Orion stumbles on Vera standing at the side of the lake late one Thursday night, himself nearly too preoccupied to see her. He approaches her and notices her eyes glazed over as if she is daydreaming. He questions for a second whether he should interrupt her, but then he sees that all she's wearing is her school uniform, "Aren't you cold?"

She shivers in surprise at the interruption before turning to him, her eyes losing that lost look but remaining unfocused, "Oh, Orion. No, I'm fine, just taking a walk around the lake. I was just about to go to dinner anyway."

"Dinner was nearly three hours ago. How long have you been out here?" He asks, brow furrowed in confusion. She isn't one to lose herself like this. Instead of addressing his concern, Vera just shrugs. Orion unties his fur-lined cape and throws it over her shoulders, "Luckily for you, Slughorn's party is about to begin. We'd better hurry and get ready or we'll be late."

They start walking toward the castle. He's surprised when she leans against him, her hand slipping down into his.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Just tired."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"That's just awful, something more serious would have given us an excuse to skip Slughorn's party."

Vera laughs as if she has finally woken up, "Now why would we want to do that? I hear Walburga will be there. You'll finally get to dance with your lovely fiance."

Orion jostles her, "Want to go back to the pitch and push me off my broom? Just from twenty feet or so, should be enough to put me in the hospital wing for a night."

"I'm afraid I'll have to injure you during quidditch some other time. I'm working on getting Slughorn to give me an extra credit project so I can finally get ahead of Riddle in potions."

They're in the middle of the party when someone hears clawing at the door and opens it curiously, only for Vera's snow white owl to fly straight towards her. She nearly rolls her eyes at it for interrupting her in the middle of sucking up to Slughorn about extremely advanced trait-changing potions, but she knows the poor creature can't help it. She excuses herself, picking up the owl and carrying it out into the hallway before taking the note and sending it flying off.

As soon as she looks at the envelope, she's confused by her father's seal. Her father rarely ever sends her anything, and he's never sent her anything at such an odd hour. Orion sees her in the corner staring at the note and walks over, offering her a drink. She doesn't respond, so he asks her what the note is about, also recognizing her father's official ministry stationary.

Vera looks up, shaking her head slightly to escape the vortex of surprise which had overcome her, "The wars are over. Half a decade of war and it all comes down to one phrase. Victory in Europe has been secured."

Orion smiles, "Well that's good news, isn't it? We'll have two things to celebrate this weekend – your birthday and an English victory."

"We won't be celebrating my birthday. My father has cancelled the ball, he has to attend the peace conference instead. He never quite took to French and Italian in school, so Dante will be accompanying him as his aid. International peace is quite a bit more important than my turning 18, isn't it?" She looks away, folding the letter back into the envelope, "Why don't you go and tell the others? I'm sure everyone will be quite thrilled that all this terrible business is finally behind us."

Tom overhears the conversation from his perch behind her at the table. She turns around and he simply says, "Can't see why your father couldn't just let the muggles destroy themselves."

She looks at him sharply, "Mark my words now, because I will never offer you another lesson in politics. Wars are about the enemies you can't stand, not the friends you want to stand next to. My father has no love for muggles, nor does anyone in my family. Believe me, he would love to see them in the same position that you want them in. But he will never stand by while British wizards die for a foreign cause on foreign soil, and you would have been one of the half-bloods drafted by the muggle army had this war continued past our graduation. If he was equally as zealous in his defeat of Grindelwald as in his defeat of Germany, it was only because the idea of a person who does not belong in high office controlling wizarding society across such a large territory disgusted him. Grindelwald was nothing but a commoner and an imposter, and he would have wreaked as much havoc on Britain while achieving just as little had he managed to reach this country's shores. Order, in all of its forms, must be maintained."

Tom did not need to say anything else to know what she meant. She didn't mean simply the political order. She was alluding to the social order too, the same order that dictated that she marry Dante. The mistake Grindelwald had made in securing such a powerful enemy was not believing what he did, but believing what he believed while being who he was. Someone who, like Tom, whether by way of his title or his wealth, was not born and breed to rule. It was a mistake of nature, a coincidence of fate, that could not be remedied – only, perhaps, covered up, as she had so tactfully covered up his origins for his winter visit.

Vera pretends she doesn't care about her birthday, but the fact that she spends so much time locked in her room that Friday and Saturday attests to the fact that she does. Orion knows it's too late for him to plan anything big, but tries cheering her up by getting the house elves to make all her favorite desserts on Saturday. She leaves for patrols and to his surprise he hears about a party in the common room that night.

He just happens to be standing in the middle of the crowd as she opens the portrait hole, and she immediately leaps forward and hugs him, thanking him for arranging everything. He didn't, but he has no clue who did, so he keeps quite. That is, until Tom passes by on the way up to his room and mutters, "If everyone isn't in bed by 1 a.m., I'll wake Slughorn up just to give you all detentions for the rest of the year."

The snake. It had to have taken an army of house elves or wizards to come up with so much to drink in such a short span of time, given the difficulty of sneaking alcohol into the castle. Who else could have command such force to do all of this – the drinks, the decorations, the music, the people – in two days?

Orion doesn't say anything as Vera grabs his hand and drags him over to the drinking game about to start near the fireplace.

Tom comes down at 1 a.m. to see her still entertaining a small group with her wild stories. He interrupts to say, "We forgot to check that the trophy room and potions classroom were locked. Since you are obviously busy, I'll go, but I would remind everyone that they are supposed to be in their rooms by midnight."

She stands up, rolling her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous. If you get bitten by a werewolf or something, Dippet would surely blame me."

He walks ahead of her, as if nonchalant at her decision, hearing the rest of the boys shuffling up to their rooms. She catches up to him when they enter the potions classroom, leaning against the professor's desk as he checks the cupboards are locked. He walks up to her wordlessly and she turns with a smirk, forcing him to lean back against the desk. He takes the plunge and kisses her, pulling her toward him.

"We only have a few minutes if we want to escape the suspicion of anyone who might still be in the common room."

"I know. If I were you, I'd be more worried about the noise you tend to make," Tom responds with a smirk.

"Shut up," Vera mutters, shoving him back so that he's sitting on the low desk. Her hands reach up, pushing his blazer off of him and working the buttons of his shirt loose until she reaches his belt buckle. Her lips follow her fingers until he tries to bring her back up to his face. She smiles up at him, "You've already done enough work for today. Let me treat you."

When she finishes him off, she comes back up and sits next to him on the desk. He barely whispers, "How'd you know?"

She giggles, "You'd normally never tolerate such a big party in the common room. No, the prudish Mr. Riddle would have started deducting points immediately. It seems I have had an effect after all."

"Shut up or I'll start deducting points right now," he responds. She laughs, throwing her head back in the first really genuine-seeming happiness he's ever seen her express. He reaches down to dig through the pockets of his blazer, drawing out a small box. He fiddles with it, looking down at his lap as he mutters, "I got you something. But please don't open it yet."

He knows his small present, in its flimsy green cardboard box with a folded top, can never match the stacks and stacks of shiny things in shiny packages that must be pilled up in her room by now. She takes it with a real smile anyway, putting it away in her pocket as he asked before standing up and starting to walk out. Her last statement to him, likely for the night, is "It's a shame, seven years and I still haven't managed to get Tom Riddle to take one drink."

He follows, wanting to follow her all the way up the staircase and to her room and ask her to sing him to sleep with one of those sweet stories of hers, and knowing at the same time that he's already dared too much for today. He's about to step through the portrait hole after her, but he waits to the side just to make sure the coast is clear in case there are any obvious signs of their activities. He's checking his appearance in the window, which with the black water of the lake and soft candlelight of the corridor casts a pretty accurate reflection, when she steps across the threshold and he hears her gasp.

"Dante," the name escapes her lips like a breath of air, like the breath you take after surfacing from a long swim in a very big sea.

"Surprise. I know I'm technically a few hours late, but those old men really can go on and on for hours about economic aid," Dante says with a jovial smile. She's still barely stepped into the common room, so he explains, "One of your father's friends told me about a secret passage. And since I'd already received permission from my headmaster to be out of school for the weekend and from yours to surprise you at breakfast tomorrow, I figured why not surprise you a little bit earlier?"

She realizes her shock could spark suspicion, so she steps forward and kisses him, letting him wrap her in his arms, "Well I am glad you are so brilliant."

Tom just sinks to the floor as he watches the scene unfold in the warped reflection on the glass.

They are in the corner of the Three Broomsticks laughing riotously about something when Dante leans forward to kiss her and she moves away.

"We are in public," Vera says sharply.

"And in case you forgot, we are no longer a secret," Dante responds tersely. He didn't miss her glance at the bar and wonders who she could possibly be more interested in than her own fiance.

She smiles, "And I couldn't be happier about that. But we still have a reputation to uphold. Later darling."

He smiles back, "Of course. Let me get you another drink."

Vera hides her nervousness, "I am sure the waitress will come around soon."

"You've been waiting for her for nearly a half hour. It's no trouble for me. If my future wife wants something, I am perfectly fine going to get it for her. Now what would you like?"

Vera's smile seems a touch more real as she squeezes his hand and says, "Another Irish coffee is fine."

Dante walks up to the bar and orders before turning to the others already there. He smiles at the bloke in front of him, "I've met you before, haven't I?"

"Orion Black," the boy responds tersely, barely glancing up. "I've been going to her family's events since I was 11, but I don't think we've ever been formally introduced."

Dante ignores his tone and forces a grin. Clearly someone is not so thrilled about her engagement, "While it's nice to formally meet you Orion. Vera's told me so much about the adventures you two have at school. Why don't you come sit with us so we can exchange stories?"

Just as Dante finishes, Tom walks up to the bar, too busy talking to another person to notice him, "Bletchley, I must have told you a dozen times that we would be in the Three Broomsticks, why on earth would you think I meant Honeydukes? Black, did you –"

Tom looks up to see a smirking Dante. No doubt he had been the one she was so nervous about. And it looked like she was not quite lucky enough for him to permanently leave, "Hello again old sport! How have you been doing?"

"Fine," Tom answers, betraying nothing through his facial expression. "How's Nico? You two go to school together, don't you?"

Dante does not let the attempt ruin his happy facade, "I'm afraid not anymore, he was expelled for dueling."

Tom raises an eyebrow, "That sounds terrible. Who was he dueling?"

Dante just shrugs before picking the drinks up from the bar and leaving a rather large tip in their place, "Me. Well, I think Vera will be getting impatient. Black, what do you say to my offer?"

"It's a very generous one, but I think we have to go. I look forward to taking you up on it in the future," Orion says gracefully while standing up.

"What about tonight?" Dante says with a slight shrug, "Surely you've heard about the little party I'm throwing her."

They all have, except for Tom - all of the seventh years had received an owl with the news that morning, only Tom had killed his and disposed of it without ever reading the letter out of sheer annoyance at being woken up. All of the boy's in Tom's gang had been waiting for him to say something before assuming that they would be free to attend.

Dante turns to Tom, clapping him on the shoulder, "Surely you'll be there old boy."

"Of course, who would miss a party for Vera," Tom says with a forced smile.

"Great, I'll see you all there."

Of course, probably the only person in Hogwarts who wants to miss a party is Tom Riddle. He rolls his eyes as the boys on his floor of the Slytherin dorms run around like a bunch of girls trying to find an outfit both casual and cool. In the end he only agrees to walk down to town with his gang so that they can resume talking about plans outside of the castle.

Tom's surprised to find the Three Broomsticks all dressed up, cleaned of it's usual cobwebs and tables, decorated with marvelous lights and flowers. Nevertheless, he leaves almost as soon as he came, taking the chance to enjoy the warm night reading on the knoll behind the inn instead of cooped up in the perpetually crowded libraries of the castle.

Dante keeps his promise to get to know Orion, pulling him aside within the first few songs. Vera joins them a few minutes later and they share stories for what seems like hours until Dante decides it's time to get back to the party.

"Cigarette break?" Dante asks Orion, standing up. "I'm sure Vera has plenty of boys waiting for a dance. I'd hate for us to hog the guest of honor."

Vera sweeps past Dante, gracefully kissing him on the cheek though barely stopping, "Orion, don't you dare tell him anything too embarrassing."

Dante leads the way as they walk out to the back of the inn, into a garden that's well-kept but usually closed off. Orion takes a seat on the bench closest to the entrance. Dante just leans up against the wall, taking a box of thin cigarettes out of the pocket of his robes and handing it to Orion after lighting his own.

"Thank you."

Dante takes a long drag before saying, "It sounds like you and Vera spend a lot of time together, doing the same kinds of things we used to do."

Orion hears the hint of jealousy Dante is trying to hide behind his collected demeanor, "You know Vera. She's a woman of very specific tastes."

"Yes, even when it comes to boys." Dante smirks over at him, "Tall. Athletic. Moderately rich. Someone who can't overshadow her. Nonthreatening. I'm not really her taste. Much like you two, it was a coincidence of childhood that brought us together. But you are her taste, aren't you?"

Dante can sense Orion tensing, even without looking at him.

"Vera and I have always been just friends," Orion says obstinately, sensing the accusation in his voice.

"Merlin, how long have you been wishing that wasn't true?" Dante asks, finally turning his body to face him. He tries to restrain the wicked smile on his face, "Come on, you can tell me. We're friends, right?"

"I never…" Orion starts. Dante doesn't let him finish his bullshit defense.

"Were you going to ask her to marry you before you heard that we were engaged? Just couldn't work up the courage in time?"

Orion swallows, choosing his words carefully, "I would never dream that Vera would say yes to marrying me. We're friends. We've always been friends."

"Maybe you were hoping she would say no to her parents for once and get rid of her dull old lover before he became her dull husband. It's a beautiful ring. Simple. Exactly her taste. But still too much for a birthday present." Dante slips in next to him, "I understand. I was in your position once too. You just had to ask. Even if you believed so deeply that the answer would be no. You couldn't let it go without asking. I respect a man who loves so intensely he's willing to lose his dignity for just a chance at a happy ending. If I didn't, she wouldn't be engaged to me."

Orion takes a deep breath, "I knew I couldn't ask her anymore after I heard it was you. You've always been good to her. I just thought, if it was somebody horrid … it would be a chance for her to escape."

Dante just nods and they finish their cigarettes in silence. Dante stands first, stomping his cigarette butt into the ground. Orion rises a second later. Just as he's about to leave, Dante grabs his hand as if shaking it.

Dante goes after Orion and not Tom because of the facts. Orion is in a position much like the one Dante was in when she was engaged to Nico. Orion comes from a very nice family with a very nice inheritance, but not quite nice enough. In an alternate universe, maybe she could have convinced her father that it was enough, that an English marriage was the only proper kind and Orion is the best son of the best family in England. If Dante messes up, if her father even suspects that the speech he had given to get this chance was not the truth, if Vera refuses the marriage, Orion is the next logical step.

Tom would never be a logical choice. In order to give up Dante for him, Vera would have to defy all her reasoning, all her instincts, and throw herself into emotion. It is not out of the question entirely, but it may as well be, because Vera is the opposite of an emotional creature, especially when it comes to her inheritance. True, the way she looks at Tom is the way she looked at Dante when they were at their best, when he was both her best friend and her lover. The look conveys oceans of understanding, forest fires of passion. It's enough to make Dante want to kill, but it isn't enough to warrant it. Dante has first hand experience with asking her to choose love over comfort, and he knows how that one ends.

"You can have that back. She won't be needing it," Dante simply says. Orion opens his palm to see the small silver ring, modest square diamond at his center, that he'd been holding onto for the last year. "I'd like it if you didn't speak to her again. I hope you understand."

Orion's jaw drops. He doesn't have anything to say and at the same time he has way too much he wants to say. All he manages is, "Vera wants to be friends with me."

"I'm sure she'll be too busy to notice until the school year ends and, well, then you'll be living thousands of miles apart," Dante responds calmly.

"I'm not going to stop speaking to her just because you feel threatened."

"I thought I already explained just how nonthreatening you are. A third-rate quidditch player and student from a second-rate family. You think for one second she's going to turn her back on everything she owns and her entire inheritance for that?"

"Obviously you do or you wouldn't be trying to cut me out of her life."

"It's nothing personal. I want Vera to focus on us and our family, not to be distracted by old school memories. I'm sure you want the best for Vera too."

Orion actually laughs, "You have got to be kidding me, right?"

The cordial smile drops completely from Dante's face, "I know some things about your family. Things that, in the hands of the right gossip columnist, would make a mockery of the family motto. Say an unnecessary word to her and I'm sure you'll see how serious I am."

"I'm going to go say some unnecessary words to her about this right now," Orion threatens back.

"If you think she's really going to believe you over me, go ahead. I'll have a few good reasons to tell her not to be friends with you then," Dante says, standing his ground as he pulls out a second cigarette.

Orion literally just stares at him for a few seconds.

"You wouldn't really…" Orion starts, thinking this is all so ridiculous.

Dante thinks just the opposite. He's determined not to leave his weak spots open as Nico did. He's determined not to let anyone get near her. He worked so hard for this. He's still working so hard to keep this together. He is not going to let some brat - any brat - in a green and silver tie convince her that this is not what she wants.

"I have before." Dante simply says. Because annoying boys who don't know their place don't just disappear. Nico didn't just decide to leave her alone. Dante dragged his family through the mud in the tabloids and teased him so subtly at school that he more or less drove Nico mad.

Dante tosses his half-smoked cigarette on the ground and walks back into his party. Vera immediately smiles when she sees him, ducking out of her dance to walk up to him.

"Where did Orion go?" She asks curiously.

Dante smiles, "I think he had a bit too much to drink and went back to the castle. I'm sure you'll see him in the morning and he can tell you just what embarrassing stories he shared then. Another dance?"

Tom overhears the whole conversation laying down on his back, book resting on his chest. He has to admit Dante has much more wit than he'd previously credited him with. Still, he feels his blood actually boiling at the idea that the boy Vera had so successfully protected from his own impositions, the boy Vera had said was like a brother to her, would disappear from her life without her having any clue why it happened. How could Dante be any better than them after this? How could he be good, how could he be right for her, if he's going to take away one of the few people she trusts in this world over a bloody ring?

Tom stands and brushes himself off the second he hears the door close. He goes back to the front and reenters the party, waiting, watching. Watching as she dances with Dante, watching her hands untangle from his only to wander up to his shoulders, then his face. Watching as she pulls away but her eyes remain entirely focused on him, so full of something Tom has never seen her have before - hope.

They separate yet remain together, as two planets sharing the same orbit. Jarringly, Tom realizes they are walking toward him.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind dancing with Vera for a few minutes while I take care of something. I notice you haven't had a turn on the dance floor," Dante says with a smile.

Tom forces one back, "Of course not."

Dante lets go of her hand, which slips into Tom's as a waltz comes on. Tom moves her toward the edge of the floor and he watches Dante walk into the kitchens. The second he can do so subtly, he dances her right out of the door to the back.

Tom pushes her against the wall and kisses her, whispering "Leave with me."

He knows this isn't the time or place to tell her a story she'll likely automatically assume is a slanderous lie. He doesn't really know how, but he knows he has to get her away from that smug, conniving prick. Otherwise she might actually end up marrying him. He can't stand to see them together for even one more second, to see Dante getting something he doesn't deserve.

She stares at him, "Have you finally gone mad?"

Tom smirks at her, "You've know I'm mad all along. Never as mad as you though."

She actually laughs, "That's wonderful, calling me mad. Really a great compliment. But I need to get back to my party, and this is exactly the kind of thing that people like to talk about so please let go of me."

"Nobody is out here Vera. It's just you and I. Isn't that the way you want it to be for the rest of the night? I can tell you are bored of this party. Let's go back to the castle. Forget about that fool. We can just go up to your room and sit by the fireplace and argue about something all night."

"That fool? Are you referring to my fiancé? The same man who welcomed you like an old friend despite knowing that you never belonged?"

Of course she would mention her old go to insult, his blood status, again now to drive him away. Tom is too … whatever this feeling is … to give up due to her words this time.

But he still can't help being a little ticked off, "Merlin, you really thinks he's a saint, don't you? Has it ever occurred to you that people aren't saints, that they aren't meant to be?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that not everyone has the same interior monologue of evil going on in their head that you do?"

Tom takes a breath, trying to remain calm,"Vera, you hate this party. You hate being bored, and this party is utterly boring. You know I am not boring. Let's go back to the castle."

"This is ridiculous and you know it. I need to get back to my party," Vera says, trying to step away but unable to move because he's still holding her hand.

Tom pulls her back, kissing her even more passionately this time, "Let's go find somewhere private."

"I can't just leave my own party."

"Then say you're feeling sick."

"Tom, I'm not leaving. If you are so bored, just go back to the castle alone."

"Are you saying you aren't bored?"

"Of course I am but people can't just leave whenever they damn well feel like it."

"What is so important about this marriage that it's worth selling your soul for when you know you don't…"

Vera cuts him off, "I don't know Tom, why don't you tell me what's worth selling your soul for? You're the expert, aren't you?"

His hands move up to her face as he kisses her again, "Vera, stop trying to get in a fight with me and just do what you bloody well know you want to do."

Tom pulls her closer and continues kissing her. Vera pulls away after about a minute, "Tom, stop. You know this isn't you."

Tom pauses but doesn't let go of her, "Why isn't it?"

"You don't have feelings," Vera says calmly, no tone to her voice.

Tom drops away from her in surprise, "Don't try to mask your thoughts by making them mine. Just because you can't love him, it doesn't mean I don't love..."

Vera seems to move faster than a dragon as she turns back toward the door, "I have to go. The cake should be out any minute."

Tom turns, leaning against the wall and running his hands through his hair. He wasn't about to say that. He didn't mean that. He was just angry. Jealous. That silly monster men are so prone to. But he isn't a mere man. He's more than that now, he's always known he wants to be more than that. What does he care if the man she's marrying isn't the man she thinks he is? What does he care if the whole world she has barred him from if just a lie, a construct, a pretty facade on ugly, ugly people?

She doesn't love Dante. She doesn't love either of them. He's sure she probably isn't even capable of the emotion. But she does trust Dante. She believes in him. She believes that he is good and kind and tender and that he will always take care of her. No matter how selfish and wrong his methods are. Tom's sure she believes in him too, in a way, but an entirely different one. She probably believes that he is cunning, that he has unlimited capacity to be both crafty and cruel - but those aren't the traits you want in someone you are going to trust the rest of your life to, because the thing about cruelty is that it is often not too discerning in its targets. And the thing about kindness, the kind of real, true kindness with the capacity to forgive and to love Dante has always shown toward Vera, is that it's rarely as fickle.

Vera sighs and rolls over in bed yet again. Dante's gone back to his school a few hours ago and she still can't sleep.

She decides that instead of just laying there, she'll read a book. And a dreadfully boring one at that to make sure she gets at least a few hours of rest. But as soon as she reaches her desk, she finds herself sitting down and pulling out her stationary instead. Her pen hovers over the paper, wondering what to write. She can't begin with "Dear Tom" … it just doesn't sound right for some reason. And "Tom" is too plain. Anyway, what is she going to write? She's sorry that things have to be this way? There's no comfort in hearing over and over again that they are absolutely trapped in a world that she knows neither of them like.

Instead the pen finds itself writing "Dear father." Vera writes herself a new story, a story of how inspired she is by Britain's victory, how her pride in her country makes her want to see it's entire empire, how she'll need a few weeks at least this summer to do so, and well, the wedding is just getting in the way of her patriotism.

The sun begins rising as she seals the envelope and send it off. Vera takes a long shower and an awakening potion to prepare for the day ahead.

She's in class writing her answers to the example test questions they've been given for Transfiguration when Dumbledore walks up to her. The entire class she's been attempting not to look at Tom, who sits directly to her right.

"Ms. Sinclair, you are wanted in the headmaster's office. Your father would like to speak with you."

Vera fumbles, her quill dragging a long dark line right through everything she's written. She stands, nearly shaking, and tries to maintain her composure while walking toward the entrance to the headmaster's office. It can't be about the letter. He can't have even read it yet. He arrives at the ministry every day at 6 a.m., and she'd sent it to their manor house. She'd even spelled it so that only he could open it, so she knows her mother can't have told on her. Perhaps he's just here about her birthday. He had been too preoccupied to send gifts after all.

She forces a smile as she walks in. The first thing she does is look around for Dippet, but it turns out she's alone, face to face, with her father for the first time in years. Vera is careful to keep her tone even as she says, "Good morning father."

Vera flinches as he throws the envelope directly on the table in front of him, "Would you like to explain?"

"Last night, I dreamed of seeing Britain - every part of its empire. I realized there's so much I haven't experienced of my own country. India, South Africa, the West Indies. I want to truly understand what you take so much pride in."

Her father remains stone faced, "I'm sure Dante will be very excited to take you to all of those places after your wedding. It will make a lovely honeymoon."

"I thought my letter was clear enough. I think it would be best if I went before the wedding. I just think the experience will be so much deeper alone. And, anyway, Dante isn't English, so I'm not sure he'd share my enthusiasm."

He sighs and turns away from her, "So you'd like to delay everything we've all been looking forward to for the sake of a silly little trip we both know you really have no interest in?"

Vera tries to maintain her smile despite his critical tone, "I am very interested in the trip, and it would only be a small delay."

"If you'll admit the real reason you concocted this whole story, I will give you what you ask for."

Vera is somehow too surprised to be skeptical. Perhaps it's the lack of sleep, "I am not ready to get married. I just need three months or so. Just some time to enjoy my own life."

Her father turns back to her, "You can have as many months as you want once you are disowned. I doubt even Dante's parents would let him marry you after I reveal the reason - though he would probably be enough of a fool to want to anyway."

The shock shows on her face, despite her best attempts to hide it. She pulls herself together and says what she knows she needs to, "I'll marry him."

"If you attempt to pull another one of these silly stunts again, I will take everything I've given you. The money in your bank account, the jewelry in your closet, even the shoes on your feet, all belong to me. You've always known what was expected of you in return for them. I already have the papers drawn up. I will take you to court for every galleon you've ever had. I will drag you through the mud, and your bastard children and husband too, if you ever should decide to marry, to ensure that neither you nor them ever has any claim to my title or Syon Park."

Her father is perfectly composed when describing exactly how he's planning to ruin his only child should she stray. Ever the English gentlemen. Vera feels like she can't even breathe for a few seconds. That house, that fortune is her birthright. It's the entire reason she's existed for 18 years. Papers already written. When she can finally takes in enough oxygen, she spits out, "I am the only kin you have. Didn't you ever trust me?"

"Of course not. You have never been able to look past your selfish, childish desires. You are disappointed because you can't write your own life into your perfect fairytale. What you do not realize is that the fairytale you already have is much more than most people would ever even dare wish for. Dante would give you the world to make you happy."

She glares at him, "Well, maybe it isn't the world that I want."

He chuckles, "Any man who loved you any less than Dante does would make sure you regretted those words. Apparently you've found the only man in the world who would take them as a challenge. Watch your words and actions more carefully in the future, or you might lose him and everything else you have due to them."

"It sounds like you already consider Dante more your son than I ever was your daughter."

"I do," he admits. Vera knows he must know how much those two little words hurt her, and yet her father says them as if they are a given. "Which is why I won't mention your attempt to ruin this engagement again."

Vera feels angry, defensive, and helpless all at the same time. She strives to reassert some of her power, "You can tell him anything you like. Dante would not leave me."

"Any man would leave a women after reading an entire letter expressing her desperation not to marry him, no matter how well hidden that desperation was," her father says. "From your expression, I can deduce that you don't believe me. I was going to burn this letter, but perhaps In will just hold on to it instead in case you ever decide you'd like to test your theory."

Her father doesn't bother with any pleasantries before folding the letter into his pocket and walking out of the room. Vera stands perfectly still until she hears the door thud closed behind her, then she draws in a big breath and screams. She is a dove trapped in a cage, and the bars are closing in.

A/N: This is a super long chapter for me, because I am finally trying to sprint to the finish with this story so I can mark it complete. The entire thing is basically written and just needs editing and gap-fillers so I was planning to have it done by mid-January. Not going to lie though, it honestly seems that no one is really enjoying this story anymore, so it is hard to find the motivation. I might just chalk this one up as abandoned and end it here.