Olivia's POV
I woke up to a slight knock on my door. I looked down and noticed I was in my bed, surrounded by the warm embrace of my covers. How did I get to my room yesterday?
The door opened to reveal my father.
"Hey pumpkin," my dad greeted," how are you feeling?"
"Fine..." I replied," but how did I get back into my room?"
"I carried you back don't worry about it," he said then paused," although I don't know who's jacket was on you when I found you..."
Someone put their jacket on me while I was sleeping? Why would someone do that, and who would do that? I wonder if it was Mary.
"Anyway," he continued, "I have a surprise for you!"
"What is it?" I asked, full of excitement and curiosity.
"Come on, I'll show you," he replied.
I followed him out my door and down the stairs. I began to hesitate as he walked towards the front gate of the castle.
"Are we going outside the castle?" I asked my father as I slowed down to a stop.
Upon hearing me speak, he must have noticed that I had stopped because he had stopped and turned around after walking a few paces more than me.
"Yes," he said with a bright smile, "and I've already cleared it with Mary, who says it's no trouble at all."
My excitement suddenly grew even greater. This would be my first time out of the castle in years, possibly even since my mother grew ill and died. There was just no time for me to leave and there was never a need.
Flashback
The last time I left the castle grounds was a month before my mother died. My father and I were going to the store to get her a necklace for her birthday the next day. At one store, we spotted a silver necklace with a beautiful heart pendant. Me and my father both agreed at it would be perfect for her. We bought it and returned to the castle talking and laughing along the way. When we returned, we went to my mother's chambers to tell her that we had returned. She was sitting down, sewing a dress as she often liked to do in her free time.
"Hi, mommy," I ran up to her and threw my arms around her.
"Hey, pumpkin," she called back and returned my hug, dropping all of the fabric she was just holding.
We pulled apart and she gave my father a hug and a kiss on the cheek. When they pulled apart, however, my mother coughed violently. She began to look pale as she kept deeply coughing.
"Lay down, dear," my father told her.
He left momentarily to get someone to attend to my mother.
When he came back, he told me to go to my room for awhile. A week later, she fell even more ill, but the doctors couldn't diagnose it. And then a month later, she was gone forever.
Present
So this would be my first time leaving the castle since then. I was excited, yet still extremely nervous.
The large gates opened slowly, but the view once they were open was beautiful. It was a bright day with the vibrant grass directly surrounding the path out of the castle. In the distance, cute little cottages dotted the hills in a breathtaking manner.
I had spent so long looking at the scenery ahead of me that I didn't see that my father had began to move again. He was a good few feet ahead of me so I had to jog slightly to catch up with him.
"So where are we going?" I asked him as we walked towards a black car that I hadn't noticed earlier.
"You'll see," said my father as he opened the car door for me to climb in.
I gladly hopped in the car and waited patiently as he walked around to the other side to sit down next to me. The driver started the car and we were off.
I looked behind the car and watched as the large castle seemed to decrease in size. I was finally getting out of the castle for a bit after so many years. After the incidents with Jordan, this break was very welcome and much needed.
The castle soon faded to nothing as we drove further away. It was replaced instead by luscious green pastures dotted with livestock. The bright blue sky above offered a warm and inviting light to everything around.
I looked out the window of the car and spotted the white fluffy forms of clouds. I hadn't taken the time in years to just appreciate my surroundings, and now that I was, I was astounded. The world was so beautiful and I never took the time to notice.
After quite a long drive, almost near an hour, the car finally stopped. I looked outside and saw a quaint little house. It wasn't so overly tiny that a family couldn't fit in it, nor was it so big that it became impersonal. It was the perfect size to raise a loving family in.
I smiled at it, but wondered why my father had taken me here. I looked to him in confusion.
"Come on," he said as he opened his door, excitement lacing his words.
I followed his lead and stepped out of my side as well. My father thanked the driver and then turned to me.
"Well, let me give you a tour," he said.
I was still confused, but I accepted, hoping it would clear some things up.
The house was two stories with a cream paint and a brown roof. He led me inside and showed me the first floor, which consisted of a bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. He land took me upstairs and showed me the second floor, which consisted of a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, two other rooms, and one more bathroom.
"Well, what do you think?" My father asked me.
"It's beautiful, but why are we here?" I questioned in response.
"Well," he started, "I just got stationed out here for a few years and I was hoping that you would come with me and we could live here together."