Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Courtly Love on the Field of Battle
A storm cloud which had been brewing over the camp suddenly thrust its way through, crackling with thunder and rage as Aerywyn flung the tent flap aside. For a moment he stood just beyond the threshold, long dark strands of lank hair clinging to his head and neck, as rivulets of water ran down his chainmail and dripped off his figure. His face was darkened and his blue eyes were cold as ice, and when they locked with a stunned Madelena he was in a battle just to maintain his composure, until finally, slowly, he found the words to voice his frustrations.
"It stings my heart to see you think such things of me. Do you know the fear I felt when I first heard Cypreana had been wounded? Do you know the anguish that ate away at me as I was torn between riding to her aid and performing my duties as knight, Marshal and Protector of Arcaea?!"
By now he was shouting above the pattering of rain on the tent, and was broken only by the thunderous cries of the sky. His voice then became strained as he struggled to force it down again. He was in arms reach of Madelena.
"No... For a week I have not seen even a glimpse of her face, not since she was lost here before. I trusted that the good men she had with her would protect her from harm or imprisonment, even though they had already failed her that twice... and now you pick apart my words for insults and pettily try to... see..."
Aerywyn's eyes lost their wildness, and what he saw in the look she gave him, he took for fear. A deep sense of shame grew quickly to overwhelm him to a point where Aerywyn could barely speak or meet her gaze. He turned from her and sat upon a chest so that he held his face in his hands, lest she see the tears now staining his cheeks, and his entire body bespoke his weariness.
"Please... I must... the gods know how much I love her... and the gods know how tired I am... I apologise", Aerywyn said meekly.
Aerywyn Haerthorne Lord Protector of Arcaea, Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
Madelena was stunned at Aerywyn's unannounced entrance in her tent, and at the way in which he spoke to her. She had never seen this side of her soon-to-be brother-in-law before and it rocked her to the core. She was speechless and physically had to do everything in her power not to recoil from him in fear. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest.
As he spat out his worry over Cypreana's well-being and began to cry, Madelena came and sat next to him, gently putting an arm around his shoulder.
"Aerywyn, she wants to serve this realm. She wants to fight. She wants to fight with you. Believe me, I would much rather have all of my family safe at home in Orbeh right now. I know that Tenal has tried to get me away from the front myself. We all want to protect our loved ones. But you have to let her do what she needs to do to serve this realm. You have to let her risk dying in order to fully live."
She felt a melancholy come over her as she spoke these words to Aerywyn. She hated this war. She wanted things to go back to the time of the royal wedding. She wanted people to be happy again. She rubbed her belly without thinking and could swear for the first time that she felt the baby move inside of her. It was a strange sensation, unlike anything she had experienced before. It was like being on a ship, moving up and down on the ocean, only from the inside out.
"Aerywyn please don't be mad at me. I am tired too, and I don't think I can take it right now." Madelena promptly burst into tears too.
Lady Madelena Rossini Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
At the mention of death, Aerywyn felt a know tie itself deep within his gut, yet he took comfort from her warmth and care. It was a suprise then when she began to cry herself, tears welling in those stark blue eyes. He dismissed his own fears for he felt a little stronger now thanks to the woman beside him, and in return held her in his arms, stroking her hair whilst Madelena released her own tension.
He caught sight of her absent minded rubbing and smiled as his suspicion was further proven. There was only one other man in the entire realm who knew. It may be her sister whom he loved as a man, but it was the lady here whom he loved as if he were her brother.
"Maddy... how could I be mad at you...". She hated war, she hated people getting hurt, this he knew.
With a soft kiss placed upon her head, Aerywyn put his hand over hers, over Madelena's womb, and sang softly a gentle song. A part of him wondered if the child could hear it too.
Aerywyn Haerthorne Lord Protector of Arcaea, Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
Sweeping the tent flaps aside, Tenal cheerfully announced his presence, "Darling, it's your belov..."
Tenal froze, one hand still holding up the tent, his eyes locked on the closely huddled pair of the Lord Protector Aerywyn and his fiancee the Imperial Magistrate Madelena. He tried to take it all in, even as his blood pounded in his ears. He knew they were close, but wasn't Aerywyn supposed to be with Cypreanna? Then what were they...? Looking back and forth between the pair, the silence lengthening, Tenal's thoughts whirled. Just bad timing? Perhaps...but then why the tears! Both Aerywyn and Madelena were crying, or at least sniffling. Their hands touching over Madelena's stomach, and now that he thought about it, didn't he hear a man's voice singing softly just before he entered the tent?
Aerywyn was the...father?
No! It couldn't be....but that made a strange sort of sense. Aerywyn wanted Madelena. Tenal had heard the stories from the Orbeh manor staff when he had first arrived. Then Cypreanna came, a twin sister of Madelena. If you can't have what you want, then why not a copy!? Still, somewhere down the road, something happened....like when Madelena and Tenal had that huge fight a few weeks back. Madelena...running to the arms of a comforter. Aerywyn! Passion of the moment! Scandal!
His face reddening with fury, Tenal felt like he was going to explode. He opened his mouth to yell and scream, then paused as a stray thought occurred to him. Patience. Think. Trust.
He didn't trust enough. He hadn't really trusted anyone since the traitor Ascanius revealed his true colors. Not since the Sartanian Generals, 3 in a row, all betrayed the realm for greed and power. He needed to trust again. He needed to repair that flaw in him.
He took a deep breath. Then another. "I need an explanation!" said Tenal in a strained voice, with his arm still holding up the tent.
Sir Tenal Quasath Count of Orbeh
Fear sent a jolt through Aerywyn’s body, in such a vulnerable state as he was, and by the time he had span about to stand and face the intruder, he was more than ready to draw the long hunting knife at his belt. It was then that he recognised Tenal.
“Tenal! Oh… bloody… I had thought…” He was stumbled, looking down as he grasped for an excuse for his aggressive reaction.
Though there was shame and apology replacing the sudden fire in his eyes, his hand still gripped the knife-handle tight. He did not seem to have noticed it. As he became further aware of the dark look in Tenal’s eyes, and of Madelana looking on, Aerywyn winced as he realised how bad the situation must have looked. The fierce Sartanian certainly had thought so. After a deep breath, and release, the general began to sort out his words.
“My friend, I… you know of the friendship between myself and you’re betrothed, do you not? She and I love one another, that is true, but not as you love her.”
Speaking on such a dangerous subject, Aerywyn could feel how dry his lips were. Would Tenal believe something he himself had found trouble coming to a conclusion on? He shook his head, knowing he could not deny that he would die for both the sisters, regardless of which one he had fallen for. Yet that one was still Cypreana. Besides…
“She loves you, Tenal.”
Aerywyn Haerthorne Lord Protector of Arcaea, Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
Madelena went from pleasure to horror when Tenal appeared in her tent. She too quickly realized how things must look from his perspective, and Aerywyn's mention of love, even the brotherly kind, was not helping matters.
"My love, Aerywyn and I had quarreled because he, like you with me, wanted to protect Cypreana from the front. He believe he just realized that a future nephew or niece was on the way and was taking delight in that fact. Please don't look at me like that..."
Madelena stood up and went and sat on the bed. Her feet had started to swell and her back was hurting and she needed to rest.
Lady Madelena Rossini Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Back in Madelena's tent, Aerywyn's first reaction only fueled Tenal's suspicions. Only a guilty man, caught in the act of secret love, would go for his knife so quickly. Still though, he was the Lord Protector, and Tenal would not draw on him unless he knew for certain the truth.
The words that came from Aerywyn then were confusing. It was an apology...of sorts. It was also a confession of love and loss. Tenal almost felt pity for the man, caught in his desire for love. Almost. No matter what the conclusion of this situation, Aerywyn would forever more be a man to watch carefully.
The final words though, "She loves you, Tenal," rang of truth and sorrow. A love forever denied to one, was wholly given to him. Tenal relaxed his posture at the tent entrance, pointedly ignoring the fact that Aerywyn still had his hand on his dagger. "Then all is well," he said.
Madelena spoke up, "My love, Aerywyn and I had quarreled because he, like you with me, wanted to protect Cypreana from the front. He believe he just realized that a future nephew or niece was on the way and was taking delight in that fact. Please don't look at me like that..."
Tenal realized his face was still tight with residual anger, and he had been glaring at his fiancee. He stretched and cracked his neck to relieve the tension. As Madelena moved to the bed, Tenal followed and sat down beside her. He laid her down, her head propped up, and began to massage her legs and feet. Turning to Aerywyn, he said "I believe the matter is resolved then, Lord Protector. However, to make sure these mistakes don't happen again, perhaps it's best if you don't visit my fiancee privately. Naturally you may visit, but include an entourage. Good day, sir."
As he massaged his beloved, Tenal began to tell a story of courage and bravery to Madelena's stomach. Girl or boy, it didn't matter. The child would be strong.
Sir Tenal Quasath Count of Orbeh
Those last words gnawed away at his pride, and it took an effort to quell the wave of indignation that arose. Tenal’s experiences in Sartania, where a once proud realm had been brought to her knees, had no doubt hardened his view on people. Aenil above, but it was clear what he thought. He himself had no idea how or why he came here, but Aerywyn felt intense regret at the foul taste that had been left here because of him.
But it was just that. The love he held for Madelena was not at all like the way he felt about Cypreana… the one didn’t inspire the desire he felt for the other, nor, he recalled, did he ever leave Cyp with a single heavy thought on his heart or mind.
He was about to tell Tenal not to overstep his authority, that he had all that he did only because of his love, that he could not stop Aerywyn from visiting the woman who would be his sister. He did not.
“Good day to you as well, Sir”, he replied, speaking truly without a trace of ire or venom. “You have my deepest apologies for having caused you or yours any undue distress.”
Finally he released his grip on the knife, having barely noticed his hand being there. Anything that had been plaguing his mind before when he entered the tent were now being dissolved into insignificance as he turned on his heel and left. Those that saw him noticed a look of calm peace upon his face, and his eyes held that far off look that was not uncommon to the Haerthorne family. He was already ensorceled by the serenity of his lover’s eyes, long before he had caught sight of their tent, and saw the lilac petals resting upon her face and body as they lay entangled in his mind…
Aerywyn Haerthorne Lord Protector of Arcaea, Marshal of the Tribute Collecting Army
