Her apartment had not been far and those around them had been respectful enough to allow them to slip off without too much comment.  A gaggle of little girls and their mothers seemed to marvel as Eve and Casey walked passed.  Being from a notable family was almost like being a sort of royalty in the states.   This likely looked like a fairytale to them, though their mothers had a decidedly more shocked look upon their faces.<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr"/><br/>"A week?!  He wants you to get married in a week?"  Her mother demanded as Eve went about trying to make a few of the preparations for the wedding, all the while informing her mother of how the date had gone.<br/><br/>"No.  His father is dying.  Casey would have likely given me as much time as I required, but I wanted to give his father the chance to see him make good on his oath..."  Eve explained as she came down the stairs from the rather nice attic her mother's house contained.  Eve held a rather pristine white box in her hands as she descended.<br/><br/>"And you foolishly, offered to have the wedding in a week?  Evelyn, you could have likely drawn this out, spent time playing at the engagement and waited until the council had cooled down a bit about the whole debacle..."  Lauren Frost crossed her arms in front of her chest.  It was nearly the opposite of what her mother had said the night before, but Eve knew the reality of the situation was finally dawning on her.   Her mother had likely assumed that was what would happen.  They would be engaged for a time, the council would decide their order of arranged marriage was a cruel punishment, and both she and Casey would be released from their private obligations to one another.  Eve knew that was a possible outcome, but after the date and proposal...Some deep part of her wanted to see it through.<br/><br/>Eve set the box down on a table in the hallway, her mother still in tow, and began to inspect the contents.  With delicate care, Eve pulled a white lace dress from the box.  It was a simple dress compared to some of the more elaborate wedding gowns of the day, but it had been her grandmother's, who had not been a Frost by birth. Eula May had been a woman from a family who barely had any ties to things like the council.  Maximillian Frost had offered to pay for her dress, but Eula's mother had sewn the garment by hand, and she refused to go with something pricey.  It seemed the perfect fit now, as Eve pulled it from the box.<br/><br/>"Casey Murphy is a good man and I want to give him the chance to show his father he's trying to live a good life before he dies, Mother.  If the council decides what they've done is wrong down the line, the marriage can likely be annulled just as easily as an engagement could have been broken."  Eve explained as she held the dress up against her body.<br/><br/>"I'd like to use the lake house, but I'd still like your blessing."  The house was technically Eve's but she had inherited it in Eula's will and the house held many fond memories for her family.  It seemed like an appropriate backdrop for the wedding because of the lovely time her family had spent there.<br/><br/>"It's yours, why would you need my approval?"  Her mother retorted, still unhappy and on guard.<br/><br/>"Because you are my mother."  Eve smiled softly at her mother, who pushed out a sigh and seemed to soften, if only slightly.  She offered a curt nod to Eve, but she knew that was enough.<br/><br/>"Go ahead.  I have things to attend to, so I will see you tonight at dinner."  Lauren said to her daughter, before turning on heel and heading into a different part of the large home.<br/><br/>Eve carefully placed the dress back in the box and pulled out her phone, dailing Casey.  He was supposed to be the one to get in touch, but she figured she could make the first move.  As soon as she heard him pickup, she smiled and could not stop herself from sharing the good news.<br/><br/>"I have a dress and a venue.  My family's lakehouse, upstate, off of Seneca Lake.  It's quiet, away from the city.  We could have an intimate ceremony there and not have to worry about intrusive eyes, since the deed is still under my grandmother's maiden name.  How does that sound to you?"  She said, stopping to take a breath.<br/><br/>"Also, Hi.  How are you doing?"  He couldn't see the smile on her lips, but he might be able to hear it.