Went by

Her father passed his fingers through her hair as he hugged her then she raised up, looking at him as tears streamed down her pink cheeks and he smiled at her before placing her down and crouching down before her. 

The girl lowered her head as a few thoughts came to her mind and she exhaled deeply, for she feared losing her father, but couldn't say that to him, because she didn't want to worry him any more than he already was. 

"Adiria, I am sorry that I am leaving and that too on your birthday, but I will be back sooner than you think, the time will go by with flying colours, in the meantime I want you to study and do the things you want to but be a good kid, can you do that?" He asked. 

"Yeah, for you, I can and I will, I promise you," She responded and her father smiled at her then patted her on her head. 

"Good, that's my girl, be brave and never let anyone take advantage of you, I will be back before you know it, until then, take care," He said. 

"You too, I will wait for you, be careful and return, no matter what, come back," She replied as they hugged each other, once more. 

"I will, I love you, sweetheart," He said. 

"I love you too, papa," She replied then he raised off of her with smiles on their faces and he turned around, then got onto the horse. 

Both of them waved at each other as they left and when her father was out of her sight, she exhaled deeply, determined to do whatever she could, to better things in her life. 

Maria approached the girl and Adiria looked at her and Maria smiled, before patting her on her shoulder and the girl squeezed her clothes, trying her best to remain levelheaded. 

"Let's go inside, Adiria, I will get you something to eat," Maria said and she nodded, then went back into the house. 

While Maria was getting her something to eat, the girl went to her room and her brows furrowed, when her eyes landed on something neatly wrapped, by her bedside. 

She approached it and when she picked it up, she saw it was a present that was left to her by her father and she smiled then sat down on the bed, while looking at the present that he got for her. 

She began unwrapping it and a gentle smile appeared on her face, when she saw it was a bracelet, which looked quite expensive and was carved with small pieces of diamonds within them and her eyes narrowed, for it looked similar to one her mother used to wear and it had a dragon's head as well as other markings on it. 

"It's pretty but, why does it feel so familiar? Was this hers?" She wondered as she looked closely at it and then exhaled deeply, after hearing someone knocking on her door. 

"Adiria, come for your food, you need it, if you want to keep your promise to your father," Maria said and Adiria smiled then placed the bracelet in a safe place before stepping out of the room and going to the living room, to eat her food. 

'Well, now I am going to do what I can to better myself and make sure that my father never regrets anything when I am concerned, study, learn different skills, just in case I may need them one day,' She thought and Maria glanced at her with a slight smile on her face. 

A while after her father had left, almost a month later, the little girl began going to the academy within the city, where she continued her studies while learning various other skills, trying to make herself a little more competent as she was growing up, since she didn't know when she will see her father again.

Maria as well as the others, were always by her side, helping her in many different ways, but as time, went by, lots of things began changing and she began missing her father a lot more than before and stifled her feelings, since she didn't want to be a bother to anyone around her. 

Time went by and from time to time, she would receive a few things from her father, which included his letters, which were quite few, and each time he sent her a letter, she would place it in a box to keep it safe.

The girl tried her best to focus on what was important, even though she was worried and she buried herself in doing the things she was supposed to and her father spent his money on, just for her, she even took up things that made her quite a rebel. 

Years went by like that and among them, her father only ever got to visit her three times and just before her fourteenth birthday, a surprise was waiting for her, when she was coming home from the academy, little did she know that certain things, don't last for long. 

"Maria, I am home, can I have a glass of juice please?" She asked as she entered the house and saw that no lights were on and her eyes narrowed as she looked. 

"Maria... Are you here?" She asked as she felt a gaze on her and she took a step back but then someone grabbed onto her arm and her eyes widened. 

"You are not Maria!" She shouted as she grabbed onto the person's hand but before she could do anything, the lights came on and she closed her eyes. 

"Surprise!" They shouted and she turned around to look at them then her brows furrowed as they pointed behind her. 

"I am home, for good, sweetheart," Her father said with a smile and her eyes shimmered as she stared at him and began getting hiccups, to which he laughed. 

"F- Father..." She mumbled as she collected the glass of water Maria handed her and she drank it then shook her head. 

"I am home!" He said and she hugged him tightly and he smiled as he wrapped his arm around her, then exhaled deeply, feeling a bit relieved to see that his daughter was doing well.

Tears came to the sides of her eyes as everyone smiled, while looking at them, for it was indeed a long-awaited reunion, one which she was waiting patiently for.