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Author's Chapter Notes:
My first fic, so don't be harsh ^_^. Probably not a very new idea, but still...
Prologue
Two kids were watching the horizon. The sun was setting and it spread a soft orange glow over the landscape.
“Bill? What will happen when we grow up?” one of them asked.

“I don’t know. We could buy a ship and become captains.” The other replied.

“That would be fun. We could go and on adventures and such.”

“Yeah… we could.” It was silent for a while. The two kids were enjoying each others company, just like any other day. William and Buffy were best friends. They grew up together. Buffy’s parents were merchants and owned a great deal of land and ships. Williams’ father was a sailor and his mother worked in the local inn, owned by Buffy’s dad.
In the neighbourhood, they were king. They had a gang and together they lived great adventures.

William stood up, giving Buffy a hand. “No need, she murmured, “I can get up.”

With a lot of energy she finally managed to climb down the rocks. William was waiting for her and as soon as she arrived, he grabbed her hand and intertwined her fingers with his. This was how they always did it. William looked at the small girl next to him. Her dress was covered in mud and her hair was hanging over her shoulders like pieces of rope. She might be dirty most of the time, but he loved her this way. She looked so happy.

Buffy caught his staring at her. She didn’t mind, because she stared so often at him. His brown curls were jumping up and down with every pace. She smiled at the sight.
When they reached Buffy’s house, William planted a kiss on her cheek, as always. Buffy smiled and ruffed up his hair with her hand.

“Goodnight, Billy.” She said with a grin.
“Goodnight Elisabeth.” He returned with a grin as well.
Buffy made way into her house and William walked off to the inn.
********

“What?” Buffy shouted at dinner. Her parents both had a serious look on their faces. Her mothers’ urged her to sit down and be quiet, but Buffy didn’t notice.

“Elisabeth, sit down and listen.” Her father bellowed. He had enough of this. His daughter was growing up as a man and that had to stop. Buffy sat down and started pouting. She couldn’t believe them.

“Buffy, listen,” Her mother said in a soft voice, “Look at you. You could be an amazing wife. You’re intelligent, you can write and you can speak 3 different languages. The problem is that you hang around on the street to much. You are nearly 13 years old. Most girls know to behave like a proper lady at your age. And so should you. That’s why we hired the governess, to teach you those things. And yes, to have a good future you have to hand in a part of your freedom. She is coming the day after tomorrow. So you have one day to enjoy your life to the fullest. After that, no more rolling around in the mud with William.”

Buffy still couldn’t believe they hired a stranger to teach her manners. She didn’t want to become one of the wives of the men her father did business with. They were stuck up and only worried about how they looked.

The rest of the dinner was finished in silence. Buffy went straight to her room, when she was excused from her table. She hated this. And tomorrow she had to tell William what was going to happen, that they couldn’t play together anymore. Even though she wasn’t tired, she went to bed straight away. In her head she kept playing the scene involving her getting a governess. Buffy didn’t really understand why her parents wanted one so badly. She heard that the other girls were educated by their mothers. Why couldn’t she be educated by her own mom?

Because, her conscience spoke to her, she is ill and you know that. She lies in bed all day to gather strength to be able to join you and your dad at dinner.

Buffy didn’t like her conscience, but it was true though. And her mother wanted the best for her only daughter, something she couldn’t give her little girl. In an instant, Buffy felt guilty. She had acted inexcusable towards her mother. She had to apologize and find a way to make it up. She had to listen to her governess and make her mother happy with good results.

But tomorrow was her last day with William and she wanted to make the most of it. With a detailed plan mapped out in her head, Buffy fell a sleep.

********

The next day Buffy left straight after breakfast, but she didn’t find William on the spot they normally met. She went to the inn and found William packing his belongings.

“W-what’s going on?” She asked uncertain.
“I’m packing. My dad is sending me off to sea.” William mumbled.

“What? Why?”
“Because I’m 15, love. Time to be a man!” He imitated his fathers’ low voice. William went up the stairs to his room. Buffy followed him, almost afraid to lose him.

“When are you leaving?” Buffy asked with sadness shimmering through her voice.

“Tomorrow. But today I have to go aboard. Actually, I have to leave in an hour.” She heard him mumbling as he rummaged through his belongings in the wooden chest by his bed. Although his voice was muffled, Buffy didn’t miss the shiver running through it. William was excited and sad at the same time, she knew. She took a place at the end of his bed, watching him putting stuff in the bag he was taking with him. Buffy noticed he also packed the handkerchief, she once bought him for his birthday. She had to smile at that, just a little.

*********

“So I guess this is goodbye.” William said as he was standing in front of the inn, a little over 50 minutes later.
“I guess so.” Buffy replied with a gloomy voice.

William grabbed her hands and forced her to look into his eyes. His deep blue eyes looked straight into her hazelcoloured eyes. Buffy felt the tears burning in her throat. She was probably never going to see him again.

“Billy, promise you’ll think of me. I mean…this might be the last time we-“
“Listen to me,” he cut her off, “In two years, I’ll be back. I promise. And then I am coming to take you, and we’re going to get married and all that. Just like we planned.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “You promise?”
“Promise.” And he pressed a tender kiss on her lips.





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