The Honeymoon

“Anhelina! Perfect timing.” I leaned back from the wall, looking at the sketches I’d done. The first thing I wanted to do was the entryway, but I couldn’t settle on what to do. I wanted to do something that reflected both of us, but I had no info on Muin. I knew he was a recluse, he understood our arrangement, and he was a workaholic. Occasionally I caught snippets of his personality from how everyone talked about him, but not much else. Instead, I focused on the dining room. Aside from my room, it was where I would spend the most time. “What do you think?”

Anhelina stopped short, setting down the plates that filled her arms and let out a small huff as she looked at the wall. There was almost nothing here that reminded me of home, so I decided to add some. Wisteria was named for the bountiful trees and vines that grew wild all over the city. I was hoping to recreate the trellis we’d had outside our home that the vines clung to.

“I think it looks wonderful. I’ve never seen those flowers before. What are they?”

“Wisteria.”

“Oh, that’s the city you’re from. I always thought it was named for the founding family. Was it the flowers instead?”

“It’s a bit of both,” I said, stretching. My back was stiff from staying so still, but everything looked great. For the most part. There were a few things I needed to fix. “The founding family didn’t have a name. As refugees from the north, they simply fled south with anyone who chose to follow them. When they reached warmer weather and saw how much everything flourished, they chose to stay, naming themselves after the plant that saved them.”

“Saved them? Is wisteria edible?”

“Oh, Solas, no. Every part of it is poisonous. When the people chasing them caught up, they pretended to surrender and, thinking they’re secured victory, ate and drank their food, not knowing they’d put wisteria in everything.”

She grimaced, helping me to my feet. “I had no idea the founding was so bloody.”

“Most founding’s are. The bloodiness of them just depends which side you’re on.” My stomach growled as I finished my sentence, and I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t eaten at all. When breakfast was served, I waved them away because I was focusing on my sketching. Sometime around noon I’d stopped for a bathroom break, scarfed down maybe half of what was served without tasting it, and went right back to it.

Anhelina laughed. “Dinner is nearly ready, and I’ve already drawn your bath.”

“Right, thank you. Will Lord Muin be joining?”

“No, not tonight. He already had his dinner earlier and he’s usually away in the evenings and nights. Sometimes he’ll join us for breakfast.”

I nodded already knowing the answer. It had been two weeks since I’d arrived at Nin-Datura Manor, and I hadn’t caught even a glimpse of him. No trace that he’d walked the halls since I was last roaming around or even that he’d eaten. The only reason I knew he was here was because occasionally I’d see movement in his office during the early mornings.

Without my father toiling away in the garden in the mornings, I had no reason to get up and move around outside. Anhelina, after quickly realizing I would be content just staying inside making the walls into colorful art pieces, insisted I take walks in the morning.

She started to wake me up a little after sunrise a week in and walked with me around the property. It was a good way to get more familiar with everything, though I hated the chill that seemed to bite through everything.

I sat on the small stool outside of the tub as I dipped my cloth into a bucket of warm water and washed the charcoal off. It was never just my hands, of course. Always my arms, face, neck, and legs as well.

The first time I took a bath Anhelina insisted on being in there with me, but I kicked her out the first time she tried to help me bathe.

“If my husband hasn’t seen me naked yet, no one can. Be gone, Anhelina.”

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She put up a fight but laughed herself out of the room when I dead legged her and rolled her out. I’d never had a little sister, being the youngest, but it sort of felt like that with her, which is why I wouldn’t have minded. If Muin had already come to visit me.

After the majority of the dirt was washed away, I splashed into the bath, grateful for the hot water. It felt like I would never get used to the cold. Even though I’d since grown used to Nin-Datura and could navigate my way around easily, I still missed home. In Wisteria, it would still be warm outside. I would still have it in me to wander the manor grounds and help Dad with gardening. I would set up my easel under the huge tree in the garden and paint whatever caught my eye.

I sank lower into the water until only my eyes were above it. If I dawdled for too long, Anhelina would come knocking. I’d never ignored her, Jurek would come by to gently, but firmly, pull me out of the tub. It didn’t matter to her I’d never had steady access to one, we had a schedule to adhere to.

I spent a few minutes longer soaking, before hauling myself up and out.

In my room, my clothes neatly folded on my bed with a letter sitting on top. The same handwriting on it as the last one, and I smiled, realizing he replied. I set it aside, trying to get my clothes on as quick as possible. If there was one thing I truly loved, it was the thick, heavy clothing I was given. Everyone seemed to be used to the cold weather, but gave me thick socks, wool underwear, and a heavy jumpsuit to keep the cold at bay.

I opened the letter and the door at the same time, Anhelina poised to knock on the other side. “My lady, I was just coming to get you. Dinner is ready.”

“Thanks.” I read as I walked, determined to glean a little more about my husband from his letter.

> October 13

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>

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> Lady Hyran,

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> I’ve seen some of your artwork around the manor, and I must say that you’re even more talented than I was led to believe.

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> The paintings lining the hall to your room are some of the best I’ve seen. If you were ever interested in doing more with your paintings, I’m sure the people of Datura would be more than happy to purchase or commission from you. They are truly beautiful.

>

> As for my space, I would like it if you would paint something for it. No time frame or prompt, just something you enjoyed painting. Since I’m so busy, there’s little time to get to know you and even writing letters like this can be time consuming for me.

>

> I do apologize for this, but it’s part of my duties as a marquis which you will soon share as our honeymoon comes to a close at the end of the month.

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> Thank you for taking the time to write back to me and I look forward to the painting.

>

>

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> Lord Muin

As I finished reading, we reached the dining room, the table was set with a steaming plate of food. The first night I’d arrived there’s been a feast sitting on the table that I could have never finished by myself. After much pestering and pushing, I got Anhelina and Jurek to sit and eat with me. After that, they made sure the portions were fit for one person, not twenty.

“Jurek?” I looked over the letter and I ate, slowly going over his words. “You know a bit about Lord Muin, right?”

She chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it, yes.”

“He wants me to paint him something. What do you think he’d like the most?”

“A painting?” She looked surprised, then confused. “I’m not sure. He’s never had much interest in art. He didn’t ask for anything specific, did he?”

“No just ‘something I enjoyed painting’ which could be a lot of things.” I like nature most of all. Animals, trees, flowers, insects. I had yet to venture into portraits, knowing how difficult it could be to get everything just right. The fun part about nature was that it was ever changing. Nothing was ever the same, even for a day. “I guess I could figure it out, I just wanted to see if there was something I should be leaning towards.”

“He likes to eat,” Anhelina said. “I know everyone eats, but he loves food. You seem to eat to keep going. He eats for the pleasure of it.”

“That’s true,” Jurek said. “Especially when he was younger, he would do his best to eat a little bit of everything when faced with something new. If not for his position as the marquis, I’m sure he would have a grand time touring just to try new food.”

“I’ve never been good at capturing how good food is,” I said, tapping my fork against my plate. “Like you said, food is just energy for me. I can appreciate how good something is, but it would be all the same to me if it was just porridge.” The only exception, of course, being bread. Any kind of bread I’d be happy to devour. Maybe that’s what I would do. It would be a good excuse to go to town for the first time and another excuse to buy lots of bread I could eat after painting. “Anhelina, are you familiar with the town?”

“Of course, was there something you wanted? I can get it for you if you would like since you’re still on your honeymoon.”

“No, no.” I could have rolled my eyes. Technically it was my honeymoon, but who cared? This was essentially a small vacation for me. “I want to come with you. I know what I want to paint, and I need to go to town for it.”

She glanced at Jurek who just sighed and shrugged, then grinned as she said, “As you say, Lady Hyran.”