Of Feathers and Family
Elara squinted her eyes, not fully believing her sister's words.
Aurora's attempt to look caring didn't make Elara feel any better; it just made her more annoyed.
"Saying sorry doesn't fix what's been broken," Elara shot back, her voice sounding sharp and determined.
Aurora's lips moved a little,as if she was trying not to show that she was annoyed too.
"You're still as stubborn as you always were," she commented.
Then she turned and walked away, and it seemed as if her pretend concern disappeared into the air.
Next, their mother Lady Victoria came over.
"Lord Malachi," she started, her voice sounding as if she was a little bit sorry but maybe not.
"I want to say how truly sorry I am for my daughter's behavior. She got angry over something small, and this is the first time she's acted like this."
Elara felt her jaw tighten, and a sad feeling of letdown filled her heart again.
Lord Malachi didn't seem to care much about what Elara's mother said. He just waved his hand as if her words were not important.
"Oh, I'm not bothered by it, my lady," he said in a slow and lazy way.
He looked right at Elara with his deep red eyes, and it felt like a strong and burning feeling. It made her shiver a little.
"I actually find her strong and lively way of being very interesting," he added.
Elara didn't back down. She stayed strong, looking at her mother, Lady Victoria, with a determined face.
"I won't marry Lord Malachi," she said loudly and firmly.
The air in the room felt tense, as if something heavy was hanging in it.
Lady Victoria's graceful appearance seemed to break, and she looked angry now.
She spoke in a hostile voice that was full of cruel words, "You rude child! How can you disobey me like this?"
Suddenly, in a fast and strong move, Lady Victoria lifted her hand, as if she was going to give Elara a hard smack on her cheek.
Elara got ready, her teeth clenched, ready to face the hit and show how strong she was.
But, right before her mother's hand could touch her, something surprising happened.
Out of nowhere, Lord Malachi jumped in, moving quickly. It made Elara feel astonished.
His hand stopped Lady Victoria's hand, and he held it tight but not in a mean way.
"Stop, Lady Victoria," Lord Malachi said in a deep and strong voice that made people listen.
"Please don't hurt my future wife."
Lady Victoria's eyes were full of a mix of anger and being annoyed.
She was breathing heavily, trying to calm down and not look so mad at Lord Malachi.
"I'm sorry, Lord Malachi. But this is about our family, and she needs to learn a lesson so that -"
Elara couldn't believe her eyes as she watched Lord Malachi stand strong, not letting her mother continue.
His eyes were a deep red, and they showed that he wouldn't change his mind.
"I'm here to make things fair," he said, his voice strong and serious. "Elara's wishes need to be listened to."
Everything got quiet, and it felt like something big was happening.
Elara wondered, 'Why is he doing this? Why is he helping me?' Her heart was beating fast, and she felt all mixed up inside.
Then, Lady Victoria seemed to get a bit tired. Her anger didn't look as strong, and she gave Elara a mean look.
Elara felt a sharp hurt in her chest when her mother spoke in a sharp and cold way,
"You're lucky that your future husband is a nice man. He will take care of you after you get married."
It was a cold wind blowing through the room when her mother talked like that.
Elara's heart felt tight because everything seemed so unfair.
'Why is my mother acting like this? Doesn't she see how much I'm hurting? Or is she pretending not to notice?'
'She didn't even care about me. She was just thinking about getting money from marrying me off.'
"Listen up, Blackthorns," Lord Malachi spoke in a deep and strong voice that cut through the tense moment.
His words were important, and they made everyone pay attention.
"I'm leaving now, but remember this – if you hurt Lady Elara, you'll have to deal with consequences that you can't even imagine."
Elara felt a flutter in her chest, surprised by what Lord Malachi said. It was something she didn't expect.
She watched as Lord Malachi walked away, her heart beating fast and her feelings all mixed up.
'Does he actually care about me?' she wondered to herself.
But doubt stayed in her heart. A shadow that wouldn't go away.
"Maybe he's just pretending so I'll agree to marry him," she thought to herself.
A feeling of rebellion bubbled up inside her. She didn't fully believe that his actions were only because he cared.
Elara squinted her eyes, showing that she was determined. She wouldn't just accept nice things without wondering why.
"After all, he's a demon," she said quietly to herself. Her hands clenched into strong fists.
All of a sudden, Elara's sister, Aurora, appeared right in front of her.
And she was holding Ember, their father's phoenix.
Ember's feathers looked as if they were on fire when the moonlight hit them, and Elara remembered so many things all at once.
"Ember..." Elara's voice got stuck in her throat, and she felt a mix of sad and happy feelings in her heart.
Ember was something special their father gave her before he passed away. It was a connection to him that she treasured a lot.
Aurora talked and it broke the moment. Her voice sounded as if she was joking, but there was something more serious underneath.
"I might just take Ember with me so you can't run away again. You know how I like roasted birds," she said with a playful look and a wink.