The Eldars

14

"Congratulations, Mant and Montani!" Molani says excitedly. She has wanted this day for more than five years now. She hugs them both tight. "Now you're my daughter in truth." Molani is all but squealing in her happiness.

Montani steps back and looks at her questioningly, "I don't understand."

Mauntie snickers, "You mean you haven't figured it out? Mant is our only child until you came along. But he likes his independence so once he obtained his majority he left home."

"I have another reason to thank you Montani, if you hadn't of been here I don't think Mant would have ever come back to visit," Molani says beaming with happiness. She had always hoped that these two would get together. Five years ago she was almost positive it would happen and then Mant left.

Montani looks over at Mant and just raises one eyebrow in question. Mant ignores it. "So not funny Mauntie, you know I was hardly home at my own place. Either I was out hunting and tracking or otherwise engaged in council business."

Mauntie smiles, "I know, I was joking around with you a bit."

Montani isn't done though, "All these years and no one thought to tell me that you three were family? How stupid I must seem." The tears that threaten to fall aren't those of a joke and all three sober immediately.

Mant speaks first, "I just never think about it. I never call them mom and dad so I guess I just...I'm just so used to everyone already knowing I just assumed that you knew too." He looks down, now she's upset with him and he doesn't see this night getting any better.

"We just never thought about it I guess, Mant requested us to not call him son so that he could do things on his own merit and not because of who his parents are." Molani says looking down unhappily.  She hadn't meant to ruin her daughter's wedding day.

Mant just sighs and looks down in pain. Mauntie actually bites his lip, "We never meant to hurt you Montani. We haven't lived all together for years even before you came to live with us,  don't be mad at him. If you want to be angry at someone be angry with me. I should have told you when I brought you to live with us."

"So did you have Mant be my tutor so that you would see more of him?" Montani still isn't sure that they weren't secretly using her.

All three of them look at her in shock, "I have to admit that him being your tutor made it so he actually came to visit, but no. His being your tutor was him volunteering and the rest of the council accepting him. We actually had no say. Well, I at least had no say, it was decided while we were still away from Malinor. Molani, being on the council had a voice, but you know that there are several council members and hers would have been a small voice at that." Mauntie states trying to figure out how to make things right once more.

"I voted against it actually," Molani says in the quiet that follows his words. "I thought she would do better with a female tutor. I was out voted and I couldn't be happier that I was."

Montani turns her hurt visage to Mant, "Why did you volunteer?"

Mant smiles sadly to himself still looking down before slowly looking up, "I wanted to see the human that could get through my father's anger towards humans and make him want to adopt her. I wanted to know how a human could manage that."

He looks at Montani, "I have never regretted the decision I made to volunteer for that job. The time I spent teaching with you I treasure beyond anything. I found the most incredible person ever and fell in love with her. The feelings I had scared me and weren't fair to her. I thought," Mant laughs bitterly, "that she should have the chance to talk to and be with others.  I knew that, but while I was with her all I wanted was to keep her away from them. I left so that she would be able to decide without me there if she could ever feel for me what I feel for her. I hadn't meant to be gone for so long. I sure didn't mean to be captured and tortured for five years." 

Mant sighs and wipes away the tears that he doesn't want to let fall. "I fell in love with a human that should never have been born human. She should have been born Eldar. The thing was, I was never sure how she felt about me. I could have any girl in Malinor that wasn't already taken, but I didn't know if she felt about me the same as I felt about her.

"When I got back and saw the celebration I thought at first it was your wedding Montani. Seeing you dance with your date-I thought he was your husband and I almost left. It was only that you started looking around like you were looking for someone that I started hoping once more. When you saw me," Mant's eyes close as he relives that moment three days prior, "hope flashed in your eyes and something inside me broke.

"When you slapped me, I knew I deserved that. I deserve so much more than that." Mant was going to continue but Montani stops him.

"Enough, Mant. I've forgiven you, but you will never leave me again." Montani sees something flit across his face and he looks at Mauntie. She flicks her eyes over to Mauntie and sees the guilty look on his face and she starts getting angry. Something is wrong, very wrong on her wedding night.

"It's getting late, we should go home now," Mant says hiding his feelings deep. He bids his parents goodnight as does Montani and then escorts her to his home, their home. He wonders when, if ever, he'll see it again after he leaves in the morning.

Mant opens the door and sweeps Montani inside. His lips finds hers  before he even bothers turning on any of the lights. After he closes the door and ends his kiss he adds light to the house and Montani sees the packs lying ready next to the door.

She backs up angry and feeling betrayed. "You're leaving?" The pain couldn't be masked any more by her steely determination. It nearly overwhelms her.