He sees her laughing with the king and feels a twinge of familiarity. They are at a dinner with the king and once again, someone he loves so dearly is not favoring him as much as someone else. Being a man who reads hearts easily, he thought that he had read hers. Perhaps he had been wrong. He doubts himself once again and wishes that he were someone else.
'My lord,' she says suddenly, her hand on his arm. It is gentle and warm, so unlike his father's hand on his arm. 'Is something the matter? You have been quiet all evening.'
He noticed that she is no longer talking to the king.
'How can one talk when one is sitting next to a lady beautiful beyond renown?' He says.
She is not distracted by his compliment, even though he is telling her the truth. 'Please tell me what is wrong. I know it has something to do with me and I wish that it were out in the open between us. You know that I do not enjoy hiding.'
He sighed. 'Yes, I do know. However, I do not believe that this has more to do with you than it has to do with me. Forgive me for being so distant about this matter; it is simply something I have to come to terms with myself.'
She watches him as he speaks and notices that he is looking at the king sitting at the head of the table. She suddenly realizes that he has been listening to the rumors lately. She remembers his silences when she talks to the king and understands now.
'Do not be alarmed, husband. You used to believe that it was all nonsense. Have you turned so quickly?'
He glances at her startled. 'Aye, I believed that. You were in grief then and you turned to me because I knew what you had been going through. Now that the Shadow has departed, is it his turn now?'
She flinches at the bitterness in his voice. 'No.'
'How can you be so sure?'
She paused before replying as if considering her words. When she has made up her mind, she looked at him with sincerity in her grey eyes. 'My Shadow has already departed when he came back.'
When he saw her talking to the king later that night, he joined in and the king smiled.