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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 23, 2011 0:59:52 GMT -5
The time had come for me ride to war. Spending the day with Geraldine the night before had set my mind at east about a great many things. I knew though that I still needed to get away, away from the familiar streets which held the memories of what I thought was love. I was going to make myself useful as long as I could. I wrote a quick note for Lessa which I would leave with Geraldine should she come home before I did. I slipped it away in my satchel and said goodbye to my staff, telling them that Eric, Lessa’s messenger boy, would be by every so often to check on things.
Everything was done properly as I slipped out the door and saddled my horse to a little place just outside the city where Dine and I had arranged to meet.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 23, 2011 1:45:51 GMT -5
After the day I'd spent with Guy, I felt as if I'd known him for much longer than just a day, and it was with some trepidation that I made for our meeting place, to make good on my word. If truth be told, regardless of his request, I would have gone, at this point, if only to see him one more time.
I was dressed simply, a light shawl on my shoulders again, and I'd taken a ride there with a kind merchant who had let me sit with him in his carriage, so long as I let him hold my hand. It was a small price to pay, and I didn't mind.
He let me off a ways, and I walked the rest of the way, preferring to arrive alone – it was as it should be, Guy and me, seeing each other one last time, before he departed for war, and I for patience. When I saw him, I waved, smiling bravely, though my heart felt heavy, as dictated by circumstance.
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 23, 2011 14:02:31 GMT -5
I caught sight of Geraldine and smiled. Closing the distance between us I walked to her and gave her a hug. It was a little longer than I had planned, but it was nice. “Geraldine, it’s good to see you, so good,” I said softly before pulling away. “Yesterday … well you took yesterday and made it so much better. Thank you for that.”
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 23, 2011 17:43:27 GMT -5
I accepted the hug with pleasure and returned it with feeling, giving Guy a little squeeze, my cheek momentarily pressing into his shoulder. “You did that too,” I replied when we released each other. I smiled a little, and our hands were still clasped, I'd given his arms a caress as I disengaged, and it was as if we were ready to dance. I looked up at him fondly, thinking that this was just goodbye, and not adieu – he would come back. He had to. “You could have refused my handkerchief, and none of this would have happened, and we would have both been short a friend.”
I was feeling an odd mix of emotions – fondness for him, joy that he was here, sadness that our time would be cut short by war and conflict, fear that it was the last time, hope that it wasn't. I squeezed his hands, looked at him, making a show of inspecting his aspect. “You look every inch the general that you are,” I told him, “and I am proud to be with you today, if only briefly.”
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 23, 2011 21:31:20 GMT -5
We kept our hands together, an unconscious need for contact. “I still have that handkerchief with me. It’ll remind me that some one's waiting for me to return.” She then gave my hand a squeeze and complimented me and I felt a tear starting to form. “I’m happy to be with you, even is for a moment. You are a wonderful friend. And don’t worry, I’ll write to you as soon as we arrive.”
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 24, 2011 13:21:38 GMT -5
He was near tears again, and when the first of them blossomed at the corner of his eye, I didn't even think of it as I reached with my thumb to gently wipe it away, in a caress full of concern. “Write to me,” I asked softly, “Write to me, Guy, and live, and come back to me. I want to show you places where you can laugh, and not cry.” I tried to smile, though it was a bit sad, and part of me wanted to kiss his lips, to give him a sense of love, that he may perhaps love himself a little more, and find in his heart the strength to fight for us, for the country, for his life, for himself. “Guy ---” I murmured, barely a whisper, and my eyes were on his lips, touching them, beckoning them, even.
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 24, 2011 13:38:05 GMT -5
When the first tear fell she was right there to wipe it away, not even thinking about it, and that itself prevented more from falling. When she spoke there was nothing I wanted to do but hold her and tell her I would be fine. Her care for me was causing me to care for her. It was fast and sudden but that didn’t change the fact that it was there. “I will, Dine, I promise, I swear I will,” I said, looking into her eyes and seeing something in them. I gave her another hug, almost desperate and whispered into her ear. “Yes?”
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 24, 2011 13:49:28 GMT -5
The way Guy hugged me and held me, the desperation of it made my resolve break, and his promise...
No-one had ever promised me anything, before. No-one had ever... no. Not that I could recall, not in his way, not so fervently that I believed him with absolute faith. I was undone, not even thinking about how early it was, that I'd only known the man a few days, and I tilted my head a little, to kiss his cheek, first, trailing kisses there until I found his lips, and it was a sound kiss.
It was a kiss full of all that I'd learnt at Heliotrope, but also full of my own emotions, of my desire to make him want to live, of my desire to make him want to return, too, and of my absolute faith in him, in his capable, strong hands, in his fervent and generous heart, in his honour, in his friendship.
I thought of none else but of him, and as my lips parted and I invited him to retaliate, offering myself to him through this embrace, wanting to give him what strength I had for the strife to come.
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 24, 2011 14:23:17 GMT -5
Instead of an answer what I got was something I hadn’t expected, at least not like this. I had asked her to kiss me farewell, but this was mind-blowing and I’d never been kissed like it before. It started on my cheek and moved slowly over and in that moment I was thinking oh gods what is she doing? Then it hip my lips and I found that I couldn’t think. With it she had branded herself and that moment in my memory forever, as clear the present.
She parted her lips and I just looked at her, my eyes wide with surprise. When thought returned to me I wondered what this meant. I had only yesterday had a woman abandon me and now another kisses me like that. My body and my soul however wanted another … and I let them win, giving her a kiss to match her own. It wasn’t as skillful, but every bit as filled with emotion.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 24, 2011 16:04:40 GMT -5
My hands were on his shoulders, our bodies still pressed together by his impetuous hug, and I felt my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Had I overstepped, again? I often seemed to, before I made my marque – to easily give too much, too fast, or to simply say something too forward, forgetting my station. I was about to mutter an apology when Guy kissed me back, and it was timid and a bit awkward, and youthful, in a way.
It reminded me of younger days of experimenting, of playing with others, of learning kisses and touches, and I took it all in, finding him sweet, and warm, and earnest. I kissed back, pressing myself to him a little more, arching my body so that our hips fit together, so that he could feel my warmth, too. Meanwhile, my head spun, the thought that I was kissing a scion of Eisheth, a man more powerful perhaps than many I'd known, and that it wasn't even in the context of an assignation... Elua, he didn't even know.
It was new, too, like his promise, like him, like the world of affection that the kiss was unlocking, as well. I kissed him for as long as he wanted, not pushing, relenting the lead to Guy, but responding in kind to every one of his attentions.
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 25, 2011 0:17:06 GMT -5
While we kissed she pressed herself close to me and I felt a twinge of something that I didn’t want to feel, but it was undeniably there, desire. I was suddenly glad that I would have time in battle to think about it. She was beautiful and she liked me … but it was too even consider such things. No, this would be done right, and not until I returned from battle. However I wasn’t going to push her away either and I let the kiss linger as long as it willed parting it and looking into her eyes. “Part of me doesn’t want to leave now.” I smiled and took a deep breath. “Part of me knows that I have to.”
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 25, 2011 0:26:16 GMT -5
The kiss was good and I enjoyed it – and him, while both of them lasted, and I nodded when he spoke, stating my understanding.
“Aye,” I replied quietly, and I was smiling, barely, just a little tiny smile that said, it's alright, I understand. There were so many things still standing between us, starting with the war he had to wage, and the fact that I was a courtesan, and my understanding that perhaps he would disapprove... and I didn't want him to disapprove... and... leaving as things were, with our kiss and our beautiful day together, it seemed fair.
“Go,” I said softly, like a secret shared between us. “Go and write to me, Guy, and when you return... live. Just live, and be happy, and I will be content.” With that, I laid a kiss on his cheek, tender, a bit more chaste, and I got ready to let him go.
That was our arrangement. I'd come to see him off, to hug him, and kiss him, and show to him that there was a living soul who cared about what became of him on the battlefield. Though I ached to see him leave and hoped I would see him again, if that was all it was, it would be enough for me.
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Post by Guy de Mereliot (R) on Jun 25, 2011 2:17:28 GMT -5
Her words to me were exactly what I needed to hear. They warmed my heard and gave me the strength to go and do this, to leave her side with the promise that I would be back. She was my hope, my optimism. I caressed her face gently with a sad smile and pulled away from her. “Goodbye, but only for now, Geraldine.”
With that I took one last look at her, memorizing her face and all the rest of her and locking it there in my mind, to be in the forefront as I fought. With a smile and nod I turned my head away from her and mounted my horse, riding away to battle.
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Géraldine Grangier
Citizen
Former Heliotrope adept; Fully marqued
Thou, and no other.
Posts: 2,001
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Post by Géraldine Grangier on Jun 25, 2011 10:58:31 GMT -5
Oh, but Elua, the way he looked at me. I hadn't shifted to hold him to me, to stop him from going, even though a little part of me was screaming inside my head that I shouldn't let him go, not now, when something – that needed exploring – just happened.
But I let him go, instead, my hands quietly to myself, my patient little smile, persistent on my face, my eyes on his face until he stopped looking at me and turned to go.
“Goodbye, only for now, Guy,” I replied with as much hope and optimism as I could muster, my smile wider, to encourage him, to give him hope. I blew him a kiss and watched as he rode away, watched his back and the gallop of his proud steed, and only when I was alone with the gentle wind of the meadow and its rustle in the leaves, did I whisper, softly, like a prayer...
“Come back to me.”
I was quiet, for a while, watching the line of the horizon as if my eyes could perhaps change what would come, but the truth was that I had no sight, only my heart that told me conflicting stories as it were.
Slowly I turned back to return to the city, knowing the walk would be long and lonely, but I accepted it, thinking of the hardships soldiers would incur, which made my walk a happy thing by comparison. I thought of them all, of Decimus whom I was sure was in the ranks as well, or Tabien, whose profession it was to die, but at the forefront of my mind there was Guy.
As I walked back through the gates of the city, I realized I'd unwittingly taken responsibility for him, and that for all the men I knew who could be on the battlefield, he was mine to fear for. My tired footsteps took me to the temple of Camael, and though I had never payed the warlike angel a visit, this time it felt necessary, to pray for our soldiers, for the common folk of Camlach, and for Guy. For Guy, that he might come home, and come home safe.
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