Chapter 395: Falling in love
"Sigh... Griffin has had such a sad life," Alora said softly, her expression dimming as the weight of his story settled on her. Griffin had endured so many hardships to reach where he was today. She wondered if that was why their connection felt so natural from the very beginning. Both of them had weathered painful childhoods and tumultuous teenage years, followed by difficult early adulthood.
"Behind that smile hides a very broken man, Your Highness," Selvina added, her voice carrying a note of sadness. "It must have been incredibly hard for him all this ti."
Alora nodded. "You’re right. He’s been through so much. But now, have you made your decision? Griffin shared his life with you because he trusts you. And as you’ve co to see, he’s not the kind of elite you once thought. He’s always been a good man, better than most. I told you, didn’t I?"
Selvina lowered her eyes, contemplating Alora’s words. "I was so wrong about Lord Griffin. I misjudged him. I’ll give him an answer soon." There was a softness in her voice, as if she were still trying to process the deep respect she now felt for him.
"You should," Alora said, patting the back of Selvina’s hand gently. "But for now, you need to rest. You’ve had a long day."
Selvina shook her head lightly. "I will after I set the dinner table for Your Highness and His Highness," she said, though her exhaustion was evident.
"Let the other servants handle that tonight," Alora insisted with a warm smile. "It must have been a tiring day for you. Besides, you’ll soon be leaving. Griffin will take you to his ho, and then you two will get married." There was a gleam of excitent in her eyes, a joy that matched the future she was envisioning for her friend.
Selvina couldn’t help but smile at the thought, as though the idea of marrying Griffin was a beautiful dream she had never dared to imagine. "I hope so, Your Highness. I still find it hard to believe that Lord Griffin, such a humble and kind man, sees
as soone who could beco his wife."
Alora smiled, her eyes shining with affection. "You don’t need to thank . I only want to see you happy."
A thought crossed Alora’s mind, and she decided to share the news she had been holding back. "By the way, my sister is getting married soon."
"What? When?" Selvina exclaid, her surprise evident. "Sister Venus used to seem so withdrawn after everything she went through. I’m so happy she’s finally found love."
Alora’s smile widened. "It is such a relief. She deserves to be happy. And the man who won her heart... is Odin."
"Sir Odin?" Selvina’s eyes widened in shock. "That’s wonderful! Please, send my congratulations to Sister Venus. She’s endured so much, and I’m happy she’s found soone who can truly care for her."
"I will," Alora assured her, delighted by Selvina’s genuine joy.
~~~~
Odin and Griffin sat in a quiet corner, their goblets filled with rich wine, the firelight casting a warm glow over them.
"You look quite happy today," Odin remarked, raising an eyebrow as he studied Griffin’s content expression.
Griffin, holding his goblet, swirled the dark liquid inside before bringing it to his lips. "Selvina ca to see ," he replied with a small, satisfied smile. "It felt... good. No woman has ever spent that much ti with
before."
"That’s wonderful to hear." Odin raised his goblet in a toast. "To your success," he said, before taking a slow sip. He glanced sideways at Griffin, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You’re quite fast in your approach."
"Fast, but with patience," Griffin corrected him, leaning back in his chair, feeling the warmth of the wine and the conversation. "And what about you? Last I heard, you had proposed to Venus." He smirked, knowing how uncharacteristic that move was for Odin.
"I did," Odin confird with a slight nod. "I’m getting married soon. I asked for Venus’s hand, and she accepted it." He took another sip of wine, his voice casual, but there was a hidden satisfaction behind his words.
Griffin’s eyes widened with genuine surprise. "What? That’s amazing news, man!" He leaned forward, clapping Odin on the shoulder. "You? A married man? Who would have thought? Hopefully, marriage will lt that cold deanor of yours."
Odin chuckled, a rare sound from him. "I’ve already ward up, I think. Falling in love does that to you." There was a smirk on his face, but his eyes reflected a deeper, quieter truth.
"Whoa! That statent ca from *Lord* Odin!" Griffin burst into laughter, unable to contain his amusent. Once he managed to catch his breath, he added, "Doesn’t life seem good now? There was a ti when I wondered if I’d ever be able to live like the others—without constantly looking over my shoulder or feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere."
Odin nodded, his eyes softening as he gazed into his goblet. "It does seem more beautiful now," he admitted. "Losing our families, the people we loved—it left us with deep wounds. Wounds that weren’t easy to heal. Their losses can’t be replaced, but I think... we can still learn to grow. We can build our own families, our own happiness. In ti, maybe those wounds will fade."
"I agree," Griffin said, his voice quiet but resolute. They both understood the pain of carrying those scars, but there was sothing healing about sharing them with soone who knew exactly what it was like.
"But, Griffin," Odin continued, "you’ve lost more than I ever did. At least I had wealth to fall back on, but you... you worked your way up from nothing to get where you are today. That’s why, if there’s one person who earned my respect after turning into a vampire, it’s you. What you’ve achieved, most would’ve given up on. Be proud of yourself for that."
Griffin looked at Odin, humbled by the words. "Thank you," he said sincerely, feeling a sense of validation he hadn’t known he needed. "Prince Magnus gave
this life while you taught
a lot. I’m thankful to both of you."
The two friends shared a long look, then resud their casual chatter, the wine flowing as they savored the mont of happiness.
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