A soft, happy smile lingered on Ariella’s lips as she laid there with his body pressed against hers from behind, his arms wrapped around her, holding her gently. Her skin was still slick with sweat, but it didn’t bother her. He had gotten lost in the moment, as she had, and had fed from her longer than he had before, but she hadn’t minded. It hadn’t been enough to harm her, or even really to make her feel lightheaded.<br/><br/>She knew as well as he did that everything about this—about them—broke the rules. It was forbidden. But it didn’t matter. She enjoyed every moment of it; not just because the physical act was pleasurable, but because being with him was. She loved him. She’d known that for a while now, if she thought about it, but she hadn’t allowed herself to accept it because she’d thought she might not see him again. But now, she couldn’t deny how she felt about him, or how happy she felt now. She would have laid here with him forever if she could.<br/><br/>Her smile widened when he nuzzled into her hair, taking in a deep breath, as if breathing her in. They had been laying here in a comfortable silence for a little while now, but his whispered words soon broke through the silence. She was about to tell him that she felt the same way he did when he added a playful comment about how he would have had to find a way to steal her heart and make her his if she hadn’t loved him.<br/><br/>She giggled lightly at the insinuation, grinning to herself. “Well, I wouldn’t have stood a chance,” she teased back. She was about to tease him a little more when he suddenly moved and before she knew it, she was on her back and he was over her, pinning her shoulders to the bed. She was confused by his actions, and the way his eyes glowed brilliantly as they stared down at her. She wasn’t afraid, exactly; she trusted him, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but she was undoubtedly surprised by his actions.<br/><br/>The next thing she knew, his expression softened, and his eyes trailed across her skin before he was slipping off of her and out of the bed. She wanted to know what was going on, but she got the feeling that at that very moment, she would not receive one even if she asked, so she didn’t. Instead, she easily complied when he pulled her gently to her feet.<br/><br/>She watched as he silently crossed to her dresser and retrieved a hand mirror before walking back to where she stood waiting. He moved beside her and held up the mirror, where her reflection was the only one that could be seen. When he turned to face her, she faced him, her eyes searching his for answers as he smiled at her.<br/><br/>His next words didn’t help her confusion in the slightest, as he informed her that they were screwed. He was quick to explain himself, though, and suddenly everything made sense. That was why he had acted so odd. She wondered what made him suddenly come to such a conclusion, but when he mentioned her blood and a bond, she could guess that this was the reason.<br/><br/>Still, it was a lot to take in. How could that be true? It made sense; she couldn’t deny that. Everything he said made perfect sense. But how could that be true when both the parents she’d ever known were undeniably human?<br/><br/>Unless… She flashed back to the vampire woman she had met so many times during her childhood. Her hair, her eyes, her very presence in Ari’s life… She’d never thought about it as a child, but as she’d grown older, she always wondered why that woman had been so kind to her, why she had visited her so often, taken the time to teach her things, and even brought her own daughter along to meet her a few times. It hadn’t really made sense when she’d really thought about it. But… what if…?<br/><br/>She shook that thought from her mind for the moment and focused on Valor, who had moved and sat down on the edge of the bed, apparently feeling the weight of this revelation, just as she was. And why wouldn’t he? If he was right… If she was a vampire, if they were bonded, if they were soulmates, and she was married to his brother instead of to him… That was just… too cruel.<br/><br/>She felt that overwhelming reality looming over her, and if she had been alone, it might have crushed her. But she wasn’t alone, and neither was he. She took in a deep breath to steady her nerves and calm herself down before she closed the short distance between them, coming to stand directly in front of him. “Hey,” she spoke softly, but firmly enough to draw his attention to her as she gently cradled his face in her hands, trying to keep her hands steady, to keep them from shaking.<br/><br/>“If all of that is true, then that’s all the more reason not to give up,” she told him softly. “Human or half-vampire, I love you. Bond or no bond, I want to be with you. Soulmate or not, I won’t give up on us,” she told him, her voice leaving no room to doubt the truth of her words.<br/><br/>“This fate… It’s cruel and merciless. But I don’t want to let it win. Once, I would have just accepted it, but you gave me a reason to fight it. You made me realize that I want more than this prison of an existence. I want more than an empty political marriage. I want you.”<br/><br/>She leaned in and kissed him gently. “I know that we can find a way, somehow. I believe in you. In us,” she told him, gazing into his eyes for a moment longer before wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. As he held her, she couldn’t keep her body from trembling slightly under the weight of it all, no matter how badly she wanted to hide it, to just be strong. She couldn’t hide it; not from him.<br/><br/>She’d spoken all of those words firmly, with confidence, because she truly did believe them. That, however, didn’t mean that she didn’t feel the weight of it all. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid. But even so, she had wanted to be strong, if not for herself, then for him.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Rosalie couldn’t help but smile at the worlds Jalice had spoken to her after the deep kiss they had shared. She believed him. She knew that he meant every word of what he said. She felt the same. He’d had her heart for some time now, and she knew that he would always carry it with him. “I know,” she told him softly, reaching up to touch his face, but stopping when a soft knock came from the door.<br/><br/>She let her hand fall back to her side, not allowing her disappointment to show too obviously on her face as she looked towards the door. When the door opened, Kera stood there holding three bags of blood. It was obvious enough that she meant it to be a peace offering.<br/><br/>She hated that they’d be interrupted, but she couldn’t be mad at Kera. She watched the woman place two of the blood bags on the bed before she gave the two of them an uneasy smile and left. Rosalie couldn’t help but feel guilty for making her feel unwanted.<br/><br/>She gave Jalice an apologetic smile and held up a finger before running after the other woman. She was about to call for her to wait, but she saw that Kera hadn’t gotten far, thanks to Crying Kera hugging her and weeping. She ran over to her and gave both of them a tight hug. “Thank you,” she wanted her to know that she did appreciate it, that she wasn’t unwanted, even if they did want some time alone. “I’m sorry,” she apologized for making it seem that way.<br/><br/>She gave her a small smile before heading back into the room, not wanting to keep Jalice wanting. She didn’t really know what had gotten into her. She wasn’t exactly known to be the sentimental type. She just couldn’t let her go away looking so sad, especially knowing it was her own fault, at least in part. Kera had been there for her, so she had to return the favor.<br/><br/>“Sorry,” she apologized to Jalice when she returned, knowing that her actions had been rather abrupt and a little uncharacteristic. She took a seat on the bed where Kera had left the blood bags and then picked them up, holding one out for him and gesturing for him to come and sit with her, to be close to her. She wanted to enjoy their peace offerings together, and then she wanted to enjoy him.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Celes stretched her arms over his head, yawning just a little as she walked through the streets of the Valic Dominion. She wasn't here for any particular purpose, although she had been at least a little curious about the wedding that had occurred the night before. Humans and vampires had been at it for centuries now, so while it wasn't necessarily the most exciting event in the world, it was a historical moment, so it was natural to be a little curious.<br/><br/>Like most things, though, it hadn't held her interest for long, so she had moved on quickly. She'd found ways to entertain herself last night, and into the morning, but now, she found himself with time on her hands, and boredom knocking at her door. Her blue-grey eyes scanned the streets as she walked, and soon they fell on a young vampire woman who seemed to have a copy of herself, which was hugging her and crying.<br/><br/>That wasn't something you saw every day. She continued walking at a casual pace, twirling a lock of her purple-black hair as she considered her options. She could continue on and hope to find something else of interest, or she could investigate what was right in front of her. She might provide at least a little entertainment, and she couldn't very well leave a pretty girl to cry with herself, now could she? She adjusted her course slightly, so that she was soon walking past the young woman before she stopped and looked her way, as if she had just noticed her.<br/><br/>"Are you okay, miss?" she asked with a soft, sweet voice as she turned towards her and took a step in her direction. Her eyes seemed to carry a genuine concern as she looked at the crying woman and then to the other. Concerned or not, she made no further attempts to approach her, as she didn't wish to alarm her in any way. She seemed stronger than your average vampire, and powerful or not, women could always seem to find a way to hurt her. She wasn't particularly fond of being hurt, so she had no intention of giving her a reason to want to try.