Yikes…sorry it took so long! I've had it written for a while now.
Chapter Three- Confessions
Ithilien was peaceful. The sun had just set and the moon was up, casting a pale glow across the city. Everything looked so peaceful—the exact opposite of how Elwyn felt. Ever since her father had made a failed attempt to allow her to court Adrian, she became even more miserable. Knowing that he was promised in courtship to someone made her ten times worse. At least the sleep deprivation in the first few weeks of her misery had allowed her to sleep peacefully now. But sleep and time did nothing to heal the pain she felt.
To clear her head, she decided to take a walk. It was unlikely, but maybe some of Ithilien's peace would rub off on her. It was worth a try.
She slipped out a side door and into the streets of Ithilien. Spotting a road less traveled, she took it, focusing on the scenery. Unfortunately for Elwyn, Adrian was walking along the same road as she way. "I did not expect to see you here, Lady Elwyn," Adrian commented with a short bow.
Elwyn curtsied shallowly and replied, "Please, call me Elwyn. And I did not expect to see anyone here."
"It sometimes seems that the things you least expect to happen end up happening…or perhaps it is only my way of thinking," he said thoughtfully.
"It is not only you, Adrian. I see it like that as well, though there are times when things do go how one expects them to," she thought aloud.
The was a lull in their conversation before Adrian questioned, "How are things for you?"
Elwyn was not exactly sure how to answer. Should she tell him how miserable she had been for the past two months? Or should she like and say things were superb? "They could be better. The thing holding me back cannot be changed, so I am trying to move past it," she finally admitted.
"I understand. Has your courtship with Alaric been going well, if you do not mind my asking?" Adrian wondered.
"As good as it can be. I have not see him much because…my heart belongs to another," she responded daringly.
It was risky, she knew, but she would rather say that she had tried than give up now. A broken heart would heal eventually.
"Once again, I am in the same situation," Adrian groaned.
Elwyn smiled a bit. "Yes, I have heard. Your parents promised your courtship to a sixteen-year-old.
"They did," Adrian verified.
There was another silence between them. "Elwyn…do you ever look at the stars and think that there are so many…yet there is one that seems more beautiful than all the others?" Adrian questioned.
Elwyn knew that he was not speaking literally. "Yes, but the star does not only seem more beautiful than all the others. To me, it is the most beautiful, fairest star in the sky," she explained.
"And now, bathed in the glow of this beauteous wonder, I find myself unable to word my love," he confessed at long last.
"I cannot help but feel the same way about you, Adrian. Though I am supposed to be courting your brother, I am in love with you," she professed.
Those words lifted a great weight from the couple. They had been freed from the heavy burden of their hidden emotions.
Adrian shot Elwyn a questioning look. She responded with a small smile. Finally, Adrian looked Elwyn squarely in the eyes and kissed her with ardor, the ardor that burned like red flame within him.
As their lips separated, they did not think of the people that they were supposed to be courting. They did not think of the consequences that their actions could bring to them. They only thought of the fulfillment of their love for one another.
They stood in the night, kissing, the stars the only witnesses to their forbidden love. After what was either a few hours or a few minutes, Adrian met gaze with Elwyn and wondered, "Do you think that I could walk you home?"
She tore here eyes away from the deep green of his and responded, "It would be better if you did not. If Alaric were to know…"
"I see. Will you tell him?" Adrian questioned.
"Yes, as soon as I feel it is safe. I want to ease my courtship with Alaric into something less," she explained.
"Goodnight, Elwyn. No matter what happens, I will love you," Adrian vowed.
"And I will love you with the same fervor, Adrian. I will not allow things with Alaric to progress; I cannot let that happen while I love you. Goodnight," she bade him with a kiss.
They turned down separate streets and returned to their houses. Neither of them put much thought into how painful the price of a romantic night together would cost. For that same night, Alaric sat awake, thinking of Elwyn. He could not put her fro his mind, no matter how he tried.
She was beautiful and a very intelligent woman, and Alaric wanted her to know how serious he was about their courtship. Tomorrow, I will show her how I feel. I will kiss her, he decided.