#ask nat

haihaihaiiiiiiii :DDDD !!!

hello! thanks for the rose, my dear!

here's an excerpt from chapter 17 of a spare heart:

Excerpt from a letter written by Colin Bridgerton to Penelope Bridgerton, sent 3 October 1812, received 7 October 1812:

An unexpected detour towards the west of Scotland has brought me to the island of Jura. There sits the Strait of Corryvreckan, where an eternal wonder of nature resides, spellbinding and dangerous and awe-inspiring. 

It is a whirlpool, Pen, and it is utterly magical. In the otherwise peaceful waters sits a roaring wave, spinning perpetually and creating a sight to behold. The mysteries surrounding the formation of this whirlpool have yet to be answered, and in its place tales of romance and tragedy have been spun. 

Perhaps the most popular tale is of a prince named Breacan, who fell in love with a local princess. The King, unimpressed by his title, issued him a challenge: successfully anchor his boat by the whirlpool for three days and three nights, and win his daughter’s hand in marriage. 

Undeterred, Breacan accepted the challenge. He made three ropes to anchor his boat - one from wool, one from hemp, and one from a maiden’s hair, which was believed to be so pure it was unbreakable. 

The hemp rope snapped on the first night. The wool on the second. And finally, the hair on the third. The boat was dragged under, and Breacan perished in the water without ever marrying his love. 

Though this tale is marked by the tragedy of lost love, I wish to impart a different version, slightly altered to fit us. Will you be patient with me, my darling wife, as I rewrite our story into this whirlpool of fiction?

It would be easy, I know, to liken you to the fair local princess with whom Breacan fell in love. But the princess plays such a fleeting role in the original tale, and I feel that it would not be an apt comparison to make. You are the star of the story, the pull of the tale.

You, Penelope, are the whirlpool itself. 

I think it fitting, do you not? I have anchored myself as near to you as possible with our marriage. In my haste to search for a purpose, I tethered myself to shore with fanciful ideas of travel, freedom and independence. And yet with every passing day spent by your side, my tethers wore down, and the allure of a life lived with you grew and grew. 

The ropes that tied me to shore were nothing compared to the strength of our connection. In the end, I did not need those ropes. I would have drowned freely, willingly, blissfully into your whirlpool, my Pen. The week we spent together before I left was the best days of my life. Simply being your husband brought me such joy; arranging for your comfort brought me such purpose; ensuring your happiness satisfied me more than you could ever imagine. 

i'm trying to save money to study abroad in about two years, and in addition to working normal jobs i'm hoping to supplement my income by doing something i love.