-UndoubtedlyYours-

-Chapter♕♚TwentyNine-

✧TALKING ABOUT TRUE DESIRES✧

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All but a week stood in between Rhea and Alphard being married, and there was still plenty to do. The two had placed the date on a weekend so that it wouldn't interrupt the younger year's schedule with Hogwarts and all.

But Rhea wanted to see them badly, her excitement was contagious to everyone except Walburga Black. Sirius had told her not to worry about it too much, and while she tried, the comments were starting to reign havoc in her mind.

Though it didn't help her that Rolf asked for her to stay over, as father was off in France. Granted she was fully capable of staying at the manor alone—The mere thought had caused Alphard to frown.

So she managed well at her brother's manor, enjoying the company of Bella who saw to it that learning a few defensive spells wouldn't hurt.

And her brother agreed.

Who didn't, was Alphard himself.

He had walked in on the two shooting the better part of the already scorched wall. The two had earned a good yelling, and as Bella had sauntered off completely unphased. Alphard had thought all was well, but that was not a way to get an issue across with Rhea—As he learned at that moment.

As she tried her best to keep her face still throughout it, she burst into a fit of sobs the second he had fallen silent and ran off to hide.
He hadn't meant to be so brash or unreasonable to at least hear her out.

He wasn't her father after all. He was going to be her husband.

The thought dawned on him, and in a matter of hours he had bucked up the courage to face her again. Only this time with an oversized stuffie and a box of chocolate frogs he had been stashing at his manor for when she was going to move in.

Rhea had peeked her head out into the hall and was more than surprised to see that he was coming at all, let alone apologize for what happened.

"Love..." He greeted, which such an adoring smile. "I didn't mean to belittle you or make you feel inferior in any way. I simply don't want to see you hurt. Can you forgive me?" Alphard had indeed made her cry again, though this was much happier as she appreciated that he promised to fix his viewings as well as take a breath before speaking.

But he also had made her promise to start standing up for herself, especially against himself.

In the days following, Alphard had been an absolute sap. Even Rhea couldn't part with Orion's description of his own brother, she had to tell him that all was well.

And she even thanked him for having the stuffie smell like him, as she hadn't managed to sleep well in ages. Sure it had been a bit of a technicality as he had simply held the bear and it transferred.

But he took as his own personal win.

Though it was a real issue when his own doubts had started to grow. He had foolishly confined in his brother about trying to keep up with Rhea's friends on their interests and their concerns. It was surprising to take their view on certain things, but it was all too much and he wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"Would you calm down? You haven't stopped talking about your little wife for weeks." Orion chuckled, pouring the bloke another glass as he downed the first too quickly. 

"I've tried to adapt and it hasn't worked, even Rhea laughed when I told her I've read witch weekly." It happened without fail, Orion spat out his current sip of fire whiskey and tried his best to catch his breath.