1st Draft Fridays - A Fistful of Air: Book #5, Chronicles of Marsdenfel

Year 234 in Grehafen, as spring turns to summer - post 3

Darnell has a wife.

He hurts her almost as much as he does me, and she's too human. It's killing her.

She stays in her rooms, possibly because Darnell hurts her if he finds her in the wrong place, and she doesn't know where he wants her to avoid. As far as I know, she hardly ever sees her own children.

I try not to let Evonalé near her, when I can help it. No need to remind her why she has reason to be jealous, reason to seek vengeance on either of us.

Elves are hardier than humans, which might be part of why she encourages him to spend his affections on me. She doesn't hate me, but she doesn't particularly like me, either. I have my people, have my daughter. She doesn't have anyone. She doesn't speak mountaineer very well, either.

It's times like this, when she's staring out the window at the blossoming outside, that I wonder if he'd send the gryphons after her, if she escaped. She's given him a son and a daughter, so he has his legitimate heirs. There's no benefit in keeping her, if she doesn't want to stay.

But no. She's his. Darnell doesn't give up his belongings.