A brilliant surprise
Blog entry

02/24/05

Last night when I "went" to our room to meet up with the boys I got a surprise when I got there. They had filled the room with lit candles. Every single flat surface including a good two feet wide of floor space around the walls had candles. It must have taken them hours.

Tolirion greeted me first dripping with jewelry. The only thing he was wearing was a piece of fabric he'd worked through his waist chain to form a makeshift loincloth. He'd folded it over, so in the front there was only enough to cover the important bits, but it hung long in the back. Between him and the all the candles, I said, "Wow." He smiled and hugged me and then turned me around saying, "Look."

When I turned there was Torlinque squatting down on one knee lighting more candles along the floor. His long black hair is hip length, you'll remember, so it covered most of him and was hanging in his face. Despite that, I could still see that he was naked too, except for a triple strand of red and black beads running over his hip, some dark red fabric pooling on the floor by his feet and a couple of plain gold arm bands. He turned toward me smiling and stood up. I saw that it too was a loincloth set folded the same way as Tolirion's. He turned all the way around slowly, modeling it for me, and said, "Tolirion picked it out. We wanted to surprise you tonight. Do you like it?"

I think all I could do was nod. The sight of him stole my breath. Ki' dah. I can only imagine what all the serving maids would do if he walked up onto the firepit stage like that to dance. They'd all have to be rushed to the Healing Wing.

"And look what else we brought!" Tolirion said excited. I looked and by the fireplace was my lounge chair from my old room just as I remembered it - velvet cushions, gilded and carved arms and legs in that airy openwork style. Many a late afternoon was spent by me in that chair. I'd come in from long days at the Temple just aching and Torlinque would put me in it and massage my hands, feet and head until I was better. Sometimes he'd go down and get food for me so I wouldn't have to see anyone else the rest of the day. "I found it in storage. All your things are there. When you...left, I made sure all your things were put away until you could return for them." Torlinque said softly.

I started to cry because all the effort they had gone to was just so overwhelming, no sound, just some tears falling. They rushed over to me, concerned. Torlinque picked me up, shushing me and kissing my tears away and set me down in my chair. Man that chair is comfy! Tolirion started rubbing a little oil into my feet and Torlinque started to massage my head with his fingers.

And I promptly fell asleep.

I was so mad at myself!

I apologized profusely to Torlinque when I woke up this morning and told him I want to make it up to them. I felt terrible that I had ruined their evening with me. Tolirion was already gone working, but Torlinque is still here and still wearing his same outfit (if one can call it that) from last night. He must have slept in it. He just shushed me and told me that no, I hadn't ruined anything, that they had just wanted me to feel special, loved and attended to. I assured him I had, and he said that was all that mattered. (Bull. I know them better than that!) I told him let's plan for it again this weekend, and since I'll know ahead of time I can have coffee at supper time and stay up all night. I told him I'll even help with the candles, and he laughed.