Cosmic Love

This evening instead of going to have the family meal with everyone, I decided to reside to my balcony. I hadn't talked to my father or mother the rest of the day, nor had they talked to me. Mary had come and checked on me every once in awhile until I finally told her to just stay with me. We talked about everything except what had been on my mind. The forest. I finally got the courage to ask her after hours of talking about unimportant things.

"Mary? Will you tell me about the forest? I would love to know about it." I asked in a way that she couldn't say no. She looked at me like I was something foreign to her.

"Miss Ivy, that forest is no good." Her voice held no emotion, but her face showed so much pain. "Nothing good goes into it, and nothing good comes out."

"Please Mary. What is so bad about it?" I asked a stupid question. Werewolves.

"Ivy all the forest is. . . is death. Even thinking about it will get you killed. You need to stop while you're ahead of yourself my dear. We don't want anything to happen to you. You are our baby girl."

She stood and walked over to where I was standing. She took hold of my shoulders so that I was looking directly into her eyes.

"Miss Ivy, you must promise me. You must promise that you will never go into that forest. There are certain things in that forest that wait for beautiful things like you. They wait till your at your most vulnerable point before killing you. If they don't kill you, they'll turn you my dear. We would never want that to happen."

She caressed my cheek, "do you promise?"

The sternness of her voice scared me. I had never heard Mary speak so quietly, but so loudly at the same time. She was serious. She would die if anything happened to me. I was all that she had left after her son disappeared. Some say that he ran away from our kingdom because he was scared of becoming a servant, others say he murdered himself so that he wouldn't live a miserable life with the king and queen.

"I promise, I will never go into that forest." I smiled at her as she hugged me. "Mary, will you tell me about your son?" If she wouldn't tell me about the forest, I'd like to know about her son. She looked at me skeptical. She sighed and stared intently at the forest deep in thought.

"His name was Andrew. He was the same age as your mother and father, at the time they were sixteen. Your mother and Andrew grew up together, they were best friends. She had not yet met the soon to be king, your father. So, she promised herself to Andrew. They were each others first love. Something about that love made her keep me around when the king's marriage was arranged. I loved your mother as my own because she was in a strange way. I can't explain it to you, you're too young now. When your mother and fathers marriage got arranged there was nothing Andrew or Liselle could do. The marriage had to be obeyed or death for both of them. Your father knew about Andrew and your mothers romance, but he wasn't jealous about it. He kept Andrew around because he knew that she was faithful. She would never hurt your father. Well as time went on, Andrew became lonely and needed affection from another. He told me that he had to leave and he'd be back when he got married. I was so sad, but I knew he'd be back soon. That night he told your mother he was leaving and would return married. Your mother in return told him news, news that made Andrew decide to never come back. She told him she was pregnant. Pregnant with you."

Mary had tears in her eyes. She loved her son so much. I don't know how she could stand to look at me everyday. I was the reason he left forever. My mother and I both were. I couldn't believe it. My mother always told me that my father was her first and only love. That she wouldn't choose anybody else.

"My dear Ivy, I resented your mother her whole pregnancy. The love I once held for your mother disappeared into pure hatred. She made my only child runaway and never return to me. How could I not hate her? Then, one day in July, this little girl came into everyone's life. Her name was Ivy Andrena Vandolli. There was something about you that made my heart reopen to the love I had for your mother. I forgave her long ago, almost nineteen years ago in a couple days. When I saw your little eyes that evening, I knew that I would never hate again. I'd only hate those who put harm to you or your family."

"Oh Mary. . ." I didn't know what to say. All the rumors I had heard were false, Andrew ran away because my mother and him could never be together. "Do you have any idea where he could of gone?" I asked whole heartedly, he's somewhere out there.

"I know exactly where he went." She slowly turned away from me and looked at the forest. "He accepted his reality, and he went and did what he had to do. He went into the forest, and never came back."

That is why she hated the forest so much. Her son, Andrew, went in and never came back. Her son went in and died because he couldn't have my mothers love. I'd hate it too if I were in her shoes, but I'm not. Knowing that Andrew went into this forest doesn't mean he is dead, maybe he's still alive. Just maybe.

"Goodnight my dear. My old bones need to get some sleep." She kissed me on the forehead and bowed before she left.

Why would Andrew get so upset that my mother was going to have a baby? He already couldn't of had her love, why would that matter? Why was everything so complicated?

I looked around at my surroundings and took everything in. The darkness, the forest, the noises. Everyone was in bed by now, and if not they were in the main chambers with my father talking about the future. Nobody would hear or see me. I leaned against the railing of the balcony and took in a deep breath. I stood as straight as I possibly could before letting out the most blood curdling scream I could muster.

"Annnddrreewww!"

I didn't know what to expect, if anything, I was only expecting silence. I know I wasn't supposed to tempt the darkness of the forest, it was order to everyone from my father, the king. I did it anyways, not like anything bad could happen. I took in another deep breath and let out another scream.

"Annnddrreewww!"

This time, instead of silence, I got a deep nearby howl. A loud, deep, penetrating howl. The only noise that the kingdom has ever not welcomed on our lands. A noise that I was told was supposed to be the most terrifying noise known to our kind, but it wasn't. It was. . . Beautiful. Calming. Peaceful. I don't know how to explain how this howl made me feel.

The wind shifted and the tress began to rustle. The summer breeze blowing my hair and the scent of flowers around me. It also blew and unfamiliar scent, cinnamon and pears. Almost the same way my mother smelt, but in a completely different way. The smell of sunshine and the ocean also filled the air around me. I'd smelt this earlier today, such a strange, but relaxing scent.

"Andrew. . . If you're still out there, I would of loved to meet you. If you're anything like Mary, I love you already. She loves you still, I can just tell by the way her eyes shine."

I whispered out into the darkness before turning and walking into my chamber. I heard one more howl before I took the gown from the day off and crawled into my bed. They can howl all they want, I need sleep. I have a promise I have to keep. I turned onto my left side that faced the balcony doors so I could see the summer moon. My eyelids became heavy and with one last yawn, I drifted off to sleep.