Celebration was in the air. The town size had tripled for the beginning of the Annual Royal Apolian Military Parade- a three week long festivity which began locally and then moved throughout the province. Military Parades would also be happening across the other eight provinces of Apolia. Extravagant affairs of Military force interchangeable with gatherings of tribute overlaid with somberity. An added benefit of Ardeena being so close to a military base was that we were often the town that hosted the opening weekend. Journalists, veterans, and other would flood the area and this year was especially interesting as the arrival of four of the twelve Royal Family members to open the weekend.

         "What if Hanna finds a boyfriend in one of the princes?" I jested, looking up to my mother. She was reaching her mid-forties and her eldest child of four children still hadn't gotten married at nineteen. What a dishonour.

         "Hanna couldn't find herself a prince even if he was handed to her," My mother snorted, sitting back in her chair. A recent stairwell accident had left her mostly immobile though it hadn't dampened any of her dry wit. Instead of teaching, she now accompanied me as I maintained the house. The two of us dreading the moment her sick days and insurance ran out and she had to return to the hospital to work.

         Hanna was my best friend and my mother's "third" daughter. We'd been inseparable since primary school, the both of us knowing that we'd never be able to escape this town. However, Hanna had been saving up for a temporary respite to travel the world. As a result, she'd been ignoring the advances of every man in the town.

         "Find your man, then travel," My mother never missed a moment to warn me, "beauty is fleeting and a woman's worth depletes, the older she gets,"

         "Of course Mum,"

         But she was on a roll.

         "Men are lucky, they age well. As they accumulate wealth, their value increases significantly. For women, it seems to be the opposite. The sooner you settle down, the happier you'll be,"

         "Definitely Mum,"

         "Then you can travel with your Husband, it'll be even better because it'll be the two of you, making memories together,"

         There was no convincing her out of the rant. Once she began, she wouldn't stop.

         "Alright, I'm done, I'll see you inside," She began pushing herself up and out of the chair.

         "Do you need a hand?"

          She waved at me, "Just finish the washing,"

         Pegging up another shirt, I sighed. The chance of finding a suitable husband in this town seemed to be depleting day by day. There was Mikhail, the butcher's son. He'd inherit the family business and knew how to provide for his family. Gerrit was working in one of the larger construction families of the town. Maybe I'd be able to play on his childhood desires to have a happy life.

         I stopped.

         I knew there was only one that I really wanted.

         My childhood friend, my childhood protector. The boy that I dreamed of growing old with.

         But that dream was merely a fantasy for now. Alek had joined the Air Force in an attempt to escape the town. Our parting wasn't exactly romantic and our messages had faltered in frequency.

          I should've taken the opportunity when I had the chance. Alek was always good to me and both our families had been hopeful.

         Not now. I scolded myself. But I knew over the next week, as military ceremonies and parades and balls went on around me that I'd only be able to think about him. His dark hair and sharp eyes, the Czech jawline and pressed lips when he thought his way around a problem. As the skies filled with confettis of green and red, and soldiers and their darlings kissed, I could only imagine him.

         "Stop it," I hissed, burying my face in a blouse. Imaginations of things that would never happen only caused pain. I needed to focus on finding a husband. Though Mikhail was more attractive than Gerrit.

         The sunlight had almost completely leeched out of the sky. The Ardeenian frigid cold began to settle in. I should've brought a jacket, I wondered. Instead, I settled on working faster. Of course, there was still half a load left to hang.

         The washing line stood alone in the front garden. Mum had spent years coaxing a hedge out of the unforgiving earth to create a stunning garden worthy of royalty. It stretched three meters into the air, dotted with the last of Autumn's flowers. Rose bushes darted throughout as well as the other countless plants and greens that Mum had picked up from the market over the years. An empty fire pit settle a few meters away, a sad swung rustled in the breeze, the shattering play fort a homage to the Summers spent in the warmth.

         It was cold now. Feodor, my eldest brother at an early eighteen, would be packing the last of his things for his new university. Justek, eight, would be watching him go with a trembling lip and Klara who was almost thirteen, would be texting her friends. Dad wouldn't be home for another hour, by which we would've finished dinner. It moved like clockwork. Everyone knew their place and had a purpose.

         A thud in the distance. I turn suddenly, alert. While we had neighbours, most of them would be in town, setting up for the celebrations. No one would've left their dog outside and although we were on the wooded edge of town, deer usually didn't wander this close.

         Shuffle, shuffle. My throat seized.

         Suddenly, a figure burst through the hedges, running straight towards me. I suppressed a scream as he ran into me. The two of us hitting the ground. Ow, my nose.

         My hand flew to my nose, already anticipating the bleeding.

         "Shoot," I hissed in the dark.

         "Get down," My attacker roughly pulled me back. We were in one of Mum's many bushes.

         "No!" I cried, wrenching my arm back. Was this how I got abducted? I started to breath heavily, scrambling back in the bushes even further.

         "Shush, please!" He whispered urgently, "I need your help!"

         "I don't need to help you," I hissed, "crazy person! Rushing in on my backyard!"

          "I know! And I'm so sorry! It's a matter of life and death!" He panted. Between the low light and the thick branches, I could barely get a good look at my attacker. He had a dark grey hood up and over his head. In terms of age, he was on the younger side of attackers, which did nothing to help my wild theory that he was coming to abduct me.

         "So?" I whispered, trying to slow my panting.

         "My name's C-." He breathed, "Wait are you bleeding?"

         For the second time my hand flew to my nose. As I expected a torrent of blood was running forth. I wiped the worst of it away from my mouth.

         "I mean, that's what happens when somebody tackles you to the ground," I hissed. My attacker paused.

         "I'm sorry,"

         "Don't worry about it," I mumbled, leaning my head forwards and plugging my nostril with my thumb. A rustle from our left. He ducks.

         "Get down," He hisses. For the first time I get a good look at his face. He has a Polish jawline, eyes the colour of faded jeans and a tuff of dirty blonde hair. He's cute. My chest twists. And he's a lot younger than I thought, maybe mid-twenties?

         "Why?" I stand, defiantly, moving back to my toppled basket of washing.

         "Hello there!" A light blinds me.

         "Excuse you!" I shout into the light.

         "My apologies!" The voice was a little posh for my liking and the light dropped and turned to the faces of the perpetrator. It was a couple in their late twenties in dark jogging gear, hanging by the gate that led onto the main road. "We're just looking for our dog! Lost him on the leash!"

         "Oh no! That's terrible!" I managed. There's a man in the bush. There's a man in the bush.

         "We'll just be looking around for him if you don't mind!" The joggers replied.

         There's a man in my bush and random people looking for their dog. What a weird night.

         "There's a dog park a little further down the street, usually that's where the dogs go and hang out if that might help?" My throat was dry, it's cold, I'm sure there's blood all over my face.

         "Are you... okay? You're bleeding!" The woman says suddenly.

         "Ah, yeah, just hit my nose while I was putting things up!" I gave a bloody grin, "it's all good!"

         "Sure..." The guy says, they look to one another.

         "We'll see you around! Thank you heaps!" The woman gives me a nod before moving off.

         I sigh, tapping my nose again. It's stilled for now. I turn back to the bush where he was hiding, expecting to see a grown man crouching in the roses. Nothing. Nothing but a few broken stems. I whir around.

         "Are they gone?" He whispers, I spin again to see my attacker standing by the wall of the house.

         "Yeah, who are you?"

         He steps into the moonlight and I try to squint.

         "I'm a delegate in the area for tomorrow's festival," His answer was short, simple.

         "Then who's after you?" I shrugged, confused.

         "A terrorist group was planning an attack tomorrow, I was supposed to be a bait,"

         "Wait- what?"

         An attack? In Ardeena? Little Ardeena where nothing's happened except for military parades for the past twenty years?

         "Don't stress, it's been taken care of though,"

         "I'm sorry," I shook my head, "this is so crazy, you sound crazy, you know that right?"

         "Yeah," He sighed, "you don't look so good,"

         I stumbled back, my head spinning. "I'm okay, I just need to go inside."

         "Do you need a hand?" He asked, I looked up. He seemed genuinely concerned.

         Weird.

         "I'm okay," I breathed, "you better go though, you sure you'll be safe?"

         He gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded, "I'll be fine. I'm Cas. Thank you for helping me,"

         "I'm Sofia," I returned the smile.

         "See ya around Sofia," He grinned.

         "Don't run into me next time," I scolded.

         "Promise," He laughed, passing me and moving towards the gate before giving a final glance and moving off.

         What a very weird night indeed.