Chapter Text
Caterina had long suspected that Lucanis might harbour more… familiar feelings for the young woman who had aptly introduced herself as "Rook" nearly a year prior. The elf had, quite frankly, been nothing short of a disaster when Teia first introduced them. She was small and slight, with large protruding bat ears that peaked through her long dark brown hair, tousled and frayed, wide and unsettling purple eyes against ashen skin and clothes so frumpy that Caterina, for a brief, scandalous moment, thought if the Cantori Diamond had seen fit to let a beggar roam its halls.
She had twitched and squirmed in front of the Talons, decidedly uncomfortable in a room full of assassins, clearing her throat far more often than necessary of a healthy person, cheeks reddening with each passing second and a voice that bordered on squeaky when she inquired to know more about the Demon of Vyranthium . If that all hadn't been enough to add insult to injury, the young mage had apparently interrupted a strange ritual, unleashing two ancient and blighted mages onto Thedas instead of stopping the one she had been after for months. And while Caterina could appreciate that the disruption of the ritual had resulted in her uncovering the whereabouts of her grandson, she could only sneer disdainfully at the sheer stupidity.
In short, Caterina disliked her immediately.
While she could appreciate the young woman's candour and, yes, even her rather apparent abilities, which had somehow managed to bring Lucanis back to her, she still did not like her. The second time she had met her Rook had at least been much more presentable, clad in a fine, mulberry-coloured mage robe, swiftly blending into the shadows as they infiltrated Illario's sham of a celebration on his failed ascension to the station of First Talon. Her hair had no longer been wild and untamed but put up in intricate braids, the ugly big ears full on display, and her purple eyes, while still unsettling, were decently beautiful when she actually accentuated them with kohl and shimmering powders. When she and Lucanis had finally bested Illario (and Caterina had to admit - the woman fought well) and Caterina named him First Talon, she had expected Lucanis to swiftly decide upon his cousins' fate and simply imprison Illario after humiliating him and denying him an honourable death. Yet instead, he hesitated , looking to the elf for guidance as if she had a single clue to the intricacies of Crow politics or the tenuous and frankly fragile position the Dellamortes had long found themselves in.
"Enough, Illario," Caterina pointedly said. "Lucanis is First Talon now. Whatever his decision, it will stand."
She could perceive a small gasp from her left, Andrateia and that Rook woman looking at her with equal amounts of astonishment and incertitude. Caterina's eyes searched those of her grandson – a man who, after the torture he had been put through at the hands of his quasi-brother, was both hauntingly familiar and aberrantly not, only stood there with his mouth and eyes wide open, as if not quite believing the words she had just spoken himself. "But I –"he only managed to utter, shaking his head, before his gaze wandered to the Necromancer. "Rook, after all of this, what –".
Whatever Rook saw in Lucanis' eyes that day, Caterina would never entirely understand. She could only watch as the young elf's eyes softened, overfilling with unwelcome warmth and kindness, before she strode across the room and took her hands in Lucanis', her fingers tracing gentle lines into his calloused hands. It was a vile display of unnecessary leniency, an antithesis to everything Crows were, and yet Lucanis had listened when she had suggested simply giving Illario a second chance.
"There is always a chance to begin again," she had uttered cryptically that day, a gentle smile on her lips.
And he had listened .
It had unnerved Caterina more than she cared to admit that Lucanis had listened to a mere girl - that he had shown mercy when mercy was the furthest thing Illario deserved and House Dellamorte needed - but before she had any chance to speak to the elven woman, the pair had absconded with the human mage they had brought along, and Caterina did not see "Rook" again until the blighted gods had been vanquished. She had, however, heard of rumours – wagging tongues speaking in hushed tones of Lucanis being accompanied by a young woman in the streets of Treviso, yet whenever Caterina did try to catch them, neither could be found. At least not together. Since his return and subsequent rise to First Talon, Lucanis had received countless marriage contracts, some of them Caterina would have greatly approved of, yet whenever she brought it up, Lucanis only waved her off before he absconded to various places all over Thedas.
It was then she finally asked Teia about the girl.
"What do you know of her?" Caterina had asked her late one night, eyebrow raised inquisitively.
The Seventh Talon only looked befuddled. "I'm sorry?"
"That girl," Caterina clarified. "Rook. What do you know of her?"
"Not much," Teia shrugged, absentmindedly nipping on her wine. "A capable mage, even if her necromancy is rather strange. She did a beautiful job ridding Treviso of the Antaam and the blighted Dragon, though."
"Yes, I'm sure she is quite the luminary," Caterina flippantly replied. "But what do you know of her ?"
"She is Nevarran - a Mourn Watcher," Teia relented. "A bit eccentric and strange, perhaps, but she is a kind woman. The Crows haven't forgotten all she has done for the good of Treviso. Her name is certainly quite popular with the Fledgelings."
Caterina had barely held back her scoff. If Fledglings liking someone was the standard required for the wife of a Dellamorte their house would not live to see another day. Not that she would ever allow Lucanis to marry an Elf in the first place, lest House Dellamorte is further sullied by mere half-breeds – the demon living inside Lucanis was more than enough and his position within tenuous as is. Somewhere in the depths of her heart, she clung to the hope that whatever her grandson felt for the girl was nothing more than camaraderie and deep gratitude for having rescued him from the Ossuary; that she, at best, was nothing more than a dalliance. Having seen the woman properly dressed, she could acquiesce that she, aside from the bat ears and strangely purple eyes, was quite beautiful, and if rumours of several Crows preferring elven whores rang true, Caterina could suppose she might be nice to bed too. But that was all she could ever be. It had to be if House Dellamorte wanted to survive.
Her hopes were thwarted when Lucanis brought her home for the first time after the gods had been vanquished.
"Are you sure I look decent?" Wilhelmina, or Rook, as her companions had called her, asked, turning to face Lucanis as she fastened the necklace around her neck, letting the pendant fall to her collarbones as the dark green silk sat against her pale skin.
He only smiled, his hands placing themselves on her hips before he placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. "You put the stars to shame."
"I'm serious, Lucanis," Wilhelmina grumbled, turning back to face the mirror as she fretted over her hair. "I'd rather not disgrace myself in front of your grandmother. I know you value her opinion."
"So am I," the assassin smiled. "Don't worry, Rook. She will love you."
Wilhelmina smoothed the folds of her robes one final time, her hands trembling slightly. The dark green fabric shimmered faintly in the soft candlelight of her room, casting her pale complexion in warm tones. Lucanis's presence was reassuring, but the knot in her stomach refused to unravel, so she took a steadying breath before glancing at Lucanis through the mirror.
"You say that," she murmured, "but you and I both know she'll have certain… expectations."
"You saved the entirety of Thedas," Lucanis mumbled, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting manner before staring into her eyes through the mirror. "I think you far exceed any expectations anyone might have."
Her cheeks flushed faintly, but she managed a small smile. "You're too good with words. I'm starting to think you missed your calling as a bard."
Lucanis laughed, shaking his head. "I think you have me confused with Illario. Come. I'm sure the two of you will get along well."
He led her outside her room, walking into the sitting room of the Nevarran home she shared with her skeleton brother and adoptive father. The man sat at the fireplace, his eyes focused on a book.
Curiosity. Where. Is it?
Spite's familiar voice rang through the room; Emmrich's attention was now diverted as she saw the couple emerge from Wilhelmina's room. Lucanis groaned – he had no idea why Spite adored Manfred so much, to the point where the two could potentially even be called friends. If a demon and a wisp animating a skeleton could even be called that. For the longest time, Manfred had largely unsettled Lucanis, a skeleton walking around beyond his killing expertise. He still wondered if he could even kill Manfred, even if he no longer found him unsettling but rather… endearing. "Spite, enough," he grumbled audibly. "We have places to be."
"Manfred is with some apprentices, Spite," Emmrich chuckled, standing up from his seat and walking over to the two of them. "But you are free to visit him whenever Lucanis has time."
Meet. Curiosity. Tomorrow!
"Spite," Lucanis groaned again, hearing Wilhelmina giggle to his right. "Emmrich, please don't encourage him. He'll overstay his welcome."
"You are both always welcome here, Lucanis," the Professor smiled kindly.
Lucanis could not help the slight reddening of his cheeks, quickly clearing his throat and uttering a "Thank you, Emmrich". He was still not used to the welcoming attitude of the Volkarin family, so vastly different from the affable reclusiveness of his own, though no less tightly-knit. It had been strange to seek Wilhelmina's affection with her father so close by, not at all helped by the fact that the man, much like his daughter, could hear Spite and the demons less than appropriate thoughts at all times. But, to Lucanis' colossal surprise, the Professor had only smiled and wished them well – something he never once took for granted.
Wilhelmina's soft laughter echoed between them as she patted Lucanis's arm. "Don't be so hard on Spite. You know he's just curious."
Lucanis sighed, though his lips twitched into a reluctant smile. He still wondered how he had gotten lucky enough to find a woman who loved and accepted him despite being an abomination. "Well then. We should really get going. Caterina doesn't really appreciate waiting for her dinner."
Wilhelmina turned to Emmrich then, her expression a mixture of affection and nervousness. "I'll be back before long, I promise."
"Take your time, my dear Mina. You aren't on duty until midday tomorrow," Emmrich told his daughter with a warm smile. "You look beautiful, by the way."
Wilhelmina only smiled gratefully, briefly hugging him before being led outside and towards the Eluvian that would take them to Treviso.
When they emerged from the Eluvian, the warm winds of Treviso caressed their skin, and the city sprawled itself in front of them, bathed in golden light as the sun was beginning to set on the horizon. Lucanis looked over at her, watching as Wilhelmina briefly closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth on her skin.
Pretty.
Spite commented in his head, and Lucanis readily agreed. While he knew Wilhelmina was entirely at home in the Grand Necropolis' dim lightening, where her beauty was hauntingly enchanting and her entire being glowed , there was something about her in the warmth of Treviso's sunlight – something gentle and ethereal. His heart clenched as he imagined her bathed in the warm sunlight each and every morning, eyes closed as she was still sleeping, and he simply watched her pale skin being kissed by streams of gold. Lucanis could only hope she would be amenable to live in Treviso with him; that returning to her work, should she wish to continue it, would be enough through the Eluvians but that Antiva could be her home, much like it was his. To sleep without her in his arms most nights had been an agony he didn't come to expect, not after she had laid in his arms every night since his ascension to First Talon, except for the tormenting weeks she had spent trapped in the Fade. It had been easy enough to pretend the world wasn't ending, those fleeting moments a momentary reprieve as the elven gods consistently loomed over them. When they had miraculously survived, and a return to their lives was imminent, Lucanis had rather quickly decided he did not want to be without her much longer.
He had given themselves six months - six months in which she had aided the initial efforts to restore Minrathous before returning to the Grand Necropolis and resuming her duties as a Watcher. Six months, in which he had begun to lead the Crows as First Talon, casting the remains of the Antaam invasion out of his home for good. Within those six months, Caterina had more than once approached him with the myriad of marriage contracts House Dellamorte had received, his grandmother seemingly itching to marry him off and potentially see her great-grandchildren born, but he had spurned her time and time again, wishing to properly introduce the only woman he would ever when he felt it was time.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Lucanis silently took Wilhelmina's hand in his, leading her towards his home as they journeyed through Treviso's sunlit streets. It was quiet, at first, a comfortable silence as they enjoyed simply being together without the threat of the world ending looming over them. It had barely been six months since they had defeated the Evanuris, but rebuilding efforts had been well underway, and Treviso was now looking more and more like the home he had grown up in. The occasional passerby cast curious glances at the pair, though most recognised the Heroes of the Veilguard, neither Wilhelmina in her flowing green robes nor Lucanis in his deep purple ensemble blending into the warm and earthy tones of the city.
"Are you alright, Cariña ?" Lucanis asked, breaking the silence as they approached the Dellamorte estate.
Wilhelmina only sighed, offering him a nervous smile before nodding. Lucanis squeezed her hand in reassurance before walking through the gates with her, the spires rising like dark sentinels against the warm glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the courtyard. As they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The cool, polished stone of the entry hall gleamed under the light of hanging candelabras, their flames dancing in gilded sconces. Servants moved with quiet precision, their footsteps muted against the intricate mosaic floors. The grand dining room loomed ahead, its heavy oak doors guarded by two Crows in full regalia. They stepped aside in perfect unison, opening the doors to reveal a room bathed in golden light. Lucanis could feel Wilhelmina stiffening beside him as she took a final steadying breath before accompanying him inside.
The long table was set with delicate porcelain and shining silverware, its centrepiece a towering arrangement of white lilies and deep crimson roses. At the head of the table sat Caterina, her posture impeccable, her gaze sharp as a blade, and Illario was, for whatever reason, right beside her.
She rose gracefully as they entered. "Lucanis, my boy," she greeted him sweetly, embracing him before her eyes locked onto Wilhelmina with her piercing eyes and a gaze that felt like a thousand judgments wrapped into one. In the corner of his eyes, Lucanis could spot Illario standing up to greet them. "I wasn't aware we were expecting company tonight."
"Caterina," Lucanis nodded. "May I introduce Wilhelmina Volkarin to you?" He gently pulled her forward, a slight tremble in her hands that immediately ceased.
"It is an honour to see you again, Lady Dellamorte," Wilhelmina smiled, reaching out her hand to shake it. "You look well."
Caterina only narrowed her eyes, tilting her head as her lips curled into a smile that did not reach her eyes, which only briefly acknowledged her outstretched hand, though she made no move to take it, her hands clinging to her cane instead. " Wilhelmina , is it?" She asked pointedly. "I was under the assumption that your name was Rook."
"That is only a… sobriquet, Signora," she gulped, her hand retreating awkwardly.
Before either woman could say another word, Illario sashayed over, his usual flirting smile on his face as he embraced Wilhelmina with a big hug. Lucanis narrowed his eyes as Illario pressed kisses against her cheeks, greeting her overzealously with the usual sleaziness that had enabled him to bed countless women over the years. "Rook," he drawled, holding her at arm's length. "Aren't you a sight to behold? My cousin does have taste, after all."
"Illario," Lucanis growled in warning, eyes briefly flashing purple as Spite's own displeasure became apparent, stepping between the two as Wilhelmina's cheeks grew warm, and she instinctively stepped closer to Lucanis, who didn't miss Caterina's eyes narrowing further.
"It is… nice to see you again, Illario," she nodded, biting her lip as she looked at Lucanis.
Illario smirked. "Pleasure is all mine," the disgraced Dellamorte purred as he watched what was sure to turn into a spectacle.
The disdain was practically written on Caterina's face as Lucanis pulled Wilhelmina towards the dining table, pulling out her chair before seating himself next to her, across from Caterina. They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds, waiting for the food to be brought out, though nobody could mistake the critical gaze of Caterina, passing her eyes over her like a cannibal viewing his dinner, melting the flesh off her bones with devouring curiosity.
Lucanis could see plainly the discomfort written on his love's face, her posture taut and breath slightly uneven. Smells scared, Spite grumbled in Lucanis' mind, and the man could only watch with growing uncertainty; Caterina's eyes would not stray from Wilhelmina's form, the glare in her eyes so famous that it had brought countless adversaries to heel. From the corner of his eye, Lucanis could glimpse his cousin sardonically sipping on his wine, leaning back into his chair as he watched his own grandmother tear the famed Hero of the Veilguard into pieces without so much as uttering a word.
Her gaze did not even avert when the servants brought the food, Mazzarelle , though Lucanis had ensured Wilhelmina would receive a vegetarian option instead. Caterina eyed the caponata in front of Wilhelmina suspiciously, though she remained quiet until the servants had left the dining room, and the quartet sat in tense silence until Illario broke it first.
"Caponata?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a reason you aren't eating Mazzarelle like the rest of us, Rook?"
Wilhelmina cleared her throat. "I am vegetarian, actually."
Caterina hummed. "How Nevarran."
"I suppose vegetarianism isn't common here, then?" Wilhelmina asked politely, picking up her fork to begin eating.
"Not at all," Illario shook his head. "Though I suppose my cousin has always attended to your dietary needs most dutifully, as he usually does. Romantic, isn't it?"
Lucanis choked on his food, glaring at Illario, who only smirked at him in return. Wilhelmina smiled brightly. "If the restoration efforts of Minrathous and my work with the Mourn Watch hadn't kept me so busy, I'd be bursting at the seams already."
"Lucanis cooks for you often, then?" Caterina asked, a sharp edge to her tone, her eyes now focused on her grandson.
Wilhelmina nodded enthusiastically, swallowing a piece of aubergine. "Oh, yes. He also cooked for all of us back when we all lived in the Lighthouse. We were quite spoiled by the end of it."
Caterina exhaled through her nose, a slow, measured sound as she tapped her fingers lightly against the polished surface of the table. "How domestic," she mused, her voice silk-hiding steel, before she took a bite of her own food.
Wilhelmina smiled politely, but Lucanis could feel her fingers twitch in her lap. He placed his hand over hers beneath the table, grounding her and offering a comforting but warm smile.
Caterina's gaze remained locked onto Wilhelmina, an analytical glint in her eye as though she were attempting to pick her apart piece by piece. "And tell me, Wilhelmina ," she said, deliberately enunciating each syllable, "do you plan to linger here in Antiva much longer? I heard you were with the Mourn Watch. I can only suppose your duty binds you to Nevarra."
Wilhelmina swallowed the bite she had just taken, looking over to Lucanis briefly, who could only raise his eyebrows at Caterina's strange line of questioning. Surely she must have understood why he had brought a woman home? "I do attend to my duties in the Grand Necropolis," she eventually answered carefully. "However, the Eluvian network allows for... easy travel between our nations." Her fingers curled slightly against Lucanis' palm as though reassuring herself of his presence.
"Those elven mirrors you restored?" Caterina echoed, her expression unreadable.
Wilhelmina inclined her head. "Yes, the network has proven invaluable in our efforts, and the Veilguard has continued to use it even after the Evanuris were defeated."
Caterina hummed, idly twirling the stem of her wine goblet between her fingers. "How fortunate, then, that you need not choose between your obligations and your… personal indulgences." Her gaze flickered pointedly to Lucanis, and though her words were perfectly polite, their weight settled over the table like a drawn blade.
Lucanis, feeling the familiar bite of his grandmother's scrutiny, kept his expression impassive. "It definitely helps," he said simply, his voice carrying a faux easy confidence.
Illario, ever the opportunist, smirked. "Oh, cousin, you make it sound so simple. Balancing love and duty - why, the First Talon certainly doesn't squander any opportunity." He raised his goblet in a mock toast, his grin positively wicked. "I did not think you were so capable."
The corners of Caterina's mouth twitched, though whether it was amusement or something colder was impossible to tell, even to Lucanis, who thought he had long figured her moods out. Caterina took another slow sip of wine before speaking again. "And tell me, Wilhelmina - how exactly did you end up fighting elven gods?" Her voice was soft, but the question was anything but. "I hear most Mourn Watchers never truly depart Nevarra."
Lucanis felt Wilhelmina stiffen just slightly beside him. "I ah," she cleared her throat, gently placing down her fork. "I made some unpopular decisions during a civil war that broke out between some undead nobility. My superiors thought it best for me to travel a while so that the noble houses could... calm down a little."
"Ah," Caterina acknowledged, her eyes narrowing. "So I can suppose you do not belong to any of the noble houses then."
Wilhelmina snorted, a laugh bubbling up in her throat. Lucanis couldn't suppress his own flicker of amusement, knowing just how much both Wilhelmina and her father disliked Nevarran nobility. "Maker, no. There was a brief dispute when I was found if I held any claim to the Ingellvar estate, or rather what remained of it but -"
"Found?" Caterina interrupted her with a raised eyebrow.
Wilhelmina hesitated for only a fraction of a second, but it was enough. Caterina had caught it, and from the way her lips curled ever so slightly, she knew it too. "Yes," she eventually admitted. "I was found in the Ingellvar crypts as a newborn."
"So you are likely a bastard child of a noble family then," Caterina pursed her lip.
"Caterina," Lucanis hissed, horrified at her statement. Wilhelmina only offered her a wan smile.
"Not quite," she shook her head. "The last of the Ingellvar family died during the Storm Age, and they had no known heirs nor any elves amongst their line. Their crypts have long been in disrepair and rather deep inside the Necropolis. There is no way for a mere visitor to have placed me there, and the Watch had no female elves of childbearing age at the time of my birth."
Illario let out a low whistle, shaking his head with a grin. "A woman of mystery then. Cousin, if I did not respect you, I might seek to unravel the mystery myself."
Lucanis growled then, his eyes flashing dangerously purple as Spite almost screamed at him in the back of his mind. " Por la sangre del Hacedor, Illario."
Illario only chuckled, utterly unbothered by Lucanis' warning glare. "Come now, cousin," he said, swirling his wine lazily. "Can you blame me for being intrigued? A girl found amongst the crypts turned hero. It's practically a bard's tale waiting to be told."
"Nothing quite so spectacular," Wilhelmina smiled. "My father found me after two spirits alerted him to my appearance. He took me in as his ward shortly after and raised me as his own. I led an ordinary, if slightly erudite, life for the most part. What happened with the Evanuris was... an unfortunate coincidence at best. I certainly never strived for something as grand as taking down elven gods."
"I would rather say it was a very fortunate coincidence," Lucanis chuckled fondly, delighting in the small blush that spread along her cheeks.
Caterina hummed, tapping a single finger against the stem of her goblet. "And did you ever find out who left you down there?"
"No, signora," Wilhelmina shook her head, diverting her attention back to the former First Talon. "The Mourn Watch came up with some theories over the years, but in the end, it never mattered to me. My father was all the family I have ever needed."
Caterina exhaled slowly, setting down her goblet with a deliberate motion. "How touching," she murmured, her gaze settling on Wilhelmina like a weight.
Lucanis knew that tone - he knew it far too well. It was the same one she used when dealing with unruly subordinates, with men and women who mistook her age for fragility. It was not approval, nor was it outright rejection. It was quiet disapproval, sharp and restrained, waiting for the right moment to become something more. He could only watch as Wilhelmina inclined her head, gaze questioning as she waited for Caterina to continue the conversation, but his grandmother only continued eating in silence, the conversation clearly over.
The remainder of the evening had been awkward at best and torturous at worst. Illario had largely steered any conversation afterwards, entirely ignoring his grandmothers' scathing glares in favour of interrogating Wilhelmina, though the young Watcher found herself strangely enjoying the disgraced Dellamorte's presence. While she had not forgiven him for what he had done to Lucanis and all he'd been willing to do to become First Talon, she had also come to understand his reason why and that, truthfully, Illario's and Lucanis' grandmother had all but set her own grandsons up for failure.
Wilhelmina could not claim to fully understand the Crows, their hierarchies and houses and inner works largely foreign to her, even if she had come to understand some of it throughout working with them to defeat the Evanuris. Lucanis had told her precious little about them, preferring to keep his work mostly separate from their personal lives, and what little he had told her of his childhood mainly horrified her. She could not fathom why a grandmother would abuse what little had been left of her family, let alone pit the quasi-brothers against one another by always preferring the child that had come from her favourite daughter, leaving the other to clamour for any scraps of attention – no matter if good or bad. But she had understood that all Illario essentially wanted was to be enough – and Wilhelmina could not, would not , fault him for that.
When dinner had concluded, Caterina had sent Illario off, the suave Dellamorte bidding Wilhelmina goodbye with a broad smile and a "Come back soon" before eventually seeing Lucanis and Wilhelmina out herself. As they reached the foyer, Caterina mumbled something in Antivan Wilhelmina couldn't quite make out, her grasp of the language still novice as Lucanis aided her studying in what little spare time they had. Lucanis nodded, turning back to Wilhelmina with a strained smile.
"I'll be back in a second, Cariña," before hurrying off to a different wing, leaving the two women on their own.
Wilhelmina shifted uncomfortably as Caterina's gaze bored in on here, eyes scrutinising in the same fashion they had before dinner. "You have a beautiful home," she broke the silence awkwardly, clearing her throat.
"Yes, I suppose it is," Caterina hummed, unimpressed, her grip tightening on her cane. "Though I did not invite you here to hear your flattery nor to entertain Lucanis' fantasies of rebellion."
"Rebellion?" Wilhelmina's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Caterina tilted her head, her expression carefully neutral. "He has always been far too sentimental for his own good, but I have been able to instil duty in him well enough. I can only wonder what you must have done to make him act so recklessly. Tell me, girl. Have you regaled him with fantasies of everlasting love? Or are you simply that good of a fuck? I suppose it was only a matter of time until he succumbed to more... baser desires. He has been changed since that demon has been forced onto him. Perhaps you control that thing."
Wilhelmina's mouth fell open, her mind racing. "I did nothing but love him. Both of them. And I cannot control Spite anymore than I can control the weather."
"You mistake passion for love, my dear child," Caterina’s lips curled into something that was not quite a smile, her tone dismissive. "I have spent Lucanis' entire life preparing him to bear the burden of this family. It is his duty. Do not mistake Lucanis’ affections for permanence. He has always been too soft-hearted for his own good. One day, he will see sense, as that is what I have raised him for."
"And what sense do you suppose he'll see?"
Caterina sighed as if speaking to a stubborn child, giving her a long, slow look. Then she reached out, placing a single gloved finger beneath Wilhelmina's chin, tilting it just so. "I can almost see what he sees in you. You're young, quite beautiful for a knife-ear, and you have done admirably well in your fight against the gods. But hear me when I say this." She stepped closer, now holding Wilhelmina's chin between her fragile hand, the elder woman looking down into her eyes. "You, dear child, are nothing. You carry no name. No legacy. Not even the dignity of a proper birth. A death mage that was discarded in the dark until someone decided to claim you out of misplaced pity. You are a passing fancy - a crypt child. Nothing more."
Wilhelmina's eyes only widened, her heart aching as each cruel word seeped into her skin, before Caterina dropped her hand, stepping back and smoothing an invisible crease in her gown. The silence stretched between them, heavy and unyielding, before the sound of footsteps echoed from the hall, and both women turned as Lucanis reappeared, his easy smile faltering slightly at the tension still thick in the air.
"Everything alright?" he asked, his gaze flickering between them.
Wilhelmina offered him a small smile. "Of course."
Caterina only nodded, her expression once more a perfect mask of quiet dignity. "Of course."
But as Lucanis took Wilhelmina’s hand and led her toward the door, she could feel Caterina's gaze lingering, sharp as a dagger’s edge, watching, waiting.
"What did she say to you?" Lucanis whispered as he led her through the streets.
Wilhelmina only offered him a strained smile. "Nothing."
She could tell he did not believe her.