A Point Not So Well Taken

Theodred looked at the Tiara that he had had made. It was beautiful, like she was but not overly gaudy. It was worked white gold with diamonds. A wonderful piece of work that he thought suited her subtle style. He knew she hated all this finery and he hoped she selected dresses that weren’t ‘too’ over the top. With his gift, wrapped in a dyed, blue paper, tucked under his arm he waited outside her apartments for her.

Nonchalantly he reached up and scratched at his nose. Something was in the air that made him almost sneeze. A strong, perfumy scent that made him wince. He looked around to find out where it was coming from and then the doors opened. He stood but then his nostrils were assaulted, he knew no other way to describe the strong, overbearing perfume. Had she bathed in it? And the dress and hair and makeup...It was like she didn’t even exist under all of it. She looked...garish and he could not even manage a smile.

He knew Elisa was a strong, stubborn woman but he didn’t think she’d try and make a point on a day like today. She had taken what he said seriously...and badly by how she looked. Her scent stung his eyes. He was not amused and the furl in his brow, he could not remove it, not a scowl exactly but open disapproval was plain on his face. Her hair was done up when she knew he liked it down and none of her real face was even visible under all that makeup and powder. Even her servants who were behind her made silent apologies to him for her. He sighed and blinked to calm the anger that spurned in him right then. His face changed to a more, disappointed look though his eyes still burned slightly from all the perfume. On the chair he set down her gift then shook his head before he began to stalk away without saying a word.

Elisa had not liked what he had said to her and had wanted to make a point to him. His words had actually hurt her and she wanted him to know that. She stood there and watched his face and knew her point had been made. However, when he started to look angry she felt her own anger growing. What right did he have to be angry? This was her birthday after all and instead of getting to do what she had wanted, she had spent the entire morning and afternoon being measured and poked at by Seamstresses...while Theodred stood by and laughed. And then, all she had wanted was a nice, quiet evening with him where she didn't need to dress up and he had told her to be 'perfumed and pretty'.

She glanced at the gift before she angrily went after him.

"This is what you wanted Theodred, isn't it? Because clearly the way I look normally isn't 'pretty' enough for you."

He heard her dress ruffle and her footsteps. He allowed her to turn him around and saw how angry she was. He looked at her a long moment before answering.

“I thought you pretty with grease and grime on your nose, sweating all day at the forge, or have you forgotten? I did not ask for...this,” he said and gestured to all of her. “A dress, a bath, a clean face and a bit of perfume was what I meant. I hardly expected you to balk like a disgruntled child!” He said with a snap. He glanced behind her and her servants had disappeared deeper into her apartments.

Elisa looked a him and shook her head. Tears started to come to her eyes. "Well what was I supposed to think after you sat there snickering at me this morning...you and the servants. I know that I don't belong here Theodred....I had just hoped that you at least would support me. Instead, I was made fun of on my birthday."

“You were made fun of?” he asked and put a hand on his hip. “You took what I asked and made it a grand joke. “You, yourself bought a dress and jewelry, why did you do that if you didn’t want to impress me and my father and be apart of my life? Well, I wanted a nice evening with ‘that’ woman, you, not this….” he gestured to her again, “this creature! You mock me? You mock me,” he said and put his own hands on his chest. His face took on a dangerous look. “I will take you any way you are. I have and I will but I am not the only person here. There is decorum and responsibility. Not just to one another but for everyone, noble and commoner alike. And that’s another thing. Your days at the forge are over. We have 2 men who wish to apprentice themselves with your father. You will sleep here and when you get up, you need to dress the part you will play just as I do, my sister, my mother,” he said forcefully as if daring her to talk back about it all.

Ooc: he will not let her walk away if she tries. Consider herself grabbed.

Elisa really didn’t know what to say. She was clearly overwhelmed. She had been making her best effort to do what his family needed her to do and be the person she needed to be. She had come for ‘lessons’ with his mother almost everyday and had been improving, but she still overheard the servants making fun of her when they didn’t think she could hear. She truly loved Theodred, and wanted to be with him, but she was scared...particularly when he informed her she would not be returning home to her father. She was extremely close with her father, as he was the only parent she had ever had. She had known she would have to leave him eventually, but had hoped to make that decision on her own as to when the time was right. Having Theodred tell her, like a father talking to a child, was rather hard for her to take. She just looked away from him, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

“Fine….”

His eyes softened as she turned away from him and started to cry. Damn her! She made him give her orders like he was her commander. He thought she was catching on to everything. Had she thought it was all easy? He stepped forward, braving the offending smell of the perfume and put his hands gently on her shoulders.

“Elisa...I don’t like to make you upset. Try to see how I see you. Me, and others. You do not see ‘that’ woman sometimes and I don’t know why. No one wants to change you, not like you seem to think. I fell in love with you for the woman that you are. Not for the clothes on your back or how you eat your soup. But that's because I got to know you. Most people make decisions about others at a glance, especially commoners, remember how you made of me at first? But that is not me. But I won’t deny that I liked that green dress on you or the fact that you tried. If you took offense at my comments, I am truly sorry for making them,” he said and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

Elisa listened to Theodred and his words caused even more tears to slip down her cheeks. She loved him so deeply and wanted to make him happy. However, this life she was entering into wasn’t an easy one. Theodred would be King of Rohan one day and as his wife that would make her Queen. She was under so much pressure to make a good impression due to the fact that she was a commoner and not the daugher of a Lord or a King. She wanted his family to feel confident in her and to feel they had made the right choice in letting Theodred choose to marry her.

“I’m scared Theodred…” she finally admitted.

Theodred spun her around to face him. Her tears had smudged much of the makeup and powder on her face. Elisa was a strong woman and he never knew her to back down from a challenge or a fight. This was something new.

“Of what? Marrying me?” He asked. He thought he was wrong but he didn’t know what else she could be afraid of.

Elisa hated crying in front of Theodred. In fact, she hated crying in general. She usually kept fears or insecurities to herself and dealt with them on her own. This, however, was not something she could keep to herself. She needed Theodred’s support and love.

“No...and yes,” she finally answered. “I’m not scared of marrying you specifically, but of everything that goes along with marrying you. I...I just don’t want to let you or your family down. They took a risk in letting you choose me and I’m not sure they think they made the right choice yet. And we have that diplomatic dinner coming up and it’s going to be the first time I’m going to be introduced as your bride to be and your mother keeps stressing how important it is that I make a good first impression.”

He saw as a few servants looked at them as they passed but he doubted they heard with how soft she spoke. “Come with me,” he said and led her by her hand. He snatched up her present then headed into her rooms. “Out,” he said as they entered her apartments. The servants, a few of which had been quite close to the doorway, obviously trying to listen in on their conversation. However upon his word they moved and left her rooms briskly. He closed the door behind them then took her through her entrance chamber through her bedroom into her bathroom. With a large washcloth he took from the small stack of clean linen he dabbed it in the wash basin and began to remove everything from her face.

“First, everyone makes mistakes. And not to disparage what it is to be a noble, if you look like a queen or princess, most of the time people will think that you are, most of the time,” he repeated. “Even if you do not speak at all. It’s the station and the image that people believe in, so they see what you want them to see. The rest is manners, keeping your chin up and not reacting to things,” he shrugged as he continued to dab and wipe, dab and wipe some more of that makeup off. “Here,” he said and handed her the towel as he began to take down her hair. “Not so glamorous now that the veil has been lifted is it?” Theodred said. “My parents chose you for your experiences, not for your lack of them. The rest is just learning enough that other nobles take you as one of their own. Which brings us back to the dressing and chin up part. Maybe a bit also about pronouncing words and being charming. That comes from being yourself I find most of the time,” he added. With her hair down he began to unbutton the buttons to her dress. With each one he leaned forward and kissed her shoulders. He would not take her here and now but now that a bit of her flesh was exposed to him, he decided to avail himself...well, a little anyway. He helped her step out of her dress then reached and took up her brush. The large mirror that was mounted upon the wall atop the basin showed that most of the makeup was gone and Theodred began to brush out her hair. With a arm, gentle kiss on her shoulders here and there. She still had on her undergarments though. Something that helped him maintain his resolve with her.

Elisa did not fight against Theodred when he pulled her towards her rooms. She felt horribly embarrassed, especially with the servants looking at her, but he quickly commanded them to leave. He then walked her into her bathroom where he began to use a washcloth to remove the layers of makeup she had on. She just sat there and let him. She had stopped crying and now just listened to him as he spoke. Every word he said made her love him even more. She began to feel a surge of confidence go through her and she knew that was all because of him. He made her truly believe she could be the wife he needed her to be. She took the towel when he handed it to her and she continued to remove her makeup while he began to loosen her hair. She was thankful when it was down. It had been far too tight. With her hair down and the makeup off she finally began to look like herself again.

Suddenly, she began to feel him unbuttoning her dress. She closed her eyes and sighed out of contentment as he began to kiss her bare skin. They hadn’t been together since before their engagement. His parents had been quite upset to learn that they had been together already. They were supposed to refrain from any further activity, but Elisa suddenly wasn’t sure that was going to be possible. Desire coursed through her body at his touch and kisses. She could sense his hesitation and he slowly pulled back after her dress was off. She turned and looked into his eyes for a long moment before kissing him rather deeply.

With her just in her undergarments. A frilly thing that went around her waist to poof out the dress, a bodice and shift, it was hard enough to ignore that she was practically naked. When she pressed her body up against his and kissed him...what resolve he had left left him. He kissed her back, paused to look and saw how much she needed him right then. There was no pulling back from those eyes, from her and gently he began to remove what little she still wore right then.

In her bed he pleasured her with all that he was. It was her birthday after all and he had to cover her mouth with his hand As her moans grew so loud he was afraid the servants might hear them. He came right after she did, their orgasms mixing with one another deep inside of her. After they rested, it wasn’t alot of time but time in her bed was difficult to judge, he leaned down and scooped up the gift he had always intended to give her. The Tiara, when she opened it, glittered in the dim light of the candles that were lit about the room. He helped her set it properly upon her head.

OOC-ready to start a new thread?

Ooc: sure, what ya gots?

OOC-we should probably go back to Eldarion and Calista. Perhaps they appear together at some function for the first time since word got out that he cheated on her

Ooc: hmm, how did you want to play this and what function?

OOC-I was thinking that the function would be something that they would need to attend like some sort of State dinner or something where there are lots of nobility present. It would give them a chat to appear in public together for the first time since his affair ended and thus to show everyone that they are still together

ooc: new thread.