May I

"Hmm" said Wura as she seemed to be thinking as she was making a basic sketch of Nora's outline with some charcoal.

She had already drawn the basic outline of Nora's figure, and her eyes, and her nose, and her lips.

Wura looked at Nora as she looked back on the surface she was drawing on.

Wura noticed that Nora was sitting completely still, and she had to admire her, no one could stay as still as she could, and it made Wura smile.

"Nora, are you not tired?" asked Wura as she smiled and she looked at Nora.

"Ahh well yes my Queen" said Nora as she stopped smiling and she nodded her head.

"I understand, it is alright, you can stop posing now" said Wura as she smiled.

"But will that not ruin your painting my Queen?" asked Nora in concern and Wura smiled at Nora's thoughtfulness.

"Well no, it will not ruin anything Nora, I have already outlined your shape so, it will be fine Nora" said Wura as she smiled.

"Are you sure my Queen?" asked Nora as she did not want to ruin the painting.

"Of course Nora, I am very sure" said Wura as she smiled.

"Alright my Queen" said Nora as she nodded her head and Wura smiled at her as she closed put down the charcoal.

"My Queen, painting takes a very long time" said Nora as she stood up and she walked to where Wura was sitting on her dressing table chair.

"Yes it does Nora, and that it why I love it so much, it a skill the requires a lot of patient to get the desired end result" said Wura as she smiled, seeing the work of her hands made her very proud and happy of herself.

"May I see it my Queen?" asked Nora as she looked at Wura with hesitation.

"Of course you may Nora, I am painting you after all" said Wura as she laughed and she gave the little canvas to Nora as she stood up and she walked to look out her window, she would see some guards as they walked around, and it started to snow, which meant that it would be very cold this evening, the fires in the Castle would have to be increased.

"My Queen, it looks very good" said Nora as she smiled, she could see the basic outline of her face, and her eyes, her nose, and her lips, and her chin, the drawing looked very basic at this point, no paint was added yet.

"Oh Nora, you have not seen anything yet" said Wura as she laughed and she continued looking out the window.

"Once I am done, and hopefully if I make no errors, it should look like you are looking in a mirror" said Wura as she smiled.

"Oh…" said Nora as she was surprised, she could not imagine looking at herself in a painting as if it was a mirror, she would be a bit concerned if it look too real.

Wura was still looking outside the window, the sun was starting to set, and the funny thing was that she did not even realize that they had spent the entire noon in her room, and Nora had stayed still for that long as well.

"I did not realize that it was already evening" said Wura as she was still looking outside the window, on the other side of the walls, she could see the free forest, while she was here, in this Castle.

"Yes my Queen, I as well did not realize" said Nora as she placed the canvas safely on the dressing table.

"My Queen, would you like to eat dinner now?" asked Nora.

"Umm…" said Wura as she turned from the window to look at Nora.

"Alright Nora…I would like to eat dinner now" said Wura as she realized that there was no point delaying it.

"Alright my Queen" said Nora as she nodded her head.

"Would you like to eat here or in the dining room?" asked Nora.

"You know that answer to that Nora" said Wura as she smiled and Nora nodded her head, yes she did know the answer.

"Yes I do my Queen" said Nora.

"I will return soon my Queen" said Nora.

"Alright Nora" said Wura as she smiled Nora walked out of the room.

Wura sighed as she sat down on her bed, saying that she was tired would be an understatement, she was sad as well, she had realized that she and Liam had not eaten together since Alaric had passed, and that made her feel so sad, even thought she was not supposed to be.

It was clear that Liam did not take her seriously at all, why else would he refuse to see her for these past few days, as if she meant nothing to him, not like she wanted to mean something to him… but it hurt, he did not even attend his Father's wake just because he wanted to keep on avoiding her, and that hurt her so much.

"Oh Wura, how silly you are, just forget about him Wura, he has obviously forgotten about you" said Wura to herself and she sighed, just how naïve and stupid she was? She and Liam were two different people, they were never meant to cross paths and yet they did and, in the end, they ended up here.

…

The next day.

"My Queen, I have good news" said Nora as smiled and she walked into Wura's room.

"And what may that be?" asked Wura as she looked up and she smiled.

"My Queen, the carpenter has finished with the dining table you asked for, and he has sent them to the Castle, and the guards are carrying it to your room as we speak" said Nora as she smiled.

"Oh that is wonderful news Nora" said Wura as she smiled.

"Yes it is my Queen" said Nora as she smiled.

"The Carpenter was very fast" said Wura as she smiled, she was surprised with how fast the Carpenter finished making what she asked for.

"Yes my Queen, once he knew that you were the one that requested for the dining table, so he made sure to fulfil your request" said Nora as she smiled.

"Well then, I must personally thank him for being so kind" said Wura as she smiled.

"I asked if he wanted to come and see you, but he refused, he said that he was not properly dressed to see you" said Nora as she smiled.

"Oh well what a shame" said Wura as she smiled.

"I would go down and meet him, but my hands are all dirty and black" said Wura as she laughed.

"Please thank him personally for me Nora" said Wura as she smiled.

"Yes my Queen I will" said Nora as she nodded her head.

"I will get the door my Queen" said Nora as she smiled as she heard a knock on the door.

"Alright" said Wura as she smiled and Nora opened the door as two guards walked in as they carried a dining table and another guard carried the two wooden dining chairs.

"Where shall we place the table?" asked one of the guards as he looked at Nora.

"Right there please" said Nora as she smiled and the guards placed the dining table in the corner not too close to the wall as the other guard placed the two chairs next to the dining table.

"Thank you all" said Wura as she smiled and she turned to look at the guards.

"It is our pleasure my Queen" said the guards as they smiled and they bowed down to the ground as Wura smiled, everyone was always so nice to her.

"You may all go now, and thank you once again" said Wura as she smiled and the guards nodded as they stood up and they smiled as they walked away and Nora closed the door as they left the room.

"Hmm" said Wura as she smiled and she walked to the table as she ran her hand across the table.

"It feels so smooth" said Wura as she smiled.

"Yes it is my Queen" said Wura as she smiled.

"Please excuse me my Queen, I will go and thank the Carpenter for you" said Nora as she smiled.

"Alright Nora" said Wura as she smiled and Nora smiled and she walked away.

Wura was all smiles, she could not wait to eat on her new dining table, it made her feel happy, that for once something was hers, she was free to be herself, and now she would not have to depend on Liam, or feel lonely when she ate alone, her room was going to be her safe place where she could be free.

"Oh my, I really need to wash my hands" said Wura to herself as she laughed, her hands were black and dirty from all the charcoal she had been holding.