February Flash

So, the last day of the month, and that means it’s time to publish my attempt at Feb’s flash fiction piece. 500 words on the theme of Love.

Love
She sat down on the grass and nestled her back into the trunk of the large oak tree, until she had found a comfortable position.
The early afternoon sunlight filtered through the trees and branches, the rays warmly caressing her youthful skin. Her hair shimmered, the colour of palest wine and her brown eyes had a depth to them, like the earth she sat upon.
She took in a deep breath and then sighed slowly and contentedly whilst running her finger tips, as softly as a lover’s, through the grass and tiny daisies she sat upon. A fast flowing stream nearby was chattering away to the rocks submerged in it; telling them it’s secrets and dreams. There was an intermittent drone of mayflies, as they flew near her and then flew away.
Her father’s castle stood like a young warrior at the top of ae hill to her left. She looked at the castle with mixed feelings, it was her home, yet it had always felt like a prison to her, until now.
Two months ago, she had been a young naïve girl, giggling in corners with her sisters, acting like a child; talking of courtly love with eyes wide with expectation and dreams. Then a party of knights, fresh from the Holy Wars had arrived to pay their respects to her father. She had heard the arrival of the group while she had been sewing with her sisters and ladies, and while it caused great excitement amongst them all, she was the only one brave enough to investigate this distraction from the daily monotony.
She had crept down the curving stone steps into the great hall and seen the group being attended too by the servants. Arriving nervously at the bottom, one of the younger knights had turned to face her and everything else around her was forgotten.
Her dreams exploded into reality.
The rise and fall of her emotions had scared her; there was the uncertainty, the surety, the belief and the doubts. What emotion was this? To throw her heart around as if it were a ship on the sea. It was raw. It was pure.
Then one morning she awoke to find that he had gone. But that was just as he said it would be.
He had left at daybreak to tell his family of their marriage plans. The wedding notice had been posted on the door of the church, and today he would return and they would be wed.
So, here she waited under the tree where he first kissed her. Her sisters were also watching, from the tower, and she saw one of them suddenly pointing. Then she heard the thunder of hooves, building as they approached. She jumped up and there in the distance was her love riding back to her.
She waved. He slowed his horse as he saw her and grinned. Waving back, he trotted his horse up to her, he dropped from the saddle and pulled her towards him.

Now I’m going to propose something really random for next month – The Canada Goose!
It’s something that I’ve just briefly mentioned in another story I’m working on, but it gave me the idea for short to put on here. Fancy trying it as well?