Of Fairytales and Happy Endings

Chapter 16. Broken Hands.

...you have to know someone a thousand days before you can glimpse her soul. ~ Shannon Hale

Chapter 16.

Broken Hands.

Elwyn sat in his tower trying to make sense of all that had taken place this morning. What puzzled him most were the words the young lady had spoken him just before she had left. A coin had two sides to itself, so did beauty, youth and wealth?

Once upon a time Elwyn had beauty, youth, and wealth, and he never thought it to have a bad side.

Raj had come and gone as was his habit, checking regularly on his master to make sure Elwyn didn't start pulling off some of his tricks. He could tell his master was irritated and was careful to be silent and never say anything. When his master was in a foul mood it was best not speak, for that could set off a violent temper that had only gotten worse with his years in the tower.

Dinner time was approaching and Elwyn heard a knock on his door. It sounded like a timid, frail knock. Figuring Raj was balancing the food tray, Elwyn called his customary, "Enter."

The door opened and a breathless Beatrice walked in.

Elwyn's eyes widened at this third unannounced visit. How dare she keep haunting him like that? She had insulted him this morning and bothered to return? To do what? Insult him again? He opened his mouth to raise his voice, but Beatrice was ahead of him.

"I have come to apologize," she said. "It was wrong of me to speak in such a manner to you. I do not know your life and to bring it into question and then march out was truly wicked and unkind. You do not see many people here in your tower and to be insulted by the first stranger to come knocking on your door, and that after showing me so much kindness, you did not deserve any of it. I am known to be a girl with a shrew tongue and sometimes I saw more than I ought to. Will you accept my apology sir, I have walked all this way to ask it of you."

Elwyn could not believe all that was happening to him. This had to be the strangest day in all of his life. He hadn't thought he would see the girl again, and certainly not only several hours after she had sauntered off.

"Is that all you came to say?" He asked at last.

"Not really," Beatrice confessed, her face flushing a deep red. "I have also come to ask a small favor of you."

Elwyn's eyes filled with confusion. He had not been expecting a question like that. "What sort of favor could I ever perform for you?" He sputtered out, too surprised to even feel insulted that she would come all the way out here to ask favors from a man she had been so unkind too in the morning.

Beatrice held her hands out and for the first time Elwyn noticed she held something thick and large in her hands. The rag had slipped off a little and he noticed what seemed to cover of a book. "I was hoping you would keep this," she softly said.

"A book?" Elwyn questioned.

Beatrice smiled sheepishly. "Yes. It is a dear book to me. It once belonged to my father, but the dragon is out to get it and I must hide it or it will be burned. I wish I could explain, sir, but there are details I am afraid I don't want to delve in. It will not take up much room, and I know it will be safe from the flames. I know we have just met and that you are no doubt insulted by my company, but I would be grateful beyond words if you would only protect the book. I cannot begin to describe how much it means to me. Please?"

She came up closer to him, still holding the book in front of her, and Elwyn, for reasons unknown to him, reached out and took it. He felt his fingers brush against hers as the book was passed. It was the second time he was touching feminine skin in one day. After three years of never even looking at a woman it was strange to suddenly get so much of her all at once.