Trying to shake the odd sensation,that somehow the essence of her soul had been eternally disrupted. She turned her mind towards the festival that was beginning today. There would be games and food and tomorrow there would be a tourney where all the knights would joust in competition. All of the maidens that were of age would offer there colors to a knight to wear during the tourney. This was to be Guilliana's first year to offer her colors. Perhaps, that was the reason for this odd feeling? Yet deep inside, she knew that was not the reason for it.
Trying to shake the feeling she went to her vanity table to begin to prepare for the day. As she sat brushing her hair, she looked at the reflection staring back at her. She wondered would a man find her beautiful? Her hair was chestnut colored and it was long and thick with natural curls that cascaded down her back and about her face. It shone in the first rays of the morning sunlight. Her skin was very fair and was a creamy ivory color that gave her a very soft delicate look. Her eyes were large and very blue framed with long delicate chestnut lashes. Her father had told her once that they were exactly the same color as her mothers. He said they were eyes that a man would lose himself in if he looked into them too long. Her nose was small and delicate. Her mouth was full and sensuous yet soft and delicate like a perfect rosebud. She was tall and slender yet she had a soft womanly appearance.
She did not see the beauty that looked back at her. She supposed she was attractive. She went to dress for the day, and she chose a feminine gown of a soft cream color that enhanced her delicate features and coloring. One last stroke of the brush through her hair and she was ready to go downstairs. She got halfway down the stairway and heard the laughter of children. A sound that always brought her great joy. She met her father at the bottom of the stairway.
"Ah, daughter, you are a vision the knights will be falling all over themselves to wear your colors," said father. "Oh, father, you always say the sweetest things!" She said and kissed him on the cheek. Guilliana was the light in his life since his wife had died.
"Shall we join the others father she asked in her sweet melodious voice," she asked.
"Yes, let me show off my beautiful daughter," said father, smiling.
They joined the others in the great banquet hall. There were so many people -- so many Guilliana knew and so many she did not. She loved people. They interested her. She liked to figure them out. The sounds of their voices, their laughter. The aroma of the food filled her senses. She filled her plate with food and went to join some friends of hers. They were talking and giggling wildly about the tourney and the knights. Sometimes her friends seemed silly and immature to her. She ignored the sounds of their inane chatter. Nodding an appropriate nod when necessary.
She caught a glance of Dora, their cook. She looked worn and pale. She was getting up in age and Guilliana was worried that all of this work was getting to be too much for her. Dora had been with them since Guilliana was a small child, and she looked at her as a grandmother figure not a servant. She followed Dora to the kitchen to check on her. Dora was filling some bowls with fruit. Guilliana asked Dora, "Are you feeling all right you don't look well?"
"I am fine child, just a little tired," said Dora.
"Well, sit down and rest for a few minutes."
"I will rest later. I have much to do now."
"What do you have to do that cannot wait for a few minutes? Tell me what needs done and I will do it, Dora."
"No, child, you go enjoy the festival."
"I cannot enjoy the festival, if I am worried about you."
"All right, I will rest after I take this fruit into the banquet."
"You will rest now, Dora. I will take these in. Please sit and rest for a few minutes."
"All right, thank you sweet child."
"You are welcome, Dora."
Guilliana gathered two bowls of fruit and went off in the direction of the banquet hall. She was not watching where she was going and she bumped into someone. One of the bowls of fruit went flying from her hands. Embarrassed at her clumsiness, she hurriedly bent to retrieve the fruit, setting aside the bowl that had not spilled. She began to gather the fruit. The stranger had bent to help her.
"I am sorry," he said. "My fault. I was not watching where I was going."
"Neither was I, I'm afraid."
They had gathered the last of the fruit and began to rise to their feet. Their eyes caught as they were standing. Guilliana's breath caught in her throat. The stranger said to her "your eyes haunt my soul." Guilliana was suddenly overcome with emotion and became weak as though she may faint. The stranger reached to steady her.
"Are you all right," he asked.
"I am not sure," she replied.
She was suddenly overcome with fear at what she was feeling. She broke free of the strangers hold and ran off. He could not think. All he knew was she was gone. She had graced him with her beauty for a brief moment and was gone. She could not be gone. He had to see her again. He knew in his heart there was no living without her. He would go look for her.
Guilliana had run to the one place she always felt safe. It was her special place in the garden. She stayed there for a while and then retired to her room. She had seen her father on the way up the stairway and told him she was going to rest for a while. She did not return to the festival that day. Dora brought her a tray in the evening but she did not feel like eating. She did not know what she was feeling.
Dora asked, "Are you getting ill, child?"
"No, Dora I am just tired."
"Well, sleep then my child. The tourney is in the morning. You will want to be fresh for that." She kissed Guilliana's cheek and brushed the hair from her face. "It will be a very exciting day and you will want to be well rested. Good night, child." "Good night, Dora." Sleep eluded Guilliana. She could not stop thinking of how the stranger made her feel and how she ran off as a small child would. When she did finally sleep, she was haunted with visions of the handsome stranger. He was beautiful. He was tall and had a large muscular build. She had reveled in the feel of his strength when he had held her to steady her. His hair was thick and light brown, and his eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen. They were green and reminded her of the forest and of all of the outdoors. His face was strong and masculine.
The stranger was also haunted in his sleep with visions of the delicate beauty he had seen for only a brief moment. Yet felt he had known her an eternity. Her hair was long and shone with a hidden fire. He longed to hold her hair in his hands and touch it. Her eyes haunted his soul. Why did he feel he had looked into them in another time and place? They were so blue and reminded him of the morning sky on a clear spring day. Her mouth was full and delicate like a rosebud. He longed to taste her kiss. She had to be at the tourney tomorrow. She just had to be!
Guilliana awoke in the morning with a new confidence about what she felt. She would go to the tourney and hope the stranger was there. She was going to offer her colors to him. She carefully chose a gown of a soft pale green and brushed her hair and gathered it to the top of her head. Unruly, as her hair often was some stubborn strands refused to be bound. They hung in soft curls about her face and neck. She looked into the mirror and was ready for what lay ahead.
The stranger was also preparing for the day. He put on his armor and wondered if she would be there. If she was not, he would search until he found her. He had only seen her for a brief moment, but he knew he could not live the rest of his life without her.
The time for the tourney had come and all gathered in the main courtyard. The knights took there places in the stands. The maidens lined up to offer the knights their colors. They would walk past the knights and lie there colors before the one they wanted to wear them.
Guilliana nervously fingered her scarves. Would the stranger accept hers?
The stranger was trying to peer above the heads in the crowd to see if he could see his beauty. Finally, he caught sight of her, and his heart leapt in his chest. She was here! He had never felt such joy. He had not even noticed that several maidens had laid their colors before him. She was all he could see. He watched as she passed knight by knight. His breath caught with each one, as he was worried she would place her colors with them.
She was finally before him and was going to lay her colors in front of him. He reached and took them from her hand before she could place them, showing that he had already chosen hers. She raised her eyes to his, no longer afraid of her feelings. He reached out and moved a curl from her face, the back of his fingers pausing for a brief moment on her soft skin. The emotion between them was overcoming. Guilliana did not know what the future held, but she did know that this stranger was her destiny......
