Chapter 30
Esiree
Vastion guided me carefully through the threshold, and my thoughts raced with the anticipation of what could possibly require a blindfold. I had to admit there were some deviant ideas coming to mind, but I tucked those away for another time.
Once inside the dining room, I could hear the faint sound of violin music coming from the corner.
Vastion gently removed the covering from my eyes, unveiling a room wholly transformed, the beauty of which stole my breath.
My gaze lingered on the sunlight-hued drapes that swept gracefully from ceiling to floor, softening the room’s skeletal stone.
On the ground, a stream of lantern light carved a glowing trail through the dimness, leading to an ostentatiously dressed table.
More candles and yellow flower petals littered the tablescape.
Golden candelabras and table settings were paired perfectly together.
I turned to Vastion, feeling very underdressed for the occasion.
“Surprise,” he said sheepishly.
“What is all of this?” My eyes continued to flit about the space, trying to take in the unfamiliar magic of it all.
Like clockwork, an attendant walked through a small door carrying a three-tiered cake atop a shining, ornate platter.
He stopped in front of us and candles flickered atop it, but most notable were the intricately designed flowers that adorned the extravagant pastry.
Sunflowers. Endless sunflowers made of sugar and frosting.
So detailed, I was almost convinced they were real.
Vastion grabbed my hand in his and ran his thumb across the top of my wedding ring before lifting it between us and looking me in the eye. “Happy Birthday, Esiree.”
I began to choke back tears, unable to find words for my surprise mixed with some indescribable feeling.
I hadn’t even realized it was my birthday; I didn’t even know how he’d come by this information.
As the candlewax began to drip down the taper, I stared at the cake, letting a well of gratitude overwhelm me.
Never in my life had anyone put this much effort into celebrating me.
“Thank you,” I whispered in astonishment.
“Make a wish before you miss your chance,” he urged, the candles trickling toward their end.
A wish. There were too many to consider. Some selfish, and others not. Many that would require the might of the Gods to even come true. Perhaps I should just wish for something simpler, smaller. Something possible. But the only wishes in my heart were those bordering on impossible.
Wish for a cure, or for the Forlorn to meet their demise.
A wish for the end of all of this, for it to have never happened at all.
To have been his only wife lingered at the forefront of my mind and was quickly shoved aside.
This is why one does not let their heart wish; for when the answer is silence, we learn it is better to not grasp beyond our reach.
In that moment, I granted myself a quiet plea, one that only I would know. One that I would keep close. I leaned in to blow, extinguishing the candles. My heart’s desires sealed in the small puffs of smoke that floated away, before disappearing entirely.
The attendant set the cake on the table, but when they began to prepare a slice, Vastion courteously dismissed them. He swiped his finger across the frosting, leaving a dollop on the tip.
“Come, taste,” he ushered me toward him.
I grabbed his hand and lifted the finger to my mouth, then pulled it between my lips, slowly swirling my tongue around the sugary sweetness, demonstrating that I too could play these games.
“Is it to your liking?”
“Very much so,” I answered while nodding, swiping my own finger across the side of the cake before bringing it to my lips and savoring the taste once more.
“The chef was very excited to execute my request. Would you believe he hadn’t made a birthday cake since before his Turning?”
“Then I am most grateful his first attempt was as delicious as it was beautiful.” The hint of lemon swirled in my mouth. “This is too much; I’ll never eat it all before it spoils. Aren’t you worried it will ruin my figure?”
“Oh, I very much doubt anything could ruin your figure—or my desire toward it. If you’re so worried, then I can ensure vigorous exercise is a part of your daily schedule,” he said with a promising wink.
“Please send some to my friends. Though, with as much dessert as I’ve brought them of late, they should be the ones worried about their figures,” I whispered.
“May I have this dance?” Vastion offered his hand while dipping into a bow.
“Yes, My King,” I answered, placing my palm against his.
The song transitioned into a beautiful melody, and Vastion led us to the open space beside the dining table.
Our steps moved in sync, and I relaxed into his strong frame, letting him bend me to his will.
Trusting him completely. So different from my form at the Harvest. Amidst all the violence and death, never did I think it would be possible to find a reprieve in celebration. Or in the arms of a vampire.
All around us, shades of yellow blurred as I twirled under his arm, the song quickening and then slowing again. Our bodies moved together like notes across the page of a composer’s final symphony.
On this one day, Vastion had created a moment solely for me, and I’d have been content to dance into oblivion if it meant we could ignore the circumstances surrounding us. I would never forget this birthday, even though it silently counted down the time remaining between us.
When the song lulled once more, Vastion ceased the manicured movements of the dances we’d come to know and instead pulled me into a close embrace, simply swaying our bodies back and forth.
There were no grand rehearsed movements or acrobatic feats, and yet it was one of the most romantic dances I’d ever partaken in.
“Promise me we’ll always come back to this.” I rested my head against his chest.
“We’ll always have this,” Vastion murmured, his thumb rubbing circles against the small of my back. “I know this evening you were the one who got to make a wish, but I too have a wish.”
“You can’t tell me or it won’t come true,” I argued.
“It can’t come true, so I’ll tell you anyways.
I wish we had gotten to start from the beginning.
I wish we could have done things in order.
I would have liked to court you. I would have liked you to eagerly anticipate the day I finally asked for your hand, and you took mine by choice and not obligation.
I would have liked to give you the world, not taken yours from you. ”
His wish was one of many desires, and in them was a silent apology for how duty had brought us together. Our beginnings were unconventional and would always lay the groundwork for our story.
“Our story’s beginning need not spoil the ending.
” I halted our movements, eyeing the vampire violinist in the corner before whispering, “You will succeed. You will be the king to change the course of Devana’s future.
And I am proud to be the queen by your side while you do it.
Whether or not I am alive to see it finished. ”
Vastion’s eyes brightened at my declaration, and he leaned in, planting a gentle kiss atop my forehead before pulling away. “The only thing perhaps more regal than your beauty is your conviction, Esiree, the likes of which will fuel me through the days ahead.”
Dessert before dinner was a delight I’d like to indulge in more frequently. The musician made his exit as we took our seats for my meal and his evening ration. I knew every sip was one weighed heavy with guilt.
Our conversation spanned many subjects, the primary of which was the upcoming departure for Lyr.
“Has there been any post from my father?” I inquired. “I wrote to them before we left for Muir and was hoping I would hear back.”
“I do not believe so, but I will check with Laila. I do not say this to worry you, but the dispatch has been impacted before, depending on the territory and if they’ve undergone recent siege. However, if there were any unmanageable skirmishes, I’m certain Orin would have made me aware.”
I was appreciative of Vastion’s honesty, but moments like this starkly reminded me that the escapism of my birthday celebration would be short-lived.
Because my letters were considered royal correspondence, I could be certain of their arrival— the dispatch alone would grant me mild relief regarding their wellbeing.
“I will write to them again tomorrow. Please ensure my messages are delivered with haste.”
“Of course, darling. Shall we retire for the evening?”
I looked at Vastion, cocking my head playfully. “Retire? Is that really what you’d like to do?”
“I only wish to acknowledge that your birthday festivities may have made you weary.”
“But what of my birthday gift?”
Vastion scoffed, waving his hand around the room as if to say, ‘what’s all of this?’.
“Oh, this is a birthday surprise, and I’m more than grateful. I only meant to inquire about an actual gift.” I smirked.
“You greedy, greedy woman. Are you sure you weren’t born a noble after all?”
“No, but I do intend to celebrate my birthday like one.”
Vastion rose to his feet. “How could I ever deny such a request?”
When we entered the privacy of our bed chambers, he slammed the door behind us.
Our movements were frantic. My hands scraped along his back, clawing at his clothing, to be rid of it and feel his skin against mine once more.
He lifted his shirt overhead before he pulled me up into his arms then turned to brace me against the door.
My legs were wrapped tightly around him while he placed ardent kisses all along my neck, groping my breasts tightly.
Suddenly, the sound of a loud crack, followed by deep rumbling roars echoed through the open balcony doors.
A storm approached on the waves of Eventide, and the vibrations of thunder created small, noticeable quakes within the Heart.