Layne’s Point of View

In the land where the air is crisp and clean, flowers glisten from the meadows, and the vast sky in deep hue is vastly shown above us. A place that is far away from the bustling city, is a small town called Venos. This remote village is still a part of the Great Kingdom, Axen. Hierarchy and the use of magic do exist around here. Ruled by a King, there are nobles, knights, merchants, slaves, wizards, civilians, and of course, farmers, just like me and my mother.

Life is ordinary but I can live with this.

It’s just that there were times I wondered…I wonder what it is like living in the city. Should I be contented? Or should I yearn for a life more than this?

Nahhh… I love it here.

As I ponder these thoughts, I am now heading back from an errand, which is to deliver eggs to a neighbor. With no one else in sight, I was happily humming with this tune stuck in my head. “Well, that’s a nice tune.” this warm voice, I knew exactly who it was. I chuckled and greeted her with a warm hug. A little introduction, this person right here is Montessa Miroff, my blood and the person who gave birth to me. If you’re asking where my father is, don’t bother asking because there is no patriarchal figure in this family. He passed from the moment I was born.

“Let’s have you do another chore for me,” she said. Of course, this is never-ending.

“Why don’t you help me carry these vegetables?” she added. Well, I have no choice but to obey, right? I walked in her direction and grabbed the basket she struggled to carry.

This farmhouse we lived in was small but equipped with all the things we needed for our day-to-day lives. A little kitchen, a small lounge area with a fireplace, and two rooms that fit both of us perfectly. As the basket of vegetables was carefully placed on top of the table, Mother immediately gathered her tools to peel them. It looks like this will be dinner for the next couple of days.

“Let’s peal together,” she said.

As the sun sets, its rays lustrously reflect through the windows down to my Mother’s face. Her being accentuated, and her jet-black hair shined which complimented her green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. “You are beautiful Mother.” a slip in my tongue made her chuckle. “Layne, you are too” she replied, admiring me as I admire her. I quickly shrugged off what she said because I knew that my looks did not compare to hers. I looked like I belonged to this small town but mom, she looked like a noble from the city. The villagers even call her “the elegant farmer”.

This made-up nickname was because of how knowledgeable she was about formal etiquette, from the way she spoke and carried herself with poise, she could even pass as a noble if it weren’t for our shabby clothes. When I asked where she learned that, she always said it was from reading books.

Which I didn’t fully believe.

Mom’s fingertips brushed through my hair and uttered, “Layne Miroff, my only daughter. Your hair and eyes are the same as mine. If you think I am beautiful, then you are too.” she enthusiastically said with a smile. “There was even a gentleman in this village who would like your hand in marriage. That’s the power of your beauty,” she added. “Mother!” I reacted right away as blood rushed through my cheeks because of embarrassment. The thought of marriage is out of the question. I am not like the rest of the young ladies here in the village who look forward to it. I am practically indifferent.

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“I know you will react that way, so I refused my blessings.” Mother jokingly peaks, as if she intentionally brought the topic of marriage to fool around. Her intention was pretty obvious.

A gentleman huh.

Who would even want me?

That made me wonder, “May I know who?” slowly I looked at Mother’s face as she was holding her laughter which soon enough burst out. “Now you’re curious.” She shook her head in disbelief while cleaning the mess from the vegetables we peeled. “The gentleman is closer to you than you think. I don’t want to ruin the fun, it’s for you to figure out, my dear” Suit yourself, mother. A shabby farmer is being asked for a marriage, how funny. He has an interesting taste indeed. Maybe it’s because of my great personality and my ability to read and write. Most of the ladies around here lack literacy.

Maybe…how amusing.

As I was about to go to bed, my mother asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday because it is in two days. “You have any plans for your birthday? We can go on a trip to a nearby city if you like. I saved enough from last month’s harvest”, she asked, waiting for my immediate response.

To the City? I want to, but…

“Let’s have the usual picnic we do in front of Father’s grave, save the money.” My desire to accept this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was intense, but it had been a while since I visited Father. Welcoming my birthday with the feeling of us being complete is special to me. This is how I always wanted my birthday to be celebrated, just like a patriotic ritual. And maybe this is finally the chance for Mother to answer hundreds of my questions about him. She willingly obliged but a robust emotion in her eyes lingered. This is her reaction every time we do this.

That night, I found it hard to sleep because of the anonymous gentleman who asked for my hand in marriage and my mother’s act of composure when clearly, she felt forced every time we had that “picnic”. I honestly do not know a single thing about my Father, how he was when he was alive, not even a single photograph. As Mother shrugs off my questions ever since it seems like I am banned from knowing who he was.

I know you are dead, but who are you, Father?

Why does mother never speak of you?

These thoughts lingered in my head when I should have been peacefully sleeping. Maybe I should read a book. Quickly grabbing my favorite, The Thorned Roses. I adamantly flipped its pages to distract myself. Hours passed, hoping to get sleepy, but here I am in the final pages of the book. My eyes grew heavier and heavier. Little did I know, the battling screams of the roosters echoed across the village. Hence, a new day has begun.

“Didn’t sleep?” the first thing my mother told me as I walked out of my room. She may have noticed the dark circles under my eyes. I shrugged off what she said and continued to grab the bread and milk she had prepared and ate it at the table. “Today you will run errands with me.” I was about to take a bite of bread but what she said immediately grabbed my attention. “What errands are we doing Mother?”

“Timbow ordered our crops, so we are off to deliver what he needed.” Mother replied. My eyes grew with excitement, “Oh! Uncle Timbow! I will gladly join you, Mother!” Uncle Timbow is a well-known merchant in Venos and his son, Theo, is my dear friend. Theo is one of the villagers whom I grew fond of. We grew up together. From the looks of it you can say that we are childhood friends. I treated him like my very own brother.

He usually visits me from time to time. But it has been 3 weeks since his last visit, and I haven't heard from him since then. This errand could be an opportunity for me to find out how he is doing. “Be ready in 30 minutes, as I need to meet Timbow by 10” I looked at the clock, and it is now exactly 9 o’clock. I need to hurry! I quickly finished my food in three bites and ran towards my room to get ready.

I am so excited to see Theo.

I have so much to tell him