Chapter One: The Letter

Dear Juniper,

Forgive this pouring of my heart as we have only recently really gotten to know each other. I cherish the dock where we first met. The moment I set eyes on you I knew that I loved you. Recently I have begun to regard you as more than just a friend. My feelings for you have intensified since I stumbled upon you taking a walk in the moonlight. I was further wowed by your tremendous dance skills. You have eyes like shining stars that are the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. When I look at you I just want to sail away with you to a place where our love would not be shunned by others who would judge. You are so special with all of your sweet ways. The way you act shows you have great kindness, sympathy, and compassion for those around you. I know that you think of me as just a friend but I think we could be happy together. Please, say that you'll be mine Juniper!

All my love,

Ka

I read the lavender purple ink on the mint paper in its beautiful writing. I folded the letter up and went upstairs and hid it in a box underneath other boxes in the back of the room. My heart fluttered around in my chest. I quickly went to my small pile of money I had saved up for personal items and took a few coins out of the small bag. I quickly concealed all evidence proving I had been up there.

I rushed downstairs. "I'm going to the market I'll be back soon." I ran out of the door to the marketplace. At the marketplace, I rushed over to one of the stalls. The stall owner was a short middle-aged man.

"What do'ya need from my stall?"

"I would like to buy an envelope and a pen."

"What colors do'ya want?"

"What are the prices?"

"The plain envelopes are two coins, the light blue envelopes are four coins, the light orange envelopes are four coins, and the mint envelopes are eight coins. The regular pens are one coin, the dark orange pens are three coins, the navy blue pens are four coins, and the lavender pens are seven coins."

"I'll take a plain envelope and a regular pen."

He gave me the envelope and pen and I gave him three coins. Once in my hand, I carefully tucked them inside of my coin pouch and then ran back home.

Once I got home I ran upstairs and got a piece of paper from my stash and then went into my room to write a letter back.

Ever Dearest Ka,

I love you too and I would love to sail away with you to our own paradise together. Many things prevent us from being together though. The law clearly states that you can not marry a commoner like me and besides that, knights and mages aren't allowed to marry each other. I will not allow you to waste your opportunity to be king for me. And besides that, I am the caretaker of my house and I can not leave my brothers alone to take care of themselves. We could frequently go sailing together though. I'm very sorry about this.

All my heart,

Juniper

I folded up the letter and put it into the envelope and sealed up the envelope. I went downstairs where my little brothers were. "I have to go to work you two better get your homework done or we won't be getting ice cream tomorrow."

"Okay sis," Drake and Skye said unhappily.

I rushed out the door shutting it behind me. I ran over to the Post Office and mailed the letter for one coin.

I rushed out of the Post Office and over to work. I ran over to the house where I worked and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Your hired housekeeper."

"Come in and lock the door behind you."

I opened the door and stepped inside the house and turned around and locked the door. It was bigger inside than it looked from the outside. The living room was big and it opened up into a kitchen and upstairs was where the bedrooms were. The housewife was average height with strawberry blonde long hair. Her dress was orange and the color of coral. She had light blue eyes and a light skin tone.

"Well hurry up and get to work we aren't paying you to stand around."

"Yes ma'am."

I got the duster out of the closet and started dusting off the furniture in the living room and the kitchen. Then I started vacuuming the floors and stairs. Cooking lunch for the family came next after that. I went into the kitchen and made Radish and Taleggio Salads for lunch, a premade supper of Mushroom and Salad Dumplings, and a premade breakfast of Cheese and Apple Bagels.

The sky started to get dark as I cleaned all of the windows of the house. Then I made all the beds in the house and then did all the laundry.

"Ma'am I have done the dusting, the vacuuming, the cooking, the windows, made the beds, and done the laundry is there anything else you need?"

"No that will be all for today. Thank you."

"I'll be back tomorrow ma'am."

"Here is your pay for today." She gave me six coins for the day's work.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll be back tomorrow."

I put the coins into my coin pouch and turned and left the house. I walked out of the house and went home. The streets weren't very crowded late in the day.

The sun was setting low in the sky as I walked into my house. Drake and Skye were sitting at the small table in the kitchen. "Did you just start doing your homework?"

"We were catching fish at the harbor while you were gone. Today was a good day for it we got three whole coins!"

"Thank you for your help. I'll fix supper while you're doing your homework and if it's not done by then I'll help you with it after supper. Tonight we're gonna have pineapple and morel salad."