With her brother gone, Tamyra was now free to study without the fear of Kelvin’s cruelty. However, Kelvin’s actions on that day had created a scar on her heart, and deep down she grew to hate others. No one had ever shown her any form of love, so she did not understand the warmth of having friends or family. Life had become a dreary blur of reading and desperate practicing, all while keeping out of sight from ill-mannered branch family member. This would all change though, and it took just one encounter in the garden.
The Vanthar family was one of the most important families in the land. Tamyra’s grandfather held a seat on the Elder Council that effectively ruled the country of Zeran. The family was made up of the main family and numerous branch families that had come under the rule of the Vanthar family through marriage, conquest, or business. Branch family members had two last names, one being the family name from before joining the main Vanthar family, and the second being El Vanthar which signified their branch family status. Many branch family members would visit the main estate to pay homage to the main family, conduct business, or forge good relations with the main family members. It was during one of these branch family visits that Tamyra met Leon.
Branch family visits were never a fun experience for Tamyra. The adults would whisper behind her back and some of the more forward ones would openly criticize her. It was the children that were the worst however. Many of them were spoiled rich kids who were forced to be on their best behavior during the visits. This would cause a buildup of stress, and they would take it out on Tamyra, usually being led by Kelvin. With Kelvin gone, they targeted her less but it was still a nuisance. So whenever a branch family visited, Tamyra took extra care to stay out of sight. Her usual spot was by a large rock that was next to a creek located in the Vanthar estates vast grounds. Tamyra’s grandfather liked having a natural view, so the gardeners never came far enough to reach Tamyra. In fact, no one ever walked as far out as Tamyra went, which made it all the more surprising when Tamyra heard a soft voice call out,
“Hello.” Tamyra nearly jumped. Looking up, she saw a handsome young boy standing in front of her. She had been so engrossed in her reading that she hadn’t noticed him walk up.
“What would you be doing so far out here? This place is so far from the main house. It is not safe for a young girl such as yourself to be out here alone.” His voice was kind, but Tamyra had been tricked by this in the past. The youth in front of her was well dressed, signifying that he was from a branch family. Remembering all the past bullying that came from branch family children, Tamyra instinctively drew back.
“There’s no need to be scared. I’m not a suspicious person. Let me introduce myself, I am Leon Veron El Vanthar. What is your name milady?” The boy seemed apologetic for scaring her. Plus his speech was very respectful, causing Tamyra to stop trying to put distance between her and the boy. She still remained tense however.
“Tamyra,” she muttered quietly. If he truly was going to torment her, than it would not do Tamyra any favors to ignore Leon’s questions.
“What a nice name. Do you like this slice of wilderness? I truly enjoy being among nature.” However the response Leon gave her had no malicious intent. Puzzled, Tamyra responded to his query.
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“Uhn,” Tamyra nodded. Due to the time spent among the wilderness, this area had become special to her.
Tamyra still hadn’t fully let her guard down, and Leon could obviously tell. He looked around the clearing till he noticed a white flower with dashed of red growing on the bank of the creek. “Ah, the Mountain Laurel. My mother really likes this flower. She always says that she wants to be like it, as pure of heart as the flower is white, with her only color coming from love. I think that she has already reached it. I truly love her so much. You seem to like reading, yes? My mother always went out of her way to read to me, even with her sickness…” Upon hearing his words about his mother, a longing awoke inside of Tamyra.
“She… read to you?” Tamyra asked in disbelief. Her mother had always ignored her as if she had the plague. Hearing about a warm mother was something entirely new to Tamyra.
“Yeah, she read all sorts of stories. Stories about knights, mages, magic beasts, spirits. I love listening to my mom read them to me. We sometimes spend all night reading them. One time she read me a story about a prince who would save the princess from…” Leon summarized the story, and upon seeing Tamyra’s eyes shining as if she wanted to know more, proceeded to recite the whole story. After he had finished, he told Tamyra about how he had reenacted the story with his parents, with is mother being the princess, his dad being the monster, and Leon being the prince. Tamyra held on to every word. Every story he told about family made her want that kind of life more and more. His stories were a window in to another world for Tamyra. A glimpse of a life that Tamyra found that she desired immensely.
The two children spent most of the day talking in the garden. Tamyra loved the stories Leon told about his family, friends, and life, as well as the fact that throughout the time she spent with Leon he never treated her like scum. Leon provided her with her first true taste of happiness through his kindness and respect. He never made her feel like she was useless, and listened to her like she was a real human being. At sundown, they headed back and Leon went to sleep in the guest room. The next though, he found Tamyra in the same spot, and their fun times resumed. When it finally came time for Leon to leave, they tearfully hugged and promised to write to each other.
The two kept a correspondence over the course of two years. Since Tamyra was only nine at the beginning, she dedicated much of her time to learning how to write like a proper lady would. She was unnaturally good at learning new skills and in just a few short months, she could write a letter with more eloquence than a learned scholar. The two sent letters to each other frequently. He would tell her stories of his life, and she would ask for support when times became rough, and advice on matters pertaining to high class life. Reading Leon’s letters was Tamyra’s oasis in the loveless desert that was her family. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.