The Married Life

Being married agreed with Eldarion. His days were much like they had been though his free time was far less than it had been. Married men like himself had responsibilities and just because he was given a stipend it didn’t mean he wouldn’t have to earn it. He dealt with logistics and spent time with his father in meetings and also when he guided his commanders and troops. Eldarion himself was no slouch with the sword. He had his father for his teacher though he had years and years to learn what he’d need to be actually be called ‘good’ with one. For Calista’s part being the one to prepare meals and tend house had been something she had been taught to do. They did have two servants but her mother had told her that doing things herself would endear her more to her new man and so she did most of the cleaning, shopping and cooking. The servants made most of that easier, they did all the washing and deep cleaning which gave her time to sit with friends as they talked about their husbands. It might be surprising that they tried to ferret out ‘intimate’ details about Eldarion. Many of her friends and acquaintances, even those that did not have husbands seemed pretty interested in certain parts of ‘Eldarion’s anatomy’.

Eldarion, being part Dunedain himself was ‘gifted’ much like his father had been. Though not quite as tall as Elessar, he was faster, stronger and more intelligent than other men of lesser stock. That and he was also well endowed between the legs. Something that though most people hinted at asking about, some of her closest friends asked her about outright. It seemed that married women were less ‘chaste’ with what they spoke of and many had some pretty specific ideas about what she was doing and not doing with her new husband in their bed at night.

The truth of the matter was that Eldarion was an adventurous sort once his initial nervousness had been set to rest. He wanted to try everything and it wasn’t long before he was able to make her gasp and moan long before he was ready to. Calista was one of those women that felt a great deal of sensation down below and sometimes all he needed to do was move just the right way and she was crying out at the top of her lungs for him. Which ofcourse just egged him to come at her even more vivaciously than he had been. They ate together, talked together, bathed together and more besides. They were well matched in stones and chess, she won more in stones, he more in chess, and the stakes for winning varied from clearing table, doing the dishes to specific though delightful, sexual favors in which losing seemed almost as good as winning in all actuality.

Some days they ate with her family and others with his and still others with their friends. She only had to cook 1 meal in three and the variety was something that they both seemed to enjoy.

For Calista those first weeks being married to Eldarion were the happiest days of her life. After spending several days secluded in the grand suite they emerged and were given their own rooms in the palace and several servants. There was a private kitchen and bath and a large bed, which she and Eldarion made sure was well broken in. They almost couldn’t get enough of one another. All she had to do was wink at him and two minutes later their clothes were off and he was taking her up against the nearest wall or piece of furniture. Their initial shyness was gone and their sexual appetites were strong and very frequent. For now they didn’t want to have a baby so she had started using staybirth herbs everyday. Eldarion knew she was using them and would even remind her daily to use them in her tea. It wasn’t that they didn’t want children, but for now they just wanted each other.

Despite having grown up in a privileged family, Calista had been taught to keep house and to cook and was perfectly comfortable doing these tasks. However, they did have two servants and so she would do some cooking cleaning, but would take advantage of their help and take time to visit with her family and friends. All of her female friends seemed quite...interested in Eldarion...at least certain parts of him. Calista was not comfortable talking about him in such a way, but did hint that she was very happy. When she and Eldarion weren’t making love, they spent time together reading or playing games or just taking walks out in the gardens.

Tonight was their night alone together for dinner and so she prepared a spring vegetable soup and prepared a baked, lemon herb chicken with roasted potatoes and carrots. She poured some wine and heard the door to their rooms open and one of the servants greet Eldarion at the door.

“How did everything go with your father today?” she asked as she handed him a glass of wine.

Eldarion took the wine then kissed her and actually moaned softly when they finally separated as if her drawing back was extremely disappointing. He had been dying to kiss her and the day had drew on far too long for his liking.

“It went well, but you must know that I had a difficult time getting you out of my head today. That thing you did to me last night,” he said with a smile as he leaned in. “Amazing,” he said in a whisper. “It’s like something is wrong with me, whenever I leave you I want to come right back,” he added with a very heated look in his eyes. One that told her immediately that he would feast heartily on her flesh if she let him but she would know he was starving. He took a sip of the wine. “Mmm, very nice my darling,” he said affectionately. “And speaking of my father, there was something I wanted to talk to you about,” he said though his tone sounded as if she may not completely like what he was about to say. He followed her around the room as she moved to set her own glass down so she could serve dinner.

“Would, uh, would you like me to serve tonight?” he asked. He wanted her to be sitting down when he told her and the way she paused with her back to him then tilted her head spoke volumes about how much she already knew him.

Calista smiled and even blushed ever so slightly at his mention of the night before and what she had done to him. She had been thinking a lot about the entire night all day. It had been rather incredible. However, when he then said that there was something he wanted to talk to her about, something about the tone of his voice told her that she may not like what he was going to say and her smile slowly faded. She looked at him slightly and then again when he offered to serve dinner. That was something he had never done. She turned around and looked directly at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What is it you have to tell me?"

The look she gave him was the one that in no certain terms will there be any dinner served until he came clean with what he needed to tell her. He put down the wine...then slid the glass just a little further away from her reach. Gingerly he took a step forward and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Now let's not be like that,” Eldarion said in a simpering tone. “I just need to...go out into the field...awhile,” he said as he looked at her. He had intentionally been as vague as he could be, if he told her what he’d really be up to she’d march straight to his father and tell him that in no certain terms would she allow Eldarion to be put in harm’s way! He kept his gaze surprisingly neutral so she would get no sign from him that what he had volunteered...oh that would not be good for her to know that either. That he ‘volunteered’ to be one of the scouts to go East and scout out Minas Morgul to see what the orcs have been up to. “All soldiers have to go sometime, it's just my time,” he lied. “It’ll only be for a couple of weeks,” he added belatedly and smiled his best smile.

What he hadn't known was that that afternoon one of her closest friends had mentioned something about one of her friend's husband's being selected as part of a foray to go into Minas Morgul and how afraid for him she was.

Calista looked at him and despite, or perhaps because of, him being vague with her she knew exactly what he meant when he said 'out into the field'. She also knew that his father would not have willingly sent him there...that he must have volunteered. She began to shake her head.

"Why do you want to go to Minas Morgul?"

He could have winced. How she knew everything was beyond him right then but she did and she wasn’t happy about it. He sighed now only coming to terms with all that she already knew. “Well…” he decided to just tell it out straight. “We need to know what's out there Calista,” he said as he looked deeply into her eyes. “If I didn't volunteer then someone would have been chosen out. I stepped up, what else do you want me to say?” He said as he held her. His eyes were intense pools of blue right then.

Calista sighed and was quiet for a long time as she processed everything. There was nothing she could do about it now. She looked away from him.

"I just wish you would have talked to me about this first. I mean this is your life your putting on the line. We only just got married...I'd rather not be a widow just yet."

He kissed her cheek. “Hey, I know, I know, I should have talked to you first. You know If I had time to do that I would have. But if I hadn't volunteered they’d have just picked someone. So I stood up and took responsibility. I know you're upset…” He said he he kissed her cheek again. “But I know I can help and we both know I need the experience,” he reasoned as he looked at her worried that she would continue to be upset with him.

“After...I had intended to take a few weeks of leave though…” He told her as he kissed her forehead. “I had thought we’d go and see my sister and grandparents together in Gehenna, would you like that? Just us...alone?” He asked.

Calista was still rather upset that he was going to Minas Morgul, but a smile returned to her face when he mentioned them traveling together to Gehenna. She had never been there, but she knew his family from visits they had made to Minas Tirith over the years, and of course she knew his sister. It was clear that she did like the idea of that, but she forced her smile away as best she could and began to serve dinner.

"I'm still upset..."

As he knew she would be. Calista was a strong woman. An opinionated woman and he could not dislike that. The women in his whole family were strong women why should his own wife be any different? And would he really want her to be? The irritated look she gave him as she served the meal she cooked for them made him want her that much more. It had been a long time since any kind of scouting mission pressed East and everyone knew it would be likely that they’d run into something. Without Sauron’s influence though, Orcs and Trolls and such did not fight so well as they had during the ring war. A cornered Troll though was very dangerous anywhere. His own mother killed two defending his father. He would seek them out and test his own steel up against them or at least a few orcs...if there were any.

That night their lovemaking was slow, deliberate and passionate. They would be apart for at least 2 weeks and he wanted her to remember this when she went to their bed each night. They did not fall off into sleep until it was long into the night…

The next day he had spent the morning packing. Calista had left to do a little shopping for him as he decided on what to take and what not to take. They couldn’t take much, they had to carry what they brought with them. She returned with parceled cheese, flat bread and dried meats. Compact meals that he could unwrap in a hurry to consume if on the move. He thanked her for that and they did have rations, though he never acquired a taste for those. He’d eat them but he never really liked them.

8 of them were going, two others were married by women calista actually knew. She embarrassed him by checking the straps of his backpack. He often kept them to loose and there she went tightening them up for him. “I’ll be fine Calista,” he said softly as the other women said goodbye to their men. “It will be odd not being near you every day,” he said and smiled at her. He looked rather rugged with his studded leather armor and weaponry attached to his belt and back. He had tied his leather helm to his backpack and he wore a green and white cloak with the symbol of the white tree on the back of it. The symbol of the King’s army.

That next morning was difficult for Calista. She was still upset and worried, but since he was going she wanted to ensure that he was well fed. She knew that he disliked the rations and so while he was packing she went out to find some cheeses, dried meats, and flat breads that he could easily carry and eat while on the move. She didn't want him coming back skinny. Since their wedding they hadn't spent a night apart and so these two weeks were going to be a test for them. She knew it was going to be difficult for them both and so she did her best to remain strong while getting ready to say goodbye to him. She fidgeted with the straps on his backpack to ensure they were tight and made sure his cloak was evenly distributed over his shoulders. She tried to fight back the few tears that filled her eyes as she slowly nodded.

"I'm still going to worry..."

ooc: new thread