Pruna Rau

 “Mum?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Why are you so sad?”

The woman sitting by the window breathed out, but didn’t move her eyes from the forest in the distance. She tried to hide it. Her daughters didn’t deserve to know such sadness as hers.

She smiled a little, but the emotion didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m… I’m not sad, melmënya. But it’s winter, the forest sleeps, the grass sleeps… And my heart wants to sleep with them”

The girl thought for a moment while her hands continued to brush her mother’s red hair. The same as hers, they were always too alike. More than any of them suspected.

“Will I be like that when I grow up?” Gem asked, her voice quiet and almost afraid. She didn’t want to be sad in winter, she loved winters. Loved playing in the snow with her sister, building odd snowmen, trying to keep snowflakes in their hands.

Her mother moved her head to look at her. Pruna’s icy blue eyes matched the scenery behind the window, but the emotion in them wasn’t cold. It was warmth and love glistening in them.

“No, sweetheart,” she said calmly and reached out to cup Gem’s cheek in the palm of her hand. "You will never be like that for as long as I am here.”

Gem smiled. How easy it was to reassure a child. Then, her smile was gone and she turned her green gaze to the ground.

“So… you’re not sad because of me?”

“Ya (what)?” asked Pruna, furrowing her brows. “Why would I be?”

“Dad said… that… that I don’t try… But Palath threw me off her back and… now I’m scared and-”

“You’re not getting back on that horse, melmënya. You are not.” Pruna pulled her daughter closer, trying to look her in the eyes. “Natyë coio niniya, Gem. Mírënya. I won’t let anyone cripple you because of stupid pride. Can you… translate those sentences for me?” she asked, trying to get her attention to something else. For a minute, it worked. Gem looked down and mouthed something to herself before looking back at her mother with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“I am the joy of your life. Your treasure.”

“Exactly. You’re much better at Elvish than your sister.”

“And than dad,” Gem added with a very proud smile which her mother returned.

“And than dad,” she repeated and pulled Gem even closer, mischief glinting in her eyes. “Ladies don’t ride horses, anyway. We take coaches. I want you to remember that you are a lady. Quimellë.” Pruna’s smile was gone. She would never want any of her daughters to think of themselves any less than that. They were ladies, because they were born into a noble family. And though their mother was a simple Elvish woman from a poor village and even poorer family, they didn’t have to suffer that fate.

She, on the other hand, suffered for them. By the side of a man who stopped caring years ago.

“But Anitt looks so good when she’s riding. I wanted to look like that…”

“Stop it with the nonsense, Gem. You know how to ride. You look beautiful when you ride! But dad can’t force you back on Palath. You will ride again when you feel like it. Until then-”

“I’ll take the coach,” Gem grinned.

“You got used to that idea pretty quickly,” Pruna laughed. “Now. Finish brushing my hair, melmënya, so I can be as pretty as you.”

Pruna turned back to the window and Gem, now with a much lighter soul, got back to brushing…