CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Nicholas sat besides his wife and gave her a sweet kiss. “What is my wife thinking about? Your brows are knitting together, my dear Aeras,”
She sighed. “My sister. And your cousin,”
Nicholas laughed. “My cousin may be the most quick-witted person you will meet but he is a fool when it comes to love,”
“And so is my sister apparently,” she answered; looking at the door where her sister vanished.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Monrova,” Pierce suddenly greeted. Both of them looked up and saw him. “Forgive me if I had not managed to attend the wedding itself,”
Nicholas stood up and hugged his cousin. “The important thing is you still made it,”
Aeras held her husband’s hand to call him. He turned to look at her and smiled. “Nicholas, if you would be so kind as to let me talk to your cousin alone,”
Nicholas leaned in and gave Aeras a kiss in her cheek and told them that he shall be dancing with his mother. Pierce stood in front of his cousin’s wife and the older sister of the woman who held his heart. He was not sure how to approach her; especially when she told him to take a seat because there were plenty of things she liked to talk about.
Pierce hesitantly sat in front of her. “Have I done you wrong, Mrs. Monrova?”
“Oh, please,” she laughed. “You can still call me by my given name. And to answer your question, no, you haven’t. But there are some things I would like to know,”
Aeras looked at him. Pierce had to gulp visibly as he stayed still under her stare that felt like she could see even the deepest secrets he hides. There was no escaping the knowledge shining from her eyes. And he knew he could not lie to her for she would surely notice.
He had been an only child. Despite being the same age as her, Pierce felt somewhat younger under her aura of a caring sister.
“What do you feel about my sister?” she asked. He looked up at her; shock at the straight forward question. Aeras really was not beating around the bush. And her eyes told him she was awaiting his answer.
“I think you know, Mrs. Aeras,”
Aeras could not help the smile that forced itself on her lips. “Then, what are you waiting for?”
“Your sister does not feel the same way as I,” he replied, referring to his offer that had been turned down and the letter that never received an answer. He thought of how she had not even wrote back to his letter and the days had felt so long as he waited but nothing came.
“She fought without protection but a mere parasol against the scorching rays of the sun and against bandits that outnumbered her greatly. And walked a path of blazing fires just to save you, Mr. Sinclair. Tell me, if that is not love, what is it?”
“She was sent by the queen,” he replied, trying to put the pieces together. It would hurt not just his pride but his heart to hope again and leave in defeat. He was sure he would not recover if it happened.
“She begged the queen,” Aeras corrected. “You knew her from before. So you obviously know that my sister was kept away from others for her whole life. She knows nothing of these feelings and how to express them. You must have patience and teach her that feelings like love are not things she should be afraid of.
The truth finally dawn on him and he quickly stood up to look around the hall. “She is outside,” Aeras answered. “Probably by the pond,”
He gave her a bow and ran out of the hall. Laughing in triumph, she quickly joined her husband on the floor.
Pierce saw Thalassa sitting by the pond. His heart pounding so loud in his chest that it had drowned out the joyful music from the hall. His feet felt heavy as he commanded them to move. He approached her just as she was standing up. She turned and came face-to-face with him. Out of shock, she took a step back and felt her foot slip. He pulled her by the arm and pulled her tightly against him, his other hand on the small of her back.
Like the last time they were here. The only difference was, she hadn’t asked to be let go.
“What you said to me by the bridge. . .” he started.
She looked up wide-eyed in his eyes. “You. . . you have heard that?”
“Before I left for the war, you found me loathsome. And then, I have heard what you had said. It gave me hope that your feelings towards me may have changed,” he let her go only to take her hand in his. “I have discovered that the greatest weapon is love. For it, I have shattered,”
“And love can make you whole again,” Thalassa breathed in answer.
Pierce nodded. “Yes. And now, I ask you, hoping. Thalassa Haskell, will you do me the great honor of taking me for your husband?”
Thalassa found her eyes watering. It was impossible to suppress her feelings anymore for she had already announced it before. With tears streaming down her face, she gripped his hands back and looked down at their conjoined hands.
She could see his face as he fell to the river. She could see how irritated he looked when she pushed him. She could see him finally enjoying the cold water. And she realized she wanted to see it more. She wanted to see more of it; more of his expressions and feelings.
She remembered his smile when she promised him that she would tell him her name when he comes back.
“Pierce,” she breathed and he looked at her. “My name- is Thalassa,”
Pierce could not help but smile and laugh at her answer for he too remembered that memory all too well. Thalassa looked up and stared at his eyes that screamed how much vulnerable he really was despite his cold and distant shell.
With a smile, she pulled him in towards her and kissed him; letting her hands roam his head and disentangled his hair. At first, Pierce was shocked. But then- his hands rested on her waist to pull her deeper into the kiss. He held onto her firmly; not giving her a chance to escape him once more.
~oOo~ THE END ~oOo~
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