knock on the door

The air was raw on that very quiet morning in Ashford. Crown cherished a quiet morning, it felt like a great way to start the day and today was a day that needed a quiet start.

She stayed in bed cherishing the moments of silence as it went by, she could hear the faint noises coming from downstairs as her family talked, walked and laughed.

Tiran was now twenty nine years of age and only just got part of his share of their father's land that he's been set to inherit.

She never believed she had seen a happier Tiran in all her years. He had been so happy, so filled with gratitude to their parents and thanked them greatly. Now he spent days and nights on his land, thinking of what to build on it. Today it was a house, tomorrow it was a bakery, and the next it was a farm. They allowed him the pleasures of daydreaming away all of the things that could be possible.

Crown and Honey will have theirs in the future even if they were married into another family, their father had told them.

"And when it's finally yours, you must know it's yours and not your husband's. Yours." He had sounded in their ears.

Her mother began to call her name from the landing of the stairs.

Their home had been rebuilt to house more rooms four years back and a porche was added that wrapped around the house.

It was magnificent and it seemed to come alive in the night time.

"Crown get down here child while the bread still bakes!" Her mother shouted.

She hurried down after getting clean and ready for the day. Her hair was tied in a neat big bun. Her curls were tighter and fuller and only just recently the ends of it had gotten lighter, almost golden.

"There she is! the soon to be newest bride in Ashford." Her father hailed.

"The most beautiful, father." Honey said as she stirred a pot of maize drink for breakfast.

"You both stop teasing me. It's quite early."

"No it is not," her father replied giving her a side hug. "I can't wait. We all can't wait for you to be married and running your own household."

"Thank you father," she replied with a practice smile.

"Hurry now, we don't have much time before they get here," her mother said.

Today was her "Knock on the door" as they called it. Its a tradition where the supposed future in-laws come for a formal introduction to only make their interest in ones daughter known. They come bearing little gifts and the girls family offer food if they accept the gifts.

Honey and her mother was helping her see to it that the food was well prepared.

Darius Mir had taken a liken to her the year before and had made his intentions known but she had put it off for the sake of uncertainty. She wasn't sure of how she felt about him, or anyone else for that matter. The only man she had ever felt a little bit for was now married. Dose and Eve had wedded just three months before. It had been a glorious ceremony and a happy one. She had been truly happy for her friend and the life he was about to build despite her feelings. It was only after that, that she had finally let Darius in a little and she had agreed to marry him after Honey had repeatedly said she didn't mind if her younger sister was married before her.

So she had said yes to it all.

"Lost in your thoughts again I see," Nalu snuck up on her quietly at the back of the house where she escaped to.

"I can't help it." Crown said as her eyes lit up at the sight of her friend.

"You will definitely not be a blushing bride."

"Why do you say that, is it because of my skin colour? I'm judging you."

"I'm sure you are.."Nalu chuckled. "You know you can end this right. It has not even started yet."

"End what?" Honey asked from behind.

"Nothing sister."

"Crown...you and I know well enough that..." Nalu continued stubbornly.

"No. It doesn't matter. My Father had a talk with me. He said much but only one struck a chord. If I don't marry Darius I may never marry again. All I do is cause trouble and no one really wants a daughter in-law that could end their bloodline. Darius is the only one." She said without a break like she needed to also say it to herself and remind herself that this was her only chance at getting a family of her own.

"Do you really believe that?"

"What does it matter what I believe?"

"Besides you've not been in any trouble for almost a good decade."

"That's a record if you ask me, well except for the one."

"True Honey. No lady is exactly looking to become a teacher at the fight and defence school."

"Well, not like I didn't try to get a job somewhere else," Crown frowned. She was a teacher in the defence school and mostly took over tutoring the girls. She liked the job, like she did working for Old Mick. Did she find it fulfilling? Not at all but it was a good job.

"Hey, don't worry your little head. Today is good day." Honey persuaded. "Nalu, right?"

"Of course. And besides you are going to marry one of the finest men in Ashford."

"You don't like him." Crown reminded her friend of the reservations she always harboured for Darius.

Nalu nodded. She knew the reasons she didn't like Darius but she decided to stay silent when Crown told her about her lack of luck and options in that department.

"Why don't we take a stroll this evening to Mora, maybe miss Neoma can offer some sort of wisdom," Honey offered.

"I have to go to work." Crown replied as she realised again that truly she wasn't excited to even be wed.

"Why do you even work, father takes good care of us all?"

"Because it keeps my mind busy, and sharp. And old Mick likes having me around."

"Okay. Okay."

Old Mick still strong as a horse had been kind to offer her a job to tend to his store for two years now. She loved the library section and considered herself lucky to be able to loose herself in his words. His poems were like a portal to another world, far far far away from Ashford. They gave life to her daydreams.

"But you will have to quit your work once you marry,"

"You know what sister, maybe I should cancel the wedding."

That lightened the mood as they all laughed now.

"I will be fine. Just perfect." She looked at the two closest people to her. "I promise."

She walked inside and back to her room as her thoughts travelled to Darius. She wanted to consciously think of him and it was harder than she imagined it. Darius was a man whose looks pleased the eyes. He was tall, taller than her father and her brother at a clean six feet. He had a beautiful pale skin, dark curly hair and a beautiful set of whiskey colored eyes, a pleasing smile. He was masculine but yet soft and always bathed her with sweet words but his words never touched her quite as well as Old Mick's praises.

He came from a family of doctors and Darius followed down that path as well. He was intelligent and could provide her a good life as is expected of the leader of a household.

"You will get to know him better when you two are married." Her mother had said, she couldn't argue with that.

Back in her room now, she looked out her window to the forest of the damned. It stood still and quiet, not giving away any of its mystery and the possible danger that was within it.

She remembered what had been once as her hand habitually rubbed the spot that the creature had tore her flesh.

That night was a blur at best, but she remembered the attack, she remembered the beast retreating when it had a clear chance to finish her off, that always puzzled her. If something happened after, she had no clue. She remembered the old lady who she believes is some spirit that dwells in the forest.

The encounter had left her shaken, and to make sure she never experienced it again she had mellowed, stayed out of trouble with those who may be seeking to land her in one. She lived as quietly as she could and it was working so far.

She was now about to be twenty four and married.

Life was...okay.