The Aftermath of Love and Betrayal

Romeo was trying to mask how hurt he was, putting on a smile because he was trying so hard not to let Eden worry. The vampyre needed his rest, and yet he was here making him upset. "It's alright," he assured him, sending him a faint smile that never quite reached his eyes. "You're hurting more right now ... please ... just sit down and rest," he pleaded.

"Is it really such a shitty feeling that you have someone that cares for you and your wellbeing?" He asked quite bluntly. Taking a deep breath he looked down, feeling his body shake a little with the emotions he was feeling. "Please sit down, then we can talk," he said in a more serious tone. If Eden did sit down he would move closer, sitting down next to him, taking his hand as he stared at the floor. He was looking for the right way to describe everything. "What do you think I mean when I say I love you?" He asked, because maybe that could reveal some issues.

Taking a deep breath he found it surprising that he had to explain this right now. But he kept holding Eden's hand, looking at the floor as he thought his words through. "I care about you, Eden, not just because we kiss, fuck and want to be with each other ... It's because you make me want to be me, the real me," he said, putting it rather simply, but love was a complicated feeling at times. "When I say I love you It's encompassing the fact that I want to care for you, that I want to hear about your ups and downs, that I will be there for you no matter what," he said, trying to think of a better way to explain it. And then he thought of it. "What we have right now is a prelude to an engagement which in it of itself is a prelude to marriage ... and I suspect you know the basic wedding vows," he chuckled, looking at the vampyre with a soft look in his eyes. "I'm not just your lover, I'm your confidant, I'm someone you can trust when the whole world seems against you," in his eyes it really was like that, but maybe Eden wasn't prepared for that. He wouldn't hold it against him, though it did sting a bit to think that Eden had just said that he loved him without thinking it through. "I want to be with you ... but not just for the sake of being with you; do you understand?"

"And you don't think that this is new to me?" He had to chuckle slightly. No, most of his knowledge came from how his mother had tried to explain love, it wasn't really what he had been raised with seeing, but he hoped it was out there. However as he started apologising, Romeo quickly shook his head no, giving his hand a squeeze. "No, but you still deserve the care even if you are taking it for granted," he argued in a soft voice. "But I want you to know that even if you feel like you can't tell me everything right now, I hope to be there for you if or when you feel ready to do so," he said, leaning in he placed his palm against Eden's cheek, kissing his lips gently. "So no matter what, I want you to know that when I worry about you, it's not to keep an eye on you or watch over you - it's because I want you to feel good, I want you to heal and be happy."

It felt good to hear Eden describe how it was being with him. It was something positive, something far removed from how him and Laure had seemingly been. And Romeo wasn't looking to take on that role ever. Sure he could be cruel, but never to the ones he truly cared about. He felt the grasp around his shirt, not moving one bit as the vampyre clearly craved him to stay this close. The talk about the healing made him sigh, because he really wouldn't know, but it made sense that the less Eden moved his body and thereby his wound the faster he would heal. "Alright, just don't go out sprinting," he sighed, kissing his lips one more time. "However I still feel like you need all the rest you can get - I'm not letting you cancel our solstice plans," he chuckled softly.

"Well you can't expect me to sit around and entertain you all the time," he chuckled, but he did remember it. It had perhaps been the best part of healing, just feeling Eden's head in his lap, touching his hair as they mindlessly talked about anything and everything. He urged Eden to lay down with his head in his lap, moving over on the couch to make room for the tall vampyre. If he did, he would start stroking his hair, looking at the fireplace that had yet to be lit. The questions about skiing made him chuckle. "It feels like flying," he said with a smiling down at the vampyre. "As soon as you go down the slopes it's as if you've never done anything else in your life, the wind whirling by and the trees blurring," he said, clearly thinking of the last time he had been skiing. "You feel your whole body work at the same time, the balance and the contact with the snow below you, and once you reach the end you just want to go right back up," he said, touching Eden's cheek gently.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly, leaning down to place a kiss against the vampyre's forehead. "Of course, I need to have you set on healing so you and I can go skiing together, isn't that right?" He whispered against his skin. He felt so bad for not being able to really comfort the vampyre more, but alas, this seemed to make him feel more relaxed at least. "Besides when the day is over on the slopes, we still have the whole evening and night to do whatever we desire," he said, leaning back to look at his face. My how handsome he was.
There was a small knock at the door, a servant entering and disclosing a guest had arrived. "She claims that she was referred here after trying to reach you at your office, sir," the servant said, making Romeo frown. He sighed, knowing he had to move away from Eden, and he hated that, but he also couldn't risk anyone seeing them together like this. "She's waiting in your study," the servant announced, bowing lightly before heading back to their duties.

Romeo got up and followed, seeing as he didn't want to be apart form the vampyre longer than necessary. "Were you expecting guests?" he asked quietly as they walked up the stairs, taking things in Eden's pace as to not strain his wound too badly. Perhaps the vampyre had forgotten? Or maybe it was something urgent at the office that couldn't wait. Regardless, it made Romeo wonder.
Arriving at the study, he waited until the servant opened the door for them, and in that moment he felt like his heart stopped. Watching the back of a blonde woman, quite same stature as Laure. He had to grab for the door frame not to fall over in surprise, and as the young woman turned around her blue green eyes were so striking. Had Laure survived? He could still feel the phantom pains in his wrist where she had bitten him and drank herself to death.

As the door was opened, she was a bit surprised to see the resemblance right off the bat. She was dressed in a nice flowy off white dress, holding a small binder with files. "I am terribly sorry for disturbing you in your own home," she said, her voice beautiful and almost harmonic, "but I was told you could help me." If he allowed it she would step further, opening the binder and taking out a neatly placed document that she handed to him. "I was told that my birthmother had her address here," she said, and clearly on the document she had handed to Eden it said Loralei and her signature as the mother. But no-one was filled out under the father. "In the adoption papers, it stated that once I turned 18 I would be allowed to seek her out, so I am here today to do so," she said, a faint hopeful smile on her beautifully carved face. On the birth certificate it said her name Josette.

Josette had come here seeking answers, seeking perhaps a mother that could explain to her everything and now she heard of her death. She stood still, not quite sure how to feel about a mother she had never known and yet lost. Her brows furrowed, looking down as the only vampyre left with answers seemed so indifferent. And then there was the lycan who looked at her like he had seen a ghost. Blinking a few times she looked towards the elder vampyre, drawing nearer as he found a file for her. It all seemed so impersonal. "So I didn't come for nothing, it seems," writings and drawings, was that really what was left of her birthmother's legacy? She swallowed, looking at the file as she was handed it.
"If you don't mind me asking ... What were you to my mother? The Parish estate seems unwilling to hand out any information, so this address was my last chance," she said. She was being rather genuine, clearly not having seemingly inherited her mother's wrath. Looking over to the lycan who had sat down in a chair she smiled kindly, but it didn't seem to have a great reaction from the lycan. "Have I come at a bad time?" she asked, looking from the lycan to the vampyre. Perhaps they were having a meeting, and yet the lycan didn't look much older than her.

Josette nodded, understanding that living in the moment was what a lot of people opted to do. She just hoped she could've met her, perhaps talked to her. Older sister? That meant that this stranger in front of her was her uncle. She had never been this close to a real biological family member before, so she was rightfully surprised. It wasn't that she couldn't see the resemblance, but perhaps it was just her wishing for things. This really did confirm it. "I'm sorry about that," she said rather genuinely. She wouldn't know the first thing about what Eden might be going through.
However then Eden said something that made her frown. "Unknown?" she repeated, looking rather confused and even surprised, flipping through her folder until she found a piece of paper, "I was registered under the Parish name when I was born - We just never received any response." Showing him the official document. The Parish family was orderly with it's papers, so not responding to such a thing as an heir was rather uncommon. A talk about rescheduling came up and she couldn't say she didn't feel a bit disappointed. Maybe she had hoped too much for a warm welcome, or perhaps a mother waiting with open arms - the dreams of any adopted child she supposed. "Sure, I'll leave my contact information," she said, finding a piece of paper that she quickly wrote down on. She handed it to Eden, her blue green eyes meeting his. She didn't know just how much she looked like her mother, but it was almost uncanny how much of her beauty she had inherited. "Once again, I am so sorry for the inconvenience," she said, smiling at Eden before a servant came to get her escorting her out.

As the young vampyress left, Romeo was left staring in to the room. His heart pounding as if he had just jumped off of a cliff. And yet he was still sitting here. In the chair. In Eden's study. And everything felt so scary once again. The thought of Loralei was scary enough, but looking at this Josette it was truly like being confronted with a ghost from the past.

Romeo was pretty much in a state of shock, so as Eden touched him he flinched a little until his body realised it was a soothing hand. "How can she have a daughter?" He protested. How could anything living ever spring from such a heartless woman? He took some deep breaths, trying not to freak out more than he already had. "I feel like even in death your sister finds a way to taunt us," he muttered, closing his eyes as he was slowly calming down.