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The Arcane Order |
| Melyanna sat in the chair at the foot of her
bed watching Kirel sleep. She loved watching him. The tanned skin of his
chest seemed to glow in the soft moonlight. She had never planned on
falling in love with the half elf. He had been a friend when she needed
one. His shoulder had been given in support when her husband had
disappeared.
But things had changed. One day she was looking at Kirel as nothing more than a dear friend, then it seemed as if almost over night, she had fallen in love with him. She hadn't understood how it had happened. She had believed herself bonded with Azeron. Perhaps that had been wishful thinking on the part of a lonely girl who had seemed to find the same in Azeron. Thinking back, she remembered it had been Azeron who had suggested they might be bonding. He had given her a bracelet that would allow them to communicate with thought, instead of bothering with pigeons. Then she had been attacked by a roaming band of orcs and had been left for dead, all her belongings taken. She hadn't felt him anymore. But Azeron had convinced her that she didn't need the bracelet. And how she had believed him. She had needed to believe him. Those days had been so troubled and amid the confusion, Azeron had seemed an oasis in the storm. Mely stood and walked to the foot of the bed, leaning against the bedpost. Kirel had shown her she was no longer a child. She had the strength, the conviction to believe in herself and fight the illness that had so devastated her life. He had helped her see she was now an adult. He had shown her she could love again. That she could trust again. As she climbed into bed, her chilled skin warmed by the heat from his bare back as she cuddled close to him. Kirel stirred long enough to whisper "amin mela lle," before he wrapped her in his arms. "Amin mela lle, Kirel," she whispered her eyes beginning to close as she slipped into reverie. Tomorrow, she would begin the steps that would end her marriage to Azeron. |
| I hereby declare that Azeron Daefaroth and
Melyanna Lindor are no longer bound by their vows of marriage under the
laws of Lord British.
I absolve them of all obligations stemming from the marriage vows. Both parties have consented to this ruling. Hezekiah |
| Melyanna stretched as the early morning light
broke through the window and lit the bedroom with a warm glow. Warm
emerald eyes lovingly caressed the muscular back of the half elf next to
her. "I am finally free to love him," she thought to herself,
watching Kirel sleep.
The Justicar had posted the notice of the dissolution of marriage on the wall of the Arrow. Mely could hardly believe her eyes and tore the paper down, passing it to Kirel to read. "Uma, a'mael, this is it. You are free!" Not caring what the few patrons thought, Melyanna had squealed and thrown herself into Kirel's arms, kissing him. The night had become one grand celebration. Mely stretched again and curled up against Kirel, resting her head on his chest. The door to her past life with Azeron was soundly closed, a part of her would always care for him. But she had meant what she had told him that she could not forgive him for the trap he had forced on her when he had tricked her into allowing him to "cure" her. And a new door opened, one allowing her the freedom to be herself. A wild, intoxicating start to what was sure to be a wonderful love. |
| Kirel's eyes slowly opened as rays from the,
late morning, sun shown through the drapes. Lifting his head carefully,
he looked down at the resting Melyanna, her head laid comfortably on his
chest. Pushing a lock of her hair away from her face, he smiled looking
upon her and let out soft sigh.
I hereby declare that Azeron Daefaroth and Melyanna Lindor are no longer bound.... . That was all he needed to read that evening. As she threw herself into his arms squealing with joy, and he spun her around, he knew. It hadn't so much been the end of something, but instead was the beginning to something wonderful. Kirel reached over to the nightstand, plucking up the crisp piece of parchment and brought it into view. Dissolution of Marriage, he read. The soft rustling of the paper awoke Melyanna briefly, only long enough for her to give him lazy smile, before settling her head down and falling back into reverie. "No more excuses Kirel, you are free to love her now", he thought to himself. Cocking a crooked smile, his eye lids grew heavy as he slipped back off into sleep. |
| He looked up from the scroll he had been
reading and, for the first time, realized that he would have to make
some changes in his office. Staring across the room at the wall, Azeron
stared long and hard at the portrait of Melyanna that still hung there.
His eyes wandered back down to the parchment in his hand, realizing that
it was finally over. He had finally consented to grant Melyanna her
wish, and allowed her to back out of the marriage vows they had made.
Forever had lasted a lot shorter than he would ever have imagined. He rolled the scroll absently, looking up at the portrait again. And then it struck him... how different she was now. So totally changed by the illness, by their broken bond, by her new life. The portrait hardly even looked like her anymore. Azeron knew, without a doubt, that he would always love the woman in that portrait. But the wife he knew no longer existed. And now it was not only emotionally evident... now it was legal. It was time to move on. Many had told him so, and Azeron sighed with the realization that they were right. It was time to put this chapter behind him, no matter how painful it would be. He started by removing the portrait of a woman he once knew and loved from the wall of his office... |
The
Library Arcane: The Lord of the Dead