For Worse or For Better

@ katahdin
Clara furrowed her brows, before shaking her head. "You're not imposing on me, I was just wondering what your plans were." She told him, taking a bite of her food. Before looking at him, "I'm not blaming you, you're parents seem to have their own opinions of how a married couple should act. But I appreciate you're thoughtfulness." She told him, she place her spoon down before taking a drink. "I feel like we'd should act more like a married couple, but I'm scared and I don't know how." She told him, knowing this was something new for the both of them. But she didn't want him to feel like he was a disappointment to her. "And you've been extremely kind and patience with me I couldn't ask for more." She sighed. "I've not be fair either, not thinking about you and how a husband has need." She told him having thought over his mothers words about children.

---

William frowned, "that wasn't meant as a proposal." He told her not having meant for her to take that as a proposal. "I will do better when I do propose." He told her having caught on to her teasing a bit late. "You're not a commoner, you're the most important person to me." He told her gently brushing her hair behind her ears. Placing his forehead against hers as he held her closely. "I love you." He told her not tiring from hearing or saying those words. He knew it would be a bit hard for him to convince his father to let him marry Eleanor since he'd already arrange for the princess to come visit. "I hope you can forgive me." He requested of her, "I'm may have to neglect you for a bit until my father comes around to the idea." He informed her, knowing this was going to be hard on him.

@ BBBibles

Thomas frowned a bit as she spoke about needing to act more like a married couple, shaking his head a bit. "I don't want to rush into anything if we're not ready. I don't think attempting to act like what my parents take a good married couple to be will do us any favors in the long run. It will only get them off our backs temporarily, and I honestly have no intention of speaking to them again for quite a while after they leave here in the next few days." He explained, although his frown only deepened as she mentioned her not being fair and him having needs, shaking his head quickly as he set down his spoon to reach across the table to take her hand and give it a squeeze. "You do not owe me anything, Clara. How I feel doesn't matter if it means making you uncomfortable, or pushing you into doing something that you don't want to. Don't ever think that you have to do something that you don't want to just because our parents want us to."

---

Eleanor rested her head in his hands as he tucked her hair behind her ears, closing her eyes contently as he said that he loved her, a smile spreading across her lips. "I love you too.." She murmured, leaning up to press a tender kiss to his lips before pulling back so she could take his hands again. She gave an understanding nod when he said that he'd have to neglect her a bit while he waited for his father to come around to the idea of him marrying her, offering him a faint smile. "Of course... If it means that we can marry and never be apart, I don't mind having to not see you as much for a while."

@ katahdin
Clara frowned shaking her head. "That's not what I meant." She told him. Placing her silverware down. "Can we just forget your parents for a moment?" She asked him. Before taking a quick drink of her water. "We've been doing well in getting to know each other. But we're not looking at it from a stand point of a husband and a wife." She told him. "You still see me as a maiden, one that's is delicate." She sighed, knowing that she may be talking herself into something she wasn't ready for. "But I am your wife and acting as I have doesn't instill it." She told him, not really knowing where she was going with this. She knew she wasn't ready for him to take her, but they could very much still act as a married couple. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, you being in here shouldn't be as a big deal. You don't have to protect my virtue." She knew that it wasn't an invention. "You've already told me that when I am ready we can, so why would it matter if you slept in my room?" She knew that he'd promised not to touch her unless she wished it, so sleeping in her room wasn't a big deal if he kept to his words. And with that sharing a bed would feel weird, but it would only open the door for them to move forwards.

---

William nodded, smiling brightly, he loved the idea of never having to part from her. He knew it would he a hard choice as it was almost impossible for him to see his life with out her now. "I also have to tend to my duties." He cleared his throat. "And that mean I will have to spend time with the princess until." He shook his head, not liking the woman one bit. But he knew his father meant well when he arranged the meeting. It wasn't his fault he knew nothing about Eleanor. She was a commoner and his father would never approve. However if he could just show him how much of an improvement she'd made just for his love. Then he might be able to win his blessing. "And that is something I can't apologize enough for." He knew that no woman wanted to see the man they loved parading around with another woman. So he could only ask for her forgiveness now.

@ BBBibles

Thomas frowned as he listened to her, shaking his head a little. "I'm sorry if I've upset you, or made you think that I only see you as something delicate and breakable, since I don't. I just know that you were forced into this marriage, and I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. Most people get to at least meet their spouses before the marriage, and I didn't want you to feel like you have to rush into being a wife if you aren't ready for that. And I especially don't want you to feel like you have to do things just because it's what our parents want. What matters is whether or not you're ready to move forward, because rushing through things will only cause problems for us in the future. I'd rather wait until you're ready and comfortable." He explained, hoping she'd understand that it didn't matter to him if she was supposed to act in a certain way, if she wasn't comfortable first and foremost things would go poorly.

---

Eleanor was quick to shake her head, squeezing his hands. "You don't have to apologise, William. I know you're only doing it to please your father, and I know it will take time to try to convince him, and that you can't promise anything." She murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheeks. "Even if nothing can ever happen between us, I'm grateful for this moment, and everything that you've done for me over the past few months... I'll never be able to thank you."