Untying the karmic knot

The scent of lavender and thyme hung in the air as Laelia darted between the grape vines. Her long wavy tangled brown hair was stuck with bruised flowers from when she pretended to be a fairy princess. Her lips were berry stained from imagining her role as a great lady attended on by servants.

At fifteen summers, Laelia was still a child of nature running barefoot through her father’s estate. Her clothes were fine in comparison to the villagers who tended the estate. Theirs were made of rough homespun linens or wool dyed green and brown. She wore finer linen and silk brightly colored and imported from the Far East. Experience had taught her to wear a cotton apron. She was aware to lift her skirts as she played having replaced the lace hem several times.

The estate was alive this morning as Laelia the younger’s parents prepared for the visit of Baron Lucius’ son. The manse had undergone a transformation with carpenters carrying out repairs, painters repainting murals, and villagers hired to clean and polish until everything shone.

Laelia’s mother was adamant that they would be seen as modern and civilized in spite of their remote estate on the Western outreaches of an aging Roman Empire. She had grown up in the great city of Ravenna and was terrified her daughters would be an embarrassment.

Laelia the elder comported herself as a lady in every way that Laelia the younger did not. She had been sent to learn etiquette and become a socialite with her cousins in Ravenna, practicing the grace and charm necessary of a Baron’s wife.

Laelia the younger was a hellion. Perhaps the younger would have come halfway had the elder sister been less perfect and demure.

Laelia the younger, enjoyed the twinkle in her father’s eye when she was in trouble. Her mother had found that neither beatings nor loss of supper would change her rebellious ways. They had decided after the elder sister’s marriage they would send the younger to be raised with cousins from Ravenna. Perhaps, the city would tame the wild child.

Hiding in a hedge close to the house, the younger spied on the elder Laelia. In silence, the older girl packed her bags and finished dressing. She was as beautiful as she was tranquil. The two sisters had not spoken for two years since she came returned from her training.

The younger loved her elder sister.

Laelia the elder secretly despised her younger sister. She was tired and resented always setting the perfect example. Despite only three years separating them in age, the elder sister was expected to look after the younger while their mother attended to household affairs.

The Baron’s son was Lucius. He was expected today with his entourage. Laelia the younger decided at that moment to find the right spot to see the high road from the estate. She ran with freedom known only in youth. She climbed the hillock that marked the entry point to the estate and waited. Her timing was impeccable. In the distance, a cloud of dust betrayed the approaching party of horsemen.

She kept her perch as they neared. They stopped to rest and water their beasts at the bottom of the hill, where a creek and a copse of cypress trees provided shade. She could hear them talking and reaching over to hear them but instead tumbled head over heels down the hill. She was welcomed by a chorus of laughter and jeers.

“What is this creature that interrupts our rest?” The captain jested, “Judging from her attire, is this your bride Lucius?”

Laelia felt the heat in her face betray her shame. One of the party, a woman bearing a crossbow and sword, reached out a hand and helped her up. Eyes wide with astonishment, Laelia blinked and, remembering her lessons in politeness looked down with hands folded in front of her.

“Gaia, you have impressed her.” The captain looked to their leader, Lucius, who was dressed in rich dark blue leathers and stood out against the motley of greens and browns of the riders.

“Hullo, little one.” He said in a melodic voice. She stood two heads shorter than him. She looked up to meet his cornflower blue eyes in a sun-tanned face bracketed by curly black hair. He carried a sword and what looked like a musical instrument strapped to his back.

“We won’t bite. Are you Laelia?”

“The younger.” She replied. “My sister is your promised.”

“And what promise is that, Laelia?” He quipped. “A promise of our fathers from before we were born that because of our birth, we should be together?”

“Sir, that is what I was told.” She replied to a chorus of chuckles.

He smirked. “Of course, that is what you were taught.” By his rank and privilege, he looked her up and down, nodding with approval at her unkept hair, berry-stained hands and face, and dusty and now grass-stained apron.

“My sister is so much better than me, sir,” Suddenly conscious of how her mother would react to her disheveled appearance. “She would not be falling down hills or running in the fields like me.”

“I see.” He replied. “I suppose you may want to return to your home and inform everyone that we are here. We will give you a candlemark. How does that sound?”

She nodded and scampered back up the hillock, strong legs carrying her cross-country to the manse. The winding road would give them an extra half of a candlemark to reach the manse.

Her father’s guards were faster than she was. On entering the manse her maid Julia ushered her to the baths. To her relief, the guard had not waited long enough to see her embarrassing fall.

Dressed in a long white gown to match her sister. T, the entire household lined up to await the arrival of the Baron and his party.

Baron Lucius and his horsemen had taken the time to tidy themselves. The horses carried out a stately march up the final turn of the road. Their dismount was also synchronized. The Baron clasped her parent’s hands in greeting with the usual words of welcome and introduction. He turned his head to look at the sisters.

Laelia the younger felt her cheeks warm strawberry pink. She kept her eyes low, but glanced up briefly and met his eyes. He winked at her. She felt her face turn an even deeper shade of red.

“I choose this Laelia.” He remarked with confidence to the shock of both of her parents. Laelia looked up. He grinned as he stood over her. Looking sideways at her sister, there was anger and hatred there that shocked her to her core. Her mind reeled with dread. Her eyes formed an apology that would never be heard.

The days that followed rushed past. Laelia would live out the rest of her life never to again be in the same space with her sister. Her husband proved kind and patient. He treated her well.

Laelia still resented her husband for having chosen her over her sister. True, she enjoyed the freedom of the life of a Baroness, learned with difficulty her responsibilities, and enjoyed breaking the rules from time to time with her husband’s blessings. However, she knew she had stolen something fundamental from her sister that day. On her deathbed, Laelia remembered her sister and her love for her. If only she could make things right.

Centuries passed, and civilizations fell and were rebuilt. Laelia the younger and Laelia the elder receive the gift of a shared life again with the same parents.

Laela woke up from the dream with a start. She could still smell lavender and thyme. Yesterday, her mother had come across a letter of introduction for a young man who was an engineer. She asked Laela if she was interested. With one look at his picture, Laela felt something familiar and nagging. She had suggested that her mother set him up with her elder sister Yazmin. Then she had that dream, and she knew the truth.

He was always meant for Yazmin. She had stolen her sister’s intended love.

Yazmin was born three years before Laela. The sisters lived a life where their parents worked, and Yazmin had to be the responsible sister. However, in this life, she did not hide her dislike for her sibling. Instead, she bullied her sister. Laela could not walk down the same hall at school with her sister.

Laela never understood her sister’s dislike. Always seeking connection, she was sensitive to her sister's needs. The trouble was, Laela did better at school and was gifted with creativity and athleticism. Their parents always asked, “Why can’t you be more like your sister?”.

Without a doubt, Yazmin fell in love with the young man, they married, and had children. Laela made sure to keep Yazmin in her life; yet, they kept a distance. Yazmin and her husband would move to live in another country. The sisters would not see each other in person except for a handful of times when schedules allowed. However, their friendship and relationship blossomed through new forms of communication via email and Facetime.

The wheels of Karma are strange, but perhaps, the rift would be healed this time.