A NOTE: So uh, I set out to write thoughtful and deep and depressing Boq/Milla but instead ended up with this ridiculous fluffball of a oneshot. Oops.
Also, Meltalviel both saves lives and fixes grammatical errors, with a flair unmatched among betas!
We don't approve of the match, Milla's father wrote to her.
And, You have a duty to your family to marry someone at or above your station, someone who will improve our standing, not drag us down in the eyes of others.
And, We trust that you will not venture to disobey us, Milla.
Milla fumed and raged and waved the letter at Boq when next they met, the morning after the last day of exams. In a few days they would be graduating; he had, unsurprisingly to her, asked her to marry him. She had been hesitant to say yes without at least making the gesture of asking permission, and though she had known she was unlikely to get an enthusiastic response, this outright refusal had incensed her almost into recklessness. 'Will not venture to disobey you'? We'll see.
"Have you considered that they may be right?" Boq asked, half-seriously, as he handed the letter back.
She had very little patience for his occasional turns of sarcasm, and folded the paper hastily, resisting the urge to toss it aside. "Are you saying that you've changed your mind?"
"I'm saying that you still haven't committed to marrying me and that if you aren't sure -"
"I am surer than ever. They don't know what they're talking about; they've never even met you." They walked along the path together, holding hands. The sun was just beginning to clear the fog that lay heavily along the grounds, and though it would undoubtedly be warm later on, Milla took deep breaths of the sweet morning air and let it fill her with conviction, with feeling. This was what she wanted, she knew. "I've never been keen on the thought of marrying for status. It seems like a dangerous gamble, not knowing how a husband might treat you or whether you could ever love him. But even if you can give me nothing else, I know we will have that."
For the briefest moment Boq allowed his head to rest on her shoulder in silent agreement. The point was not quite settled, though, and she waited for him to form his argument, ready to give him his say even though she had already made her decision.
"It's not going to be easy," he explained finally. "Especially at first. It's not like what you're used to, it's not going to be glamorous. There won't be any Amas or anyone to take care of you -"
"Except for you."
With a wry look, he pulled her to a stop in the middle of the path. "I'll do my best, but I'm no Ama. Just listen for a moment, Milla. Your parents are right about one thing; I would be bringing you down. You come from so much better than anything I will ever be able to provide for you, and I don't know that it's fair of me to take you away."
"I will be happy wherever you take me, Boq," Milla vowed. "As long as we're together."
She kissed him, and what was left of his doubt seemed to fade.
"So, then," he said softly, "does that mean your answer is yes?"
They fell into step again, walking as close to one another as possible.
