look cute when you pout. This is my honest, unfiltered opinion.” She looked up at me with her signature doe eyes, “Thank you but…” I looked at her confused, “But what?” She sighed and looked off to the side at a distance, “Why do I get the feeling that from now on you’re going to pick on me just to see me pout?” I shrugged, “Who knows? Perhaps you’re paranoid.” She shook her head and looked me in the eye, “I’ve observed you a very long time, Blake. I know that you like to get a rise out of people. That’s your rebellious nature that I honestly admire which is ironic because it’s going to come back and bite me in the ass now.” Her eyes widened, she gasped, covered her mouth and she blushed. I laughed at the fact that she caught herself cursing, “You should see your face right now. That’s even cuter. I never knew your face could be that cute.” She buried her face in her hands, “I’m going to die of embarrassment now.” I got up from my seat and walked over to her seat and grabbed her hands, “Hey Litha, never hide yourself away from the world. If this is the real you, own it. You’re much better than you let on in public.” She sighed, “Believe me, I’m trying. I was conditioned for so long to not be myself that it will take some time. I wonder how it is so easy to be myself around her.” I shrugged again, “She has that effect on people. Jess does too though now that I think about it. I’ve always seen her as somewhat of a counselor to those around her.” She smiled and nodded, “And Alesha would fiercely fight anyone who would try to hurt her friends. She’s the strong warrior, the bodyguard of the group.”
She pulled her hands away from me and turned her body away. She stared off into the direction of Blackwood. It was more symbolic since you wouldn’t be able to see Blackwood from here, “I just wonder sometimes what my role in the group is. The other three have use and I….I feel like I’m just a hanger-on. I’m perpetually the one who fades into the background of the three more capable and stronger women. How can I ever shine as brightly as them? Alexandra especially. Don’t get me wrong, she’s one of the best things that’s happened to me but with all eyes on her and many who adore or admire her, it is hard for me to distinguish myself.” I stood up and placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her around to look at me, “Now that you are free to be yourself, Litha, you now have the ability to find out who you are. In finding out who you are, you will carve your own way in society to include your own friend group. I, for one, very much look forward to watching that unfold. You are in your chrysalis now but soon we will get to see you sprout as a butterfly.” I smiled at her genuinely and softly. She leaned forward and placed a hand on my face and softly gave me a short kiss on the lips.
