At the End of the Day (Enald)

[kayla]

Leshya had gone back to the work she had been doing after Eamon left the study. She had left the requisition forms on Enald's desk with a note asking him to sign them. She had then returned to the lower levels of the Hold, throwing herself into the care of the sick and the comforting of parents and siblings (and in some cases adult children) of the sick. If anyone noticed that her expression was grimmer or sadder, they chalked it up to the disease itself, to her sadness over seeing so many die, particularly children.

Her promise to Enald, to be done by diner, as far as Leshya was concerned did not apply to this situation. Children did not stop coughing or running fevers just because it was time to be done for the day. She had a quick bite when someone forced food into her hand and shooed her out for a moment - she couldn't even remember who it had been, probably someone sent by the Headwoman to make sure she ate. It was a couple of hours after dinner when she finally quite - then because the Headwoman had told her to go to bed, that others would take over for the night.

When Leshya returned to their bedroom, she quickly changed and then did what she had wanted to do since Eamon had given her the news earlier that day. Since Enald was not there, she crawled into the bed and curled up into a ball, letting the tears roll down her cheeks - not only from Nevon but the suffering caused by the disease.

[thedreamerlady]

Enald strode into the room, feeling dirty, sore, and a little irritated. Some fool of a drudge had broken a door in a food storeroom, hadn't bothered to report it. The tunnelsnakes had used it for a secure breeding ground. Sometimes Enald wondered how such obvious incompetence was allowed in his hold. Thankfully it hadn't been good supplies that had been ruined- mostly just wine he'd been aging. It was only a single turn old, and of an inferior turn.

If had been a different room- the herb room, or the grain room, well that could have been a true disaster. He would need to speak to someone about looking out for that, shards, the kids who hunted tunnelsnakes should have noticed. Slipping silently out of his clothes, the Lord slid into bed, and sthingyed up next to his wife. Enald thought she was probably sleeping, and didn't wish to disturb her.

[kayla]

When Leshya felt Enald climb into bed, she turned to seek comfort from him. She did not say anything, but she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him as much as she could lying in bed.

The tears had stopped, though if he looked at her face, he would see her puffy eyes and tear streaked cheeks. She drew comfort from his presence, from knowing that regardless of how their marriage had been arranged or what had come before, that she was where she belonged.

After a few moments of silently holding to her husband, Leshya spoke softly. "I love you."

[thedreamerlady]

Leshya startled him slightly when she burrowed into his body. He'd been expecting an asleep wife, not an awake woman. Forcing himself to remain awake, he reach up and stroked her cheek. It was wet.

"I love you, dearest." He pulled her close, and paused a second before continuing. Enald wasn't one to speak, even at his most talkative, and he formatted words carefully before saying anything.

"Is something wrong?" Prying was never something healthy to do in a trusting relationship- he'd been told that once. It was glaringly obvious something was wrong, what with her wet cheeks, and not yet being asleep. She'd been working all day- perhaps a child had died, or she'd been more scared than he thought about their possible child. Not expecting anymore shocking than that, Enald relaxed slightly, still stroking her cheek lightly.

[kayla]

She nodded and for a moment she just laid there, letting him comfort her. His hand stroking her cheek felt nice and him holding her close was what she needed more than anything.

And she was not sure how to say what was bothering her. How does a woman tell her husband, the man she loves, that she is crying because a former lover is dead? Though there's so much more to it than that. She sighed and nuzzled against him.

"Eamon, our Harper, told me this afternoon that Nevon didn't lie to me and leave me. He was killed." She pressed on before Enald could get upset. "I feel guilty. All this time I've hated him, but he didn't do anything for me to hate him for. I just feel like I've done this terrible wrong by hating him." She sighed, "And I feel like I'm supposed to be all sad that my life was stolen from me, but... the truth of the matter is that that's not the case. I am with the man I love. I... I just feel like I've done a terrible disservice to his memory."

[thedreamerlady]

Enald stiffened at the mention of Nevon.

Nevon, the man who'd stolen his Wife's heart before they'd married, and then left her. Enald had never wanted to hear of the man- never again, at the very least. But here Lesh was, crying over Nevon. Enald wasn't sure what to think.

He forced himself to relax, trying to listen to Leshya, only hearing the last bit of her statement.

I... I just feel like I've done a terrible disservice to his memory.

"You can't help it." Enald said, attempting to comfort her. "No one thought to inform you. You'll just have to change from today on."

[kayla]

Lesh felt her husband stiffen and closed her eyes. She had hoped he would understand. She needed him to understand. He had to know how much she loved him. How she would not trade her life with him for anything.

But before she could protest all that, he spoke. And while she could hear some... discomfort in his voice, his words were meant to comfort and didn't push her away.

Lesh couldn't help it, she held tighter to him at his words and looked into his eyes, "Thank you, Enald. Thank you for understanding. I love you. I love you so much. And I hope you know that you are the only man for me." She moved to kiss him softly.

She still felt bad for what she'd done to Nevon's memory, but that Enald wasn't upset and that she could change it, helped a lot.