A New Beginning

Aria stood in the courtyard and breathed in the peace and serenity, holding it to her so that this moment would remain encased in her ribs, safe at her crimson heart. The impluvium sat at the heart of the space singing its secrets, the trickle of water marking the place where copperhead pots had been filled daily for centuries. A star-form lantern hung in a constricted caligraphy of metal and glass, gleaming in the light, sending prisms of coloured reflections to decorate the tiled floor.
This was a magical space.
A space of new beginnings. It held possibilities more precious than all the treasures of the royal households.
A man with smiling unguarded eyes came forward to greet her with warmth and generous hospitality. Inspire of his craggy exterior she sensed he was soft to the core, kind, a man who appreciated the simple pleasures and would know the way to a small child's heart. She felt the taut pocket in the hem of her sleeve for reassurance. Her wedding ring lay secreted within, wadded with a lavender handkerchief. She heard again the voice of her grandmother.
"I have sewn into the hem your past and your future. The gold will fetch a good price. Keep it safe, keep it hidden, until you need it."
Aria spoke haltingly in a language that felt awkward on her tongue
"I have come a long way. Can you help me?  I'm looking for Jamilla."
Her future could begin here, hidden in this world within worlds she could learn to leave the fear behind.