Syllea woke this particular day to Cat jumping on the bed and licking her face. She giggled and wrestled with him a bit on the bed, After sometime Syllea sat up and placed her feet on the cold tiled floor. She assumed no one was in the house besides her since no one ever seemed to be. Assuming this, she walked out of the room in her underclothes that she had slept in. As she walked to the kitchen Syllea heard some rustling in the kitchen. She became frightened and ran for her daggers under her pillow before venturing out towards the kitchen once again. Cat seemed to sense the girl's fear and crept into the kitchen to investigate.
"Good morning ol' boy," a familiar voice whispered.
Edwin...it was only Edwin.
Syllea let out a relieved sigh then walked into the kitchen, "What are you doing? You very nearly gave me a heart attack Sir Edwin."
Edwin turned around with a startled jump. He looked at Syllea but quickly turned away after seeing how she was dressed. "M'lady Syllea, I was only going to surprise you with a nice breakfast after you made me those meat pies the other night."
Syllea giggled to herself, "Mister Dem will kill you if he knows you're here."
Edwin reddened, "I apologize m'lady. I will go at once." He started turning to leave, still avoiding looking at the young girl.
Syllea shook her head, "No. Go on, I won't tell. Plus, it smells awful food in here."
Edwin nodded and turned back towards the breakfast he was preparing. "Do you think you could get dressed while I finish cooking m'lady?"
Syllea rolled her eyes teasingly before scurrying off to change.
A little while after breakfast Cat, Syllea, and Sir Edwin went for a walk. Syllea found it odd today because instead of walking behind her and the dog, Edwin was walking next to her. Of course... she didn't mind.
Throughout the walk Syllea caught Edwin looking at her from the corner of her eye. Syllea boldly asked, "Why do you keep looking at me, Sir Edwin?"
Edwin shifted his weight uncomfortably and looked far ahead of them/ After a moment he said, "I'm trying to decide how to say something to you, m'lady."
Syllea stopped and grabbed the back of Edwin's armor to stop him as well. "Just say if then. I won't get you in trouble if that's what you're worried about." She looked up at the tall guard, staring into his gorgeous eyes.
Again he shifted uncomfortably. "M'lady I-" he broke her gaze and looked to the sky before continuing, "Syllea how do you see me?"
She rose an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Edwin sighed and crouched down to the girl's level, "Do you see me as just your guard m'lady?"
"I see you as a friend as well Sir Edwin," She replied.
Again he sighed, still staring into her eyes, "That is all?"
"If there's something you mean to say, just say it."
"I see the way you look at me Syl- M'lady. It's almost as if you see more than a friend."
Syllea blushed and looked to the ground, embarrassed. She hadn't thought he had noticed. "Is that so?" She whispered?
He lifted the girls' chin to look into her eyes. "Syllea, you are still that of a child. I know you will be upset with me saying so, but it is true."
Syllea nodded, hot tears springing to her eyes, expecting the worst.
Edwin continued, "But soon you will be old enough to engage in those events, and just maybe we will figure out something with each other. Because my flower-" he pauses to give her a reassuring smile, "I love you just as much, if not more than you care or love me. I know it is wrong of me to say so, but I felt I had to... need to... so you didn't move on from me."
Syllea's eyes glowed as she listened to him, "I have one question, do you not mind the age difference?"
Edwin chuckled, "What is age my darling when there is a feeling greater than it? Besides, we must be only seven summers apart, give or take a couple of seasons. I have one last request."
Syllea nodded, listening closely, holding onto every word he spoke. "For now I am only your protector and nothing else, but to remind you of what is to come in a few years, I've got you a present," he said, pulling out a sparkling necklace from a pouch on his waist.
It was a gorgeous necklace, with a shining silver chain, and a red charm in the shape of a heart attached to it. "This is to remind you of my love for you Syllea," he whispered as she looked at it.
Before she could say anything else he placed the necklace around her neck and clasped it. He then quickly took her hands once more, planting a kiss on each knuckle. "Do not forget my promise, until then you are m'lady, and I am your guard and protector. Nothing more."
Syllea nodded in understanding as he walked a few feet behind the girl and Cat, indicating for them to continued their walk. Syllea couldn't believe all that had happened, the only reminders were the cold charm against her collarbone and the feeling of his lips lingering on her knuckles. She felt the happiest girl in all of Middle-Earth, and no one could tell her otherwise.
Syllea's day only seemed to get better. That evening at the Pony an incident occurred where a young girl, though older than Syllea, came in with an injured bunny. Syllea supported the girl and watched Egfor closely as he tended to the animal. Afterward, there was talk of what animals Eg and Demlemoth were.
Syllea asked Eg what he was her as. He told her a doe because she was a little dear. Then he went on to say his mother called him that, and he called his adopted daughter that as well. He only found it fitting to call Syllea his little dear too. Dem said she was both their daughters, at least at heart. This gave her the chance to ask something she'd been wanting to. She asked how they would feel if she was to call one of them father and the other papa. Both said they wouldn't mind it at all.
A new family...new parents... it brought tears to the young teen girl's eyes.
Later that night Syllea pictured her parents in front of her and thanked them for everything... Dem, Eg, Cat, Sir Edwin. Before falling asleep she looked out the window and made a promise to the stars that she would help any who needed it. For if it weren't for people like that, Syllea would still be scrambling for food or lying dead in the wilderness.
((OOC: Sir Edwin is not in actual game, as in he is not seen because he is a character made by myself and Mister Demlemoth. He serves as Syllea's personal bodyguard, to keep her from harms' way.))
