The darkening of hearts

Thy home, thy castle, thy prison

The journey wasn't all that long, but it was still the longest she had ever endured. Her mind blurred by the memories of the past two days and racing away, never allowing her to rest or to truly enjoy the landscape. As they left Tirion they entered an area with huge villas and farms and the carriage made good speed for there were few using the road this early in the day. Lerina felt fatigued, drained somehow. She could see that Maitimo was worried so she tried to smile and act as if everything was alright but he could see through her façade.

The area spoke of wealth and class and the gardens and parks were carefully groomed, it was beautiful but she somehow found it a bit unnatural. He didn't speak at all during the journey, kept staring out at the landscape and she knew that he too was caught within his own thoughts and dreams. As they got closer to their destination she somehow managed to let her shoulders drop a bit, she felt safe again. They were so far away from the city she no longer feared her parents and she got curious about their destination once more.

The house they had been given was grand, more of mansion than a villa and it had a stable and a smaller building for the servants. It had a smithy and several other small buildings too and everything was built in a very nice light rock that made everything seem very clean and new. Lerina fell in love with the place immediately and as the carriage came to a halt in front of the main entrance she already knew that this would be her safe haven. Maitimo helped her out of the carriage and she stared at the lovely park surrounding it with wide eyes. The servants had gathered waiting for them and Lerina was pleased to see that there weren't that many of them. All were elves who had lived for quite a while and they seemed to be both experienced and kind. Some stared at her but she didn't mind, she had gotten used to it.

Their baggage had arrived that night and everything had been put into place already, she knew that they had gotten a lot of gifts and they were already there. She could hardly believe that this wonderful house was to be her home, and that she was allowed to do whatever she liked. The light of Laurelin was still strong and she and her husband were ushered into the dining hall where a meal awaited them. Lerina could just gape, there was so much food! And the smell was wonderful, it made her mouth water and she could barely contain herself. She remembered what her mother had taught her about good manners and tried to act according to those rules but it was hard.

He petted her shoulder gently. " You do not need to behave like a lady here unless we have guests."

She giggled and grasped onto a chicken leg with her bare hand, it had been fried and rolled in spices and the scent was wonderful. Before long she was eating like a starved one and he grinned and shared her appetite. She felt silly afterwards, her chin covered with grease and her fingers covered with chicken fat and skin. Her mother would have warmed her butt had she seen this but now, now that didn't matter anymore and she let out a small shriek of sheer relief. "You have deserved it little one, have something to drink"

He reached forth and poured some wine into her goblet. It was a rich red wine which smelled of blackberries and cherries and it tasted so good she almost drank the whole goblet dry in one go. He snickered and shook his head. " It is alright Lerina, but do not drink like that when there are others present. They will think my wife is a drunkard!"

She rolled her eyes. " Oh no, imagine the scandal!"

He had to grin, she had a strange sense of humor but he liked it. She was probably a very lively and outgoing person deep within but it had been smothered by her past. "Yes, it would be terrible"

His wide grin made him look very boyish and she found that charming. He finished his food and tilted his head. " My brothers will probably visit us rather soon, but worry not, they are alright. The servants here have served my family for centuries and are absolutely loyal but they do not know of...our little arrangement. "