THE AFTERMATH OF AN ILL - FATED LETTER . . .
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย the sweetness of her presence resonates, settles in his heart until he wishes to know nought else, so swiftly has she become familiar. ย ย ย & so he walks proudly beside her, clad in splendid emerald chased with silver thread & all too aware of words written unspoken ... he deign now cloak broad shoulders in innocent gallantry.
ย ย ย ย โ lady lynorra, โ ย lilts he, a placid glimmer in his eyes. ย ย โ you look troubled. as though your heart has been ensnared by some terrible fate. โ ย ย ย & asย her ย stormย eyes ย lift, ย so ย partย his.ย ย ย โ gods forbid it be a man too handsome for his own good. โ dimpled smile ( he wonders at what moment her fair eyes had counted such lines ) is drawn upwards, to the swallows that dance between the architecture above. he recalls reading of their loyalty, the bond formed between twain, how they return each year to the same nest to reunite with the same mate, devoted & devoutly true unto one another eternally.
โธป the intimacy of oldtown at dusk surrounds them ... bells chime & peal in longing strains, orange blossom & honeysuckle twine upon pale arches, fallen ivory petals damask the floor, perfume the balmy evening air of the city. the hightower takes little notice of the passers-by that cast awestruck intrigued glances upon them, happens a glance toward the carved archway of a merchant's door as they pass. is he truly so tall as a doorframe? lanterns line the streets like sentinels, aglow to replace the sunken sun. & oh, how they reflect upon her mass of dark curls that cascade down her shoulders, the graceful arch of her back. their path leads to the plaza & now another world unfurls afore them : the ย honeywineย forgedย in ย dazzling ย gold light, a ribbon woven through the landscape far ย below. fenland grows bright & verdant at river's edge thoughย ormund's ย gazeย lingers ย only uponย the ย doe ( herย cheeksย & ears painted ย rosy, he believesย byย theย warmth ย of ย the ย evening breeze, their excursion ... ) ย ย how ย far ย they ย had ย come. & ย in ย more ways ย than ย distance.
theย silenceย of ย theย eveningย lingersย inย coastalย eyesย yet ย with ย warmthย at ย theย swellย ofย hisย tongue intimacyย colours ย his ย confession. ย โย the seven have answered my prayers already tonight. โ words revolve in flame, keeping the coliseum of his heart afire. he divulges no further butย runsย ย exasperated aย ย handย ย throughย ย umberย ย curls,ย ย tinged ย rich ย chestnut ย in ย the ย hazy sunset &ย reluctantlyย pulls ย his ย gazeย to ย theย ivoryย septย nestled ahead of them, halo'd by the early glint of dim stars. his wish had been only for her presence.