Marriage, Murder & Magic- [OMINIS GAUNT]

Chapter 21- The Duel

The ring was a frightening thing. It was made of pure silver, and shaped to resemble a snake. The snake's jaws were hooked around a black egg-shaped diamond. On the inside was a familiar inscription of a G, for Gaunt. It was a family heirloom, and likely worth more money than my entire family had.

When I told Quinn and Samantha, they leapt around our room like their socks were on fire, screaming and rejoicing.

"Prisma's engaged!" They cheered. "Show us the ring! Show us the ring!"

I held out my hand. The ring weighed down my entire arm.

"Why, that's a rather peculiar ring," Quinn said. "The gemstone is a carbonado, or black diamond. It is one of the toughest forms of natural diamond. While not a common engagement ring stone, it is still highly sought after." Leave it to Quinn to know everything about engagement rings.

"It's got no color," Samantha said. "Well, maybe if you tilt it in the sunlight..."

"Do you like it?" Quinn asked me.

"Its gorgeous." I said.

Quinn lightly touched me on the shoulder. "But do you like it?"

It was strange. Up until she had asked me that question, I had felt fine. Now a sudden sense of anxiety was starting to creep over me. I got the eerie sense that I was wearing someone else's ring.

This ring had been meant for Morgana.

Quinn and Samantha tried to revive my mood. "Let's get some breakfast," they decided. "Celebratory tea for the future Mrs. Gaunt."

I wore a dark garnet purple dress, the darkest that I had, to make the ring seem not so dark on my finger. The ring was still a big, black gaudy thing. I realized I would have to get darker clothes if I was to match the ring with any of my outfits.

On the walk to the Great Hall, Quinn and Samantha kept tittering 'Mrs. Prisma Gaunt, Mrs. Prisma Gaunt'. Quinn also remarked that now that I was off the marriage market, she would get more dates.

"Like you need more dates," Samantha joked.

"Prisma!" Natty came roaring towards me from the Grand Staircase. She hardly slowed at all, her heels clicking as fast as a stopwatch as she slammed into my outstretched hands. It was not an embrace of joy, however. Natty was upset.

"What is it?" I asked, terrified. "What's wrong?"

Natty looked at me with wide eyes. "Sebastian and Ominis! They are dueling in the clocktower courtyard!"

Words cannot describe the haste with which I ran. I was faster than birds, maybe even faster than a Quidditch broom, flying through the halls with my skirts in my hands. At one point, I skid across marble, nearly breaking my ankles and knocking over a skeleton on display.

In the clocktower courtyard where the dueling club occurred a crowd of mostly Slytherin students had gathered. In the middle of it all were Ominis and Sebastian, wearing a gray and black suit respectively, with their wands pointed directly at each other.

I knew not what they were fighting about. Nor could I stop and ask. Ominis was summoning a cloud of thunder and lightning, charging around him like a mystical shroud. Sebastian's spell of choice was a dark swirl of death-scented water. It curled around his legs like a snake ready to strike.

As the lightning and water spells were hurled towards each other, I stepped between them.

"Protego diamandis lapsi!"

Lightning and water crashed into my shield. My spell nullified any harm, and turned every water droplet into shimmering shards of light that rained down upon the onlookers like glittering snowflakes.

The students were momentarily distracted by the pretty gems coming from the sky. I was too busy looking at the two boys on either side of me, fuming so hot I thought fire was going to come out of my eyes.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

Ominis crossed his arms and appeared aloof. "Ask him. He's the one that challenged me to a duel the moment I woke up."

"I will discuss it in private with Prisma," Sebastian said through his teeth.

I looked at Ominis. "I'm going to speak with him just outside," I said. Ominis nodded.

Sebastian followed my angry stride, not saying a word until we were well out of earshot from everyone else. I had a sour feeling in my stomach that I knew what this was about.

Sebastian's eyes immediately went to the ring on my finger. He scoffed.

"So it's true." He sounded as if I had single-handedly ruined his life. I didn't know he would care so much. It was a little perplexing.

"What are you so upset for?" I asked, my voice low. "This was my only choice, Sebastian."

"It was not your only choice." His eyes bored into mine. "I was dueling him for your hand."

I was stunned. "You wanted my hand?"

"If you had to marry someone, wouldn't you rather it be with me instead of him? I have to get engaged by the end of the year anyways," Sebastian asked bluntly.

My heart sank. Sebastian was making me feel about as desirable as a hand-me-down pair of shoes.

"Well that was stupid of you," I snapped. "The fact that you assumed I would go along with marrying whoever won some silly duel shows just how little you respect me." I cocked my head angrily. "I am promised to Ominis because he asked me. And you said nothing."

"I did not think I would have to ask you. I am the obvious choice. We were friends first. I know you better."

I began to feel a lot like a teakettle at its boiling point; ready to scream. Sebastian was so obtuse about marriage.

I said, "Ominis and I may not be close. We may not know each other at all, even. But he treats me like a lady." I believe I may have frightened Sebastian a little with my tone. He seemed surprised; remorseful, even. He gave me a long look.

"Is this really what you want?"

I didn't have a good answer for him. "You should have asked me that last night," was my crestfallen reply.

Sebastian, stubborn to a fault, was not going to accept that. "Have you considered that Ominis is using you as a distraction from Morgana's death?"

The anger returned within me twofold. "Don't you dare mention Morgana," my voice quivered. "This is the only time I'm going to say this to you, Sebastian. I am promised to another. You need to move on."

I swiftly walked past him back into the clocktower courtyard.The dueling audience had dispersed, leaving behind only Ominis, Natty, Quinn and Samantha. Sebastian followed behind me, looking rather sullen. A part of me regretted what I had said; but his offer of marriage was measly compared to Ominis's. 'I have to get engaged anyways' was what Sebastian had said. And then he had brought up Morgana.

"I have a new rule," I announced to Ominis and Sebastian. "As long as I'm in this castle," I emphasized, "You two are to be civil to one another. Am I understood?"

Ominis nodded. Sebastian, rather hesitantly, nodded as well.

"Be men and shake on it," Natty suggested.

The handshake was brief and aggressive. But they were in agreement now. There would be no more fighting over me.

Sebastian cast me a final look before leaving that was like a dagger in my heart. I began to sink within, feeling as though I had made my sacrifice and lost him for good.