Chapter 6 part 2:
Lifelong Partner
In front of them was a small, open clearing surrounded by tall, lush maple trees. There was a narrow stone path cut through the middle, where the elven astrologist would view the stars, plotting the constellations. The elves had no formal religion, but believed that the stars held important messages.
Emmeline and Silas often came here as children to play games in the open clearing, often viewing the clouds together. Silas taught Emmeline how to climb the trees, and Emmeline taught Silas how to make intricate flower crowns. On clear nights, Silas’ father would take the pair to teach them about the stars. It was one of his favorite memories of this place.
Emmeline ran up to the tallest tree, now reaching at least forty feet tall. She patted the trunk and looked at Silas, smiling mischievously. “Silas, do you want to have a competition? Let’s see who can climb this faster!”
Silas couldn’t help but look at Emmeline’s dress. Even though it reached her ankles, he probably would see...
Ah, don’t think about it! Silas chided himself as he blushed and looked away.
“I don’t know about th-” By the time he had the words out of his mouth, Emmeline had already started to climb, putting her feet up on the lowest branches to climb higher. Silas’s face flushed red and he turned himself around, facing the open clearing. The tips of his ears were on fire.
After she had safely climbed up and sat on the tree branch, Silas joined her, quickly climbing the tree. They sat closely next to each other, leaving a space less than a foot between them. Emmeline comfortably laid her head on Silas’ shoulder and looked out at the clearing with a clear gaze, almost reminiscent.
“When you were gone, I was really worried about you.” Emmeline said forlornly, “Because it was your first mission, we were all…” She trailed off.
Silas reached out to her and patted her head, ruffling her wavy crown into gentle disarray. “I’m here now,” Emmeline grabbed Silas’s hand and led it to her face, “and safe again.” His eyes looked like the crescent moons they used to look at when they were children: bright.
Silas’s shoulder became wet, and he glanced to his side to see warm tears rolling down Emmeline’s cheeks. Her pale lips trembled.
Silas had comforted his mother after his father’s death, and at this moment, he had the same warm feeling in his heart. He wrapped his arms around Emmeline and closed the distance between them. He rubbed her back in circles, attempting to comfort her.
Emmeline’s voice quivered. “Actually Silas, there was a reason I wanted to take you here.”
Silas nodded his head, listening attentively.
Emmeline looked at Silas and sputtered. “You remember when I was ill as a child? When I started to vomit blood?”
This was something Silas wished he could forget the feeling of helplessness.
That moment, Silas and Emmeline were playing inside of Silas’s house, using their sewn dolls to play family. Emmeline and Silas were sitting upright and playing, carefully watched by Silas’ father, when Emmeline suddenly coughed up blood, splashing blood onto their dolls, then Emmeline collapsed.
Silas screamed and began to cry as he tried to shake Emmeline, but no matter how hard he shook her, she never moved. Silas’s father, having trained in medicine, quickly reacted and examined Emmeline while trying to comfort Silas. After a quick evaluation, he noticed her condition was too serious for him to treat, so he took the two children in his arms and ran to the village medic, where she could be treated.
She did not waken for two days, and in those two days Silas felt more helpless than a baby. His father had to drag him away from her bedside to eat, bathe, and sleep. Otherwise, he was by her side, waiting for his closest friend to come back.
It was when she woke up that the two friends cried in relief and hugged each other, and it was then that the elders of the village had come to an agreement that the two would be presented as a couple when they came of age.
Emmeline’s health continued to brighten, but only to a certain point, leaving her to stay in her home most days. Silas made sure that she was never bored. How could he have forgotten?
“Of course I remember! Who else would’ve taken care of you.” Silas said this jokingly, stroking Emmeline’s back lovingly. She blushed lightly. “Why are you bringing it up now?”
Emmeline gently pulled away from Silas and looked out at the woods for a few moments and sighed heavily, pausing. “The human doctor they’ve been sending to check up on me did a check up yesterday.” She paused and squeezed Silas’s hand tightly, “I was told… I don’t have much time left.”
There was a long, silent pause between the two, as if they were processing the information individually. Silas was the first to speak after pondering his words.
“Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he just doesn’t understand elven bodies after all.” He said this while looking into her eyes. “Let’s take you to a different doctor.” Silas leaned into Emmeline and hugged her tight, whispering into her ear, “We’ll figure it out. We’ll make you better.”
Emmeline squeezed Silas close as tears slid down her face. She didn’t have the heart right now to tell Silas that it was impossible. They had tried everything. She was going to die soon. It was just a matter of days or months now.
Emmeline let go of Silas and wiped her eyes before she looked Silas directly in the eye, “There is one thing I want from you, Silas.”
Noticing Emmeline’s voice dim, his ears peaked and he listened intently, staring into her deep green eyes. “What do you want?” He smiled, trying to lighten the dark mood.
“My only wish before I die is to get married to you, Silas.” Emmeline looked deeper into Silas’s eyes. “I want to spend the rest of my life, however long that is, with you.”
Silas’s heart stopped at her confession. It was the first time he had been confessed to before. He had always waited for the day he would confess to Emmeline, but he was honored and excited to hear Emmeline confirm her feelings for him too. Of course he and Emmeline had discussed marriage with their parents before, but it suddenly became so excitedly real for him. For a few minutes, both of them were able to forget about Emmeline’s illness, and just be two young people in love.
Emmeline looked at Silas’ surprised face and smiled knowingly. Though, her face brightened slightly when she saw a deep flush spread across the innocent Silas’s cheeks. He could not control the redness rushing all over his face. Even his ears were burning red.
“Emmeline-” Silas looked down as he said this, building his confidence, “I want nothing more than for you to be happy.” He then looked up at her, still red-faced, and smiled brightly. Emmeline couldn’t help but tear up at his words.
“I love you, Silas.”
“I love you too, Emmeline.”
Emmeline leaned into Silas’s embrace, and they looked on into the landscape they had looked at all their lives. Silas gently placed his lips on the crown of her head and held her tight, letting the world around them, and all the worries and pain that came with it, melt away even if just for a few minutes.
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