The Bed Wife

Chapter Seven

Prince Baylin had been forced to spend most of his days either in his father's war council or on trips to Rivermouth to disperse the troll problem that continued to grow in the Kingdom. Though he tried to spend what time he could with Luana, and at times seemed to succeed at charming her, he felt she was still resentful of him.

Baylin kept his promise to Luana by sleeping on the cushioned settee by the hearth instead of in the bed with her. It was extremely uncomfortable, but he did not want to be distant and sleep in separate chambers.

One chilly morning Baylin woke to the soft sound of singing. He sat up slowly, stretching to relieve the aches in his tight, knotted muscles. He stood, walking over to the hearth and stirring the sleepy embers. The warm days of summer were passing and cool autumn days and cold nights were upon them. Looking around the room, Baylin could see that Luana was not in her bed. He could still hear the soft sound of a song that was coming from the balcony.

Baylin drew a fur off the settee, pulling it around himself, and made his way out on the balcony.

Luana stood, looking out over the Kingdom in the cool morning air. She wore a thin pale blue sleeping gown that dragged the ground, and her long hair trailed down her back. The sun's warmth had not yet heated the valley, and Baylin could see Luana's warm breath as she sang.

The sound of Luana's soft song brought Baylin to a time long forgotten to him. Back when they were both just children, life was much simpler and their dreams were much bigger. He reflected on the memory.

It was fairly early on that warm summer morning when Baylin set out from the castle. The sun had only just risen, and the birds sang a chorus as he made his way down the dusty road.

When he arrived at the little goat farm, he could see Luana picking flowers on the edge of the forest. She was singing quietly to herself while her little goats played and munched on grass.

Baylin hopped the fence and silently made his way up behind her in an attempt to sneak up on her. As he made his way through the tall grasses of the field, Luana's lovely voice traveled on the wind to him.

When he had almost reached her, his foot caught on a fallen branch that had been hidden by the grass and he fell on his hands, catching himself.

The sound caused Luana to cry out and she turned to see what had caused it. "Oh! Baylin, you scared me."

Baylin laughed at her surprise as he stood himself upright. "Well, you should be paying better attention. What if I had been a troll?"

Luana playfully grimaced at Baylin and picked up a long slender stick, pointing it at him. "Then I would strike him down where he stood."

Baylin laughed as he watched Luana swing her "sword" at him. "Okay, I'm sorry, I yield."

Luana dropped the makeshift sword as Baylin pulled out a small package wrapped in parchment paper. "I brought you something."

"What is it?" Luana asked as she took the gift eagerly in her hands.

She tore the paper to tatters and revealed a small box with two strawberry tarts inside. "These are truly for me?"

Baylin nodded at her with a smile. He liked bringing her things from the castle. He knew that she never received treats like these in the village, and her appreciation for them made him realize how truly fortunate he was. He had never thought it fair that he was allowed to have such nice things while others didn't.

Luana sat down on a bed of rich green clover before taking a bite of the delectable tart. "Mmm. Thank you, Baylin! You must sit and share one with me."