Divine Realizations [ Clarion X Milori ]

Chapter 14

Clarion finished wiping and drying the tears from her eyes in her room.
Well it finally had happened she thought.
After a lifetime of waiting for him to grow some, he finally proposed to me, Clarion laughed bitterly.
There was no real humor though and she was just disappointed that it had come to this.
The love of her life had told her he would always and only love his dead wife but pitied her enough to fake propose and marry her even when he didn't want to be involved in the first place, making sure to state that when it was all over they would divorce.
Yay her.
Clarion got up and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she was determined to stop pitying herself and the never ending cycle that seemed to be her life at the moment.
She strode purposefully towards her doorway and immediately opened it, coming face to face with Milori.
'My, he is so tall', she thought.
"Oh, I was just - well you were... uh here, you need to sign the marital license."
Milori thrust a piece of paper and a pen in her hand and she signed without so much as looking.
Handing it back to Milori she couldn't help but laugh and say, "What no ring?"
Milori straightened and cleared his throat,
"Of course, I almost forgot."
He pulled out a gorgeous blue-velvet box, and inside was the most beautiful silver band mounted with a huge sparkling stone.
Clarion didn't care for extravagant and showy things, but dear god it had to be the largest diamond she had ever seen.
She tried to close her mouth but couldn't and looked up at Milori, questions no doubt showing in her eyes.
"Milori where did you get this? It's breathtaking."
And worth half of my kingdom, she thought.
"It was Ardens'. I had it specially mined, ironically, from the Hinterlands. On loan of course to you just so this all can look legitiment."
Again reality hit and Clarion tried not to feel hurt.
There was no point in her hoping for anything more, he had been very honest and forth coming to her so anymore hurt feelings were her own fault, she relented.
Giving a smile she didn't feel, Clarion said, "Well thank you, I know this can't be easy for you. I'll take very good care of it."
Gingerly, Clarion extended her hand to Milori and he wrapped his fingers gently around hers to slide the ring on her finger.
Everywhere he touched her sparked with heat, and she hated that she liked it.
As soon as he was done, she quickly pulled her arm back and took a step away. 
"I - I need to do a few more things before I come downstairs, then I'll need to do a daily run through around Pixie Hollow to check on the fairies. I haven't replied to Lord Kealy or any of his letters yet so I'll..."
"Don't bother", Milori interrupted again.
(He had a bad habit of that)
"From now on if you are to be my wife, even a pretend one, I will handle all correspondence between Kealy and you."
Relief washed through Clarion as the thought of writing to that man made her stomach churn.
Was this what it was like to have a partner in life?
Someone to love, protect and share burdens with?
Nodding her head, Clarion watched as Milori's lean frame sauntered down the hallway.
She now had a new issue at hand, a threat far greater than Kealy.
Surviving the marriage she had always dreamed of.

Milori walked down the corridor thinking over the last half-hours' happenings.
All said and done, he thought everything had gone pretty well.
Whereas he was afraid Clarion would make a big deal about the ring being Ardens' and all, she had simply accepted it, promised to take care of it and that was that.
Dare he say she seemed to dread the marriage as much as he did?
Milori frowned at that and came to a stop, not liking the thought of her being unsatisfied with anything involving him.
He shook his head and continued walking, what was he doing?
He absolutely did not care what she wanted or what she thought, after this was all over he would simply go back to his castle and continue mourning Ardens' death.
Only he admitted that he hadn't even thought of Arden much recently.
Panic washed through him and then anger at his callousness.
He needed to stay away from Clarion, she would only prove to be a distraction between him and Arden.
Finally reaching the office area, he grabbed a piece of paper and pen.
Yes, he would stay away from Clarion and not care too much.
Starting after this.

Lord Kealy threw his wineglass against the stone wall, relishing the shattering sound.
His missive runner, who had just brought him a letter from Pixie Hollow, cowered in the corner with a terrified look across his face.
Lord Kealy waved a dismissive hand in the boys' direction and without a word he flew out of the room like the devil himself had entered.
Or maybe he realized that he had been there the whole time. 
Kealy looked at the letters he had been holding and ripped them to pieces, wishing it was Milori's throat instead.
Well he had to give it to them both, he had not seen that one coming.
Instead of the letter from Queen Clarion he had been looking forward to, he had gotten one instead from Lord Milori.
Written much in the same mocking style that Kealy sent his letters, it read:

"Dear Kealy,
    I think you have the wrong wife? Or maybe you have forgotten that you can't have everything that's mine?
   ~ With No Love, The King Of Pixie Hollow"

Attached to the back was a sheaf of marital licenses.
So it was true, Kealy thought.
Well two could play this game, whereas Kealy had certainly not forgotten the past, Milori hadn't even begun to find out yet.
Kealy moved across the room and signaled to his waiting general.
It was time.
"We march tonight, prepare the troops."