Elina

Collapsing under a canopy of green, Elina gazed thoughtfully at the blend of blue sky and green foliage above her. The sky was so beautiful at this time of night, with the sun about to set and the stars just appearing. She sighed. If only her life was always as peaceful as the time she spent in her hiding place. Away from her family and friends, away from the stress of every day life. Here she was free to be herself; quiet, calm, relaxed.

Today had been particularly stressful. Her parents had informed her of her arranged marriage. Why they had waited until now, her 18th birthday, was beyond her, though she supposed they must have some reason for it. What had they said his name was again? She frowned, trying to recall the conversation from a few hours prior. Nothing. All she could remember was a lot of yelling, mostly on her part. While arranged marriages were not uncommon, she had assumed that her parents wouldn't bother; most marriages were arranged long before the couple reached adulthood. Both she and her now betrothed were adults, he being in his early twenties and she now eighteen.

The sky suddenly plunged into darkness. The sun had set, casting thousands of stars into brilliant contrast against the indigo sky. There's no point fighting it, she thought bitterly, I'm stuck with this now. Slowly, reluctantly, Elina got up and brushed herself off. She straightened her hair, preparing to return home, when she heard a quiet crack behind her. It couldn't possibly be a person, she thought, just an animal.

"What are you--" A voice started quietly, inquiringly.

Elina gasped, startled. "Who are you? Why are you here?" She clutched her chest, trying to slow her frantic heartbeat. Looking up, she saw a young man; handsome, as far as she could tell, though in the dark it was hard to tell for sure. He looked to be just a few years older than she.

He looked nervous. Clearly he hadn't been expecting such a violent reaction. "Sorry," he said quietly, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Elina snorted. "No, you just snuck up on me in the middle of the woods. How is that not supposed to startle me? How did you even find this place?" She was sure that no one else knew the maze of deer trails in this forest as well as she did. She saw his face darken slightly. With a sort of twisted pleasure, she realized she'd made the young man blush. Sighing, she tried again. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Luka," he replied, "And may I ask your name?"

"Elina," she said quietly. She wasn't fond of her name. Noble, it meant, kind. Elina felt she was neither, though her parents were among the wealthiest in the country.

"Elina, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have the honor of escorting you back?" Luka held out his hand. Elina rolled her eyes at his speech and ignored his outstretched hand. He blushed again at her reaction, and ran his hand through his hair. He had been raised to be a gentleman, though it seemed to matter little to this bizarre girl.

From a few yards away, he heard Elina stop. "Well, are you coming or not?" She turned and looked at him. He may be strange, she thought, but I'm not going to leave him alone in the woods.