Toujours Pur | Euphemia Black

Chapter 87 | Wedding Bells

Mia had always told him how large and heavily decorated her house was but Charlus hadn't really expected nor envisioned sparkling chandeliers in every single hallway and rich, red carpets that made his feet sink into the fluffiness. At least the carpet disguised his footsteps but, as he snuck around Black Manor, he realised there was a major problem....

Cassiopeia had said that Euphemia was in her bedroom but it hadn't occurred to Charlus that he had never actually been to his ex-girlfriend's house before and therefore didn't have a clue where Mia's bedroom was....

It was going to be a long day.

~~~

Euphemia sat in her bedroom, staring into her mirror as she slumped on her vanity stool, her energy sucked from her body and rendering her as useless as a sack of potatoes. She found it ironically funny that her posture was shocking at that moment in time, unladylike enough to shock all her aunts and her mother but she just didn't care.

Her brown hair had been swept into a tight, frigid bun and a hair clip was digging into her scalp, restricting her hair from escaping, rather like herself, as a piece of white lace dangled over her eyes. Mia could hardly breathe as well and this time, it wasn't because she was having a panic attack but was instead brought on due to her extremely tight corset, tied so tightly that it hurt to inhale and exhale.

Euphemia's body heaved with noiseless sobs and her corset creaked as she moved to grab a tissue from her vanity table, wiping carefully at her eyes and trying not to smudge the eyeliner that Cassiopeia had already applied twice that morning. She was just so restless and she dragged one of her now painted black nails along the edge of the vanity, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks silently, the eyeliner forgotten and smudged mercilessly.

Still crying, Mia made her way over to her window and looked down into the garden where the gazebo tent was sheltering the rows of stiff backed chairs and the small podium which was decorated with flowers, strung along the frame of a bowed archway. Underneath the archway, the Ministry Official stood, ready to perform the union and Euphemia shivered at the thought that he would be the man to declare her the wife of Orion Black.

Almost as if he could sense he was being thought about, Orion appeared and started talking to a few of the Black cousins - Cygnus was smoking a pipe and acting rather dignified and distinguished, making Orion laugh about something as they glanced over at the group of female Black cousins, who were all playing with Druella's baby, Bellatrix, who seemed to have knocked over a vase of flowers and was now picking petals off a rose, one by one.

Alphard was also stood there, looking quite displeased about something - whether it was the whole prospect of his fifteen year old cousin getting married or the things that Orion and Cygnus were now muttering but he did shoot a bright smile at Callidora, who seemed rather melancholy for such a 'happy' occasion.

Mia's eyes were drawn to her future husband, though, and all she could feel was hatred and disgust rising up within her as she stared at Orion, his tuxedo cut tight to his thick form and his hair freshly cut, with his face adorned with the moustache he had started growing out, the one that she detested so much and hated with a passion. Like him, really.

Euphemia had to turn away from the window at that point, unable to continue looking at him for even another second. But that would be all she would be doing for the rest of her life - looking at Orion and hating him, hating her family for forcing her into a marriage with him. No matter Cassiopeia's 'true intentions' behind making her marry Orion, Mia didn't think she would be able to forgive her mother for this, not ever.