Legend of the White Witch {#Wattys2016}

Chapter 33

"You can say that again," I agree wholeheartedly. I almost laugh again, but I can't quite make myself do it.

She squeezes my shoulder affectionately. "Peter loves you. I'm sure that there was something else at play here that gave him no choice."

I fold and unfold a bit of frill on the front of my dress and shrug. "I don't know. I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Well, I hope that you do. I want you to work things out. As for Alec, I can't exactly speak for him, but I think that he cares about you too," she says. I can tell that she is being sincere and believes every word, but I can't manage to do the same. "He's had a hard life, Edlyn. I don't expect you to forgive what he said to you because of that, but I just want you to know. He's hurting."

"What happened?" I ask, raising my head to look at her. I'm suddenly angry. Angry enough that I could scream so loud that Anabella would hear me from where she probably sits in a comfortable chair laughing and eating grapes. "What happened that was so awful that he thinks he can treat me this way?"

She purses her lips. "I don't think that it's my place to tell you."

Another bitter laugh passes through my lips. "Then I suppose I'll never know. He's had almost two months to tell me, and now I don't want to speak to him. Ever."

"Edlyn—" she begins, sounding a bit guilty, but then she sighs and drops her gaze from mine. "He's going to be furious I told you this. He hates pity."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, because I will give him none."

She smiles sadly. "When I was six, Anabella led an attack on my home," she says. I notice water pooling in her eyes as she takes a steadying breath. "Just like the one that Syfi was killed during. The casualties were unbelievable and the amount of blood was... Anyway, many people lost family members and loved ones that day. But Alec—he lost everyone. Both of his parents and his older brother were murdered. He was nine years old."

"I–I didn't know," I whisper. My throat tightens painfully. It feels raw from holding back all of my anger and frustration. He was nine years old. Could I have lived through losing even only my grandpa, especially when I was so young? I can't imagine losing my entire family in a single instant.

"Just think about it, alright? I know this doesn't make what he did okay, but at least now you know why he does what he does," she says. She looks to the sky and sighs heavily, her shoulders tense. "He can be difficult sometimes. I know that. But go easy on him. He'll get better."

"'Difficult' is an understatement," I say with a bit of an edge, although the sharp blade of anger I felt previously has softened. I'm still beyond upset at him, but finally knowing what's made him so bitter and angry makes me wish I could hug him so he could forget that pain forever.

Celeste laughs cheerfully and tilts her face upward to enjoy the feeling of a strong wind blowing past us and the warm sun on her skin. Her laugh brightens my mood a bit and I smile up at the clear blue sky. "There's a feast tonight in your honor, you know. Thank you for existing; the food is by far the best at pulchra feasts."

I groan instead of rejoicing with her. The last thing I want to do is spend a night in a big room full of nonstop meaningless chatter from people stuffed with bread and wine. She elbows me in my side and rolls her eyes.

"It'll be fun," she insists. "Your mind will be off everything, at least for a little while."

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "I don't know about that."

*****

For the second time today, I am forced to wear something that I don't particularly want to wear. When I return to my room after speaking with Celeste, I am bombarded by my three new friends. I must start preparing for the feast, they say, and a dress is shoved in my face. To my disappointment, this one is much more complex and reflects more wealth than the lovely blue and white one I had quickly come to appreciate. There is no corset, at least, but I find that to be the only aspect of the dress that I enjoy.