Real Love

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 17th July 2008

Characters: Eliste, Marilea
Description: Eliste runs into Marilea once more, but this time, alone.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 13 of Turn 4

Eliste had been having some contractions. They had started a bit after Fog had left and she had decided to walk. They were not serious, and Eliste could tell this was not the beginning of labour, but they were uncomfortable. Practise contractions, they were, and the further along she got, the more she had them and the more intense they got.
Nothing like real labour, but certainly enough to notice!

She waddled away from her quarters and to the garden that was nearby.
She lowered herself onto the bench and sighed softly as she reached behind her to rub her back. The end of the pregnancy was the worst part, but she didn't mind it. In the end, it meant she would have a baby, her baby. And Helvar would never see that child if she had her way. Her reverie was broken by the feeling that someone was watching her and Eliste looked up. Surprise registered over her features when she realise who had come to the garden.

"You look as if you're in pain." Marilea said, neither curious nor concerned, merely stating the obvious.

"Not too bad." Eliste's response was almost a mutter. "Just some practise contractions. Nothing serious."

"Oh," Marilea nodded, "I remember those." she shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes never settling anywhere for longer than a moment or two. "So - the baby." she finally said, "It's not Follen's?" she asked, her eyes catching Eliste's and holding them.

The question caught Eliste off guard, but she answered quickly enough considering, "The baby is now." Why did this woman care about that?
She had dumped Fog like he was a piece of garbage.

"Does he know?" Marilea asked, the tone of her voice insinuating that maybe he wasn't aware. "He can be quiet... oblivious to some things, though I think you have already realized that."

"He knows perfectly well." Anger began to well up inside her again, though outwardly Eliste managed to portray a calm demeanor. "He's not as dense as you seem to think he is."

"He wasn't when I married him..." Marilea nodded, "but now - are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I"m very sure." Eliste straightened, her lips turning down into a frown.
"May I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. What?" Marilea nodded distractedly, she turned away for a moment, keeping an eye out for anyone who may be near them.

"Did Fog ever beat you?" Eliste knew the answer to that without having been told and the anger at the woman boiled hot. "Did he ever call you names?
Tell you that you were worthless? Worth nothing in his eyes, never was, never would be? That you were a disgrace? Did he ever throw you across a room and make light of any injuries he gave you? Did he ever take your child, your one light in the darkness in which you lived, away from you?"

"No, of course not!" Marilea replied quickly, despite the way things had ended, she had loved Follen deeply when they were married, and still would have been with him if not for the accident. Though she would never admit it to anyone, she was impressed with how far he had come in his recovery, if she didn't remember the way he had been when it happen, she could almost imagine he was back to his old self, now. "Follen was never a cruel husband, but since the accident, he's just not the man he was."

"Maybe not, but he was still your husband." Eliste eased herself to a standing position, eyes flashing. "You broke a vow, one that you chose to make." "You vowed to be beside him, not just in health but also in sickness. You promised to love him until death. Yet, when something happened, you left him and your children. To me, that is unforgiveable. If I were your new husband, I could never trust you fully. When something bad happens, you bolt. That is not real love."

"Are you married?" Marilea asked, choosing to ignore the insults thrown her way. "Or are you just ...loose?" she asked, a smirk appearing on her face.

"I am not nor ever will be loose - unlike you." Eliste fairly growled, though inwardly she was a bit shocked at herself. This was not her, but that...that...woman...oooo how she angered her! "I will never throw away someone who loves me like Fog. Yes, I am married, but it was not one of my choosing and my husband killed my..." She paused, her throat tightening and she looked away, adding softly, "You'll never understand. You've had it easy. You'll never understand the fire I've had to walk through. And you'll never understand what it truly means to love someone as much as I love Fog." Eliste took a deep breath. "You should go. I hope for your child's sake and your husband that you never abandon them like you did the family before them."

Eliste's parting shot wounded Marilea, though she wouldn't let the woman know it. She had had her reasons for leaving the girls with their father, and had had to harden her heart when she left them behind. With her smirk turning into a derisive smile, she looked Eliste in the eye. "I'll put your outburst down to your youth," she countered, "but you're right, I really should get going. I'll leave you to your pots and kettles, then, shall I?"
With a sniff, she turned on her heel and walked away.

The younger woman watched the elder leave and the anger simmered, then died to be replaced by a completely different emotion - pity. That woman would never know love. She hoped by Faranth that nothing happened to her husband or he and his child would know the same pain that Fog knew. Eliste shook her head and placed her hand upon her stomach. She, however, would never do what Marilea did, she knew that. She just hoped she could convince Fog of that.

Last updated on the July 21st 2008

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