Candlelit Confessions
"You should have told me" she said sorrowfully. The candlelight lit her beautiful features. Bash looked at her guiltily, Delphine clutched Kenna's necklace within her now tight hands.
"You still love her don't you?" she accused him angrily.
Bash gulped and stared at the ground shuffling his feet uncomfortably. He regretably now realised that he was entirely too sober for this conversation. He should have drunk more wine earlier this evening. Bash's growing feelings for Delphine and his ever present love for Kenna waring inside his chest as he listened to her rantings.
He knew it was best to be honest rather than lie to her again, she wasn't meant to find the necklace but she had. Now he couldn't refuse all knowledge of the object that was now blantantly staring him in the face. Bash ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Delphine. He was like a rabbit caught in a trap with no means of escape.
She stood looking at him smoldering in her anger and to him in that moment, she looked beautiful.
"Of course I still love Kenna. She is my wife" he admitted helplessly.
Delphine shook her head and snorted in disbelief.
"I took my vows seriously Delphine. We are bound in marriage until death, we were married by the king. I didn't expect to fall in love with her but I did" he explained bluntly.
Delphine stared at him angrily barely hearing his words.
"Yet you still took me to your bed" she shouted angrily
"You knew I was married. I never hide that fact from you" he shouted back, his temper rising. He took offense at the hurt tone which crept into her voice.
She flinched slightly at his harsh words but inwardly agreed with them.
"Yes I knew you were married. Lots of men are married but I thought your heart was free and through time you might come to love me" she stated bitterly, realising now that it was pointless to keep arguing this point.
Bash looked up at her words, surprised by her honest words and bitter tone. He stared at her seeing the hurt she felt clearly written on her face.
"Delphine I ..." he began but was quickly cut off with a sharp glance from her.
"Don't bother lying to me Bash. It's my own foolish fault for hoping that we could be more than we were" she replied harshly.
Suddenly Delphine threw the necklace at him in a fit of rage, Bash lunged to catch it before it hit the stone floor.
"I won't make the same mistake twice" she stated simply.
Without another word Delphine turned and stormed out of his chambers. Bash ran a hand through his hair once more. He had too many thoughts currently running through his head. He needed to relax in order to sort out his jumbled thoughts which meant he needed more wine.
Bash knew she had spoken the truth, he had let her build this relationship into something that it could never be. Not once had he stopped her or stated plainly what they were to one other in his eyes. He had been too absorbed in her company but yet he still held onto Kenna's necklace. He had found it lying abandoned in her chambers after her departure and held onto it.
He knew deep down in his heart that he still loved Kenna. His wife had a unique hold on him that he had never exprienced since. A part of him would always love Kenna and he now realised that he had been unfair to Delphine and himself by refusing to admit it. His wife's departure had cut him deeply and he knew that in his heart, a small part of him hoped that one day they could work out their differences despite her betrayal.
Bash looked around the room which had now grown silentand he walked over the chest that lay on the table. He dropped the necklace into it. Then he walked out of his chambers following her direction but in pursuit of wine to help drown his sorrows. He wanted to try and keep his troubles at bay for a while longer before he chose to face them.
Author Note: This was written for Amber on the GGE Drabble Tag on the gift-giving forum. Please read and review.