Lantern Against the Wind

Gareth jumped up in surprise when he woke up the next morning, realizing that he had fallen asleep on the floor with his head in Elena’s lap. He rubbed his face that had become scruffy from the facial hair that had grown overnight. He couldn’t remember why he had slept through the night like this. Nevertheless, he gently lifted Elena, who looked uncomfortable sleeping against the wall, and carefully placed her on the bed. Once she was in bed, she turned around and faced him with closed eyes.

Gareth laid down in bed facing her as well. It seemed that something must have happened overnight, as there was no other reason to have fallen asleep near the fireplace. Gareth placed a hand on his chest as a strange feeling started forming. He had suffered from a heavy feeling in his chest for a long time whenever he woke up, but today, the sensation wasn’t there. His chest felt light in a way, which wasn’t normal for him. It was as if the thing that had been weighing down on him had finally been lifted. Gareth looked at Elena, who was deep asleep. He observed her snow-like skin and her graphite hair.

“My beautiful lady…” he murmured. “Did you help me again this time? A mean man like me?”

Elena remained fast asleep even when Gareth started stroking her hair. Gareth’s hands trembled at that moment.

“Do you know… how much I love you?”

* * *

Gareth continued to take Elena everywhere he went—patrolling the estate, supervising the almost finished construction of the walls, training, and of course, eating. He traveled with her by horse at times, carrying her in his arms when he didn’t do so. He continued to share his memories and explained what he knew about the current political situation.

One day, Gareth took Elena to a high hill where they could see the vast estate with a birds-eye view. Firmly holding the woman sitting in front of him, Gareth reached his hand out and pointed to the castle, the villages, the fields, and the forests stretched out in front of them.

“Those fields you see over there are yours. The forests over there are yours too. Everything here is yours, Elena.”

Gareth had decided a while ago that it was fine for Elena to refrain from speaking or to continue ignoring him, as long as she was next to him. He smiled and fumbled around for her hand hidden inside her coat. Once he found it, he placed it above his chest and said, “And this mean and ugly man here is yours as well.”

* * *

Gareth was inspecting the armory as usual, but this time, with Elena by his side. She sat still in a chair, then reached out her hand to feel the sharp blade in front of her. She then gazed at Gareth, thinking about what had happened the previous day. A letter from Hansen had arrived last night and Gareth had opened it in front of her, his face becoming noticeably stiff once he read what was written. It wasn’t until a long time after that he gave her a brief description of the pictures drawn on the pieces of parchment.

* * *

“The royal knights are moving to the border of the capital under the pretext of training. It is usual for the king to hold training sessions before spring, but he is taking a lot more men than he has to. I think he is regrouping and finalizing the city’s defenses.”

Gareth pointed at the different pictures drawn by Hasnen and continued, “Until now, Logan had been increasing his military under the pretext of taking over the Townsend estate.”

Elena inadvertently recoiled with fright at his words, since she had never thought that Logan could be hiding an ulterior motive.