A/N: Anon at oldschoolbwkink meme said:
I want to see something from a mod I saw a while back. Keldorn's wife doesn't think the marriage can be mended, and she calls it quits. Keldorn is absolutely devastated, and he asks to rejoin the Bhaalspawn on her quest in order to die in service to his god, because he can't see the point anymore. Bhaalspawn (would die happy if she's a paladin) looks up to Keldorn, so much that she wants to help. She talks to him, sits by the fire with him in the evening, trying to get him to snap out of his depression. She knows he's a man of honour, and so does he, and something more grows between them. They find a mutual affection growing between them, and this bothers Keldorn, mainly because he's that much older than her.
So, there had been about five different versions of how to take this prompt. And since I'm a sucker for Five and One kind of stories, this is "Moments In Time" aka "Five times Maria still might have a chance and the one time she knew it was definitely over."
Moments in Time
One
Maria sees him together with the Bhaalspawn girl for the very first time when they make their way to the Firecam estate. Obviously, they needed to take care of some business in the Government District, and Keldorn decided he may actually visit his family.
It shouldn't fill her with glee to see his face fall when she tells him about Sir William – but after so many nights spent alone and cold, company of anyone would be enough.
The rest of his company – two women, one young human in a leather armour, with a small shield and a sword on her hip, the other, obviously with elven ancestors, dressed in strange mix of armours and holding a staff; three men – one of them obviously a part of the Order, the other two standing in shadows so she couldn't take proper look at them – all looked rather uncomfortable, while she talked to her husband.
She left them standing there, her heart filled with worry over fate of Sir William – but at the same time feeling light, for they finally talked about how much his constant absence weights on his family. It's just bad that the words had to be said in front of strangers – and although it's not their fault, she can't help the feeling of resentment towards them.
Two
It's only hours after their first meeting when Keldorn and the girl appear in the estate again. The girl looks at her with understanding, when she walks from her room to meet with them, giving Keldorn a smile as he explains that nothing bad befell on Sir William, for they only talked and he decided to leave the Order to be with his family.
The girl nods to that, quickly saying that she may occasionally call on him for help, but that otherwise, she releases him from her services. She left then, offering them a nod of farewell, before she let herself out, leaving them alone.
It took almost two months before she appears in their estate again, frantically asking for Keldorn's assistance and to Maria, it's almost as a release from a prison.
She loved him once – but love could take her only so far.
Three
When she hears about them next time, it's from their maid Peony, about a month later after she called their marriage annulled.
So, the night before they had returned to Athkatla, and while the Bhaalspawn – now she knows the girl is a Spawn of Bhaal, and her name is Amy – retired soon, Keldorn staying in the common room, later joining the wedding celebration, even dancing.
Peony tells her that he had been heavily drunk at the time he invited similarly drunken woman to dance, and part of her can't help but be appalled about that. She actually sees him that day, the Bhaalspawn gazing at him with worried eyes while he carried some heavier stuff around for her, looking a bit pained to be in direct sun.
She receives a letter from him week later, full of begging and pleas for letting him go back. She didn't know why her lips pressed together in displeasure.
Also, she never responds to the letter, and before anyone could find it, she burns it in the fireplace in her room.
Four
When they are in Athkatla next time, yet another few weeks later, running errands all around the City of Coins, she catches a sight of them.
From the companions, only the Bhaalspawn and the half-elven woman remain, otherwise their companions seem rather unused to the company. Keldorn remains close to the leader, his eyes following her every movement as they talk, so he doesn't notice his ex-wife, and since none of their companions does know her or sees her, they can't tell him about her presence, so she is free to observe.
He gestures animatedly when he talks now, the young woman smirking at whatever he said, and part of her wonders what they are talking about.
Five
It's another couple of months before she hears about their presence in Athkatla again – they just appeared for a short time before, and left on a ship, as people tell her, this being their first sighting in so long. She almost stumbles into them in the Temple district, and she almost can't recognize the company Keldorn is in.
There is pink-haired girl, the half-elf, the squire-turned-knight, the last of Corthala line (he was amongst those who heard her saying Keldorn about having an affair, she learnt), a drow of all possible people to travel with and… the Bhaalspawn looked like death warmed over; pale, with dark circles around her eyes, her clothing hanging on her body as if she were a scarecrow.
The girl is talking to the pink-haired one, hands moving while she speaks – when all of sudden, her eyes rolls backwards and she is falling to the ground, the whole group rushing to her. Keldorn is the one who catches her before she hits the ground while their pink-haired companion holding her hand, as she slowly comes around.
That's when she noticed. Keldorn is no longer wearing his squire ring; instead the Amy girl has it on her hand. Her own hands close into fists in envy – whenever she had asked him about the ring, he always told her he is not taking it off. The pink- girl looks up to see her stewing in her anger, her eyes flashing strangely and to her, it seemed as if they could see right into her thoughts.
She leaves quickly – but not before seeing the Amy girl hide her face in Keldorn's neck and Keldorn kissing her hair, as he cradled her in his arms.
Six
It takes over a year before Keldorn is seen again in Athkatla – and his arrival is preceded by letter asking about allowing his daughters to meet his new wife, Amy Goriona. So he decided to take a trophy wife – pretty and youthful… She is seething when she tells the girls they are to prepare to attend their father's wedding – the girl take up on her animosity towards the 'new woman' in their father's life, and whenever is the new Lady Firecam mentioned, they grimace.
Yet the wedding is an affair from a fairy-tale, attentive groom and beaming bride, full of laughter and with many important people in attendance… It makes her jealous, all this happiness. They surely weren't as happy when it was her wedding with Keldorn. Keldorn weren't as happy when it was their wedding.
She has her freedom and independence, but right now, that is a cold comfort, just like the fact that all this happiness started by something of her doing. All she can do is to smile, or at least look polite, because everyone is looking at her, judging her for reactions.
And she keeps smiling, if only not to let them know how unhappy she really is.