Meet my mother

“Alexandra, keep with your lessons,” my mother intoned. My mother, Penelope, had fine, short, bright blonde hair with blue eyes that watched me like a hawk and pale skin. She looked nothing like me, who was darker skinned with long, soft golden brown hair and caring chocolate eyes. My father was a military man with a short, close cropped head of brown, wiry hair and brown eyes.

I was sitting inside her tent. It was a beautiful day and I was stuck doing lessons. I wanted to practice fighting with the men! I did not want to be stuck here, learning geography! I, of course, could barely handle one of the beef sticks that the infantry of this army called a sword, but I was dying to try out one. But my mother plainly refused, stating that a battle is no place for a woman. I thought who wanted to be a woman, when men get to do all the exciting things.

“Alex, stop dawdling and finish your reading,” my mother ordered strictly, looking up from the book she was reading as she was perched on her chair.

Even in an army camp, I still had to do work. I just couldn’t take the injustice of it. When, three months ago, my father explained to me that he was needed to help set up a camp in the northernmost region of Sanjua, I had been excited. I had always been different from everyone near me. I didn’t have any great friends where I was, so the chance for an adventure was a hearty relief.

But so far, the only adventure I had had was inside the pages of books. I was hardly ever allowed to watch the men. I had asked for a reason from my father, who might have been not as tender as my mother, but at least he was honest.

‘You distract the men,’ was all he would say. I didn’t know how. I wasn’t startlingly beautiful and the other girls that were in the camp, daughters of other generals, were by far more beautiful than I, I believed. I guessed my mother had gotten there first and told him not to tell me the real reason.

“Alex,” my mother warned again.

“I’m reading. If anything, Mother, all you’re mumbling is distracting me,” I retorted, but immediately regretted it. I had a smart mouth and my mother hated it. With a page long essay about everything I had read, I guessed I would have no time for my country ride that afternoon.

Great, I thought. No ride plus extra homework.

“I’ll finish it all tonight then,” I promised, bouncing out the tent before my mother could object. Dashing around uniformed men, I made my way to the stables. They were only temporary. This would soon be a permanent fort, but I had only arrived two weeks ago, with my father and the entire regiment of soldiers now based here. The cavalry was soon arriving, so construction for a permanent stable was already under way. I snuck past the stable boy who had more on his mind than the general’s daughter, like one of those freshly picked apples.

Weaving past other officers, I made it to my horse’s pen and slipped in. Bri snorted at me at first, but she calmed down as I stroked her. She nuzzled her head close to me, and I gave in and handed over her carrot that I had snatched. Bri munched on it happily. I decided right then and there, that no matter what my mother said, I’d go on that ride. It gave me a clear head.

“See you at midnight,” I murmured to Bri as I slipped away.