Chapter Nineteen

Arandir POV
There was a shift in the atmosphere of the room at the knock, and Arandir was the one to rush to the door. He pulled the thick wood open slowly, greeting the two servants outside with a warm smile. They'd come bearing trays, and heavenly smells wafted out from steam vents in the lids. One of the servants explained that they'd brought them the night's dinner, as well as fresh tea. Desserts and extra refreshments would be brought to the pair in roughly an hour. It was explained that a servant would be near to clear anything they wished removed from the room, and after that, they would be left uninterrupted til morning.
Gracious smiles were given, as the servant went about setting out their food, and picked up anything that may need taking care of. Within a few mere moments, the servant was gone from sight. Arandir and Wynne had been brought a hearty potato and steak stew, coupled with thick slices of bread, steamed carrots and broccoli, and a side dish of butter. The servant woman had also left a pitcher of sweet tasting mead, surely made by the dwarves in the city. Arandir took liberty in heaping himself a plate of the vegetables, scooping out the potatoes in the stew to rest atop the rest of his food. If he could help it, he wouldn't touch meat. He preferred to eat what he could harvest from the land.
His piled plate made Wynne chuckle, and he gave a grin to her, before he began to dig in. Arandir ate as if he'd never seen sustenance before. Meanwhile, Wynne picked at hers, a plate and bowl of smaller proportions. They ate their fill in comfortable silence, neatly stacking their dishes upon the table. Even being as simple a meal as it was, it sufficiently squashed whatever hunger they had remnant from their journey.
As he had ate, Arandir studied his companion, treasuring the glimpses of raw emotion and pure bliss she displayed. Living among sidhe, and visiting various Faerie courts, it wasn't often when the people around you showed true emotion. Visible emotion got you killed at the more ruthless and brutal courts, and it was nearly a requirement to perfect an apathetic face for when visiting with monarchs.
Seeing such unadulterated joy thawed the coldness in Arandir's soul. He'd already been attracted to Wynne, albeit initially purely because she was a beautiful woman, and after, because he was drawn to her because of the bond. But with each passing moment, he was finding more reasons to adore the woman he was enjoying the company of.
Such strength lit her up, and Arandir longed to see her spirit kindled. He wished to witness her growth and see her courage. To share in her happiness, and to bring her the peace he felt from merely being at her side.
"Tell me more about your Da?" He asked her abruptly, pulling himself out of his clouded thoughts, to engage Wynne and hopefully restart the conversation that'd been interrupted. As abrupt as it was, he found his effort to be rewarded. Wynne's features broke out into a wide smile, and Arandir found himself admiring dimples he hadn't noticed before.
His question had brought animation back to Wynne. When she'd started to reply she had begun speaking with her hands, accompanying her words. "Da was an avid fan of the wilderness. And he wasn't fond of waste. I never went with him, but Da would go hunting. And when he returned with the kill, I'd help him clean the kill. We'd save every piece of the animal we could, for use however we could. " Her smile had turned wistful at this, as if she regretted not participating more in the act with her father.
"Da could find a use for bout anything. While we worked, Da used to sign to me. I always thought his voice was scruffy and it made me giggle. I never could understand a single word he was singing, til I was older. When I was older, Da started teaching me Scots Gaelic. We would sing together. " Arandir nodded as she spoke, corners of his lips upturned in a soft smile, his fingertips brushing soft circles on Wynne's knee. The finger strokes paused as he watched her expression, seeing the sorrow in her eyes when she began to speak of her mother.
"Ma hated it though. Once, she caught us singing as we racked leather to tan. She had tears streaming down her face, and she whacked my da over the head with a broom. Never did find out why, I just know da and I didn't sing as much after that day. Da always said it was just because he didn't want to upset ma. I do miss them, more than I could ever imagine. But we'll never figure anything out if all I focus on is what's happened instead of what we're going to do about it." She told him, and Arandir felt a strong sense of resolve steel through him from Wynne and the bond between them.
"Would you like to discuss us then? Or our plans for when Bronwyn shows us to the archives? " Arandir asked, though he inwardly hoped it was anything but the second. Selfishly, he hoped that the resolve Wynne was feeling was because she was ready to address their mating with him. The effects of the time they'd spent together were wearing on him, and he longed to hold her in his arms as a lover should.


**I apologize for the wait, lovelies. I've been stuck this last week on inspiration for how to progress Wynne and Arandir's relationship. Inspiration has finally struck! I won't make any promises on another chapter being soon, but my plan is to write more than one and try to do timed releases so you'll have more to read while I continue the story. Blessed Be! 😘