"This has been the most embarrassing day!"
"Oh, Zelinnia." Elunara wrapped her arms around the smaller woman.
"I didn't mean to take the stupid shirt." She pushed it into the floor. Blinking at it, she scooped it back up and put it in her lap. "Oh, what is wrong with me?"
"You're in love."
Zelinnia just stared.
"Oh, far be it for me to tell you what that means. My experience of it is rather limited and hard won." Elunara sighed. "But your emotions are much higher on the surface. You're confused because you've never been this way with another. But there's that part, deep in you that's been sold on him since the moment I shoved you in his arms. If you'd stop running from things that scare you, then maybe you'd let yourself feel something good ever so often."
"Running is what I'm good at." She muttered.
"Then maybe it's time you found something else to be good at." Elunara picked up her board and began working.
"Sometimes, I hate when you're right." Zelinnia muttered in annoyance, worrying the shirt between her fingers.
"Oh?"
"It was amazing." She mumbled. "Don't look at me like that!" She tossed up her hands. "Gentle, yes, amazing, yes. Dear God, why did morning have to come and be so terrible?" She buried her face in the shirt without thinking. Taking a couple of deep breaths she opened her eyes and pulled the shirt away. "GAH!"
Elunara laughed. "When you figure out what you're going to do with yourself, Eloise designs the most fabulous wedding gowns. She turned mine into a dress for ceremonies and things. You should see the pictures."
Zelinnia crossed her arms. "Why are you so sure I'm going to marry him?"
"Because that's the kind of person you are." Elunara shrugged. "You're beautiful, but have managed to stay a virgin through all of this time and war. You haven't given yourself once. You finally do, and it's for keeps." She continued to add detail. "I know your type, but I also know you, Zelinnia. You're hard headed, easily scared, and a bit of a snob. You two will be adorable together."
"I'm naming my first child Nara, just to annoy you." She grumbled. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she said. She flopped over, face buried in the shirt and wailed.
Elunara laughed so hard she had to put her board down. "Oh, Zelinnia."
Tulani walked in and blinked down at Zelinnia. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
"She's in love with Renwa."
"Oh? Is that all?" Tulani shrugged and put her basket on the desk.
Zelinnia turned her head and glared. "What do you mean, "Is that all"?"
"It's not exactly a secret." Tulani tapped a finger to her chin. "Well, I mean, you didn't come home last night. And Mrs. Finister is telling everyone she can, that she saw you leave his home this morning."
"I'm going to kill that old biddy." Zelinnia growled.
"Oh, calm down," Elunara waved her hand. "That woman hasn't had a scandal since I pulled Tulani into this little affair."
"I thought her last information coup was telling everyone your mother is Tyrande."
"Oh, you're right."
"Can't that woman stay out of people's business?" Zelinnia grumbled, unconsciously rubbing her cheek on the shirt.
"Old women usually can't, it's their only source of entertainment." Elunara shrugged. "If you cover that thing in tears, the smell will wear off quicker."
Zelinnia jerked up and balled the shirt up and stuck it under her pillow. "Shut up." She mumbled as she flopped back down on her pillow.
Tulani stifled a giggle. "Oh, I do so hope you're not going to sit in here and mope. You have a wonderful man who enjoys seeing you. You should go enjoy it."
"He's busy."
Tulani sat down and began her work. "First of all, you don't know that. Second of all, you can't know that until you learn his schedule. Third, you can show your interest in his BY learning his schedule. He'll find it flattering."
Elunara considered. "Tulani's getting good at this." She grinned. Elunara closed up her board and held a hand out to Tulani. "Care to join me under our tree? I find getting some work done in the sun is quite relaxing."
Tulani grinned, up for the game. "Let's gather Darguni and make a picnic of it."
"I'm enjoying this plan." Elunara looked over at Zelinnia. "When you stop pouting in embarrassment, you can join us. The sun would do you good."
Zelinnia took her pillow and put it over the back of her head. She blatantly ignored the lot of them. When the door finally closed, she sat up and tugged out the shirt. This stupid thing had caused her so much trouble today. She wanted to throw it away, but found herself hugging it instead. With some disgust, she shoved it under her pillow. She got up and yanked out one of Elunara's books. Flipping through the pages, she found herself intrigued. She recognized a good deal of the text.
She began to look through all of them, trying to find the one she knew would be in there. She stopped when she came to a passage. "Grogek took them" Curious, she sat and read the journal entry. Taking out the indicated copies of papers, she began reading the journal entries. By time she finished, tears ran down her face. She returned to the original journal entry. Zelinnia stared at one line for the longest time. "Though I have slit his sister's throat, he appealed to me for forgiveness."
Zelinnia began digging through the bound books, into the papers and skimming around the drawings. She found the early entries of Renwa. "He's quite tasty, and he understands my needs, I just don't think he understands his own needs." Zelinnia eyed the drawings and decided that Elunara had seriously improved since then. She marked her page and went digging again. She skimmed the pages and stopped at certain passages. After much consideration, she decided that Grogek picked some nasty ones, but not the really bad ones.
How could the free-spirited woman who had such a loving family, have come from this? She started from what she thought was book one, and began to read with such intensity and speed, that she lost track of all else. Even the knock on the door did not stop her. She laid another book to the side, and picked up the next. She had quite the spread going before the door opened.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump through her skin.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you." Renwa ran his hands through his hair.
Zelinnia put her head on the book in front of her. "Gods, you almost scared me to death."
"Sorry. You didn't answer the door, and Elunara said to come on in."
She rose up. "No, I got involved in..." Her eyes went wide and she tried to push the papers around to cover certain entries.
"I think everyone that wants to truly know Elunara, should read her books." He lifted a paper. "Oh, is that me?" He grinned. "I've read these before."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "I was curious, and she let me."
"No. Why... this." She gestured to the books.
"You have to finish reading, and make your own decisions. Elunara is Elunara." He shrugged.
"It all feels so sad."
"You're not the only one who thinks that. It seems that Elunara is the only one who doesn't agree with you."
Zelinnia blushed. "I mean, I started because I wanted... something in particular, but then I found the entry about Grogek stealing her papers... and I went from there." Zelinnia reached over and picked up the open book. "He embarrassed her in the same way I was embarrassed, and she practically thought it was cute. Then, I went deeper and found that he could have done so much more damage, to her, to the town... but he tried to soften the blow, even then."
"I believe Grogek loved her before he left that fortress."
