Hail

Eighteen

Another day of rest and I find that I can walk with only slight discomfort flaring in my leg. Horace has suggested I give my ankle more time to rest and heal, but other than a promise to wear slippers and to minimize how much I walk, there is little I can do to adhere to his advice. I cannot spend days hiding away in my chambers, no matter how appealing the option. The castle is filling up with Eleanora's family as they arrive for the revelries as the days leading up to the wedding are quickly ticking by. Within the next few days foreign dignitaries will also start to arrive for the wedding. My appearance at the picnic seems to have suppressed most of the rumors surrounding the events in the woods, which has awarded me time to relax without having to put on a show. I have spent the day listening and have had Lila and Cora do the same to see if there are any whisperings about the spies that still have not returned, but the information has not been forthcoming. I can see the slight lines of worry appearing around father's eyes and I know that he fears the worst. 

Father has set up boat rides along the nearby river for all of the long distance guests, causing the castle to be calmer and quieter than it has been for days, a reprieve that I am grateful for. My steps are silent in my slippers as I walk toward Elisa's room. She sent a messenger this morning to remind me that I needed to have my gown fitted for the wedding and I made her wait until this evening. I was hoping that the halls would be empty enough that I would not be accosted by yet another well-meaning yet nosy noblewoman who was hoping for gossip that would be better than what the other ladies would have to share.

I turn the corner near the grand hall and find father standing in the corridor, his attention diverted toward the room. It is strange to see him standing alone. He is almost always flanked by various advisors and noblemen who wish to catch his attention for a moment and guards who are charged with his safety. He is always the most commanding man among a crowd of others, but alone somehow he almost appears smaller. While many would not hear my approach, father does, I can tell from the slight turn of his head though he does not move his eyes toward me. A king must always be on alert, but whatever he is watching has him so captivated he does not move his eyes to see my approach. I am curious as to what has entranced my father, so I walk to where he stands and let my eyes follow the line of his.

The doors to the grand hall are open. This is not a room that is used often, and most frequently, the doors are found to be closed to keep people from tarnishing the various beautiful golden features of the room and leaving scuffs on the rare white floor. The large room that I usually only see when it is full of light and people is mostly dark only slightly lit by a few candelabras near the center of the room. In the circle of light in the middle of the room, Valeous and Eleanora are dancing in the space where they will have their wedding and their first dance as husband and wife. On their wedding day this room will be full of people to witness the love between them, but tonight there is no one. This is no show that that they are giving to please the many guests who will arrive, this is just the two of them, in love and together. Oblivious to our watching eyes, they are fully entranced by each other. Although there is no music being played, they move in perfect harmony as if they hear the same notes, swaying along the floor as one. They are not speaking, but they do not need words. They are turned where I can see Valeous' face and his eyes are focused on Eleanora's face and are so full of love that it is impossible to deny. I feel a bit like I am intruding on their private moment and I find it hard to watch. I would not want Valeous to feel like we are taking away from his personal moment with his future wife.

"Your mother loved to dance. She would ask me to dance with her all of the time. Every party that we ever gave she would insist that we share at least one dance. Even times when we were alone in our chambers, she would ask for me to dance with her. It was one of her favorite things. Even when there were important matters to discuss, she would wish to dance. I used to tell her it was silly and often a waste of time, this constant desire to dance, but now I find that I wish I would have given into her request every time she made it. It turns out there was nothing more important than that. I wish for just one more dance with her in my arms."