With the Good Comes the Bad

After spending several weeks in Gehenna with Eldarion, he had to return to Minas Tirith while she remained behind to start her training. It was a difficult goodbye for them both, but Calista hoped that this would be something that would only bring them closer together in the end. Learning how to use a sword and bow was something she had always dreamt of, but her father had never allowed. Instead, she had been taught sewing and knitting and painting and other feminine things. Six months apart sounded like a long time, but she planned to devote the rest of her life completely to Eldarion and bearing and raising his children so she figured he could at least give her this.

Her training would be split during the week. The first part of the week would be devoted to swordsmanship, while the second half would be archery. She would spend at least two hours each day Monday through Friday with both Conleth and Serethiel and Saturday and Sunday she would have to rest. Although Conleth and Serethiel were now family to her they did not go easy on her. The training for both was grueling. Most days she returned to the manor exhausted, sweaty and dirty. Three weeks after she began she nearly considered quitting. She missed Eldarion greatly and several nights she cried herself to sleep. However, she did not quit...nor did she ever complain to Conleth or Serethiel. This had been what she wanted and despite the somewhat rough start after three months her skills were improving tremendously and she was becoming stronger and faster. She knew she would never be like Nauriel or Serethiel, but she was still quite proud of herself.

That night she walked back to the manor after a particularly hard archery lesson. After mastering targets, she was now learning how to fire from horseback. It was extremely difficult to control a horse with one's knees alone and fire from a galloping horse. She had fallen off twice, but had eventually gotten her shot. She filled the tub with hot water and undressed and slipped inside. Her muscles ached, but the hot water slowly began to relax her.

OOC-Do you know what happened to the threads for the original Conleth/Serethiel board? I can't find them.

ooc: Yes, after you...um...dessimated those I went and burned the rest of them out. All we have now is the yahoo board material

OOC-Ok, I was just curious. I sometimes like to go back and re-read through threads.

ooc: me2 but...well...RIP *takes off his hat*

Busy and stress were understatements for Eldarion. Each morning, after 3 weeks he had their servant make him tea and a simple breakfast before he set out for the day. Each day save for Sunday he was a very busy man. When he wasn’t helping to train the men he was leading them in mock combat scenarios and skirmishes to learn tactics. When he wasn’t doing that he was doing Logistical reports for Minas Tirith or helping his father and mother lead the kingdom. Waking up each morning and going to bed each night...alone was difficult. He received letters from Calista and loved to read them but he only seemed to send half as many. That and he had began to grow into a depression of sorts. He was moody, often harsh in his criticisms and punishments and tended to drink too much ale of late.

He was happy that Calista was holding her own and improving but at the same time he resented her for leaving him with an empty house and an empty bed. After three months, Johanna Alta, a former friend of Calista’s who was now back from Rohan after her husband Marin was killed while out on patrol had discovered that Calista was gone but hadn’t known why. Nor did she really care. Understanding that he was alone she took to rubbing his shoulders and bringing him ale when he frequented his favorite pub. She’d listen to his woes and comfort him when she thought he’d accept it. One night however he had had a little too much to drink and she had taken him to her small house on the second level. That night he thought about and desired Calista but what he got was Johanna’s warm, naked body and faltered. The next morning he woke up in his own bed though with a raging headache. And unfortunately, the memory of what he had done. When he went back to tell her that it couldn’t happen again she began crying and in his attempts to comfort her he ended up, sober this time having sex with her again. And the night after and the night after that.

Johanna had spoken to a few people about her ‘apparent’ elevation as she wormed her way into his bed and apparently his heart but not everyone had remained silent on the matter. After an audience with some of the nobles his mother, the queen called him to attend her. Being the dutiful son he was he went to her sitting room in which she asked him to shut the door. Once he complied and turned around he saw black specks in his vision when he realized she had slapped him...hard. His  eyes widened as his hand went to his face.

“How could you!” She snapped angrily and began to rain down slaps and hits upon him until he was on his knees, “Mother...please...stop!” He said desperately. She was strong and her hits and slaps hurt.

Ooc: Feel free to take it for here for Nauriel!

Though Calista was very busy or very tired Aviana was able to rekindle her friendship with her to a degree and thus found time to spend with her on the weekends here and there. Conleth and Serethiel were completely different people when they weren’t teaching her. Serethiel took to helping her learn how to cook some of the foods she knew and Conleth snuck fig or pear tarts to her when Serethiel wasn’t looking though she knew full well what her husband was doing. Calista lost weight quickly then gained it all back in hard, lean muscle and they were proud of her determination and performance thus far.

Nauriel hadn't wanted to believe the news when she heard it. Not her son...he wouldn't do something like that. She defended him at first, until the rumors became too much to ignore and some of the nobles requested an audience with her. Nauriel had sat there quietly, listening to what they had to say...and none of it was good. Word of what he was doing was spreading quickly and stopping it at this point would be nearly impossible. While she knew that six months apart was a long time, she had truly believed in her son and his strength and love for Calista, but he had let her down.

When he came in her anger became too much for her to control and she found herself slapping him. She had never hit any of her children...they had all been raised in such a way that they had never needed it...except for now. She finally stopped and she stood there, practically trembling in anger.

"What have you done Eldarion?! You're sleeping with another woman? Everyone knows...everyone is talking about it! You took vows to Calista, who loves you entirely and you do this to her after only a few months of separation!"

OOC-You know what could be really bad is if Calista decides to come back early and catches him with this woman

Ooc: omg, horrible?

OOC-lol that doesn't have to happen. But she could always come home early and maybe that woman has only just left and she left something behind that Calista discovers

Ooc: what about coming home to find her in their house? She comes to the door half dressed prepared to fawn over him?...

OOC-that sounds good

After his initial shock and embarrassment of being pummeled by his own mother. He stood and straightened his coat. “You don’t know anything!” He said in a defiant growl. He settled visibly though and his eyes stared angrily at her. “If there is nothing else?” He said then left her chambers quickly.

He knew what he was doing was terribly wrong but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t love Johanna but he also didn’t want to send her away. She made him feel...good. Unfortunately his mother wasn’t the only one that gave him a difficult time, his sisters did as well, Calene most off all for embarrassing her like this. He kicked them out and in defiance of all of their butting in, moved Johanna in...which was to say he slept with her in his marriage bed. He tolerated the concerted frowns of the servants but he had long learned to ignore those. Who had not spoken to him...his father though Nauriel had urged him to.

The next morning Calista was supposed to track, shoot and quarter and bring back the carcass of a boar. In the early morning light she found a set of tracks that looked like those of a boar and decided to follow them. She came upon it but it smelled her at the same time she smelled it. It charged but before it made it half way to her she shot and hit it in its right eye. Quartering it took time and hauling it back took everything she had but she had done it. That night Conleth roasted it for them and they celebrated her success.

Johanna didn't care that everyone, including the king and queen, knew that she was sleeping with Eldarion. She made herself very comfortable in the bed he shared with Calista. Although Eldarion had not said anything about Calista, she was confident she could get him to leave her and make her his future queen. She was already ordering around their servants and spending Eldarion's money. One day she began to get rather nosy with Calista's things. She began to go through her jewelry and found a beautiful jeweled necklace Eldarion had given her as a wedding present. She put it on, but then spotted Calista's tiara. Marrying Eldarion and made her a member of the royal family and thus she had a tiara to wear for formal occasions. Johanna's eyes widened as she picked it up. It sparkled in the sunlight from all of the diamonds and she practically drooled over it. She walked over to a mirror and carefully put it on.

Calista was extremely proud of her kill. It had been difficult, but she had been determined not to fail. Seeing the proud looks on Conleth and Serethiel's faces had made all of the effort worth it. This had been her final test. She had finished her training early and was happy to be able to go home and surprise Eldarion. She missed him terribly and hoped that surprising him would make up for the months they had been apart.

Ooc: rut roh!

When Johanna helped herself to Calista’s things was where Eldarion drew the line. She had came to the door wearing only the necklace and Eldarion was so furious he practically ripped it off of her. His punishments usually involved sex, and Johanna allowed him to do things to her that she guessed Calists never had. She accepted his punishments and even would play the submissive minx to him when she thought he needed her to be that. For him she was whatever and whomever he needed. He called out Calista’s name during sex sometimes but she knew time would end that. The queen and his sisters would barely speak to him now which he hated but he still attended his duties and performed well despite his difficulties with his family. The king did not speak to him though...he felt when Eldarion had something to say that he’d come to him.

The ride back was lonely and uneventful for Calista. She was able to ride fast as she didn’t bring with her the pack horse and pannier. People waved to her when she passed them and one evening she was joined by a traveling troop of thespians who performed a few scenes for her and shared her camp and cooked for her. One of the actors named, Jaspar, he was very attractive had sat near her in order to ‘speak’ to her. He had long, blonde hair, large blue eyes and a very alluring smile.

“So my lady Calista, Lorna has told me that you are wife to Prince Eldarion of Gondor? Well, what has you galavanting about alone in the countryside?” He asked giving her his best smile. He had been trying to get her into his bed but when she had told him who she was he had bowed, made his apologies but still decided to sit and talk to her.

After her 'punishment', Johanna lay there in the bed he and Calista shared. She moved up onto her side and looked at him after a moment.

"So, if I can't wear that necklace will you buy me one of my own?" she asked with a little purr to her voice as she began to lightly caress his chest with her fingertips.


Calista wanted to get back to Eldarion as quickly as possible. She needed him...to be in his arms...in their bed...to be his wife and to see his smile. Before she had left Gehenna, Serethiel had given her a bow and quiver as a gift and Conleth had given her a sword. Her time with them had strengthened their bond and she had promised them that they would both return soon. She was also going to miss Aviana, Cole, and Aslan. She couldn't believe how big Aslan was getting. Holding him made her want a baby of her own. She decided that she would talk to Eldarion soon about the possibility of starting a family.

Thankfully the ride back was uneventful. She didn't want anything to slow her down. One evening as she was making camp a traveling troop of thespians stopped to perform a few scenes for her. She enjoyed them very much but quickly noticed that one of the young actors seemed to be eyeing her. He was quite handsome and flirted with her quite heavily until someone quietly informed him of who she was. She found she enjoyed his company much better after that.

"I am on my way home actually," she replied. "I was spending some time in Gehenna learning archery and the sword, but my training was completed early so I am now traveling home to surprise my husband."

“Perhaps I will find you something,” he said as he rose and got dressed. He had a few drills to run with his men and it would not do to be late. “I’ll be back around mid-day to lunch with you if you think you will have time for me?” he said almost playfully. She rose from the bed and without a stitch on she fingered herself then let him taste her when she lightly touched his lips with her fingers. “Oh I’ll have a meal prepared for you my prince,” she said and laughed as she sauntered away to get cleaned up. He left wondering how he was going to tell her she needed to go soon. He knew what he was doing was wrong. He knew he loved and really wanted Calista. He had missed her friendship, her voice, everything but she was not there and wouldn’t be for months yet. Why he had not insisted that she stayed with him he did not know but as he left he knew it had been the biggest mistake of his life not to make that demand upon her. If he made only one demand in their marriage, that should have been it he thought. He was a lecher and he didn’t deserve her. That much was very true. What he has done would possibly end what they had. There would be no understanding this. And he wasn’t certain if he wanted her to anyway...

The troop had been to Gondor recently and ofcourse they heard the news about Eldarion. It wasn’t on everyone’s tongues but it was on many. He looked at her with a knowing smile. “Oh, he will be surprised I’m sure,” he said almost wincing at his own words. He should have perhaps not said that but it was an ambiguous statement. “What I meant to say is that we have heard of prince Eldarion...I mean, who hasn’t yes?” He seemed to be going on in a sort of babble. “Well, I do seem to be going on...and well, my bed awaits,” he said awkwardly then stood and bowed then left.

The city was much like it had always been however she noticed the gate guards looking at her strangely. They hadn’t said anything besides what they always said but they whispered to one another and watched her curiously as she rode into the city. People she passed, not everyone to be sure, bowed and gave her their customary greetings but they to seemed to eye her or give her an appraising look as she passed them. Johanna had put on the sheerest gown she owned. In the right light it actually left little to the imagination but she didn’t expect that she would be wearing it long. She had washed with Calista’s rose scented soap, especially between her legs, he spent more and more time down there pleasuring her as of late. Surely a sign that he was falling in love with her she thought. When she heard the door she sprang from the lounger...if Eldarion came with a gift for her she knew she would let him do ‘whatever’ he wanted to her. However as she sensually swayed to strike a sexy pose at the entrance it was not Eldarion...it was Calista...

ooc: I cringed just writing this ill have you know. I need MORE coffee!

OOC-lol it was your idea

IC-Calista couldn't help but notice as she rode into the city that everyone was looking at her strangely. No one waved or said anything. In fact, they all seemed to avoid eye contact with her entirely and many seemed to want to hide. She didn't understand what was going on, but she continued riding. She wanted to see Eldarion...to feel his arms around her...to inhale his scent and hear his heartbeat. She knew that he would probably be running drills right now, but if she hurried she could get into their room and change into something sexy and wait for him on their bed. She smiled at the thought of it and imagined the look on his face before he would attack her. The thought made her own desire grow.

At the royal stables, she dismounted her horse but noticed that the servants were all acting as strangely as everyone else. She just shook her head and took her things and headed inside. She walked down the hallway towards their apartments. Inside, she heard some movement, but believed it was probably just one of their servants. Happy to be home she opened the door and started to step inside...

It was the smell of her soap that hit her first. Then as she looked up she saw Johanna...pretty much all of Johanna. At first her mind didn't want to believe it...why would this woman be in their apartments...basically naked? A half glance around the room was all that was needed to confirm her worst fears. She could see Johanna's clothes strewn about the room...the bedroom was a mess...particularly the bed. She could smell her own soap on this woman. She felt incredibly sick to her stomach and she felt like her knees might buckle underneath her. She then heard the door open again and she looked over to see Eldarion...

Eldarion had his gift tucked neatly under his arm. He would give it to Johanna then ask her to leave. That was it but something inside of him knew that it wouldn’t be that easy. He opened the door, took in a deep breath then strode in. Shock and awe hit him immediately as now two very surprised sets of eyes fluttered over to him. On the far side of the entranceway Johanna was there, she swallowed hard, had red, embarrassed cheeks and seemed to be trying to cover herself with her arms. And then, in the center of the room was Calista. Her cheeks were red as well, embarrassment was there but also a paleness around her eyes like she was about to be sick. That and he thought he could see her pupils nearly tighten as if she were eyeing a wild boar that she wanted to shoot.

“I...uh….Calista...I,” he shook out of his surprised stupor. “I can explain...uh, Johanna...I think you need to go,” he said softly and he knew full well what was going to follow.

Calista was visibly trembling at this point. She was clearly in shock, but anger...pure, fiery red anger was starting to pump through her veins as well. She felt she might explode at any point...but wasn't sure if she would cry or start screaming...perhaps both. Johanna seemed to hesitate. When she appeared to open her mouth to argue Calista lost it and glared at her.

"GET OUT!!" she screamed.

Johanna looked at Eldarion, but when he didn't move or say anything to help her she angrily snatched up her clothes. She started to go towards the bathroom to get changed but Calista started screaming at her again to get out and so she left as she was. Calista stood there for a moment with her back to Eldarion, visibly shaking. When he started to say again that he could explain she grabbed a vase from the dresser and turned around and threw it at him. It missed his head by inches and shattered against the wall.

"You can EXPLAIN?!!"

Eldarion had shifted to the side when the vase came at him. She had intended to hit him with it and it crashed hard against the wall then came down in a shattered mess onto the hard, tiled floor. For the first time, well, in a long time Eldarion felt fear. In that moment he wished he were facing that troll again. At least he knew it, knew how to defeat it. But Calista...so angry and so damn wonderfully beautiful at the same time...he nearly took a step toward her but the anger and severe disappointment in her face assaulted him and he flinched back. He felt her furious gaze upon him and he looked down.

“I...can not explain it. One...terribly wrong decision led to another and another,” he said softly and winced after every word. He felt sick to his stomach, the angry energy in the room was palpable. “I’m...sorry Calista,” he said as his eyes began to tear up. He took a step toward her to pull her in an embrace before she decided she wouldn’t let him.

Calista felt ill, but her anger was so overpowering that it prevented her from becoming sick. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had thought he loved her. He had taken vows and had promised her he would never hurt her. They hadn't even been married a year! How was this happening?

As he stepped towards her and reached out to try and pull her into an embrace she slapped him hard across the face. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks.

"Wrong decision?! You've been sleeping with another woman! In OUR bed! You are so far past 'wrong decision' at this point! You...you were making clear decisions! And you're buying her gifts!!" she yelled as she noticed the gift box for the first time. She was sobbing at this point. "I thought you loved me! I thought we were happy! Why would you do something like this?"

Eldarion was now far past rational and deep into desperation. She was going to leave him. Somehow, some way he needed to fix this. He didn’t even feel the slap, her words hurt him far worse. “I do love you, more than anything,” he said and he dropped the box on the floor. “I didn’t know what to do...I...was so lonely and missing you and…,” he tried to explain but it all came out wrong. He really had no good explanation. Self admonishment would only incite her more he felt. He felt weak and went down onto his knees before her.

“Calista...I...do love you...I didn’t mean any of this to happen. Please believe me. I’m lost without you...completely, don’t you know that? I...tried to tell you...tried to tell you what I did,” he said sadly. “Please don’t leave me!” he begged.