Elise spent much of the next day in bed, in mourning. When she finally left her room it was for lunch. She joined her family in solemn discomfort at the dining table. A moment of silence in memory of those passed was called for before the traditional report of family affairs. People shifted awkwardly in their seats as Ludwig rose to address the state of the family. He cleared his throat.
"Last night we lost the next in line for boss," he said bluntly, not using Edwin's name. "The Beilschmidt family will need a new boss, and the only available option is Elise," Elise's ears perked up upon hearing her name, she looked towards her uncle to hear more of her fate. "Unfortunately, Elise is a woman, and cannot run a family on her own," Elise felt somewhat offended by that comment but brushed it off. "That is why she shall be betrothed, to Erikur of the Oxenstierna family."
There was a small uproar at this statement. Roderich protested to his young daughter being married off and Elise feared marrying a man she had never met. Ludwig struggled to make them settle down. When quiet had finally returned to the table Ludwig sat down and began to explain the details of Elise's betrothal.
"With this arrangement we gain a strong heir to the family and form an unbreakable alliance with the Oxenstiernas," he explained. "This betrothal will do much good for both families. We will be headed to Norway tomorrow."
After that he took a bite from his plate and everyone at the table knew the arrangement would not be up for debate. Elise didn't as much as look at her plate before quietly excusing herself. Roderich followed quickly after and met her in the hall.
"Daddy," Elise said nervously. "I don't want to get married."
Roderich hugged Elise close and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "I know, sweetie." He sighed. "But there is nothing we can do; you have to listen to your uncle."
Elise nodded. "I understand, dad" she lied. She turned around and headed up to her room, wondering what she could do.
When she got to her room she picked her phone up from her dresser and called Basch. When he didn't answer Elise became unsure of what to do. She reached out to the only lifeline she had left and sent a text to Lovino
To: Lovino
Lovino, I've been betrothed and I don't know what to do, can you help me?
From: You
After pressing send she began pacing around the room uncertainly, waiting for a reply. She was scared she would be bothering him or he wouldn't care about her problem. All those concerns disappeared when she got his reply, but several new ones arose.
To: You
So, would this be a bad time to say I love you?
From: Lovino
Elise felt her heart beating faster. Lovino loved her? Did she love him in return? She set her phone down on the bed and paced the room, thinking. He certainly was attractive, and sweet, and funny. But she couldn't love him, he was a Vargas. She retrieved her phone from her bed and began writing out a reply.
To: Lovino
I love you too, what do we do?
From: You
Elise was so nervous as she waited for his reply; she felt her palms begin to sweat. She nearly jumped when her phone quietly vibrated. Eagerly, she opened the message.
To: You
I don't know, plan? We'll think of something, run away and get married? It sounds romantic.
From: Lovino
Elise's heart fluttered at the idea of running away with Lovino. She nearly lost herself in fantasies of a romantic escape with him. Quickly she shook her head and returned to the task at hand.
To: Lovino
Though that sounds wonderful, we must be serious.
From: You
He replied almost instantly.
To: You
I am serious. Play along with your family's idea, I'll come rescue you before the wedding.
From: Lovino
Elise worried about the soundness of this plan, but decided to trust Lovino. She took a deep breath before writing out her answer.
To: Lovino
Okay. I trust you. 3 goodnight.
From: You
She felt a bit silly using a little heart emoticon, but she brushed it off and set her phone aside. After changing into pajamas, she snuggled up in her bed. She fell asleep quickly, and rather than her usual nightmares from her past, she had dreams of her future with Lovino.