Beautiful Defiance- The Fifth Installment

20, June, 1400

Hello

The reason I did not put a return address on this is because you were so worried about secrecy. I’ll admit, I am too. I wrote this right when I got back home from our excursion to the Channel:

To You:

Your smiling face

Lights up the sky

And makes me smile in return.

The waves crash

Against the cliffs

And we stand

Soaking

But happy

To be in

Each other’s

Presence.

I bet you didn’t know I like poetry, did you? I hope you enjoyed it.

Smiling,

A friend 

P.S. I have good news. But that will have to wait for another letter.

24, June, 1400

My Dearest friend

I like the no return address idea. I think we know each other’s addresses by now. I can’t believe it’s been over two months since you’ve arrived. Is that what your good news is? That you are in this city longer? Has the king employed you for longer? I think I only talked to him once about the hospital guards. He refused to acknowledge me when I was in the room.

So what is it?

With anticipation,

B ♡

P.s. I love poetry! Remind me to write some for you sometime.

30 June, 1400

Yes, my news is this: Your father has offered me a job here in Kilkenny. Me. Not me and my father. Me. I have a decision to make. A big one. And I still don’t know what I want to do. Do I want to continue to travel? Or do I want to put down roots? (Wow that made me sound old.) I’m almost 18,and I would like to know what I am going to be doing for the rest of my life.

Okay, that’s relative. But I think you know what I mean.

Shall we see each other soon?

E

31 June, 1400

Dear B

I have decided to take the job as Assistant Royal Blacksmith. I will be staying here, in Kilkenny. I think I even have a place to stay at the castle. Now more than ever, we need to be careful. As much as I love traveling, I really don’t want to lose this job. It pays more a week than my father earned in a month.

I can see your brow furrowing at this. We were well off, we always had enough to eat, and usually could find good jobs in any particular city. 

I am very excited about this job, as you can tell. I’ve never had a title before, although we called ourselves the “Traveling Blacksmith”. Now I have an official  title!

Hopeful for the future,

E

2, July 1400

Eoin!

That is such great news. Yes, I think we must get together to celebrate. The channel again? That seemed to be a pretty private place. As you said in your poem, we got soaked, but people don’t often go there when it’s rainy. I definitely did not plan that, haha. 

On a more serious note, Congratulations on the new job! I hope it brings you joy and good fortune. I am excited at the prospect of seeing you around the castle grounds more often. Of course, it might not be safe to ‘meet’ there, but it isn’t illegal for a princess to acknowledge her people.

I noticed you never addressed the topic of grief in any of your letters. Do you even know what it is like to have grief? It’s like this massive ocean of sadness and anger is pushing down on you, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. And like the ocean, it comes in waves. One moment, you are okay and the next moment you are drowning.

Signed with remorse

Blaine

P.S. I am not remorseful about your new title. Not in the slightest.