3: A Vow to Remember
"I'm sorry for lying."
After out of nowherely uttering this, the woman look down, very much guilty of her reckless desicion and he was having none of it. Even if his eyes betrayed what his feeling truly were.
"N-no! It's okay! You're just having-..." He paused, in search for the right word.
Taking his silent, she filled in. "An urge of unacceptable behaviour?"
"-No, fun." He corrected, "and I'm overreacted, like always. Really, all is fine. Peachy even!"
She scoffed, ever so persistent. "Really, Will? Your fever say otherwise. And goodness! Try to stay still will you. Please."
The woman reaches for him, and as quickly as he could - more so from reflex than anything else - his dominant hand bolted itself to latch itself onto her's, catching it in midair. The rose scented handkerchief she held was left afloat between them.
"No, Reyna," the young man spoke softly, almost shy. Will could feel strains of blond hair shooking along with the move of his head, the grip he had on her hand loosened, more gentle, fueled by uncertainty. "Honestly Lady, you worry too much. Everything are peachy."
Her brows were knitted together, light pink dusted her cheeks, almost invisible under the admittedly dark environment Reyna had call her bedroom.
Will definitely felt lucky - and giddy - as he catch this rare display of expression.
He smirked.
"Y-you..." Coming to a dead end, she choose to throw her handkerchief at his face instead, hiding her own with his lack of vision - contributed by the cloth that have now shielded his eyes.
"Just go to sleep Will," she demanded, albeit weak. "Go to sleep."
What's this? Defeated already? He smiled under the piece of cloth, amused. The aroma of roses tickling his senses.
Half of Will wondered since when did they were bold enough to go on with the first name basis already. But then again, they did been throwing around obvious flirty banter for the past thirty minutes. With this type of record, they're bound to past some sort of boundaries, right? At least, that's what the young man hoped it to be.
As much as he hated to admit it, his father seem to be correct as of now - with him just enjoying the Lady's company, his chosen wife mind you. Maybe being engaged wasn't so bad after all.
Will bitten the inside of his cheeks, concerned and recalling the exact emotions he's been experiencing lately. Was it... bitter? Sorrow? Acceptance? If it was acceptance, does this mean he was coming to term with his chosen faith? Of tying down to this woman he barely even know? Of wobbly walking a life together on a thin red string?
It felt weird, for once, not denying anything. And it felt... right. Familiar even. Right where home should be.
The blond youth smiled, happy with this conclusion. He then adjust his body to a position most comfortable to Reyna's notably cotton filled sofa. Will next move was to wipe the not-too-offending purple handkerchief off his face, breathing in the lingering smells of the Lady's perfume. He cheekily grinned at the owner of it, his head that's been throbbing from falling onto the marble floor not too long ago ignored.
Thinking what he's going to do next, trying to be thorough, the young man coughed onto his fist - immediately gaining the Heiress attention. She's then patiently waited for him to continue, nodding as if reassuring. But he'd get the impression it was mean for her specifically than him.
Suddenly, Will felt as though he was caught on the spot. A reindeer that has seen the hunter. He really don't know how to begin-...
—He awkwardly tore his eyes away, embarrassed to meet her's and scratched the back of his neck - an old habit inherited from his father. "I... I just want to say thank you."
"For what?" Reyna countered, snappy and in obvious bad mood. A frown adjourning her lips. "I've done nothing of sort for you to be grateful for, Sir Will. I only lie, a very childish action too I may add."
Will had the sudden urge to roll his eyes at her demeanour. Their conversation will always loop to this, weren't they? He tried again, wording it clearly: "Reyna, please. Carrying me to your room and taking care of me is enough of an apology already, really. Believe me when I say this, Lady."
The raven haired woman seemed unconvinced, unconsciously tugging at her braid - that he noticed she'd done a lot. "But-..."
He don't know where the bubbling courage came from nor for the reason on why he done it; but he bravely cupped her cheeks anyway - a Nobel's cheeks! - and it successfully cutted her off.
"Lady," he sternly look square into her eyes, "no buts."
Yet again, she blushed.
As if sensing the tension in the air, the woods on Reyna's fancy fireplace cackled with heat: fire buzzing around them as ashes scattered within the bricks structure, illuminating the room to where the moonlight can't reach and providing warm in this ungodly chilly night.
Will had to admit, the midnight breeze is quite refreshing even if it was a bringer of cold and a promised kiss of death. Or was this time of day should be classified as morning by now? Eh, who care about the details, really?
—The most important thing right now is that he's glad Reyna didn't close the balcony door - its splotchless white curtains flowing, in her haste of taking care of him. The wind did help big time with his massive headache, and beside, who can't say no to the magnificent moon-view it provide?
Reyna'd seem eager to object to that.
The worried-stricken Lady herself was sitting on a mahogany chair, scooting closer to him with a bowl of hot water rested on her laps - a presumably companion to her handkerchief. A round wooden table standing on three legs for tea party of sort was laying not too far away from them, closely located to the sofa. Trinket of sweets, kettle, and tea cup for one on top of it only lessen his doubt.
(Will hold down a chuckle. Who know the harden young woman was the type to hold down a tea party for herself?).
Feeling his body cramping up from the lack of movement, Will's feet latched themself onto the marble floor carpeted surface - the Lady's outstretched hands politely denied. Other than the soft fur beneath him, he also noticed his polished shoes have been thrown away near the double doors by his fiancée, seeing only his mismatched socks was present and around to greet him.
(Will recalled the word he had used to describe Reyna: Fiancée. Oh boy, why does his heart always go pitter patter just by thinking about it? It do fell off addressing anyone with such title. But it's the truth, so it's alright, ...Right?).
In a attempt to frizzle his frantic thoughts, he look on elsewhere, down to his feet. And that, probably wasn't the brightest idea on his part though as he quickly realized the carpet he's been lamenting on about was actually a raggedy skin of a Grizzly Bear: it jaw open and sharp canine showing.
Will paled.
His fiancée quickly noticed his expression on her taste for carpet. She hold her gaze on it, almost boredly.
"That's a birthday gift from my Father," Reyna begin and as quickly end her explanation. She was then greeted by his stare that truly begs to differ. "Oh trust me, I wanted to throw this rubbish ages ago, but he always catches me red handed. Somehow."
The young man nodded with bitten bottom lips, understanding the woman frustration all too well. He remembered his own tales with his father, how Apollo seem to always be present in all of his little mishaps and kinks. How he done it, Will would never figure it out. Daddy instinct perhaps?
All of a sudden, Reyna made a move to stand from her seat, making Will released his hold on her and his thoughts. He saw her placing down the use-to-be steaming bowl of water in her hands to the table, eyes leaving his for once. Even then, she still caught his puzzled stare.
She looked away.
"I don't care what you have to say, Sir, but it's time for you-for us to hit the hay."
As if planned, the bells toll three times; ringing itself all around the circular room, surprising Will out of his skin.
Three chime... that mean three o'clock in the morning, right? Sheesh, whoever keeping up with the track of time, they need to be fired for doing such a great job, like, right now. No one deserve to be that good in work - O-or at anything, of course! It's too unfair! A clear disadvantage for competitors! Foul play!
(Why'd he blabber about such trivial, illogical, unrelated thing in his brain, he had no idea-...
—Thankfully, there's always Reyna to straighten up his back).
"You can sleep on the sofa if you want," was all she said as she made her way to her bed; a glorious comfy thing big enough for two, all around puffy purple sheet covering it. The bed's spring squeaked with the added weight of Reyna as she plopped herself there, making a move to take off her braid.
But the sofa wasn't what Will concerned himself about. Never does.
Big enough for two, he thought.
"Yeah, I'll take the sofa. Thank you."
If only.
She took off her stiff-looking heels, placing it on top of the bed headboard, making small talk as she go:
"Was the sofa... cozy enough for you, Will?" She asked. Even if her back was facing him, he could still detected trace of guilt - and maybe longing? - in her tone of voice.
"Oh yeah," Will nodded, "it's cozy alright. Very soft too."
He's not lying, the sofa in question was cozy. Overly so he would argued. It just that... the bed in front of him, where the Lady reside with her neat braid loosened and her hair tucked into her night gown - did she changed when he's out cold? - was more... inviting in this chilly night to say the least. Maybe if he asked her nicely, she would-...
A groan escaped his lips.
Damn it, Will! His brain screamed, The both of you aren't married yet! Get a grip on yourself...!
Yet, being the keyword.
Groan intensify.
Lord, was it wrong for wanting to smash his head to the nearest, most solid, most pain inducing brick structure in this creaky old' town? Because he awfully wanted to do so, like, this exact second. Please, don't ask where the masochism came from. Just don't.
"Ahem, Will?" His wif-Reyna, called.
The young man looked up, meeting her gaze once again. "Yes?"
Reyna averted her eyes, slim frame comfortably hugged by an enormous blanket - another silk perhaps? Upon further inspection, she was chewing... something quite vigorously. He just hoped it wasn't the inside of her mouth that have to be the victim.
Thankfully, the use of voice indicate that she didn't do harm to any of her vocal chords. But it did pull him out of his thought right on time. Reyna spoke to him with enough foreboding that he did took her seriously (not that he would ever think of doing otherwise in the first place).
"So, Will... I... I'm sorry. For forcing you to marry me, for lying about the ceremony, for... everything. I know it's hard, and rough, and probably traumatizing for you, and I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, I really don't but-...!"
Now Will was worried, seeing her all flustered and nervous. Never once did he get the vibe of easily having a mental breakdown from her. It's his quirk. And here he thought she's the one that going to bear with him. "Whoa, slow down! Lady, what are you on about?"
Reyna breath in some airs, tugging at her hairs yet again.
"Did Luke show you our underground chapel?" The Lady begin and Will nodded - confirming that yes; the monstrous butler did let him snoop around down the stair. Even if he did get an earful from his mother after that.
He urged her to continue.
She chuckled humourlessly, eyes apologetic. "That's good, I guess. Because tomorrow at noon, Mother want us to recite our vows. At that very chapel."
Will gaped, drinking it in. "Seriously-...?!"
"It's only a practice run!" She quickly interrupted him, adding a few words of comfort as she saw him ready to have a heart attack. "There's no reason to panic! Really. Beside, I think you're going to be great at it."
He'd doubt it.
"Repeat after me: 'With this candle, I will light your way in the dark. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.' It is very simple, lad. Come now, focus...!" Was what the wheelchair bound Priest said to the blond youth in his exasperation, massaging the bridge of his noise showing how his patience had tinned beyond belief.
Will gulped, subtle threat taken. "Y-yes, Priest Chiron."
The unlit candle clutched in his hand was practically shaking in his nervousness. He felt foolish. They already wasted an hour on him and he still can't get it right - his vow. Couldn't get anything right. Even when Reyna skilfully mouthed word per word to help him through, he can't seem to get the grip on it. Nor the right sentence.
He gripped the candle holder none-too-gently, knuckle white and very much shaking. Lord, help me.
Witnessing his shaken form and guessing her soon-to-be husband line of thought, Reyna silently gripped his arm tightly onto her's, ceasing his nervous break down.
"It's fine," she mouthed, voiceless. "Take your time."
Take his time? Will wasn't so sure about that. If their parents quiet whisper was any indication.
The blond youth catch their fleeting stare onto one another, to him in particular actually. His parent was sited beside each other on the right row right on the front. The same goes to Reyna's parent also, but on the left side. Lord Ares snarl was swatted by Will's mother ignorance. Or, lack of it there of, as he witness his mother - Diana, fought back with a snarl of her own, still clutching that God forsaken plant. Apollo, his father, was giving him a thumbs up whenever he look back. And Lady Bellona was just plain unreadable.
He sighed, Will wanted to run. And sneeze too. This 'chapel' was full of dust and his noise didn't like it one bit. The room itself was dark, the only source of light was the ventilations, and barren too seeing as only a wide table for the practice vow and a few rows of chairs in it. Only a lit candle was present on top of the table itself. There's also a flower vases in every corner of the room - full of lilies. But the poor thing was already wilted, showing the care it gotten. Their brown petals falling to the wooden cricking floor below, dead.
"...-ad...! Listen... T-... me! Are you listening, lad?!"
The Priest unexpectedly whacked his staff onto the young man's head. Shattering his day dream for the umpteenth times.
The rob wearing old man stomped his staff to the ground. He grumbled, voice hoarse and positively fuming with anger. "Do you want to be married off or not, lad?!"
The blond youth couldn't take it anymore, he cracked beneath the weight.
—"No!" He shouted.
This declaration brought unwanted, negative, reaction out of everyone. Heck, even himself.
His fiancée, could only hold back a gasp as betrayal seep through. "Wha-...Y-you don't want to marry me?"
"Oh, no!" Realizing what he'd just done, the young man flailed his arms in a frenzy, making an exceptional job on explaining himself. "I wanted to! I wanted it very mu-...!"
His only respond was a whack on the head.
"Lad, calm down!" The Priest boomed, the culprit of his skull suffering. "Do you even has the ring?"
Will wondered what the uses of the staff is if the man already had a wheelchair to walk on as he rub his sore head as gently as he could. He didn't dare to ask though, only nodded to the man.
"Of course I has it! Here," his hand slipped into his vest, entering one of its the many pocket and taking out the simple silver band ring; on it craved Reyna's name and his in its full entirety - he absentmindedly wondered how it all fit onto the little thing. When he's done, he showed it to the Priest proudly. A tad too proudly.
"Good," for the first time ever in these past hours, Chiron smiled. "Now, begin your sacred vow! Cor-rect-ly."
Again, the subtle threat was taken with a passive nod.
Will took Reyna's hand slowly with his own, unsure as his eyes meet with her glossy manics. Unexpectedly, she squeeze their linked hands, putting a brave smile as her eyes seem to twinkle with... Happiness?
He was awestruck, he never seen the Lady like this before. True that he's just met her for... a day or so? But it was still jarring. Nevertheless, amidst all of his confusion and worry, he returned it full force.
Out on the corner of his eyes, Will saw his parent. They seem to be delighted thankfully: Apollo with his various thumbs up and Diana's gaze finally leaving Ares and directed solely on him, they shined as if she was proud.
His lips quirked upward, he felt like crying. Thank you for the boost Father, Mother. God, he felt pathetic. It wasn't even the real wedding and still his eyes uncomfortably sting with unshed tears.
And there he was - with runny nose and damp cheeks, gingerly holding the hand of the woman that might be from his dream (?) in an underground dusty old poor excuse of an wedding altar. Yeah, now he know how much people lie when they said that the first was always the best.
He was counting on the second to be the best day of his life, sure. But today? This... this so called first of his? It's the worse that could happen to a man.
His story begin the very second he lit up that goddamn candle.
Like what he was doing right now.
"Reyna Avilla-Ramírez Arellano," he begin.
She look up, attention solely on him as hope danced in her eyes.
Will did find this odd - why that particular expression? Why express so much joy to these fakes? They're not doing the real thing, so what's the fuss? Was he overthingking things, like usual? Mother never does approve of imagination, so why does he use them now? Oh yes, because he was on the verge of insanity! Lord, shaking, hyperventilating, spots of white everywhere...!
Regardless of his... complication on breathing, Will shook his head and exhale - reciting the lines he's been so keen on not screwing up.
Well, here goes nothing.
A/N: So here it is! Half of a chapter for you guys! If it seem rushed, it's because it was. I'm not even gonna try on lying out of this one.
This chapter that you read here is my third attempt at writing it. The first one I accidentally deleted, and the second was garbage. Utter freaking garbage. It took me weeks to realize that it wasn't working even with so many amount of fixing I done, so I decided to just be done with it and deleted it also, starting anew.
—If you can't sense it by now, I'm still pretty pissed about it. So, as to not make you guys wait any longer, I decide to split this chapter into two. With this uploaded I have more times to finish off the other half with a nice red ribbon wrapped on top of it just for you!
Just don't expect on an update like tomorrow, or even next week 'cause like exam is brewing on the horizon and I'd need to focus on that. So sorry, but don't worry, it'll be a fast update! ...I hope.
Oh yeah, and another apology for promising 'Voldemort' to be in this in the last chapter. I swear I'd have him making an appearance in my first draft but it already dissolve into nothingness before I can show it you guys.
(And people, this is exactly why you should have a backup save file somewhere).
Sigh, I'm very sorry.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, it was owned by the most prestigious Mr. Rick Riordan. Even if I did own it, all the books chapters probably gone 'poof'! Only my own recklessness can be left to blame. So the series wouldn't even exist.
Siiiiiiiighhhhhh.
Ahh, and one more thing! Thank you to Ayano's Theory of Relativity for the kind review! And yes, piano is like the number one way to sneak into a girl's heart. At least, that's what Hollywood taught me. And you gotta believe in good old' Holly!
So guys, review, follow, and fav - those three help me to keep on going and ride on with the writer train! So please, if you have the times, do leave some for me. I'll be super grateful, I promise!
Ciao, guys!