Thalia paced back and forth, just yesterday she watched Vincent carry Lilith away from the banquet. Immediately she heard everybody whisper about how they were an adorable couple.
"Why is this happening?" She thought dejectedly as she finally sat down on her vanity chair. She huffed and looked at herself in the mirror, in the beauty aspect she felt like she won over Lilith.
"Lilith has scary eyes and a scary smile, her overall look is so gloomy. I have kind eyes and my smile is pretty, he used to love me so much, what did she do to him?" She thought, applying a bit of makeup as her mind worked.
At the banquet she accidentally overheard the Ravencroft twins talking with a small group of ladies about lady Hansen confessing recklessly to a married man.
Thalia knew they were talking about Vincent, Lady Hansen made it obvious that she had her eyes set on Vincent. However, Vincent was a loyal person, which is why she never imagined Lilith would snatch him away.
"What was the breaking point?" She thought deeply. "Was it when they slept together? That must have been it, but how did she manage to seduce him, even when I was wearing those thin nightgowns the times I saw him at night…he didn't even bat an eye.."
She frowned at the thought of Vincent no longer finding her attractive, groaning in frustration she pulled out the gray envelope. Opening it and reading the contents one more time, tapping her finger on the vanity as she lost herself in thought.
Lucia couldn't handle the sight anymore, ever since coming back Thalia looked so stressed out. "It must be breaking her heart that the man she loves is married to another woman.." she thought.
She decided to bring Thalia some candy, maybe that would take her mind off things for at least a little while.
On her way to the kitchen she saw Vincent drinking coffee as he looked out into the garden from a balcony. She decided to approach him, bowing when he turned back to look at her.
"Is everything alright Lucia?" Vincent asked.
"Yes young master.." She said, hearing a faint bark she peaked over and realized Vincent was watching Lilith play with Tatsu. She kept a straight face and cleared her throat.
"May I speek freely young master?" She asked.
"Yes." He said curiously.
"It seems my lady has been worried lately, I wonder if perhaps the young master would accompany her for a little while so she feels better?" Lucia asked.
"Do you mean Thalia?"
"Yes young master."
He seemed to think it over for a few seconds. "I'll see what I can do.." He said.
She bowed and left happily, Vincent turned back over to wat h Lilith, she looked happy and carefree. He drank the last of his coffee and went back inside, wondering what Thalia was do worried about.
"Is he gone?" Lilith thought as she discreetly looked back at the balcony Vincent was watching her from. She huffed and got up from the grass, dusting her dress off.
She began walking and made sure nobody was following, Tatsu understood commands by watching her hands and he knew she wanted him to walk quietly by her side.
Going around the back she found a large wooden door, it looked quite old but sturdy, she finally found the armory.
Sneaking in she looked around for any weapons she could comfortably use and easily hide. She found a german hunting dagger and kukri knife, which could be easily hidden under her dresses.
Grabbing a small leather bag she placed the items inside and hid them underneath the skirt of her dress, wrapping the strap of the bag around her thigh.
She snuck out quietly, Tatsu glued to her leg as they walked in sync, she made it back into the gardens and was finally able to relax. The gazebo was done being decorated and it was now adorned with red roses, white roses, and pink tulips.
Snapping her fingers and making a hand gesture Tatsu wagged his tail and ran off, free to do as he liked.
she went inside the gazebo and breathed in the sweet scent of flowers, it truly was a scene out if a fairytale. Footsteps caught her attention and she was greeted by Richards smiling face.
"My lady." He said as he bowed.
"Hey Richard, did you come to see the gazebo?" She asked.
"No, I was actually searching for you my lady." He said.
She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Why?" She asked.
He seemed to get a little embarrassed, taking a deep breath he got down on one knee, bowing his head to her and holding up his sheathed sword with both his hands.
She watched him in shock, having no idea what he was doing.
"My lady, I have heard that you do not have a personal knight, I would be honored to take that position with your blessing." He said.
"He is such an honorable man…" she thought as she smiled, they were always acting silly together and seeing him act this way was impressive.
"I'm sorry…but I don't think I need a personal knight, I can take care of myself." She said.
"Most ladies in your position my lady have at least a personal guard, I have heard of all the troubles my lady has gone through. I would be honored to be the knight that protects you, my life is but a stepping stool for you my lady." He said.
"I…don't know what to say, I don't want you to get hurt protecting me."
"Death is easier to deal with than seeing you suffer my lady, I would gladly die for you if you wished it. My life is now yours." He said bowing his head lower and raising the sheathed sword up to her hands.
She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Are knights usually so forceful when offering their loyalty." She teased.
His ears turned red, but he stayed in position waiting for her answer. She felt bad for saying no, hesitantly she took the sword and unsheathed it, placing the tip gently on his right shoulder and then on his left.
He looked up at her and smiled, his eyes looking up at her in admiration.
"So…I guess you are my knight now.." She said handing him the sword as he stood back up.
"I am honored my lady." He said happily.
"Well, in a way I am glad since he matches my energy so well." She thought smiling back at him, she could have sworn she saw puppy ears and a tail wagging on him by how happy he looked.
Suddenly it clicked in her mind. "Ha! Golden retriever boyfriend!" She thought.
"My lady are you going anywhere now?" He asked.
"Yeah, i'm going to my room, why?"
"I just wanted to make sure in case I needed to walk with you, as your esquire I would need to be by your side at all times." He said.
"I see, well I don't need you to follow me, don't you have knights to command?" She asked as she walked away.
He smirked, bowing to her respectfully, his gaze following her until she was out of sight.
Sebastian watched the scene unfold from behind a pillar, he did believe it was about time Lilith get a personal guard. However, they were usually appointed by the family and she would have to pick from a group with who she believed would be a compatible with her.
Either way, he was ordered to tell the duke anything that happened with Lilith, sighing he continued on his way. The amount of work he had lately had him drained and he had major eye bags. "When will this end…" he thought tiredly.
Vincent entered the tea room, Thalia caught sight of him and stood up, greeting him excitedly. "Vincent, i'm so happy to see you!" She said.
He smiled softly and put his hand on the top of her head, ruffling her hair a little. Her bangs got a little unruly and she giggled, stepping back a bit to fix her hair.
"I'm sorry if I have been neglecting you lately, I have been very busy." He said.
She shook her head. "It's alright, I understand, would you like some tea?" She asked.
"That would be nice." He said taking a seat in front of her.
"Have you been to the city? There is a new boutique store that is selling winter clothes already." Thalia asked.
"No I haven't, the city is further than the village so it's hard to make time to travel there." He said.
He remembered the opera house in the city, they used to go as a family all the time when he was younger, the last time they went was a month before he married Lilith.
"Thalia do you know of any showings at the opera house?" Vincent asked.
Her eyes widened in excitement. "Yes, there is a showing from the play ' The Promise', it has been very popular." She said, hoping he would ask her to go with him.
"I see, anyway, what have you been up to?" Vincent asked.
She felt disappointed that he didn't suggest going, but she was glad to be able to have a nice conversation with him.
Lucia watched proudly as Thalia seemed to be in a better mood by the second, hoping this helps her get closer to Vincent.
Lilith placed the daggers in a toolbox along with some rope, and medicine. "I need to make some nutrition bricks." She thought as she finished. A knock from her bedroom door made her jump and quickly the box, the lively chatter of the girls and Sarka was heard when they entered.
"My lady?" Betty called out.
"I'm in the other room." Lilith called out as she sat at the designated art desk.
She had a room extension where she had all her hobby supplies, it was almost as big as her actual bedroom. The girls walked in and continued their excited chatter, Sarka bowed as soon as she saw Lilith.
"My lady I found out Tasu is an amarok wolf." Sarka said happily.
Lilith turned to look at her seriously. "An amarok wolf? Aren't those a myth? How is that possible…" she thought as she searched her mind for answers.
"That's amazing, I heard most hunters kill the cubs when they find them, and rarely they will be sold in the black market, but that's just a rumor…" Melinda said shyly.
Lilith sighed. "No wonder his growth spurts happen so quickly…" she said.
"Yes, and in most cases they say they frow to be even larger than a polar bear!" Sarka said with bright eyes.
"You know about polar bears?" Lilith asked.
"Yes, there was a book on animals that live in freezing temperatures, I was amazed by the details of their survival." Sarka said.
Lilith was deep in thought, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was a good thing she started training him early or else who knows how reckless he could have become.
"My lady tomorrow is the royal ball, the dress we have chosen for you will be perfect." Betty said excitedly.
"I have an idea for your make up as well my lady, also, I heard there was going to be noble ladies showing their talents at the ball." Melinda said.
"Talents? What like dancing or singing?" Lilith asked.
"Yes, one lady is said to be playing the piano, apparently they are taking their chances to become candidates for the princes." Betty said.
"That's interesting, i'm sure they must have practiced a lot." Lilith said.
"Will you do something my lady?" Betty asked.
Lilith hummed. "No, i'm already married and I don't want to."
"My lady, before you came to the Allard mansion, one rumor stood out most, that your dancing was so beautiful it puts people in trances. That your movements are smooth and elegant, your agility has been unmatched." Melinda said in a dreamy tone as she and Betty danced, imagining the scene.
Sarka laughed at the girls, but agreed. "I heard such rumors as well, as well as hearing that your voice was enchanting, even sirens envy you." She said.
Lilith blushed. "I doubt it's that impressive, anyway let's talk about something else." Lilith said.
"Actually my lady, it's about time for us to prepare you for tomorrow." Melinda said.
"I'll go get Natali!" Betty said as she ran off.
Liliths eyes widened and she shivered. "Is that really necessary?" She asked fearfully.
"Yes, trust us, you are in good hands." Melinda said.
Sarka looked a little confused. "Why are you scared my lady?"
Lilith looked at her sadly. "I get scrubbed and waxed all over, it's painful…"
Sarka laughed. "Here I thought you weren't afraid of anything my lady." She teased.
An hour later she was waxed, scrubbed, and had been massaged with perfumed oils, now they were brushing her hair and filing her nails.
"Beauty hurts…but I live for the massage." Lilith thought as she sighed in relaxation.
There was a knock at the door and Vincent walked in, a small smile on his face.
She was still in just a robe and he blushed a little by her exposed legs and cleavage, he gulped as he tried to focus on her face.
"Hey, what's going on?" Lilith asked.
He cleared his throat. "I would like to invite you to the opera house tonight, just the two of us…we can leave at 5 so we can be there by 6…" he said hopefully.
She could see how nervous he was and she smiled comfortingly. "Yes, that sounds fun."
"Great, i'll come back for you in a few hours." He said and left.
The girls looked at each other and rushed to her closet, looking through everything to make sure they got the perfect dress and shoes. Natali rolled her eyes and got started on Liliths make up, Sarka sat down on the bed to watch them get Lilith ready.
"Have you been to the opera house before my lady?" Sarka asked.
"No I have never been, I wonder what it looks like." Lilith said.
"This dress is perfect, it's light and fresh and the shoes matching will be comfortable." Betty said.
The dress was a periwinkle color with gold emblems, the shoes were of similar color and had a heel that wasn't too big. The dress had off shoulder sleeves and with soft pink mesh at the hems.
Sarka did her best to help when they needed something to be held or picked up.
"You look so beautiful.." Sarka said, her eyes glittering with admiration as Lilith stood in all her glory.
Natali and the girls looked proud of what they pulled off in one hour, and sure enough there was a knock at the door.
Natali gave Lilith a small white and periwinkle with gold decor and rushed her to the door. As soon as Vincent laid eyes on her there was silence as he took in the sight before him.
It wasn't a style she usually wore, she looked different, a good different. "You look beautiful.." he said as he offered his hand to her.
She took it and they started walking, she looked back at the girls and waved goodbye. They waved back with satisfied smiles, closing the door behind them to finish cleaning up what they used.
Once in the carriage they sat in silence, looking out the window, they passed by the giant lake she saw the first time and smiled.
It was the day she remembered going to the beach with her friends, feeling homesick she looked aways sadly and looked at her hands.
"I wish I could see them all one more time…" she thought sadly.
"Are you alright?" Vincent asked.
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him. "Oh, yeah sorry, I was just thinking of the beach.."
"The beach? I have never gone to the beach, have you?"
"Um, no, but I would really love to go one day.." she said.
She had to lie since the original Lilith had never gone to the beach, and so far she had never heard anyone even mention it before.
"Do you like traveling?" He asked curiously.
She thought about it, growing up she usually went with her traveling with her parents, even now her parents were still traveling the world and seeing new things.
The only reason she stayed behind was because of school and she would have missed life with her friends. However, thinking about it now, she did love traveling. She smiled gently, the memory of laughter filling her mind and heart, Miyanos soft gaze and Yukis warm hugs. The trip they went on when she was back from the military, a three day stay at a cabin. There was almost 10 of them and some had to sleep on the couches or floors.
She sighed happily. "Yes…I suppose I do.."
He seemed content with her answer, looking back out the window she saw the entrance to the village. It reminded her that she needed to go to the bank and deposit more money for her runaway.
"You really like the village don't you? Every time we're here you seem so happy." He said.
"Oh..right, I remembered when I had to make handkerchiefs and scarfs, it took a while to get them all done." She said.
"Yes I remember coming back from a trip and the ladies had already sold out quite a few." He said.
"Yeah, I thought nobody would mine but when I passed by again they were all gone." She said in relief.
"Why did you think nobody would buy them?" He asked.
"Well I made them, I believed the first ones to go were Thalias and the other ladies, after all i'm not very well liked." She said leaning back.
He seemed saddened by what she said, clearing her throat she shrugged.
"I mean even we didn't get along at first, and i'm used to being on my own, I just keep myself busy." She said smiling happily, even though she liked spending time with friends it didn't mean she didn't treasure her alone time.
He misunderstood her and believed she felt neglected, his heart feeling heavy with guilt as he was part of the blame.
As he wallowed in guilt under a grey cloud, she happily hummed unaware of his inner turmoil.
They finally made it to the city, the streets full of people walking and the shops full of customers. Stopping at the front of the opera house her eyes widened as she was met with the beautiful detailed entrance.
Just entering there was a crystal chandelier glittering and beautiful paintings on the walls and ceilings. The red drapes and carpets looked beautiful with the marble floors. As Vincent bought the tickets she continued looking around, her eyes wide as she admired the details of the building.
Vincent tapped her shoulder. "I got the tickets, let's go." He said offering his arm.
She smiled and held onto his arm as they walked to their seats, they went into a balcony where the could see the whole opera.
The most beautiful building she has ever seen in her life, it looked like a tower of red carpets and drapes showered in gold, the chandeliers sparkling like diamonds in the sun.
As soon as the show started she was fascinated by the voices of the singers, echoing powerfully through the large opera.
Enamored by the actors voices, she couldn't take her eyes off of their performance, the story itself was sad but captivating. It was about a young couples promise to be together no matter the circumstance.
However the young woman's family was in a lot of debt, even though she didn't want to she was forced to marry a nobleman with a lot of money. She had one last secret meeting with her lover and confessed how much she loved him, telling him about her families debt and need for her arranged marriage.
The lover was disappointed in her for breaking their promise, but he simply nodded and told her to live her life as best she could, and he would be unable to love another.
Heartbroken and scared she meets the nobleman, one who was known to never speak with women. There were rumors of him being an angry man who believed women were lesser than men.
Sadly she went through with the marriage, in the beginning he was silent and wouldn't interact with her, therefore she was able to live peacefully. Although she was beginning to feel upset by how much he ignored her presence. She argues with him and pushes him, only for him to try and apologize, to her disbelief she realized the reason he wouldn't speak is because he had a stutter.
She feels sad for him and reassures him that he shouldn't be afraid to speak with her, warmly smiling at him.
A few seasons pass, although she misses her ex lover her families debts were paid and she was slowly starting to feel happy. The young woman is invited to a ball, where she once again meets her ex lover.
She feels happy to see him, however is shocked when she sees him with another woman attached to his arm. He approaches her and explains that he secretly had a lot of money that could have paid for her families debt, after all he was hiding the fact that he was a nobleman himself. However, he didn't want the young woman to marry him for money. He feels that she only wanted money and that is why she decided to marry the nobleman, and that is why he married his new lover months ago.
Feeling betrayed and hurt, she walks away with tears in her eyes. That night she tries to kill herself by hanging, only for her nobleman husband to catch her and save her.
He confesses to her that she is the only person to make him feel so free, and she begins to feel happy again. After deciding to forget about her ex lover and move on, she behind to truly love her new husband.
As time passed they had children, and lived happily as they now loved each other deeply. The ex lover however, made the wrong investments and lost all his money, and his bride left him for another man who had more money. The story ends with the happy couple walking hand in hand and the ex lover, wallowing in sorrow in the darkness.
Lilith liked the ending, satisfied that the woman found true happiness, this could have been great for a tv series in her original world.
As they left the opera house Vincent kept his eyes on Lilith, she was still glowing in excitement.
"Did you enjoy the show?" He asked.
"Yes! It was amazing, it had a really satisfying ending." She said happily.
He smiled at her enthusiasm, not wanting the night to end he stopped walking.
"Would you like to walk around the city?" He asked.
Lilith hummed. "That would be nice." She said.
She was getting hungry and she hoped she could find snacks in the city considering it would be almost an hour ride back home.
There were quite a few shops for dresses and women's items, which made sense the majority of the visitors were women. There were music halls, art galleries, and museums, her eyes wide as she took everything in.
Lilith spotted a dessert shop and licked her lips, Vincent chuckled at how she focused on the dessert and they walked over.
She gladly ate her slice of cake, it wasn't enough to get rid of the hunger, but it helped her calm down.
Vincent was staring at her lips, she cocked her head in confusion.
"Is there something on my face?" She asked.
"Yes, there is a little frosting on your lips." He said.
She blushed a little in embarrassment, but before she could wipe it off he had already pressed his lips against hers. Kissing her softly as he tasted her, shocked by his sudden action she stood still, unsure of how to react.
The kiss was sweeter than the dessert and she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Separating slowly they kept eye contact, he smiled at her softly and they continued walking.
A couple of people had been watching them and she did her best to ignore their gaze.
"That was my first time watching an opera.." she said suddenly.
"What? I thought you had gone before? The Grimrose family was almost always here when we came as a family before." Vincent said.
Her eyes widened as she searched through Liliths memories and sighed in relief when she realized the original Lilith truly never went to the opera.
"When I was younger I was always left behind by my family as they went to operas and went out to the city." She said shrugging it off.
His heart felt heavy. "So she went from neglect…to more neglect when she married me.." he thought guiltily.
"I'm happy you brought me, I had a lot of fun." She said.
He smiled bitterly. "Is there anything else you would like to do?" He asked.
She thought about it deeply. "No, i'm okay for now.." she said.
"She never asks for anything…" he thought, when they first married, he believed she would be egotistical and materialistic. However so far she has proved him wrong every single time he thought he knew how she would react.
"I think it's time to go home, we have a lot to do tomorrow." She said.
He agreed and they began their walk back to the carriage, her eyes kept wandering around the city. The lampposts were bright and emitting a warm light over the peoples faces. The bustling streets reminded her of home and she felt so comfortable, it was just like a walk back home after drinking with her friends.
The carriage ride back was comfortable, the moon and stars were brighter than ever. He watched her amused by how entertained she was by such simple things.
"You are so much more different than I thought you would be like." He said.
"Really? How so?" She asked.
"I thought you would be a stuck up brat used to having her way, but after everything with Vanessa and your family. I realize just how wrong I was about you as a person, you are strong, kind, generous, playful, and I am thrilled to see more sides of you." He said.
She could feel her heart race as he spoke, sitting still and silently as their eyes locked and she searched for any indication of trickery.
In the novel he was always kind and loving towards Thalia, she never expected him to treat her this way and she had no idea what to say. She gulped, unknowing of what to say, they just stared into each other's eyes.
Hers full of awe and fear, his full of affection and wonder.
"Why is he acting this way towards me?" She thought, as much as she liked what he said, she couldn't bring herself to fully accept it.
"Don't fall for it Estella, if you fall for him now it will only hurt that much more when he slices your head off." She thought to herself, it was nice to have a little crush on him and be with him as his wife, but that was all. Becoming dependent of him and desiring him would be a mistake, no matter how kind he was.
As soon as they were home he walked her to her room, surprisingly none of the maids were there and Vincent figured it was to give them privacy. Once at the door she turned to look at him, smiling sweetly.
"Thank you for today, have a good night.." she said sweetly.
He fully expected her to kiss him and had puckered up his lips a little as he leaned towards her, but she simply went into her room and smiled as she shut the door.
He stood there frozen, stating at the wooden hand carved door.
"What just happened?" He thought.
He fought the urge to knock on her door and walked away, he was hoping they could spend the night together but it looks like she was too tired.
He sighed in defeat. "I guess i'll just sleep alone tonight…"
She finished writing in her journal, keeping track of the progress she's had with the family. The duchess seemed to like her more and more everyday, Thalia was still a grey area since Lilith didn't feel like she could trust her.
Cyrus still didn't like her very much but there a decent amount of progress, however the duke and her have made no progress at all.
Sighing in frustration she shut the journal, placing it back in her hiding place, there needed to be a way for her to be able to get along with the duke. Perhaps she could find something in common with him so she could try and be on his good side.
Her thoughts went back to Vincent, he looked so disappointed when she said good night.
"Oh…." She realized he most likely wanted to spend the night with her considering they had just gotten back from a date.
She would have liked that but she assumed he would have made a move on her on the way to her room.
She smirked. "No he wouldn't." She thought, he was too shy to make a move on her and probably was expecting her to make the move.
"He's probably asleep by now anyway…." She thought, grabbing a pillow and cuddling it. Feeling a little touch starved she tried to comfort herself with the blankets and the pillows to make it like she was holding someone. Tatsu wasn't in the room which meant he was most likely with Sarka, and the maids decided to leave her alone thinking she was going to sleep with Vincent.
Restless she continued tossing and turning, she groaned exasperated by the empty feeling.
"This is going to be a long night…"