The church seemed cold and dark despite the braziers or the sun shining outside. Alvin was at the pulpit - for the first time on his own? - making the funeral sermon for father Ambrose and Alysanne thought he looked very pale. After all, Ambrose had been a father to him even more than to her, the only family he had since early childhood.
And now Ambrose was dead and Alvin had to step into his shoes at the only priest in the village. Alysanne still couldn't fully imagine it, but the church seemed different now.

And then the sermon was over and everyone gathered outside for the last few words over the father's grave. Alvin looked composed and kept his voice even and Alysanne wondered how he could manage that. She herself felt like screaming, using all her self-control to stay quiet and out of the way. The lord Lorimer was there, together with his new wife, and she didn't want to do anything to provoke him.

Only when everyone else left could Alvin approach her and pull her into a hug. He hugged him back as tight as she could, wanting to give comfort as much as she needed it herself.

When Alysanne heard Tomlin had been caught stealing and was sentenced to a whipping, she didn't exactly know what to think. She wasn't really surprised after everything he mentioned during their... was it even a date? Still, no matter how that date turned out, she hated to see him suffer.

And what if he really was her true love, like the gypsy had said? Alysanne was finding it harder to believe than before, but... what if?
When Tomlin was finally released, Alysanne approached him, hoping to console him after the ordeal. Maybe if she showed support and understanding...
"You again! What do you...?" Tomlin growled when he saw her, looking not in the least impressed. Alysanne swallowed and tried hard not to let the man's cold gaze completely destroy her courage.

"I... just wanted to say how brave you were..." She bit her lip, unsure how to continue. Maybe she should draw the attention away from recent events? But Tomlin was smiling at last, so probably the compliment was the right thing to say after all...

"...you're..." Alysanne stumbled over her words and instead she reached out tentatively to touch Tomlin's shoulder.

And just like that, the smile was gone again.
"Don't." A single word, almost barked, as if she wasn't worth any more. He slapped her hand away and Alysanne took a step back, trying to smile in a harmless, reassuring way and utterly failing.

Unable to say anything else, she could only watch him walk away, head held high and proud, and cringe inwardly.
She could only hope the old gypsy had not been right about true love, because Alysanne wasn't sure she would ever dare try again.

She was just turning to leave, when a silver-haired woman approached her.
"You don't need to run after that criminal, dear. You're not like him, are you?"
Alysanne turned, confused. "No...? But what does it matter when the whole village thinks so?" She said bitterly. "I'm not my father, but no matter what I try to do..." She shrugged her shoulders, now close to tears.
"It will pass in time. You just need a settle down with a good, solid man and everything will be all right, you will see."
Alysanne opened her mouth to say that she didn't have anyone to settle down with, had tried looking everywhere and everyone rejected her, but before she could say a word, the kind-looking lady continued: "I can introduce one such lad to you. You're not the only one with no skills in finding a partner, you know."
Alysanne nodded and allowed the strange woman to lead her towards a young boy in worn-looking but clean clothes.

The two young people introduced themselves and stood looking at each other with unsure smiles for a few moments. Tomas tried to break the silence first: "Um... what do you like?"
He seemed even more nervous than she was, which was certainly new for Alysanne. And he didn't try to insult or lecture her, which was even stranger.
"I don't know... books, I guess, at least when I can get any. And stories. Stories can take you far away, to different times and places, away from everything that worries you..."

As she got into more detailed descriptions and finally a shortened retelling of some of her favourite tales that Tomas had never heard before, Alysanne finally begun to relax. Tomas listened intently to her every word, growing more and more excited.
"And what happened next? Did they escape before the king's men got to them?"

After a while it felt as if they had known each other for a long time. Tomas was looking at Alysanne admiringly and she actually felt hope in her future for the first time in what felt like forever.
She still couldn't forget how Alvin's embraces and kisses felt, but she knew too well that wasn't meant to be. No matter how she felt about Alvin or how he could feel about her, he was a priest and marriage was forbidden to him. It wouldn't lead anywhere. Tomas, on the other hand...
Looking into his puppy eyes, she reached out to touch his face.

And unlike Tomlin, Tomas not only reciprocated but his whole face actually lit up.
"Does this mean you like me? I mean, really like me, in that way? Because I always had an awful luck with girls..."
Alysanne decided against telling him about her own awful luck and simply nodded.

Before the day turned into evening, he held her in his arms, his puppy eyes shining with happiness. And Alysanne could almost forget the gypsy and her empty promises or how different and more mature had Alvin's embraces felt. Everything was going to be all right. Her life could have been turning around and she was determined to take the opportunity and be happy.