MS: An Unwanted Letter

Kartim, a relatively peaceful town in southern La'Hansi. The wheat fields are growing fast this year, a plentiful harvest has been predicted, and many await the fall. A young woman with long sea-green hair can be seen riding a horse at gallop speed into the town. The rider stops the horse in front of a small farm house, leaping off and storming to the door, walking in.

The door to the small house slammed shut as Marianna strode in. A crumpled and torn letter was thrust onto the table top in front of a middle-aged woman with hazel hair in a tight bun.

Narie looked up at her daughter and smiled, "Marianna, I'm glad you came home, we can---"

"WHAT IN EDAIN'S NAME IS THIS?!" Marianna shouted, cutting off her mother mid sentence, holding up the letter in Narie's face.

The older woman flinched slightly, "I was hoping you'd take the news better…"

"This isn't some casual news! This is you trying to engage me to someone who I hardly know for your own benefit!"  Marianna was in furious tears as she slammed the letter back onto the table and turned away.

Three curious heads peeked around the corner of an adjoining hallway curious about the noise. The tallest and eldest of the three, Conner, looked quite concerned, his older sister and mother had never really fought before about anything.

"Conner, what's happening?" The girl of the trio, Rosaline, asked her older brother in a hushed voice while holding her younger brother back with one hand, "Kilad, stop moving forward!" She hissed.

"But I can't see!" Kilad huffed, just to be shushed by the other two siblings.

"They're arguing about the letter mother sent to sis last week. I don't know what the letter was, mother didn't tell me." Conner said quietly as the two women continued arguing.

"Sweetie," Narie stood and walked over to Marianna. She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder, "If you marry him, we'll be able to combine the farms and build a bigger place. It will be very nice."

Marianna flinched away from the touch, much to her mother's dismay, and retorted, "I'm not ready to be married! I'm only 19; I have my whole life ahead of me! I'm a traveler; I'm not anywhere close to being ready to settle down with a husband!"

"I married your father when I was much younger than you. You've traveled enough haven't you?"

"AND THERE'S THE OTHER MOTIVE."  Marianna burst out, "You can't stand having me travel around like that, so you decide to marry me off to keep me in one place!"

"I want you to be safe."

"Oh sure, you sure damn well do, you want me to be wrapped from head to toe in downy feathers so that I don't hurt myself. Well to freaking bad, I'm calling off the engagement."

"Marianna!"  Narie reached out for her daughter as Marianna began to walk to the door. "Please!"

The green haired daughter turned to face her mother, shooting her a glare, "If I ever marry someone it will be because I love them, not because you think I should. If you want to marry someone off, why not Conner! He's practically old enough to move out and start his own life anyways. I'm sure you can find him a nice little wife whose father has a large farm to share!"

Narie opened her mouth to say something but the door was slammed shut with Marianna on the other side before she could. The older woman rubbed her forehead, turning to see her other three children standing by the hallway. She looked at Conner for a moment before speaking, "What are you all doing standing about? Get to your chores!" The three of them went out the back door together as Narie sat back down at the table her face in her hands. She didn't even notice the letter was gone.