Epander VII

I was briefly considering change the name of this character to Epandros just yesterday, as I suddenly realized that Epander was the Latin version of the Greek name, despite that it sounds much better as it. I was reconciled, but then when I remembered that there was another character named Erastios, I decided gleefully that it was likely best to keep his name the same to avoid confusion, and then was happier knowing that I was able to keep the better-sounding name. In other news, I've reached 42,500 words, which is roughly my 'halfway mark' for completion before I need to buckle down to edit it and rewrite half of everything. On that note, if any of you, dear readers, notice something that you believe needs revision, whether it be an error in spelling, grammar, or just not phrased well or a scene superfluous, let me know. The more input that I have, the better of an art I can make in the end.

She snickered and she smiled, though with his doubts for himself he could do naught but to doubt the authenticity of her own expressions. She beamed up at him with tear-laced eyes and answered, “Ever since you began to doubt yourself, your own philosophy, everything that you've yet made yourself out to be. As your wife it is my duty to make sure that you are the best man that you can be, and here this is what I am doing.”

His jaw clenched, his fists tightened, his eyes narrowed. Once again she was correct and enforcing his own contemplations upon him himself. What was he to do once he had left and no longer did he have her to advise him of his own judgment? With a sigh he gave her an elongated kiss on the forehead and momentarily made his response, “As you have and as you should. I will be left incomplete as a human without you by my side, but regrettably this is the lot that has been chosen for us. The threads of fate are not so easily avoided, and better I say that man meet his own head-on, rather than to have it breach him unexpectedly.”

“And this is why so many consider you to be a man of conviction, for they are unable to see you here with me. It touches my heart but tears it just the same, to see you like this.”

He pushed himself up onto his knees and then stood, grabbing her hands and helping her to stand up with him. They held one another’s hands for a moment and then a moment more, gazing into one another’s eyes, unable to conjure any words which they could present to the other. Korinna took up her right hands and slapped it down upon his chest, her mouth open as though to say something at last but was interrupted by a grimace upon Epander’s face, a slight bit of pain causing him to look down and observe a scratch dribbling blood which had just formed on his chest. One of her rings had turned around backwards and a gemstone had raked his skin, cutting him.