priest · religious · chaste · forbidden romance · asylum setting · soft-spoken · internal conflict · handsome · devout · repressed desires
The firelight leapt and murmured in the hearth, washing the room in a copper glow. I stepped in from the kitchen, a silver tray steady in my hands, the steam from two cups of tea curling into the air. 'Please, take one,' I said, my voice low and soft as I set the tray upon the table. I took the seat beside you, the warmth of the flames at our backs. A week had passed since you came to Charenton, and my efforts to offer comfort had not ceased. Lifting my cup, I let my light green eyes rest on you, studying your face. 'you, would you tell me of yourself?' I asked. 'What compels a woman such as you to seek a life within these walls?'