In Character Discussions Leg A - Branwyn and Tiberius Wedding
A servant entered Prince Branadarus’ chambers. She curtsied and said, “A letter for you, Your Highness. It is from the Marquessa Branwyn.”
Tiberius turned to the girl and asked, “A letter?”
The girl held out the scroll and said slowly, making sure she said it right, “She said it was for you … to have and to hold. That is what she said to say.”
Prince Branadarus took the letter and dismissed the servant girl. Unrolling the scroll, he looked at it for a minute. Then he folded the scroll rather than re-rolling it and put it in his inside pocket.
To my love,
This letter must seem like a strange wedding present, but things have happened more quickly than I would ever have imagined. So today I give you all of my love, my heart and my life to share with you. The written word is how we capture moments and I do most desperately want to capture this moment with you. So, whether you and I read this together or you give it to someone to read to you, please let this be one of our moments in time.
From the first time we met, you continually surprise and delight me. After hearing of your reputation, I accepted your dinner invitation as a lark. I hoped it would relieve some of the boredom of a string of diplomatic dinners and I had no intention of ever seeing you again. I told you that night that I was not in need of a husband. I could have added at the time that I did not want one either. And look where we are now. I am deliriously happy and cannot imagine my life without you in it. I still contend that I am not in need of a husband mind you, but I want you as my husband more than I could have ever thought possible.
You make me feel loved and protected whenever I am with you. You allow me to be me and do not try to stifle me. You are my partner and my support. Your confidence, courage and strength are only matched by your skills with Thorn and make me so very proud of you. But if I wished to say what I love most about you, it would be your kind and generous spirit. You are open and honest and are truly a good man. It is all of these things that make me fall more deeply in love with you the more time I am privileged enough to be able to share with you.
Writing about all of your wonderful qualities does show me how unworthy I am of you. I am not nearly as brave as you or even as you may think me to be. And my efforts to protect others have sometimes failed most miserably. I worry that my love for you has brought with it a level of fear inside me. Now that I have gained my heart’s desire, my whole being wants nothing more than to hold you close and make sure that I do not lose you.
If you ever find that I have disappointed you. That I have not lived up to the ideals that you believed that I had, I hope this letter will let you know how much that I do love you. And that everything I have done and will do will be to try to ensure that we have yet another tomorrow together.
Yours always,
Branwyn
