With the Good Comes the Bad

Calista just stared at him as he tried to explain. Hot tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "I told you that I would come back with you but you insisted that I stay! All I truly ever wanted was for you to teach me a few things in your spare time! You were the one who suggested that I stay and be trained by your grandparents! I missed you too but I didn't go out and jump into someone else's bed! Instead I worked even harder so I could come back early to be with you! I just wanted one thing for myself! Just one! My entire life I've been told what to do or learn and I wanted this for myself! I was only asking for six months out of our entire lives together! But now I can't even have that!"

She picked up the bow that Serethiel had given her and threw it across the room, breaking several things in the process. Neither of them had any idea of the small crowd that was gathering outside their door to listen.

"Everyone knows Eldarion! You should have seen the looks I got coming into the city. You've ruined me!"

She paused a moment to try and catch her breath but she was sobbing so hard that it was nearly impossible. "I was planning to talk to you about starting a family...but now..."

As quick as a viper he was on his feet and his arms enveloped her. “I can fix this...I will fix this Calista!” He said loudly as he felt her struggle. “She was much stronger than he remembered her being. Much less soft and he knew if she could get an arm loose she’d begin to rain down blows upon him. “I do love you! I know I messed up, I know it,” he added. She felt so good in his arms even though she struggled. It had been far to long. He hoped she’d stop struggling eventually so he could talk to her further and try to this chasm between them. The one he had just made.

Calista struggled against him, but he held tightly onto her. She wanted to get away...to run away as quickly as possible and get as far away from all of this as she could. She was exhausted from her travel and emotionally exhausted from everything else. She finally just stopped struggling and sobbed against him.

Nauriel had heard the yelling from down the hallway and knew then that Calista had returned and discovered what was going on. She spotted the group of servants and her daughters standing by the door listening, but one look from her sent them all scattering. She sighed as she looked at the door for a moment she then shook her head and walked away.

He held her there for a long time and murmured soft, soothing sounds to her. When she appeared to just be no more than dead weight in his arms he took her up into his arms and laid her down in the spare bedroom then closed the door. Quickly he sought out the servants and bid them to clean the entire apartment as quietly as possible and to not disturb Calista. He needed to speak to someone, someone who he had avoided until now...his father. He needed advice and knew this conversation was not going to be easy. He loved Calista though so he would do what he had to to fix it all, if it could be fixed…

His father was in his study, it was late afternoon and he often took tea there by himself to reflect and read. When he was Eldarion enter he raised his eyebrow at him but said nothing nor moved from his chair. To say he was disappointed in Eldarion would be a gross understatement. But he would not live his children’s lives for them and he had harsh words with Nauriel for doing what she did to him. He wanted to do worse but wanting and doing were two completely different things. He was the father and Eldarion the son whose judgement has been very poor of late.

“Uh...may I speak with you father? I...I need your advice,” he said softly. His cheeks colored in embarrassment at having to ask this but he did it anyway. “I made a terrible mistake and I want some advice on how to fix it,” he said not wanting to meet his father’s eyes. Elessar closed up his book then lifted his teacup to his lips. “Take a seat son,” he said in an even tone and their discussion began.

Calista would wake to find the house completely cleaned but also empty, her things unpacked and no sign that Johanna had ever been there.

Calista slept fitfully. She tossed and turned and had terrible dreams about Eldarion and Johanna. In them, she watched as Johanna wormed her way not just into their bed, but bore Eldarion a son. She was pushed out and forgotten and Eldarion married her and made her his Queen. When she woke up she was alone in the guestroom. It was quiet and growing dark outside. Stepping out of the guestroom she found that the entire place had been cleaned and all of Johanna's things were gone. She looked at the bedroom doors, but found she could not force herself to go in there. Just knowing that he had taken that woman to their bed made her feel ill all over again.

The servants made her some tea and brought her some food, but she was too upset to eat. She just sat down in a chair by the fireplace and stared into it without speaking a word.

Eldarion came home late. He had not eaten though he doubted he could anyway. His father had been helpful but there would be no real fixing what he had done, only picking up the pieces and home enough remained to salvage what could be salvaged. Trust was among the most difficult to fix but him being there for her, even though she will not want him to be will bear some fruit eventually. It may not bring him to where he wants to be but only time will tell him that now.

He said nothing he only went to make some more tea for her, the mint tea for her stomach then set it down near her. He then sat on the floor not far from her feet. After a long few minutes...he was so tired and needed to get up early tomorrow, he stood and headed toward the guest bedroom. He stopped just before entering then half turned back toward her.

“I’m...going on maneuvers...I won’t be back for a few days….I...I know I’ve betrayed your trust Calista and you...hate me for what I did to you. My mother, my sisters, they all hate me...And I” he tried to continue but that sickening, nervousness made him exhale as if expelling poison from his heart. “I miss my best friend more than anything...I have no..” he was going to continue to say more but he just shook his head and closed the door behind him.

The next morning he was gone early though he left one of those violet plum blossoms on the counter for her to find. He had taken the seedling he had found and planted it soon after he had found it in Minas Morgul. Now he would leave them for her each day he was able as there were many of the plants now cut from the first. Near the flower he left a small, torn piece of paper with the words, ‘I will miss you’ upon it written in his own, elaborate hand.

OOC-Should we start a new thread? That was difficult to get through, but it's done and now we can play through them somehow repairing their marriage.

ooc: she will be visited by her parents (you could brush through that) but then also, his sisters, who give her their support and ofcourse the Queen who does as well. I think playing the friend angle to start might get things moving in the right direction. They were friends long before they were romantic. she might miss him in that capacity.

OOC-yes and just time as well

ooc: well, go ahead and brush past (start please the next thread) the visitors then we can rp her and the queen?

OOC-New thread