blogwithvalor

A breeze blew over the ocean and over the cliffs, bringing the scent of sea salt to Princess Lily’s nose. Upon the cliff she stood, while she watched the waves crashing into the rocks down below. They beat against the coastline and when she was younger, she wondered how they didn’t wash the rocks away and cause the cliffs to fall into the sea. Now that she was older, she knew. She knew that the rocks were strong and that they would hold up against the ocean for decades, maybe even centuries, but someday they would fall. The salty water would wear away at them slowly and one day they would come tumbling down.

She turned around and pet Petunia, her horse. Petunia was a beautiful golden brown mare with a white mane. Lily had received her as a gift on her 10th birthday. Petunia was only about 5 at the time. Now that Lily was around 24 and Petunia 19, Lily’s parents were constantly encouraging her to pick out a new steed and retire Petunia. She’d ridden other horses, but she and Petunia knew each other in a way no other horse could. Lily could steer with the most subtle of gestures and Petunia would know what direction and how quickly to go. Petunia let out a small nicker and pressed her nose to Lily’s waist. Lily rested her cheek on Petunia’s warm forehead, then pulled out a sugar cube from one of her waist band pockets.

Princess Lily walked to the edge of the cliff and took note of the setting sun. It was still about 3 hours away from dusk. She thought about her love, Sir Aster, who’d left on a mission to negotiate peace with the kingdom’s rivals across the sea. She had been coming here every day around the same time for the past 2 months. Aster had promised her that he would return in half a year’s time, which was 2 months ago. Every day she stood on the cliffside, hoping to see his ship returning, and so far, nothing.

Her eyes scoured the horizon, looking for the slightest speck that could be a returning ship. She’d begun bringing her uncle’s spyglass and withdrew it from her other waist band pocket. She expanded it and held it steady to her right eye. From one end of the sea to the other she searched, but nothing.

Her parents had started advising her that this negotiation, which was Aster’s idea, was foolhardy, and no true peace would be found. They said she needed to move forward with her life and look to other suitors. They all but told her that he was going to be killed. However, she connected the dots and understood what was their implication.

Aster was kind hearted and brilliant. If anyone could negotiate a peace, it was him, and she knew it. But as each day passed, she felt like the cliffs, battered by the ocean. She knew she was strong and believed he would return, but she looked down the cliff towards the crashing waves and wondered. How long would it be before she broke and fell into the dark depths?

Lily stood there on the cliff, occasionally scanning the horizon with the spyglass until sunset. When the sun’s light was nearly gone, she pulled out a single lily and spoke a prayer into the soft petals. She released it to the winds and watched as it was carried out over the sea. Princess Lily mounted Petunia, determined to return tomorrow. She would not break today.