Several days had passed since Mina had told her husband that the future state of their marriage was in his hands. The fact that she hadn't seen or heard from him in the days that followed led her to believe that he had taken her seriously. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. Although she knew that her dishonesty was a large part of the issue, she was still very angry with him. As much as she cared about him and hoped that they could salvage their marriage, they had a lot of things that needed to be fixed before that could happen.
Everyone around her had been quiet on the subject, which was unusual, especially on Corric's part. She had expected a million 'I told you so's from him, but he hadn't said a word. They worked side by side on her days in the infirmary, helping injured and sick members of their people. Although they chatted in a friendly manner, and Corric was teaching her many things about immediate care, the comradery they had shared before seemed to have faded. Mina wondered if Acastus had gone after Corric as well, causing him to freeze her out.
"Corric, are you alright?" she asked at the end of the day as they were cleaning up.
He didn't look up from his clipboard when he answered her with, "Yes I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because outside of normal work conversation, you no longer speak to me like a friend. If something has happened, I would like to know what I can do to remedy it. I've already lost my husband's good will, I don't need to lose your friendship as well."
Corric looked up from his work and met her eyes, an apologetic expression covering his face.
"I'm sorry Mina. I guess I was just trying to avoid the awkward conversation. I know you don't want to hear me tell you that I'm not surprised that your deception caused such a massive blowout. I figured if I avoided the topic, it wouldn't come out."
"Avoid the topic? You don't really talk to me much at all anymore, so I would say you succeeded. Also, don't worry about it. I'm very well aware of the fact that I messed up."
Corric chuckled softly. "Well at least you admit it."
Mina rolled her eyes as she pulled her jacket on. She waved goodbye to Corric, glad that he didn't seem to be angry with her. As she walked down the hallway she could hear a conversation coming from down the hall. Normally, she would have kept moving, but when she recognized the voices and heard her name mentioned, Mina stopped to eavesdrop.
"I know that my sister lying to you upset you Commander, but is there any chance that the two of you will work things out? She doesn't say anything, but I know she's unhappy," Thali said hopefully.
Mina heard her husband sigh at her sister's request.
"I don't know Thali. Mina made it clear that she is willing to walk away, and if that's what she wants, I'm prepared to let her do it."
Mina felt her heart constrict in her chest. He was giving up on her. She had given him a choice, and his choice was to let her go. Before she could stop it, a choking sob escaped her throat. Thali and Acastus looked around the corner at the sound, both of their eyes widening in surprise. Mina started to back away from them, tears forming in her eyes. Thali stepped forward as if to follow her, but Acastus beat her to it. He started to walk towards Mina with his hand outstretched.
"Mina…stop. Let's talk," he said softly.
Mina shook her head and turned away from them, taking off down the hall towards a different exit to the surface than the one she had originally been heading towards. She could hear her husband calling for her, but she didn't stop. Mina didn't stop running until she reached home. She heard Caleb say something to her as went past him, but the actual words didn't register to her ears. Once she reached her room, Mina slid to the floor, collapsing against the door. For the first time since the initial argument she had with her husband, Mina succumbed to her tears.
For the next week, it wasn't just Acastus that Mina was avoiding, but her siblings as well. She left early and came home late. Eventually, her luck wore out and she bumped into Thali when she came home from a day at the infirmary.
"At last!" her sister cried out, embracing her. "I'm sorry about what happened. You weren't meant to hear that conversation. I'm afraid I just made things worse rather than fixing them."
Mina returned her sister's embrace, realizing that she really hadn't been upset with Thali. She had simply wanted to avoid talking about what had happened. Her heart still hurt from her husband's words.
"I don't blame you Thali. I should have seen this coming. After what happened, it was inevitable."
Thali looked at her with pity, something that Mina had not missed. It was like the beginning of her marriage all over again, only this time it was the end of her marriage. Thali seemed to sense her unease and changed the subject.
"You know what might make you feel a little better? If you went to the Firelight celebration tonight!" she suggested excitedly.
Mina appreciated the effort Thali was making, but shook her head. "I don't think I can handle going. He will be there, and I'm not quite ready to face him."
Thali's excitement waned and she stuck her bottom lip out in a pout, which made Mina roll her eyes. Even though Thali was almost an adult, she knew the pout always worked on Mina, just like it had when she was a child.
"I don't really have anything to wear," Mina said as an excuse.
Thali waved her hand dismissively, grabbing Mina's hand and dragging her in the direction of her bedroom. She released her and opened her closet, removing a green dress and handing it to Mina.
"Thali, your clothes won't fit me," Mina said as she inspected the dress, "you are much skinnier than me."
"Well, that won't be a problem. That dress was mom's. It's too big for me, but it should fit you perfectly. Also, it will go well with your hair and eyes."
Mina admitted defeat and carried the dress up to her room to get ready. Thali had been right, the dress fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves and hanging level with her knees. She pulled her boots on and looked herself over in the mirror. Satisfied with how she looked, she made her way back downstairs to join her siblings. Thali beamed at her from her place by the door.
"You look great! Just one final touch," she said reaching out, removing the clip from Mina's hair, allowing it to tumble down around her shoulders.
Caleb handed Mina her coat and they left for the event hall. It was full of people, loud and boisterous. The Firelight celebration had always been Mina's favorite. It signified that winter was nearly over and the celebration was full of joy and dancing. She smiled at the sight of all the people gathered together, but the smile quickly faded when she noticed her husband standing against a wall talking to a few men. Thali seemed to notice him too and snapped her fingers to get Mina's attention.
"Hey! Don't worry about him. Tonight I want you to dance, smile, and have fun. Deal?"
Mina's smile returned in a small upturn of her lips. She nodded and let Thali pull her into the crowd. The two danced together to the music, laughing as they spun in circles. After a while, Mina left the dance floor, claiming she needed to rest a bit. She made a point to place herself away from where Acastus was standing, wanting to put as much distance between them as she could.
"Thirsty?" a voice at her side asked.
Mina turned to see Ladon standing beside her, offering her a mug. She took the offered drink and smiled in thanks.
"You look nice tonight," Ladon said, returning her smile.
Mina groaned internally at Ladon's constant need to flirt with her. It had seemed to increase in intensity every time it happened. She thanked him for the compliment and continued drinking the beverage he had given her.
Mina looked around the room, observing the people around her rather than the man next to her. Her eyes found her brother in a corner, talking to the girl she had seen in front of Cowen's office. He seemed to be enjoying the conversation and she was smiling a lot. Moving along, Mina saw Alaina and Callistair Dart standing together. Alaina was swaying to the music with their 6 month old son Lowell in her arms, Callistair looking on with a smile.
The joy that Mina had previously felt slowly began to slip away as she observed everyone else's happiness. She finished her drink and placed it on a table behind her. Turning to Ladon, she reached out her hand.
"You wanna dance?" she asked.
Ladon looked like she had given him a gift. He nodded and placed his mug next to hers and took her hand. She led him to the dance floor as a new song began. Ladon placed one hand on her waist and started to guide her around the room. The song was slow, but not intimate, so there was a space between them as they danced. Ladon was a good dancer, but nowhere as good as Acastus. When the song came to an end, Ladon released her. Mina was about to leave the dance floor when she heard a voice behind her.
"May I have the next one?" the voice asked.
Mina turned around to face her husband, her heart in her throat. Not daring to speak, she bowed her head in agreement. He took the same position Ladon had as a song much more slow and intimate started. Mina bit her lip nervously and looked everywhere but her husband's face as they began to dance. It was similar to the first time they had danced together, but instead of hopeful sparks between them, there was only uncomfortable silence. It wasn't long before the motion stopped and Mina felt Acastus' hand move from her waist to her chin, tilting it up so she was looking at him. When she met his eyes, Mina could see sadness and regret.
"Mina…" he started softly.
Mina pulled away from him and averted her eyes again.
"I'm sorry. I can't do this," she blurted out before walking away.
Mina pushed through the crowd towards the exit, leaving without her coat. She wrapped her arms around her against the wind and briskly walked through the darkness. Mina was only halfway home when her movement was stopped by someone grabbing her arm. For the second time that evening, Mina turned to see her husband standing behind her.
"Acastus, please…" she said with a quivering voice, "just let me suffer in peace."
She saw him wince slightly at her words, but instead of releasing her, he pulled her closer. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. Mina let out a small whimper at the close contact. She had missed having his arms around her, something she hadn't even admitted to herself.
"Come home," he said into her hair.
Mina pulled back a small amount so she could look up at his face. He was pleading with her to come home. The anger she had seen was gone, now replaced with desperation.
"I thought you wanted me to leave," she said.
Kolya shook his head and placed a hand on the side of Mina's face.
"Never," he said before leaning down, capturing Mina's lips in a soft but desperate kiss.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews are writer fuel, they keep us going!