Dearest Evelyn

-chapter 26-

Five days. Five days until my torture came. I told Gwindire of my fears of the wedding, but he only called it cold feet. And I thought he was supposed to be with frozen feet.

I closed my eyes, feeling Gwindire’s warmth next to me as his arm went over mine, and dreading the morning already. That meant it was only four days until our marriage. Time was closing in, fast. I was just now getting to return Gwin’s open affection by saying either “I love you,” or the appropriate response, “I love you too.” And already it seemed too much. Hector constantly pestered my thoughts and with him gone, things just weren’t the same

There seemed to be no wit, no humor save the exchanges between me and Gwin.

I caught myself twice about to call out Hector’s name to ask a question, but stopped myself for the sake of my embarrassment. It was almost humiliating that I still expected him to be around. Luckily Gwin never noticed.

Again, he haunted my dreams, looming like a consuming soul. This time I was sitting upright with him upon a mass of white sheets. The same light from before shone upon us. I could only see him over my own shoulder, which was bare down to my feet. My long hair was let loose, while he still had his floppy brown hair. It was kept short and pushed back, like always.

I could almost feel it as his lips reached my bare skin and we moved backwards so that I was on my back, he holding himself over me. Even though this was nothing but a mere dream, I had come to the notion that we were making love. Well, of course, what else would it be? But why was I dreaming of Hector?

I watched involuntarily as he lowered his body into mine and my dream self cried out with pleasure.

I awoke yet again with a start. Real morning light filtered in through my windows, and I let out a sigh of relief. But something was off. I turned to find myself in an empty bed save Geraldine yawning.

There was a note with a forget-me-not placed delicately on top of it. I smiled and placed the small flower aside, reading the note.

‘My dear, my love,

I decided not to awaken you as you slept peacefully next to me. If you happen to need me, I am down at the training grounds and will be until lunch. There is much training to be done, so I hope you don’t mind. One day, in a few days, to be exact, I will be able to lay with you all morning. As for now, I had to go.

Much love,

            -G’

I got up and quickly got dressed, pressing the tantalizing images from my dream to the back of my mind. I had work to do today. My mother directed I take some part in say-so for the decorations as well as food.

I’d spent as little time as possible taking care of crap I didn’t care about, and then went to find Gwindire.

~

He was standing over his own group of men, watching them with his hands on his hips and with a lance in one of his hands. He was also fully dressed in his armor. He would not notice my touch, so I spoke sweetly to alert him of my presence.

“Ah, there you are, love.” He greeted me.

I noticed how long his hair had gotten. It had grown to reach the end of his shoulder blades, and it was not tied up today in a ponytail. I longed to lose my hands in its silkiness, but those sorts of actions were not appropriate in public. Man I had really changed.

He noticed me smirk to myself and gave me a questioning look.

I only shook my head and looked over the young boys he was training. They weren’t much younger than he was, but being the general’s son, and in favor of the king, he had far more privileges than young knights normally would.