Under the Oak Tree Book 2 "Conquering hearts" ( Fan fiction)

Chapter 2 - Maxi

I woke at dawn to the waves crashing against the boat and to the loud snores resonating from the other side of the room. The sound of snoring transported me back into the war, when I was bunked with the women of the Cleric. By the end of the day, we were always exhausted, and the sound of snoring was the last worry on our minds. However, for some odd reason her snores were starting to aggravate me. 

Rolling onto my back I stretched out on the bunk, trying to reign in my raging emotions. Day 2 was upon us, and that meant that we were almost at the tower. I lazily glanced at the carved wooden roof above me wondering what the tower was like.

The way Ruth always described it was like a prison, filled with rules and complete solitude. Enough to drive a person crazy and search for escape routes. I sighed rubbing my hand down my face desperately trying to change my course of thoughts. Solitude was the last thing that I needed, the longer I was alone with my thoughts, the more tempted I was to have the boat turned around and make my way back to Riftan. That is... if he will have me back!

An internal groan threatened to escape my lips, it had only been one and a half days and I was already tempted to run back to my husband and beg him to forget about this whole experience. If I can't pull it together, then was I really worthy of being lady Calypse? The longer I allowed myself to think about it, the darker my thoughts were becoming. I rolled on to my side and stretched once more. Knowing that Princess Agnes would not let me out of the room until we arrived, I decided to close my eyes and try to go back to sleep.

What a foolish thought... every time I closed my eyes, the only image that flashed behind my eyelids was Riftan. Riftan smiling as we visited the horses together, Riftan's slight chuckle when he would catch me off guard, and then Riftan's face as the boat drifted away. My intrusive thoughts took over and left me wondering if this is what a true separation felt like. Going over the good and the bad and wondering what you could have done differently.

My eyes shot open; I can handle anything but that! Rising from my bunk I made my way over to the table; the leftover parchment and the quill were waiting for me. After blankly staring at the parchment, wondering what to write, a poem my mother used to recite came to mind. This would be perfect; it fits us perfectly.

My love,

You once told me that you wanted to know everything about me. While I have been on this journey, terrified of venturing into the unknown without you, I am reminded of a poem I used to recite. One that I learned before my mother passed. She would sit with me under the canopy of the estate, late into the evening when there wasn't another soul in sight, and we would recite these lines.

-Love's coming-

She had looked for his coming as warriors come,

With the clash of arms and the bugle's call.

But he came instead with a stealthy tread,

Which she did not hear at all.

She had thought how his warrior would blaze in the sun,

As he rode like a prince to claim his bride.

In the sweet dim light of the falling night,

She found him at her side.

She had dreamed about how the gaze of his strange, bold eye.

Would wake her heart to a sudden glow.

She found in his face the familiar grace,