Moonlight Love

Hector's eyes lightened up as they approached the grand castle. As Queen Elvira had said, the west sea sparkled just at the foot of the main castle, and Hector couldn't wait to play in the sparkling water.

He wasn't sure what he was allowed to do or not do now, and he did hope Queen Elvira would let him do as he wished.

They got off at the main door of the palace, and Hector squinted to catch the height of the towering castle. Queen Elvira smiled at his innocence and held his hand, leading him into the castle.

He squirmed inside as he felt her fingers clasp around his, but said nothing and let her lead him in. This, just like the other palace was her territory anyway and he had no say.

They walked into the palace's grand hall, and she instinctively twirled herself, holding his hand up like he had twirled her around.

He watched in shock as she came back to him, her eyes heavy with humor.

"Most of the balls are held here. I suddenly felt the urge to dance."

He couldn't help but smile. "I did not think you would...dance."

She laughed. "I may not look like it, but I dance quite well."

He nodded. "It would be an honor to see her highness dance."

She turned to him, her eyes expressive in a way he didn't quite understand. "It seems I am getting a letter tonight."

His eyes widened, remembering his punishment. "But your highness..."

"And another."

He bit down on his lips hard. "It would be an honor to see you dance, Elvira." Her name rolled off his tongue delicately, like he was scared of saying it, yet was so fluent with it.

"That is more like it. We can go around while I show you the chambers, and then we can take a walk around the trees before supper."

He nodded quietly, knowing it wasn't so easy for him to break his habit of using honorifics with her. Although now, her name felt a little less heavy on his tongue too.

Like an excited guide, she walked him through the large chambers, the high balconies and the resting place, as the maids worked to clean and have food ready, while others arranged their belongings in their respective chambers.

She found herself constantly wishing she could ask him to share a chamber with her, but her confidence kept running low everytime. She let it be in the end, and just watched a littke sadly, as he left for his chambers.

Once behind closed doors, Hector could breathe normally again. He kept thinking she would share a chamber with him, and he wasn't sure if he was grateful or disappointed that she didn't ask.

He removed his heavy regalia and just went under the soft sheets that had been laid out on the huge canopy bed, letting his head rest for a while. He still had a letter to write and some pebbles to skip. For now, he would sleep.

The sun went down quite fast, and Hector dragged hinself half sleepily towards the bathhouse. There was an attending servant who would wash him, but Hector felt shy letting him do it. He excused the servant and washed hinself, before going back to his chambers to pick a tunic to wear.

He noticed most of them were lighter than the ones Queen Elvira made him wear back at the main palace and he was truly grateful. He settled for a black lose tunic, one that accentuated the slight paleness of his skin, and contrasted with his brown hair. It literally made everything about him stand out, and even though he did not quite notice, Elvira did.

She saw it once he joined her at the table, and she was glad about her choice. But he also noticed her, the slight lack of stiffness in her dressing. It made her look a lot younger and closer to her real age, and her smile was a lot more genuine, like something in the air was making them let lose of their real selves. Queen Elvira could not find any cause for complain, but neither could Hector.

"I decided to let you eat before we take a walk. The moon is just as beautiful as anything else, is it not?"

Hector nodded. "It is."

They ate in comfortable silence and when they were both done, stepped out into the moonlight. They had the guard stand a little far away fron the path of the trees, and then she held him, her hands over his eyes, carefully to the purple dripping trees.

Slowly, she uncovered his eyes and he opened them, his eyes slowly taking in the purple heaven in front of him. They were planted side by side so they made a path in the middle, and he was standing right in the middle of that path.

The moon hung above the sky, illuminating the trees, his face and adding radiance to Queen Elvira's already radiant smile.

"Your...Elvira..they are beautiful."

She nodded. "I am happy you like it." She stretched her hand. "What do you say we take a long walk to the end of the path?"

He immediately nodded, and with only a fraction of the hesitation he could have shown a fortnight ago, he took her hand.

This time, she let him walk in front, enjoying the feel of him leading her, of him holding her hand willingly.

And that night, in his letter, Hector wrote;

"To Queen Elvira... I do not know what to say, or how to start, but I do hope this conveys a lot. You are peaceful. And it does feel a little intimidating, but somehow, you still bring a lot of peace. Just like the moon above the Wisteria trees."

Queen Elvira stood, waiting for Hector. He soon appeared with the scroll, and handed it to her. She collected it, then raised a brow.

"Are you not forgetting something else?"

He shook his head and it made her laugh. But the amusement was soon gone as he effortlessly lifted her in her arms in bridal style.

"Is this fine?" He asked, hoping the heat he felt didn't reflect in his cheeks. She nodded, then clasped her arms loosely around his neck and buried her face in his chest, inhaling the sheer scent of him.

He walked slowly, finding warmth in her body as she did in his, and then slowly, almost reluctantly tucked her into the bed.

She lay as he arranged the covers on her, and she held his arm back as he stood to leave.

"Hector?"

He turned, his eyes slightly widened. "Yes?"

"Would you mind sharing a chamber?"