Chapter 4
838 Words
When Moira walks into the dining room she can’t help but fume. The amount of food that is on the table that she knows won’t get eaten is just disgusting. There are parts of this country where her people are starving because of the decrees that the king sends out and yet he can sit here and gorge himself without even thinking. She is led to one of the seats near the head of the table where the king is already sitting.
“What a gross amount of food for two people.” She spits.
“While we are the only two eating now, we won’t be the only two eating this food. Once I am done the servants and my advisors will all come in and have their meal.”
Moira is shocked. How is this compassion for the people who surround the king coming from him? He is supposed to be evil and not care for others. He sure as hell doesn’t care for humans.
“Please, help yourself to whatever you’d like. Once we are done here you will be shown back to your room.”
“Room? You mean I won’t be spending the night in that cell I woke up in?”
“No. The cells are for people who have committed grievous crimes.”
As the king talks, Moira starts to get a feeling that he is not as bad as he seems. But a fire of hatred for him still burns bright in her eyes. The king can see that she could be useful against King Alfhild. She might be more useful than he originally thought.
“What do you know about the continent across the Great Ocean?” says Cairbre.
“Nothing really, only that my people over there have it much worse than us.”
Cairbre nods his head to agree.
“Why do you ask? And why do you act like you care if they have it off worse or not? It is not like you try and make our lives any easier, in fact, you are the one who makes them harder.”
“I do care about human lives. I do not want to hurt you, but there are circumstances beyond your understanding that are at play here.”
“You sure as hell don’t act like it,” says Moira with as much fire as she can muster.
“I realize now that I don’t know your name. What is it?”
“What’s it to you?”
“If you are going to be here for a while I should probably know your name.”
“It’s Moira.”
“Well Moira, I have a feeling that we can help each other.”
“And how’s that.”
“In order to tell you that I need to know that I can trust you. I need to be able to completely and wholeheartedly trust you. Can you do that?”
“I suppose I could keep my lips shut about this, but only if it helps my people.”
“It will.”
“Well then what is it?”
“It is not something that I can talk about in the open like this, with many listening ears. I am going to head to bed for the night, in the morning I will come get you from your room and we will discuss it in a more private place.”
“Ok?”
“Rest easy Moira, you are safe here.”
And with that Cairbre leaves the dining room. The servant that brought her here leads her back to her room and gives her sleeping clothes. Moira tosses and turns all night with thoughts of what this conversation might entail and her still burning anger for the elves and their king.
*
Cairbre leaves the dining hall feeling very weird. He feels like he can trust Moira but can feel her anger towards him and being here. He rehearses what he is going to say tomorrow when he brings up King Alfhild and the things that he has forced him to do. He doesn’t sleep well, because deep down in his gut he has a strange feeling and he can’t seem to not think about Moira.
*
In the morning Cairbre dresses and heads to the stables. He helps the stable hands prepare two horses so that the conversation he is about to have can be as private as possible. The servant leads Moira out to the stables. She looks rather pretty in the flowy shirt and riding pants she has put on. Before the elves came back from the battlefield they caught Moira's horse. Moira is delighted to see that the horse made it and that she can ride her again. Moira and Cairbre mount their horses and head out to one of Cairbre's favorite spots to be alone. It is a secluded area of trees not far from the castle, but far enough that there won’t be any prying eyes.
- Writer
