[Nurumaiel]

Eohsecg greeted Herlion by standing up and giving a little bow, then he sat back down next to Rie. Neisa and Herlion were speaking, but Eohsecg wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on Rie, who didn't seem to be listening, either. Instead she looked to be deep in thought, her chin resting in her hands, a single strand of her bright red hair falling in her face. Eohsecg stretched out his hand. "Excuse me, m'lady, but there is some hair..." He brushed it away and she looked up at him, startled. "Your pardon," he said with a smile. "I thought it might be bothering you. It was an excuse. He had wanted to touch her face, which didn't seem to be real, so smooth and fair.

"Oh, thank you," said Rie, looking at him with a queer expression on her face. She was uncertain. What could she say? She couldn't deny that when his hand had touched her face she had felt odd inside. Why did he keep looking at her like he was? She averted her eyes to look out the window at the clear sky of Rohan.

Eohsecg was also confused. He felt as he had never felt before. A strange feeling that was undescribable. But he felt it in this maid's presence, and it was even stronger when he looked at her, something he hadn't been able to stop doing. To hide this confusement he asked, "What were you thinking about, m'lady?"