Thomas nodded, not surprised by her reluctance. “I understand. I’m sorry for asking such an impertinent question.” he said respectfully. “I don't know what to change the topic to. I have to admit, this is a hard topic for me to stop thinking about. But I don't want to make you cry.” he told her gently as he met her gaze.
The queen studied his face intently. A tear betrayed her and slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily. "And why is it so hard for you to stop thinking about?" she asked, looking at his eyes with her own green ones.
“Because it's not right.” he said, his voice surprisingly firm and gentle at the same time. “A man should love his wife, not treat her the way the King seems to be treating you. If he were a baker or a blacksmith, you would have every right to leave him.” Thomas told her before sighing. “But since he is the King… It seems we both have an unbreakable contract with him.”
"You're right. It seems so," Eleanor murmured in agreement. "Though yours is perhaps more breakable than mine." Slowly, she approached him and looked up at his face. "You're allowed to leave. I'm trapped here."
“I don't know if I am.” he admitted softly. “I didn't choose to work here. My par… I was sold.” Thomas sighed. He knew why too, though he didn't like thinking about it. “If I had a choice, I would have been content as a farmer.”
Eleanor's expression instantly changed. "What?" she asked looking horrified at his words. "You were sold? Oh God… your parents are cavepeople!" she stated rather aggressively.
Thomas blinked at the sudden change in the Queen's demeanor. “No. No, they were poor and desperate.” he explained, defending his family. “My sister was very ill and I… Well, I've always been fairly strong and many people said that I had a guard’s build.” he shrugged. “There didn't seem to be any better choices.”
Eleanor winced. She'd offended him and his family. Lovely. "Still," she murmured, purposefully not meeting his gaze now. "That's no way to treat one of your children… selling them off for their body…" She curled her fingers into fists.
“If I may say, there are worse ways to sell my body.” he pointed out, hoping that he wouldn't offend her. “At least this way is more honorable and I can try to do some good.” he rationalized as he always did. “Though, I agree that the way I came to this station was less than ideal.”
Eleanor stiffened slightly. "Yes, I'm aware of that," she muttered, toying again with the ring on her finger. "And I suppose you're right. In more ways than one. I–"
A soft knock came from her door followed by a female voice. "Your Majesty?"
The queen had jumped at first, but she relaxed at the voice. "It's my handmaiden," she explained. "I'll only be a moment."
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Thomas nodded, standing like a guard again though perhaps just a little less stiff. He gave her a small kind smile to show that he hadn't been offended before moving towards the door.
Eleanor returned his smile with a shy one of her own. She hadn't been offended in any way either. She moved over to sit by her window as she waited for Thomas to open her door.
Thomas bowed his head respectfully and opened the door for the Queen's handmaiden to come in and walked out himself, taking up a post in the hall.
The girl, not much younger than the Queen herself, hurried in, eyeing Thomas with interest as she passed by him. "Hello," she greeted, but she didn't stop walking until she was at Eleanor's side. She sunk into a curtsy before her queen and grinned at her. "Who was that, Your Majesty?"
"My new guard," Eleanor answered with quiet amusement. "What is it, Lucy?"
Lucy straightened and held a now visible piece of paper in her hands. "Ah, yes! Right! The King has a message for you." She handed the paper over, glancing over at the door for a moment before looking back at Eleanor.
Eleanor took the paper quickly, glad Lucy wasn't looking as she did. The trembling of her fingers had worsened. "Thank you, Lucy. You're dismissed."
Thomas waited outside patiently since he didn't know why the handmaiden had come. But he noticed that the young woman seemed like a nice person so he wasn't worried. He let out a soft huff at the thought. Typically, there wasn't much to worry about in a castle except during special occasions.
Once he heard the door open, he waited for the handmaiden to walk away before reentering.
Eleanor's delicate fingers unfolded the paper. On it was a message, as promised, scrawled in her husband's distinctively scratchy handwriting.
Meet me in my room after dinner.
The queen looked up as Thomas entered, and she waved him over. She was already blushing with embarrassment. "Could, ah… Could you read this for me, please?" she asked quietly, extending the note to him.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty? You look pale. More than usual, I mean.” Thomas asked in concern as he slowly approached her. He blushed a little at her request but nodded as he took the note from her. It took him a moment before he read it out loud for her, his ears burning at the implication of the message.
"Yes, I'm fine…" Eleanor looked away. "I'm sorry to have to ask you," she whispered. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment. "I can't read. Or write, for that matter. I tried." She closed her eyes as she heard what he said, and she sniffed quietly. "Alright, um… thank you."
Thomas stared for a moment before carefully sitting next to her, but making sure that Eleanor had enough room. “I’m not very good at it either. I read slow but it's enough for me to read my orders and I’m teaching myself how to write by copying the shape of letters. Though it's not very neat yet.” he smiled softly, trying to be reassuring. “If you’d like… maybe I can help you?” he offered shyly.
Eleanor's heart beat a bit faster as he sat beside her. Her green eyes widened and searched his with a bit of hope at his suggestion. "You would do that?" she asked, looking only slightly skeptical. "I've never had any proper lessons… I'm not very good."
His kind blue eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “If you would like me to.” Thomas nodded. “Honestly, the only lessons I had were during my training. I doubt they were “proper” either.” he chuckled softly. “It’ll take time but I'm certain that you can learn to read and write.”
Eleanor's expression broke out into a smile. "Really? Oh, Thomas!" Without thinking, she leaned closer and lightly kissed his cheek. Her green eyes were soft as she looked at him. "Thank you," she whispered, blushing furiously at her actions.
Eleanor's expression broke out into a smile. "Really? Oh, Thomas!" Without thinking, she leaned closer and lightly kissed his cheek. Her green eyes were soft as she looked at him. "Thank you," she whispered, blushing furiously at her actions.
Thomas froze at the unexpected touch, turning bright red as his eyes widened. Of all the ways he thought this day would go… A kiss from the Queen had never crossed his mind. “I… It would be my pleasure to teach you, my Queen.” he responded softly as he looked anywhere but at her.
Eleanor looked away quickly. Now you've done it, Eleanor, she thought, blushing just as much as Thomas was. "I'm terribly sorry," she whispered, toying with a piece of her hair. "I don't know what got into me… but I would appreciate it very much if you taught me reading and writing."