Swallow your pride

Charade

Yarra woke up in Ominis's arms, in his room. Ominis assured her that there would be no scandal. His father had surely taken care of notifying her mother of the renewal of their engagement.

Yarra propped herself up on her elbow and watched Ominis blow away contentedly, gently stroked his hair. He was amazing in every way, she didn't deserve him. She loved him, very much. But yesterday, when he asked her to promise him that she didn't have the slightest desire for Sebastian, she had to lie to him.
She knew Sebastian, that his flirting yesterday meant nothing. For him it was just a hunting game. She shouldn't feel the way she did when they danced together. How her body reacted. She hated herself for it. Her conscience bothered her.

She sighed and snuggled up to her lover.
Ominis was waking up, smiled as he felt Yarra snuggling up to him. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close, the warmth of his body against her a source of comfort and joy.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, caressing her hair gently. "I know last night was... intense."
Yarra remembered their fight yesterday, but the reconciliation was worth it. "Yes, after all, you gave me the best lullaby", she replied with a raised corner of her mouth. He squeezed her a little tighter, nuzzling her hair with his nose. "I'm glad we... worked things out," he said softly. "I hate when we fight."
"Me too", she admitted and snuggled as much as possible.
"I love you," he whispered, his voice soft and tender. "You know that, right? More than anything in the world... I love you, Yarra."
"I know, and I love you," she replied.

*******

Hand in hand, they entered the dining room together for breakfast. Their late arrival did not go unnoticed, all eyes were on them. "Good morning" greeted Yarra, the blush on her face betraying the reason for their delay. She could feel the tension in the air as they took their seats at the table.
Ominis parents' stern gazes bore into them, their faces betraying nothing of their thoughts or feelings. Yarra's mother wore a polite but somewhat forced smile, and Sebastian... Sebastian was staring at them with an unreadable expression on his face. Yarra noticed Sebastian's gaze shifting at her neck. At first she raised her eyebrows incomprehension, but then she remembered Ominis' marking of territory. She quickly flipped her hair to cover the hickeys he was staring at.
Their eyes met for a moment, but he quickly looked away.

Lord Gaunt straightened in his chair and spoke, "So, our young ones are engaged as originally planned. I will arrange for an article to be published in the Daily Prophet explaining the whole ridiculous business with Mr. Carter and that will settle the matter." His words hung in the air like a guillotine, final and unforgiving.
Lady Gaunt nodded in agreement with her husband, her eyes glancing between her son and Yarra. "Yes, that should put an end to any unwanted rumors or speculation."

Her mother joined in the conversation, "And when will the wedding be? They must be married as soon as possible, since they...shared a bed together." she chose her words carefully. Yarra could feel her cheeks flushing fiercely. She hadn't expected the conversation to turn so suddenly to the topic of their intimate night together, and she could feel Omini's father's gaze burning into her like a hot iron.
He coughed, clearing his throat before speaking up. "Yes, we will need to arrange the wedding as soon as possible. Maybe next month."

Sebastian interject, his voice a bit sharper than usual. "That seems very hasty, doesn't it? Planning a wedding takes months, especially one of such... significance."
Yarra hadn't expected Sebastian to speak out against the plan, and she could sense the tension in the room growing.
Lord Gaunt, too, seemed taken aback by the remark. He studied Sebastian for a moment, his gaze cold and calculating. "And what would you know about the planning of noble weddings?" he queried, his voice dripping with derision.
"I'm not an expert on noble weddings, but I do know that rushing into something as significant as marriage isn't wise," he replied, his voice tight but controlled. He looked over at Yarra. With a gentle shake of her head, she signaled for him to be quiet, not to irritate Lord Gaunt, because it wouldn't go well.
Lord Gaunt let out a derisive snort. "And what exactly is wrong with a fast wedding, Mr. Sallow?" he asked, his tone mocking. Sebastian looked over at Yarra, seeing the pleading in her eyes for him to keep silent.
He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his anger. He forced a tight smile and replied, "Nothing, sir. I was just stating that planning a wedding in such a short timeframe might be quite taxing. It's not an easy thing to do, after all." 
Omini's father smirked, clearly enjoying the exchange and the discomfort it was causing. "Ah, such a thoughtful and caring friend you are, Mr. Sallow," he said mockingly. "But rest assured, the Gaunt family has more than enough resources to ensure that the wedding will be planned adequately, even under such a tight deadline."
Yarra could sense Sebastian's growing anger, and she shot him a warning look, silently begging him to keep his temper in check.