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Shan had been waiting all her life for that moment, that is, for a man to choose her as his fiancée and therefore future wife, but it had also turned out great, since she had managed to promise herself with Elend Venture, neither more nor less, that is, the only single nobleman to win her in political power.
After receiving the letter where such good news was announced, Shan, who was alone (only with the service) at home, decided that it would be a good idea to go visit her fiancée. After all, she had no responsibilities other than being a good match to marry and an exceptional lady, as was expected of someone in her position.
Elend, her fiancée, was a weird guy to say the least, interested in philosophy more than what was expected, too much. Sometimes he used to take forbidden books to dances and if no one said anything it was because he was a Venture, but even so, Shan didn't quite like that. Resignation, that was the main value of ladies like her.
She asked for a bath for her, partly to get ready and partly to forget how little she really liked her future husband. When the bath was ready she went into the corresponding room and undressed, only to sink into a scented body of water a moment later.
She washed not only her body, but also her long, jet-black hair, as long as it was as shiny as possible. Afterwards, she put on a pretty blue dress and headed towards the Venture home.
There she was greeted by a pair of guards, one of whom escorted her through the cold, dark corridors of the fortress until she reached a lounge, where young Venture stood disheveled in dark trousers too big for him and an equally large white shirt, with several buttons undone. An empty wine bottle was lying on the floor...
Shan wrinkled her nose at such a sight, but like the damsel that she was, she kept her composure and approached Elend until she was a couple of meters from him.
-Mr. Venture. I have come to see you.
-Get out-he answered, evidently somewhat drunk-Shan, get out of here. I don't want to see you anymore, do you understand me?!
Shan said nothing. She remained upright and standing, although with her head bowed in the typical pose of the suffering and defenseless woman, although if she was suffering it wasn't because of Elend's behavior. She could knock him down if she wanted to with one kick. There she was the Mistborn, not him.
However, Elend was unapologetic at her sadness (although she was feigned) and Shan was forced to tug slightly on her emotions to make her feel some guilt.
When he started to get up with the intention of apologizing (Elend was a good man) someone else appeared there, her future father-in-law, Straff Venture.
He was an imposing man, and as soon as he saw her he approached by leaps and bounds until he was barely a meter away from her. Shan felt disgusted to have so close to her a man known, among other things, for his unfortunate treatment of women, but she kept her composure and greeted him with a small bow, at which point Elend took the opportunity to get up and stomp away, while muttering something about nobles and their divine right.
Straff laughed a little then and it made her flinch, not because she was scared, but out of rage. It was unfortunately there were more people in the room, because she wanted to hurt him using atium, if she had to, of course. The head of House Venture did not seem very good at combat.
-Excuse me for retiring, Lord Venture. I was talking with his son until you arrived, so I'm going to... meet him.
Before Straff had time to say anything else, Shan left through the same corridor that Elend had taken before and after a few seconds at a brisk pace, she ended up in... the room where the dances were held.
Shan had left her house when it was getting dark and now, at night, that beautiful room, plunged in the deepest darkness, seemed much more beautiful to her than when it was full of lights, in the middle of the dances. .
She rubbed her hands, due to the cold of the place, and when she stopped for a moment to look at them, she cry a bit, realizing that they could hardly be seen because they were wrapped in mist. She wasn't afraid of them, as the Mistborn she was. She had just been surprised.
She looked towards the balcony, wide open and began to walk towards it, at a calm step, while the mists slipped around her.
Stepping outside, as she might have expected, she found Elend, leaning on the balcony, whit his dark hair too long, almost covering his ears, and his old, wrinkled clothes. At least he was shaved, even if a few unruly hairs covered the entire mustache area.
-Elend- Shan called, trying to snap him out of his reverie.
The boy got scared and stumbled. He did not fall miraculously.
-Shan, I've told you before, I don't want to see you,-he told her, with a firm tone, too firm. It was impossible for him to be drunk. Had he been faking before?
-Elend, please-she faced him-I don't want to marry you either, I'm not in love with you and I never will be, but a marriage is the most favorable for both of us. We don't even need to spend time together. Producing an heir is enough.
-I will not marry if it is not for love-he whispered, more to himself than in response to Shan-I'm not that kind of man.
He had re-entered his reverie, distractedly watching how the mists moved.
-That's what those kinds of men say,-Shan commented.-Once married, you'll never have to fake that frustrated erudite attitude.
-Pretend?! I do not pretend anything, I am like that. You really are a fake who thinks that the nobles are the best, with all the bullshit that being so entails.
That felt like a kick to the stomach for Shan, and he answered just as harshly.
-Being a useless erudite it's very easy to say that! Try looking for a husband like me and see how many idiots you come across! I already told you! I don't want to marry you, do you understand?! I don't like you and everyone will look down on me for being with a weirdo like you, but it's what I have to do, because you're a Venture!
Venture, Elend's last name, hung in the mist as he, stunned, watched Shan. He was pale and in fact he looked like he was about to cry.
-I know that all this will soon end,-he finished by saying, with a trembling voice.-I'm sorry.-And then there will be nothing more of this whole game of skaa nobles. I know it
-But what if not, Elend?
He did not answer