My little Story book [Comments appreaciated]

Wind blew, softly and gently, swirling in the clear blue sky, soundless and cushioning. Clouds, fluffy white and rolling like warmed whip cream coated the vast expanse of air, so idly drifting, innocent in aspect. The trees swayed thoughtfully to the rhythm of the wind's melody, branches waving in greeting, beckoning the watcher closer, attracting them to their restful shade. Leaves seemed to be applauding the simple fact of their existence, happily following through the actions of the branches, extending the movement and adding another shade of beauty to it as well. Blades of grass whipped ever so gently against passing creatures, little disturbing the sea of green, even as creatures big and small passed. Their bodies were flowing and graceful, passing through the clearing so simply, without being an intruder. They walked on this earth, this dreamscape without fear of changing anything.. What a beautiful sight, as there was even more of this perfect place to drink in. Flowers bloomed daintily within the ocean of grass, multi-colored petals spreading so softly into the sweet air. Those many different flowers lived in harmony, naturally able to get along and so gentle, their perfume sweet and enchanting in the air. So beautiful, it was almost like a piece of art that had been long forgotten and just newly resurrected.

Nature was quiet and still, only the greeting of the branches along with the song of the wind and tree drifting. The picture was beyond something that could exist in the world, the gentle caress of the breeze surrounding, running along the figures of the items in this place. The scent of flowers was soothing and charmingly tranquil, easing any sort of troubled heart at ease, to make them stop being so worried or something of the sort. The bright light seemed to make it all shine gracefully, a true vision of peace. The drifting particles of dust, pollen and air was visible in this light, but yet it wasn't over bearing. Embracing, and warm, it appeared to love the clearing with much more enthusiasm then anything else. Nothing was out of place, in this heaven, nothing was wrong or right, nothing was disturbed or unwanted, the balance perfect. How this place came to exist was unknown, but the fact that it existed in such a world was nothing short of a miracle, to say the least. All was fine here, nothing displaced or estranged, the still figure of the girl as natural as the air in this place, welcomed and wanted. It was as if the whole clearing existed solely with her, heaven on earth for the marble figure in the center of it all, as all seemed to run without objections.

A feeling of peace seemed to fill the figure, as it simply stood there, eyes gazing over the land. The creatures would come to it for a moment, almost hesitant, and only when the hand that was marble softly touched them, easing the apparent fear, they stayed a few moment, before moving on. The balance of human and animal was amazing, as all sorts of animals, deadly and innocent came to the shape, never aggressive, but a bit fearful. As if the figure could hurt them. Gradually, they got used to it, and simply came, never afraid. And as always, the peace reigned supreme, joy filling the clearing as human and animal simply co-existed.


Such a dream kept on coming to her for weeks.


A figure shifted, rising from the pale white bed in which she had lain, a sheet slipping like flowing water from her naked body. It crumbled to a heap at her side and hips, as she had only sat up. The sudden dizziness was something she was used, once again she had risen much too fast for her mind to comprehend that it was awake. For a moment, she was lost, wondering why was she in a bed instead of the clearing. That ever peaceful dream still lingered, the smell of fresh grass and tree, the feeling of the breeze on her skin, velvety and smooth, all hauntingly lingering about her. A blink, and those dark brown eyes closed in a heavy sigh, as reality slowly came back to her, suddenly and without any sort of preluding feeling. That world was of peace and tranquility, and yet none of that was here, in this dark kingdom. A kingdom where nothing was all right anymore, where it all seemed so lost and despairing, the little joys all they had left, as people. She shifted, counting herself lucky to be able to have a bed period. The kingdom was one of the richest, of course, but nothing they had was good enough. The woman was used to it, the hard bed that seemed to be just a bit wielding, but not enough to be truly comfortable, or sating glowing sheets that felt like scratchy cotton on her skin. A breeze swept the room in which she still sat, a shiver running along her body and spine, biting.

The cold was almost unbearable, as she kept her sight veiled, clinging to the last vestiges of the dream. Oh, the simple gentleness of that world was already fading, and she couldn't help but mourn it, wanting to keep it to her body forever. Luxury, she found herself to live in but yet nothing was as it was shown, as another cold breeze flowed, a creaky and drafty shutter rattling due to the wind outside. She could hear it's dark whispers, almost a low key whine, and knew another windstorm had passed, in this yellow country. Still, she listened, the groan and creek of the house as the wind swept it making her more then a bit afraid, her teeth digging into her lower lip. Comfort of that faded world was something she needed now, the increasingly crushing weight of her poverty shaking her very faith in the world, her very beliefs. This happened every night, as she sat up, slowly waking from the best dream she was sure to have, naked in the pale moonlight that escaped in the cracks of the wooden shutters.

Those eyes opened again, a bit desperate for comfort and looked to her side, further along the bed, a smile greeting her face as she was met with the sight of another figure. That fear melted away with the soft and comforting breathing of the other shape, a snore escaping from time to time, making a joy sparkle. Yes, she didn't need that dream, as she would tell herself once more, as she did each night. She already had her heaven on earth, she just needed to keep it with her, in her heart, as it always was with such a thing. With yet another sigh, but one of contentment this time, she moved, a smooth tanned and yet creamy leg going over the side, gentle feet hitting the ground. Icy cold to her feet, she shivered again as the nippy air wrapped itself around her exposed leg, thin blonde hairs sprouting without much hesitation. She did need to shave again, but razor blades were so hard to come by.. So she might have to forgo that pleasure for a while longer, as the cold and rough wood floor greeted her feet, as they did every morning.


Lifting herself gently from the hard bed, chocolate brown strands drifting downwards to cover her naked body, she walked towards the dresser, clothing being selected and placed on her body. The clothing was covering, but thinning out, they would need to get new material.. But that was also hard to come by. Everything, was hard to come by. The clothing was simple, a red dress that the colors had faded, leaving only a dull red instead of the bright crimson red it had been when she sewed it together. This was the dress she wore every second day, not enough clothes to do other wise. Of course, she had to shift her legs with an acrobatic gesture and slip on the stocking, old and ratty, about to give out on her. Not that she had much choice, this was her last pair. Another item hard to find.

She had to wiggle a bit to tie the outfit together, to make it fit over her frame... Was she getting fatter? That was impossible really these days, unless she was pregnant.. But she was still a virgin, she was sure of that. After all, they had promised to wait after marriage, and she never drank or did anything illegal. Rape was unlikely, because faith and honor was something she did hold above all else and betrayal would be the ending of what she had. Maybe a disease she had caught, as diseases were common these days but she could never know, as a sigh filled her lips again, a shake of her head shifting the semi oily locks, as her hands combed through them viciously and relentlessly. Combs and brushes were expensive, and the only one there was put away for an occasion which she needed to be prim and proper. They might have to sell it if things continued like this however. Strange how they managed to survive so far in such a dark and dreaded world, being untypical as they may be. A last shift of her body brought the yellowed white apron to her body, slipping it on as she gave a sigh, smiling. The woman seemed ready to face the day, to face another hard working day as she always had the day before, and the days before that.

She gave a smile to the tuff of red oily hair in the bed, coming from a lying down figure, as her quiet steps left the room. The figure didn't move, even when the boards creaked and cracked under her weight, old wood about to fall apart. Walking down the stairs from the attic, the sight of a half darkened kitchen did little to whip away that smile from her face. Everything was as she left it, miraculously, bandits have been getting bolder these days. That's why they kept a precious sword in the closet, just in case.. Selling that was not an option of course. But they might have to sacrifice security for survival, and she dreaded that point of misery that would reach them, eventually. It was already touching the lower classes, and they were next on the list of course. They always were, able to barely manage scraps of survival. But somehow, it was comforting to know that they could survive a bit longer. After all, bare few had the luck that she was sparingly given and several people would kill and did, to be at such a comfort level like hers. She had clothes on her back, a bed to sleep in, a roof to cover her from the rain, wall to protect her from the wind, and food to feed her belly. These things were luxuries nowadays, in this terrible richly poor kingdom.

But little was to be debated at this point, as she spurred from the moment of thoughts she had gathered in order to do her morning chores. After all, being a good wife was her life's mission and she would accomplish this, if nothing else, with beautifully flying colors and grace. It was the promise she held with him, that not matter what, she would be the best wife for him and so far, she found she managed quite well with that. Chores were always lengthy and hard, but she had always done them with a smile and a goodwill to do so and she thought that was enough for everything to be a bit better. After all, positivity fed the soul while food couldn't, right? Feeding one's soul was much more important then their bodies, for not only was the kingdom poor, but their morale was down.. And that was always unfortunate, as she bit her lip absently. What would her family have said about that? The girl shook her head and bustled, getting ready for the first chore of the morning. It was the longest and the most saddening chore of her day miserably, but she still had to bog down and do it, like she always had, a pendulum that never stopped swinging to the tempo of hardworking poverty. The dreaded chore was the first thing that she did every day... The first thing.


Breakfast.


First was to check what was left to eat. Stepping away from the stairs and into the small kitchen, she gave a glance to it all, sighing. A wooden stove that barely worked, sinks that absorbed more water then containing it, and ratty old wooden cabinets, the doors unhinging bit by bit as the nails and hinges rusted. It was a sad state, as she opened the door, a loud creak escaping from the rotting thing, as her eyes gazed into the storage room. There was some slices of bacon left, salted and ready to cook, along with two eggs. Those would be boiled, to be more filling, as that gaze feel upon the grains that stayed there. She would have to cook those with a little butter if nothing else and then steam them. A lengthy process, but that was breakfast. Lengthy and yet small, compared to the meals she could do before. Before... Eggs were easily made, broiled and hot, a full glass of milk given, bacon strips fat and hot steaming and a piece of toast sitting daintily, as they would laugh and eat. They thought they had so little in those days.. But it was so much more then what they had now. How foolish they had been, believing that the new princess would bring richness to the world... But she had set out a menu, and would prepare it, even if it was small. Grabbing what little food they had, she prepared it lengthily, biting her lower lip. The pan, old, rusty metal, was brought out, heavy and very difficult to wield. They had to sell all the good pans to keep up with the heavier, and heavier taxes imposed on them by the princess, as she slowly sighed, the water set in a rusty pot. Her steps lead her to the door, where she grabbed pieces of wood, and put them in the stove, slowly firing it up, with one of their last matches. They would need new ones.. And these were just as rare as everything else.

While the water heated and the pan heated, thoughts returned to the kingdom. Three years ago, they had been living happy luxurious lives, without a single worry it seemed. But then the king died and the princess took over the kingdom, being barely fourteen in age, much younger then the woman herself. This was miserable and just pain inducing, as slowly greed seemed to take over the princess, taxes heavier and the price of things going up.. Everything was expensive, as she put the last two strips of bacon into the pan, the grains placed in the pot. She slowly stirred, as she looked out the window, the gradually rising sun reminding her of her childhood. Soon enough, she was close to finishing and bit her lip at the tiny amount of food there was cooked. This was much more food then what her family most likely had... And tears were softly resting in her eyes. She couldn't help them now, not at this time. Before, when the taxes got higher, she could spare something to help feed and take care of them, but now, it was useless nearly, nothing holding them together but sinew, skin and bones. They were phantoms last she saw them, and this horrifying vision filled her head again, and again. When she did not have that peaceful dream, this nightmare took it's place, as she only wished to help them, to help her own flesh and blood. She couldn't help those that raised her, fed her for all these long years, the ones she loved almost as dearly as her special someone, she couldn't do for them what they had done for her all these years, all those long years of her hardworking childhood.

But yet she couldn't help them, not one single bit, no matter how much she wanted to! It was forbidden to help the poor, even when you could these days, forbidden by the princess, the young princess. Everyone was poor, even the nobles were no better off then them, except the little princess. She had it all, everything in this bloody kingdom, from the most lavish clothing to the finest of foods! Giving nothing to those that needed everything the most, she was greedily swallowing all their profits, the people dying of starvation, diseases and even bandit raids as she lived so comfortably in that palace of hers, surrounded by her army. No one dared to revolt, since they were all found out and killed in the end, no matter who they were.. Her servant made sure of that. It was all about her, and she left them to fend for themselves, in this wild, savage and unforgiving world. Emotions raged as she tried to control them, her breathing accelerated, these dark thoughts almost traitorous. She had to calm down, getting angry was not going to be any better. In was automatic to seek her haven, the one she had on earth and the closest object to that was on her neck, like always. The woman brought a hand to her breast, where a pendant lied, gentle and soothing, the single symbol of her happiness. It was a cross, gold in color and a dove at the intersection of the panels, flying. This cross never left her, the promise to a greater life and her marriage. The promise that she had made to her beloved and that was made in return to her soothed the girl as she gave a calming sigh. They could make it, after all, they had done so until now. They could go on a while longer....