Chapter Text
Wilhelmina wasn't sure how long it had taken her to get home; the entire journey little else but a blur. Mercifully, the Treviso Eluvian was practically next to the one leading her home and the Crossroads since the fall of the Gods safe to traverse - no Antaam, Venatori, or Blight out to attack anyone. Unfortunately, however, she was not afforded the same mercy when she stepped out of the Eluvian in the Necropolis and though night had fallen and the halls were thus filled with more undead and spirits than human beings, the Necropolis was never truly empty, and the odd Mourn Watcher was always wandering around. The wisps that encircled her, ever curious and chittering, did not bother her. If anything, she considered them a small comfort as they accompanied her towards the exits, but the lingering and curious glances of her colleagues were nearly her undoing.
Much like the first time, Caterina's words lingered in her mind, echoing and haunting her like a malevolent spirit. Keep her as a mistress, if you must. Let her give you a couple of bastards if it will make you happy - Maker knows elves are prolific when encouraged. But you cannot marry something like that.
Though she and Lucanis had never spoken of marriage, the past weeks and Teia's and Illario's insistence that Lucanis wanted to get married had put the thought in her mind, and if she had been truthful with herself, she did entertain it once or twice since. It had been nice to imagine - to be officially tied to Lucanis in a way nobody could dispute, go to sleep and wake up in each other's arms til death did them part and create their own little life as a family. Of course she knew marriage wasn't the sole way to have a future together and the more she thought about it, the more she had realised she would have been content to just be with Lucanis, no matter if they shared a name or not - so long as they were together.
Worse then, she bitterly thought, that he had simply stared when Caterina had reduced her to a thing Lucanis could keep and entertain whilst a woman worthy enough would lounge around the villa. Her eyes stung as tears threatened to fall, her chest clenching violently as she fought off the sobs that threatened to escape her. His silence had cut deeper than Caterina's words, but she would not allow additional shame by making a spectacle of herself in public, no matter how much she wished to scream and cry. Her hurried steps must have clued her colleagues in that she wasn't interested in any conversation, leaving her blessedly alone as she returned to her home on the outskirts of Nevarra City. Manfred had been on an extended excursion into the Necropolis as an apprentice himself now, and so nothing but silence greeted her when she walked into the empty house.
Wilhelmina all but threw the dagger and jewellery from her when she stepped across the threshold of her room before she collapsed on her bed and finally let the tears fall. Sobs - raw, unshaped things - finally spilt from her lips as tears carved a steady path down her cheeks, and the piercing sting of Lucanis' silence and Caterina's cruelty cleaved her heart. She wasn't sure how long she lay there, overcome with heartache, but eventually, she heard the door to her bedroom open. When she raised her head, her unfocused eyes looked into those of her father, whose face showed equal amounts of concern and pity.
"Oh, Mina," he uttered, taking in her tear-stained cheeks and the trails of smudged kohl, dropping down next to her and taking her into his arms.
She didn't resist, curling against him like she had when she was a child frightened by nightmares - fragile and small and clinging to him like a lifeline as her body trembled. Emmrich held her tightly, one hand at the back of her head, the other curled protectively around her shoulders, but he didn't speak. He simply held her close, softly drawing soothing circles into her back as she continued to cry. Wilhelmina hadn't quite cried like this in years, her shoulders heaving as she hiccuped, letting out her heartbroken cries, all while desperately sucking in any air as the tears only aggravated her constricting lungs. She let out wheezing coughs in between, slowly beginning to feel lightheaded as more time passed. Not even her first heartbreak had quite felt like this, nor when she had been asked to leave the Mourn Watch after the War of Banners. The incongruous breed of heartbreak and humiliation seemingly eating her alive. It had truly been one thing to endure Caterina but another entirely to endure silence .
Her father gently shushed her, carefully instructing her to breathe, and she was eventually able to calm down, the tears ebbing and giving way to feeling hollow. Sniffing, she looked up into the concerned eyes of him.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?" he gently asked her.
When she nodded, he stood up with a sigh, pulling her up with him and placing a brief kiss on the crown of her head. "I'll make us some tea then. Will you join me downstairs?"
"Mhm," she sniffed affirmatively, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand, turning away to fix herself up.
When she walked downstairs, dress now discarded in favour of a comfortable robe and face clean though her eyes remained red and swollen, her father stood near the hearth, deeply in thought, two steaming cups of tea on the table in front of the settee. His eyes snapped to hers when he heard her approaching, the two quickly settling down next to one another, the steaming cup of tea warming her hands.
"What happened, Mina?" he eventually asked.
She swallowed, chewing on her lip as she mulled it over before the words started spilling from her. She finally told him about her first interaction with Caterina, how it had led to Teia and Illario trying to help her impress the Dellamorte matriarch and how spectacularly it had backfired when Caterina had made it very clear that nothing would change her mind.
"She told him he could keep me as his mistress if it would make him happy," she eventually whispered, tears still streaming down her face. "And that, as an elf, I could probably give him a couple of bastards to satisfy him."
"And Lucanis?" Emmrich asked, his voice clipped and his jaw set.
Wilhelmina couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped her. "He just stood there and said nothing."
Emmrich's grip around her tightened, but he said nothing.
"I stood there," she went on, voice cracking, "and I waited for him to do something. Just... one word. Something. Anything . And he just…he just watched." She shook her head, tears falling anew. "I...I thought I meant more to him than that."
"As did I," he answered, his voice tight with barely contained fury, though his hands were gentle and protective as he held her tighter, fingers brushing through her hair. "And I am horrified to hear his grandmother apparently thinks so little of elves. The sheer nerve of that woman."
Wilhelmina sniffed again. "I thought if I could... it was so ridiculous to think I could change her mind when she never changed hers about Illario or Lucanis and -"
Emmrich’s expression softened, and he pulled her close again. “No one should have to earn the right to be loved, Mina. Nor should anyone have to prove themselves worthy of respect or human decency."
She closed her eyes, pressing her face into his chest again the way she did as a little girl. The ache didn’t go away. The pain didn’t vanish. But in her father’s arms, the sharpest edge of it dulled - just a little.
Emmrich Volkarin considered himself an even-keeled man, years of raising a young daughter and even more years tutoring students and guiding young minds towards becoming Mourn Watchers, having instilled a great deal of patience, gentleness and tolerance in him towards people from all walks of life.
When Wilhelmina had come to him after the attacks on Treviso and Minrathous, asking him to join the team she was assembling to stop the old elven gods, Bellara and Lucanis in tow, he had greater difficulty accepting Lucanis' profession than he did his unwilling possession. If anything, Emmrich pitied the younger man - he couldn't imagine having been forced together with Spite, let alone so violently, and finding no way of separating. For what it had been worth though, Lucanis was incredibly respectful and thoughtful, catering to everyone's dietary requirements and needs, always offering his aid without anyone needing to ask and engaging in polite conversation whenever they were on the road together. The early romance between the Crow and his daughter had caused him some confusion, and Spite, at times, seemed a little over-eager to spend time with Wilhelmina, but Lucanis continued to be nothing but respectful, though Emmrich bemusedly noticed he paid extra attention to her - checking up on her first after any battle, making her favourite meals, regularly bringing her tea or small trinkets and ensuring she was generally looked after whenever the weight of the world seemed to much to carry.
Wilhelmina had seemed equally enchanted, and whilst Lucanis' profession and reputation wouldn't have been his personal pick for her, Emmrich was glad all the same his daughter was happy and loved.
That was, of course, until she had fled Lucanis' nameday celebrations, and he rushed home to find her in hysterics. He had seen the two of them leave the Opera House together after a Crow had approached them, and only Lucanis had returned, his face somewhere between fury and concern and when he had practically run up to their friend group and asked if any of them had seen Wilhelmina. Emmrich should've known something was very wrong when they couldn't find her, nor when Lucanis would fully explain what had caused her to run, but he was nothing short of furious when Wilhelmina explained what had happened.
She hadn't fallen asleep until early in the morning, wrapped in a thick woollen blanket on the settee when Emmrich heard rapid knocking coming from the door. He had sat in a nearby armchair, reading a book whose pages he hadn't turned in a while, when his eyes snapped up, and he carefully set the book down and quietly walked up to the front door. He opened it to see Lucanis standing there, still in his suit from the night before, though he had lost the jacket and was standing in front of him in only a vest and shirt, dishevelled and eyes rimmed red and Emmrich could discern Spite's frantic screaming which caused the Crow to wince. He looked at Emmrich guiltily, which he only returned with a raised eyebrow and cool gaze.
"Is she here?" Lucanis asked, voice raspy.
"She is," Emmrich nodded, voice flat, without a trace of warmth. "But she's finally asleep, and I will not wake her up so you can stand there in silence. Again."
Lucanis winced, his shoulders sagging. "Please just let me -"
"No," Emmrich interrupted coldly. "You had your chance last night, and you let your grandmother demean her to a common whore."
"I wasn't -"
"I don't want to hear it," Emmrich glared intently. "And unless she specifically asks to see you, I will not allow you in my home."
Lucanis swallowed hard, glancing past Emmrich toward the space beyond. "You don't understand how sorry I am, Emmrich."
"Leave, Lucanis."
The Antivan took a breath, his voice breaking. "Will you… at least tell her I came? Please?"
Emmrich nodded once, curt.
Lucanis didn’t reply. His shoulders slumped, and he nodded slowly, then turned and walked away, and Emmrich closed the door behind him again.
After the nameday debacle, Wilhelmina threw herself into her work.
She had returned the jewels to Teia as soon as she could, sending them to the Diamond with a brief note attached, thanking her for letting her borrow the necklace and earrings and for aiding her in the weeks before but declaring she needed some time away from Antiva because "work kept her busy" . She hadn't dared step foot into Treviso herself, unwilling to face any of the Crows, let alone Lucanis, whom she had refused to see since that same night, either rushing elsewhere when she heard he was near, or telling her friends, colleagues and father she did not want to see him. To their credit, they had done well keeping him from her and not pushing the subject - something she hadn't taken for granted once. Wilhelmina missed him dearly, of course. She missed the safety of his arms, the smell of coffee and comforting warmth, his dark brown eyes and the way they crinkled when he was amused, and she even missed Spite, the spirit who had become a welcome companion to her. And yet she couldn't bring herself to face him - too hurt and too prideful and perhaps too afraid of confronting what they both knew they would need to confront.
Instead, she found herself tending to every demand and need the noble houses asked of her, officially submitting a request to perhaps begin teaching on her own, now that she likely held more combat experience than all the other Watchers combined and going on two small excursions into the depths of the Necropolis, now that she was back in the good graces of the undead gentry and no longer at risk of being attacked on sight for her misdeeds during the War of Banners.
"Your paramour was here yesterday," Myrna told her as they were walking through the lower crypts, checking up on several of the vaults and seals that kept the less savoury undead from running amok in the Grand Necropolis. "He comes by at least once a week."
Wilhelmina flinched, refusing to meet Myrna's eyes. "I see."
"Whatever happened between the two of you, he does seem eager to put it to rest," the woman continued unperturbed.
"I don't want to see him," Wilhelmina continued, pushing forward. "Not now."
"It has been weeks since you have last seen him," Myrna countered. "And whilst I understand our work is never quite finished, I don't recall you being quite so... stalwart."
"Excuse me?" Wilhelmina whipped around, seeing the faintest smirk on Myrna's face. "I have always served the Mourn Watch first."
"Of course," Myrna conceded, "but when you returned from your sabbatical, you were always ensuring you would have enough time to indulge in your... personal affairs. Right now, I wonder if you even sleep with all the work you have buried yourself in."
"I do," Wilhelmina huffed. "Besides, you know just as much that the demands of the noble houses are endless."
"Oh yes," Myrna rolled her eyes. "The nobles. How dare I forget?"
Wilhelmina crossed her arms in front of her. "If you have something to say, Myrna, say it now."
"You are running from a conversation you cannot escape," she told her. "And whilst I do not know what transpired between the two of you, it is unbecoming of you to run from it."
Wilhelmina was about to retort when Myrna raised her hand. "Not to mention the entire Mourn Watch consistently has to deal with Lucanis Dellamorte running into the Necropolis trying to find you and calming the dead because I can assure you an abomination makes them quite restless."
Wilhelmina's shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh escaping her. "I know, Myrna," she mumbled.
That night, Wilhelmina sat in front of the fireplace again, Manfred excitedly knitting away while her father was perusing some of his books as they enjoyed a moment together as a family. She was sipping some wine and mulling over her last conversation with Myrna, guilty of realising her quasi-mentor was correct, but she still held no desire to speak to Lucanis just the same.
"Do you think I should reach out to him?" she eventually asked.
Her father looked at her. "I can't say I'm eagerly awaiting it, but it would at the least give you some closure or peace."
"I really thought he was the one," she quietly sighed.
"I know," Emmrich replied, slowly walking up to her. "I think all of us did," he confessed, "but love shouldn't be that painful, let alone conditional. You deserve someone to make you happy, Mina. Not someone who won't even speak up for you or someone you'd have to give up yourself for. That's not love."
He kissed her temple and gave her a brief but tight hug before retiring for the night, leaving her to mull over her thoughts, his words echoing in her mind. Both Myrna and her father were right, of course. It wasn't fair to anyone to keep delaying the inevitable, and whilst she dreaded facing it, Wilhelmina also knew she couldn't keep it off much longer. With a sigh, she downed the rest of her wine before deciding to help Manfred with his knitting project. At least for the night, she could continue to pretend.
Eventually, Wilhelmina did reach out to him, sending him a letter and asking to meet in Nevarra City, in a park near the Minanter River she had frequented with her father during her childhood. It was neutral ground - far enough from the gossip network that was the Mourn Watch and even further away from Antiva and the Crows that listened at every corner and would likely report back to their Grandmaster or Talon. Nevarra City in spring was also pleasantly warm, the trees alive and in full bloom, as each and every park exploded in colour and families and lovers alike spent their days in the sun. It was quite unlike Antiva - the air more crisp and less humid.
Wilhelmina stood beneath an iron-laced archway at the edge of the park. She had been given the day off, her superiors insisting she had done enough work the past weeks to be allowed a day in the sun. Lucanis hadn't shown up in the Necropolis since she had reached out to him, though he had answered her letter with one of his own, agreeing to meet her at her suggested time. Wilhelmina was ridiculously early, hands nervously curled tightly around the handle of a small satchel she wasn't even sure why she'd brought.
She heard him before she saw him - boots crunching gravel, the weight of him so familiar it made her breath catch. They had spent months together on the road. Lucanis was never far from her and practically along on every trip they had to take, and she knew he could've snuck up on her if he had chosen to do so. Secretly, she was glad he was announcing himself. When she looked up, Lucanis stood just a few paces away, dressed simply in an unassuming ensemble of Crow leathers, reminiscent of the ones he had worn when they had first met. She could see the hilt of the Wyvern-Tooth dagger she had gifted him glittering near his chest.
He looked tired.
The deep circles under his eyes were nearly the first thing she noticed, almost as violet and dark as they had been when he and Spite hadn't yet come to terms with coexisting in one body, his beard scraggly, and his eyes still rimmed red and almost swollen. His gaze brightened when he saw her, a small, tentative smile placing itself on his face, and Wilhelmina nearly crumpled all over again. His walk was slow, observing her every reaction the closer he came, stopping mere inches before her. Neither said anything, merely observing and silently acknowledging the past weeks and hurt, before Lucanis quietly uttered a "Hello, Mina."
His smooth cadence tugged at her heartstrings, but she had missed him greatly, so she offered him a small smile in return and almost whispered, "Hi."
"I'm so sorry, Mina," Lucanis told her ruefully.
Wilhelmina swallowed thickly, the familiar pang of hurt and longing piercing her, staring at the winding path before them, the park inviting, a breeze stirring the edge of her dress and the scent of damp stone, fresh-cut grass and blooming flowers. "Walk with me?" she eventually offered, and Lucanis nodded.
The two quietly made their way down the path, close though never quite touching each other, a painful silence between the two of them neither yet dared to break. Wilhelmina was nervous, her hands sweaty and clasped in front of her. She was somewhere between longing for Lucanis' touch and wanting to run away, and a quick glance to her left told her Lucanis wasn't faring much better.
She could physically see Lucanis hold Spite back, his face pained, and she could hear him scream lowly. Carefully, Wilhelmina reached out to him, her hand wrapping around his bicep, and his eyes snapped up to her.
"Let me talk to him," she gently said, and he only gave her a grateful but pitiful glance before his eyes flashed purple and Spite took over. The spirit almost looked hurt when he finally looked at Wilhelmina, barely giving her a second before he wrapped his arms around her in a crushing grip. He was much less gentle than Lucanis and also felt different - spectral as if a million little wisps danced and tightened around her - but no less welcome.
She had always known that the two were one, and if Wilhelmina wanted to be with Lucanis, Spite would inevitably be a part of their relationship, too. It had never been a problem to her - Spite was, for the lack of a better word, almost obsessed with her and had always listened to what she had to say, even more so when Lucanis and Wilhelmina had realised she could hear the determined spirit without him needing to take over Lucanis entirely. When he had taken her into Lucanis' mind, their bond had only solidified, and she had happily taught him how the world worked whenever she could. She felt a little guilty when she realised how confused he must've been at her weeks-long disappearance, particularly when she remembered how distressed he had been the last time.
"Missed. Our. Rook, " he grumbled into her hair, pressing her close.
"I know, Spite," she mumbled, carefully wrapping her arms around him, trying to ignore the growing ache in her heart as the familiar smell of coffee and leather hit her. "I missed you too."
He grumbled again. "Why did you. run? Never. there. "
"It's... complicated, Spite," she whispered softly.
"Because. of old. Crow."
That caused Wilhelmina to laugh, a genuine bubbling sound escaping her. "Yes, Spite. That too."
Spite seemed pleased with himself, pulling away just enough to look at Wilhelmina's face, though he refused to let go of her entirely. She looked to the side, spotting a wrought iron bench beneath a willow, pulling the two of them towards it so they could sit down. She allowed Spite a couple more minutes to speak to her, the spirit animatedly telling her all about what Lucanis had been up to and how disappointed he'd been whenever he couldn't locate Wilhelmina. Lucanis had, apparently, tried to explain why she had avoided them, but Spite had made it quite clear he hadn't understood.
"Spite?" she carefully asked him, "can I speak to Lucanis now? Please?"
The spirit didn't answer, only retreating, and Lucanis' brown eyes greeted her again. He seemed a little disoriented, blinking rapidly as he tried to readjust to being in control of his body again. He quickly noticed their intertwined hands, and he looked disappointed when Wilhelmina pulled hers away.
"I am so sorry, Mina," Lucanis told her again. "What Caterina told you... it was unforgivable."
"It was," she cleared her throat, crossing her arms. "But you not saying anything was worse."
He flinched like she'd struck him, but nodded. "I know. And I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. I was so... Caterina had never shown contempt towards elves, and I hadn't expected her to... I - I just didn't understand what had happened until you ran."
"Somehow, I don't believe you," Wilhelmina scoffed before she could stop herself.
Lucanis furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
"That night we had dinner at your villa," she began, realising she'd have to tell him now. "She called me a 'Knife-eared crypt child' . So forgive me if I don't quite believe your grandmother isn't racist."
Lucanis' mouth was suddenly pressed into a thin line, his eyes blazing purple. "Qué dijo ella?"
Wilhelmina winced at his sudden switch to Antivan and hardened tone. "When she had sent you off to a different wing, and we had been left alone, she -"
"Mierda," Lucanis shook his head. "Mina, why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought it'd be best to..."
"You should've told me," he interrupted gently, shaking his head. "I don't understand why she's said that. She loves Teia, and House Dellamorte has almost as many elves as we do humans. She's never...." He trailed off, his brow furrowed.
Wilhelmina sighed. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done."
"It does matter, Mina," Lucanis turned towards her, gently and carefully taking her hand in his. "And I am so sorry about… everything. For how Caterina treated you, for not saying anything - all of it."
Wilhelmina looked at their hands, a pressing weight on her chest before she looked up again. "So what now?"
"Marry me," Lucanis blurted out.
Wilhelmina choked, spluttering as her eyes widened at his sudden outburst. She had anticipated every outcome - almost preparing herself for inevitable heartbreak - barring this , and to say she had been taken by surprise would have been a vast understatement. Lucanis somehow seemed equally surprised, his eyes wide, though he quickly recovered and pulled out a small velvet box from his breast pocket. Upon opening it, Wilhelmina glimpsed at a stunning violet sapphire encircled by a halo of diamonds, glittering brightly as they caught in the sunlight filtering through the branches of the tree. Her mouth was wide open, her mind rushing and equally feeling empty, and she couldn't even begin to form any words.
"Marry me," he said again, this time softer.
"I -" she swallowed thickly, desperately trying to find the words as her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. She was so sure Lucanis could hear it. "Lucanis, what about Caterina?"
"This isn't about her," he shook his head. "All my life, I have done what she expected of me, and I'm done with it. My heart is yours, Mina. And if Caterina cannot accept that, I will leave Antiva."
Wilhelmina didn't think her eyes could get any larger, but they almost bulged out of her head. "Lucanis, you cannot -"
"For you, I will," he gently interrupted her. "Marry me, Mina, and we will start a new life together. Away from the Crows, Caterina, Antiva. Just say the word, and I'm yours."
Though the Cantori Diamond was usually buzzing with energy most days, the Casino typically filled with gamblers and merchants who indulged in the finer vices of life, the establishment was suspiciously empty and devoid of any Crows or gamblers alike. The eerie silence would have been off-putting any other day, but Wilhelmina was undeniably grateful that Teia had cleared the Casino just for her, though she wagered to guess the Seventh Talon had been more inclined to shut the Casino when she had divulged to needing a private space to meet Caterina. Wilhelmina had been nervous to request the meeting in the first place, but she had surprisingly quickly received an answer from Caterina - or rather, her personal aide.
It was a risky move, Wilhelmina was very aware of that, but she supposed she owed the Dellamorte matriarch one final visit, and she doubted the old woman would immediately attempt to assassinate her. At least, she hoped she wouldn't.
She carefully sipped on the glass of wine Teia had brought her, trusting the Talon enough to not poison her where she stood (potentially naive, Wilhelmina bemusedly realised), but it eased her frayed nerves just a little, and she couldn't lie and say she hadn't grown to enjoy Antivan wines over the time she had spent with Lucanis. The rhythmic tapping of a cane hitting the marble floor broke her from her stupor; Wilhelmina's head turned around to see Caterina rounding the corner. She was impeccably dressed as always; a fine deep purple dress with rich Antivan embroidery, glittering opals hanging on her neck and ears, complementing the same opal ring she had discarded so many months ago to clue in others to her survival after Illario's betrayal - the mark of her favour Lucanis' mother had once worn. Her hair was up in that famous tight bun that only accentuated her hardened features. She glanced around suspiciously, her eyes briefly meeting Wilhelmina's, who only smiled gently at her.
"I'm not here to assassinate you," she said, standing up. "I'm not stupid enough to try and kill the former First Talon in Teia's house."
Caterina scoffed, walking up to the table. "You are welcome to try."
The two women sat down across from each other, the cards for Wicked Grace between the two, and neither said a word for a while. Caterina only regarded Wilhelmina with equal amounts of suspicion and contempt, but she could only smile at her and nod towards the cards.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet me here."
"I'm not sure if you're brave or stupid," Caterina raised her eyebrows.
Wilhelmina only hums, grabbing and dealing the cards between the two of them before leaving the rest in a pile in the middle. Her father had taught her the rules of Wicked Grace ages ago, but it was only when she started playing against Vorgoth that she became something of a master at the game, the entity understandingly impossible to read and thus the only one who could beat her to this day. Back when they lived at the Lighthouse, Lucanis had been the only one coming even close to challenging her. She couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory before schooling her face into the same nonchalance Vorgoth had ingrained in her. She could tell Caterina scrutinised her, her eyes calculating before she, too, schooled her face into polite indifference.
The cards she had been dealt hadn't been horrible; it wasn't a winning suit by any means, but she carefully placed her bet, and Caterina followed suit before discarding her first card.
"My father taught me how to play," Wilhelmina mentioned, grabbing a card from the pile. Angel of Death, she notices. "He was horrible at it. Predictable. So was I, for a number of years."
Caterina narrowed her eyes. "Yet you invited me for a game, which I cannot understand for the life of me. You and I have no business with each other, and I don't consider you a friend either."
Wilhelmina snorted, randomly discarding a card. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual."
"But?"
"But," Wilhelmina sighs dramatically, "I wanted to talk to you before I left Antiva for good."
"Ah," Caterina's lips briefly quipped upward, discarding her Knight of Wisdom. "So what I have been telling you has finally stuck."
She hummed in reply, taking in her cards once more before picking up another. Angel of Wisdom. "In part, yes."
They continued playing, the rounds moving quickly before Wilhelmina spoke up again. "Both Lucanis and Teia insist you don't hate elves, but you have fixated on my heritage from the second I stepped into your house. Why is that?"
She watched as Caterina contemplated her words, the barest hint of surprise on her face. "I don't hate elves," she conceded after a while. "One of my sons even married one."
That surprised Wilhelmina, her eyes widening briefly.
"Antonio," her face briefly showed pain before she continued, "had been on a contract in Nevarra. He was away suspiciously long, and when he returned, Daphne was on his arm - an elven Mourn Watcher, pregnant and unmarried. Unlike all my other children, who married Antivans, he wouldn't have any other."
Wilhelmina kept her expression still, carefully drawing another card from the deck as she waited. Knight of Dawn . She blinked once, then tucked it into her hand without comment.
"And what happened to them?" she asked softly.
"What do you think?" Caterina scoffed, drawing a card herself. "I had them wed as quickly as I could, so at least House Dellamorte would be spared the shame of having a bastard. Much like you, Daphne was intelligent. Beautiful. But also painfully Nevarran. Idealistic. I told Antonio time and time again it was a terrible idea, that she didn't understand how our world worked, but he was insistent. She gave birth to Illario mere weeks later."
"Illario is elf-blooded?" Wilhelmina blurted out before she could stop herself. "He - he never even mentioned it, I -"
Caterina's eyes flicked to hers, sharp and quick. "Illario was only four when his parents were killed. He hardly remembers either of them."
"So you never told him?" Wilhelmina asked incredulously.
Caterina ignored her, discarding another card. "Daphne was... dismayed when she realised what bearing children for this House means. She saw the Fledgings once and decided to return home again. How she convinced Antonio of the same, I will never know."
Wilhelmina felt a creeping sensation unfurl in her stomach as she began to grasp the direction in which the story was unfolding. A sense of quiet dread settled over her, growing heavier with each passing moment. Caterina had clearly buried those haunting memories deep within her, yet the shadows of grief were unmistakable on her face and for once, she looked every bit the old woman she was. Wilhelmina could feel the weight of that sorrow, an unshakeable reminder that the pain of such a loss would leave an indelible mark, lingering long after the initial shock had worn off.
As they continued their game, the atmosphere thick with unspoken words, Caterina played her next card without a hint of hesitation, whilst Wilhelmina skillfully nicked the Knight of Wisdom from the deck in a brief moment of distraction.
Though curiosity gnawed at her, Wilhelmina understood the importance of restraint. Her training with the Mourn Watch and the years of experience in providing solace to the bereaved had taught her invaluable lessons about the nature of grief - they needed to come to terms with it on their own.
"Half of Antiva knew of their plans to flee," Caterina eventually continued, flicking another card onto the table with mechanical precision. "I tried to dissuade them, but before I could, House Velardo killed my heir, Lucanis' mother, and asked the traitors to surrender. Daphne felt even more encouraged to flee then. She never quite understood how things worked in Antiva, no matter how often I tried to tell her. I'm certain Lucanis told you the rest."
Wilhelmina remained silent, her expression a tempest of emotions. The cards she had been so eager to play lay forgotten before her, their vibrant colours dulled by the weight of the moment. She felt her breath hitch in her throat, caught in a tumultuous dance between simmering anger and a deeper, quieter revelation - understanding. It was never really about her elven heritage, she realised; it was always about the roots that anchored her, the land and people she called home. To Caterina Dellamorte, Wilhelmina was more than just an elf from Nevarra; she represented the tragic unravelling of her own family, a painful reminder that eclipsed the individual before her.
Wilhelmina, for all her training and caution, let her mask drop just slightly. "So when Lucanis introduced me... "
"I knew you would ruin him the same way Daphne ruined Antonio," Caterina coldly interrupted. "And I knew you would never understand my disapproval otherwise. Because you're just like her. Painfully Nevarran and stupidly idealistic."
The two women looked at each other in silence, the cards momentarily forgotten between them. Whilst Wilhelmina held understanding for Caterina's personal tragedy, anger bubbled inside her - unfairly judged before she ever had a trial.
"You don't know me," Wilhelmina spat, her brows furrowing. "You never even gave me a chance."
Caterina waved her off, continuing to play. "I know you're not what Lucanis, or this family, needs. And one day, when he's less angry with me, he'll understand."
Wilhelmina's lips twitched, almost smirking. "Well, he proposed to me last week. So I’m not sure he agrees with that."
That caught Caterina's attention, her head snapping up.
"He said he would walk away from this family, from his position, and from Antiva for good," she carefully revealed, eyeing the genuine terror that seemed to overtake her features, even years of having dealt with Crow politics unable to hide her genuine fear of losing everything she had sacrificed her family for.
Wilhelmina said nothing for a while, perhaps twistedly enjoying seeing Caterina on edge for once.
"Don't worry," she continued offhandedly, tossing another card aside. "I turned him down."
Caterina scoffed - weak, brittle around the edges. "Then you're an even greater fool than Daphne ever was."
"Why?" Wilhelmina asked, genuinely curious. For what it was worth, Caterina should have been overjoyed.
"If what you’re saying is true," Caterina mused, taking another card, "then you practically folded a winning hand.”
"There's no winning here," Wilhelmina replied. "There never was."
"Oh?"
Wilhelmina picked up another card. Angel of Temerity. "If Lucanis chose me," she mused, "he would lose everything. His family, the Crows, Antiva - his life. He might be happy, for a while, but he’d resent me for it one day. Because he does love all of it."
Her gaze wandered back to Caterina, who had discarded the Knight of Mercy, briefly calculating before dropping her eyes back to the cards. "And similarly, if he chose his family, he might just spend the rest of his life resenting you."
"So you chose for him," Caterina hummed.
Wilhelmina nodded, discarding her Angel of Temerity again, drawing another card in its stead. "I did."
Caterina seemed to mull over her thoughts, seemingly confused and appreciative at the same time. Wilhelmina deliberately picked up her wine, savouring it by taking a long and languid sip, allowing the rich, velvety flavours to envelop her senses. The wine seemed to linger on her tongue, a delightful distraction - for both herself and Caterina.
When she placed down her glass, she could see Caterina had nicked the Angel of Temerity and discarded a Knight of Roses instead.
"I love Lucanis," Wilhelmina said softly, her voice barely above a whisper and her throat tightening. A wave of emotion swept over her as she envisioned his warm smile and the way his laughter echoed in her memories. Her heart ached - painfully twisting as it recalled the times they had shared. "I love him so much. And because of how much I love him, I cannot ask him to lose it all for me."
Caterina only stared at her, unblinking, as if trying to figure out what Wilhelmina wanted from her. The tension between them thickened, each moment stretching longer than the last as they approached an unspoken stalemate. Sensing the weight of the silence suffocating their exchange, Wilhelmina decided to bring an end to the drawn-out standoff, drawing the Angel of Death with a deliberate flourish and ending the game. The woman across from her pursed her lips before fanning out her suit.
Serpent-Entwined Dagger. Angel of Charity. Angel of Fortitude. Angel of Truth. Angel of Temerity.
"So why come here then? If it’s over as you say it is," Caterina asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
Wilhelmina's smile was tinged with a bittersweet melancholy as she gazed at her. "Because I wanted you to know that, one day, when he marries the Antivan woman who is good enough for you," her eyes unwavering as they locked onto hers, "and you’re sitting in your estate, your great-grandchildren filling the previously empty halls and your perfectly manicured gardens... that it was because of me." Her words lingered in the air like incense - bitter and cloying. "An unpedigreed, stupidly idealistic, Nevarran, knife-eared crypt child."
At last, she revealed her cards, fanning them out from worst to best.
Serpent of Sadness. Angel of Wisdom. Knight of Wisdom. Knight of Ages. Knight of Dawn.
She didn't wait for Caterina to say anything else, leisurely rising from her place. "Thank you," she told her before she left the Diamond for good.
"Are you sure you have everything that you need?" her father asked her for the umpteenth time, fussing over her as they stood on the upper floors of the Grand Necropolis, ready to move down to the Eluvian that continued to be hidden near the Shrouded Halls and would take them to the Crossroads, endless students chattering about. Myrna and Strife snickered, quickly disguising their laughs with poorly improvised coughs.
Wilhelmina playfully rolled her eyes, pushing her father away from her. "This isn't my first expedition, papa."
Emmrich glared at her. "But it is your first time leading an expedition."
"I saved the world," she shrugged with a grin, "how much harder can this be?"
"You are unbelievable," Emmrich shook his head. "Maybe I should -"
"Emmrich," Strife chuckled, pulling him aside. "I think your daughter is more than capable of doing this on her own. They wouldn't have asked her to do it otherwise."
"YES," Vorgoth suddenly added, appearing next to the group. "SHE IS CAPABLE."
Wilhelmina chuckled, turning towards the group of students she was supposed to lead. It was a rather large group, fifteen students who were all in their final year of study before they would become full Watchers, initially led by her own former professor, who had become ill and was unable to lead the expedition into Arlathan Forest. The Watch had subsequently asked Wilhelmina to step in at the suggestion of Professor Lupine, who believed she'd be well enough equipped to ensure everyone's safety for a couple of days, never mind that Wilhelmina likely knew Arlathan better than any other Mourn Watcher. The Watch had concurred, also allowing Wilhelmina to prove herself following her request of possibly teaching her own class the following semester. It was a simple expedition - meant to dispatch a haunting deeper into the forest near the now destroyed Arlathan Crater - but Emmrich had naturally been worried, even if he knew firsthand Wilhelmina was more than capable of leading a group.
Strife had come to ease his mind a little, confirming that Arlathan had largely been peaceful since the fall of the Evanuris and that any artefacts were dormant or easily contained, the Blight receded and few, if any, Venatori spotted.
Wilhelmina was truly looking forward to it.
Arlathan had been her favourite of all places travelled during her time away. The forest, though strange and sometimes unsettling, had a curious way of making her feel right at home. Whether it was because of remnants of ancient elven magic and ancient spirits still walking the place or because many elves still lingered close by the seat of their ancestors, she didn't know, but she loved the forest nonetheless. Besides, it would give her some much-needed reprieve following the end of her relationship, the final meeting she had with Caterina still bitterly lingering on her tongue, though the initial sting had begun to fade. It had been two weeks since, three since Lucanis had proposed, and she had ruefully turned him down in her unwillingness to tear him from his home and family, and whilst many of her questions had been answered, some she'd likely never find an answer to. A part of her still wondered why it had been Lucanis' parents that had been killed first, another yet that wished to reach out to Illario to tell him of his mother, but she also didn't think it was her place.
Perhaps one day, Wilhelmina sadly realised, she and Lucanis could see each other again as friends, and leave the choice up to him. For now, she was glad to have some distance between the two of them, even if the pain of her failed relationship still lingered. Some wounds, she knew, simply took a little longer to heal.
Hushed whispers shook her from her momentary inertia, the group of students excitedly whispering and pointing towards the flight of stairs that led to the lower vaults, two figures rushing up to them.
"Sir, you cannot -" an out-of-breath Watcher shrieked, comically chasing the first man who, whilst smaller, outran him easily.
Wilhelmina's breath caught in her throat. "Lucanis?" she whispered to herself, barely recognising the blur of leathers that ran up over the crowd of students and professors.
Lucanis reached the top of the stairs, craning his head before he spotted Wilhelmina, whose eyes must have been comically wide, and he started to grin.
"Mina," he exhaled, shaking off the Watcher that had chased him and stalking towards the group.
Wilhelmina whipped her head around to her father, who seemed equally surprised and only shook his head at her questioning glance. Lucanis pushed through the group, some of the parting before he stood in front of her with a broad smile, eyes crinkling and looking into hers with so much adoration that her heart clenched. How she had missed him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him quietly.
His grin only widened impossibly. "Coming to see you off, of course."
"Don't," Wilhelmina pleaded. "Just - just don't make this harder than it needs to be."
She tried to walk past him, wanting to gather her group and put as much space as she could between her and him, but Lucanis seemingly had other plans and gently grabbed her arm.
"Please," he looked at her. "Can I have a minute of your time?"
Wilhelmina shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. You should go."
Lucanis let out an exasperated sigh, uttering something that sounded dangerously close to Mierda , before he sagged his shoulders. "I had hoped to do this better the second time around, but -"
"Do what better?" Wilhelmina furrowed her brow. "Lucanis, we're... there's no us anymore. And I have to leave and -"
" Por la sangre del hacedor , Wilhelmina," he interrupted her, "I'm trying to-"
"I think she was quite clear," Strife suddenly interrupted him, "You should leave."
Lucanis glared at him, though the older man seemed unimpressed and only glared at the Crow in return. "I need a minute," Lucanis insisted, his eyes turning back to Wilhelmina. "Alone."
Emmrich scoffed. "I don't think so."
Wilhelmina glared at both men now, groaning exasperatedly as her cheeks burned and everyone looked at the small spectacle around her. She briefly considered running but then remembered she was hoping to make a good impression to be given her own class, so she decided to suck it up instead and resignedly pushed her feelings aside. "Fine," she hissed, "but whatever you have to say, just spit it out. We have to leave soon."
He smiled at her again, though he seemed a little uncomfortable when he realised everyone was staring. "Ah," he cleared his throat, "you see... That... this is... not exactly what I had in mind."
Wilhelmina couldn't help but raise her eyebrow, waiting for him to say anything, but he just stumbled around his words. "Forget it," she muttered, trying to move forward only to be stopped by him once more.
"Right," he cleared his throat again. "You see, the second time I had... hoped to do this somewhere special. Take you to Lago di Novo, show you all Antiva has to offer before ah - asking you..." he trailed off, looking around. "I know this is... everything but, but I -"
It gradually dawned on Wilhelmina what Lucanis was about to do, and she suddenly wished she would have taken him up on his offer to talk in private, unwilling to share being humiliated in front of so many people, but before she could stop him, he had dropped down on one knee, taking her hand in his. Around them, the quiet hum of the Necropolis shifted, the students falling utterly silent. Strife and Emmrich looked like they were about to combust, the latter exhaling through his nose, rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation. Myrna let out a breathless little oh.
He looked up at her, his eyes full of hopeful warmth. "I don't want to wait any longer."
"Lucanis," Wilhelmina said, her voice barely above a whisper, her throat dry with disbelief and something dangerously close to heartbreak. She felt faint, unable to deal with this a second time around.
Lucanis, still kneeling, didn’t flinch. His eyes were locked onto hers, voice low, sincere, trembling just slightly. "Wherever you are is where I belong."
"Lucanis, I -" Whatever words she thought she was about to say died in her throat her heart racing whilst her hand still rested in his. Her fingers were shaking as Lucanis pulled out a worn velvet box, opening it to reveal a glittering opal ring. Caterina's opal ring.
"Wilhelmina Volkarin," he said, voice steady, "Will you please marry me?"
The silence around them was deafening, and before she could stop herself, tears flowed down her cheeks, a choked sob escaping her. Lucanis looked at her expectantly, perhaps even a bit nervously.
"This is kind of the part where you say yes ," Strife grunted, ignoring Emmrich's glare.
Wilhelmina's heart thundered against her ribs like it was trying to break free of her chest, her mind racing as it tried to come to terms with what was happening in front of her. She'd grieved this very love, trying to come to terms with the fact that Caterina would never accept her and their relationship was doomed to fail where neither was capable of giving up themselves, and suddenly it was right in front of her to grasp again.
"You didn't kill her to get that, did you?" she choked out worriedly, her eyes still watering.
Lucanis let out a brief laugh. "No, she gave it to me."
Wilhelmina couldn't help but laugh herself, a disbelieving one, as more and more tears ran down her cheeks. "Then yes," she replied. "A thousand times, yes."
Lucanis' shoulders sagged in relief, a breath escaping him before he rose back up, but before Wilhelmina could allow him to place the ring on her finger, she pulled him into a kiss, not caring a bit about the people watching them. She could faintly hear the students hollering above her own heartbeat, echoing in her ears as joy threatened to consume her. Both of them smiled into the kiss, Lucanis' arms wrapping around hers before promptly being followed by Spite's wings, the spirit shielding them from their curious onlookers. Wilhelmina couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up her throat, disbelief and sheer, unadulterated joy mixing as she pulled away and looked into Lucanis' eyes. His eyes also shimmered with unshed tears, his smile just as wide as if he couldn't believe she had told him yes.
"You realise you've just made me the main target of the expedition, right?" she breathlessly asked him, ignoring the well-wishes of everyone around them.
"Good thing you're marrying a Crow then," he grinned at her. "I can protect you."
She raised her eyebrow playfully. "I think you might need some protection first," she nodded behind her, Lucanis' gaze drifting behind to see Emmrich glaring at him.
"Do you need a Crow on your team?" he asked. "The First Talon offers his services on the house."
Wilhelmina only laughed, pulling him in for another kiss.
"Lucanis, where are we going?" Wilhelmina asked, hands in front of her as Lucanis held her eyes closed.
He grinned, pleased to keep her in the dark, enjoying having her close again. Aside from his impromptu proposal, it had been far too long since he had properly held her. Following his first unsuccessful proposal, Lucanis had accepted a contract in Ventus to hopefully take his own mind, and Spite's, of his failed relationship whilst simultaneously keeping Caterina safe because neither he nor Spite were on speaking terms with her. Illario, who could only guess what had happened, only observed it all with quiet dread. When Lucanis returned nearly three weeks later, Caterina had immediately summoned him to her office. Lucanis had half expected her to throw another marriage contract at him, but instead, he found her standing at the window, looking positively exhausted - as if she had aged another ten years during his brief time away.
He had been surprised to learn Wilhelmina had shown up in Treviso to meet up with her, and whilst Caterina remained tight-lipped about what exactly the two of them had discussed, she carefully handed him a worn velvet box, looking at him and simply stating: "Don't make me regret this."
It had been her opal ring - the same his mother had worn as the mark of her favour, which had everyone clued into her being the heir. When Lucanis asked her what she expected him to do with it, she only turned around, a pained and tight smile on her lips, and told him to return to Nevarra.
He didn't think he'd ever run quite that quick.
As far as proposals went, both of his was possibly the most unromantic one could ever come up with, but when a stray Mourn Watcher, the same who had ended up chasing him, told him Wilhelmina was about to leave on a week-long excursion into the depths of Arlathan, he stopped thinking and only acted, unwilling to wait any longer, even if it resulted in her rejection again. He had simply needed immediate clarity. Lucanis considered himself the luckiest man alive when she accepted, feeling as if he were floating when she grinned at him as she left for Arlathan, a group of students trailing behind her. Emmrich hadn't been as pleased, still recalling the nameday debacle and a bit miffed Lucanis hadn't asked his permission beforehand, but the two men (three, technically - Strife ended up joining them) ended the night over a shared bottle of wine.
A week later, Wilhelmina finally returned; Lucanis had whisked her away to Treviso, simply telling her to get ready before he led her to the Opera House, holding her eyes closed.
"You'll see," he grinned in her ear before leading her around a corner and finally removing his hands from her eyes.
Loud cheers greeted them, the entire Opera House filled to the brim with Crows, their allies from fighting the gods and, of course, all their friends and family. Wilhelmina gasped loudly, turning around to face a grinning Lucanis.
"What's this?" she asked him, stunned.
"Our engagement party, of course," he shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world before pulling her to his side and facing the crowds together.
Illario practically ran up to them first, embracing Wilhelmina with a wide smile. "Welcome to the family," he had uttered to her, thoroughly inspecting the ring on her finger before Bellara practically tore the two apart and threw herself into Lucanis' and Wilhelmina's arms. Their friends surrounded them, each of them grinning and laughing with them and celebrating their upcoming nuptials. Even Emmrich seemed content, warmly offering Lucanis a hug before the two of them laughed as Teia and Neve immediately hounded Wilhelmina about planning the wedding. Lucanis couldn't quite remember a time when he had enjoyed a party, much less one thrown with him at the centre of it, but he found he couldn't stop smiling as everyone offered their congratulations. At some point during the night, Lucanis spotted Caterina at the edge of the ballroom, intently watching them with an austere gaze he couldn't quite decipher. Wilhelmina followed his eyes, meeting Caterina's. The two women looked at each other, an unspoken conversation whose details Lucanis wasn't privy to passing between the two of them, before Caterina offered the barest hint of a smile, nodding at Wilhelmina and retreating elsewhere.
He raised his eyebrows in question, turning to his fiancée. "What was that about?"
Wilhelmina waved him off with a small smile. "Another time."
"Well," he wrapped his arms around her with a smile, "we do have all the time in the world now."
"That we do," Wilhelmina laughed before the two pulled each other in, and their lips met again, entirely and utterly content.