Chapter 7: Ridale

In the glade in front of the waterfall, Atona seen Ridale standing there wringing his hands nervously. The glade was just how she remembered it. Tall oak trees, with branches full of beautiful leaves. The bright orange, pinks, purples, and yellows reflecting off the water. Streams of bright light flowing between the leaves. Ridale was standing in one of those streams. He looked like a god coming to talk to their beloved servant. Wearing his work clothes, he looked as though he had either hurried to get here, or forgot to change. Atona rode up on her mare, watching him pace back and forth. He didn't notice her coming until her mare whinnied from seeing him. When he looked up, his face lit up. He looked so happy to see her, so excited, and so concerned.

"My darling. I missed you so much. I'm so glad you have returned to me" Ridale said coming to her horse and helping her down.

"My darling. I'm happy to see you too. How is business going?" she said sitting on the blanket he had laid out with a picnic dinner. Elven wine, roast chicken, elven bread, and tasty desserts that she knew he could have only gotten from Ambiens' kitchen. They were the only ones in the area that made them.

"Well, business is good. But sweetheart I'm concerned with you. How are you feeling? I heard about the fall off your horse and I was so scared for you. I don't know what I would do without you." he said as he sat down beside her and poured her a glass of the wine. She was watching him with a great deal of confusion. Did they not tell him about the baby? Or was he more concerned over her than the baby.

"Ridale, just what exactly did they tell you about my condition?" She could feel the anger building in her belly.

"Well, they told me that you had fallen and bumped your head. That you had passed out and they were worried that you may not come out of it." he said looking concerned.

"Well, Darling, I would like to tell you more about my condition. I'm pregnant." she said, taking a sip of wine to wet her throat, and force back the sobs she knew were threatening to surface.

"Oh, my. Are you kidding me? I mean I know you're not, but it's what we wanted Atona. A beautiful baby will help us love each other while we are apart. I know you will not want to give up your adventuring. So what did you have in mind?" he said leaning over and kissing and rubbing her belly. There was a new glow in his face, he was so happy his eyes lit up and danced.

"Well, I wasn't exactly sure just yet. I was waiting to talk to you I figured you needed to know and then you could help me make up my mind just exactly what I wanted to do. I thought about staying with Ambien until the baby is big enough. Then you could have her while I'm gone. Ridale, I need to do this. My mother would never understand. So I can't tell her what has happened. Ambien offered this option and it sounded like a good way to avoid disappointing my family." She laid her head down in his lap and looked up into the trees.

"Sweetheart, I think you are missing something. Your family is already so proud of you. And did you think about what I wanted in this plan of yours. While you were talking to your good friend Ambien." he said sounding very hurt. She looked up into his face and seen the pain. Her heart nearly broke in two as she reached up to push the hair back from his face.

"Ridale, I didn't want to hurt you. That's why I didn't make any definite plans before I talked to you. I wanted to know what you wanted, you have just as much right to make plans for our baby as anyone else does."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't make any definite plans. I admire Ambien for all his help in everything don't get me wrong darling. It's just every time we seem to have problems he is there to help. I mean I need to thank him this time he brought you home to me. So do you think that we could get married before anyone starts to find out. I am sure your good friends know. But I also know we can trust them with our little secret. I am willing to let you still adventure even after we are married darling. I would never take what you love away from you. I let you go once without knowing whether you would come back to be my wife. I don't want to do that again." he said lying down next to her. Lightly stroking her belly and arms. It felt so good having him lie next to her again. She never realized how much she missed him until this moment.

"Sweetheart, That would be great but you know I would be gone a lot and do you think our marriage can last through that kind of stress?"

"Darling, my love for you has lasted this long with you being gone for two months without me knowing whether you were alive or dead. I know I will love you no matter what. Besides it would look more suspicious to people if I raised our daughter while you were out adventuring and we weren't married. Than if we were married and I still indulged your line of work. I could always tell people that you are guarding my shipments of goods coming in. Darling, please do me the honor of becoming my wife."

"I would be honored to be your wife." she said as she kissed him with a passion that she hadn't felt in a very long time. The last time they held each other and kissed each other with this much passion was the night she became pregnant. She held him close to her kissing his neck and running her fingers through his hair. He held her just as close kissing her down her neck and rubbing his hand down her back.

****

"Jaden, you're supposed to be listening in case she needs help, not up here taking a nap." Ambien said as he climbed the hill where Jaden sat against an old oak sleeping.

"Huh, What?" Jaden said shaking himself awake. "Oh, I'm sorry Ambien I must have drifted off. But I haven't heard anything from down there in a long time." He said standing up and stretching. Watching Ambien walk to the edge of the path where you could see down the hill into the glade.

"Well, I guess she don't need our help after all. Let's go and let them have all the privacy they need. They don't need any peeping toms." he said walking back down the hill towards the village. Jaden picked up what was left of his lunch, and his sword and followed Ambien down to the village. He couldn't help but think that he detected a hint of jealousy in Ambiens' voice.

****

That evening, after returning from his lunch with Atona, Ridale entered his home. A smirk etched across his face. "She still has no clue that I know who she truly is. Her good friends are so easy to fool. Except for Ambien, he has been on to me from the start." he said to himself as he dressed for bed.

"But I am pretty sure that I took care of that this afternoon. Too bad I couldn't get her to eat any of the pastries. If she had we would not have to worry about any of it."