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I dreamed about Rosemary’s life that night, perhaps due to our conversation. My first dream was about young Rosemary and Reynaldo.
“Happy birthday,” Rosemary said.
She then gave him two presents. The first was an embroidered handkerchief, which she’d gift-wrapped. The second was a bouquet of flowers she’d picked from the garden. Rosemary had thought these particular flowers would suit him. Unable to understand what had just occurred, Reynaldo sat there open-mouthed, his cheeks turning a light shade of crimson.
It was his fifth birthday.
“Thank you very much…” he murmured.
The full bouquet of flowers looked so adorable in his tiny hand. With his free hand, he opened the wrapping paper of his other gift, unfolding a slightly crumpled handkerchief.
“I did the embroidery,” Rosemary explained.
“It’s my name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, those are the initials for Reynaldo Hubert.”
When Reynaldo first arrived in the Hubert region, he couldn’t read or write. His real mother had never provided him with the proper learning environment. Since arriving in Hubert, however, he’d absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Half a year had passed since Reynaldo had become Marquis Hubert’s second son. In that time, he’d become almost perfectly literate. At the same time, he’d never signed or initialed his own name on anything. As such, Rosemary’s embroidered handkerchief must have felt rather novel to him.
“If you’d like, I could give you something with embroidery on all your birthdays,” Rosemary suggested. “Surely, I’ll be much more proficient by next year.”
The shoddy embroidery her younger brother was holding embarrassed her. Thus, she offered this as soon as it occurred to her. Reynaldo nodded, his face breaking into a grin. Rosemary wanted to celebrate his birthday for years to come, and as he grew older, she would sew something worthy of him. This would also serve as motivation for her to improve her skills.
“Is there anything else you want?” Rosemary asked.
She wanted to do something more for her younger brother, seeing as he didn’t lead the most comfortable life in the manor. For a moment, Reynaldo went silent, but then he appeared to have thought of something.
“I’d like a kiss as well,” he said.
“A kiss?” Rosemary repeated.
That was quite a precocious thing to ask for. Though Rosemary was embarrassed, Reynaldo wore a serious expression.
“I want you to kiss me like the scene in your picture book,” he said.
He was talking about the picture book in which a knight saved a princess, and afterwards, she married a prince.
Come to think of it, the prince and princess do kiss at the end of the story.
Of course, the illustrations were all quite adorable.
“But that kiss was for their wedding, remember?” I asked. “They were getting married.”
“That’s okay. I want to marry you, too.”
Reynaldo is hardly ever selfish, Rosemary thought. If this is his one and only birthday wish, then…
After thinking it over, she nodded. “Well then, let’s get married.”
This would merely be playing pretend. Not only was Reynaldo her younger brother, but she was already engaged to Prince Grey. All that aside, she turned to face Reynaldo, holding the bouquet of flowers along with him.
“Reynaldo Hubert, do you promise to marry Rosemary?” she asked, reciting a half-remembered vow from wedding ceremonies.
Reynaldo stared back at Rosemary, not comprehending what she’d just said.
“You’re supposed to say I do,” Rosemary prodded.
“I do,” Reynaldo answered, following her instructions.
“Umm, Rosemary Hubert. Do you promise to marry Reynaldo? Yes, I do.”
How comical, Rosemary thought with a snicker. Has a bride ever conducted her own wedding ceremony?
“Well then, you may now seal your vows with a kiss,” she finished.
Rosemary pecked Reynaldo on the lips. Thus, she’d given her first kiss to her adorable younger brother. Though Reynaldo had asked for this gift himself, he seemed unaware of its significance. Rather, he simply looked happy.
“Does this mean we’ll be together forever?” Reynaldo asked.
“Yes,” Rosemary answered. “Once you’re married, you stay together for the rest of your lives.”
“That sounds wonderful. Thank you so much, Rosemary.”
At that moment, Rosemary finally understood how much Reynaldo treasured their relationship.
“It is wonderful,” she agreed. “We’ll be together forever.”
Still, we’re just playing house.
Someday, Rosemary and Prince Grey would have a wedding ceremony at the palace. When that time came, Reynaldo would understand.
But until then… At least until then, I pray that I may remain by my beloved younger brother’s side.