.....
A D R I E N
Elena narrowed her cat-like eyes, as she stared at him from the rim of her teacup. He could see her fingers minutely quiver, and it might be his improved senses, or he might just be overthinking. Elena remembered her self respect and had stopped desperately chasing him, and it seems she had come to an acceptance of their situation.
"I'm going home for vacation," He started quietly, noting every minuscule reaction of hers. "As you are aware, I would look for a way to dissolve our engagement."
"Hah. I knew something was up when you invited me. You are hoping for my cooperation, aren't you?" She set her tea down roughly, her golden eyes fizzing furiously, her mouth set in a straight line.
Before he could say anything, she continued. "You are aware that our engagement is an alliance of the Topaz and Ruby families. It's more than just us Adrien. You'll be the future Duke Rosemond. With Skotadi allying with the Diatiro, are you sure you could throw away the Margavine's support?"
He was prepared for that honestly. Duke Aima had been vying for power ever since his sister became the queen. Adrien asked himself many times what kind of Duke he would become, and honestly?— not like his father for one. He doesn't know what shit his father and stepmother are starting, but he had a feeling in a few years it would all go down, and by time it all crashes and burns, he wanted to make sure that blaze would not touch Elena and the House of Topaz.
How much would he go to protect the House of Ruby?— Not much. How much would he go to protect Elena, even from himself?— A lot. When inferno comes, he'd rather face it alone. The House of Ruby and the remnants of the Dark Ages would go down with him.
It's awful. Elena loved him when he couldn't even look at himself. Those golden eyes he loved before... He can't catch her gaze without seeing horror in those golden eyes and her blood on his hands.
Someone up his family tree probably fucked up, now centuries later he's dealing the burnt of it. If he could help it, the Rosemond Line will end with him.
"I am aware of it." He said calmly. Then again, after he dissolves their engagement, what happens to Elena?— Duke Margavine was apathetic, while Duchess Margavine would fly into a deranged frenzy and solely blame Elena's non existent flaws. Elena perfected herself not only to stand by his side, but also because Duchess Margavine was obsessed with grooming her daughter to be the best bride there is.
When that time comes, he already has a way to make sure that they couldn't harm her— physically and emotionally. But to do so, he had to be on the same level as Duke Margavine.
"I just wanted to inform you of my plans from here."
"You're — hic— so unfair Adrien. Then you'd go off the grid again, Lord knows what you do when you're off the map. I love you, I'll stay by your side, I want to be your Duchess Rosemond. But with the way you're acting, it's so hard to hold on anymore Adrien..." Tears were streaming down her cheeks, that she was hastily wiping elegantly with a handkerchief. "I feel like you're leaving me every time we see each other. Why— Why are you throwing me away Adrien?"
"Well why don't you answer? You have a mouth don't you?!" She snapped in irritation, glaring at him. "Please, say something! I could help you. We could handle this together—"
"I am going to handle the House of Ruby alone." He said resolutely, already having a premonition of what would go down years later. It wouldn't end well.
She stopped bargaining, as she stared at him as if something clicked. She slowly breathed to calm her brewing hysteria. "Then, give me this. Did you ever love me Adrien?" She asked in a small, vulnerable voice. The most vulnerable he'd ever heard the famous social butterfly Elena Margavine.
He closed his eyes. "I did." Elena was after all, the woman he was set to marry. His happy childhood memories were with her. She was the only one he could see marrying, but not anymore. She was better off without him, without the baggage of the Rosemond line she wished to join.
She threw her teacup at him, not intended to hit him, and it broke in a sickening crunch behind him. He was expecting her to throw tea at him, which he would not dodge. Hell, if she even throws the teacup aiming at him, he resolved not to dodge because he deserved it.
"You chose this, Adrien Rosemond." She said in a scathing tone, and this time, he knew they already burned that fragile bridge she had been desperately holding on to. When he did meet her gaze this time, he knew he lost her. Elena would one day have her happy ending, and he would be cheering from the sidelines. When she gets her happy ending— with someone who isn't him, in the distant future, Adrien would still be convinced that he did the right thing today.
Did he do the right thing today?
......
#SaveLukaPlz
Luka Noir had faced a lot of awkward mishaps in his life. But this one takes the cake.
He was just innocently walking down a cobbled path from the dorm's downstairs cafe, when Elena Margavine bumped into him with Adrien Rosemond hot on her heels. He locked Rosemond's crimson gaze as he steadied the hysterically crying Elena when the warp happened.
He wants to cry too! Maybe going back to the dorms to get that chocolate chip surprise cookie wasn't worth it!!
His cousin Lyra had told him about the horrors of final exams. At least, he hoped that his twin sister would end up with good group mates.
He was awkwardly walking in between Adrien Rosemond (whom he never met before) and Elena Margavine (who was also his groupmate last initiation). Normally he would be calm and complacent since he's grouped with high ranking people. When push comes to shove, he believes that Adrien Rosemond with his fire magic and Elena Margavine with her electric bolts could handle it. These two were of the most powerful magic users in their generation, so really, Luka felt assured that they could survive whatever obstacle the exam might throw at them.
But only if the two weren't pointedly ignoring each other.
He was almost feeling sorry for the monsters. Even if they were ignoring each other, they bulldozed past the monsters. Luka was once again convinced that he lives in a completely different world from the old bloods. Magic that he saw from legends and lores were in action in front of him realtime.
"Uhm, so what path should we take?" He asked the two, while staring at the diverging paths. One could lead to the exit and the other could lead even deeper down the generated terrain. In the past initiation, they have a compass— this time they literally have to navigate through the labyrinth by themselves. Navigate by stars, winds, or something. Mostly gut instinct
"Left."
"Right."
But of course the two had to choose opposite. Luka sniffed, feeling as if he was a thin rubber band pulled at both sides. Adrien and Elena now glared at each other, after frostily ignoring one another.
Luka wonders what Rein would do if she was in his situation.
He really doesn't understand old bloods.
"Noir, which path do you think we should take?" Adrien Rosemond suddenly turned to him.
"We're going right, aren't we Noir?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest, raising a brow at him.
He sweatdropped, feeling two knives from opposite directions pointed at him.
Mommy!
He squatted down, and began taking a carving knife out and painstakingly carved a magic sigil on the labyrinth wall. The two old bloods stared at him incredulously, until he finished. He scanned the sigil with his ring. He could actually do short distance teleportation without a marker, but for long distance ones, he needs a marker to go back to.
"So which path Noir?" Elena asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Let's go right first," He gulped when Adrien's burgundy gaze focused on him. "If it doesn't work out, I can instantly teleport us back here. I drew a magic sigil, I'm sure I can return us back to this place to take the left path." That seemed to placate the fire user.
Adrien walked ahead first, and Luka was always in the middle of these two acting as a buffer. He turned back to Elena Margavine, oddly remembering her crying in the library weeks before. Her face was oddly blank, before she glared at him when he noticed her looking.
He held up both of his hands, before turning back front, honestly hoping that they find the exit. Honestly, Luka could cry when they saw the crackling portal.
"Yehey!!!" He jumped up happily, before Elena fell into a step beside him. "See I'm always right, you made the right choice trusting me. Why would I choose the path where nothing is left?" She murmured the last part, but for sure Adrien hear it. Elena actually walked through the portal first.
Luka stared back at the future Duke Rosemond. In Luka's eyes, this guy was always angry, a total troublemaker. He always got into fights with the upperclassmen in the underground fighting ring (yes! There's something like that in Gardenia Academy, Luka never went there but he heard). At this point from the rumors, he's on his way to defeat everyone and be the leader already. He was like a fire that burned angrily, scorching everything in its path. Adrien Rosemond was dangerous, he got into all sorts of trouble and waved around his expensive surname to get away with it. This guy would probably be expelled if he weren't the son of the prime minister.
(Before he came to wake up Adrien Rosemond for his night watch, the guy was already awake and shoved brightly colored pills in his mouth at the same time! Although Adrien had volunteered for the annoying second watch after Luka's first watch, it was still traumatizing to see him do that and, without water!
Yikes. What the hell were those pills even?— Luka decided he didn't want to know)
The only person Adrien gets along with perfectly was Avarys Diatiro, future Light King. Luka also gets the chills from that guy. Honestly, when Adrien is Prime Minister and Avarys is King, he wonders if it is too late to move to another country...
Maybe not. Gardenia is an archipelago in an out of coverage area with whirlpools and violent oceans surrounding them. Almost like something is blocking them to traverse to other countries. Not for the lack of trying, no one just returns alive. As a businessman, Luka had considered the prospect of expanding business if other countries exist after all.
So they're all lowkey stuck in Gardenia.
"She did make the right choice. Let's go Noir." Adrien Rosemond had a soft smile on his face when Luka peaked at him. As if he and Elena came to a certain understanding. As if he is relieved by something.
Luka honestly felt like he was watching a film in another language.
Because, What in the 4D chess was that?
......
Happy Holidays everyone! I promised myself I'd update during the holidays but I ended up forgetting. I hope everyone had a nice break the past holidays.
I had a bit of self-reflection the past few days. Lovelorn is like an ode to the turmoil, frustrations, changes and toxic emotions I felt as a teenager. As I write the characters, I feel as if a part of me is healed as well. I want to definitely finish Lovelorn one day.
Lots of love,
Emika