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Tino sighed out and knocked on the heavy door several times before it opened. "What do you want now?" Lukas asked without even looking up from a piece of paper he was holding.
"Sorry to bother," Tino laughed softly and Lukas looked up quickly.
"Oh, sorry Tino. I thought you were someone else," he stepped aside letting Tino inside. "It's been awhile, where have you disappeared off to?"
Tino walked in and went straight to the kitchen where Emil was sitting down and making a mess of his food. He chuckled and went right over to help clean him up, "I've been doing okay, doing things here and there. Mostly learning to recite my vows for the wedding."
Lukas made a face, "You're really serious about this aren't you?" he asked. He was at the stove serving Tino the same soup Emil was eating before putting it down for him.
"Well, I don't have much of a choice," Tino replied before he took seat beside Emil, and then began to eat the soup in front of him.
"Yes you do, you know you do," Lukas said, but didn't look back at him.
"Well I either marry the man who saved my father, or marry the son of the man who was going to leave him there to die," he leaned back in his chair. "But I rather we don't talk about any of it right now," he forced a smile and Lukas only sighed in agreement. "Who were you expecting just now?"
"Oh, well that beast and his servant tend to come and visit often," he replied.
"It's not nice to refer to him as a beast," Tino said and Lukas shrugged. "What do they come here for?"
"Mostly to check on mother, she's been getting worse and they tend to bring food over and stuff," he paused and bit his lip. "The doctors don't think she'll make it another month…"
Tino watched him and then cleared his throat, "I'm sure she will, she's a strong woman." Lukas glanced back at him and he didn't say anything else before serving two more bowls of soup. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go take this to mom and dad," he said before leaving the kitchen.
Tino nodded and watched him leave before he sighed out, he knew Lukas was going through a hard time. He was really close with his mother, and in a way Tino was too. Since he was little his aunt took care of him and in a way she was like the mother he never had. His chest began to hurt and water collected in his eyes before he rubbed them away quickly. A few moments later Lukas walked back in and washed a few dishes in his hands. "So...how's that little plant I gave you?" Tino asked.
Lukas laughed a bit, "It's fine, I don't have a green thumb like you so it's taking quite a while to grow. I put it in my mom's room and she likes the way it's turning out."
Tino smiled at the thought and then he looked down pulling out two small cards from his pocket. He almost forgot the reason why he came to visit, "I came to give these to you," he said and held them out toward Lukas who was drying his hands and looked at the cards.
"What are they?" he asked and took them from him.
"They're the wedding invitations," Tino replied.
Lukas glanced over them and opened the small little cards, they were nicely decorated and each one had a little message inviting two guests. "Seems fancy," Lukas murmured.
"Yeah..s-sorry about that. I told him it would be fine if we just told you, but Mathias insisted otherwise." Tino looked down at his lap, his nerves were getting to him again.
"It's fine, I'll show them to my dad when he has the time," Lukas set the cards aside and stared at Tino. "Who else is invited?"
"Just you guys and Berwald thought it would be nice to invite the families of the dead coal miners," he muttered.
Lukas nodded, "Will there be food?" he asked.
Tino looked up at him confused, "Yes I'm sure there will be food. Why?"
"Because that's the only reason why I'm going," Lukas said with a teasing smirk.
Tino laughed and shrugged, "Well I'm not cooking it so I can't tell you how it'll come out."
"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. Besides that the whole town is buzzing about the wedding," Lukas said as he took a seat across from him.
"What? Why?" Tino asked. He hasn't been in town for almost two weeks now, so it would make sense that he doesn't know what is currently going on.
"That servant has been going around and nearly buying everything in town," he said and leaned on his hand. "Just how much money does that beast have?"
"I told you not to call him that," Tino said and then shrugged. "I don't know, but I really don't care."
"Well you should, you know what happens with people who have a lot of money and power don't you?" Tino stared at him before shaking his head. "They are usually targeted, or they end up like the Lord Bisok with a stick up his a- butt," he finished glancing over at Emil who didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation.
Tino shifted a bit in his seat, "I don't think anything bad will happen to me while I'm with him. It's not like he has done anything bad right now," he muttered.
"Right now," Lukas repeated and then leaned closer to him. "You don't know what that beast is like behind closed doors."
"Well, maybe he isn't such a bad person!" Tino snapped and furrowed his eyebrows. "I told you to stop calling him a beast! He isn't such a bad person!"
"And you would know this how?" Lukas asked not seeming phased by his cousins sudden outburst. "Have you spent alone time with him?"
Tino's face became flushed, "No! I-I just know he isn't!"
"You trust too much, Tino," Lukas sighed out before leaning back in his chair.
"It's not like you know him any better," Tino whispered and was staring at the bowl of soup in front of him.
"You're right, I don't," Lukas stood up and started picking up Emil's bowl. "And I rather not get to know a beast like that."
The sun is bright and warm, but it isn't beating down on the earth like it usually does on summer days. Tino hummed quietly to himself as he stood outside in his garden quietly snipping off moon roses. He was putting them in a small vase beside him that was halfway filled with water.
Today was the day, the day he would be married off to someone he barely even knows. The knots in his stomach were enough to make him want to vomit, but being in his garden calmed him. He leaned in closer to the bush of moon roses before him and took a deep breath in. The leaves gently brushed over his face, as if giving small kisses to his cheeks. He smiled and ran his fingers over the leaves gently and then snipped off the rose before placing it gently into the vase.
"Pretty," he heard and looked over to see Emil. He had a bunch of small little weeds in his hands and then placed them in the vase too. "Pretty," he repeated again.
Tino chuckled and nodded, "Yes, very pretty." Emil smiled up at him before running off to go and collect some more weeds, and Tino gently rearranged the flowers and weeds.
"Tino! Tino!" he heard and glanced over to see his father at the door. "What are you doing? Come on you need to get dressed!"
Tino nodded picking up the vase and heading inside with Emil following after him a few more weeds in his hands. "I'll take those," Taisto said taking the vase from him and rushed him down the hall to his room. Tino sighed out before pausing at the door of the kitchen and watched Emil put the rest of the little weeds he collected into the vase, his smile grew soft before he headed down the hallway to his room.
When he walked a stunning white suit was laid out in pieces on his bed, it was a gift from Berwald so he could wear today. He still didn't know how to feel about it and ran his fingers over the expensive cloth. It made him feel guilty for letting the other spend so much money on him, but he pushed the thought aside and began to dress. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door, "Coming!" he shouted and opened the door. He had to look down slightly to see his aunt. "Aunt Helina!" he shouted and hugged her. "I-I thought you weren't going to make it!"
"And miss your wedding?" she could barely say above a whisper. "I would never," she smiled softly before Tino guided her inside and let her rest on his bed. She was already short of breath and her cheeks were a bright red against her now pale skin. She had lost a tremendous amount of weight from lack of eating, but Tino tried to ignore the small details as she looked him up and down. "You look amazing," she said softly.
"Thank you," Tino slipped his shoes on and then stared at himself in the mirror. "I just have no idea what to do with my hair," he laughed and ran his fingers through it. "It's just so...so boring."
"Nonsense," Helina said and waved him over. He walked over and sat on the bed beside him, "All we need to do is brush a few strands here and there.," her fingers gently pushed hair around and then slid down his face touching his cheek gently. Then her bright brown eyes widened gleefully, "Oh! And I almost forgot he sent this over," she said before pulling out a crown of myrtle leaves from a small bag she held. "He asked me to make sure you wear it," she smiled. Tino leaned down slightly as she gingerly put it on his head, tucking pieces of hair away and he sat up.
He blinked and then reached up touching it gently, it was like a crown. His fingers ran over the delicate leaves and he chuckled a bit and his cheeks became red, "H-how do I look?" he asked her.
Helina smiled before cupping his face and kissing his red cheek. "You look so beautiful, even your mother would think so," she said softly her eyes already glossy.
Tino stared at her and his hand went over hers, "I-I always considered you... my mom."
Her eyes slowly went wide and her bottom lip trembled before she pulled him close to her. "Then you're the most beautiful groom I've ever seen," she whispered. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and he could feel them against his skin. He hugged her back tightly as he tried to keep the tears from falling down his own face. When he pulled away she wiped her face and then fixed the small crown of leaves atop of his head. "Come on now, the carriages are waiting for us outside," she said.
He nodded and helped her up as she gripped the cane and they slowly made their way back down the hall. He could hear Elo fussing with Emil to keep him still and tie his tie. "Come on now," he sighed out and Emil just squirmed.
"Ah, there you are," Taisto said walking over to Tino and looking him over. "You look good," he said and then handed him the bouquet of flowers that was tied together by white ribbon.
He looked over the moon roses and the small yellow weeds that brought out the brightness of the roses. "Very beautiful," Helina chimed in looking over them.
"The carriages are here, we should get going," Lukas said from the door. He was staring out the window and Tino looked over at him. His eyes then went back down to the flowers, he knew Lukas disagreed with the entire marriage. He didn't care that Berwald saved their fathers, or went over to his house almost every day to check on his mother, he just didn't care.
"Of course," Elo said before finally finishing up with Emil and fixing his own tie. He then went over to Helina and helped walked her out towards the carriage, both Emil and Lukas following after him.
Tino was about to make his way out when Taisto called for him. "Here," Taisto said and handed him the small book that he often looked over.
"But...this is yours," Tino said softly staring at the book in his hands. The cover old and the pages were delicate, he looked at his father who had a small smile on his face.
"It was never mine," Taisto replied. "Your mother wrote it for you. She only wants you to remember the things she would have taught you," he touched his cheek gently before kissing his forehead. "We both want nothing but your happiness." Tino held the book close to his chest along with the bouquet of flowers and nodded slowly. He blinked back the tears and then Taisto led him outside before closing the door to the small cottage.
Tino stared at it for a while, it was as if he was seeing it for the first time. All the small imperfections, along with the beautiful garden surrounding it. "Thank you," he muttered to the small house and then stepped up to the door. He placed a soft kiss on it and let his forehead rest against it for a moment. When he looked down he could see the moon roses, and it was as if they were blooming right in his hands. He laughed at the thought, and he pulled away from the door before making his way to the carriage.
He climbed into the black carriage with a small purple trim surrounding it. It was rather large to fit all six of them, although Emil decided to sit in Lukas' lap. "So, he lives in the black forest?" Elo asked cautiously as the carriage started moving.
"Yes," Taisto replied and glanced outside the window. It was making its way down the familiar dirt path and Tino was leaning against him.
"I'm sure it won't be so bad," Tino smiled and leaned against Taisto. "It's just a different part of the land."
"A part most sane people wouldn't go to," Lukas chimed in and Helina cleared her throat trying to change the subject.
"I heard it's going to be a rather small but extravagant wedding," Helina smiled softly.
"Kind of," Tino laughed a bit nervously. "I told him it didn't need to be so fancy."
"Really it's mostly Mathias' doing," Taisto sighed and shifted in his seat just as the carriage was getting ready to go through town. "I'm not sure how I feel about him yet."
"He's a good guy," Tino said softly. Helina agreed and coughed into her hand. "Besides, he checks up on aunt Helina often."
"Nobody asked him too," Lukas said as he was running his fingers through Emil's hair.
"Lukas," Elo warned but the other didn't pay attention to him.
Just then loud cheers were heard outside and Tino snuck a peek outside, people were in the streets smiling and waving at him. He quickly hid his face with his bouquet, "I...I didn't think people to be so happy," he laughed slightly and waved back.
"You're basically marrying the hero of our town," Elo said and waved to some of the people outside as well.
Tino watched the town people passing and then he sat back in his seat. He didn't know what to think, he let the bouquet rest on his lap and he gingerly ran his fingers over the petals. Was he really going to be okay? Was he making the right choice? What if Lukas was right? What if Berwald was a completely different person behind closed doors? His mind flashed back to the night Oleo had snuck into his garden and his breath hitched. He gripped the flowers harder and then held them to his face. The memory gently fading away as the soft lavender-like scent filled his nose. He had to remind himself that Berwald was nothing like Oleo.
Berwald was kind and gentle. He cared for people, Tino could see this. His heart told him to trust the unfamiliar man. He opened his eyes slightly looking down at the flowers that seem to glow dimly once again, the petals caressing his face. Just like his mother wrote, he needed to keep an open heart. And that's exactly what he's done, and it isn't going to stop now.
The carriage swayed a little and he glanced out the window again to see they had made it out of town. Not too far from them, he could see the black forest. The black forest had always been interesting to him, however not so interesting as he would want to go into it. He could see the black pine trees that loomed over and cast shadows against the open grassy fields that he knew as his home. He could see Emil shift uncomfortably in Lukas' lap, and Tino forced a smile. "Hey Emil, why don't I tell you a story?" he asked.
Emil glanced over at him and nodded quickly sitting up more."There was once a girl, a very beautiful young girl who lived in a small town much like ours. One day her parents and her went to a bakery where a man and his son were sitting outside begging for money."
Taisto quickly looked over at Tino as he told the story, his chest hurting slightly. He was silent listening and closed his eyes, the memory replaying in his head over and over. The first time he met her, the first time they played together, and then the night they first kissed. His eyes slowly opened looking up at the roof of the carriage. He wished Tino would have gotten the same chance. To meet someone, to fall in love with them. But, instead he was marrying someone - to be exact he was marrying a beast.
Emil listened intently to the story and when Tino finished they had arrived at the grand estate. Everyone was climbing out of the carriage, that's when Tino realized there were dozens of more people than he expected. However, these people were all dressed in uniform and he guessed were Berwald's other servants. Emil quickly caught up to Tino and took a hold of Tino's cuff. Tino paused and looked down at him, "What happened to them?" Emil asked quietly.
Tino leaned down so they were making eye contact, "When they grew up they got married. They had lots of children and lived happily ever after." At least, in his version of the story.
Emil smiled slightly, "Just like you will?" he asked.
Tino paused and his lips pressed in a firm line for a moment, before he forced a smile. "Something like me," he whispered and pressed his forehead to Emil's. "Come on, we should get going," he whispered taking his hand as he led him off.
Berwald felt his palms sweating and he tugged at the collar of his shirt. He kept telling himself to relax, but he simply couldn't. He was nervous plain and simple, but he stared down at the small white dog at his feet. He was currently playing with a small chew toy and he stared at it harder. Would Tino like it? Was it appropriate to get him a dog?
"Berwald?" Mathias called from the door for the third time. But the tall blonde seemed to be fixated on the dog. He sighed out and walked over tapping his shoulder and finally got his attention. "They're here," Mathias said.
"Oh," Berwald cleared his throat and picked up the small dog. "Um, where are they?"
"Down in their room," Mathias replied before he took the dog from him. "I'll carry the dog," he said and pet the small thing that wagged its little tail. Berwald nodded before looking at himself in the mirror, he fixed his tux slightly and sighed out. "Relax," Mathias sighed, "You look fine. Now go and greet them before they get insulted."
"Right, right," Berwald said and headed for the door. He could see the servants bow as he passed them and he ignored it, for the most part making his way down the grand staircase. "When will the other guests arrive?" he asked.
"The first few carriages have already pulled up," Mathias said quickly following in step with him.
Berwald nodded and finally came face to face with the door. He could hear talking on the other side and he hesitated with his hand ready to knock. He could hear Mathias clear his throat and he glanced back at him, Mathias only smiled waving his hand for him to go on. Berwald then knocked on the door twice, they were soft knocks, but everyone else quieted down inside.
The door opened moments later and Taisto looked up at him and Berwald bowed slightly towards him. "Hello Duke," Taisto said and let him in. Berwald greeted him and he walked in with Mathias walking behind him and the rest of them looked over. Emil being the first one to run over and want to pet the dog.
Berwald glanced at everyone in the room when his eyes landed on Tino, and he could swear his heart was beating against his chest harder than it ever had before. His lips separated a little, just gazing at his aura - it was magnificent. Breathtaking. Explosions of an inviting royal blue, and a friendly daffodil yellow, along with a peaceful fern green took over his vision. It was the softest aura he has ever seen, He never wanted to look away from it."Y-ya'look...beautiful," he barely managed to say to Tino.
Tino's entire face immediately heated up, "Ah, thank you," he whispered and then looked down at the moon roses in his hands.
Berwald quickly cleared his throat, but the heat on his face was rising as he turned quickly to Mathias. "I..I, um, got you a gift," but Mathias was no longer holding the small dog. He looked down to see a giggling Emil playing with it.
"Emil," Elo said realizing what was going on.
"No, it's fine," Tino smiled. "But, thank you," he laughed softly. He set down the bouquet and walked over to Emil who was still playing with the small dog. He leaned down and the small dog instantly sniffed his hand letting Tino pet her. "You..really got him for me?" he asked.
"Do you like him?" Berwald quickly asked.
"Of course!" Tino said with a wide smile picking up the small puppy. He kissed the dog's nose and then set her down looking up at Berwald. "Thank you, again."
"What are you going to name her dear?" Helina asked quietly. Emil picked up the dog taking it over to where she sat and she smiled petting it softly.
Tino stood up and dusted himself off, "Um...I'm not sure. Does he already have a name?" he asked looking at Berwald who shook his head. "Ah, in that case, I'll name her Hanatamago," he smiled. "Hana for short."
Berwald nodded, he liked the name Hana. It was short and sweet, much like the shorter man in front of him.
Mathias smiled and realized that Lukas was standing across the room. His arms crossed as he stared outside, most likely watching everything fall together. He could see his aura was mostly a deep cherry and garnet red. He was both annoyed and angry, he quietly made his way across the room as everyone was distracted.
"Hello," Lukas smiled and leaned against the wall where he was. Lukas didn't even glance at him, his eyes glued outside. "You don't seem happy."
"You don't say?" Lukas muttered and then turned to look at Mathias, nearly glaring at him. "My cousin is marrying that beast."
Lukas was thrown off by this and he forced a smile, "I assure you Master Berwald is not just a beast. He's a man of his word and honor."
"Of course," Lukas sarcastically smiled before it fell.
Mathias didn't say another word before turning to the rest of the crowd and clearing his throat. "The wedding should be starting pretty soon, we should all get ready," he said with a clap of his hands.
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