Untamed

Chapter 6

(BEN)

"Elaine wants to meet you out in the clearing." A servant whispered in Ben's ear. Ben was seated at his father's table surrounded by his father's council. They had been discussing the new treaty for what seemed like hours.

"Thank you'" he replied dismissing her. Ben was excited. Ellie was taking him seriously that they needed to get to know each other better. "Excuse me." He said dismissing himself from the meeting. His father gave him a questioning glance but allowed him to go with a wave of his hand. Ben needed to be at the meeting for setting up a treaty but right now this was more important.

§

(ELAINE)

"I saw Master Benjamin heading out to the forest." A timid girl told me. I sighed in defeat. Of course Ben was right. We did need to spend more time together to get to know each other better.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her even though I already knew the answer. Ben had told her to come get me and send me out to the clearing to meet him.

"In the woods to the north. There is a place where he goes to be alone." She replied not looking me in the eye. The girl just stood there looking down at her left toe as it poked out from underneath her dress. I waited for her to continue as she shuffled back and forth from foot to foot as though she was having an internal war with herself. Finally she looked up but didn't look me in the eye.

"If he goes there to be alone then I should probably leave him alone." I said trying to get her to talk.

"You should go meet him there." she said. I wondered if she had heard our conversation from the night before or if Ben had sent her to help draw me out. He probably thought sending a servant girl was safer than coming himself. I had been avoiding him like the plague because I didn't want to talk like old friends. We were husband and wife. I couldn't figure out how to be his friend I hadn't ever been very good at making friends. Of course I agreed that we needed to get to know each other better and appear united but I thought we would have time to work on it.

"Thank you." I said. She offered a small curtsy they fled the room. The servants were afraid of me but that didn't matter. I was slowly earning their trust. The clearing was an interesting place to pick for our first outing. I looked into a mirror that had been added to the room and ran a hand over my hair then laughed at myself. I was already married to the man what was I so nervous about?

§

(BEN)

Ben hurried to the clearing. He felt nervous as he headed out to meet his wife. The fact that she was willing to make an effort towards their relationship filled him with hope. He wanted to have a happy marriage that was full of love. Ben wanted to love his wife. The treaty brought them together and he wanted to stay together. He knew that it wouldn't be easy but he hoped that if both of them were willing to work on it then maybe their marriage would make it. He had seen many couples who were forced together and ended up hating each other. He didn't want that for his marriage. He knew that they could be happy together. Ellie wasn't what he had imagined her to be and he thought that if the both of them worked on their marriage then it would work out.

The clearing was just ahead and he could see Ellie sitting on a fallen log. She had her cloak wrapped tightly around her with the hood up concealing her fiery hair. She had her back to him and she was looking towards the trees. Ben stopped for a second to watch her but then he noticed something. Her shoulders shook and her slim figure hunched over. The sound of her sobs reached him and he stepped out from the trees towards her.