Elowyn route

Festivities were well on their way. Two of the three courses had already been served, and most of the people around Sir Moris had vacated to the dance floor. Meanwhile, Moris sat watching the merriment with his head in his hands, lost in thought.

His thoughts were centered on Elowyn, and the dream that awoke new feelings within him. Elowyn and Moris were friends for as long as he could remember, and that was a bond that would not easily be broken. That went both ways though. As impossible as it seemed to lose their friendship, so too did it seem impossible to push things further. They were like siblings. Moris grit his teeth together as this point crushed any romantic thoughts that popped up.

Moris remembered the promise they made each other during their youth. They would both become knights and fight side by side. Too bad reality came and shattered that dream. She was to become a lady-in-waiting, while he became a squire. He still remembered the tears running down her cheeks when they seperated. Part of her still resents her family for that.

As if he'd summoned her with his thoughts, Elowyn came up behind him and tugged on his earlobe. "Hey stinky," she greeted him.

"Ow ow ow!"

"That was for earlier." Elowyn was wearing a more elegant looking dress than she wore this morning. Her shoulders were bare, save for the copper locks that draped over them. It lifted and pressed her breasts together to accentuate her cleavage. She pulled out the chair beside Moris and sat down as he grumbled.

"That's Sir Rhodri's spot, you know?" He commented as he rubbed his ear.

"Old Rhodri won't mind. He's babysitting a drunk Heledd while her husband is off gambling." She let out a sigh as she leaned back into her new chair. "How is the night treating you, Moris?"

"Worse, now that you're here to bother me," he spoke half-truthfully in a sarcastic tone. He was still trying to sort through his feelings, and her presence put a wrench in those gears. Still, he couldn't hold back a smile.

"I'm happy to ruin your night then." She laughed with her belly. "Gods, it's nice to finally let loose. Everyone's always scrutinizing every word, every movement. Blegh."

She was more crass than half of the guys he knew. Whoever she ended up with would be hard pressed to make her stay prim and proper.

"You're the least ladylike lady I know. No wonder you get so much criticism," he said with a grin. This was met with an elbow to the ribs. Did she act so violently towards him because they were so close, or did she actually want him to compliment her feminine qualities? "But you do look nice tonight."

Rather than giving him a retort, Elowyn grabbed Moris's cup and downed the wine that remained. "I'm tired of this charade. You reckon you've got a tongue of silver nowadays? Do you think you can petition the king to let me out of here?"

"It's only a charade if you put in some effort, El." He craned his head towards the high table. King Briant seemed to be in a great mood, so he figured his odds were pretty strong. "I can try. Just do me a favor: stay seated here and act like you're wasted." With a deep breath, Moris stood and made his way towards his liege.

"Your grace." Moris knelt before his king.

"Sir Moris!" Briant exclaimed heartily. "I hope you're enjoying the feast as much as I!" A few other raise their cups and cheer in agreement. "What brings you before me, good sir?"

Still genuflected, Moris answered the king. "Tonight has been wonderful, your grace. Your feasts are simply the finest in all of Brightmoor. That is why I approach you with such regret. Unfortunately, the lady Elowyn has become sick on drink, and it only felt right to volunteer to take care of her."

The two of them turned their gaze towards Elowyn. She was hunched over in her chair, swaying from side to side in a daze. Briant shot a look of concern towards Moris, and gave him his response. "Of course, lad. See to it that the good lady is treated right, and take care of yourself as well." With that, the king motioned for Moris to stand, and dismissed him.

A puff of smoke blew from Elowyn's lips as she sat atop the castle's parapet, only to disappate by the warm Summer night's breeze. Her legs dangled over the side of the wall, slowly swinging back and forth as she took another drag of tobacco.

The plant was a commodity from the Southern continent, and had become a craze among the elite since peace brought security to their trade routes. Moris mused on the effects of the peace as he leaned against the wall beside her. Were he born even a year earlier, he would've been able to prove his worth as a warrior to his king. As things were now, he lacked a sense of purpose. Training half his life to kill, only to be a warm body in a castle. Still, things could be much worse. At least he had friends to turn to.

"You're quiet tonight," Elowyn said half-heartedly as she stared at up at the moon.

"Not sure I want to talk about it right now." Moris quickly dismissed her probe. His sudden onset of melancholy was not helpful for conversation. It did, however, make sorting out his thoughts a little easier.

Elowyn shrugged and continued indulging in her smoke.

If he couldn't find purpose on a battlefield, what was left for him? Wait the days out performing garrison duty until the king decided otherwise? Hope for another war to break out? No, there had to be something, anything, he could do proactively.

"Hey, El."

"Yeah?"

"Being a knight isn't all that great."

Elowyn sat on the statement for a moment before responding. "You think so? Still seems a lot better than being dolled up and put on display."

That stung Moris. The romantic dream from earlier flooded his mind once more. The reminder of Elowyn's eligibility threatened to shatter Moris's heart. His filter dropped, and he said his next thought aloud: "What if I took care of that for you?"

"Pfft," Elowyn laughed. "Are you gonna spirit me off to a nunnery? I'll pass. They already took in my sister anyway."

Moris wanted to tell her about his vision, but bit his tongue. If she denied him here, he wasn't sure how he'd react, save for the fact that it would be bad. "I'm serious. What if you didn't have to worry about being married off to some random oaf?"

Elowyn clicked her tongue. "If you have any ideas, feel free to enlighten me." She flicked the remains of her tobacco to the ground far below, spun towards Moris, and straddled the wall.

"It's a long shot, but..." Moris hesitated, but found the resolve to finish his proposition. "What if I convinced the king to let me take your hand?"

Elowyn stared at him for what felt like minutes, then hopped back onto the stone floor and grabbed Moris by the jaw and **** him to look her in the eyes. "Are you fucking with me, or are you serious?"

Moris simply looked back at her, letting his silence show his conviction.

Whatever emotions Elowyn was feeling, she wasn't expressing them. "If you can pull it off, go ahead." She turned around, facing away from Moris. "Just don't get my hopes up for nothing." With that, she began walking back inside, giving him a wave as she disappeared into the stairway.

The breeze took a slight chill as it began blowing across the back of his neck once again. Moris looked up at the sky and watched the stars for a while before making his exit as well.