THE WAY OF LOVE
- Chapter Four - To be perfectly honest, I was getting used to her. This meaning that whenever there was a sudden knock on my door, or more likely the door burst open abruptly, there was hardly a moment of confusion for me. It was certain to be Matséona. I was not sure who tidied my room and took my sheets to be washed before, but Matsi was doing it now, and more than necessary as well. Her interruptions were to be expected, but never the less always at an inopportune time. More often than not, I was not in a well mood to be near her cheerful manner. Letters to Saruman, words of the return of the Dark Lord and the coming war with orcs filled my mind, but then I somehow made room to entertain the whims of the servant girl. It was absurd. Every day as I sat in my chambers studying, I made an oath with myself that I would not humor Matséona the next time, but every time I found myself awaiting her intrusion with less than a heavy heart. My mind was consumed with the words dripping from my quill as I sat scratching out a letter to the White Wizard in my small scrabble. If and when Matséona burst into the room I would most certainly be ready with a demand for her absence. This was definite. I jumped ever so slightly when a soft knock came upon my door. Frowning, I carefully hid the parchment I was writing on, and replaced my quill in the ink. My fingers curled around the candle at my door, a necessary source of light even though it was late afternoon. It was summer and the storms were setting in again, clouds covering the sky. It would not be her, not knocking softly. This was something I doubted she would do. It was an eerie feeling opening the door with the thunder clapping outside, not knowing who stood on the other side. “If it is the servant girl, then I should ask her to-“ My words halted when the light revealed the angelic face of Éowyn outside of my door. Eyes rounding, I opened the door wider for her tilting my head to the side in curiosity, “Lady Éowyn, what do I owe your visit?” Difficult it was to keep my calm approach when my eyes found Matsi standing just behind her mistress. For the second time ever, I smiled at the servant girl, but only due to the presence of Lady Éowyn. Éowyn looked meek, standing there in a pure white dress that nearly matched the color of her pale skin. Her eyes must have been wider than mine and she would only walk in as far as through the doorway, careful to be sure Matsi was still behind her. “We have come to ask of you a favor, Lord Wormtongue.” Éowyn said softly, eyes darting back to Matsi as the servant girl stepped to her lady’s side. “Anything for your highness.” I replied with a soft smile, my curiosity burning. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Matsi smirk, but dare not look at her and break my concentration on Lady Éowyn. Éowyn nodded to Matséona and my heart sank, so the request did pertain to the girl, “Matséona has never learned to read, and I wish for her to be taught. Would you teach her, Lord Wormtongue?” Eru help me. There had to be a way out of this. My features remained calm, but inside I was searching for a way out. Of course! Théoden! “Though it would be most…educational for me as well, I am afraid that my duty resides in helping your uncle the king through this hard time. Someone must nurse our ruler back to health.” I replied smoothly, a bit disturbed by the constant smile on Matséona’s face. Éowyn shook her head, “It would be my duty to watch over my uncle while you educate my ser- Matséona. I beg you, Lord Wormtongue, the time spent with my uncle means a great deal to me, as does Matsi’s education.” And what, pray tell, does one say to that? How could I turn down the woman I loved? Simple answer was, I could not. I nodded, “But of course, Lady Éowyn. The servant girl shall be taught.” Addressing Matséona as ‘the servant girl’ seemed to get her on edge, as her smile wavered ever so slightly, so I was indeed given a small satisfaction in that. Almost instantly after my agreement, however, Éowyn had vanished, Matséona with her, and I was again left alone in the storm. When I was expected to commence these lessons was beyond me. But I was certain that Matséona would turn up eventually, ready to learn. - And she did. Matséona arrived the next morning, just after breakfast, when I was sitting at my desk reading a letter from a contact I had in Gondor. I looked over to her with a bored stare and she was not set off by it, she merely walked around me to look over my shoulder and see what it was I was reading. My reflexes were stunted, surprised that she would attempt to invade my privacy so bluntly, but I eventually opened the drawer in my desk and shoved the letter inside, turning on her with cold eyes. “You will not read my personal letters.” “Many apologize, Lord Wormtongue- I mean, ‘Nothing’.” Matsi replied with a smile, moving around to the side of my chair and leaning her backside against the desk. “What shall I learn today, Professor?” “I would wish you would learn your place, but that is unlikely.” I muttered. Matsi nodded, “You are quite perceptive, it is unlikely.” I raised my eyebrows at her, “And to learn manners is to difficult a task for you as well?” She laughed, pushing off from the desk and causing my ink well to tip over. I cursed, but she didn’t seem to notice as she looked around my chambers with an air of someone to grand for the place, “Out of the two of us, I am not the one failing in manners.” “Are you accusing me of-“ I began, shocked. How could she dare claim to exceed in etiquette if she supposed I failed in it? It was atrocious, especially as I sat cleaning the ink she spilled. But I was interrupted, “Poor manners? Yes. But do not fear, m’lord, I can aid you in that. You teach me to read and I shall instruct you on kindness. Also, your handshake needs work. It is very weak, a strong handshake demonstrates that you are fearless and it also impresses women, to be honest.” I was already tired of what she had to say, but her next comment made it even more aggravating. “I know for a fact that Lady Éowyn admires a strong handshake.” Standing from the table so fast that I feared I would knock over the ink well for the second time, I rounded on Matsi, who was fussing with the dark drapes over my window. I snatched her by the wrist as she made to open the window and let in the sun, and spun her to face me and looked her coldly in the eyes, “Matséona, if I am to educate you, I suggest that you do not anger me.” The corners of her lips twitched, and she suddenly had twisted her wrist around in my grasp and was shaking my hand, studying the way her hand looked in mine, “If I were to sit silent and not speak a word, you would be angered by my presence, m’lord. Now shake like a man.” Her comment startled me, but my mind seemed to know what to do as I squeezed her hand and shook it firmly, then dropped it. She was smiling, but I tried to avoid her gaze as my robes swished around me when I turned away. Closing my eyes, I walked the few paces to the desk and stood by it. I opened a book I had chosen for her to read and spun around, opening my eyes. “Have a seat, we will begin.” “Agreed, you shall teach me now, and tomorrow when I return we will work on you again. I should think your table manners are ghastly.”
teaching the peasant
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