My second reply:
A Little Cottage "That depends, Sir Nemean." She began, looking back at him "A great deal, on what you wish to speak of." She continued as gently as she could. "It was yourself Sir who arranged this meeting. I have explained myself in my letter, and as I wrote you are free to visit me if you wished to speak of it further. You have come, and I am here." ~Alyssa Kingsley
He just sat there. Looking at her struggle with the words. Finishing with something that felt like a plea almost. Asking him how she could make him feel better. As she stopped speaking Nemean readjusted his left arm. The sling had become uncomfortable and he used it as a distraction as he felt deflated. Staring at the floor until he was done.
Try as he might but he couldn't help feeling dolorous. Proud waves breaking on the reefs, never reaching the shore. ''I uhmm..'' He cleared his throat. Feigned another cough. He took a deep breath and righted himself. His stray right hand indicating into nothingness as it sat perched on the armrest. ''All that was said.'' An aquiline look preceded the words. ''That meant nothing?''
The chair he sat in suddenly felt like the very bastion of a besieged warlord. ''You can't undo those words.'' His voice started to rise. ''How can you sit there and pretend -nothing- happened.'' If before his eyes were hard, now they were wreathed in licking flames. ''You want to clear the air, then speak of that.''
Nemean looked down at the table. Whatever tectonic plate of his had begun to move, with the air he calmly blew out so too did it settle. ''I came here because I cannot believe, nor accept, that what I said and we shared, meant nothing.'' When he looked at her again, his eyes were calm. His face open but neither was there a smile. Clouds on one side of a valley promising rain and more, while at the other side, blue skies and a radiant sun. At the bottom of the valley, a small cottage seated on the banks of a small lake.
