Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 27, 2010 9:59:02 GMT -5
“Leave you? By the Valar, no! What could give you that idea?” Faeldor answered immediately. “You must believe me when I say that love you, Gilwen. No matter if you can bear me a child or not. You have already told me your fears on that matter, and Miriel told me that you were fretting on it again earlier. If I had taken issue over the matter, you certainly would have known, my love. I would not have led you on.”
“I want you.” To illustrate his point, Faeldor tilted Gilwen’s face to him, and kissed the woman again. “Just you.” He let his hand caress her gently, down her neck, and to her back, coursing down her side. He simply wanted to still her from those doubts and fears that she seemed to maintain; that he would leave her. It took strength of mind to touch the woman in such a way. Her gaunt frame saddened him more with every inch that his hands passed over her. But the man was not oblivious to the fact that Gilwen needed human touch, and needed to feel his love as much as she heard it.
Though, as Faeldor began to touch the woman so affectionately, he began to displace himself from the moment, and he smiled, enjoying the fact that the lady was back in her mind’s state. He leaned down to kiss her cheeks and let his hand continue to caress her back to complacency. “You know that I desire you, my Starlight. So much do I look forward to taking you as my wife, and having you in my arms each night and each morning. And I will have for you a silk night dress to wear.”
“And I do not doubt that you will be a mother,” the man said, as his hand finally made its way to rest over her stomach, pressing lightly and affectionately against her. It remained difficult for the man to keep from frowning at the hollowness of how her body felt at the time, though knowing that she would recover he managed himself.
“You are very strong. A woman any weaker would not have made it. It takes a woman of the strongest type to be a mother, and you should not be kept from what you are obviously made to do. So whether by our own blood, or if we need go the same route that my mother did with Eoric and Diore, you will have your babies; my babies. Could you look at Haliel and Diore, and make a choice of which child is better based on by whom they were born?” He shook his head, “No, neither could their mother, or I. And even my mother calls Eoric and Diore the son and daughter of Faelon. My father had not the chance to meet these little ones, yet such was the love of that husband so great for his wife and children, that my mother knows he would have loved them as much as she. They are all precious. You will be the mother to my children, and my love for you is as strong as my father’s was for my mother.”
Faeldor made the woman to look at him again, tilting her face toward his, though this time he did not kiss her. He simply leaned in and brushed his cheek against hers, looking at her closely. “And I am the one who does not care now, that you are still upset and tired. I am not waiting a moment longer to have you eat something, I want your strength back to you.”
He helped the woman to sit up straight again against the back of the headboard, and did not offer her the bowl that he took up from the side table where Miriel had left it, knowing that she would not be able to control her shaking and hands well enough to manage the spoon. He would feed her himself as he had before.
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 27, 2010 11:04:39 GMT -5
“Leave you? By the Valar, no! What could give you that idea?”
Gilwen immediately cuddled into him. “I dreamt it. Just now; Papa walked away from me, and you did, too. And…you were so angry. I did not mean to upset you.” She said nothing else, utterly unable to force her tongue to move any more. He continued to assure her he would not leave her, but the woman’s heart did not start to calm until she heard his words and felt his lips against hers: “I want you. Just you.”
Her arms sought to wrap themselves about him, and she struggled to pull herself closer. That kiss had begun to quell her, and the lady cherished his warmth and presence. He was her Horse Master; he was her love, and he was the one that was going to hold her for the rest of her days. She would never be able to love another, nor would she be able to watch him marry another. And he would not take a different bride, she could feel it in the way he began to touch her. She would not need to worry on it any longer.
His hands brushed over her, and Gilwen sighed; it was a contented sound. And while her trembling could not seem to cease, her heart was beginning to slow and her stomach was beginning to settle within her.
He brushed his cheek against hers, and she turned to bury her face within his hair, taking in absolutely everything about that moment. The smell of the stables that still lingered upon him from his time at work, the way his curls tickled her skin from where she had buried herself, the warmth of his skin and the feel of his beard as he nuzzled into her. She wanted him, too. Forever.
You know that I desire you, my Starlight. So much do I look forward to taking you as my wife, and having you in my arms each night and each morning. And I will have for you a silk night dress to wear.”
A statement that would have in the past brought a blush and scold from the little woman merely caused her to grip him tighter and to twist her head just enough to lay a kiss upon his ear. Her tears had stopped, and the only remnants of her tumultuous upset were the streaking tears and puffy eyes that she still bore. She wished to reply to his statement. She would wear the nightdress. Though, with what she knew about Faeldor and his affinity to silk, she doubted he would allow her to wear it long. But the thought did not bother her at that moment; she was irrevocably in love.
“And I do not doubt that you will be a mother.”
His hand had come to rest on her stomach, and almost instinctively the woman dropped her own to cover his and wrap her fingers about him. She had not yet smiled, the cloud of her distress still lingered enough to shroud such an action, and her relief was enough to bring more tears. But she was in control of everything but her shaking frame and the lady remained silent and tearless.
He began to speak again, this time saying things that seemed more beautiful than anything she had heard from him before. She tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes, listening. Yes, she had made it through her illness. Despite her size and meek appearance, the Gilwen was sturdy and hardy. She was perhaps more dwarflike than she had realized, marking her old nickname as more of a compliment than an insult. Though, her mind had not even gone to such things. She could not escape the thought that she had come so close to death and come back. It was, by all accounts the Valar’s work.
He spoke on his own mother’s adoptions of two children. Did she think them less beautiful than the rest of Meleth’s children? No. Both Eoric and Diore were lovely; their differences only made them unique, and they had melded in as one of the house’s blood perfectly. Another perfect match made by the Valar.
“You will be the mother to my children, and my love for you is as strong as my father’s was for my mother.”
He finished and the woman took a shaky breath, though raised her eyes to him for a moment. Slowly she leaned toward him and with a soft and gentle motion, brushed her lips against his jaw. Her love for him was just as strong, and while she had not the strength to speak, she prayed he knew it.
But she needed to say it. He liked words. Gilwen took a moment to gather her energy. “I love you,” she whispered. More than she had ever thought possible; never had she imagined looking at another the way she looked at her Faeldor.
He declared she was going to eat, and set her up against the headboard, fetching a bowl that appeared to be sitting upon the side table. She looked at him for a moment, a light frown coming to her face that he was once again to feed her, though it vanished shortly. Her pride was thrown aside. She was in no shape to care for herself rightly at the moment, and if he was willing to aide her, it was in her best interest to let him.
Slowly she reached a hand to lie upon his knee, a quiet compliance in her eyes. “I am sorry you have to do this. I know it must weigh heavy on you; you hold so much upon your shoulders already.”
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 27, 2010 12:33:44 GMT -5
It was very apparent to Faeldor that Gilwen loved him. But she felt the need to speak it anyway, and it lit in his eyes when she did so. “I did not mean to make you think that I was leaving you. You simply… told me to go. I was only trying to care for you and you sent me out of the room to speak to the last person on earth that I wished to speak to.” The man sighed. “Though it is good that you did.”
“My greatest sadness now is that you have been so desperately ill. That you are ill is not something that I can control, you see. So I wish you to do your best to rest and heal, and not to climb out of bed nor try to prove anything by pretending that you are stronger.
“And no doubt in a day or two, if we can get you rest and a full stomach, you will certainly begin to regain that strength. I think it will return quicker than we realize, for you are simply weak and shut down from illness and lack of food. But you still have a bit of muscle here on your bones, I’d say,” Faeldor smiled, taking a moment to run his hand along Gilwen’s arm and shoulder.
The man glanced down at the little hand pressed against his knee for a moment, and then gathered it up in his. “And look at this…” he said quietly, turning her white palm to face him. “Your little rest from scrubbing has left these hands softer than I remember. Did you notice?” The woman had been so discreet about her hands since he had met her, and he rarely commented on them, for fear of embarrassing her. Yet now the way they had been pink and chapped was fading, and though they were still rough at some points, his words were true. Perhaps they just seemed more delicate for they were thinner and paler than before, but Faeldor was certain that at least Gilwen could be pleased of the rest her hands had taken.
His smile was small, yet, he felt more content as he slowly took to feeding Gilwen. It gave him pleasure to see her sit contentedly, with more peace in her eyes than earlier. Perhaps she was ready to rest now, and just allow her body to heal. Fighting her caregivers would give her no gain in her healing, it was true.
“I do not want you to apologize to me for caring for you,” he finally said, directing back to the comment that she had made not too long ago. “I think that we will do a lot more caring for each other soon, and you would have done the same for me, I know. Perhaps sometime you will have to. I hope I should not be so ill or injured, but I know my Starlight will look after me better than any other.“
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 27, 2010 13:19:21 GMT -5
“Though it is good that you did.”
A smile came to Gilwen’s face finally that day since her time with Miriel earlier. “You both needed it.” She said quietly. “Thank you for going. I know…I know you did not want to. But it helps me to know both of your hearts are no longer as strained.” She said nothing else.
Slowly the man began to spoon-feed her, and while a bit of a color came to her cheeks she made no protest. Faeldor kept spirits light, though, with speech. He took his arm down her arm, and Gilwen gave a short laugh as if mocking his words. “But you still have a bit of muscle here on your bones, I’d say.” “I spent ten years building it,” she said almost bitterly. Such time spent in labor in the palace had amounted to nothing. She had spent ten years building strength and a reputation for hard work and diligence, only to have had it destroyed in less than one year.
Though, she mused inwardly. If she had not worked in the palace, she never would have met Faeldor—and her life would have been empty. Even if she didn’t know what was missing.
The very man of whom she was thinking suddenly stopped feeding her, and reached for her hand. She startled slightly, though did not pull her hand away. “Your little rest from scrubbing has left these hands softer than I remember. Did you notice?” The woman smiled softly, for the first time in a long while looking at her hands. They were still scarred and rough, but they were hardly as chapped and red as they had been. A little gleam of joy danced in her eyes as she looked up to him for a moment with a child-like smile. “Perhaps someday they shall be well again.” She doubted it, in truth. Ten years of labor would hardly be undone in a lifetime of rest. Still, they would be better. And she knew she would enjoy such things. As would Faeldor and their children.
He once more took to feeding her, and Gilwen’s blush vanished. She instead simpered happily over her hands and delicately rubbed them together to feel the difference. It was noticeable enough; and for the first time since she had been dismissed, Gilwen thanked the Valar for the loss of her job.
“Perhaps sometime you will have to. I hope I should not be so ill or injured, but I know my Starlight will look after me better than any other.“
Gilwen frowned lightly, stopping her ministrations upon her hands. “I should not let you work yourself sick, Fael. And should you be injured, I would keep you well tended to.” She paused a moment and looked at him thoughtfully. “Do not try me on it, though. I would much rather you healthy,” she blurted quickly and a little bit motherly.
She finished her meal by simply listening, and by the time she had finished, her eyes had begun to feel heavy. Faeldor set the bowl down upon the side table and helped her back down upon the bed. Before he had a chance to move away, Gilwen caught his arm.
She said nothing, but simply looked at him. Her brown-doe eyes were soft, though in them was a noticeable desire. It was not a fiery passion, and she was certainly not asking him to bed her as she had done before upon the mountain. It was meeker, and sweeter. Gentler and hopeful. She wished him to sit with her awhile, and to hold her.
He seemed to understand and had settled back down to be with her. She had buried herself against him immediately and nuzzled into his chest. She hardly had time to register that she seemed to fit against him perfectly before she had completely succumbed to sleep.
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 27, 2010 21:33:30 GMT -5
“I should not let you work yourself sick, Fael. And should you be injured, I would keep you well tended to. Do not try me on it, though. I would much rather you healthy.”
The man smiled for a moment at the order she had given. “But you know I do so love to injure myself at work. And in a few weeks we are sure to have another set of trained horses brought in. Balroch is quite fine now, but perhaps a sibling of his…” he hummed, as he put another spoonful of the sweet applesauce to Gilwen’s lips, that she might not scold him.
It was not long until the woman had emptied her bowl, and Faeldor was satisfied that she had nourished herself well enough. He was content that Meleth would keep the woman full to the brim while she stayed with them, and soon her too thin body should fill back out to its normal shape. Even as the man was thinking such thoughts, and pulling Gilwen’s blankets about her, she tugged on his arm, and looked at him in such a way that the man could not even fathom leaving her side. He smiled, moving back down onto the bed with the woman, and wrapping her up against him.
The man spent a long while thinking, and giving praises to the Valar for bringing Gilwen back to him. All the while he brushed his fingers through her hair, and over the curve of her slight form beside him. Her hands were tucked against his chest, and eventually, Faeldor reached to take one, gently stroking the palm and then the back of it. He kissed her hand while she sleeped and though he was not quite ready to doze off, he lay beside her for a long while, listening to the woman breathe.
Soon the man’s comfort in the bed gave way to the hunger pangs that threatened to make resounding noise in the quiet bedroom, and eventually he slipped from the bed, in retreat to the kitchen, where he rounded up a large meal to replace both the lunch and supper he had missed.
---
“Gilwen, sweetheart, wake up,” Meleth hovered over the young woman, drawing the blinds slightly so that some of the mid-morning light shone into the room. She sighed at the pile of her son’s clothes on the floor and scattered about the room, and moved about to put them all together.
“I had Faeldor break from work to come home and help me take you down to the bathing room. He will be up in a few minutes; he is just devouring his second breakfast now. Gracious, you would think the poor boy had not eaten in a month. He says you’ve been sleeping at least twelve hours now, so it is best to get you up now I think. Won’t that be nice? The water is already heated and warm, and it is a chill day so it will be fine.
“Goodmorning, Gilwen,” Faeldor smiled as he came into the bedroom. “Are you ready for her, mum?” he asked aside. The man walked to the bedside and sat down beside the woman, brushing his hand against her forehead. “You were still deep in that sleep when I left for work this morning. You must have slept well indeed, yes?”
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 27, 2010 22:00:40 GMT -5
Gilwen had slept soundly. It was something that had started a great repair on her, and made up for her emotionally draining day previous. Her sleep had been dreamless, and it was a blessed change of pace for the little lady. She desired no more foul nightmares. She did not want to see her father abandon her again, nor to feel the wrenching and ripping of her heart as Faeldor followed him.
A little bit of light seemed to seep over her; she was beginning to wake by it, and the darkness of a sudden was not so black. Truly, her body was disinclined to fully rouse, and the lady turned her head subconsciously attempting to keep the light from her eyes.
“Gilwen, sweetheart, wake up.”
“Mama?” She murmured groggily, her eyes fluttering open and adjusting to the mid-morning brightness against the darkness of her sleep. “Oh, Meleth…” She blushed, her mind slowly piecing together what she had said to her. “I’m sorry, I…” She quit speaking. There was truly no point in explaining. Meleth was no fool; she probably could read Gilwen better than Faeldor could. It was, after all, the gift of a mother’s intuition.
She cast her eyes out of the window and squinted against what felt like blaring light. What time was it? It had been so dark when she had fallen asleep; now…was it mid-morning?
“I had Faeldor break from work to come home and help me take you down to the bathing room. He will be up in a few minutes; he is just devouring his second breakfast now.”
Gilwen’s eyes immediately turned to Meleth once more, though her foggy mind did not quite catch up to what she was saying until she had finished. Bathing room? Her eyes widened immediately, and her fists clenched the sheets. They were going to undress her and bathe her! They were to see her, all of her, in a way that she had showed none since her time as a small child with her own mother. “What?” She gasped.
A full flood of red came to her cheeks, though she did not have much time to respond verbally; Faeldor came waltzing in brightly just at that very moment. Her eyes shot to him horrified. No; he could not take her to the bathing room. Meleth would not wash her as a child. She wished to retain some sort of dignity.
“You were still deep in that sleep when I left for work this morning. You must have slept well indeed, yes?”
Her words failed, and she just gaped opened mouthed at both of the grey-eyed figures in the room. “…Please don’t.” She finally blurted. “If I rest some more, I can take care of myself.”
She tried to plant herself firmly on the bed, as if she were a woman that had the strength to fight. She would not let them undress her. Her scars! Her heart began to hum in her chest like a bird; she could not let them see them. They were a mark of shame for her. Only the servants who misbehaved received lashings, and she had certainly received a fair amount on that occasion. Meleth would think her ill behaved!
Truly, the scars were not won by a wild escapade. She had been caught singing her first month in service. Anything other than silence was forbidden. She wore the marks to prove how serious such a rule was.
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 27, 2010 22:36:02 GMT -5
“…Please don’t… If I rest some more, I can take care of myself.”
Meleth stopped her tidying about the room for a moment, and Faeldor still smiled.
“Oh, do not worry, I would not let Faeldor in the room. He’ll just lift you down the stairs. I will not have you trying to walk yet. No, my boy can carry you,” Meleth chimed, sensing that Gilwen was worried over the fact that she had asked Faeldor to help. No, he would not help with bathing her, it was certain, though she was also certain that Faeldor would not have objected had she asked.
“It is fine, love. They have already done it at least twice. Mother does not mind. She has many daughters… it is no different…” Faeldor started.
“Three times,” Meleth corrected.
“Thrice,” Faeldor smiled, pulling the blankets back slowly. Then, he reached down and scooped Gilwen right up in his arms and stood up, while Meleth took for the door. Tinuves would have the room completely cleaned up with sheets and blankets changed and fresh linens within in no time. “Besides, you will smell so sweet afterwards…”
It was not long before the man had carried Gilwen down the stairway, and down to the very end of the hall. The room was steaming warmly with water that had been drawn. Meleth tested it with her fingertips and seemed satisfied that it was well. “Just set her on the lounge, Fael. And get out. I will call you back later.”
Faeldor did as requested. He was tempted to press a kiss to the woman’s forehead, though she seemed already in a state of shock and did not want to worsen her embarrassment so he instead simply left, shutting the door behind him.
“Here, we will get you out of that nightgown, dear,” Meleth said, moving to help the woman draw it up over her head as she sat on the edge of the seat. “I should hem one of these so that it fits you properly shouldn’t I?” she talked to fill the silence in the room. “It will be done before tonight… and you know, I’ve sewn you a dress. Would you like to wear that later for a change? There now,” she said as they had finished.
“I do not want you walking, but I think I have no choice here, I’ll help you stand up. I’m not about to have Faeldor lift you in.”
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 27, 2010 23:08:55 GMT -5
“Oh, do not worry, I would not let Faeldor in the room. He’ll just lift you down the stairs. I will not have you trying to walk yet. No, my boy can carry you.”
Gilwen struggled to hold herself together. That thought had not even crossed her mind. It was not Faeldor she was worried over. He would have enough mind to let her be int eh privacy of her time in a bath. It was what Meleth would see that horrified her. “No, it is not that—“
“It is fine, love. They have already done it at least twice. Mother does not mind. She has many daughters… it is no different…” “Three times.”
Gilwen utterly blanched. “Thrice?” She repeated stupidly. Her eyes flashed to Meleth wide-eyed. So she had already seen her darkest secret bared to her. “I…I…” She wanted to explain, now. But she could not do it; not here. Faeldor did not know of her scars, and she would keep it that way. While she knew if they wed it could not stay a secret forever, she could hide it until it was necessary for him to know.
He had scooped her up into his arms, and they had begun to make their way down the stairs, reaching the end of the hall. There was a nice heat coming from the room, and her arms tightened about Faeldor as if she could fight to stay away from it. She wished for a bath, but she wised for it to be alone.
The room was large, and unlike anything Gilwen had seen before in the home of a normal citizen. The steward had a nice bathing room, but most people she knew had a mere basin of water that made up their bath. This was entirely new. The bath was large, the room was warm and steamed from the heat that was being generated from that very room. A chair was in the corner, and it was there Meleth ordered him to lay her down.
She was set down, and with strained eyes she watched as Faeldor left the room. She was safe as long as he had stayed. Before she even realized what was going on, Meleth had stripped her down, and Gilwen was cowering to try and keep herself well covered.
“I should hem one of these so that it fits you properly shouldn’t I?”
“It is fine,” Gilwen said hurriedly. She was not allowed to move, anyway. Having a properly fitting nightdress hardly mattered. Aside, it was not hers.
Meleth said she had made her a dress, and Gilwen looked to her for a moment, forgetting the situation at hand a moment to look at her seriously. “You did not have to,” she whispered. “…But thank you. I should like to wear it.” Then would have been ideal. Sadly, Gilwen doubted if Meleth would allow her to relinquish her bath to wear her new dress.
“I do not want you walking, but I think I have no choice here, I’ll help you stand up. I’m not about to have Faeldor lift you in.”
Gilwen gasped at the mention of having Faeldor lift her. She could certainly manage well enough without him. She forced herself to stand, trying her best to keep up her modesty in the situation. Still, to get proper support she was very well pulled against Meleth’s side, and modesty seemed a moot point.
The hardest part was physically getting into the tub of water, and it took Gilwen some moments before he was able to balance herself well enough to get inside. The water felt nice against her, and the lady would have smiled if it had not been for Meleth’s presence. She finally got settled and she looked about the room. “…This is a large bathing room,” she said plainly. She felt the best way to ease the situation was not sit in an awkward silence. Though, the statement was far from flowy.
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 31, 2010 20:48:25 GMT -5
“You did not have to… But thank you. I should like to wear it.”
"Then I will go fetch it for you to wear right after this bath. It will be a nice change, I'm sure," Meleth smiled, helping Gilwen all the while.
"It might be just a bit big on you... Fael did not let me measure you but gave me the size that he had your dancing gown made in," she hesitated, though she would not wish Gilwen to think her a poor seamstress if it did not fit well. "It has a sash to pull though so I suspect you you will get right back to normal and still be able to wear it fine, then and now. Heavens, do you even like yellow? He did insist on a yellow dress, though I don't think I've ever seen you in such a thing before."
The mother chattered, sensing that Gilwen was entirely nervous. When they made it to the tub, she allowed the young woman to do what she could to climb in, though Meleth knew she had the strength to lift her and help her, it was good to let her maintain some of the dignity that she was trying for. Again though, the room fell into silence. Once Gilwen was settled down, the mother took up a wooden stool and pulled it beside the tub, seating herself right to the side and behind her.
“…This is a large bathing room."
"It is, isn't it?" Meleth smiled, glad that Gilwen had continued the conversation. She sat still for a few moments, letting the young woman take in the warm water and relax. "I never thought of such a thing as a girl... a chamber just for bathing! My family had a wooden basin in the lean to beside the house, and we would pull it in and draw water from the river for our baths, heating it on the stove each bucket. Faelon had a room like this in his home though, where we lived with his parents for the first few years. His eldest brother Linnon's home now, where Beleth is staying.
"Though this... it has been such a blessing with all the children. We can pump the water right in here from the city's well, and it heats in the boiler. Then, you just need turn this faucet here for hot, and this for cold," she motioned with her hand as she went on. "And it is big enough that I can throw all the children in at once."
Meleth smiled to herself this time, not speaking her next thought aloud. Certainly it had been big enough for both she and Faelon to sit together. "There now, sit forward a bit and I will wash your hair. And do not be troubled, it is no difficulty to me," she stated, as if attempting to read Gilwen's thoughts. The girl certainly looked nervous. "I do not even let my grown daughters go without their mother washing their hair every so often. It is nice for a mother to be allowed such a thing. A mother never wishes her children to grow old and leave her, yet at the same time it is all she dreams of."
As Meleth took up a wooden bowl that held a fragrant bar of soap, and as soon as Gilwen allowed, she began to gently comb through the young woman's hair with her fingers, and pour the warm water over her dark tresses. She was quiet for a few minutes as she worked the soap into the woman's hair. "I remember the old Mistress who used to work in the palace halls... it would have been in your early days there... I know she was not kind to the serving girls, and once or twice I heard that there were punishments..." She continued to methodically wash the woman's hair, massaging her scalp with her fingertips, and then slowly rinsing, before taking up a washcloth to start on Gilwen's body, her back first. "But heavens, if the Steward would have known that the children of his halls were treated so, she would not have been there long. I doubt that you could have done anything to deserve such treatment," the woman hummed a bit morosely, not outright asking what had happened, but leaving it open for Gilwen to answer.
All three of the women had been horrified from the very day that Gilwen had come to them after the storm and saw the old injuries. It was certain that they had happened years ago, and over the past weeks each time Meleth had helped the young woman to change or bathe, she had noticed the very same markings and wondered on them, finally coming to the conclusion that it only could have been from her work in the palace.
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 31, 2010 21:21:25 GMT -5
Gilwen had utterly adored listening to Meleth’s assessment of the bathing room. For an odd reason, it comforted her. Meleth had come from little, as had Gilwen. She felt at times that her poor upbringing and lack of wealth was strange. And it was, she mused, when she was around Faeldor or his family. A room such as this was something Faeldor and his siblings were used to. But Gilwen! She and her family had a single basin to share, and the little washing basins in their own rooms were more readily and frequently used. It was a chore to fill the large basin for anything, so bath time was often bundled in laundry. If the water had not become too soiled by then.
"There now, sit forward a bit and I will wash your hair. And do not be troubled, it is no difficulty to me."
Gilwen frowned. She certainly did not wish to sit forward; she had set herself against the tubside for a reason. Meleth was not going to get the chance to see her scars now, no matter if she had seen them already or not.
Finally, she had to relent. Meleth spoke on mothers, and Gilwen’s heart had been moved to compliance. She thought of her own mother. She thought of Meleth and all of her children. And finally, she let her mind flick to the children Faeldor had promised her. Their children. Someday, perhaps, she would desire the same thing from them, and she knew her heart would be settled if her children allowed her to care for them. So, Gilwen allowed Meleth to care for her, despite the fact she was not one of her own.
For a while the fingertips kneading her scalp and weaving through her tresses was settling, and the young woman began to relax. Meleth had made no mention of the scars, if she had even seen them, and she had not tried to keep the conversation going. Gilwen was already a little fatigued from the effort of simply walking and setting herself into the bathing tub, but she beginning to feel a bit of rejuvenation from the warm waters.
Though, not even scalding water could have stopped the shiver that ran down Gilwen’s spine as Meleth finally spoke once more and the cold freeze of mortification clamped tightly down on her heart. "But heavens, if the Steward would have known that the children of his halls were treated so, she would not have been there long. I doubt that you could have done anything to deserve such treatment."
Gilwen’s mouth dropped open, and the woman trembled slightly, sinking back within herself and dropping her eyes to the water nervously. “I...” She stopped short, her meek voice sounding as an airy whisper. “I knew the consequences for speaking,” she said quietly. “But…but I sang with Lendien anyway.”
She bit her lip, a flash of swirling memories dancing before her eyes. She had been fresh to the job; barely there a month. That day they had sung in the palace hallways had been the last day she had uttered any word in those halls at all. That had been the day that two spirits had become as broken as their ravaged and bleeding backs.
Gilwen struggled for a moment to find her words. “You have not told him, have you?” Her voice was weak. “I do not wish him to know. He shall be upset.”
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 31, 2010 22:12:46 GMT -5
“You have not told him, have you? I do not wish him to know. He shall be upset.”
Meleth shook her head, though realizing eventually that she was sitting behind her and the young woman did not see, she answered, "No, I have not spoken of the scars with him. I knew they were old, and had not happened since you have known him. I told him of the bruises, but nothing else."
"But he will be upset about it, you are right," she agreed. "He has such a soft heart, you know, he will see the scars and wish to do something for them, knowing that they are so far gone that he can do nothing. Perhaps it would be best to tell him now, before he finds out another way..." Meleth bit her lip thinking for a moment. "Actually, perhaps it is best not to tell him. He will hear of it and see it at the same time, and then he will not have time to fret on it before hand."
Meleth sighed, quiet again as she finished washing Gilwen's back and eventually moved to hand the woman the cloth. "He will be most upset that it was for merely singing. Here, finish washing, and relax some," she instructed, moving the dish of soap within her reach.
"Just do not fall asleep in that tub. Fael told me that you do not know how to swim," her voice was light. She stood from the stool, though stooped for a moment to kiss Gilwen's temple and smooth back her wet hair. "I will be back in a few minutes, call if you need me."
With that, Meleth moved to leave the bathing chamber, shutting the door behind her partway, though leaving it a crack open in case the woman should call, that she might hear.
Only some minutes passed after her mother had left that Diore wandered from the kitchen where Marileth had just given her a breadroll to chew on. She had seen her mother walking past down the hall, and and upon investigation heard her voice coming from the bathing chamber, and Gilwen's as well!
The little girl waited until Meleth had left, but soon after, she moved toward that open door and peeked in through the crack, seeing the steam come from the warm water, and Gilwen alone in the room. Slowly she pushed the door further open, and walked into the room, finishing the bread she held in her hand.
"You are not ill?" Diore asked in her little voice, walking to the edge of the tub and looking over. Ever since she had come to their home some time ago, the little girl could not remember when, her mother and sisters and brothers had said that the woman was too ill to see her, and she had not been allowed in the room.
Now though, Gilwen's eyes were open, and she was sitting in the bath moving, awake. Diore smiled.
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on May 31, 2010 22:28:19 GMT -5
“I would not be able to tell him. My Papa does not know either…I was ashamed,” Gilwen whispered. By the time she had gotten home, the wounds had been tended to, and she had been given a cloak to wear on her return to her home. When she had arrived, her mother had panicked a right good amount and cleaned her some more and helped her change. Beregar had never needed to know; everything was tended to by the time he had gotten home.
"He will be most upset that it was for merely singing. Here, finish washing, and relax some."
Gilwen looked up to Meleth a moment, though said nothing. Meleth offered some lighter words, and the lady blushed lightly. Faeldor certainly had very little restraint on his tongue. The Valar had arranged for Gilwen to lose her own voice so that she would compliment him rightly.
The lady had left her be, and for a while Gilwen basked in the comfort of the aloneness. She relaxed, and began to let her little body explore the space of the tub and the feel of the warm water. Something of it did not seem scary, though a part of her understood that if she should happen to begin to drown, she would merely have to force herself to stand. There was no feeling of threat at that moment. Simply relaxation and peace.
She had not even heard the door open. It was not until Diore’s voice sang out that Gilwen even realized someone had entered. "You are not ill?" Immediately the little woman gasped and turned. “Diore!” She sighed, startled but now regaining herself. She ducked herself lower in the water once more, wrapping her arms about her to retain modesty. “No, I am not ill; not anymore,” she replied with a small and gentle smile. Her brown eyes flashed to the door that was still opened a bit more than Gilwen desired and then back to the little girl. Something had drawn her inside, and the little lady hardly understood what it could be other than that the girl had been worried for her. “You do not need to worry,” she added then. “I will be fine.”
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on May 31, 2010 22:45:00 GMT -5
"Haliel thought you had died," was all Diore managed to answer. She moved to the edge of the bath, leaning her arms over to touch the water, and then to stare at Gilwen's brown eyes with her own, of the same color.
"I am glad you are not died. Brother is very sad. He will not play with me when he comes home from work."
Diore pouted for a moment. "Do you want to play?" She had suddenly realized that this woman staying with them indeed meant another playmate. Yes, there was good to it afterall. Diore had always been fascinated by Gilwen, and it was not a trouble to her when she decided that she would play with Gilwen. In the tub. There was nothing more fun than playing in the water. She hated to bathe, but to play was different, and the warm water was so alluring after a morning in the chilly garden.
Her actions ran more quickly than her little mind, and Diore giggled, easily slipping out her little dress. She was barefoot, though her feet and knees were dirty from playing in the garden. Off went her little bloomers, and it was not long before the golden haired little girl had moved the stool so that she might climb up on it, and splash herself down into the tub.
Mother never filled the tub so high as it was now when she bathed, and to sit down on the bottom would be up past Diore's nose, and so she smiled and sat herself down upon Gilwen's leg. "Are you going to eat downstairs with us now, or do you always have to stay in the bedroom?" Diore asked innocently enough, grasping Gilwen's arm in her hand and giggling. "You are naked," she laughed.
|
|
Gilwen
Man
servant
There are times when silence has the loudest voice.[Mo0:0]
Posts: 593
|
Post by Gilwen on Jun 1, 2010 9:32:56 GMT -5
"Haliel thought you had died. I am glad you are not died. Brother is very sad. He will not play with me when he comes home from work."
Gilwen frowned softly at the words, a clear sign of regret sadness. Clearly, she had upset many over the course of her illness, directly or not. “No, sweetheart,” Gilwen murmured quietly. “I am not dead; Haliel and your brother won’t be sad anymore.” Haliel! Gilwen instantly wanted to see the little girl. Haliel was a little flower, surely she had taken Gilwen’s illness worse than even Faeldor himself. Gilwen had to see her and assure her everything was going to be fine now.
"Do you want to play?"
Gilwen smiled. A part of her did not think she was going to have the strength to play with Diore for long, though the other half of her was elated she had asked. “What is it you would like to play?”
Still, before the girl answered with a verbal response, the child had begun to rid herself of her clothes. Immediately, Gilwen’s soft and gentle expression changed to one of surprise and a bit of panic. “Diore. Diore, what are you doing?” She asked quickly, though before she could get a response, the girl was quite clothes-less and climbing into the tub, setting herself upon Gilwen’s knee.
"Are you going to eat downstairs with us now, or do you always have to stay in the bedroom?"
“I…I…” Gilwen stammered, trying to quell her quickened heart and resist the urge to call for Meleth to come back and control the situation. “I don’t know. I am not allowed to walk yet, so I shall probably be in the bedroom for a while.” That answer, actually, depressed Gilwen greatly. She was not enjoying the concept of being bedridden, and she was enjoying the idea even less knowing the rest of the house would be all together and she would be lonely in Faeldor’s room.
However, Gilwen was wrenched from her thoughts by a laughing voice, "You are naked." “Y-yes,” Gilwen gasped with a wild blush coming to her cheeks. “Meleth wanted me to bathe; you cannot do that with clothes on…” Gilwen’s face was flushed and her heart was skipping away in nerves. She was a very modest woman, and the idea of even being referred to as “naked” had set her at a great unease. She certainly never used such a word herself, and to hear it in reference to her very state…well, Gilwen was pleased that none but Diore was there. If Faeldor had heard, though, it was sure to have caused him a great deal of laughter; he always found thins funny that terrified his lady.
|
|
Faeldor
Man
Head Stablemaster
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?[Mo0:1]
Posts: 556
|
Post by Faeldor on Jun 1, 2010 11:15:08 GMT -5
"Do you think that we can come into the bedroom now that you are not died anymore?" Diore asked. "Mama wouldn't let us go in, but I think now we should. One time they left the door partway open and Hali's kitty went in and would not come back out, and Faelon was just about to sneak in and get it when Miriel caught him and made him stay out."
“Y-yes, Meleth wanted me to bathe; you cannot do that with clothes on…”
"I do not like to take baths with Mama or Miriel. They scrub too hard and then my hair pulls when they brush it. I never had to take a bath when I was with my brother, but he let us play in the river. Until Eoric fell in the deep part one time. Then he would not let us play anymore.
"I told Mama that I would not take another bath until Beleth comes back, because Beleth lets me play with her and does not care if I splash her. And Mama liked when I said that and made me tell that to Fael, but she still makes me take baths. I do not like to take baths with Eoric because Mama will not put much water in the tub and he cries even if I splash him by accident, so Mama lets me go with Haliel now, and sometimes Mari, but Mari is a big girl so she goes by herself sometimes too. She doesn't care if we play in the room though, and Mama still washes her hair."
The little girl chattered endlessly, taking the wooden bowl with the soap in it from the edge of the tub and floating it on top of the water, making it into a little boat.
"See!" she said excitedly. "It floats... Fael gives me and Haliel a bath sometimes when Miriel is ill and Mama is tired, and he showed me how it looks like a little boat. Oh, and look at this!" Then the little girl giggled, and stood up quickly, water sloshing about in the tub as she did so, and she crawled out over the edge, dropping to the floor and leaving a trail of water as she ran over to the shelves on the side of the room.
Realizing that she was not tall enough, she bit her lip, and looked about, then to the stool she went, and dragged that over as well, and once she had climbed a top it, she could stand on her toes and reach the high shelf where there were a few wooden toys. The closest to her was a little carved boat with a sail laced onto a short mast. "Fael carved this and Grandmama put the sail on, and it is even better than the soap bowl!"
She took hold of the toy, and then as she climbed down she dragged the stool back across the room to the side of the tub, so that she could again climb in. Though, first she leaned over and sat the little boat carefully on the water. This time she lowered herself into the tub more gently, as not to upset the boat. Then she stood, waist deep, and leaned over, blowing on the sail and sending sliding over the water toward Gilwen. "It works better with the sail," she giggled. "Fael can blow it so hard that it tips over! I can't blow on it that hard! He says his lungs are strong because he likes to sing, and that if I sing maybe some day I can tip the boat over. I like to sing. Eoric likes when I sing to him. He doesn't sing though. He barely even talks yet."
|
|