"the girl i've heard
so much about."
kandilyn's pov
garte looks up at me, his cerulean eyes cold and rigorous."the lord told me it went well. do you feel it was adequate?" he questions, raising an eyebrow. his elbows were resting on his desk and his hands were clasped together.
i shrug. i wasn't going to indulge into what really happened. this marriage needed to be successful up until the day i walked down the isle. after that, it truly didn't matter. "it went alright. he seems nice enough," i lie, looking around at the paintings on the walls to avoid eye contact with him.
his study is breathtakingly decorated. the wood walls a dark walnut color, much more welcoming than his personality. there were paintings up as well. my personal favorite was one of mother when she was younger ; we truly did look identical. she seemed so happy then.
the story behind that painting always brings a grin to my face. mother found out she was pregnant with garroth a month after it was finished.
almost the entire time garte stood behind the painter, making faces at mom to get her to smile. the painter was extremely upset, considering it was set to be a serious picture. garte argued she looked most beautiful with a smile on her face, so instead the painter continued that way. according to mom, she kept her smile large by thinking of garte.
mom is the person i feel worse for. it's as if she's lost everyone. which is my fault, as well. as a daughter, i wasn't there for her throughout her time of grieving. and now it's such an untouchable topic, i don't know how to apologize.
vylad and garroth are dead. then garte and zane have been overcome by power. as horrible as it may sound, they're as good as dead. they truly aren't the same people i was raised around.
"i'm glad to hear it went well. though, the lord did have one concern. and i believe there's a simple fix," there's no way that could be good. "you'll make more trips to falcon claw, possibly live there for a short time before the wedding."
spending more time in falcon claw? what does that even mean? and being stuck with that pompous fool sounded like another variation of hell.
"do i have a say in this matter?" i inquire, assuming the answer would be no.
his lips purse and for a second it's like there's an inkling of debate in his eyes. "i'm sorry," that was different. i'd never heard those words from him. they didn't sound genuine and without any action was purely an empty phrase, but nonetheless he still said it. "but you don't. this marriage is important, kandilyn. to both your mother and i."
that was just another way of guilting me into this relationship but still, he was being shockingly sympathetic. "i understand." i sigh, standing up. "now, it's best i'm back to my room. if you need anything else, you know where to find me." i tell him, excusing myself and going out into the corridors.
-
"your brother didn't tell you?" jeffory asks, messing with the things on my vanity and inspecting each photo. he comes across one of abby and i, holding it up. "do you have a copy of this?" he questions, a large smile on his face.
that was the first time i'd met abby. though jeffory and i aren't anything serious, we are extremely close friends. and i adore his daughter dearly. i only knew his wife for a short amount of time, but she was perfect for him. abby looks just like her and some days i can tell jeffory struggles with it. the thought of seeing your deceased loved one in your child sounds mortifying to me.
jeffory was attractive, that was definite. he had smooth features. extremely inviting and warm. his vivid green eyes made for a nice contrast to the dark brown hair. as strange as it sounded, he reminded me of a pine forest. soothing and so easy to get lost in.
