The King had returned to me

“The quietest trees are those that do not dare to bend. In the last days... the final ones…  the great trees grow hollow from within and die. But what of those silent  trees that do not wish to grow hollow... which instead are too in love with the sun to leave?” 

 Lord Meriwether shut the book… his brow deeply furrowed and his black eyes fierce. There was no wind today… The snow was frozen  and leaving the world. It was the sun.. the powerful and godly sun that made the valley gleam. 

Irony is cruel… 

The sun made the snow sparkle… the sun was melting the snow away. Sadness is beauty… Nothing happy can ever be beautiful. 

The brown hair swept across his forehead in a messy dishevelled fashion… like the wind… had swept it back in that way. He did not care to be presentable today. Privacy to him was important… he was a man of old fashioned and reserved ideals. He threw the book onto his desk and instead searched for the newspaper. He hated gossip… thought it was childish… but yet he was the type of man to read the paper with his cigar… with his black coffee and breakfast. The evening times… a conservative paper… that included the latest on economics and business. 

He was growing annoyed that the paper was not there. “Rose … “ he called out in a gruff voice. 

As he spoke he heard a slight tap against his door and a small voice speak…

“ are you very busy…?” 

Her voice sounded breathless… and he could hear it lose itself amongst the roaring of the coal fireplace. 

“That stupid girl…” he muttered to himself in a harsh tone… "have I not told her to stop over exerting herself? 

He opened the door …. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her… 

“what?” he said with a raised eyebrow…

In her hands, she clutched the newspaper titled "economics of royal London"

Economics of royal London is a paper that he liked to read... and also seemed to grow grumpy when reading it... at least this is what rosemary thought. She smiled and attempted to hand him the newspaper. Instead he frowned and turned away

"put it back... i have no need to for it today"

How confusing? thought rosemary. Why was the king so angry today? He usually liked to read his paper and she was sure that he was looking for it before she came to give it to him. 

she smiled and stepped into the room without invitation. her pale rather feeble complexation brightened when she saw the sparkling fire place. 

"Oh how cosy it is in here!..." she said whilst warming her small hands near the crackling flames. 

the king however, was in no mood for small talk and instead of speaking to his day dreaming wife... turned towards the window and looked out upon the January winter scene. 

bitter and bleak... do I feel so;

my love groweth so weak.. should not I anger so... ?

for her sweet face has faded to naught now... 

~ her sweet song maketh not a sound,

birds that bloom in the winter days,

can fly yond, so fair, so far ,

but hither my love shall always stay

and from my nest she shall not part

He spoke these lines from an epic narrative poem he had once read.. or at least scanned....His eyes black and deep, twinkled strangely so... as if they were ice cold diamonds ... ablaze and gleaming...   his voice so quiet, almost a whisper... . his fierce expression, mellow yet intensely serious ...   could it be that our wise king was crying?