{ the valiant }

But, Morifinde had learned a long time ago that she would do absolutely anything for this Man. (A singularly terrifying fact--especially when paired with her absolutely not caring that it should scare her.) 

Of course, with peacetime, something had to go wrong. And of course, it went wrong when she thought absolutely nothing could. She should've worried about something, really. But, she hadn't. Of course, Morifinde had been a little distracted in preparing to have a child. 

The Elf couldn't sleep, and Bard was off on some diplomatic trip. Due to come back any day, but still gone. So, she couldn't sleep. And she was far too lost in the necklace she was weaving out of golden wire to realize something was wrong.

Until she smelled smoke.

A normal person would have tried to find the source, or exit. A Queen would have immediately sought out to make sure the castle was evacuated. Morifinde froze. Where there was smoke, there was fire. And sure enough, when she turned, she could see the blaze just outside her closed door. 

All she remembered was shutting down. Seeing the flames and then she remembered nothing until she was outside with no idea of how she got there. Once she came to her senses, she almost immediately broke down. If anyone had questions about whether or not the new Queen had a "human" element, they were seeing it now. Of course, they just thought she was shaken from almost dying. Almost no one knew that she had a phobia of fire.

It could've been hours or minutes when someone entered the small house that had been offered for her (it was empty anyway), and she was too far checked out to realize who it was. She had cried until she had no more tears to give and her body was exhausted from shaking--but the shaking wouldn't stop. It was almost the Balrog all over again. Almost a death by fire. Almost--

This time when her name was said, she looked up. "--Bard." It was an exhalation of relief and she simply sank against him once his arms were around her. It was the first time in hours that she had relaxed and the ache in her muscles were quick to tell her so. Turning in his arms, she curled a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down to her and pressed her lips to his a little more forcefully than she had meant.