Keeping Your Family Safe

Nauriel was exhausted as she and Elessar made their way back to their room, but her mind was thinking of too many things to sleep. So much had happened in the last 12 hours that she felt almost overwhelmed. Who was behind the assassination attempts? Would more come? What could they do to all remain safe? They had gotten lucky today, but Nauriel wasn't sure if it would always be this way. As she sat down in front of her mirror she saw the cut she had received from the arrow that had narrowly missed hitting her and instead had killed an innocent woman. There was dried blood on her neck and she took a damp cloth and wiped it away, leaving only the long cut itself. It terrified her to think how close not only she, but other members of her family had come to death that day. Nauriel's hands began to tremble and she felt a few tears come to her eyes. She could sense her husband's eyes upon her and she quickly wiped away her tears and tried to remain strong. She turned to face him, knowing there was much they needed to discuss.

"How did this happen?"

Elessar had control of his anger and aggravation with Nauriel. Well...enough that it did filter into the bond but it wasn’t on his face. He felt she was partly to blame. For leaving the city abruptly as she had. Nauriel was an intuitive women and he honestly felt she might have known something was up long before it happened. But that changed nothing now and he ignored her question for that reason.

“We’re taking steps, doubling the guard and no one inside the walls can hide their face. Anone who is not immediately recognized or in an unauthorized area will be taken to the cells and questioned or those who they say know them are located. Beyond that, I will not have our people running through the streets in fear. Nothing will change for us, we will be visible and accessible like before. “That means that you have to be here and be the pillar of strength for our people,” he said and wondered if his words were to harsh right then but it was how he felt. She hadn’t seen the piles of dead soldiers, or their heads on spears and pikes. Even now he knew he should be out there but he had felt Nauriel through the bond and returned for her. And he received NOTHING for it but questions about something he couldn’t have done anything about. To say he was in a foul mood would be...an understatement. The bond held his love for her and her worry but it also held that as well.

Nauriel noticed her husband's avoidance of her question and immediately began to sense that he blamed her, in some part, for what had happened. She listened to him and nodded slowly. Of all the things she had ever felt through the bond they shared this kind of anger towards her was not something she had ever sensed. But there was something else...something deeper than that that upset her even more and that was the sense of disappointment in her that she felt from him. Nauriel wasn't sure what to say or do. She had always strived to do her best for all those that needed her, but she was only one woman and she suddenly felt as if she was failing at it all.

Glancing outside she could see the sun was starting to rise. Although she didn't need to be at court for several more hours she suddenly didn't feel like staying in their room with him. She turned and walked into the bathroom and rinsed her face, neck, and hands and then changed into a fresh dress. She would normally wear jewelry, but today she didn't feel like it. She brushed out her hair, but left it down. Then, without another word to her husband she walked out of their bedroom and closed the doors behind her. She checked on Elfwine and then Ariana and Meliara before heading to her study. She sat there alone feeling the exhaustion seep into her bones, but instead of giving in to it she pushed on and began to work.

Elfwine was having trouble sleeping. Whenever he closed his eyes he saw the guard hurting Calista. That and he saw himself stabbing him over and over. Sometimes the bad guard turned on him and stabbed HIM over and over and sometimes he watched the guard kill Calista, stabbing her over and over. It was a horrible dream and one that woke him up. He padded around the apartments looking for his mother.

No, she wasn't in her room and papa was sleeping. No, she wasn’t knitting, no, she wasn’t eating anything so he decided to go to her private study. He saw the light coming from that room and as quietly as he could he padded up to the doorway to look inside. She was there working and he wondered if he could sneak up on her if he was very very quiet. He almost never could except when he thought she just let him. As quiet as a mouse he tiptoed inside.

Kressara looked out over her balcony. Below her, groups of guards with lanterns on lofted poles patrolled the streets now. She was wearing a pink and violet nightgown and her mother would be scandalized if she saw her out in it like this. But Kressara often didn’t live by another’s rules, she never did. Tomorrow morning her training began with grandfather and she was so excited she just couldn’t close her eyes.

Her visions of late have been very dark. Filled with war, blood, pain, fire and deceit. There was victory and honor too in those dreams but mostly the former and she feared that the kingdoms of men would reel from the aftermath of that. Part of her knew she needed this training for it was in her visions too.

Nauriel had shut herself off to Elessar through the bond. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts and feelings. Intense guilt gnawed at her and she was angry at Elessar for making her feel that way. Somehow this was all her fault. But what she hated the most was that she believed it truly was. She threw herself into her work for her country and her people, angry that Elessar was back in their room sleeping. But as a wife, Queen, mother, daughter, and sister her work was never done and, though she worked just as hard as he did, it was rarely noticed in the same way his work was. And now she was failing at it all.

She heard the door open, though he tried to be quiet. Her half elf blood heightened her hearing and she could hear far better than the average human. She let Elfwine get up beside her before she addressed him.

"You should be in bed."

Elfwin rolled his eyes, ‘Oh, she heard him AGAIN!’ being found out he straightened and clasped his hands behind his back and tried to look like his father or brother. Respectifil he thought was the word. “I...I had nightmares mama...I...I...was afraid,” he said trying to be strong. Papa told him that he needed to be strong but he also knew he needed to be honest. “I...hurt that bad guard who hurt Caissta...and...um, I...I keep thinkin bout it,” He said looking down at his feet.

Nauriel listened to what Elfwine said and she sighed softly. She put down her quill and turned and reached out and picked him up and placed him in her lap. She wrapped her arms around him. She lightly smoothed his hair and placed her cheek against his head. "You saved Calista's life. You're her hero Elfwine. You have nothing more to be afraid of. We will protect you." She was quiet a moment before speaking gently. "Would you like me to sing to you?"

Elfwine smiled at her words and he had that look in his big blues eyes of affection for her. He nodded as he smiled and his cheeks flushed. As she sang his body seemed to relax and he leaned back into her. He was a very affectionate boy and he rarely did wrong, he had no mind for it. He sighed lightly as his eyes began to get heavy. Her song was so nice to his ears and he was so tired. He yawned and closed his eyes as she rocked him until he fell into a deep sleep.

Elessar was out in the hall, he had heard her singing. He was in his blue robe and came into her study. Carefully he leaned over and picked up Elfwine and cradled him in his arms. He saw Nauriel’s tears then leaned in and kissed her softly on his lips then looked into her eyes. “Tonight, we will talk, you and I,” he said softly and took in her scent. He reached out his hand and brushed her hair back gently. “Come to bed...please?” he said and turned and headed back out into the hall to put Elfwine to bed.

Nauriel's eyes were not the soft, blue eyes Elessar was used to seeing. Instead, they were full of raging emotions and the pain she felt was being burdened with the guilt of every single death or attempted assassination on her family was overwhelming. She allowed her husband to take Elfwine from her arms, but she did not return his kiss. She just continued to sit there. Once he had left with Elfwine she stood up and walked over and shut the study door and then locked it. She then sat at her desk and picked up her quill. She stared at the letter she had been composing and her hand began to shake. Suddenly, in a fit of pain and anger she swept everything off her desk and onto the floor in one fell swoop. She then sat with her head in her hands and wept.

Several hours later she emerged from her study and walked straight to court. She hadn't eaten, but didn't feel hungry. She took her seat and nodded brusquely to the guard to start allowing people in...

Kressara’s breaths came in pants as she held herself up. Her muscles groaned and sweat beaded off of her face and forehead. She held 2 buckets half filled with water, one in each hand and her arms were held out from her body WHILE she balanced on one foot AND blindfolded. Each time she dropped an arm, Conleth sighed in disappointment. While she held the buckets he also hit her with a small switch. She had started to learn where it was coming as it made a certain sound in the air and she had started to be able to anticipate it but oh light, it hurt!

Two young soldier’s passed by them in the gardens and they escorted 2 young women. They all chuckled at her as they passed and Kressara’s balance falter.

“Where is your concentration girl!” Conleth snapped. So far, she had not even touched her sword. He had told her not even to bring it!

Kressara was exhausted. She had not slept at all last night between the assassination attempts, the births of her two new nephews, and knowing that she was going to begin training today with her grandparents. She had excitedly dressed that morning and had grabbed her sword, only to learn that she was instructed not to bring it! How was this supposed to be helping her? She didn't understand and, after dropping her left arm again she growled in frustration and dropped the buckets and ripped off her blindfold.

"What does all of this have to do with learning to fight?"

Serethiel sat on a bench nearby watching. She was going to eventually begin training the girl in archery, but she wanted Kressara's arm strength to have increased before they began. She was able to sense her granddaughter's growing frustration, as well as Conleth's disappointment and she walked over to them both.

"Everything your grandfather has you do is for a reason. You should never question that reason, but just do it. Now, try again."

She didn't normally step in and interrupt training sessions, but she knew how important Kressara was going to be in the future and she didn't want the girl doubting herself. She knew Kressara was capable of doing this if she concentrated hard enough. Kressara sighed and nodded and slid the blindfold back down over her eyes before picking up the two buckets. She held them out in front of her and began to balance on one foot. She started to waiver a little, but steeled herself and soon found herself starting to drift into almost a meditative state. She didn't fight against it, but let it happen and as she did she found her balance and was able to anticipate each of her grandfather's switches. She didn't move a muscle and Serethiel smiled at her.

After a long morning training Conleth took the blindfold off and looked Kressara over as she hydrated herself from a ladal that sat in a bucket of cool water nearby them. It was a sunny day but a cooling breeze from the East washed over Kressara’s sweaty body. Serethiel handed him and Kressara small packages, their lunch for today. Conleth smiled and nodded to his wife then sat and opened up his. He took out his small belt knife and cut a slice from his apple and put it into his mouth.

“Any fool with half a brain can learn how to wield a sword,” he said as he chewed. “Tell me Kressara, why do you wish to learn the sword?” He asked idly but Kressara’s senses would tell her that her answer was important to him.

Kressara was glad when the blindfold came off and she was able to take a break. It had been a long morning and she was tired and hungry. She was very happy when her grandmother produced two small packages for them for their lunch. Kressara tore off a small piece of bread and put it into her mouth. She chewed slowly as she considered his question. Finally, after a long moment she responded.

"To be honest, my entire life I've felt different from my other sisters. Not only am I the youngest, but I've never enjoyed the same things they did. I felt like an outsider in my own family. But then the dreams started. Although I'm scared of what the future holds for me it was a nice feeling to believe that I could possibly become as good a fighter as my mother or grandmother. It was like I suddenly belonged. I've come to know that both mother and grandmother also felt different and I suppose alone in a way. Learning the sword is most important to me because it will finally make me feel connected to my own family and the ones I look up to the most."

Serethiel didn’t wince but she knew that was not the right answer. “Tell me Kressara, why the long blade and not the short blades that your mother and I use? An odd choice for a woman,” She asked as she daintily chewed a piece of date. “Lhang’s are thin, long, Elven blades, difficult to wield properly,” She said.

The babes had kept the two of them up most of the night and into the morning. One woke, cried and woke the other and visa versa. Calista took cat naps when she could and it was a big concern that soon she’d need a midwife to aid her. It had been decided that she and Eldarion would do this themselves but it was becoming quickly apparent that it was not as easy as they thought.

“Calista?” Eldarion asked. She had just dozed off while he was speaking to her and that irritated him but it faded quickly as he saw the bags under her eyes. He removed the babe from her breast and covered her back up without her even knowing it. He burped him and then put him back into his crib.

An hour had passed, a WHOLE hour and the two babes had still not woken up. That was a good sign. Eldarion was in his chair and nodded off as Calista turned onto her side then suddenly woke fearing that she may have rolled over on one of the babes!

OOC-New thread