At War in Love. The Shadow over Rhudaur Part IV

Chapter 19. "Congratulations, Caelen!"

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Eryndil's house home at Cameth Brin. Late morning of November 9, 1347.
Written by Valandil
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“Caelen, I love you. I love you with all my heart.” Eryndil watched Caelen’s eyes and saw an uncertainty… about his love, or about her own feelings? But then she lowered her head and he could see her eyes no more. Each of them still clung to Callon’s letter with a hand outstretched to the side, but he took his free hand, and placed it under her chin. She let him draw her chin slowly up, but she cast her eyes down, so that he still could not see them.

“Caelen… look at me,” he said. She did. Slowly at first, she turned her eyes up toward him, glanced at him, then briefly back down, but at last she looked full into his eyes.

Eryndil swallowed. This was it. He now knew his heart, and he knew what he wanted, but did Caelen feel the same way? With all he had done for her, and them having just read together her brother’s wishes, it all seemed so easy. He might never get an opportunity quite this good – at least not for a long time. He wondered though if it would be wrong of him to press it now. Would her circumstances make her accept him, when otherwise, of her own free will, unswayed by help received, or by her brother’s will, she might refuse? But he pressed on.

“Caelen, I love you, and I want to marry you. Will you marry me and become my wife?”

He kept his eyes focused straight on hers, and watched as they passed from delight, to alarm, to doubt and at last to resolve.

“No… NO!” she replied, turning aside and putting a hand over her face. “I cannot do that.”

Eryndil was baffled. Everything made sense for her to say ‘yes’ – but she hadn’t. He unwisely followed that line of thinking in his reply.

“But Caelen, I don’t understand. I am a thane’s son, while your father was a householder. I have a position with the King, and this house to my own name, while you are dispossessed. What’s more, I have taken care of you and watched over you – both on the road, and here in town. Besides all that – even your own brother thinks it a good idea, and has already given his approval.”

She turned to him sharply. This time her eyes looked directly at his, but they were filled with anger. “What then? I owe this to you? And do you think women marry only to get a roof over their heads? If I only wanted that, I could have stayed home!” She stared at him angrily for just a moment, then at last pulled the letter from Eryndil’s hand and turned her back toward him, clutching the letter to herself with both arms across her chest.

Eryndil did not know yet, but would learn later, that he was fighting a battle with Caelen’s own fears. Some part of Caelen was hoping that he would win, but it was still up to him to carry the day.

“Caelen… no. You owe me nothing. What I have done, I have done freely, of my own will. On the road, it sprang from duty – but since then, it has sprung from my love for you. I… I thought you knew. They say that women see it in a man… almost before he knows it himself. And… and I thought you might like the idea yourself. That you would be happy to be my wife.” Thinking she relaxed a bit – or stiffened less, might be more correct, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently prompted her to turn back toward him.

“Face me, Caelen… please,” and she slowly turned, head down once more.

“Caelen, if you keep your head down, I have no other recourse to place myself before you…” he stooped down onto one knee, looking hopefully up into her face. She smiled slightly, and a very small laugh escaped before it was stifled. Was she beginning to cry?

It came into Eryndil’s mind that her rough treatment on the road, just a month ago, might be the biggest obstacle he faced – not to mention that she was out on the road then because of another thane’s son! A new tactic jumped into his mind.

“Caelen, marry me, please! I know that other men have not recommended themselves to you well, but my heart is true and my word is good. I will do you no harm, but protect you always, because of my love for you. And… if you fear still that you would receive from me what you have from the rest, then I now promise you – that I would wait – as long as you need, before we… before… before our marriage is consummated.”

She clearly looked surprised. Inside, Eryndil had his own doubts about this offer – or even whether he should have given up after her first refusal. Should one really be talked into marrying another? There was a time to press, and a time to release. But still, his heart urged him to press.

“Caelen, I will wait… be it ten extra days, ten months… even ten YEARS! You will be my wife and I shall prove myself to you. Will you not have me? Bid me rise and we shall be wed… this very Yule! Or else go out, for I shall not rise without your bidding while we stay in this room together.”

It wasn’t long before Caelen touched Eryndil’s shoulders and gently, wordlessly, urged him to stand. The doubt and fear had been erased from her countenance, and replaced by joy and release. They quickly settled on the Yule – just over seven weeks away. Eryndil bowed and Caelen curtsied, and at last they reached out tentatively for a brief embrace. As it ended, Eryndil held her by the shoulders at arm’s length, beaming with joy.

“Caelen, I am overwhelmed with joy by your acceptance! I must rush out and inform my family. But first… to make it official… don’t you think we should seal the arrangement with a kiss?”

Caelen was hesitant at first, but it did seem the right thing to do. She pulled back her hair, smoothed out her dress, placed her arms straight against her sides with clenched fists, inclined her head, closed her eyes, and – after declaring, “You may now kiss me,” she puckered up her lips and waited.

Eryndil watched her in amusement, then tentatively leaned down and mischieviously, kissed her upon the nose. “Oh, he said, I suppose one of us at least must keep our eyes open for the process.” Then he placed his lips upon hers and held them there… and held them, and held them.

At last, Caelen opened her eyes and asked, “Are you finished?”

Eryndil rose up and laughed. “Oh Caelen, I love you! Here…” then he took her in his arms, drew her close, and kissed her a bit more properly. By the time she came up for air, she had relaxed a great deal and had started to enjoy the procedure.

“Um, Eryndil… can we try that again? Maybe just a little longer this time?”

He was more than happy to oblige. As they kissed, one hand holding her close, the other caressing her face, her neck, her hair, he could feel her body responding to his. As she placed her own hands upon him, he felt himself responding as well – more strongly than he had expected. Caelen at first she shrank back slightly, but as they kissed some more, she drew herself back to him, and her resistance passed away.

Wild thoughts raced through Eryndil’s mind. He had been a fool to promise to wait as he did. Why wait ten months – or even ten years after marriage? Why wait even now? After all, they had agreed to be wed – they were engaged! Would Caelen agree to slip up to his room this very evening? Would she go up there with him right now? He pulled away from their kiss just enough to ask her,

“Caelen… do you believe that I love you?”

“Yes…”

“Do you love me too?

She paused, “Yes… yes, I do! I really DO!” and she threw her arms around his chest and squeezed him tight. He caressed her hair, and her shoulders, as he thought about what he might next ask.

But no… it just wouldn’t be right. He had ALWAYS wanted to wait – to wait until he was really, truly married. He could wait that long now at least – and Maybe Caelen wouldn’t want to wait any longer than that herself.

Besides, he thought of all the men he knew – those in the army, or other young nobles – who would talk a girl into bed with them, promising their love, even marriage – but moving on afterwards, breaking those promises. Most had tried to convince him to follow suit, but he had stuck to what he believed was right. Besides, if he knew some men from their end of it, Caelen likely knew some girls like that from their end of it.

He looked down at her tenderly. At last she had acknowledged her own feelings for him. He had begun to feel so sure she felt that way, but started to doubt a little when she refused him. He suddenly felt the responsibility for those feelings she had. He couldn’t let her down – couldn’t even introduce the thought to her mind, that he might use her, then cast her aside, and his question went unasked. Just as his resolve to maintain his self-control established itself, Caelen looked up at him and asked with a smirk,

“So… who is Glimwen? And why would your mother prefer a miller’s daughter to that of a householder?”

Eryndil drew back a bit, regretting the interruption, but almost grateful that things took a different direction. Even if this might get a bit awkward.

“Glimwen’s father is not your typical miller. You see, her grandfather was a thane’s younger son, like me, and a veteran. Served his fifty years, and knowing the land, took his estate just outside Duinand – on the opposite side of town from our home of Ostinand. He married the daughter of a neighbor thane, then bought and re-built the old, run-down mill. He hired others to work it, and supported himself and his family somewhat modestly from the gains. He and his son, Glimwen’s father, soon built two more mills close by – one up the river and the other down it. And as the farming round about was good, they prospered. The old man is gone now, but Glimwen’s father has charge over three mills, and works grain from all about.”

“Ah – a gentleman miller then!” said Caelen with a smile. “Now,” more crossly, but feigned – or at least Eryndil hoped so, “What have you to do with his daughter?”

Eryndil looked a bit embarrassed. “Well – with their family being practically thanes themselves, they were very close in our family’s social circle, so we saw each other much. I think my mother began to harbor hopes of joining our families – through Glimwen and myself, long ago. But also… it was she who taught me to kiss like we just did.”

“She did! I mean… you DID!?”

“Yes. It was sort of a ‘good-bye’ when I first went away to join the King’s army – over fifteen years ago. I saw her again, in passing, when I was back home five years back, but we did not speak – nor do anything else! I was actually surprised she had not married another by then. But I knew my own mind better at the time, and just somehow knew she wasn’t the one for me. A sweet girl though.”

“Yes, I’m sure…” said Caelen, and Eryndil wasn’t quite sure how to read what he saw in her face. But Caelen enlightened him a bit when she added, “Taught you to kiss… Just kissing, right?" he nodded. "Well, if ever we meet, I must either thank her, or else strangle her. I don’t yet know which!”

Their next kiss was interrupted when they heard sounds from outside the room – sounds of people approaching.

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Eryndil's house home at Cameth Brin. Late morning of November 9, 1347.
Written by Rian
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Suddenly, they heard the unmistakeable sound of voices outside of the door, and the turning of a door handle. What was turning out to be a very nice kiss indeed was suddenly cut short, as they pulled apart and looked at each other in confusion, not quite sure what to do.

Eryndil's expression suddenly turned from confusion to alarm as he saw the somewhat rumpled condition of the recipient of his ardor. He reached out to try to smooth down her tousled hair, but Caelen, guessing what his expression meant, had already whirled around to the large mirror on the wall behind her to assess the damage herself. What she saw there made her gasp; her clothes were rumpled, her hair was a mess, and her lips were as red as the blush that was starting to spread rapidly across her cheeks.

"What shall I do? Where can I hide?" she whispered frantically, trying desperately to smooth down her tousled tresses and clothing while realizing that nothing could hide the condition of her mouth in time to evade the glance of whoever was coming into the room.

"Oh, no! I dropped my sewing!" came Hendegil's voice into the room, along with the sound of bouncing supplies in the hallway. "Oh - over there, under that chair! Oh, and the needles rolled under that table!"

Eryndil blessed his sister's sagacity - he had a feeling that somehow, she had known what was going on between he and Caelen, and was trying to give them a few moments to regroup. He quickly assessed the situation and the room, and came to his conclusion.

"You must hide in my arms; there is nowhere else," he said firmly as he held out his arms to her. He rather liked the idea of that, anyway, and the feeling it gave him when Caelen came rushing into his arms for protection, burying her face into his broad shoulders and covering what was still showing of her face with her hand. He embraced her waist with one arm and held her head against his shoulder with the other, with his forearm providing extra shielding. And just in time; Hendegil and her parents walked into the room and stopped dead at the sight of Eryndil with Caelen in his arms.

The sewing supplies hit the ground again.

Eryndil had decided that he must seize the offensive position while it was still up for grabs, and immediately addressed them with the commanding tone in his voice that had led men into battle and victory, and a bright smile on his face that didn't need to be feigned, as it came from the true joy in his heart.

"Rejoice with me, mother and father, and Hendegil my sister: after much persuading on my part, for she is modest and shy, Caelen has agreed to become my wife! She is still rather overcome with the idea, though," he finished in a softer tone as he looked down at her in a protective manner and stroked her hair, both to show his affection for her in front of his parents and to try to smooth out the remaining signs of his previous passion.

"Oh, Eryndil, congratulations! I am SO happy for you!" said Hendegil sincerely, and she ran across the room and reached up and gave her brother a kiss.

"Oh, Caelen, don't be shy; I'm so happy you'll be my real sister now!" She kissed the small bit of Caelen's head that was not covered up, and Caelen, responding to her sincere expression of her love, left Eryndil's arms to embrace his sister (being careful to conceal her face on the way over).

"Oh, Hendegil, I'm SO happy! I've always wanted a sister, and there's no one else I'd rather have than YOU!"

Camglas, in the meantime, had been giving his youngest son his sincere and heartfelt congratulations. Caelen had pulled away from Hendegil and was heading back to Eryndil's arms, her head down and shielded by her long hair, when she was intercepted by her beaming future father-in-law.

"I know you're shy, my dear, but can you spare just one quick embrace for your future father-in-law?" Caelen, responding to the warmth in his voice and his previous kind treatment of her, turned to him and laid her head softly on his shoulder as he gave her a brief and gentle embrace. "I'm so happy to have you join our family, my dear - just let me know if my son gives you any trouble, and I'll fix it for you!" Caelen nodded shyly, her hand covering her mouth, and paused a moment, not sure if it would be rude at this point to return to Eryndil's arms, since she had embraced both his sister and father but not his mother.

Rildorien had been giving rather cool congratulations to her son, and was not showing any signs of speaking to Caelen. Eryndil gave his mother a significant look and a nod towards Caelen, and Rildorien chose her course of action.

She reached towards Caelen and pulled her into a brief but decidedly frosty embrace. And as they pulled apart, she let fire.

"Congratulations, Caelen," she said, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Caelen froze.

"What?" she asked in a quiet but tense voice, as though she couldn't quite believe what she had heard and was afraid to find out that she was right.

Eryndil, who had been looking at his mother, sensed that something was amiss; some long-dormant memory stirred in his mind about etiquette - there was something about "congratulations" now, wasn't there? He turned his head to look at Caelen, and was astonished at the expression he saw on her face. Something was definitely wrong, but he had no idea what it was. He quickly glanced around the room - Hendegil's face wore an expression like Caelen's, but his father looked pained and uneasy.

"I said congratulations, Caelen," repeated Rildorien, looking at Caelen calmly but defiantly. Eryndil looked back and forth between his mother and his betrothed - clearly, there was something wrong, but he had no idea what it was. What was wrong with congratulating Caelen? There was something just on the edge of his memory ... Confused, he waited to see how Caelen would answer his mother.

He didn't have to wait long.

Caelen turned white and slapped Rildorien hard across her face.

"How DARE you insult me like that! How DARE you insult my mother!" she said furiously to Rildorien, who stood immobile, with the imprint of Caelen's hand showing up red and angry on her cheek.

Eryndil's jaw dropped; he stared at Caelen, incredulous.

Camglas looked at Caelen with an expression of reproach mixed with pity for a brief instant, then turned and took his wife gently by her shoulders. "Rildorien," he said sadly, shaking his head, seeming to plead with her. But Rildorien didn't answer - her eyes were fixed on Caelen with an expression of anger and contempt.

Eryndil grabbed Caelen's shoulders and turned her around hard to face him. She wasn't white anymore; she was flushed red and breathing hard, and mixed with the anger in her eyes, there was disbelief and pain.

"Caelen! You apologize to my mother right NOW!" he commanded, angry and embarassed at the behavior of his betrothed. Caelen stared back at him, her eyes flashing. "She owes ME an apology!" she cried out, trying to pull away from his grip.

"For what? he demanded angrily, giving her a slight shake.

But Hendegil interrupted. She put her hand on her brother's arm. "Leave her alone, Eryndil - she overreacted, but ... it was understandable."

Eryndil stared at his sister in disbelief. "Understandable? WHAT is understandable? I certainly don't understand it!" he shouted, angry that he couldn't understand what was causing this disruption between two women that he loved.

Hendegil turned to Caelen. "Go wait for me in your room, Caelen," she said quietly. "We'll defend you." Caelen, after a brief moment of indecision, nodded her head and quickly left the room. Eryndil moved to go after her, but Hendegil stopped him with a hand on his arm. "She needs you here," she said firmly.

The door shut behind Caelen, and Eryndil, feeling like he was drowning in a tumultuous sea of womenly complication, said, "Hendegil! What's going on?!" He didn't want to speak to his mother, who was standing there immobile with that strange expression on her face, the slight imprint of Caelen's hand still visible on her cheek.

Hendegil sighed. "Mother congratulated Caelen," she said, as if that explained everything.

Eryndil stared at her for a moment, completely at sea. "And... ?" he said, with an exasperated hand gesture.

"Don't you remember the etiquette that your mother taught you?" said Camglas quietly. "You congratulate the MAN on an engagement; you NEVER congratulate the woman."

Eryndil, who had been staring at Hendegil with his mouth open, suddenly shut it, trying to think. He now remembered Rildorien hammering this particular point of etiquette into him, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember the reason behind it. To him, it was just one of many such rules that sometimes made sense and sometimes didn't.

Finally he broke the silence. "Why?" he asked simply.

Hendegil sighed in exasperation. "Because you congratulate someone on achieving a goal!" she almost shouted. He looked over at Rildorien, then back to Hendegil. A faint realization of what Rildorien had meant by that single word was beginning to dawn on him.

Hendegil decided to spell it out for him. "What mother was saying to Caelen was that Caelen had purposefully schemed to get you to propose marriage to her, and she had now achieved that goal."

Eryndil looked at Rildorien, shocked. Rildorien was now looking a trifle uneasy. But Hendegil had one more thing to say.

"She basically called Caelen a whore."