That evening, two women sat in their rooms.
The first was a golden-haired one. She was fast asleep- taking a little nap before dinner, when she heard a soft knock on her door. And another knock. And another. Softly, she yawned and opened her eyes.
"Enter…"
Galathil opened the door and smiled as he saw her sleepy eyes.
"Were you asleep, Artanis? I am sorry I have woken you, but…"
She smiled. "But what?"
He cleared his throat- but did not say anything. Did that woman before him realize how beautiful she was, with that pale, soft skin, with that sweet, rosy blush on her cheeks, with those delightful blue eyes of hers? Did she realize how much he was charmed by her? With a sigh, he kept staring at her, until, with an encouraging smile, she pressed the matter.
"What is it you want to say to me, Galathil?"
He sighed again and smiled, as he took her hand. For a moment, it seemed like she would withdraw it from his hands, but she did not. She just repeated.
"What do you want to say to me?"
And then, suddenly, he asked, as if he had to be sure of it before he asked her something else.
"Artanis, do you like me?"
He observed her sharply as she opened her mouth. What would she answer? Yes- or…
But the Lady smiled and assured him "Yes, Galathil, I can honestly say that I like you. Yes…"
Galathil smiled, and then, he suddenly found his courage.
"Well, then, Artanis, then I think we should marry each other."
With a large smile on his face, he looked at her, expecting a positive answer. But Artanis's face went even paler than before, and she seemed to hesitate as she opened her mouth. And then, she spoke the word that's the biggest fear of every proposing man. With a very soft, hesitating voice she said it, but she díd say it.
"No…"
Galathil's mouth fell open as he gazed at her in surprise.
"No? What do you mean?"
Her answer was very obvious.
"I do not want to marry you…" she answered, louder than before, and surer as well.
Galathil stared at her, and then sighed, and with a weak, hurt voice, he asked desperately
"But why, Artanis? Just- tell me why."
She nodded. "Yes, I will tell you. Oh, Galathil…" She laid her hand on his.
"Do not think that I do not like you, or that you have done something wrong. It is just that I do not love you. I cannot love you. I am sorry."
"Artanis. You will learn to love me, Artanis. I will give you everything…"
"No." she raised her hand. "I do not want to be taught how to love someone, Galathil."
She sighed.
"I am sorry. We would never be happy, Galathil. I am sorry."
Galathil nodded and smiled weakly.
"It's okay. I think a-a part of me already realized that you were not meant to be mine. But I regret it- oh, how I regret it. For I do love you. I love you."
"I know…" Artanis muttered softly. "I know."
"But if you cannot love me, it's all in vain, and I will not try to make you love me anymore. I am leaving, Artanis. Good- goodbye."
And he left, with a last, long, loving glance at Artanis.
As he closed the door, the Lady stood up. She was not sad, and it surprised her. She felt pity for Galathil, but nothing else. In fact, she felt better than she'd felt for days. It was over. It was hard to say it, but it was finally over. She had done the right thing. She knew she had done the right thing.
Sighing, Artanis looked out of her window.
Still, it had been hard for her. Galathil would have been a nice, merry husband, for he was a nice merry man. And still. A little voice inside her had told her, that she would throw away her own happiness if she would marry him. She had to be selfish, now. She had never been selfish, but now, she had had to.
"I had to." she repeated.
"I had to."
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The first was a golden-haired one. She was fast asleep- taking a little nap before dinner, when she heard a soft knock on her door. And another knock. And another. Softly, she yawned and opened her eyes.
"Enter…"
Galathil opened the door and smiled as he saw her sleepy eyes.
"Were you asleep, Artanis? I am sorry I have woken you, but…"
She smiled. "But what?"
He cleared his throat- but did not say anything. Did that woman before him realize how beautiful she was, with that pale, soft skin, with that sweet, rosy blush on her cheeks, with those delightful blue eyes of hers? Did she realize how much he was charmed by her? With a sigh, he kept staring at her, until, with an encouraging smile, she pressed the matter.
"What is it you want to say to me, Galathil?"
He sighed again and smiled, as he took her hand. For a moment, it seemed like she would withdraw it from his hands, but she did not. She just repeated.
"What do you want to say to me?"
And then, suddenly, he asked, as if he had to be sure of it before he asked her something else.
"Artanis, do you like me?"
He observed her sharply as she opened her mouth. What would she answer? Yes- or…
But the Lady smiled and assured him "Yes, Galathil, I can honestly say that I like you. Yes…"
Galathil smiled, and then, he suddenly found his courage.
"Well, then, Artanis, then I think we should marry each other."
With a large smile on his face, he looked at her, expecting a positive answer. But Artanis's face went even paler than before, and she seemed to hesitate as she opened her mouth. And then, she spoke the word that's the biggest fear of every proposing man. With a very soft, hesitating voice she said it, but she díd say it.
"No…"
Galathil's mouth fell open as he gazed at her in surprise.
"No? What do you mean?"
Her answer was very obvious.
"I do not want to marry you…" she answered, louder than before, and surer as well.
Galathil stared at her, and then sighed, and with a weak, hurt voice, he asked desperately
"But why, Artanis? Just- tell me why."
She nodded. "Yes, I will tell you. Oh, Galathil…" She laid her hand on his.
"Do not think that I do not like you, or that you have done something wrong. It is just that I do not love you. I cannot love you. I am sorry."
"Artanis. You will learn to love me, Artanis. I will give you everything…"
"No." she raised her hand. "I do not want to be taught how to love someone, Galathil."
She sighed.
"I am sorry. We would never be happy, Galathil. I am sorry."
Galathil nodded and smiled weakly.
"It's okay. I think a-a part of me already realized that you were not meant to be mine. But I regret it- oh, how I regret it. For I do love you. I love you."
"I know…" Artanis muttered softly. "I know."
"But if you cannot love me, it's all in vain, and I will not try to make you love me anymore. I am leaving, Artanis. Good- goodbye."
And he left, with a last, long, loving glance at Artanis.
As he closed the door, the Lady stood up. She was not sad, and it surprised her. She felt pity for Galathil, but nothing else. In fact, she felt better than she'd felt for days. It was over. It was hard to say it, but it was finally over. She had done the right thing. She knew she had done the right thing.
Sighing, Artanis looked out of her window.
Still, it had been hard for her. Galathil would have been a nice, merry husband, for he was a nice merry man. And still. A little voice inside her had told her, that she would throw away her own happiness if she would marry him. She had to be selfish, now. She had never been selfish, but now, she had had to.
"I had to." she repeated.
"I had to."
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