The Healing Begins

Eldarion smiled at that and then she felt his grip fade and she saw his eye close as he passed into unconsciousness once more. The next day, he could tell it was morning because the lay healers were doing their rounds and bothering him to turn over onto his stomach. The movement hurt so badly his eye teared up and he stifled a groan...or at least he thought he had and the sound came out anyway. He saw Calista was there. She had changed and looked freshened. He had remembered his father reading to him in candlelight and then his sister Arlina earlier. He felt them changing his bandages and he heard calista gasp when they uncovered his wounds. “Is it...bad?” he asked her, suddenly afraid.

Calista remained with Eldarion long into the night before Elessar came and told her to go and get some rest. She didn't rest easily and when morning came she got up and dressed and immediately went back to the Houses of Healing. Elessar had remained there all night, but when she arrived he left to go rest himself. Calista took a seat beside Eldarion again. She brushed back his hair and took a cool rag and lightly pressed it against his face and lips. When the healers came to change his bandages she remained there, even though they thought she should leave. Eldarion began to stir when they turned him over and she heard him groan from the pain. She reached out and took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She tried not to look as the healers removed the old bandages, but she did and she gasped from the sight of it. She didn't realize how loudly she had gasped until Eldarion looked at her with fear and asked her how bad it was. She immediately tried to cover up her own fear.

"It's...not bad," she lied. "I've just never seen anything like it, which is why I gasped. It's not bad...don't worry."

The healers knew what they were about but it appeared to her that the knife or dagger must have been thrust in and out several times to make a wound like that. They used a magic to heal his kidney. It was that or he’d lose it for certain sure but his flesh was still very badly damaged. They had used stitches but there was some infection and that is why it looked so...uncomely. He’d have scars there she’d know but he was out of real danger now from what the healers had told her.

In the days that followed he told her more of Minas Morgul and he wanted to know everything about Aslan, his sister, his grandparents and her training. They had gone without speaking so long that even after a few days there was more to tell and he was genuinely eager to hear her stories. His face had healed enough so that he could see out of his other eye and though he knew the intimacy they once shared may not happen for some time, this part of their relationship seemed to bloom where there had been only weeds and dust before. 8 days later the infection was gone and they told him that he could walk but nothing more strenuous. He agreed or more to the point, she agreed that that is how it would be. He mused at when men got ill or injured it was the woman who decided what he could and couldn’t do. Well he supposed he’d let her take charge if she had a mind to.

Their home ofcourse didn’t look any different. For that he was thankful he liked how she had decorated it. She put her own personality into many things that they displayed and even the furniture as well. The walk however had exhausted him and though he would not admit that somehow Calista knew and told him to get to bed and so he just nodded, sighed and hobbled toward the guestroom. “You know you can’t use me as an excuse for not attending your duties at court!” He told her.

Calista was there with Eldarion everyday. She would sit with him all day and would read to him or talk to him. She listened as he told her more about Minas Morgul and she told him about her training and his family. She told him things that were happening in court and any other pieces of gossip she had heard. She was glad to see he was healing relatively quickly. His infection cleared up after a week and his bruises began to fade. She knew it would take a while for his strength to return though.

Finally, he was allowed to return home and was told he could walk, but not to overdo it. She helped him as he walked slowly from the Houses of Healing to their apartments. The walk alone seemed to exhaust him and she told him immediately to get into bed and rest. As he began to hobble towards the guestroom she stopped him. She looked at him when he gave her a slightly confused look.

"I...I think it would be best if you stayed with me...that way I can keep an eye on you..."

Eldarion paused and looked over at her. “Calista...I’m injured but not an invalid, all I’ll do is keep you awake and you have duties to attend. I’ll be fine,” he argued in a reassuring tone. He smiled at her but he thought her face took on a look of...could it be disappointment? And then he sighed. “Look, I know you want me to heal and I am...I will but...but if and when you ever invite me into your bed again...I want it to be because you truly want me there, not because of...of this,” he said and gestured to himself in his injured state. The robe hung loosely on him, the ties hurt to do up so he just let them hang at his sides. “It really means alot to me though that you’d do that for me,” he added.

Calista sighed a little, but nodded. She wasn't going to argue with him. She let him go into the guestroom and looked at the door for a moment before turning and walking away to attend to her duties. They had two servants and she had asked them both to look after him and to bring him some tea and some food.

Eldarion rested. He had asked for some of the ledgers so he could work from home but all his thoughts were on Calista. His body felt little besides the pain of his wounds...now more like a dull, irritating ache but a constant one. As Calista stepped down the main hall the queen herself saddled in beside her on the way toward the stairs. It was nearly mid-day and Calista had been taking to lunching at home with Eldarion.

“You seem...distracted of late Calista. I trust Eldarion is not the cause of this? He looked well the last time I saw him. Are you well Calista?” She asked her frankly in a suggestive tone. “Has something happened? I noticed that he still sleeps in the guestroom. While I know that that is none of my business,” she said in a lower tone, almost a whisper. “You know full well Eldarion loves you, the question is, how do you feel about him? When you two were children you were either two peas in a pod or swearing to one another that you’d never talk again and then you always made up as if nothing had happened. That boy needs you daughter. He is a completely different man when you are at odds with one another. I do like to see him set down to heel just like his sisters but set a man down for too long he won’t know how to rear up when he needs to or more importantly, when you want him to,” she said as they walked. Near the door however she paused and turned to face Calista. She smiled and took her hands into hers. Calista was truly lovely she thought.

Two more weeks had since passed and Eldarion was recovering well and his strength was returning. Calista knew that he was itching to return to work, but she wanted to make sure that he didn't return to soon and delay his full recovery. She would spend her mornings at court and then return to lunch with him at mid-day. In the afternoons she would read or visit with friends and then would come back to dress for dinner. Since he was now able to walk, they were dining once more with the rest of the family in the evening.

Court had just ended and Calista was starting to head back to their apartments to have lunch with Eldarion when Nauriel came up to walk beside her. She looked at her slightly when she asked her about her relationship with Eldarion, but said nothing. She had been struggling for days with her feelings. She knew she loved him, but she was still afraid. However, she knew that at some point she was going to have to put aside her fears and take a leap of faith. She wanted a family and she knew he did as well. Eldarion had been bending over backwards to do everything and anything he thought would help their marriage. She knew that she would never be able to forgive what he had done, but perhaps it was time to take a step forward...

She paused at their door a moment before walking in. She closed it behind her and looked over at the main entry table to see a vase of those flowers he would bring to her everyday. She noticed with tears in her eyes that there was one there for everyday he had been unable to bring them to her because of his injuries. She looked over to see him in the guestroom. She walked over and walked inside the guestroom without knocking and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Eldarion kissed her back just as deeply. She tasted like honey on his lips and smelled like rose petals and herbs from the soap she used and also just her scent that he knew well. “I love you,” he told her in between their kisses but when he hefted her off the floor he grunted and had to drop her quickly. The look of worry in her eyes made him wince as she began to paw at his shirt. “I’m...alright,” he lied as he tried to fend her off. “I guess my body just isn’t exactly ready for any serious exertion,” he said as the pain subsided. It was his muscle there, it needed to learn how to function properly again he knew. And then he whispered a suggestion in her ear. One that had her doing most of the work. And considering the blush in her cheeks and the way she looked at him...he didn’t think she minded at all.

Sometime later she lay in his arms on the bed in the guestroom. Their clothes were scattered around the room and the sheets were pulled up around them. While the experience had been rather short for them both it had been incredible. They still had a ways to go to heal their marriage completely (if it could be healed completely), but this was a huge step for them both. This proved that there was still a strong love between them. One that could overcome almost anything. She kissed his chest a few times and looked up at him.

"Did I hurt you?"

“Just my pride,” he joked though it had hurt...a little. It also felt wonderful. He knew she’d still not really trust him but all he could do is just keep proving to her that he was worthy of the trust she did put in him. In either case they had one another back. The strong friendship, the camaraderie and the love they shared for one another. There marriage was on the rocks, of that there was no doubt. Especially to anyone who was close enough to witness their arguments. Each night though, he’d wait for her to invite him into bed. Sometimes she turned her back to him and that’s how she woke. Other times though she needed his love and he gave it to her freely. Each morning they got up, bathed, dressed and ate together before they went their separate ways. She to court, he to his father’s study, the library or to the training grounds until his wound healed.

Riding was painful but he needed to extend his time in the saddle little by little. Some days they came together for lunch and others they skipped lunch to satisfy their other needs. In the evenings he went back to work while she was able to do just about anything she wanted in the time before the evening meal. Some nights they ate with the family and others they ate alone or with friends. Both of their families were relieved that they were able to come back together as a couple and Calista did see how different Eldarion was when he knew she held him still in her heart.

Ooc: Any ideas for the next thing?

OOC-we could either go back to Gehenna and Cole and Aviana or we could do a thread where Lindariel and Eomers son or daughter meet someone

ooc: I was thinking Lindariel's son meets a commoner girl who he fancies. I'd play him more simpler, not quite as intelligent. Where she was crafty, more street smart and wise. He will be good at fighting though and we will need general descriptions.

OOC-ok that sounds good

ooc: I'd like to get general personalities for them as well. Is she always trying to trick him or maybe she likes him as well but he is shy and ends up having to show him how to treat a girl. We could also do a 'some kind of wonderful' scenario also where he thinks he likes this noble girl and the commoner girl really like him and they are long time friends maybe. he enlists her to help him try and get this noble girl to like him. She is very stuck up but attractive.

I posted a short profile for Elisa under 'Characters'. She is the daughter of the blacksmith and so he would probably know her. I am thinking that she has been in love with him for a long time, but doesn't think she would ever stand a chance with him because she is a commoner. Maybe he loves her too, but at first is afraid of what his father might say so maybe they begin a secret affair, but then maybe Eomer brings in a woman of noble birth to meet him, hoping that he might fall for her, but has no idea that Theodred is engaged in this relationship with Elisa...

ooc: new thread