Merrium’s mind was reeling as she made her trek back home. For the longest time, she had always thought these visions couldn’t be real, for the simple fact that no one else could see them. But now...the prince from another land had told her that they were not only real, but something she didn’t need to cure...she didn’t know what to think. He said she had the sight, but she didn’t want the sight. She didn’t want to see these things. But if it really was real, then maybe she should keep seeing them? Perhaps that what he meant when he said that.

Or maybe he was just teasing her, and he was just very good at acting. Maybe she just gave him something funny to say, or a story to report. Maybe she just locked herself into a world of hurt.

But no. As little as she knew about him, she felt confident in his sincerity. The truth of the matter just seemed so hard to believe. But...he altered his appearance, or at least appeared to. It was the same shade of blue and red as when she first met him. Does her sight allow her to see the soul represented? Or...or is that, perhaps...his true appearance?

There was no way of knowing unless she asked, and she won’t be able to ask until he is able to tell her more.

This knowledge, even though incomplete, was scary. What would it mean for her, now that she knows? What will it mean for her life? And for the kingdom?

It was a good thing she was able to keep secrets well. She could only imagine how William would use this information if he knew.

Dinner was to be held at the castle in celebration of the hunt. Because of her husband’s participation Merrium was cordially invited to attend, to which she was nervous about. It wouldn’t be the first time she and William dined with the current king, but dining anywhere important was always a nerve-wracking affair. And prince Arstel, kind Auroros, and King Victor would all be present. And she and the prince would have to pretend they had not encountered eachother that afternoon.

But the dinner went smoothly, and the knights of King Victor and the knights of lord Auroros were present as well. She spotted the soldier who was in the clearing before, whose hair was a presentable light brown and eyes a hazel green. He met her gaze with a disapprovingly look, but made no other motion that he had personally met her. And now that she was thinking about it, she was never introduced to this man, didn’t even know his name yet. It seemed polite that she should properly introduce herself sometime in the future.

The dinner went without a hitch, Merrium able to socialize with a few of the female soldiers also in attendance. The men all reveled in the aftermath of their hunt, Arstel diverting the questions about his brief absence with relative ease. Dessert and wine were served, and to Merrium’s delight it was a sweet jelly desert she had never tasted before, but there was the unmistakable (to her) taste of mint.

The air was crisp on the way back home, though not as chill as the night Arstel had walked with her. William was in good spirits, his belly full of good food and drink, and all thoughts of any embarrassing behavior of hers was far from his mind. He grabbed her around the waist and twirled her about, kissing her passionately like she hadn’t felt from him in a long while.

Her heart fluttered only a little, though. She was glad once more to see him enjoying himself, but now it brought along feelings of guilt, as she remembered how it would just fly from the gestures of another. Was she becoming an immoral woman? How could she have such reactions for anyone but her William? She took vows, and promised to love this man until the end of days. But...she cast a glance back towards prince Arstel, who was politely looking away and keeping distance to give them a little bit of space and privacy. Despite her reservations, she couldn’t help feel her heart call out to him. Perhaps it is because he is inexperienced, and she had not received such attentions since her days of being courted.

That strange voided feeling dropped from her chest to her stomach as she remembered the words she scolded him with, and his response. It wasn’t his intention to court her, but still she had to wonder, and wonder further whether she was seeing advances because she herself desired them. This only caused her more guilt. She must be a horrible wife, to be feeling this way.

Tomorrow they would see their guests off, and it would be some time before she would see prince Arstel again. The thought made her bitter, as she expected to feel, but she knew she would be grateful for the time away. It will give her time to think about herself, and her relationship with William, to figure out what she needed to change to be a better, faithful wife. She would allow herself to look forward to his next visit, only to have his answer about her visions. If his culture truly knew of the sight existing, perhaps they will have a means to block it. And she won’t have any more connections than needed with him.

She went to bed with mixed feelings, and though her thoughts seemed put to rest, her dreams were not so assured.