Elchanan's Chambers

A young page hurried down the corridor to stop before the king's advisor's rooms. He looked down at the sealed letter he carried, curious about what lay inside, but not daring to so much as hold the paper for much longer. He knocked once on the door to signal his arrival and placed the letter, as instructed, on the floor directly in front of the door. His exit was swift and unseen.

Elchanan was written in a elegant thin script across the creamy paper just above the dowager queen's seal. The ring of Mystenia left a unique imprint after all.

Elchanan walked down the hall, with his cane in one hand and a booklet of polical papers on the other. He need his cane for the day, today he was recovering for the night of dancing... his leg was protesting. But he cared not, he veiwed it was well worth it, he had never felt so close to Dowager queen before the evening.

When he got to his rooms he looked to find a letter at his door, he sighed and picked it up thinking it was another noble bothering him. However he was surprised to find it of Genevieve's writing.

Interest quickly replaced irritation and he entered his rooms, he placed the papers aside and took a seat in a chair resting his leg and carefully opening the letter of the only woman of his interest.

~Contents of Letter~

Three sheets of paper each sweet smelling due to the flowers that had been crushed into the paper. The first sheet held the following words.

My Dear Elchanan,

You may wonder why this letter has found its way to your door, but I hope that you know its reasons and my thoughts behind them. We are both people of few words and emotions. Robed in our stations light does not often peek into our souls.

I discovered as we danced that I have come to enjoy your presence. You have always been a man of whom I thought as good, but no other thought before strayed for you. Now I have come to find you are in my dreams, replacing those of your brother. Do not think me hasty or a poor widow, for indeed I believe I have suffered far beyond many widows.

Your love is more than I could hope for, so I merely ask for your compassion. If you could love me, do so and hide it well, but if you cannot find the strength, I beg of you to burn this letter and forgive a foolish woman her only dream.

Genevieve

The second and third sheets both held a poem...

Blinded by that which only I see...
The bitter torn remains of me,
Can I rise above the sea
Of falling blood falling free
Or will I fade as in my dreams?

This life I live is fading slowly,
There is no purpose for the holy
Prayers that you have said,
Prayers are worthless for the dead-
I am a shadow behind a broken shell;
A vessel tossed on a draining ocean,
An angel child who fell from heaven
To find herself in man's cruel hell,

My tormentor watches me cry,
She wants me now only to die,
Night and day she begs my tears,
Steals my joy and feeds my fears,
An empty soul, a tortured heart,
A ruined being torn apart-
The mirror I see is me and she
The she reflected stabbing me.

My only hope to lift my soul
Long ago lost; remake me whole-
Teach me once again to laugh,
You are the only one to guide
Me to this long forgotten craft-
The others trying only annoy,
Instruct me, please, in the art of joy,

I find the sun has dimmed and left,
With your gentle face carved deftly
Into the place of shining sun,
Proof that for me you are the one
That I am now only living for
The only one for whom I soar
Up into heaven's daily skies
No more wishing for good-byes
This life now holds great future plans
And death will only in its demands
Take me away if you should pass
For without my love...I would not last.

My first love I lost to other's arms
And to the arrow's barbed harms,
He was different than you-
But I find you to be more true,
His eyes were blue and his smile wide
But his steps were fallen full of pride.
I gave him all the years of my youth
Believing the lies he fed me as truth...
His sons I bore in love so pure
While he spoiled more virgins demure,

I begged him stay the day he died
And for is loss so long I cried...
His death, confession, lie and sin
Are mixed so well there is no end-
Lost in grief and yet in wrath
I walk a lonely desolate path.

Now I see you are my saviour coming
Not as a second love descending-
A woman's heart is given once,
And broken cannot be repaired,
Nor can it be bought or shared...
A woman's soul is another matter
It can be mended unlike the latter...
To bond the soul of she to him
So that their affection might not dim.

Within this poem I wrote
I send and write this final note,
You will find that I have sent
My soul to you although tis spent,
I beg of you to help it heal
And return it when it learns to feel.

Elchanan read through the letter, his hand shook at his chin, his eyes not leaving the letter, not even to blink.

He had always cared for her ever since the day he danced with her as his brothers proxy. He loved her, he had only ever had eyes for her, and she had not know, until now.... and she now returned his feelings.

The poem pulled at his heart, as cold and harded as it was, softened at the words thet came from her very soul. He moved his fingers over the words as if caressing them.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, hearing her voice in his head. She need not ask for his heart or his soul for she already had both, and he would heal hers even if he had to sell his. He sighed and gently folded the precious paper, he place a illusion over the paper so one other person could read it other then him.

"From this day foreward I so swear to guard your soul and hope to heal it and retain as much to your hearts content. My heart and soul are yours, may you find all the comfort you expect to find in them." he muttered casting spell on his words so they may be heard by her ears only and when she was alone and in need of them.

*In Genevieve's chambers*

Genevieve nearly dropped her journal as she heard Elchanan's deep comforting voice murmur in her ears. Alone in the secret room, she smiled and stopped writing, looking up to savour the words.
Her poem and letter had not been an error, but one of the best things she had ever done. Calling a shadow from the corner, she twisted it into a figure of the two of them dancing, pulled from her memories. It faded through the wall as she sent it to Elchanan, almost giddy with joy as she imagined it appearing for Elchanan to keep.


The same music that had played during their first dance, so many long years before gently echoed through Elchanan's chambers as the shadowy figures of the younger Genevieve and Elchanan waltzed through the room.

Elchanan blinked when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, his eyes widened at the graceful figures. He rememered the time, the day he first danced with her, she was a small delicated thing, but with a mind well beyond her years. It was at that moment he had wished his brother had dropped dead perhaps both of them would be happier now?

Muttering a spell he encased the dancing figures in a mini ballroom the same they had danced in.

He closed his eyes and spell as short message back to her, it consisted of a love filled laugh the no one had ever had the plesure of hearing before and "I remember that day.... the day swore to watch over you... the day we learned how to dance..."

He smiled to him self, now he could do more then that, and he stood mesmerized by the danceing figures in his chambers.

Genevieve chuckled happily, safe to express her joy at hearing his lovely laugh. A laugh she knew meant so much more than simple pleasure. They were both people of hidden emotions; expression was in subtle methods. Such rapture enveloped her that she could almost see him standing there, smiling and laughing for her pleasure and love.

"When we learned to dance..." she murmured, still controlling the shadow figures, as the one of her left her shadow partner and shyly approached Elchanan.
She-through the shadow- whispered as she offered her grey hand to him. "And now completion into forever."

Elchanan slowly turned around feeling another presents with him in the room. His eyes sparked with pleasure at seeing the lovely shadowed figure of Genevieve reaching out for him, that shy attidute that he thought was so endearing. She need not be shy around him, he would never scorn her... ever no matter what.

"Truer words were never spoken Genevieve..... Stole the words right out of my mouth" he stated, saying his loves actual name aloud perhaps for the first time. Oh how it just rolled off his tongue.

Genevieve closed her eyes as she listened to his dear voice, each word becoming more and more dear to her, until at last she could hardly stand it. The shadows vanished and the music faded as she shook her head. It was not right for her to behave in such a manner... although she did not really care. Shadows and spells, all so familiar but so lacking in person.

Setting her dropped quill back on the desk and closing her journal, Genevieve sent one last shadow of herself, this time current to Elchanan.

The shadow-Genevieve had her long blonde hair loose about her shoulders and back, dressed in a tidy dressing gown and free of the shawls, headdresses, and heavy gowns, she appeared to be a woman and not the formidable Dowager Queen, or the grieving in white or grey widow.
"Would you walk with me?" she asked, breath almost held as she awaited his reply. Of course she would have to dress and go down to the gardens, but it would be well worth it.

Elchanan inclined his head at her question and nodded, he couldn't refuse her.

"I would be honored to... Genevieve" he said with a bow of is head. 'Where is the desired destination?" he asked with a small curve on his lips to show he was more then happy to walk with her.

"The Oak Way." she murmured, already imagining walking beside him, either in comfortable silence or soft conversation.

Snatching her staff from where it leaned against the wall, Genevieve hurried into her rooms to dress.

((And I already made the OW thread))

Elchana nodded and made to get his things, he looked at his cane, dstane carefully hidden under mask. He wished he didn't need it... but he hadn't a choice his leg was acting up, it would do no good for him to loose his footing.

Will out further adue he left his chambers, matters of court could wait a few hours for once.