LUFFY
1062 Words
His voice was deep and rich like a cello in the night making Eleni's strands of hair stand.
He grined ear to ear as if he couldn't contain his joy seeing Eleni tremble under his hold. He gently let go of her and then turned her calmly to face him.
Eleni felt a wave of calm wash over her knowing she was safe after all.
"Pietas,"
He said to Eleni as he fondly called her. He grabbed a towel to help her cover up and step out of the tub.
"I'm sorry to scare you,"
He calmly said with his eyes sparkling with flecks of light.
Eleni said nothing. She couldn't at that point help but be pleased to have him around. She nodded and headed out to her room where Imade stood with a sheath dress in hands waiting to help her dress up.
With a wave of her hand she dismissed Imade from the room.
"I will await you in the barn, let's feed Luffy oats."
"You named him?"
Eleni asked after hearing him refer to the horse he newly got as Luffy.
"Yes, I named him."
He answered with a smirk.
He gently drew Eleni close to him. He could feel her trembling a bit. He lowered a bit so he could be the same height as her.
"I will be waiting at the barn, see you soon,"
He said and strode off.
Eleni shrugged off the thoughts in her head and tried to pull the tight sheath dress over her hips. After a few minutes of pulling and tugging, she was finally encased in the sheath dress.
***
Renzo in his denim overalls and sturdy work boots approached the stable where the horses were kept. As Renzo entered the stable, he saw the servants bustling around the horses, brushing their coats and feeding them hay. The horses whinnied and stomped their hooves, eager for their morning meal. The stable hands were busy and focused, working to ensure that the horses were ready for whatever was to come.
"Zack,"
Renzo called out to one of the servants, a young man with a mop of dark hair and a quick, easy smile.
"Bring me my horse, Luffy,"
he said. The servant nodded and led the horse out of the stable, its coat gleaming in the light of the sun. Renzo took a handful of oats from a nearby barrel and held it out to the horse, who snorted and nuzzled his hand. Renzo chuckled and patted the horse's neck, then fed him the oats.
Renzo turned around to see Eleni Standing in the shadows of the stable with a sly smile playing on her lips.
She walked closer to him.
"I love him,"
Renzo said with his eyes filled with warmth.
"I see,"
Eleni nodded, brushing off Luffy's coat.
"I will be taking Luffy into battle with me. He is strong and brave and I know he will fight well by my side,"
He said with resolve.
Eleni smiled and covered his hands with hers.
"Anything that pleases his lordship,"
She took some oats from the barrel to feed Luffy.
As Renzo and Eleni spoke in hushed voices, a servant's voice broke into the conversation like a thunderclap.
"Lord Renzo, your father has summoned you to his chambers,"
the servant announced. Renzo and Eleni then turned to look at the servant, who stood in the doorway, his face pale and drawn.
Renzo smiled dryly at Eleni and left to see his father.
***
Renzo entered the chamber, his footsteps barely making a sound on the stone floor. HIs father sat by the fire, sipping a drink and staring into the flames. He stood before his father, his face lowered. The room was silent except for his father's deep breathing.
His father gestured to a decanter on the table, filled with a dark liquid that glinted in the firelight. "Would you care for a drink, Renzo?" he asked, pouring himself a glass of the ruby-red liquid.
"A glass of Falernian wine, perhaps?"
Renzo took a seat across from his father, the drink in his hand. He sipped it slowly, savouring the flavour as he met his father's gaze. A silence hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken words.
His father finally broke the silence, his voice smooth and unruffled.
"So, I hear you've been spending time with Eleni,"
he said,
Renzo shifted in his seat, feeling a twinge of discomfort as his father's words hung in the air.
"I know you think highly of her, Renzo,"
his father continued,
"but I don't think she's a good influence on you. I have your best interests at heart, you know."
His voice was calm and reasonable, but Renzo could sense a hint of steel beneath the surface. Without a word, Renzo stood up, his broad frame towering over the table. He turned to leave, but his father's next words stopped him in his tracks.
"There's something else you should know, Renzo," his father said, his tone urgent and serious.
"We are at war."
"Renzo froze, his hand on the door handle. He turned slowly, his eyes fixed on his father.
"War?"
he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't sit down, remaining standing and tense, waiting for his father to continue.
After a long pause, Renzo's father finally spoke. "The conflict is between me and the King of Finna, he said. "I have long sought to unite our two kingdoms, but the King of Finna has been resistant. Now, he has taken it a step further and threatened to invade our lands. I will not allow that to happen. You must be prepared for war."
You could describe the conversation like this: "Renzo's father took a deep breath and continued. "I will summon the council to discuss the coming war," he said. Renzo's eyes lit up with a strange sort of excitement at the thought of war. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a thrill of anticipation at the thought of battle.
His lips curled into a half-smile, as if some secret knowledge was stirring within him. Renzo opened his mouth to speak, but his father cut him off.
"You will not be leading our troops into battle," he said, his tone stern.
"You must go alone to the kingdom of Finna, you must confront our enemy alone."
- Writer
