Elle loved him for that. She had always wanted to see the world, but being born a halfbreed made her unable to travel to many of the places she would have loved to go. Her mother, however, didn’t like him as much. She didn’t see what Elle saw in him. She only approved of him because Elle had chosen him, and because he made her laugh and smile whenever he was present.
"Eryx is different, mama," Elle said quietly, before changing the topic so her mother wouldn’t make her see the flaws in the man she was about to marry and accept as her husband. "How did you et papa?"
Her mother’s eyes softened. "Your father and I didn’t et under romantic circumstances. He saved my life. Like I once told you, I was human once and was turned by your father. At first, we fought a lot, and I couldn’t stand him, but when I got to know him better...I realized he wasn’t as bad as I thought he was. Actually, he wasn’t bad at all. He was...cute, adorable, and a gentleman..." Her mother’s eyes turned wishful and warm, as if she were recalling one of the most beautiful monts of her life, her red eyes growing glossy with emotion.
"How did you know that he was the one?" Elle asked softly.
"He made feel different. He took care of in a way Josh never did. He was...I don’t know how to put it. He made feel like I was incomplete without him around . My heart beat fast whenever he was near, and my lungs felt like they couldn’t take in enough breath. Your father, Elle, was the most loving and caring man despite everything he went through in life. He might not have been born with wealth, but he was born with many things Josh lacked, compassion. He gave not only love, but the most wonderful gifts in the world: you and Aryen." Tears welled in her eyes, and Elle turned around and took her mother’s hand in hers.
"I’m sorry, mama. I shouldn’t have asked you about him. I didn’t know he was like that toward you."
"No, no, you should," her mother said, making a failed attempt at cheerfulness as she wiped at her tears. "It’s about ti I talk about him with you. I know you bla him for not being here, but you shouldn’t. It’s not his fault, and if he could, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here with us," she whispered softly, touching her daughter’s cheeks as Elle ducked her head.
"You must love him enough to forgive his absence, mama. I love him too, but—"
"Please don’t bla him, Elle. That’s all I can tell you for now. He isn’t absent by choice. And for as long as I have breath in , I will wait for him." Evenly, who had held those beliefs in her heart for years, vowed it once again. Then she said,
"Enough about now. Let’s talk about the important things you need to know before your wedding. Turn around so I can braid your hair while we talk."
Elle obeyed, unable to comprehend how her mother could love her father this deeply, and also glad that she did, for despite whatever she told herself, in the corner of her heart Elle still loved her father and still hoped for his return as well.
But what bothered her was that she didn’t feel what her mother described feeling for her father when it ca to Eryx. She loved him, but last night...
"Yes, mama."
"You know, my mother died before I married, but thankfully I had a friend who told absurd things on the day before my wedding. Would you like to hear them, darling? Because I believe every woman needs to know."
Elle, hesitant but curious, bobbed her head.
"Well, you may be shocked. If you wish, I suppose it’s too much to hope I won’t shock you, Elle, but it’s sothing you need to know. Marriage is not sunshine and rainbows," Evenly said as she set the brush aside and ca to stand before her daughter, who looked up at her innocently. For the hundredth ti, Evenly wondered if she was making a mistake by letting her choose a man she wanted when she had been sheltered all her life and knew nothing about people and how cruel the outside world could be.
Elle felt herself turning red. "Is it about—"
"Yes. You and Eryx, and what cos after your vows. It’s all right, sweetie, don’t look away from . You’re going to get married." Evenly took her chin and made her look at her, but Elle only tried to avert her eyes.
Seeing the innocence of her daughter, Evenly could only speak of it vaguely and not go into detail, for her girl looked far too innocent and small in stature for her age. Yet despite the vague way of explaining things to her, her delicate cheeks still turned as red as tomatoes by the ti Evenly was done talking to her.
"Now, can you tell what is bothering you since you t with Eryx earlier?" Evenly asked gently, trying to soothe her daughter, whom she could tell was both nervous and embarrassed now.
At that, Elle, who would have rather not been told that she would be in pain on her first night before pleasure and everything that ca with being a wife, recalled why she had been nervous today when she hadn’t been since the ti she had been proposed to.
"It’s nothing, mama," she lied, not wanting to stress her about the very thing that had even her feeling stressed, because once her mother learned of it, she might put an end to this marriage, a marriage Elle desperately wanted to happen. She couldn’t let it fail, not now when she was so close.
Hence, she changed the topic. "I heard Finn, Rosey, and Uncle Rohan and Aunt Belle will be here tomorrow. I’ve missed them so much."
Because of her delicate condition, Elle had been unable to travel to Velre and stay for more than a day because of the air there. Though her condition had improved since they moved here and she was no longer often sickly, her family didn’t want to take any chances. So instead of her being there, the Dagons usually ca over to visit her.
"Yes, they are coming," Evenly said, smiling, as she kept the fact that Angel would also be coming with them this ti around to herself. It would be wonderful for Elle to be surprised by his presence on her wedding day. Finn had told her that his parents and Rosey would arrive tomorrow, while Angel would co on the wedding day itself, as he still had things to attend to in Velre.
"It’s about ti. I miss Rosey," Elle bead happily, because Rosey was the only friend she had, soone she could talk to about anything, and she really needed a friend’s advice now more than ever.
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