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Elain twirled around the room, fiddling with the strap of her nightgown. It was a pinkish tone, soft and dangerously short at just below her knees. It had been a mission of absolute secrecy to smuggle it out her own home without Nesta or the servants seeing it and getting it here too. It was also finally not so sweltering that she’d drench the thing before he got to see it. She really wished she had Nesta’s ability to simply not sweat. Instead, Elain had to bargain with her attire to prevent damp stains all over. The wind blew in from the open window, cooling the room even more. She skipped over to it and looked out. The new tree looked well in place. She still couldn’t believe he’d shipped it over here just to propose to her. Her heart leaped at the sight of it and the flowers dotted all around. In the coming Spring when she finally marries, the garden will be filled with all sorts of colourful flowers, bees and the like. Oh, she couldn’t wait! She walked back over to the other side of the room, to the mirror by the vanity and took a seat. It was certainly antique, chipped at its corners, creaky when you put weight on it and still clinging to dust in the areas it hadn’t been fully cleaned. But it was hers, another piece to the bedroom that would be theirs. When she turned around to look at his spare boots lying by the armchair, her heart skipped a beat. Elain had only peaked in, curious of what his abode looked like and spotted him there. He’d spotted her and she’d ran. It was scandalous even if she’d only been looking in.
Looking back at the mirror at the way the strap on her right refused to remain on her shoulder, this was definitely worse. But what is love if not nonsensical and driven by the will of the soul? Should I add rouge to my lips? She frowned, staring at the natural pinkish tone. She bit her lips, forcing more blood to flood them. A natural look would be better, wouldn’t it? Elain patted her cheeks? I’m looking a little too pale though…Elain frowned, peering closer to her image. And my hair…She combed through the long brown strands, fiddling with the parting. What look was she trying to achieve? Regal? Perhaps then a braided crown like Nesta would work. Her reflection shook its head along with her. Then a simple braid like Feyre? She pulled her hair to one side, imagining it. No, I don’t look great with a braid. Maybe a simple parting will do. If only it were simple. Elain parsed through her hair. Left side. No. Right side. Absolutely not. Left side again. She huffed at herself as if the reflection were to blame for this issue. Elain fussed her hair until it stood on ends and clouded her vision in a tangled haze.
“You’re so cute when you get frustrated,” came a voice so familiar to her, it could rouse her from her deepest sleep.
Elain shot up from the vanity, snapping her head in the direction of the door. “You’re back early,” she said, combing through her hair and smoothing it down. Out of habit, she’d opted for a right-side parting. Her face heated as her hands found the soft fabric of her nightgown. She brushed her fingers against it, now wondering if the attire was a bit much. “I still had a few more things to do before you got back,” she mumbled. Elain listened to the sound of Graysen’s heavy boots on the floor. Slowly she looked up and met his eyes. He smiled at her.
“Right now,” he began, taking her in his arms. “I couldn’t be more happier to be back,” Graysen murmured, leaning close. “You look absolutely beautiful.” He kissed her with a gentle peck of his lips. Though Elain felt he wanted to do much more than that and she did too. After all, that’s what she’d been preparing.
“If you’d actually come when I expected you, you would’ve been welcomed by a lovely perfume and some flowers.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gestured behind her to the wooden cupboard hiding the perfume bottle and bouquet she’d made for him.
“I’m fine skipping all that,” he murmured, kissing her for longer, pulling her even closer. Graysen’s left hand travelled up her back until they settled just at the base of her head. He rubbed his thumb there as they parted from the kiss.
“Well, in that case. Happy surprise,” she said. Certainly, she wouldn’t need any rouge on her cheeks now.
“Maybe I should be coming home earlier more often,” he joked, grinning at her. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Here being the room she’d avoided for months. Not that Graysen had even pressured her. Elain had been more worried what a too-early escapade in the bed would look like to him. But Graysen, always steady and always speaking with a gravity of confidence, had assured her that regardless of when that night came, his feelings wouldn’t falter. It was something to have such a steady love in her life.
“No! The last thing I need is your father thinking I’m distracting you. I’m trying to get on his good side before the wedding.” Elain tried to keep the glee from her voice at the mention of it. It wasn’t long now and yet it was too far away all the same. The dress was practically done and tried on too many times for her to count. She didn’t mind. Each time she wore it, all Elain could think about was Graysen seeing her in it.
Graysen rolled his eyes. “You don’t even have to worry about that. Frankly, it feels like I have two father-in-laws. My father has already threatened me twice that if I ever break your heart, he’ll skin me alive.”
“Well, make sure not to break it then.” Elain slipped her hands down, settling them on his shoulders. She gave the hard muscles a squeeze.
“Believe me, I have no intention of doing that,” Graysen said. “Not now. Not ever.”
“Hmm, even when we have kids and I don’t look the same anymore?” She asked.
“I will love you all the more,” he said.
“Even when I’m really old and have too many wrinkles,” Elain mumbled, less jovial.
Graysen scoffed, kissed her on each cheek and pulled back to look at her. “I will be right there with you, wrinkles and all.”
“And when I die?” she asked, staring into the eyes of the man she was certain she would love forever.
“You think you’re going anywhere without me?” Graysen chuckled. “If you should die and I am still alive, I will visit you everyday with fresh flowers and wait until we meet again in the great skies.”
“You believe I will be there? Even when I…” Elain trailed off. She hadn’t been raised on what her mother termed “superstitions” about death and the afterlife. Instead, she’d grown up with the idea that humans blink and reawaken anew on earth again should they have been honourable in their past life. Elain wondered where her mother was now.
“I told you it didn’t matter when we first met if we didn’t believe the same thing. What I do know with certainty in my heart Elain Archeron, is that I love you and I will always love you.” Graysen leaned in to her. “ ‘Til death do us part,” he murmured.
Elain felt the weight of the iron ring, no longer so heavy on her hand nor ugly and awkward. She’d expected a grandiose gem and polished silver or gold. But as time had gone on, she’d seen what the promise of the ring was meant to be. She felt the etched symbols on the inside of their names carved there. “ ‘Til death do us part.”