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asunafairywizardessheart · 2 years ago

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Saving him

Saving Him

Pairing: Klaus/MC

Klaus had failed to remain awake. He had tried so hard to avoid deep sleeps and rested his eyes every now and then as a strategy to rest but not to sleep.

With the light orbs still illuminating his room in the dormitory, Klaus was hunched over his desk and fast asleep on top of the assignments he had been doing.

An empty cup of tea, which he had calculated to be his tenth, sat on the top right corner of the table. His glasses were clasped within his right hand as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He had only wanted to simply rest his eyes for a moment, but he was now, unknowingly, in a deep state of sleep, with his head propped up onto his right arm and his mind fading back into his memories that had become his nightmares whenever he fell into a deep slumber.

Klaus hadn’t been faced with a situation like this before. While deep inside he was swirling with anger, he could only helplessly stare at the irreversible damage that had been done.

“No,” Serge’s whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke, “No!” he yelled, his heart pounding, his breathing shallow, his hands shaking and tears swelled within his eyes, beginning to spill over, “No!” he repeated, unable to control the raw depth of his emotional turmoil in this moment.

The streaking tails of tears ran down his face and fell off his chin and onto the stone statue in front of him, “Randy!” he cried, painfully, hoping the statue in front of him would hear him, “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” he screamed, trying to tear off the stone with his bare hands.

Serge’s attempts to tear off the stone was in vain. No matter how hard he pulled and scratched at the stone, not a crumble of it fell off. He reached into his pocket and withdraw his wand. Raising his wand, he stood back and aimed the tip at the stone and took a breath to speak an incantation.

Until.

“Stop that you idiot!” Klaus stood in front of the tip of Serge’s wand and pushed him back, knocking his wand from his hand and sending Serge tumbling to the lilac grassy floor below with hard thump, “He’s not covered in stone, he is stone!”

Klaus’ breath was also shallow from the anger and pain that raged within him, “I had warned you this would happen but you didn’t listen? No! You never listen, and now Randy has been petrified because you were too cocky with your abilities!” without missing a beat, his words were direct, sharp and clear.

Serge had stayed where he had landed on the ground below and could only look up into Klaus’ eyes that were welled with tears too but his amethyst eyes were as sharp and terrifying as the anger within his voice. Not even the stars above burned brighter than the anger that reflected within Klaus’ eyes.

Serge couldn’t say anything and looked down at the ground beneath him.

Behind him, a giant serpent laid slain across the grassy meadow in the northern forest that was part of the Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy’s grounds and where the three were students. The meadow at the scene of this tragic night was mostly a beautiful scene day and night. Pale lilac flowers bloomed at the tips of the long grass but melded into a dark violet halfway down the stalk before disappearing into the earth below. Serge and Randy favoured this spot because of its natural beauty but now it marred by blood, death and tears.

The surge of anger within Serge dissipated and was replaced with guilt, sorrow, pain and a sense of helplessness. It was nothing he had ever experienced before and truly began to believe that this was his fault. Regardless that is was a mistake, his mistake was a costly one.

“It…it was an accident,” he pleaded in a whisper, “Believe me Klaus, this…this wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

Klaus didn’t want to hear it, “What did you think was going to happen when you started to recklessly experiment with magic well beyond your experience? At the very least, you shouldn’t have dragged another person into your foolishness,” he snapped.

“Do… do you think I wanted this to happen?” Serge asked Klaus.

Klaus was losing his patience with Serge, “I doubt his family are going to accept that as an excuse, Serge. I warned you not to experiment with dangerous summoning spells and I told you not to drag anyone else into this. Mistake or not, you summoned a basilisk and foolishly tried to handle the creature by yourselves, a creature that is well beyond the experience of two students, regardless of your rare abilities,” Klaus’ sharply replied with his eyes still piercing through Serge’s, full of anger and pain, “You’re lucky I was here to defeat that beast otherwise who knows who else may have been hurt.”

“We weren’t supposed to summon a basilisk,” Serge assured him, “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone! Look, we can still save him. There has to be a way to undo the spell!”

Klaus gritted his teeth as his patience grew even more thinner, “Ridiculous!” he yelled, “I can’t believe you right now.”

Serge rose to his feet and with desperation in his voice shouted, “I want to save him! There has to be a way.”

Klaus Goldstein is a genius wizard and despite being a student was already a certified wizard knight and topped all of his classes. His aptitude for wizardry impressed the ministry so much that he had a guaranteed career once he graduated from the academy.

“There is no cure for a petrification spell!” Klaus reminded him.

“I will find one!” Serge said determinedly.

“Even if you do, who knows how many years that will take!” Klaus replied.

“No!” Serge refused to accept that as an answer, “I will find a way to undo what I did here tonight, even if it takes my entire life. He’s not dead in there!”

Serge was overwhelmed with emotions and Klaus’ anger toward him only grew and had no sympathy since he had so recklessly dabbled in magic well beyond his abilities. In Klaus’ mind, Serge had killed someone tonight.

“You do that on your own,” Klaus said, “I warned you not to be reckless and warned you not to drag innocent people into your cockiness, you didn’t listen. Even if it takes you years to undo the spell, who knows how much time he would have lost and how many loved ones would have passed away. Randy may not be dead, but being petrified is a fate the same as death. You killed someone tonight, Serge. Regardless of it being a mistake, you killed him,” Klaus said harshly, “You killed him,” he repeated.

The weight of those words stung Serge in the heart and the guilt, sorrow and pain he was already feeling multiplied. He didn’t just lose one friend, he lost two. Klaus really thought he was a murderer. The intent within Klaus’ voice was unlike anything Serge had ever heard. Serge used to rile Klaus up for fun, but they both knew it was all in good-humour but that wasn’t the mood. The atmosphere was permeated with a morbid tension and Serge was the villain, Randy was his victim and Klaus was the protagonist. Yet, Serge couldn’t disagree with Klaus’ perception since magical creatures were his speciality, Serge would agree it was a fate worse than death since petrification was simply being frozen in time where one is neither dead nor alive. It was he who wrote the summoning circle wrong and summoned the basilisk that petrified Randy. More tears escaped from his eyes as the reality of the situation began to sink in more.

“You’ve killed him,” Klaus repeated, muttering through his clenched jaw as another surge of anger welled within as he turned his back on Serge and looked closer at the petrified state of his friend, clenching his fist, Klaus added, “I should’ve stopped you from these reckless experiments ages ago.”

Serge listened to every word that was being spoken and the weight of those words would become his burden. In that moment, Serge Durandal no longer existed and he adopted a new name, Randy March. It was now his life mission to find a cure for petrification. As Klaus remained with his back turned, Serge couldn’t bear this scene any longer. He wanted to get started, to find that cure for petrification and free his friend. Disappearing into the wilderness, Klaus was left alone with Randy’s statue, the slain beast in the meadow and Serge was never heard from again.

***

“Ugh!” Klaus abruptly woke up.

Sweat formed across his forehead and his hands were slightly shaking.

Looking around the room, he quickly realised that he had simply had had another one of his nightmares, which he had wished was just some fiction of his imagination, but was actually a memory of that tragic day almost six years ago now. Randy still remained petrified and, until a couple of months ago, Serge was never seen or heard from again.

“Why did he show up there of all places?” Klaus asked out loud to no one.

Klaus knew why he reliving that particular memory and it was one out of two traumatic memories that he was reliving in his nightmares. The other was reliving the night he had almost lost someone he had come to love with his entire soul, heart, mind and being to a madman trying to use dark magic to resurrect the dead. Which is when he saw him again – Serge Durandal. Klaus couldn’t understand why he had shown up, why he had helped him save Asana’s life and how did he know Azusa? Were they collaborating? Was Serge dabbling in dark magic to find a cure for petrification? Why did Serge help him despite their falling out on that night? So many unanswered questions ran through his mind.

The light orbs floating above him were still illuminated and the halls outside his room were quiet with all the other boys living in the dorm still fast asleep. Outside, the moon glowed brightly but there was a faint stretch of sunlight beginning to form at the bottom of the sky. Klaus looked to the clock that hung on his walls and it was quarter to five in the morning.

After waking up, there was no way he was going back to sleep. Not that he couldn’t if he tried, but he didn’t want to sleep and have his mind wonder back to force him to relive his traumatic memories. He sighed with exhaustion. Not having a proper sleep pattern was beginning to make him restless but he’d prefer feeling restless over being forced to relive painful memories.

Quarter to five was about the time he woke up every day. He preferred it. When the other students were asleep, the dorm building and the academy was a lot more tolerable because it wasn’t loud and it wasn’t crowded. He didn’t have to swiftly step into the gaps between the crowd to get to where he was going. He didn’t have to stop to have pointless conversations with others. As an added bonus, he had time to revise his schedule for the day and get started to have everything completed. Though, he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t exhausted and didn’t wonder how he was going to pull through the day contently. But, sleep wasn’t an option right now.

Klaus grabbed his cloak and headed to the kitchen first to have breakfast. After that, he found himself walking the hedged lined courtyard that separated the classrooms from the living quarters. He was bound for his office, but decided to detour to the girls dormitory. Her window was on the garden side of the building, overlooking the forests and springs in the distant north. But, he looked at the building, convincing his mind that she was sound asleep within the safety of those walls. He found himself doing this most mornings ever since he almost lost her two months ago.

Despite the fact that she was Azusa’s victim of choice, Asana barely dwelled on nearly being murdered by a dark wizard practicing dark magic. If anything, she looked happier and healthier than when she had first arrived at the academy. She was proud that she was able to help clear the initial rumours that Klaus was the one practicing dark magic. She was proud that she was able to discover her rare abilities she had never known about. She was proud that her magic wasn’t useless and had helped someone in need. She wasn’t bothered at all and Klaus had come to admire her tenacity even more. But, Klaus, was bothered.

Not only had he nearly lost someone he fell in love with and the fear of losing her a new feeling he was experiencing, but how embarrassed he was to have had become so overwhelmed and emotional about losing her that he had failed to protect her when she needed him the most, that he had forgotten to focus his magic and for the first time felt completely powerless. But, Serge returned, under the name of their petrified friend, Randy March. The first time seeing him since Randy’s petrification and he was the one who broke the barrier, helped him to save her life, stopped the attack and discovered that the Azusa attacking them was just a copy, which he had made, of the real person, who was now long gone.

“Serge,” he muttered, “Why did you come back?”

Klaus didn’t understand why Serge had returned or why he had chosen to help him save Asana. He also didn’t understand how Serge knew Azusa, a man guilty of practicing dark magic and willing to commit murder to see through to his goal. He wanted to know why Serge was using Randy’s name to disguise himself. These questions kept being repeated in his mind and he was desperate to find the answers but since that night by the spring, he hadn’t seen Serge to ask those questions.

After spending several minutes in a trance, thinking about the incident with Randy, the incident with Azusa, Serge and staring at the dorm building thinking about Asana, he was interrupted by someone walking up to him.

“What are you doing?” it was a familiar voice, one he didn’t need to see the face of the owner to know who it was.

“Nothing,” Klaus replied, “Why are you up so early?” Klaus turned his attention to who had come up to him.

Elias had a hand full of books, “There is an exam soon so I wanted to get some studying in before class starts today. You look awful though.”

Klaus gave his brother a fierce glance, “Is that really the first you thing you say to me? Most people begin with ‘good morning’.”

“Well,” Elias blushed in his usual awkwardness that Klaus still found odd but was used to it by now, “I’ve noticed you’ve been keeping your lights on late at night most nights now and you’ve…well…,” he trailed off.

“Well, what?” Klaus prompted, his eyebrows narrowing at his brother.

Elias didn’t want to say it out of fear of brotherly repercussions, “…You know what, never mind.”

“If you have something to say, say it,” Klaus crossed his arms waiting his answer.

Elias glanced away, “Well…You’ve been grumpier than usual.”

Klaus imagined that Elias was aware of the incident involving Randy and Serge six years ago, but if he wasn’t Klaus wouldn’t be surprised since he wasn’t the type to get involved in other people’s business, even if it was his own family. Klaus and Elias had always been close and even if Klaus wanted to hide the truth from his brother, Elias would see through him. Elias had helped Asana to clear his name during that mess with Azusa and it warmed his heart, though he’d never admit it, to know that his littler brother believed in him. Of course, Elias did know that he was romantically involved with Asana, who happened to be Elias’ age, in his classes and they had become friends independently of Klaus. But, Klaus was older and was not going to share his burdens when he knew that Elias, his little brother, had so many of his own to carry.

“You should get going with your studies,” Klaus made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it.

Elias knew what he meant, but also knew by that one sentence that he was also struggling but not willing to share it with him, “…Well,” Elias trailed off, beginning to walk away, “You are okay, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Klaus now glared at his little brother.

Elias kept some distance between them and was ready to walk away but said one last thing before he left, “…Well…um…,” he began, awkwardly, his face a shade of light red, “…Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. It’s uncomfortable watching you work so hard to the point you aren’t resting properly.”

With those last words, Elias quickly bolted in the direction of, no doubt the library, within the walls of the ancient castle that was now the main building of the entire school. Klaus watched his brother’s body fade into the distance and couldn’t help but be warmed by the fact that he cared, but this was not something big brothers share with their little brothers. With one last glance of the girls dormitory, Klaus quietly disappeared from the scene and walked, tiredly, in the direction of his office inside the castle with a mind full of questions and flashbacks to the incidents involving Randy six years ago and the recent mess with Azusa.

As the day continued on, Klaus felt exhausted and felt as though he was going to collapse, especially after covering Professor Schuyler’s practical magic class. Asana, who had been watching from the distance, was worried about him as much as Elias was too. During the last class of the day, the Headmaster had asked Klaus to cover his Magical Beasts lecture, which happened to be Asana and Elias’ class.

“He’s exhausted, I can tell,” Asana commented, “Other people might not be able to, but it’s obvious once you know him well enough.”

Elias, who was sitting next to her, agreed, “He was awake all night. He has been up late most nights lately. I’m worried about him but he won’t ever talk to me about it. Maybe he’ll talk to you.”

Klaus heard them muttering before he was about to get started with the topic of the lecture, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he quickly skimmed through the lecture notes the Headmaster had left for him and the instructions was to cover the topic of incurable spells and curses that could be cast by magical creatures.

“Timely subject,” he sarcastically thought and had to bury the flashbacks of the basilisk from that night six years ago and Azusa’s summoning of a Nue, a foul and murderous creature born of dark magic.

He understood the instructions and was motivated by the incident six years ago and Azusa’s attempts to slain a unicorn with a Nue to educate this generation of wizards about the costly impacts of messing around with magical creatures beyond their experience. Which is probably what the Headmaster also had in his mind when he prepared the material for this lecture.

“Take your seats,” Klaus clearly and sharply instructed and not one student dared to not to follow an order given by The Emperor.

After giving everyone a moment to relax and find their seats he began, but the bright lights was making him feel very dizzy but he powered through it to the point that no one, but Elias and Asana, could tell that he wasn’t feeling well.

“Today, we will discuss the magical abilities of magical creatures and the consequences of underestimating their impacts,” he informed the class, “The magical capabilities of creatures varies between having weak abilities to incredibly strong abilities. For instance, winged-rabbits and carbuncles tend to have weaker magical abilities compared to creatures like dire wolves, fairies, mermaids and dragons. However, human and magical creature conflicts exist and no matter the degree of magic each creature is capable of doing, do note that if you fall on the wrong side it may very well be the last thing that you ever do. Why do I say this? Any ideas?”

No one raised their hands to answer his question and no one, but Asana and Elias, were aware that his speech and movement was slower than usual. Asana couldn’t focus on the topic of the lesson for she was worried about Klaus collapsing in front of everyone.

“No one?” asked Klaus.

Usually silent, Yukiya decided to answer Klaus question from his usual spot by the window, “There are a few reasons why humans with magic shouldn’t underestimate the abilities of magical creatures. I can give three examples. One, humans still don’t know a lot about the magical capabilities of a variety of magic creatures. Two, magical creatures are often used to make powerful contracts and when used incorrectly can be devastating to the wizard or wizardess. Three, magical creatures can possess the ability to curse and kill depending on the creature.”

Klaus accepted the answer, “Good answer,” he continued, “Magical creatures are also unpredictable and, often, it is up to the nature of the magical creature in question if it wants to be friendly or not, for some creatures they embody darkness and will kill or curse without hesitation, this can include dire wolves, werewolves, vampires and chimeras, while others are creatures, born from light magic and have that choice, such as winged-rabbits, carbuncles, fairies, mermaids, unicorns and other intelligent creatures.”

The lecture continued until the last bell of the day echoed across the school, and somehow Klaus made it through the lesson without fainting even though he struggled to see clearly in front of him by the end of the lesson. As the students cleared out of the classroom, unaware of how dangerously drained he was, only one person remained behind and Klaus could sense her presence. After overhearing her and Elias talking, he didn’t want to open up to her either and decided to gather his cloak and muster what energy he had left to make for a quick escape back to his office.

Barely able to stand straight, Asana watched him leave through the teacher’s door near the desk in the classroom. Immediately, she followed after him knowing that this was his attempt to hide whatever he was feeling from her too. She ran to catch up to his side, dodging a hall full of students, who, thankfully, were too frightened of Klaus, who they had nicknamed “The Emperor”, to stand in his way.

“Don’t you want to see me today?” she asked, catching up to him and standing by his side.

“I have a lot of work to do today,” Klaus insisted, but it was a lie.

Asana glanced up at his face and could see the redness within his amethyst eyes and the bags underneath them. His usually perfect and smooth ivory-skin showed some stubble and coarseness that she didn’t even think was possible for someone as regal and respectable as Klaus. It worried her because she had never seen him like this before.

“You look worse than what you did yesterday,” she said.

“Is that so,” Klaus didn’t argue with her, “Elias already told me that this morning.”

The lecture room wasn’t far from his prefect office and he nudged the door open with a slight push of his hand and Asana followed him through, closing the door behind her and locking it.

“Why did you lock it for?” he asked.

“Because, we need to talk,” she said.

Klaus took off his cloak and hung it on a hook on the wall near the door. Asana did the same with hers and put her bag on a vacant chair inside of his office. Klaus went over to his small stove to brew a pot of tea but before he could choose the flavour from his box, she stopped him.

“I will do that,” she said, “Go sit.”

“And if you don’t make it correctly?” he asked.

“You have taught me how to make tea the way you like it,” she smiled up at him, “I’ve basically mastered it,” she amused and gave him a cheeky smirk.

Knowing he wasn’t going to win when she was this persistent and not having the energy to do so, he yielded and sat down at his usual seat on his side of the desk where he worked.

Although he was exhausted, her energy somehow increased his own. The sparkle in her eye, the brightness in her smile and her overall beauty, simple yet divine, had attracted him to her. But, her kindness, strength and understanding personality truly captured his entire heart and soul. She brought a lightness back into his life that he had been missing for so many years. Little did she know it, but in a way she was saving him too.

“I have a different flavour of tea that I’d like for you to try,” she said and waited for the water to boil.

“What kind of flavour?” he inquired, not keen on trying something new.

Asana didn’t answer immediately for she had a plan.

Earlier, in magical pharmaceutics, she had enquired to Professor Merkulova about teas that can help a person sleep better and ease their minds. Observantly, Professor Merkulova had figured it was about Klaus’ restlessness and had handed her a blend of valerian root, black rose petals, camomile and lavender that were great for relaxing the mind, boosting pleasant dreams and helped the drinker to get as much sleep as their body needed to recover.

She had to follow the recipe and cooking method for the brew to work as intended. The water had to boil before putting in the leaves and steeped for at least two minutes before straining the mixture into a cup for consumption. She waited for the tea to be brewed before answering his question. He didn’t bug her in that time and went about his work.

Pouring only him a cup of tea, she walked over to the right side of his body and placed a hand over his right hand that was moving a quill across the papers on his desk. He stopped writing and looked up at her. The steaming cup of tea in her left hand and she looked at him with loving eyes.

Moving a lock of his golden hair from his forehead, she began to speak, “You looked like you were going to collapse in that last lesson Klaus,” she said, concern riddled in her voice, “I’m worried about you.”

Klaus didn’t want her to be and swivelled his chair around to face her directly. His right hand clasped onto hers that she had placed over his and was now using to brush aside his golden locks of hair, and gently he brought the back of her hand to his lips and placed a sweet kiss on the back of her hand, “I’m fine, really,” he said, trying to convince her.

“You’re not though,” she saw right through him, “This is a magic blend of valerian root, black rose petal, camomile and lavender. I made it during Professor Merkulova’s class today to help relax your mind and let you sleep until you are refreshed again. I made it so that it’s sweet for you.”

Klaus gave her a soft smile, appreciative of how much she cared for him but this wasn’t something magic tea could fix. With her in his presence, giving him the kind of love that no one else could, was more relaxing to him than she even knew. She was becoming that one person who was breaking down those walls he had built around him, that he had sworn he’d never let anyone in but, she was becoming an exception to that rule.

“I don’t need tea,” he said, grabbing the cup she had brewed and placing it on the desk.

“But—,” she protested him not drinking it, especially after she was just trying to help him.

In her distraction, Klaus tugged on her arm and pulled her close to him. The unexpected tug had her lose her footing and she fell forward into his arms but he caught her almost immediately.

“K-Klaus?” with their noses almost touching, she could see the fine lines in his skin, the redness in his eyes and the dark bags underneath them much more closely and in more detail.

Immediately, Klaus felt her body relaxing and she let herself gently rest against his frame. He was bigger, broader and stronger than her that her tumble into him didn’t even hurt. Looking deep into her rose-quartz eyes, he could clearly see the detail of her lashes, to the slight curve on the upper eyelid and their roundness. Despite seeing her eyes flickering with surprise, by his unexpected tug, and concern, which she had for him, her eyes were so different from his own but they were full of light and wonder that he could stare and get lost into for a long time. To think that he had come so close to never seeing them again, haunted him in ways she couldn’t imagine.

With a swift movement, Klaus swept her feet off the ground so that she was propped onto his lap and made it easier for him to embrace her entire body. Without saying a word, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers taking in everything he could sense with his own body and senses. The warmth of her body seeping into his, her relaxed and comfortable breathing, a sign that she completely trusted him, the feeling of her cute nose brushing against his, which was larger and straighter, the tickle of her chestnut hair against his forehead, the way her fingers lovingly and gently brushed through his golden locks, knowing the way she was looking at him right now, the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo in her hair and the sweet floral scent that was absorbed into her skin from the perfume she wore, the loving and sweet smile she always flashed at him, the way her mind, body and heart trusted him, the light thumping of her heartbeat and her melodic voice, although she wasn’t speaking, he could hear her internal thoughts like no one else could. He had come so close to losing all of her, but with her safely in his arms and feeling all her warmth, this ensured him that she was really alive and his mind began to relax.

“…K-Klaus?” she called out his name, but didn’t want to disturb what he was doing especially if it was relaxing him.

He felt her breath on his lips and a smile curled at his lips.

All his armour fell off around her and after a moment, he began to speak, “…I almost lost you…,” he whispered, “…I don’t want to ever lose you…”.

She could feel his breath on her lips too and, even though his eyes were closed, she smiled at him, “You’re not going to,” she whispered back, her fingers still lovingly tussling through his golden locks, “I’m right here and I’m not planning on going anywhere so long as you’re here.”

“Well stop doing dangerous things,” he retorted but gave a small humorous laugh, “At the very least, think before you act.”

Asana laughed with him, “…Same to you.”

She suspected that this was why he was losing sleep and asked him if that was the case, “Is this why you haven’t been sleeping? Because of what happened with Azusa?”

Klaus opened his eyes and looked down into hers, “…Yes, and no.”

“Then what is it? Will you tell me?”

Klaus paused for a moment but chose to be honest with her, “…Had it not been for another person that I haven’t seen for a long time, and that I didn’t expect to see there, you would have died. I couldn’t break through the barrier to get to you and was overwhelmed by fear that I was going to lose you that I couldn’t focus my magic properly. I’m embarrassed to admit that I failed to protect you when you needed me the most and after you had so bravely fought for my innocence as well. I keep thinking about that night and how and why things turned out the way that it did. It’s the first time where I felt so afraid and worried that I was going to lose someone I care about so much.”

Asana remembered that night as clearly as Klaus had and never knew it bothered him so much. Despite being the person that was almost murdered, she didn’t think of his rescue as a failure and disagreed with him, “But you did save me Klaus, in more ways than you know,” she insisted, “In the end, you showed up and you did protect me. I was scared but as soon as I saw you, I wasn’t afraid anymore. Your magic was amazing and inspiring that I hope to be somewhere on your level one day.”

“How can you seem to be okay with what happened that night?” Klaus wondered, her response something he was expecting to hear her say but could never understand her way of thinking, “You’re so…weird.”

“Hey! That’s so mean!” she chuckled, but then her voice reverted back to having some seriousness within her melodic tone, “Why dwell on something that didn’t happen? Yes, I could’ve died, but in the end I didn’t and I get to live another day. I also don’t regret my actions. I helped clear your name and a unicorn’s life was spared. After losing my family when I was young, I often do wonder how I survived but I did and that’s what’s important. There is no use spending my energy thinking and fearing what could have been a different outcome. Besides, my mother always told me to keep smiling no matter what because being in the light is better than being in the shadows. I add my own philosophy on the matter too. That being, even the darkest moments of our lives can be temporary if we will it but happiness should always be permanent for it makes our lives fuller.”

Klaus was silent after hearing her response. He never once doubted her tenacity but on the surface she can appear to be quite airheaded, but underneath her happy exterior he was sure that her intelligence and wisdom came from a traumatic period in her own life. All he could do was stare into her eyes to try and make sense of what kind of a person she was and who she would end up becoming.

“…You really are a mystery to me sometimes,” Klaus eventually remarked.

Asana wasn’t sure if that was a compliment, “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

Klaus flashed her a soft smile, “Yes, this time that was a compliment.”

Klaus watched her hand move across to cup his large cheek into her hand and felt her thumb glide across the dark bags that had formed underneath his eyes, “You need to rest Klaus,” she remarked, “I’m right here with you but I sense that my brush with death isn’t the only thing on your mind, right?”

He remembered Serge being there that night and remembered Asana calling him Randy and wanted to know where she had even met him, “Where did you meet Randy?” Klaus asked, curious as to how the two could have crossed paths.

He watched her closely and saw her remembering how she met the man who, unknowingly to her, was the same person she looked up to and the same person that he had loathed for a long time because of that incident six years ago.

“He was very strange,” she recalled, and that didn’t surprise Klaus at all, “You were in custody at the time that I met him. I couldn’t sleep and there was a disturbance in the northern valley. Magical creatures and animals were escaping the area in droves and I went to investigate. Randy was the first person I had seen there and he kept asking if I was a magical creature or a spirit. He had come from his dorm to investigate the disturbance in the forest too. I didn’t know then that Azusa was behind the disturbance, but he was there too.”

“Did the two seem friendly?” Klaus asked.

Asana nodded, “Apparently they were roommates in the dorms. But, you also heard him say that Randy had made that shikigami for him too.”

“Yes, I heard him say that,” Klaus said.

Klaus knew that she was telling the truth but if Serge had been roaming the dorms, he surely would have seen him but it was entirely possible for Serge was a strange and unpredictable person who probably took great measures to conceal himself so that they wouldn’t meet.

“If Randy is who you are concerned about, I wouldn��t worry because I don’t think Randy was involved in the incident with Azusa,” she continued, “If you think he’s dangerous, I don’t sense a malicious vibe from him at all. He tore the shikigami and even wanted to help capture Azusa so that he didn’t hurt anyone.”

Internally, Klaus wanted to be angry that she was defending him but knew that it would be unfair to her because she truly had no idea who he really was and what he did six years ago. He wondered if he should tell her. Unaware, his soft and loving stare into her eyes had changed into a glare.

“…What’s wrong?” she asked after seeing his soft stare turn into that glare, which only a few months ago scared her, but not anymore, “Did I say something wrong?” she removed her hand from his cheek, afraid she had offended him.

Usually always aware of his emotions, he quickly realised that he was glaring into her eyes, “…It’s nothing,” he replied, his answer short.

“Is it because Randy helped you that you can’t sleep?” she wondered.

For Klaus, that was a complicated answer but for her to understand he would have to explain, “It’s complicated,” he answered, “I’m truly grateful for his help, working together we were able to stop Azusa and the Nue, and no one was killed.”

He didn’t like Serge using Randy’s name in place of his own since it wasn’t his to use and it was his mistake six years ago that cost Randy his life. He didn’t like the idea of Serge sneaking around the academy after disappearing six years ago. Inside, that same anger he felt six years ago began to burn once again.

“…Six years ago,” Klaus began to speak, breaking the silence, “Something happened in the northern valley in the meadow not far from the spring where Azusa tried to slay that unicorn and almost killed you. There were two other students and myself. One of the students attempted to summon a magical creature using a summoning circle but had written a component incorrectly and he hadn’t checked it before performing the spell. The other student, my roommate and closest friend here at the academy at the time, lost his life that night. The one who had performed it, disappeared and I haven’t seen him since that night. I was full of rage at him for being so reckless that I accused him of murdering our classmate.”

Klaus felt Asana’s body relax once again and watched her big round eyes flicker with surprise, “I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” she said, sympathising with him as she didn’t know about the traumas he had been through, “That night with Azusa must have reminded you of that night, huh?”

“Yes,” Klaus agreed, but unknown to her it was more so because Serge had appeared.

“…If I can ask,” Asana began slowly, “What…did he accidentally summon?”

If Klaus didn’t want to talk about something, he would simply not talk about it but was comfortable sharing this much of his memory with her, “A basilisk. If you directly look that creature in the eye you will die instantly. However, if you indirectly stare at it, you will be petrified. My friend was petrified that night.”

Klaus watched her eyes widened with fright as he recalled his memory and shared it with her, “…There’s no cure for petrification, right?” Asana asked, remembering the lecture he had given in class moments ago, “I read that in the textbook just now in class.”

“That’s right,” Klaus said, “Maybe, someone will find a cure one day. Though, until it is found, he remains, to his day, in a state of petrification at his family’s house. I keep remembering this memory because of where I almost lost you was almost in the exact same location.”

“It makes sense now,” Asana understood why he was so restless, “I get it now.”

Klaus didn’t need to elaborate any further but felt relieved he was able to tell her the bulk of the memory without dragging names into the recollection of his memory of that night. Although that was a difficult memory to openly discuss, he found himself relaxed and comfortable with her right by his side. It was another reason why he had fallen in love with her, because she had come to understand him and who he was so quickly.

“I’m so sorry for your friend, Klaus,” she apologised.

He felt her hand gently cup his large cheek again and felt her press her forehead against his, “I’m hopeful someday that someone will find a cure and we can release your friend together. But, in order to do that, you need to rest first otherwise I’m scared you’re going to collapse. You may be a gifted wizard, but you are still a human being that has his physical limits just like everyone else.”

Klaus agreed with her, “I know.”

“That tea will help.”

Klaus didn’t think so, “I don’t need the tea,” he assured her.

For a moment, he released his left hand from where it helped to embrace her body as she laid upon his lap. Grabbing his quill, he jotted down words on a piece of paper and then neatly folded it and sent it flying out of the open window on the opposite side of the room. Outside, the orange shades of the afternoon light was dimming into darkness as night began to fall across the kingdom.

“What was that about?” Asana watched it flutter away like a butterfly.

“Help me sleep tonight,” he said.

Asana’s eyes widened as he asked that and he could see her mind going to dirty thoughts. It amused him, but that was not what he was asking, though it was the perfect opportunity to tease her, “Good thing you locked the door,” he teased.

“Wait…,” she protested, thinking he was going to do things to her and her cheeks turning red by the suggestive thoughts going through her mind, “That’s not—.”

Before she could finish speaking, he lifted her up in his arms, carried her across the room and laid her down on the sofa inside the office, on the opposite left side of his desk and below the windows of the office, where he sometimes took a nap during his breaks and breathed in the fresh air that drafted through the cosy room.

“K-Klaus, wait…,” Asana half-protested.

Her shifting eyes were amusing to him but he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before climbing over the top of her. Somehow, that kiss had her no longer protesting, even though Klaus could see on her face that she thought he had intentions to make love to her.

He chuckled, “One day,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and then on her lips, “Not today though.”

“Huh?” she was confused, “Then what do you want me to do?”

“Stay with me here,” he said.

“Huh?” she sounded her confusion once again, “But…the tea?”

“I don’t need the tea,” he repeated, “…You.”

His body gently pressed against hers and with a couple of shifts they found some comfort laying together on the sofa. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. He could feel that she now understood what he meant as her body comfortably relaxed underneath his and she wrapped an arm around his body while the fingers of the other hand lovingly stroked through his golden locks.

“…I get it,” she whispered, with a smile forming across her face “Sleep well. I’m right here with you,” she said, and kissed him on the forehead too.

Klaus could hear her heart beating and he could feel the vibrations of her vocal chords as she quietly hummed. It soothed him to the point where he fell into a deep slumber and not long after he had fallen fast asleep, did she succumb to her own drowsiness and joined him in a deep sleep. The pair not awaking until the next morning.

#wizardess heart #klaus goldstein #wizardess heart fanfiction #asanawaymc #elias goldstein #azusakuze #randymarch #serge durandal #love #fluff #romance #friendship #tradegy

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asunafairywizardessheart · 2 years ago

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Imagine this as Asana’s room in the main story.

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asunafairywizardessheart · 3 years ago

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Silent Regret

Part 2: Reaching out

Elias/MC

Walter’s chance to apologise to his son has finally come. How will Elias respond?

Mary’s words stayed ingrained within Walter’s mind. She had offered him a new perspective on the state of his relationship with his son, Elias. Walter was certain that his son hated him but Mary had convinced him that their son, despite being deeply hurt, loved and respected his father. Since that night, Walter was invigorated to right his wrongs.

He yearned for nothing more than for a chance to apologise to his son for all the hurtful things he had said and done which had shattered Elias’ heart and soul, leaving him in a sullen state of depression and anxiety as he desperately chased for his father’s love and acceptance.

Determined to say those words Elias had longed to hear, Walter cleaned himself up and incessantly rehearsed which words he would use to apologise to his son and clear up any misunderstanding Elias had about his father not loving him. Strongly motivated by his resolve, Walter vowed to finally reach out to Elias the next time his son came home.

*****Two years later…..

Time moved forward.

The house was still silent and the Goldstein family remained broken.

Mary still cried.

Alfonse was still missing, but Walter and Mary were positive he was alive and well as he explored this big world.

Klaus barely visited and when he did, he didn’t stay for long.

Elias hadn’t come home since he left for his new life at the academy.

Two years didn’t seem like a long time but for Walter it felt like a prison sentence.

He had come to loathe the sense of emptiness within his large home. The softest of noises which echoed through the marble walls and floors had an eeriness within them that Walter hated. The tapping of shoes walking the halls, the ticking of clocks from various rooms in the home and the quiet murmur of the staff, and other sounds alike, were all heard clearly. It felt as though the noises he could hear were tormenting him. Like the house itself was punishing him for his sins and failures as a husband and father.

Inside of his sanctuary that is his office, he occasionally turned to his decanter and glass filled with whiskey to help cope with the layer of anxiety that had welled on top of his guilt. As he brooded, he began to worry if he was ever going to get the chance to sincerely apologise to his son the longer he stayed away from home.

Often, Elias mailed letters to his mother but they were more like notices to pacify his mother by letting her know that he was doing well and enjoying his life at the academy. Walter often thought about writing to his son but he couldn’t bring himself to say his apologies through a posted letter. This was something he needed to say to Elias in person.

It was nearly the end of another year and there was a change in the dismal tension that permeated throughout the Goldstein Estate. With the festive season looming, Walter noticed the usually silent mansion had suddenly become bustling with movement and noise with an imbued sense of excitement.

Outside, the first snow of the season had fallen overnight. There was a light frost on the outside of the windows and the colourful garden beds and mowed green fields had been covered in a light blanket of white snow. A wintery cold snap lingered across the city with magical weather tellers officially recording the first snow of the season. It was tradition in the Goldstein family to begin redecorating the lavish halls of the home in the theme of Christmas when the first snow of the season fell.

Walter couldn’t imagine that this was the cause for the sudden mood change. Despite the fractured state of the family, the staff upheld this tradition annually. Often, tending to the task with gloominess in their hearts and minds. Walter and Mary never stopped the tradition and welcomed the scenery change.

With the absence of their sons during the holidays, Walter and Mary either hosted or attended formal Christmas parties, entertaining the high society of the wizarding world. After the formal parties were done, the couple would send their employees on paid leave to spend the holidays with their families. Eventually, they would either be alone or would go to another family’s home for Christmas.

They both found it difficult to fully embrace the festive season when they were to celebrate the holidays alone. They both shared the same view about the holidays – it was a celebration of family and togetherness. While there was some comfort in each other’s company, the fractured state of the family left an overwhelming sense of incompleteness lingering over the celebration.

Walter had decided to investigate the cause of the sudden liveliness. Almost every staff member was helping to redecorate the home in the theme of Christmas. There was a bounce in their step, smiles adorned their faces and their eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Walter!” Mary bounded up to him.

Just like the staff, she was in quite the jovial mood that perplexed Walter.

“Did something good happen?” he asked.

Mary couldn’t contain her excitement, “I reached out to Klaus and Elias some months ago and begged them to come home for the holidays this year.”

“Oh?” Walter wasn’t aware of this, “And?”

Mary happily showed him two letters, each was an individual reply from both sons, “They have both agreed to come home and stay for the duration of the holidays.”

Unlike his wife, Walter never outwardly expressed his emotions but he was delighted to hear the good news. Finally, Elias was coming home and Walter had a chance to say his sincere apology at last.

“I did send a magic note to Alfonse,” Mary sadly said, “It was a long shot, but I hope he retrieved it. But, two out of three sons will be home again. It’s a start.”

Walter agreed and warmly smiled, “I’m sure our family will be together again one day.”

“I’m sure it will be too,” she positively agreed.

The sudden excitement that loomed in the atmosphere now made sense to him. Mary’s exuberance had infected the staff who were genuinely happy for the matriarch. With this new knowledge, Walter felt a surge of happiness mixed with excitement too but his attention focused on quelling the anxiety within and preparing his long-awaited apology that he hoped would be a step in the right direction in mending Elias’ broken heart.

One evening, Walter and Mary were sitting down to their usual evening meal. There were no parties on the agenda that evening and it would be another week before Klaus and Elias would arrive home for the holidays.

“One more week,” Mary announced, “Though, I may have gone overboard on the presents this year.”

Peering into the adjacent parlour room where they kept the large pine tree, there were so many presents under the tree. It had been a long time since Walter had seen so many placed under the tree.

“I agree,” Walter joked, “I am yet to add mine to the pile.”

As they engaged in small chit-chat, they were interrupted by their chief of staff and Elias’ personal butler, Gail. Whom decided he’d be happy to work over the holiday period since he needed the extra money. Both Walter and Mary had attempted to simply pay him whatever difference he needed if he had ran into financial difficulties, but he insisted on working instead.

“Ma’am,” Gail politely approached the table, “My apologies for interrupting. Master Elias has sent a letter with his personal stationery via owl. I assume it must be important if he had sent this communication in such urgency.”

Walter peered up at the man and the golden envelope he presented within his gloved hands. Walter suddenly became nervous to its contents. He didn’t show it, but so many thoughts ran through his mind. Was he not coming home now? Did something happen to him? Was he going to lose another chance to apologise to Elias? Did Elias not want to come to avoid him? He had so many questions and was desperate to know the contents of his letter. Alas, he remained calm and waited for Mary to reveal whatever Elias had to say.

Mary cleaned her hands with a dining cloth and graciously received the envelope from Gail’s grasp, “Thank you Gail,” Mary said.

Gail bowed and elegantly left the room.

Walter could tell that Mary was nervous too. She held the letter and closely looked over the envelope to confirm that this was really sent by Elias. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was a hint of anxiety etched upon her face as she mentally prepared herself to read his letter.

“Is he not coming?” Walter impatiently asked.

Mary didn’t know but she was nervous and assumed that was the purpose of this letter. She didn’t say it but they shared the same assumption.

“What else could it be?” she assumed, “I do hope that is not the case.”

Elegantly, Mary ripped at the fold of the paper. Reaching into the pocket, she pulled out a single piece of thin white paper and began to read the neat lines of Elias’ cursive handwriting etched in the middle.

Waiting impatiently, Walter attempted to read the underside but failed to clearly read whatever was written. Quietly, he observed Mary as she read the letter, her almond, dark-blue sapphire eyes skimming the words. After reading one specific line, her jaw dropped in shock, her eyes widened and shined with glee and her pink lips smiled from ear-to-ear.

“What is it?” Walter asked curiously.

“Oh my!” she gasped and became excited again, “Elias…he’s… oh my!”

Mary rose to her feet and dropped the letter to the table, “Gail! Oh, Gail!” she called for the butler as she ran from the room, not explaining anything to Walter. Her enthusiasm becoming a mystery.

Walter cocked an eye in bewilderment at her sudden behaviour. What did Elias say that made her behave so ecstatically all of a sudden? Incredibly interested to know, he leaned over and picked up the letter Mary had abandoned to the table in her pursuit to find Gail.

Walter handled the letter with great care for its thin density made it quite fragile. A bold golden border coloured the edges of the rectangular piece of paper. Followed by a white gap that was followed by another golden border that was much thinner. In the middle at the top of the page of that thin border were Elias’ initials, elegantly designed into monogram. Also coloured in gold, his initials were creatively drawn over the top of each other in a cursive style and placed inside a thin circle. Inside the borders and in the middle of the page was Elias’ neat, cursive handwriting.

It read,

“Mother,

Earlier this year, you requested that I come home for the festive holidays.

While I look forward to joining you this Christmas, I have one request that I hope both Father and you will grant on such short notice.

My request is to ask for the permission to invite home someone special to me to join our family for the duration of my stay?

I do hope the both of you will agree but I will understand if you do not. I will patiently await your reply.

Your son,

Elias.”

“Someone special?” Walter repeated those words out loud and tilted his head in confusion, “Who could that be?”

Is this why Mary had become excited? Was it Alfonse by any chance? Perhaps a friend he had met at the academy? Or, could it be a love interest? Walter concluded there were many different answers to the term ‘someone special’ but he couldn’t confirm any of them. He needed more context and hoped Mary would be able to provide that information.

Walter knew that Elias and Mary often exchanged letters and no doubt she communicated with Klaus regularly too. Did she know something that he didn’t know? While she would tell Walter the many subjects of her communication with Elias and Klaus, she had a habit of sometimes forgetting to tell him any new details about their lives. Walter found it an adorable part of her personality and never was upset when she failed to mention anything new or important things happening in their lives. He’d always find out eventually.

The longer she remained absent from the dining room, the more Walter wondered whether Mary was ever coming back to finish her meal. He had cast a heat spell over her plate to keep her food warm should she return.

After several minutes of waiting, Mary eventually returned to her seat at the dining table. Walter had finished his meal but was reading the newspaper while he waited to see if she was ever coming back to finish her food. As she sat down, her eyes still sparkled and her youthful face exuded the same cheerfulness she had when she received Elias’ letter.

“What kept you away so long?” Walter asked curiously.

“Oh Walter!” she smiled, “Did you read his letter?”

“Yes.”

“I had to chase Gail to get the guest chambers organised and promptly replied to Elias’ request,” she answered.

Walter remained confused, “Did you grant his request?”

“Absolutely!” Mary responded cheerfully, “Oh, I can’t wait to finally meet her.”

Walter lowered his newspaper, “Her?” he asked, assuming “her” referred to his “someone special” and insinuated that this mystery person was a love interest.

“Walter!” Mary was amused by her husband’s obliviousness, “I imagine he’s asking to bring his girlfriend home so we can meet her.”

This was Walter’s first time hearing about Elias having a girlfriend in his life and found this news to be quite the bombshell. His usual expressionless face showed both his surprise and confusion.

“What girlfriend?” Walter asked puzzled, “This is the first time I have heard about this.”

Mary was certain she had mentioned it to Walter, “I told you about remember?”

“No,” Walter disagreed, “This is honestly the first time I have heard about Elias having a girlfriend.”

Mary observed Walter’s face. His usually unreadable face expressed his surprise and confusion confirming that he was telling the truth. He hadn’t heard about Elias having a girlfriend. Mary tried to recall telling him but nothing came to her memory. During Klaus’ last visit, he had revealed to his mother that Elias had been seeing someone at the academy and that they were quite serious. Of course, Elias never told her about his relationship and she never brought it up with him either.

Embarrassed, Mary nervously giggled, “Sorry Walter,” she said, deeply apologetic, “I guess I did forget to mention this news to you. Please forgive me.”

Walter wasn’t upset with not being told about his son’s relationship. He was quite used to Mary forgetting to tell him important social news. Rather, he was too stunned to consider being upset or amused. The news that Elias — who had become incredibly withdrawn and unsociable in his pursuit of his father’s approval — had found someone preoccupied his mind. Walter had so many questions about this young lady.

Did she free Elias from his depression and loneliness? Did she make him happy? Did she bring back his smile? Did she bring back that brightness Walter has missed seeing from Elias’ amethyst eyes? If Klaus knew her and mentioned this to his mother, does that mean he thinks she’s worthy of Elias? Who is this mysterious woman that has him captivated?

“Who is she?” Walter asked interested.

Mary excitedly leaned forward to begin gossiping about this new lady in their son’s life, “I have not met her myself and all of my intelligence about her has come from Klaus,” she informed.

“She must be a student at the academy, correct?”

Mary nodded, “Yes,” and she continued on, “Klaus told me that they didn’t start out on the best of terms but they deeply love and respect each other.”

“Oh, quite a serious pair?”

“Indeed,” Mary nodded, “Klaus seems to approve of her and he did say that when I meet her that I will feel the same too.”

“I must admit,” Walter began, “I did not expect to hear that Elias had attached himself to someone. It’s quite a surprise.”

“It surprised me too,” Mary agreed.

Mary could see the smallest of smiles curling onto Walter’s face. He truly was happy that his son was happy but then that small smile began to fade as he thought deeply.

“What is it?” Mary asked.

“What?”

“You were smiling just now,” Mary acknowledged, “Why are you sad now? Are you not excited to meet her?”

“That’s not it,” Walter said.

Walter was truly happy for his son and couldn’t wait to meet this young lady who had captured his heart. However, he felt his anxiety thumping within his chest. Was he going to ever get the chance to apologise to him? He didn’t want to embarrass his son in the presence of his girlfriend, especially if his apology wasn’t well received by Elias.

He sighed and began to tell her the truth about what was on his mind, “I don’t have the right to meet her when our relationship is still broken. Actually, I was going to use these holidays to finally reach out to him and apologise for everything I did to him all those years ago. I have found the courage and strength in my resolve to say the words I have waited so long to say and he’s waited to hear me say. I don’t want his forgiveness, but I want him to know how much I regret everything.”

Mary was pleased to hear that he was ready to finally talk to his son, “That’s great Walter,” she smiled warmly at him, “So, why is that making you sad?

Walter sighed, “If his girlfriend is joining us for the holidays, I feel it would be inappropriate to give him my sincere apology in her presence. I don’t know if she knows the circumstances of our relationship and I don’t want to ruin his relationship with her either, especially if she’s managed to undo all the heartache I caused him. I don’t want to make a negative impression.”

Mary understood his worry but she failed to see how their guest would prevent him from apologising to Elias, “Walter, you can still reach out to him, regardless of whether she is here or not,” Mary said, “Whether she knows or not doesn’t make any difference. I know how much you have waited for this chance to apologise to him. Don’t let this opportunity slip by using his girlfriend’s presence as an excuse not to do it. Besides, this is a large house and they are staying until they have to go back to the academy. You will have plenty of space and time to catch a quiet moment with him.”

There was a momentary silence as Walter processed her words. Mary was right. Walter couldn’t forfeit this opportunity after waiting two years for Elias to come home.

“You’re right,” Walter said, “I have waited for him to come home for so long. I need to see my resolve through to the end, especially for his sake.”

Walter had one other question about this mystery girlfriend. He hoped Mary would know and asked her, “This girlfriend of Elias’,” he said, “does she have a name?”

Mary had committed her name to memory the moment Klaus told her, “Miss Asana Way,” she answered without hesitation.

“Miss Asana Way,” Walter repeated her name, a small smile tugging at his lips once again as he committed her name to memory too.

Mary remembered something that Klaus had told her when he had told her about Elias’ new love, “When Klaus first told me that Elias had a girlfriend,” Mary said, “I did not believe him at first but then he kept telling me how much of an influence she has had on Elias. It may very well be that he is a lot happier since the last time we saw him.”

“That is good news,” Walter was delighted to hear that he was happy.

Mary finished eating her plate of food as they talked about this new lady in Elias’ life and couldn’t wait to finally meet her to see for themselves. However, Walter already liked her. If she had been able to undo the damage he had done to Elias’ heart, she automatically had his approval and was a worthy partner for his son.

Although he never showed it, he was counting down the days and was looking forward to these holidays. Alfonse finally returning home would fully complete their family these holidays but this would be enough for now.

While Walter was looking forward to welcoming his sons home and meeting Elias’ girlfriend, there was a pit of anxiety making him feel tight in the chest. Would Elias accept his apology? After concluding his evening meal with his wife, Walter went back to his office to begin rehearsing how he would approach Elias. He had one week left to perfect what he would say to him.

****A week later….

Klaus and Elias, along with Asana, arrived at the home together.

Usually, they were met by a line of staff members welcoming them home. Walter and Mary had sent all their staff on paid leave over the holidays to spend time with their families. The only person who waited to greet the young masters and their newest guest was Gail.

“Pleasure to see the both of you again,” Gail greeted Klaus and Elias, “It is also my pleasure to welcome Miss Way to the estate,” he bowed to Asana who stayed very closely behind Elias.

“It’s good to see you again,” Elias kindly said, “You didn’t go home this year?”

“No sir,” Gail happily smiled, “I wished to welcome you home after being away for so long.”

Elias looked over at Asana who was beside him, “Asana, this is Gail,” he introduced Asana to his personal butler, “If you need anything and can’t find me, this is the man to see.”

“…O-Oh, okay,” Asana said nervously, “Nice to meet you,” she bowed to the man.

Gail bowed to the young lady in return, “It is an honour to meet you at last Miss Way,” he said, “Master Elias, I have prepared the guest chambers across from your chambers for the duration of Miss Way’s stay. Should anything need changing to suit her needs, I will see to it immediately.”

“Thank you Gail,” Elias genuinely appreciated the attentiveness of his butler, “I appreciate it.”

Gail was very loyal and had been serving the Goldstein family for many years. Elias appreciated his companionship and guidance as a confidant during those years he had endured his father’s abuse.

Gail opened the front door for the young masters and their esteemed guest. Though, before either of them had stepped a toe through the front door, Mary had rushed to welcome them home.

“Welcome home!” Mary shrieked, her cheerful voice echoing throughout the house as she was unable to restrain her joy and embraced both of them.

“Good evening Mother,” Klaus greeted her.

“Hello there Mother,” Elias greeted her next.

“Look at the both of you,” Mary took the opportunity to observe her two sons very closely.

They had grown up so much and looked incredibly handsome. Klaus and Elias looked quite similar in their features that they almost were identical. Except, their eyes were different and Klaus was more refined than his younger brother. Klaus had inherited his mother’s sapphire eyes and Elias inherited his father’s amethyst eyes but they were both as sharp as their father’s. Klaus was more broader and his muscles much more taut. Elias was definitely fit and strong but had a more slender build compared to Klaus’ broader build. Mary was definitely proud of the fine, healthy men she had raised.

Walter, who had been holed up in his office all day, had heard the jovial shrieks of his wife as the front door creaked upon being opened. He had incessantly rehearsed what he was going to say to Elias, but now that he was home and Walter had heard his voice, he found it difficult to move.

He didn’t show it but his heart thumped loudly within his chest, his palms were sweating despite the chilly climate and his chest felt tight. He had never experienced this feeling before and wondered why he had become so anxious. Committed to his resolve, Walter had to keep reminding himself that this was Elias, his son, and he had nothing to be nervous about. Drawing in a deep breath, Walter had to relax his mind and calm his nerves to stop this overwhelming sense of anxiety so he could properly apologise to him.

“Mother,” Elias had a smooth and silky voice as it echoed throughout the house, “Um…I would like to introduce… um… my g-girlfriend, Miss Asana Way,” he said nervously.

Walter scrambled to retrieve his wand that he kept on a stand to the right of his chair. Using magic, he quickly retrieved another two items from within his office. One item was a small, hand held mirror and the other was a small, vial sized lilac glass bottle with a corked lid. He undid the cork and poured a single drop of the vial’s contents onto the surface of the mirror. Closing the vial with the cork again, he set the bottle aside on the desk and picked up his wand preparing to cast a spell on the mirror.

“Wideo procle,” he chanted.

The mirror absorbed his magic and where Walter’s reflection should have been there was the image of the front door where Mary was greeting their two sons and meeting Elias’ girlfriend, Miss Asana Way, for the first time. While he watched, he cast another spell to clearly hear their conversation.

Nervously, the young lady curtsied to Mary, “Nice to meet you too Mrs Goldstein,” her voice was pleasant and soft, “Thank you for allowing me to join your family for the holidays.”

The image within the small mirror was unable to properly define all her features. Of what Walter could see, she appeared to an attractive young lady. Though, she was no daughter from the high society of the wizarding world but she appeared quite delicate and regal with her striking and exquisite features. Healthy, thick and long chestnut hair, round and large rose eyes, an adorable small nose and thin yet desirable lips which warmly curled into a smile. There was a radiant glow that emitted from her and infected the immediate space around her. Already, Walter became fond of her without having yet properly met her.

“We are happy to have you and finally get to meet you at last. Klaus has told me so much about you that I was very eager to finally lay my eyes upon you,” Mary smiled at her and faced Elias, “Did Gail tell you where her chambers are?”

“Yes,” Elias nodded, face beet red.

“Good,” Mary smiled and shifted herself further into the home to welcome them in, “Why don’t the three of you go get settled in and come back down later for dinner. Elias, would you be so kind to show Miss Way to her chambers and give her a tour of the house so she can find her way around?”

Elias nodded, “Of course.”

“Miss Way,” Mary focused her attention on their guest once again, “Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“Oh, thank you,” Asana warmly smiled.

“Klaus,” Mary then focused on her older son who tolerated being in the room but whose eyes were begging to leave for his chambers, “I’m glad to have you home too. I’m happy you have decided to stay for a longer period. I do wish to ask something of you later if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Klaus said.

“Excellent,” Mary cheered, “Well, if you may excuse me I must go turn the roast. Please, go ahead and make yourselves comfortable.”

With those last words, she excused herself and quickly hurried away to the kitchen where she took it upon herself to cook a grand meal of roast and vegetables and a warm dessert pie to wash down the main course.

Klaus quickly left and scaled the stairs of the estate to the second floor leaving Elias and Asana to themselves by the front door. Walter’s image shifted to his son, Elias. Someone he had waited for so long to see. Walter didn’t really know what to expect to see. Did he still possess that sullen countenance? Or, was he happier now that he had found someone special? Anxiously, Walter leaned in closer to the image to take in as much detail as the image before him would allow.

Instantly, Walter could see how much he had grown since that day he left home for the academy. He was no longer the image of an adolescent child but a young man who had become quite handsome and had grown into his prince-like features. His thick head of golden locks covered his forehead and framed his chiselled cheekbones and strong neck, a sign that he had become quite fit and toned. His amethyst eyes inside of his eyes were sharp and bright. His flawless ivory skin had a visible softness that gentled his overall appearance. As Walter watched Elias extend his hand out to his girlfriend, Elias’ thin lips curled into a gentle and warm smile.

Walter couldn’t believe that this young man before him was Elias as his entire countenance had changed. He was no longer gloomy and sad rather he was content and placid. There was a liveliness and a brightness which sparkled within his eyes again and his thin smile had a warmth and happiness to it again that Walter had longed to see. Walter wondered if this had been her influence on him or had he simply matured?

Seeing that happiness reflected in Elias’ eyes and his smile sent a spread of calmness through Walter. An indescribable sense of pleasure and relief seemed to lift the anxiety he had felt moments ago. He wondered if she had managed to undo some of the damage he had caused to Elias and mended his broken heart. If so, she had his eternal gratitude and his instant acceptance as Elias’ partner should their relationship evolve beyond dating. Still, Walter needed to apologise to Elias and he was determined to do so these holidays. Walter closed the portal he had cast with magic and drew in a deep, satisfying breath.

Walter knew when he would apologise to his son and waited for that opportunity. He wanted to do it tonight before dinner commenced. He wanted to ensure the right atmosphere as they dined as a family for the first time in so long, of course with Alfonse deep in his thoughts.

Several minutes had passed and Walter didn’t move from his office just yet. Instead, he absorbed the fill of the lively noises and presence that filled his home. Having Klaus and Elias home filled an empty void Walter had come to loathe. He could hear the shuffling and thumping of footsteps coming from all directions – the kitchen where Mary was cooking a feast, Klaus organising his chambers to his liking and Elias and Asana taking a tour of the lavish home. He could hear Mary happily humming away as well as the young couple laughing and engaging in zealous conversation as they moved around. These sounds that reverberated throughout his home didn’t carry the eery undertones of the silence he had come to despise. Rather, they were pleasant sounds that he preferred.

Taking in the pleasant change within the atmosphere of his large home, Walter could hear the soft footsteps along the marble hallway just outside his office door.

Then, he heard Asana’s kind and pleasant voice just outside the door, “Oh my goodness!” there was a melodic tone to her voice when she regained her confidence, “Is this you as a child?”

Walter assumed her attention was captured by a small gallery of family portraits that he had hung on the walls of the hallway just outside of his office.

“…Y-Yeah…,” Elias stuttered, like he was overwhelmed by his embarrassment.

“You’re so adorable!” she said, good-humouredly.

While Walter didn’t intend to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it was impossible not to listen to their conversation due to the closeness and clarity of their voices nearby the door. What intrigued him more was the amusement of hearing his son stutter with nervousness and being entertained be the lively energy that seemed to resonate from the young lady.

“Don’t look!” Elias begged, “…It was a long time ago.”

“No need to be embarrassed,” she giggled, “Who is this next you? Is that Klaus?”

Although he was embarrassed, Elias seemed to be able to overcome those emotions to kindly answer her questions, “Yeah,” he said, “That’s my eldest brother behind him.”

“Huh?” Asana expressed her shock, “There’s another brother?”

“…Yes,” Elias answered her but there was a sadness that overcame his tone, “…His name is Alfonse. He’s not home. In fact, no one knows where he is.”

“…Oh, I’m sorry,” Asana apologised.

She must have sensed the sad tone within his voice because she paused for a moment before changing the subject, “The man in the middle of this portrait must be your father, right?”

Walter’s ears perked up when he heard her mention him to Elias. How would Elias respond to him being mentioned by her? Does she know about their fractured relationship? It was a good opportunity to gather any knowledge that may answer those questions.

“…Yeah, that’s him,” Elias confirmed but still had that sad tone within his voice.

“Will he be here for the holidays?”

There was a slight pause before Elias answered her question, “…I don’t know. He is usually around here somewhere so I’m sure he’ll appear sooner or later. Unless…”

Elias trailed off.

“Unless, what?” Asana prompted.

Elias sighed, “…unless he doesn’t want to see me he may have picked up some work over the holidays.”

Upon hearing those words and hearing the sadness within Elias’ tone, a pain stung Walter’s heart. He had an urge to spring to his feet, swing open the door and let Elias know how much he regretted everything. He wanted to let Elias know how long he had waited for him to return home so that he could apologise for everything he had done. But, Walter couldn’t move. It wasn’t the right time for that conversation. He stayed seated by his desk and continued to listen to the young couple’s conversation.

After a short pause, Asana replied to Elias, “I know things are awkward between you two but I’m sure he wants to see you again,” she spoke with such positivity that reflected her spirited nature.

“What makes you say that?” Elias asked.

“Nothing particularly,” Asana answered, “Just a feeling I have. He’ll also get to see how much you have grown as a person and as a wizard.”

“You sure sound sure of yourself,” Elias uttered his retort and then calmly and sadly responded, “I appreciate the positivity but I doubt anything has changed. I haven’t heard anything from him for so long. We stopped talking to each other so many years ago that I wonder if he even knows that I still exist.”

“Elias,” Asana sympathetically called his name but had nothing more to say.

Walter swallowed his emotions as he overheard Elias expressing his deepest feelings and thoughts to his girlfriend.

“Come on,” Elias said, changing the subject, “I have plenty more places to show you.”

Their footsteps echoed in the distance, leaving Walter’s mind to linger on those last words Elias had uttered. He knew it had been quite some time since they openly spoke within the walls of this home. Again, his anxiety crept up again and his heart began to pound with agony. Did Elias really feel as though he was now invisible to his father?

Some hour and a half later, dinner was almost ready to be served.

Walter had refreshed himself and regathered his courage and strength. He had decided to still see his resolve through. Should his apology result in Elias still being unreceptive toward him, he would accept that decision. Should his apology mark the beginning of them rebuilding their broken relationship, he would happily accept that too. Though, Walter wasn’t really expecting anything. All he wanted was for Elias to understand two important things. Firstly, he wanted Elias to know how much he regrets everything he had done and said to him that had broken his heart and caused him to painfully suffer. The other, was to let him know, although he had failed to show it, that he loved him deeply and unconditionally.

Walter left his office and began making his way down the stairs as he went to join his family for the usual evening meal. He was looking forward to his wife’s wonderful cooking. Though, most of all, he was excited to have two of three sons home and Miss Way’s company.

Descending the stairs, Walter fixed his cuff links to make himself appear proper and presentable. He swallowed any anxious emotions he could feel swelling in the pit of his stomach. He had waited for this moment for so long and hoped Elias would be nearby so that he could see and speak to him well before they dined at the table.

There was plenty of noise coming from the kitchen as Mary worked her way around the kitchen and had Gail’s assistance in setting up the dining table. Happily, Walter could also hear the light-hearted and jovial conversation coming from the parlour room. Peeking into the room, he could see Klaus, Elias and Asana gathered around the fireplace and the tree as they awaited an official announcement that dinner was ready.

Walter cautiously crept up to the open entry way that separated the stair case and foyer from the parlour room. His footsteps were quiet and inaudible as he quietly observed his sons and Miss Way. Elias and Asana both had their backs turned away from the entry way where Walter was standing. Klaus stood sideways from the entry way and was the first one to acknowledge Walter’s presence.

“Did you make this?” Asana happily asked Elias.

“Why did they put this on here?” Elias’ face turned red as they gazed at the directions on the tree.

Elias’ childhood bauble still remained a fixture on the tree, along with his brothers’ handmade decorations too. They exchanged a light-hearted raillery that made Walter smile too.

Feeling Klaus’ gaze upon him, Walter nodded to his son with a smile. It was a signal to Klaus not to make his presence known to the other two while he simply, yet happily, watched on. Klaus nodded in return and remained silent.

“But it’s adorable!” she said, taking in every detail of the handmade ornaments, “Oh, before I forget!” she said, as though a reminder popped into her mind.

Walter had become captivated by her energy. The radiance that emitted from within her certainly brightened the space her and her thin smile was simply innocent and genuine.

“I need to put the gifts I got for everyone under the tree,” she said.

“You didn’t need to get us anything,” Klaus said.

“I know but I would feel bad if I didn’t. It’s the least I can do for being allowed to join your family on such short notice,” she said, and spun around.

Immediately, her eyes widened and fell on Walter’s presence by the entry way. Walter noticed a small stack of gifts on a small table behind her and assumed these were her gifts that she had purchased. He looked away from the small stack of gifts to meet her gaze. Gently, he smiled at her.

From the corner of his eye, Elias noticed Asana hadn’t move to retrieve the stack of gifts she had brought down with her to place underneath the tree. Confused, he peered down at her face and saw her rose eyes widened and her face tinted with red. Her gaze focused in one direction, he followed them. Turning around, he saw his father gently smiling back at them.

Elias didn’t say anything and turned back around to avoid facing him. Suddenly, the jovial mood in the room shifted slightly with a sense of awkwardness and tension emitting from Walter and Elias being in the same room.

“Welcome to our home, Miss… Asana Way, is it?”

Asana curtsied, “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr Goldstein. Thank you for allowing me to be here.”

“You are quite welcome,” Walter said, “Please, no need to be so formal and make yourself comfortable during your stay with us.”

Asana straightened herself and awkwardly smiled back at the patriarch, “Thank you.”

Walter gazed at the back of Elias who had purposely avoided facing his direction, but Walter was able to see his features clearly. Now that he had a good view of the both of them, the image he had magically created in his office moments ago didn’t do any justice. Elias was taller than Walter had remembered and he definitely was as strong and handsome as any royal prince. Asana, although simple, was quite attractive and appeared more delicate than he could see within the image before.

“Are your chambers to your liking Miss Way?” Walter asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s good to hear,” Walter was genuinely happy that she was comfortable.

However, the conversation between them was feeding off the awkward tension between himself and his son. Walter was aware and decided to change the subject.

“I hear you are a student at the same academy as Klaus and Elias?”

“I am,” Asana answered but she was quite stiff, “…Though, I have only been studying there for nearly over a year and a half. Not quite as long as these two.”

“Well, good luck with your studies,” Walter said.

The awkward tension only intensified as they struggled to maintain a flowing conversation with the nature of Walter and Elias’ relationship being the biggest issue in the room. Walter gazed over at Elias who still had been facing away from his father’s gaze.

Walter assumed now was a better time than never to finally reach out to his son. After rehearsing everything he wanted to say, this was the perfect opportunity to say those words he had been waiting for so long to say.

“…I’m glad to see you are doing well, Elias,” Walter began.

Elias didn’t reply nor turn around, but Walter expected as much.

“Actually, I’m quite pleased to have you and your brother home for the holidays, and having Miss Way here is a pleasure,” he continued, “News of the two of you returning home injected a good dose of excitement through the staff and, of course, your mother and I. Even though Alfonse isn’t here with us yet, I’m sure our thoughts are reaching him and that he is doing well.”

Klaus watched on as his father attempted to speak with Elias. Asana was too nervous to even move. Mary’s footsteps grew quieter as she entered the room with intentions of inviting them all in to the dining room and taking their places as dinner was almost served but she read the mood. She stayed quiet and remained in the room to see how this event would unfold. Still, Elias refused to turn around as Walter began reaching out to him.

“…I am really happy that you are home, Elias,” Walter said, sincerely, “Truly, I am. It’s been very… quiet…without you and brothers.”

On hearing those words, Elias’ head shifted slightly like he was finally going to face his father. Though, it stopped but Walter could see his amethyst eyes peering at him from the corner of their eyes. They looked Walter up and down. It was like they were searching for something in Walter’s body language.

Mary, Klaus and Asana had no choice but to stay motionless and watch whatever this was unfolding before them. Each of them hoping for a pleasant ending.

Walter’s words were so sudden and unexpected that Elias didn’t really know how to feel or respond. He certainly was surprised but he was too afraid to turn around and face his father. Was this some kind of a trap? He had thoughts about saying something in his head but he couldn’t utter anything.

“…This may be quite unexpected,” Walter acknowledged the suddenness of his actions but was committed to doing this, “…However, I didn’t want to begin these holidays without first speaking to you.”

Elias didn’t expect this at all. He hadn’t uttered a private word with his father since the day they had that traumatic falling out. While he had heard his father’s voice during public events, this was the first time Elias heard his voice in the two years he had stayed away from home. There was no contempt, anger or animosity within his father’s tone rather it was gentle, warm and sincere. Without even realising it, Elias had finally turned around and faced his father. Elias maintained a good gap away from his father and crossed his arms over his body.

Walter waited to see if Elias was going to say anything but seeing him turn around and face him was progress, “…No, this isn’t even about the holidays. Honestly, I just wanted to speak with you. I’m just using the holidays as an excuse to do so.”

Elias’ face expressed his confusion as he couldn’t understand his father’s intentions. Elias didn’t look directly into his father’s gaze but could feel his father’s eyes upon him. He mustered up the courage to speak but could only say one word, “…W-Why?” he asked, nervously.

Mary latched onto Klaus arm, delighted that Elias responded.

“Ouch!” Klaus whispered across to her, “Let go.”

“Hush,” Mary admonished.

Walter ignored the gasps and whispers from the others on the opposite side of the room. Even though it was a simple word, hearing Elias’ voice again delighted Walter. Usually, his attempts at small chatter within these walls were ignored and Walter was left to feel as though he was invisible to his son.

“…We both know why,” Walter answered kindly, “…I… I realised that I should have done this many, many years ago.”

Walter paused to regather himself to remember everything that he wanted to say to Elias. He had rehearsed this so many times that he wanted to say this right the first chance he had. Walter worried about how Elias would receive his apology but he was committed to his resolve.

“I am the one who allowed our relationship to end up like this, Elias,” Walter said, “I am solely to blame for all the pain and suffering you have had to endure for so long.”

Elias knew where this was going. His eyes shifted ever so slightly to peer at his father’s body language and facial expression. Their eyes met. Elias could see the sincerity burning within his father’s eyes. His usually unreadable face expressed the honesty within his tone.

Walter looked directly into his son’s eyes and continued, “Elias, I was the fool who failed as a father and a husband. Not only did I hurt you and sever our bond, I also hurt this family. I drove Alfonse away, burdened Klaus with too much responsibility and broke your mother’s heart,” he paused, taking a deep breath.

After a moment, he continued to speak again, “…I was so obsessed with our family’s pride and public image that I caused everyone to suffer. Especially, you. Yes, I wanted to make you a stronger person but not for our family’s name. I wanted you to be stronger so you could stand on your own when I was no longer around. But, I went about it the wrong way. In the end, my abuse… broke you. And, that’s not what a father is meant to do to his child. As your father, I’m supposed to support you and accept you as you are, and I failed to do that.”

“…Walter,” Mary whispered his name and started to shed a couple of tears.

Walter’s eyes remained fixed on Elias’ and Elias listened carefully to every word that came out of his father’s mouth. Was he dreaming this or was Walter really saying these words?

“…There are so many memories I have where I hurt you and should have reached out to you back then. I should have apologised. I should have made sure that you were alright. Those memories play over and over in my head. Including that day, the day we fell out. You know, I’ve watched you grow up over the years without me and over those years, I watched you cast aside all your interests and your happiness for magic in pursuit of my approval. Worse, I made you feel as if I don’t love you or know that you still exist. But, that’s not true.”

Elias felt a sudden surge of emotion well within him as he listened closely to his father’s words. Walter too, felt a surge of emotion but he took a deep breath to control his emotions.

“…I never hated you Elias,” Walter confessed, “Honestly, it’s been too hard for me to say these words to you.”

Elias didn’t understand why, “…W-why?” he choked up with emotion.

“…Because…” Walter began to confess, “I didn’t have the right to do so because I hurt you so much. But, I realised the longer that I didn’t say something the more suffering it caused to you and the longer you would think that I don’t love you. However, I can still apologise to you and say that I love you without asking for your forgiveness.”

Walter paused again, “So,” Walter took another deep breath, “Elias, my dearest son, I regret everything I have ever done or said to you which hurt you so deeply. If I had the capability of time magic, I wish I could take it all back and never cause you so much pain. You are an important member of the Haus of Goldstein and I want nothing more than for you, and your brothers, to be yourselves and to be happy. Elias, I love you and I never once stopped loving you. I regret that I never expressed my love for you and your brothers more often.”

Elias didn’t know what to say as an uncontrollable tear strayed from his eye.

“Huh, Elias?” Asana worried about him after seeing his lone tear fall.

Mary and Klaus were worried that he wasn’t going to accept his father’s apology.

Walter panicked that he had hurt his son again, “Elias, I—.”

“D-Do you really… mean it?” Elias cut him off, “…I’m not all that strong yet or anything…so I…I’m not worthy of anything like your love or… my name.”

Walter felt a strong sense of guilt in the pit of his stomach when Elias still found himself unworthy of his father’s praise. Was this the extent of the damage he had done to his son that he would still think of himself unworthy.

“Elias,” Walter shook his head, “I mean every word I just said. Please, you don’t need to prove anything to me. I just want you to be yourself.”

“…Myself?”

“Yes,” Walter smiled gently at him, “I just want you to be happy.”

Elias had waited so long to hear those words from his father. He quickly wiped away the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes and regathered his poise.

Walter remembered Mary and his colleagues at the Ministry saying something about his efforts at the academy and brought it up with Elias now.

“Besides, I heard that you foiled a robbery at the Tower of Sorrow. Is that true?” Walter asked, “I heard you had a magic duel and you beat the person who you were fighting. That’s not all. You’re the top in your class and even have a similar aptitude for magical tools like myself.”

“…How did you know?” Elias wondered.

“Let’s just say that word travels quite well,” Walter gently smiled at him.

Elias processed the words his father was saying and a calmness overcame his mind, heart and soul. He had waited for so long to hear these words and finally, after so many years, he was hearing them. Asana had helped Elias heal over the past year and a half and had decided if his father ever apologised that he wanted nothing more than to move forward. Was this that moment?

“I’m very proud of you Elias,” Walter confessed, “After hearing about all your exploits, I can tell you that you will grow into your own person and wizard.”

Elias turned red and sheepishly scratched at his cheek.

Mary and Klaus couldn’t help but smile that Walter had finally reached out to Elias.

Asana too felt very happy for him too, “Hear that Elias,” she said to him, “I told you I had a good feeling.”

Elias agreed, “Yes, I know.”

Elias had waited so long to hear those words come from his father’s mouth that he felt a huge weight lifting off of his shoulders. He didn’t say it, but he was relieved to finally here those words after all these years.

Walter gazed over to Asana, “I must apologise to you Miss Way.”

“For what?” she asked confused.

“I was unsure if you knew about the state of our relationship,” Walter said, “I do apologise that I have had to make the mood awkward in your presence.”

“Not at all,” Asana didn’t mind, “I was aware that there was some tension. You needn’t apologise to me.”

Elias’ eyes looked like they were sparkling with glee after he completely processed Walter’s apology. His lips curled into a small smile and he was preparing to response.

Mary and Klaus waited to hear what Elias had to say.

“…I’ve been waiting forever to hear you say sorry,” Elias said.

“I know,” Walter confirmed, “I should have said it many years ago.”

“To be honest,” Elias began to make a confession, “I had given up chasing you and my brothers some time ago.”

While Klaus had already known this by observing the changes within Elias while they attended the academy and taught many of his classes, Walter and Mary were surprised to hear the confession.

“What do you mean?” Walter asked.

Elias gazed over at Asana and took her hand into his own, “You can thank her,” Elias admitted, “Asana helped me to realise that the only way I was going to grow stronger as a person and as a wizard was to stop obsessing over trying to emulate you and my brothers.”

“It is true that there was a time where I was chasing after you and my older brothers to become a strong person and wizard in way that was befitting my name, but she helped me to change my perspective. I can only be proud of the person and wizard that I choose to become.”

It had been such a long time since Walter had heard him speak but the maturity contained within his tone and words made him especially pleased.

“I am pursuing magical tools as my area of interest,” Elias admitted, “While I am inspired by you, it’s not for you or the family. I simply enjoy making them and I want to make magical tools that everyone, even those without magic, can use to improve their quality of life. That’s my goal.”

Walter was happy to hear it, “That pleases me greatly.”

Another pause ensued between them but Elias thought about his own interests. He didn’t want him and his father to continue being strangers to each other. With confidence, Elias decided to share with his father how he truly felt.

“…I don’t want us to continue being silent to each other,” Elias suddenly admitted.

“I don’t want that either Elias,” Walter agreed.

While the pain was still there, Elias wanted nothing more than to rebuild his relationship with his father and hoped this was a step in the right direction.

“…I want to forgive you,” Elias said.

Walter didn’t expect Elias to express his desire to forgive his father. But, despite all Walter had done to him Elias never hated him either. He had been hurt deeply but his love and respect for his father outweighed all his other emotions.

“What?” Walter asked, surprised, “…I said you didn’t have to.”

Elias genuinely wanted to, “…But I want to,” Elias declared, “Despite everything you did, I still love and respect you. Otherwise, why else would I have chased after your approval for so long. I’ve wanted nothing more than to be your son again and I don’t want us to continue on like we have been. It’s done no good for anyone and I just want us to be a family again. So, I want to forgive you. Will you let me do that?”

Walter didn’t expect this straight away and was quite dumbfounded by his sudden forgiveness. Both Mary and himself expected that Elias would eventually come to forgive him but over a period of time. Instantly receiving his forgiveness was unexpected for the patriarch. While he was confused, he also felt relieved. Already, Walter could feel the layers of his regret crumbling away. Walter made the right decision to apologise to his son. At last, they could begin rebuilding their relationship.

Walter smiled at him, “…If that’s what you want to do, I will not stop you,” Walter accepted his forgiveness.

Walter approached his son and, uncharacteristically, embraced his son in a quick hug. Klaus and Asana were not as surprised by Elias’ sudden forgiveness. Mary was surprised and her eyes were wet with tears of joy.

Some minutes passed by before Walter released his son from his embrace.

Mary didn’t forget the purpose of her coming into the parlour room, “Shall we dine for dinner?” Mary asked, the brightest smile on her face.

“Yes,” Walter agreed with a good spirit, “Your roast has had me hungry all afternoon. And, this is the perfect opportunity for us to get to know Miss Way more.”

For the first time in many years, the Goldstein family sat down for a meal together. The awkward tension that had been in the atmosphere disappeared and was replaced with a sense of peace. There was only one member still missing from the family but Mary and Walter remained hopeful that Alfonse would return home soon.

#wizardess heart #shall we date wizardess #fanfic #goldstein #elias #walter #klaus #angst #happyending #regret #family #familyissues #apologetics

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asunafairywizardessheart · 3 years ago

Text

Silent Regret

Part 1: Alone.

Elias/MC

Walter Goldstein regrets the pain and suffering he has caused for his son. Now that he has left home and the mansion is deserted, he wants nothing more than to apologise to him.

Somewhere deep inside the palace-like mansion of the Goldstein estate, sounds of a liquid being poured into a glass echoed through the marble halls. It came from inside the office of the Haus of Goldstein’s patriarch, Walter Goldstein. The size of a small apartment, elegantly symmetrical, marble floors and decorations of expensive artwork, trinkets and finishings, the office reflected the wealth and status of the kingdom’s most wealthiest and powerful wizarding family. An honour the family has had bestowed on them for many centuries.

The only entrance into the marble-floored office was through a set of heavy, antique-looking double doors that only opened inwards to the office. Like most of the architectural elements in the house, they were custom designed with intricate chocolate coloured panelling inlayed with a golden brass with golden door levers and locks to match.

Walter’s mahogany oak desk, facing the doors, was placed deep inside the room, closer to the wide ceiling-to-floor arch windows, which were also the only two windows within the office, that filled the room with natural light. The positioning of his large desk was justified to accommodate the left and right walls that were transformed into thick bookshelves and glass cabinets, stretching the length of the room and holding all his professional and personal books, documents and other valuable trinkets.

Just to the left of the entrance was an arrangement of two brown leather armchairs facing a single black leather armchair separated by a small oval-shaped antique table. This was his conference space where he conducted lengthy meetings with various people – some diplomatic and some personal – in supreme comfort and privacy. When he didn’t have company, Walter sat on a comfortable black leather armchair at his desk. He would either work on blueprints for another magical tool invention, case files for ministry and government investigations or reports from the Haus of Goldstein’s many private enterprises and philanthropic missions.

Thus, the office for the patriarch served many purposes – an office, a personal library, a study, a private conference room and a trove for his most valuable possessions. However, for many years now, especially when the mood struck, the room became a lonely sanctuary for him to depressively wallow alone and deeply reflect on his regrets in life. Most prominently, his failure as a father towards his youngest son, Elias, which would also become the catalyst for his family’s suffering and misery. Once upon a time, the palace-like home was lively and colourful but now, because of him, the home had become silent, empty and dismal.

All who remained here was himself and his wife, Mary. Walter often heard her weeping, the tears of a mother’s broken heart because of the fractured state of her family and the worry she felt for her three sons. Alfonse had deserted the home and family with his whereabouts unknown. Klaus became guarded and hardened his heart to the world and moved out of the home too, desperate to be anywhere but within these walls. Today, it was Elias’ turn to leave the home to embark on his journey into adulthood but he was miserable. He barely smiled nor had any bright energy behind his amethyst eyes. Rather, he was obsessed with his mission to prove himself to his father and gain his acceptance. Elias’ misery, anxiety, unsociability and sole interest in magic was a result of Walter’s ill-tempered draconian parenting that destroyed their bond and shattered Elias’ heart.

Despite the tension that caused this rift, Walter loved his family and they loved him but they were angry with Walter, especially Elias – who he had hurt the most – overshadowed this fact. That anger further driven by Walter’s incapacity to apologise and atone for his mistakes. Walter realises his impotence to apologise and atone for his mistakes deepened his family’s disgust, caused further damage to his relationship with Elias and added to Elias’ suffering. Instead, Walter isolated himself to his office to pitifully endure the emotional pain, a symptom, of his entrenched remorse that he felt he deserved.

The case files and reports he had been working on earlier that day were left scattered across the surface of his desk along with a photo album he had been flipping through, leaving it open on a family portrait, taken during their happier days, of himself and his three sons when they were young . Day had since turned to night with the office shadowed in pitch darkness with the silver glow of the full moon the only source of light that reached Walter at his desk.

Elias had left home and so he was in a sullen mood and found it difficult to concentrate on anything else. In a cupboard below the surface of the desk, Walter kept a square-shaped crystal decanter and a matching short glass. Those two items became his confidants when he brooded. The decanter was filled to the brim with his favourite aged whiskey along with the matching crystal glass. He paced every sip from the glass until it was empty and refilled it once again, and should the decanter run dry he had his wand nearby to refill it until he had enough or until he fell asleep.

The alcohol didn’t really make a difference, but it was a nice aesthetic. It didn’t dull or numb his pain he felt. Rather, he felt as if the alcohol intensified every layer of his pain to the point it became unbearable, but he endured it as his punishment.

Memories of all the awful things he had said and done to Elias were viewed with more clarity, and in hindsight, he corrected himself on what he should have done, not that it made any difference to the present circumstances.

“It’s easier to make the right decisions in hindsight,” he uttered, depressingly, to no one.

The alcohol made him see and hear the things he refused to notice back then, especially when it came to Elias and how much Walter had hurt him. He even could hear the begging cries from his wife and two other sons, who pleaded to him to change how he treated Elias. Their eventual disgust at him no doubt born by witnessing Elias’ happy and bright energy fade into melancholy as he abandoned all his other interests in pursuit of his father’s approval. Walter’s pride, stubbornness and temper blindly made him act severely towards Elias.

The alcohol also made Walter’s desires stronger especially when yearning for the day when is family was whole again. But, mostly, for the day where he had the courage and the right to speak to Elias once again and express his unconditional love he always held for his son, despite everything he had done and said that made it seem as though Walter rejected him.

This made Walter mourn for the time that had been lost between them and the more time they would lose the longer he waited to reach out to Elias and beg for a chance to atone for all his wrongs, but he didn’t deserve his son’s forgiveness. All he wanted was to make Elias a stronger person and wizard. But, he had foolishly put the family’s public image, legacy and pride above the welfare of his son and the happiness of his family.

“One day,” Walter thought to himself, “One day, I will have the right to call you my son again.”

Now that Elias was gone, unsure when he would return home, Walter anxiously wondered if he would ever see him again and if he had wasted all his opportunities to begin making amends. A stray tear left Walter’s eye and dropped into the glass of whiskey he held close to his lips.

“Elias…,” Walter whispered his name into the glass of whiskey, “…I apologise. I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.”

“…I never meant to hurt you,” he whispered, hoping his whispers would somehow reach his son who was now very far away from home, “I love you, more than you know,” He whispered before taking another sip of his now tear-stained whiskey.

Desperate to ensure his three sons continued their family’s proud legacy of producing powerful and intelligent wizards, Walter set high expectations for his three sons. Alfonse and Klaus naturally possessed innate power and genius intellect and met his expectations with ease. Elias, although intelligent, lacked the same innate powerful abilities as his ancestors, his father and his two older brothers. Failing to meet Walter’s high standards, Walter became frustrated and disappointed with his son that his teaching methods became draconian.

Expecting him to possess a dormant power, Walter pushed Elias to his limits to forcibly unleash that power befitting a son of the Haus of Goldstein, often placing him in physically dangerous scenarios. But to no avail. Elias consistently failed to perform magic to his father’s high standards and would sometimes sustain injuries from either losing control of his magic or his spells backfiring. Walter’s frustration often boiled over into explosive verbal attacks which no doubt remain deep-rooted in Elias’ memories.

There were so many incidents of this abuse as it lasted for many years from when Elias was a young child until he was a pre-teen. Walter remembered everything he had done and said from every incident that turned abusive. He hated that he was aware of what he was doing back then but refused to acknowledge and apologise for it. Especially now, that when he brooded his memory would select a memory at random to reminisce every detail about that moment – the tears that stained Elias’ eyes and the bloody cuts and bruises he’d sustain when his spells failed or couldn’t block a spell and Walter’s unwillingness to administer a healing spell or check his welfare, the harmful, hot-tempered things Walter would say to Elias, he remembered it all. Most heartbreakingly, was watching Elias become afraid of his father and overhearing him asking his mother and brothers why his father hated him. It was like a punishment he couldn’t escape from that more tears leaked from Walter’s eyes and into his glass of whiskey.

Upon recollection, Walter had been warned numerously by his wife and his two other sons that his abuse of Elias would end in them having a strained relationship. He laughed it off, “absurd!” he’d used to say, believing his methods was nothing more than a father giving his son some tough love that Elias would thank him for once his inner powers were finally unleased and he was worthy of his illustrious name. He was wrong, so very wrong. They were right. Regrettably, he should’ve listened. One hot-tempered decision Walter made, that Elias had overheard, in a private conversation didn’t just strain their relationship, it severed it.

“I should have listened,” Walter muttered to no one, taking a sip from his glass, “What a stubborn fool I am now. Klaus was right, I’m now paying the price for all my sins. Elias hates me.”

Six years ago, the abuse stopped because Walter did something that he is most ashamed and regrets it ever happening that if he had the ability to use time magic, he would happily take advantage of that power to prevent this one thought from ever leaving his mouth as it would forever wound his family and sever his relationship with Elias. It happened right here, in his office six years, three months and seven days ago.

Walter – abandoned his son.

And, since that day, they barely exchanged a word – except for public events to save face – and had become quite estranged. The day of their falling out, Walter remembered it like it happened yesterday.

**** Six years ago…

Klaus was home from the academy and Alfonse had run away from home. Elias was eleven years old and still failed to measure up to his father’s high standards. Their training session had abruptly ended with Walter verbally lashing out at Elias yet again for not performing magic at the standard he expected for a son of the Haus of Goldstein. Elias, dejected, retreated to his chambers while Walter, filled with anger, returned to his office. After some time, he still hadn’t calmed down and had summoned Klaus.

“I don’t know what to do anymore?” Walter paced back and forth in the space behind his armchair, “What is the matter with him?”

Klaus sighed, “Father, as a suggestion — “

“No!” Walter cut him off, “I do not want to hear anymore excuses for that boy!”

Walter felt the rage burn within him and heaved a frustrated sigh, “No more,” he shook his head.

Little did he know that Elias had come to return a tome on magical tools he had borrowed from one of his father’s bookshelves. Hearing the deep and angered voice of his father’s and Klaus’ quieter tone attempting to calm him down and reason with him, he didn’t enter, afraid of receiving another barrage of hurtful words. On hearing his name being spoken, he decided to listen and used his wand to cast a spell to hear their words much more clearly.

“He just needs —” Klaus tried to interject.

“No!” Walter refused, “I have no desire to waste anymore of my time on someone so weak!”

Klaus thought that was too harsh, “He’s trying his hardest,” Klaus tried to reason, “I think he is quite skilled.”

“Skilled? Are you joking?” Walter huffed, “He has no creativity and ingenuity in his magic and yet you say he is skilled.”

Klaus sighed, “He’s still young, Father.”

“How long are you going to use his age as an excuse?” Walter became annoyed that Klaus was defending Elias, “You may continue to train him if you wish but I will not be in the picture!”

Walter bit down on his lip, his anger not subsiding any time soon and laying down a framed photo of himself and Elias so he couldn’t see the image any longer.

“What do you mean by that?” Klaus asked, observing his father’s actions.

“How can he possibly be a son of mine!” with a hand still placed on the photo frame, he clenched his fist and angrily punched the back causing the stand to snap off and the glass cover on the other side to break, “I can’t have someone so weak at magic representing this family!”

Klaus didn’t flinch at his father’s violent reaction but was surprised by his motions. But, he worried more about the words that left his mouth.

“Father, please calm down,” Klaus urged, “You don’t want to do or say anything you don’t mean.”

“I do mean it!” Walter angrily responded, “Until he an prove to me he can perform magic at the expected aptitude of a Goldstein, he is not worthy of his name nor worthy as my child.”

“Think about what you’re saying!” Klaus begged him. “Imagine how much that would hurt Elias if he heard you say that!”

“I have thought about it!” Walter shouted, “I do mean it!”

“I’m not letting you abandon him like this!” Klaus shouted back, disgusted by the words that left his father’s mouth, “I won’t stand by for you to hurt him like this. He doesn’t deserve it! He already thinks that you hate him so if you say this to him, he’s going to think it’s true.”

“Well, maybe I do!” Walter retorted, defensively.

“You don’t!” Klaus didn’t want to hear it though, “You are not thinking clearly!”

“I am!” Walter shouted.

With that, Klaus angrily let out a heavy tsk but didn’t respond and an uncomfortable, silent tension fell across the room. Walter turned his back on Klaus and stressfully ran a hand over his face. He refused to turn back and stared outside the window overlooking a large patch of grass they used as a practical magic training ground, the enormous gardens that decorated the estate blurred in the background. Meanwhile Klaus’ sharp gaze glared angrily at his father’s back.

On the other side of the door, Elias felt as though his heart had shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. The tears he had held back silently gushed out of him uncontrollably. His vision was blurred by his tears that wet his cheeks, hands and the book he was holding as they fell. His knees and legs began to wobble as if all his strength was drained from them. Unable to stand properly he crouched down in front of the door. He didn’t know why but this pain that he felt was like physical blow – it hurt, like some force was painfully tearing him apart from the inside.

Summoned by the shouting echoing down the hall from the office, Mary hurried to see what was going on with intentions of stepping in to stop the fighting if it was required. Arriving at the entrance to Walter’s office, she found Elias crouched down, clutching the book he was holding close to his chest and in tears.

“Whatever,” Klaus muttered from inside the office, “Do what you want but I hope you know what price you are paying.”

“What price!” Walter scoffed.

“Elias,” Klaus answered, “Elias is what you are willing to sacrifice.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Walter responded.

Klaus understood what he meant but explained anyway, “Are you willing to damage your relationship with him? If you go through with this, he may grow up to resent you. I don’t want that for him. I don’t want another person he looks up to abandoning him so cruelly.”

“Then tell him to become the son that I expect him to be!” Walter demanded.

Klaus could feel his own rage burning inside of him, provoked by his father’s decision to hurt his younger brother. He couldn’t hear anymore of this drivel, “It’s no use talking to you when you’re like this!” Klaus tsked and angrily pulled down on the golden lever of the door to leave the room.

Elias could hear the stomping of footsteps coming to the door and scrambled to find the strength to gather himself back onto his feet and wipe the tears off his face to both hide the fact he had eavesdropped and the agony he was currently feeling after overhearing his father’s intentions to abandon him for not being good enough. As Mary was about to approach her son, the office door swung open with the door opening backwards into the office with a gust of air ruffling Elias’ golden hair.

“Elias!” Klaus was stunned to see him standing there.

Up close, Elias’ eyes were red and his complexion was pale. His expression downward and twisting with the torment that was ripping him apart from within. His focus appeared disoriented and his body appeared limp, like all his strength had been drained. Klaus knew he had overheard everything. Klaus then saw his mother in the back with her voiceless lips asking what was going on. Klaus signalled he would explain later as he was more worried about his younger brother who held a book to his chest.

Even though those words left his mouth, Walter instantly felt an unpleasant guilt tingling within him. “How much did he hear?” Walter wondered and, with a gulp of salvia, turned around to gauge his son’s body language to discover the answer to that question. Other than his eyes, Walter observed him looking distraught and disoriented. Walter, Mary and Klaus knew that he was just trying to be strong and fool them into thinking he didn’t hear anything but they saw right through it. The tension in the air was intense.

Elias wordlessly stumbled past his brother.

“Elias?” Klaus called out to him first.

Elias didn’t answer him as he stumbled toward a bookshelf in the middle of the right side wall where Walter kept most of his tomes. Walter’s eyes fixed on his son, Klaus and Mary worriedly watched on. Elias fumbled trying to place the book in its rightful spot, between two other tomes, on a shelf that was level with his head. Eventually, he slotted it into the gap.

Turning to face his father and meeting his gaze, Walter noticed his reddened eyes and the way the light shined off his tear-stained cheek. The distorted and twisted pain on his face as if something was tearing him apart from inside of him. Walter instantly knew he had overheard everything. Upon that realisation, even his own heart began to ache as he felt guilty.

Elias broke the silence with a shaking voice, “…T-Thank you for letting me borrow your tome. I was just returning it to you,” he bowed.

Walter had never seen Elias bow to him like this before. It didn’t sit well with him.

Elias made the motion to leave the room, quickly slipping past his brother again, but Walter couldn’t just ignore this like he did every other time he had hurt Elias. This was different.

“Elias, wait!” he chased after his son who stumbled from his office.

Elias stopped but didn’t turn around to face him, afraid of his tears pouring out of his uncontrollably like it did before. He refused to allow his father, who thought of him as weak, to see him shed any tears. “What?” Elias’ voice trembled.

Walter didn’t get too close to him but needed to know how much Elias had heard, “How much… did you hear?” Walter asked, nervously.

What emotion was this now? Anger? Sadness? Contempt? Was he expecting an apology instead of being asked what he overheard?

Elias hesitated to answer, “…Nothing I haven’t heard before,” he said in a low voice, somehow finding some courage to speak back to his father.

His low voice surprised Walter that it was painful to hear, “A-Anything else?”

“What are you expecting that I heard?” Elias asked, hoping for an apology or anything that told him that his father really didn’t mean what he had just overheard him say.

Walter didn’t answer Elias, he knew the answer.

“What part did you want me to hear?” Elias rephrased his question, unintentionally raising his voice slightly.

Slowly, Elias turned around to confront his father. Their eyes met. Walter’s eyes widened with surprise as Elias’ gaze narrowed in anger toward him. “…E-Elias…,” Mary also was surprised, “…Let’s just calm down.”

Elias ignored his mother’s cries. The only person he could see was Walter, his father. A man he feared because of all the abuse he had received but a man, despite all he had done, respected and loved. But, those feelings were now being torn into pieces as he realised his father didn’t love him in return.

“…The part where you said that I am not good enough to be a Goldstein? Or, was it the part where you admitted that you hate me. That, you don’t see my as your son. That, you don’t care if I grow up to resent you?” Elias questioned, uncharacteristically becoming emotionally angry, “Which part, Father? Which part!” he shouted.

Elias couldn’t keep the tears from flowing again. Averting his gaze, Elias closed his eyes and took a deep breath to regain his usual composure. He didn’t like confrontations and conflict but he was too emotional to behave like his usual self. Walter was too stunned to say anything as this type of outburst was not like Elias. He finally realised the weight in his words and the impact it had on Elias. Was this what he had been doing all this time to Elias? He went to break the silence first but Elias beat him to it.

“Fine,” Elias sighed, his voice returning to a calmer tone, “Father, I’m sorry.”

“What?” Walter didn’t understand why he was apologising, “Elias?”

“I’m sorry I don’t measure up to your expectations,” Elias apologised, but the fire behind his eyes told Walter that the apology was not sincere.

Instead, Elias began making a vow, “From this day forward, I will be fatherless and I will not claim any right to my name until the day I receive your approval. Until that day, I will work hard to be a wizard that you can be proud of. I won’t bother you and I will not speak to you, except during public events, until the day I become a son that you can love.”

Mary couldn’t listen anymore, “Elias,” she urged him to stop, “Please, you don’t mean this.”

Elias shook her off, “He’s the one who said it first, I’m just agreeing to his terms.”

With those final words, Elias walked away.

“Walter!” Mary cried to him, “Go after him!”

Every fibre within him wanted to chase after Elias, but his body wouldn’t move. A part of him was stunned by Elias’ nerve but Walter could feel his own heart now being torn apart.

“Father!” Klaus also urged him to chase after Elias, “Don’t let it end this way, please.”

Mary and Klaus’ pleas faded into white noise as all Walter could do was watch the distance between himself and Elias grow farther. Elias eventually disappeared behind the doors that led to his bedroom chambers to the left at the very end of the second floor hallway.

Those would be the last words they would exchange within these walls for many years.

He had hoped that once their frustrations had subsided, Elias might talk to him again. In recollection, Walter never apologised for his words that day but instead tried to make small conversations about anything that might prove that Elias didn’t mean it when he said he’d never speak to his father again. However, his attempts were ignored and Elias treated him as if he were invisible, like a ghost that couldn’t be seen or heard.

****Present time…

It remained this way.

The months following their falling out, Walter realised that Elias was not going to crawl back to him and he was sticking to his promise. Elias refused to speak to him and the roots of Walter’s regret had began spreading. Ironically, Walter showed more interest in Elias but all he could do was watch his son from the distance.

Despite desperately wanting to apologise, something in Walter couldn’t reach out to him and Walter had no choice but to watch Elias age without him.

His son’s bright energy, which he had possessed before Walter stripped it all away, hadn’t returned after the abuse stopped. Instead, he watched, guiltily, as Elias cast aside all his other interests and invested all his time and energy in pursuit of his mission to be accepted by his father as both a son and a wizard he could proudly accept as a member of the Haus of Goldstein.

From his office window, Walter would often watch Elias practice magic, sometimes under the guidance of Klaus, until his power was completely exhausted. Elias built his own collection of tomes and grimoires about magic and would always be reading them when he wasn’t practicing magic outside.

Walter notice him becoming more aloof and unsociable as he focused on honing his magical abilities. As Elias aged and grew into his handsome, prince-like features, that bright energy he used to possess still didn’t return. Walter barely saw him smile nor barely heard him laugh. His countenance was sullen but he never cried.

It's not what Walter wanted, “…ah,” Walter sighed before taking another swig at his whiskey.

More and more time was lost between them and they remained wordless. Elias’ powers impressively improved and Walter acknowledged he had quite an aptitude for crafting magical tools. However, when news reached Walter that Elias still thought he wasn’t good enough to present himself to his father, Walter had the urge to reach out to him, but he couldn’t. It was like some force held him back. Single-handedly, Walter was the reason why his son had become broken. Elias’ development of depression and anxiety was his entirely his fault.

Honestly, Walter sometimes asked for Elias to be present at public events and parties just so he could hear his voice. Even if Elias’ responses were short and blunt, making it hard to have a natural conversation or reveal any new developments in his personal character that Walter missed while they remained estranged. He knew why he used public events as a disguise. Walter missed him. Walter loved him. He always had, but regrettably never told him enough.

Despite the rift, Walter loves all his sons unconditionally. They too held love for him in their hearts, but their anger towards him was deeper. Naturally, he worried deeply about all three of his sons.

“Will Klaus and Elias be okay out there?” he muttered, “Where are you Alfonse?”” he worried.

Their anger further driven by Walter’s incapacity to apologise and atone for his mistakes. His impotence to initiate making amends drifted them further apart. Instead of fixing his mistakes, Walter isolated himself like this to his office. Pitifully, enduring this aching and unbearable pain, a symptom, of his entrenched remorse, he deserved to suffer in, alone.

Just then, the door to his office gently opened. A hue of soft yellow light from the hallway lights flooded the entry way. The glare was bright causing Walter’s eyes to squint. The recognisable silhouette of Mary came toward him with soft footsteps.

“Walter?” she said his name softly, “You have been in here all afternoon,” she stated, worriedly.

“Yes,” Walter acknowledged.

“Did you want some dinner?” she asked, but that was not her true intention for her visit to his office.

Rarely did she interrupt his brooding time but Walter didn’t mind her interrupting his thoughts. In fact, he was surprised sometimes that she remained married to him and still loved him deeply despite all he had done to their sons. He never asked why, accepting either decision to stay or to leave.

Walter wasn’t particularly hungry, “No, I’m not hungry,” he answered her, “Thank you for the offer.”

Mary didn’t like the way he holed himself inside his office. Wallowing in the darkness with the amber liquid on his desk as if it was some medicine he took to ease the pain she could see him in, but her persuasions to simply apologise and talk to Elias were useless.

“I thought you would like to know,” she began nervously, wondering if he wanted to hear her news, “…Elias made it safely to the academy.”

“He did?”

“Yes, Klaus met with him and settled him into his new life there.”

It pleased Walter that Klaus was nearby to lend his support to Elias. Though, while he was pleased he was also ashamed that Klaus had become the better role model for Elias than himself.

“That’s good,” Walter replied, his voice riddled with sadness.

Mary didn’t know what else to say to Walter in these moments. She didn’t even know if letting him know any news about Elias eased his pain or made it worse but he’d never let her know. Walter felt as though he had no right to burden his wife with his feelings of remorse. Especially when this was his own doing.

“I did tell him to write often,” Mary told him, “He said he would.”

There was an awkward silence whenever Mary told him news about Elias. Walter listened, interested to know every detail about his son but also felt guilty for being interested in knowing.

“Walter?” Mary walked around to his side of the desk and leaned against the sturdy table, “I wish you would let me in sometimes. I know how much you regret everything and I hate to see you go through this on your own.”

Walter knew how deeply caring and sweet his wife was and was happy knowing Elias still had his mother showing him all the love and care that he never did, “…I can’t do that to you,” he honestly replied, his wife the only person who was allowed to see him in such a vulnerable state, “Not after all the pain I have caused for you too.”

In the past, Mary would nag him about apologising to Elias, yearning for the day when they would be on speaking terms again. Today, she didn’t want to nag him. She wanted to understand.

“Why?” she asked softly, “Why can’t you reach out to him? Help me understand.”

Walter thought about a response to her question, a longer than intended silence but she waited patiently for his reply.

Unusually, Walter’s voice was filled with sadness as he began to speak, “…I can’t,” he stated, “I want to but I can’t.”

He paused, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

“Since Elias stopped speaking to me, I have watched him closely,” Walter revealed, “…He doesn’t smile, he doesn’t laugh, he doesn’t cry. His depression, his anxiety, this unhealthy pursuit for my approval that has made him become distant. It’s all my fault. Until I can find the right words to apologise in a way that doesn’t make it sound like I’m asking for forgiveness, I don’t deserve to reach out to him.”

Mary nodded, understanding why he couldn’t apologise.

“It is quite a complicated emotion,” Walter added.

“I understand,” Mary acknowledged, “You know, the way he is now is not entirely your fault. Alfonse disappearing hurt him too. I’ve noticed Klaus has become stricter with him too. And, I —.”

“No,” Walter cut her off in disagreement, “That’s my fault too, Mary.”

Walter took accountability for the fractured state of their family, “Alfonse ran away because I tried to force an arranged marriage onto him and tie him down when he’s a free spirit. Klaus, I burdened him to raise his younger brother because I was too narrow-minded to accept Elias as he was. I alone am to blame for their pain.”

Mary attempted to burden some of the guilt Walter harboured to ease his pain, “I should have done more to stop things becoming like this,” she expressed.

While Walter knew what she was doing, he couldn’t allow her to shoulder any of the blame for his shortcomings as a father, “No,” he said, reaching his hand out to hers and holding it gently, “You showered them with love and care that I never did but should have. Besides, I was too unreasonable to listen to you. If not for you in their lives, they would have deserted me and their home a long time ago. You are their beloved mother. So, please, never ever think you are to blame for my shortcomings as a father.”

Mary didn’t say anything but gave the hand which held onto hers a gentle squeeze as she remained quiet.

“Honestly, “Walter spoke with a depressed voice, “You needn’t bother consoling me, Mary.”

Mary was a little upset that he could say something so dismal but she didn’t express it as she knew that it was an emotional response provoked by the guilt he felt deep inside, “Why can’t I?” she asked, softly.

Walter didn’t drink his whiskey in front of her because he didn’t want her to witness such a sight but looked at the glass, desperately wanting another sip of that amber liquid. Taking a moment, he eventually responded, “…I don’t deserve it,” he replied, “…I hurt you deeply too.”

After a moment to process those words, Mary replied, “…But,” she said with a positiveness in her voice, “…I’m hopeful.”

“For what?”

“For the day our family is whole again,” Mary positively said, “Yes, there is a lot of tension and I know it will take more than a simple apology to fix everything but reaching out is the first step to begin fixing your relationships with them.”

Walter appreciated her positivity but he didn’t know when or if he was ever going to fulfill that dream. It was a complicated circle that he was walking on that she could only partly understand but never fully comprehend the difficulty of making the first step off its never-ending rotation.

“I don’t want to nag you about it tonight Walter,” she expressed, “I want you to understand that even though the boys and I are mad at you, we still love you and we hold hope in our hearts that you will fix things with Elias, someday.”

Walter knew this fact, “I know,” he acknowledged.

There was a moment of silence and Mary’s eyes strayed around the room until she spotted the photo album open on Walter’s desk. It was a photo of a father with his three sons when they were very young, before Walter’s abuse of Elias had begun.

“I remember taking this photo,” Mary smiled at the memory, “It was hard to get Elias to stay still so you picked him up and threw him up onto your shoulders so he wouldn’t run away. He thought he was flying.”

Walter remembered that memory too but couldn’t smile knowing that he was the one who stripped that happy innocence away from Elias, “I remember,” he said.

“You know,” Mary began, her eyes meeting Walter’s in the dim light that filled the office, “Elias has grown into a sensible and mature young man.”

While Walter had watched him grow into his handsome features, he didn’t really know enough about his personality, only the short and bluntness in their conversations in public. He never let anything about his personality to be revealed to his father, and the anger and pain at the sight of Walter probably stirred within him and overshadowed his other traits.

“Has he?” Walter was pleased to hear it.

“Yes,” Mary smiled as she knew Elias and the way he thinks, “He’s quite intelligent and has a fondness for magical tools, just like you.”

Walter didn’t know how to feel about that fact – did Elias pick that fondness up on his own or was it his personal mission to gain his father’s approval that he began to follow Walter’s footsteps to prove his abilities.

“Is that so?” Walter felt conflicted, “…Why are you telling me this? I don’t deserve to know.”

Mary smiled, “Because… you are still his father, Walter,” she remained positive, “He’s inherited more from you than he has from me. Elias didn’t take up magical tools to prove himself to you, if that’s what you were thinking. Even when he was small, he always had a genuine interest in the tools that you were building.”

Walter remembered how interested he was in the inventions he was building and why it was important to build new tools to help ease the lives of people. Mary’s reminiscing about their memories together when he was a small child, before Walter became a monster to him, both made him smile and made him feel worse. Was she torturing him on purpose or did she have a point?

Mary could see the sadness in Walter’s eyes as she brought up the happier memories of their relationship when they were close. Her intentions was not to make him feel worse but to make a point.

“Walter,” she called out to him, “I’m not trying to make you feel worse.”

Just now, it was like she had read his thoughts but he wasn’t surprised. Where many people couldn’t read Walter’s expressionless face and guarded mind, Mary could. She was the only person who had access to all his vulnerabilities and flaws. He didn’t say anything but listened to whatever she had to say.

“I’m trying to tell you that all Elias wants from you is to hear you say that you’re sorry,” Mary said, “Yes, it may take some time before he trusts you again, but he doesn’t hate you. He never has, despite being deeply hurt after all you have said and done. Yes, he is angry but he respects you.”

Walter didn’t believe her, “Mary, even when we talk all I get from him is short and blunt answers. The way he stares at me is as though he is imagining daggers boring into my heart.”

Mary shook her head, “You’re wrong,” she said, “He’s waiting.”

That surprised Walter, “What? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you remember what he said?” Mary asked, “That day you two fell out?”

“Of course I remember,” Walter declared, sadly.

“Walter,” Mary gave his hand another squeeze, “Think about what he said? He said that he would not say another word to you until you accept him.”

“But,” Walter didn’t understand, “He hates me Mary.”

“He never said that,” Mary reminded him, “You decided that he hates you but that’s not true at all. He wants you to accept him Walter, that’s why he’s trying so hard.”

Having just reminisced about that day in his isolation moments ago, Elias’ vow about not speaking to him were fresh in his mind but however Walter interpreted his words, he felt unworthy of Elias’ forgiveness.

“I’m not after forgiveness,” Walter declared.

Mary sighed because Walter wasn’t listening to her, “Darling,” she endeared him to listen carefully to her words, “You can still apologise and accept him without expecting his forgiveness. Neither, you or Elias will not be able to heal until you make that first step.”

Mary’s word were very clear now and Walter understood them.

“He has left home,” Walter added, “I can not apologise nor express my approval of him through something as impersonal as a letter or through my familiar. It would be inappropriate and insincere.”

Mary knew he had some time to perfect everything he was going to say to him once he was home again. This was her way of encouraging Walter’s thought process.

“Well,” she squeezed his hand again, “I don’t know when he will come home again but I do know that he will because I made him promise me that he will. Until then, you have plenty of time to think about what you want to say to him. But, clean yourself up first. It would break his heart further to see you drinking away like this.”

“He has no place to feel guilty for me,” Walter sadly stated.

“He will though,” Mary said, knowing their son too well, “Elias is much more sensitive than you and his brothers. That’s about the only thing he has inherited from me.”

Walter still looked sad but her words were triggering an urge to act on his desire to begin rebuilding their relationship. Mary certainly wasn’t wrong, Walter had to take that first step. Perhaps, her words was the key to remove him from the circle he found himself walking on when it came to Elias.

How, when and where all remained a mystery but nevertheless one day Walter would find the strength and courage to reach out to Elias again. Not for forgiveness, but to help Elias heal and understand that Walter never hated him, not for a moment.

#shall we date wizardess #wizardess heart #magic #goldstein #elias #klaus #alfonse #walter #family #fanfic #angst #familyissues #sadness regret

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asunafairywizardessheart · 3 years ago

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Rewriting!

Hi there!

While I am back, I’m planning on rewriting some of my previous stories and to restart my AU stories too. At this stage, I probably won’t be doing anything “new” but I feel as though my life experience has improved my writing.

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asunafairywizardessheart · 4 years ago

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Nine Months Series Part 3: Due Date

Elias/MC

Warning: Details of child birth.

Elias and Asana were due to leave the Goldstein Estate well after the New Year’s Ball they were scheduled to attend alongside his esteemed family. Being a Goldstein certainly had its obligations and responsibilities in the public eye.

However, it was well after that ball. Walter, Klaus and Alfonse had returned to their work now that the formalities of the festive season were over. Winter was starting to leave for another year bringing forth a blooming spring but Elias and Asana were still at the Goldstein manor after agreeing to attend more Goldstein functions delaying their return home until February.

Days ago Klaus had come to the manor bearing bad news.

“What?” Asana was bewildered by the news he shared with them in the study room.

“Are you kidding?” Elias wondered.

Klaus shook his head, “Would I joke about something this serious?”

“Well, how long until they fix it?” Asana asked him.

“Probably months.” Klaus answered her question, “Even with the use of magic to restore the damage, it will still likely take some months for it to be operable again.”

The only route to their home in the countryside had been completely destroyed by dark wizards. A bridge that provided train access to the countryside had been completely demolished leaving massive eighty kilometre gap in the tracks.

Being heavily pregnant, air travel was out.

“We can’t even get their by carriage?” Asana asked.

“That would take a couple of days and I don’t want you to risk going into labour on some random road ages away from help,” Klaus rejected her idea, “I think it’s best if you stay here.”

Elias and Asana panicked as nothing had been prepared for the baby’s arrival at the Goldstein estate.

“What? The baby is due any day now and there is nothing prepared here if I give birth here,” Asana stressed, “Even everything that I need is all prepared at home.”

Regardless of their arguments, Klaus strongly suggested that they remain at the manor until the bridge was repaired, “I know how you feel but as a doctor you would agree that travelling for days in a carriage could be a risk if you were to go into labour. If you give birth many hours away from the nearest town and something goes wrong during the birth, what would you do?”

As a doctor, she couldn’t argue with his logic there. While there was as much a chance of her surviving the journey home without going into labour, it was the same chance of her going into labour too. He was right, it was too much of a gamble.

She looked to Elias, “We can’t possibly impose on your parents like this.”

Mary had overheard the news too and approached the couple, “Don’t worry about that Asana.”

“Mother,” Elias turned to her voice.

Standing by her son she smiled at them, “ I would rather the three of you be safe here and I certainly don’t want to risk the health of my granddaughter and her mother by sending them home.”

“But, everything is prepared at home,” she argued.

“We will prepare swiftly for baby’s arrival here too,” Mary pinched both their cheeks, “We are family, right?”

That pinching twist they knew all too well along with that motherly tongue. They had no room to argue with her and she had already ordered a nursery to be prepared next to their chambers. It wasn’t what they had really expected or imagined.

“I know this is not what you wanted,” Klaus read their minds clearly, “But, it also can’t be helped. What difference is this home to your cottage in the village? You’ll get there again one day, just not in the next few months while the bridge is being repaired.”

He was right and they knew that he was too.

“Now Asana,” Mary gave her undivided attention to her daughter-in-law with a self-writing notepad hovering in the air next to her, “Tell me what you need and I will procure those items for you.”

“…Wait, what?” she didn’t want to use their money.

“Tell me what you need?” Mary quizzed again, “Any maternity clothes you may need? Bottles? Baby clothes?”

Since they weren’t expecting to give birth to their daughter in the capital they had thought to bring anything baby related with them. Which meant that everything had to be purchased once more, “No,” Asana refused her offer, “I can’t have you and Father foot the bill.”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, we are partially to blame for delaying your return home too.”

“But, I’d feel bad.”

Walter and Mary had already made plans to add a nursery next to Elias and Asana’s usual chambers. They had in mind the times they would come to visit the family during the festive seasons and for other celebrations that required them to come home. The base plans were already decided and the builders were already booked in to start construction.

“We were going to build a nursery anyway for when the three of you came home in the future. Now is a better time than never given the circumstances,” Mary refused to accept her daughter’s refusal, “I already called in the builders to start construction early. They are on their way as we speak.”

Klaus was impressed by her swift decision making and turned to his brother while Mary whisked Asana away from them, “As quick as ever,” he commented, “You can’t win against Mom when she’s like this.”

Elias agreed, “Yes. Did you end up catching the people responsible for the destruction?”

Klaus shook his head, “They are powerful and smart.”

“I appreciate you taking time to tell us,” Elias bowed to him gesturing his gratitude.

“I must go back to the investigation now,” Klaus reached for his coat he left on the rack near the entrance of the house and put it on before glancing back at his brother again, “Tell Asana not to stress too much. It’s not good for Charlotte.”

“Are you still confident that you have correctly guessed what her name will be?” Elias smirked at him.

“Am I wrong?” Klaus smirked confidently.

Walking him out onto the marble portico Elias warned him, “Just don’t tell anyone else until we have.”

Broom in hand Klaus was ready to depart the property, “I won’t,” he said mounting his transportation and hovering in the air, “I don’t want to miss Alfonse’s reaction.”

With that last remark, he flew off into the sky his magic power kicking up a gust of wind.

Asana meanwhile, lost the fight to Mary. She had given in to her mother-in-law to buy what they needed under the circumstances since they couldn’t return home in time for the arrival of their daughter. Elias had caught up to them as Asana reluctantly listed everything she needed verbally. The quill catching every word onto a notepad.

“That should be all I need,” Asana finished.

“Excellent,” Mary ripped the paper from the notepad.

Neatly folding the paper into a rectangular shape she tucked it inside her purse. Collecting her handbag she headed for the front door just as a carriage pulled up outside. She turned to face them, “I will be home after I have done shopping for everything.”

“Wait?” Asana couldn’t comprehend her urgency, “You’re going now?”

“Yes,” Mary answered her feet trudging to the door, “Time is of the essence and we don’t hold the clock to control it. Baby Goldstein does.”

Before any more protests could be made, Mary was out the door and the carriage transporting her pulled forward following the looping pebble path toward the street.

“She’s so fast,“ Asana amused.

Unbeknown to Elias and Asana, it was a stroke of luck that Klaus had so strongly rejected them travelling by carriage in order to get home to their mountainside cottage. Another stroke of luck that Mary had organised a nursery to be assembled so quickly. Because time was not on their side.

It had been a day since Klaus had told them about the bridge and how a couple hours on the express train home would be impossible.

Elias accompanied his father to the workshop where the family’s prized magical tools were produced. Mary went to a luncheon with a bunch of wives of ministers. Klaus decided to finish his investigation reports in the comfort and privacy of the manor. Alfonse deciding to procrastinate in the study on the second floor. Asana finding herself suddenly alone in the big mansion.

When she was with others it never seemed so grand. Although an accepted member of the family, she still felt weird walking around alone. It felt like she was always sneaking around. For the next couple of months Asana would be nursing her newly born daughter within these walls. It wasn’t how she had imagined but the manor was still a home for them and would be for their daughter too.

Feet padded in slippers and a robe hugging her body, Asana wasn’t aware Klaus and Alfonse were home but tucked away in different areas of the house. She stretched for body as she made her way to the kitchen downstairs for her back had started to throb since late afternoon yesterday.

She had nothing particular planned today since both parents and Elias put her under strict instructions to take it easy while they were out. Her back pain was noticeably worse this morning than it was yesterday but she thought nothing of it. She did happen to be in the mood for baking and hoped the exercise would help soothe her back pain.

An enormous kitchen fit for the finest chefs was cleaned spotlessly. Right now, it was empty and provided her with the perfect opportunity to make something easy and quickly. She just had to decide what to make with the ingredients on hand.

“Let’s see,” she studied the contents inside the pantry, “There’s flour, baking soda, cocoa. I’m pretty sure I saw eggs and milk in the fridge too. Oh, vanilla extract too. Cupcakes it is!”

As she moved around the kitchen, her back pain only worsened and she could swear the pain had spread around to her belly as well. “O-Ouch,” she grimaced as an almost unbearable ache travelled along her nerves.

She took a deep breath to desensitise the aching. Taking a moment to gather herself she went ahead to open a small bag a flour. As she reached for the measuring cup and sifter, the discomfort returned. The sensation was dull but enough to immobilise her movements, “O-O-Ouch,” she wore a painful expression.

The aching felt like it had drained her strength that she used the sturdiness of the kitchen island to support her body as she sank to the floor. Her desire to bake cupcakes was forgotten as this never-felt-before pain became relentless. Tears began spilling from her eyes from the pain she was experiencing.

“…Wand?” she murmured to herself, “Where did I put it?”

She wanted it but remembered she had left it upstairs in their chambers. That realisation only made her tears multiply and stream down her cheeks to hang and fall from her chin. All she could do was wait until someone came home.

“Elias!” she called for him over and over again through breathlessness and teary eyes, “I need you to come home now,” she hoped somehow he’d telepathically hear her.

Upstairs Alfonse decided to bother his brother, “Working from home today?”

“Yes. Go away,” Klaus shooed him.

“Don’t be like that,” Alfonse refused to leave, “I came by to ask if you wanted something to eat from the kitchen.”

“Not hungry,” Klaus replied.

“Alright then,” Alfonse now took his leave, “You sure?”

��Go away.”

“Going!” his voice drifted down the hallway leaving the door to the office wide open.

“Close the door!” Klaus scoffed.

Asana heard their loud voices from the kitchen, “Alfonse! Klaus! Is that you!?”

Hearing their names being called and sensing the distress in her voice they hurried downstairs.

“Where are you Asana?” Alfonse called out to her from the second floor.

“…K-Kitchen!” she almost screamed back as another uncomfortable ache spread through her body.

Sweat glistened across her face as she endured the intense pain she was feeling. While she waited for them to reach her, she felt a new sensation different from the dull and unbearable aching waving through her body. “…N-Not yet…,” she breathlessly begged. This new sensation felt like a slight pressure being released from within her body. The source of the strange pressure was now visible as a gush of fluid trickle from her onto the marble floor beneath her.

Running down the stairs they hurried to her side in the kitchen. As they came closer they could see flour strewn across the surface of the kitchen bench but couldn’t see her. “Asana, did you fall?” Klaus asked as both brothers suspected she was behind the middle island where she had laid out ingredients on the bench.

Without an answer to his question, she cried with a small scream passing through her lips as another ache, more intense from the dull pain she felt previously, sent waves through her nerves, “…C-Call… Elias please,” she cried.

They found her sweating across her face with eyes wet and streaks of hundreds of tears leaving a mark on her cheeks. “Klaus,” Alfonse pointed to the fluid beneath her, “I think she’s in labour.”

“Call Elias and a doctor” he instructed.

“What will you do?” he asked.

“Make her more comfortable,” Klaus placed her arm across his shoulder while Alfonse hurried off to the magic phone inside the house.

Carefully lifting her body into his arms he carried her to an unused bedroom inside the manor. Her entire body was damp with water from her sweat and tears and from the fluid of her water breaking. Being lifted into the air and moved from her position on the kitchen floor didn’t do anything to stop the pain.

Writhing and wiggling in her arms Klaus found it hard to carry her, “Hey, stop squirming.”

“Shut up!” she snapped at him, “This hurts!”

Never hearing her snap like that before Klaus was stopped in his tracks for a moment but resumed walking to the bed. He didn’t hold it personally against her since she was in labour, “I’ll forgive that one,” he chuckled, “Aren’t you happy you’re not travelling home right now like you wanted to yesterday?”

“W…Where’s E-Elias?” she demanded, disregarding Klaus’ question.

“Alfonse is contacting him,” Klaus assured her, “He’ll be here soon. Take some deep breaths.”

He stayed by her side for almost twenty minutes before he heard hurried footsteps coming closer to the door. Klaus expected Alfonse to return but barging through the door was Mary followed by Alfonse, “I’ve called the doctor, he’ll be here soon,” he told her and turned to Asana, “Elias is coming too, okay.”

Mary stripped her jacket off and rolled up her sleeves, “Klaus, towels. Alfonse, go get a cold damp cloth,” she instructed her sons while she stayed be Asana’s side, “Asana. Take some deep breaths.”

Klaus returned with towels from the bathroom ensuite inside the bedroom.

“Do you know how long she has been like this for?”

“We only found her in the kitchen just now when she called out to us about twenty to twenty-five minutes ago.”

“Her water was already broken?” she asked him.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Mary heard her, “Where is Alfonse with the cloth?”

Klaus went to investigate but before he could put a step forward, Elias barged through to the room with a cold cloth in hand. Mary saw him with the cloth in hand, “She’s feeling hot put the cloth over her forehead,” she instructed.

As he did so her pink eyes and pink smile gazed at him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

“It’s…okay…,” she said reaching for his hand, “…You’re here now.”

Walter also returned home with Elias after he bolted without a word from the workshop, “How is she?” he enquired from the threshold of the door.

“Give her some privacy!” a familiar voice scolded from the hall with a black medical bag in hand, “Go on. All you men but the father may leave.”

Walter, Klaus and Alfonse were shooed from the room like flies with the door closed in their faces. Inside, Mary moved to the side and stepped in as a nurse while the doctor commanded the situation.

“Now then,” the doctor gloved up to inspect how dilated she had become, “We are not quite there yet. We’re only at four centimetres dilation.”

“What does that mean?” Elias asked.

“She has to be at ten centimetres dilation for the baby to be delivered,” the doctor explained, “She has many hours ahead of her yet.”

“Hours?”

“Childbirth isn’t a quick walk in the park, son.”

“Just keep her calm and keep that cloth cold, okay,” Mary instructed him.

“You went through this three times Mom?”

She nodded, “The first is usually the longest. Took eleven hours before Alfonse was born compared to you. You were pretty much right out.”

Elias blushed bright red, “M-Mom, seriously?”

Time seemed to pass by for what felt like an eternity. From the fresh morning to the start beginning to retire for the day but there had been now news about the baby arriving just yet. Klaus had completed his investigation reports while keenly listening for any movement.

Joining his father and brother in the tea room, there still was no news. He glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room the iron hands pointing at exactly four o’clock, “Nothing yet, huh?” he concluded.

“No,” Walter read the newspaper, “Babies take their time. She could be here now, she might be here tonight or tomorrow. It’s on their terms.”

Alfonse lounged lazily across the sofa abandoning a hot cup of tea on the coffee table. Klaus decided to brew a fresh pot to suit his taste. “I hope she’s here soon,” Klaus commented in the silence.

“Yes, I wish she’d hurry up,” Alfonse agreed, “Her poor mother.”

“I’m rather curious to know if Elias has made it through this,” Walter chuckled curiously.

Klaus waited for his tea to steep. Steam scented with the smell of assam only made him more impatient to drink the cup. He was quickly pulled from his daze when he heard the door to the birthing suite open. Exhaustion was evident on Mary’s face as she appeared in the tea room. There were hints of blood on her clothing.

“Well?” Walter enquired impatiently.

A tear fell from Mary’s eye, “She’s finally here. Mother and baby healthy and happy. Give them some time. Poor Asana is very tired.”

“You look tired too,” Walter stated.

“Oh, I am,” she laughed, “I’m going to clean myself up.”

Inside the birthing suite, Asana and Elias couldn’t tear their eyes away from their newly born daughter.

“She’s perfect,” Asana still cried, this time tears flowing with happiness.

A tiny human was enveloped within a warm blanket. Soundly sleeping. All cleaned up since being born and the umbilical cord severed.

“She has your nose,” Elias commented.

“You think?” Asana yawned, “She got nothing from me. She’s all you.”

Catching her yawn Elias swept strands of her hair from her face, “You did an amazing job bringing Charlotte into the world. You should rest.”

“I’m quite tired,” she admitted, “But, I’m sure your father and brothers are itching to meet her.”

Asana gently passed their daughter across into his arms and encouraged him to go show her off.

With careful steps Elias cradled his tiny daughter carrying her to the tea room where he could hear them chatting about nothing important. Alfonse saw him coming and bounced off the sofa. Walter restraining him.

“Quiet,” he scolded him, “She’s asleep.”

Standing before them Elias introduced his daughter to them, “Asana would love to join I’m sure but she’s sleeping right now. Everyone, meet the newest member of our family. Charlotte.”

“No, I was wrong,” Alfonse pouted.

Klaus chuckled proudly.

“How did you know?”

“Asana’s mother’s name was Charlotte. I had a feeling that’s what her name would be.”

Walter put a hand over his son’s shoulder, “Congratulations to the both of you. Welcome to the world little one.”

#elias goldstein #mc #wizardess heart #fanfic #klaus goldstein #alfonse goldstein #pregnancy #fluff #birth

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asunafairywizardessheart · 4 years ago

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Nine Months Series Part 2: Charlotte?

Elias/MC

Time seemed to travel by so fast. No long ago Elias and Asana were at his childhood home celebrating his mother’s birthday and now they were at the palace-like home once more to celebrate the Christmas holidays with his family.

Same place, but the scenery had since changed from when they were last at the manor. The green garden space had now been buried under layers of white snow. The already decorative hallways were redecorated with the theme of Christmas. And, that was not all that had changed.

Asana too had changed. A noticeable baby bump had formed.

A green fir tree almost as tall as the high ceilings of the manor had been decorated in garlands and baubles of gold and silver. The glitter of ribbons tied to presents underneath the tree shimmered elegantly against the reflection of the burning fireplace. Well settled into the palace-like manor since arriving a week ago, Elias and Asana took advantage of a warm spot on the sofa as they read their books in silence by the fireplace.

Glossy pages of an academic women’s health magazine in her hand and an unidentified book in his. Sneakily, Elias concealed the true cover of the book he read inside a leather book cover. Not even Asana knew what he was reading but she’d by lying if she said she wasn’t curious.

At a desk space next to the fireplace across from them Klaus quietly worked over documents for the ministry while Alfonse laid across the rug on the floor also reading.

“What are you reading?” Asana enquired curiously.

“…A book,” his cheeks shaded in a light pigment of red.

She saw this and teased him to tell her, “What kind of book?”

He wouldn’t budge on revealing the contents of his book.

Asana turned to her brother-in-law on the floor, “Alfonse. What are you reading?”

“A fairy tale.”

She turned back to her husband, “He told me what he was reading,” she teased, “Why the big secret?”

“…Well,” he couldn’t say that it embarrassed him and he would be embarrassed if he came clean, “…Umm,” he could see her waiting for an answer.

The pages of small black text before him were words of advice on how to be a good father. It went into chaptered details from supporting your partner during pregnancy, what to expect in the delivery room to how to provide parental support during the toddler, child and teenage phases of their child’s life.

He scratched his head and attempted to avoid the question by going back to his reading.

His bashfulness and coyness appealed cutely to her, “Come on, don’t be shy.”

He knew when she was this persistent he had no chance of escape. Inhaling a sharp breath he searched inside for all his courage and confidence. A darker shade of red covered spread across his face and he turned his face away, “…It’s called ‘What to… ” he spoke softly, his words trailing off into his own whisper.

“I can’t hear you,” she smiled at him, “What to…’ what?”

Again, he sighed shyly and regathered his courage once again.

This time he turned her way, “I said it’s called…’What to Expect: Father’s edition’.”

He peeled off the leather cover keeping the true identity of the book a secret. She could see it was a self-help book authored specifically for expecting fathers.

“A self-help book?” she didn’t expect him to be reading something like this.

She flipped to the contents pages to find all the subjects the thick book covered.

Peeking a quick look at the cover of Elias’ book of choice Alfonse and Klaus went back to their respective reading materials too. Though, unable to not eavesdrop on their conversation.

Face still red with his eyes closed, he mumbled, “I…I’m the youngest of three sons and the first one expecting a child,” he clarified his reasons for reading such a book, “…I don’t have much experience dealing with children and I was too embarrassed to ask for advice. So, I found that book at the bookstore and thought it could be useful.”

Though surprised at first, she didn’t judge him at all. Rather, she found it sweet and felt a warmth spread through her body. It wasn’t the book that made her feel this way. What had overwhelmed her was that he was as excited as becoming a father and raising their child together as a family as much as she is too. Though it was difficult to move in her condition, she made the effort to sit her body up.

He had felt her moving beside his body. As his eyes open to see her reaction he suddenly felt the warm sensation of her lips on his cheek and a hand of hers covering over his hands.

“What was that for?” he quizzed.

“It means so much to me that you’re as excited as I am,” she smiled at him.

Her answer bemused him, “Of course I am,” his gaze softening, “…I just don’t want to mess this up. As excited as I am, I’m nervous too.”

“Elias,” she kissed his cheek again, “There’s no fool proofed method to perfect parenting. That’s why I’m here with you because it’s a team effort. Our child will adore you. I know it.”

“But… what if they end up hating me?”

“Don’t say that,” Asana tightened her grip around his hand bringing his palm over her enlarged belly, “I know you had all sorts of disagreements with your father growing up. But, I also know how many wonderful memories you share with him too.”

“Well, that is true,” he agreed.

“I’m not expecting you to be the best father in the world,” she added, “I just want you to be a good father to our little girl.”

Her arguments her beginning to persuade him and make him feel more confident.

“You know,” after a moment of silence, Asana spoke again, “I’m scared too.”

That admission came to him as a surprise, “…Y-You are?”

She nodded, “Of course. I lost my parents at a young age, literally when I was still a child myself. I had no siblings or any relatives left. I’ve had as much exposure to children as you have, but, I know I’ll be okay because I have you. Plus, your family will be here if we need any help.”

The reminder of her lonely past squeezed at his heart. Hearing her feel this way only sullied his expression, “…I hadn’t thought of that,” he whispered gently.

“Like I said though,” she rushed to console him, “I’m okay because I have you.”

“But still,” he felt guilty, “I should have considered that you were thinking of that.”

He didn’t need to say what had now replaced his thoughts. Asana could read his thoughts just by looking at the expression his face wore. Placing a hand on his cheek, she made him look her in the eyes, “Look at me,” she instructed and continued once his eyes met hers, “I’m not worried about our daughter if something were to happen to us. I’m confident your family would take her in and not allow her to be alone like I was when I lost my parents. She has something I never had. She has grandparents and two uncles that adore her even though she is still unborn.”

“That’s right,” Klaus chimed in from where he sat at the desk, “She’ll always have a home somewhere.”

Alfonse piped up from the floor, “I’m not studying fairy tales for my own interest, you know.”

“See. She’ll be fine.”

Convinced, he flashed her a gentle smile, “Okay.”

“Anyway, enough of this sad talk,” Asana changed the subject, “She can hear us.”

“S-She can?” Elias muttered, “How?”

Asana had been reading a biology journal she had remembered reading once before as a student at the academy. The article she specifically sought in this journal had detailed observations of a baby’s development during the second trimester of pregnancy. Being a doctor she explained to him, “Since I’m nearing the end of the second trimester, she’ll have all her organs fully developed which includes her ability to hear. I wouldn’t be surprised if she starts moving around soon.”

“When are you due anyway?” Alfonse asked from the floor.

“Late February to early March.”

“Ah, but it’s still December,” Alfonse groaned that he had to wait.

Asana laughed at his reaction, “Be grateful you’re not the one pregnant. As much as I love her, I do miss eating my favourite foods and sleeping comfortably.”

His hand over her belly, Elias felt an unusual sensation at the bottom of his palm. A flutter had spread through her body at the same time. It was as if she was right on cue, “Looks like she may have heard us after all,” Asana laughed.

“That just now,” Elias’ eyes widened, “…Was that her?”

“Sure was,” Asana held her hands over his, “Her first kick.”

Alfonse shot up, “Can I feel?”

Before he could reach his hand across, Elias slapped it back, “No.”

Asana laughed, “Elias. He is her uncle.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” he acknowledged, “But, these are her first kicks. So they are ours to feel only.”

Klaus turned around from his paperwork at his desk, “Have you decided what her name will be?”

“Yes,” Asana answered, feeling another zap in her abdomen.

“That felt really strong,” Elias felt the little jolt through his hand, “You okay?” he peered up to Asana.

She nodded, “I’m okay.”

“Are you going to tell us what her name will be?” Alfonse asked.

“No.”

“What?!” Alfonse pouted, “Why not?”

“It’s a surprise,” Asana winked at him. “You’ll know soon enough.”

“But, that’s not until next year.”

“It’s not that far away,” Klaus didn’t pressure them into revealing her name, although he already had a hunch, “I think I know what her name will be.”

“Oh yeah?” Alfonse quizzed him, “What do you think it is?”

Elias spoke up, “Don’t ruin the surprise.”

“I won’t tell Mother and Father if you tell me?” Alfonse tried to persuade them, “You told Klaus, right?”

Asana shook her head, “No, we didn’t. He might have a hunch, doesn’t mean it’s right.”

“Fine,” Alfonse walked up to his brother, “Let’s make a bet?”

“A bet?”

“We’ll each pick a name. Whoever guesses the right name gets to hold her first.”

Klaus could get behind that bet, “Alright.”

Alfonse made his bet, “I bet her name will be either Alexandra or Lily.”

Klaus shook his head, “Charlotte. That’s my bet.”

“Charlotte? You seem very confident.”

Klaus nodded silently.

Trading glances to each other, Elias and Asana smiled. They knew Klaus had guessed correctly but they weren’t going to tell him so soon. They wanted to wait until she was born to reveal her name to the rest of the family.

While that bet was being waged between the two uncles, the kicking had stopped.

“Has she stopped?” Elias asked Asana.

“Feels like it,” she yawned, “Wow. Now, I’m tired.”

“Should we go to bed?”

Asana nodded.

Elias rose to his feet first and gently helped his wife onto her feet.

Turning to the two brothers, they expressed their goodnights and faded to their chambers on the second floor.

“He’s going to be disappointed,” Elias laughed.

“Alfonse?”

He nodded as he helped Asana into bed, “He picked the wrong name.”

“Klaus didn’t though.”

Comfortably wrapped inside the warm cotton blankets, Elias joined her on the other side. His self-help book set to his bedside table.

“Which is why he’ll be disappointed.”

Turning on her side to face her husband, she found it suspicious Klaus knew, “How did he know though?”

Leaving enough space for her bump in bed, Elias laid down with his face to hers, “I’m guessing he assumed he would name our daughter after your mother.”

“Is it too obvious?” she wondered.

“I think it’s a lovely name,” he said, snaking his arm under her pillow and wrapping his other around her, “Charlotte Goldstein.”

Eyes fighting to stay awake, she spoke through a tired yawn, “It does suit her, doesn’t it?

“It does, especially if she is what you have envisioned her to look like in Our Little Goldstein.”

“Hm,” she murmured, agreeing, “Our little Charlotte. Can’t wait to meet you.”

After she said that, her eyes closed drifting to sleep for the night. Sweeping a whisk of her chestnut hair away from her forehead, Elias planted a sweet kiss on her skin. Smiling, he drifted off to sleep to. The nerves he had earlier seemed to have vanished.

The due date would be here and no doubt quickly.

#elias goldstein #mc #shall we date wizardess #fanfic #pregnancy #fluff #klaus goldstein #alfonse goldstein #waltergoldstein

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asunafairywizardessheart · 4 years ago

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Nine Months Series Part 1. Special Announcement

Elias/Asana

Summary: A three part story that time lapses from the start to the end of Asana’s pregnancy.

Goldstein birthdays were usually a grand affair.

The extravagant ball room would welcome esteemed guests to drink, eat and dance with merry celebrating the matriarch’s special day. However, this year the matriarch had requested a quiet dinner with her family.

In the formal dining hall sat Walter and Mary at each end of the table, Alfonse and Klaus to the right and Elias and Asana to the left. A candle chandelier provided light above the table and reflected off the marble walls of the room. A neatly arranged sheet of golden silk had been placed in the middle of the long glass table and pinned down by medium-sized glass vases filled with oriental white lilies.

“Happy birthday Mother,” Alfonse toasted.

“Happy birthday Mother,” Klaus seconded.

“Yes, hope you’ve had a wonderful birthday,” Elias added, “Though, I must admit I’m rather curious as to why there was no big celebration this year?

Mary smiled sweetly to her curious son and answered him happily, “I’m simply a mother who wished for the day when I would have my three sons sit down for an intimate family dinner. Not to brag, but now I also have a daughter to join this long awaited moment.”

Her answer may have sounded like an exaggeration. However, there was truth to that statement.

“And, I have had had such a wonderful day. It is a shame that Asana has been feeling unwell though,” she added, turning her gaze to her daughter-in-law sitting beside her son, “How are you feeling dear?”

Not just her mother’s eyes, but the eyes of her husband, brothers and father had all waited for her response.

A sincere sense of guilt had bothered her all day because she had to bail on many activities that celebrated Mary’s birthday. Yet, it never seemed to bother her mother-in-law. Asana bowed her head apologetically to her mother-in-law, “I’m so sorry that I have not well enough to celebrate your birthday with you.”

“Oh my dear,” Mary wasn’t concerned with that, “Never mind my birthday. I have had many birthdays and there will be more to come. I just want you to be healthy.”

Asana smiled weakly, her face still noticeably pale.

“Yes, I have noticed you have barely touched your food?” Walter now enquired worriedly, “Did the doctor come by this afternoon?”

She hadn’t realised that her father’s perceptive eyes had noticed the subtle rolls and twists she made with her fork working over the pasta and vegetables incorporated into the meal before them on the table.

Now, her head face the other end of the table to meet her father-in-law’s gaze.

“Oh yes, he did come by,” Asana answered him, “He gave me some medicine before he left.”

Klaus now chimed in, “Did he come to a diagnosis?”

Before Asana could answer his question, Alfonse got some words in before she did, “She knows,” he chuckled, “Don’t forget that she’s a doctor too.”

“Well, instead of medicine,” Klaus began, “Why couldn’t he just heal her with a spell?”

Hearing Klaus’ question, Walter and Mary had had similar questions too.

“Yes,” Walter shared, “I had the same thought as you Klaus. Did he not use magic to heal you?”

All eyes again focused on her for an answer. Including Elias. Since it was a private consultation, the doctor kindly requested that Asana have some privacy while he had examined her symptoms.

“You’ve been feeling on and off since last week at home,” Elias looked to her, “It worries me that you have been feeling this anaemic lately. The last time I remember it affecting you this badly was when we were students at the academy. You ended up fainting in practical magic, remember?”

However, this was the first time his parents and Alfonse had heard of it.

“So then, this is anaemia?” Mary wondered.

Asana knew what had been causing her anaemic reactions lately. Though, she hadn’t yet consulted Elias on what was the true cause for her symptoms and she wasn’t comfortable in revealing the truth this way.

“Well, it is and it isn’t,” Asana cheekily smiled across to her mother.

This surprised Elias, “What does that mean? Did the doctor find something else?”

“I’ll tell you later,” she smiled at him, “The doctor couldn’t heal me with magic but he did give me a potion to help make my symptoms less severe. I have already taken a prescribed amount and feel much better than before he came to see me.”

“But, you’ve barely touched your food?” Walter raised an eyebrow.

Asana scratched her cheek as she searched for an answer to his question.

“Is it not to your liking?” Alfonse asked.

“That’s not it,” Asana floundered for an excuse, “It does smell delicious. It’s just… making me feel a little nauseous is all.”

“Nauseous?” Elias quizzed.

Mary giggled to herself. As a mother to three sons, it wasn’t hard to logically connect her answers to the cause of her symptoms. Hearing her giggle to herself, Asana turned her attention to Mary. “Don’t worry about it,” Mary winked at her, “We just hope you get better soon Asana.”

Asana blushed shyly now that she had understood what had bothered her so much.

After dinner had finished, Asana had quietly slipped out of the house to take in some fresh air. Supporting her weight against a column, she inhaled the fresh summer air. The effects of the potion were starting to make her feel better. Normally, illness would make anyone feel sad but she felt overwhelmingly happy.

Although, she wasn’t alone for long.

“Have you told him yet?”

That voice belonged to Mary who had joined Asana in her privacy.

“Not yet,” Asana smiled at her, “I’m not sure how to?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, this is my first time doing this?” Asana explained, “So, I’m not sure how it should be done.”

Mary giggled again, “This takes me back to when I had to tell Walter. Just like you are doing now I waited for the right moment as well because it was such a special moment in our lives. For five years it was Walter and me but then Alfonse happened.”

“How did you tell him?” Asana asked.

“I slipped in an image of my first scan into one of Walter’s books,” Mary remembered.

Asana could imagine Walter’s youthful face when he found that image among the pages of his book. And could see Elias doing the same thing as well. She thought it was a cute and memorable way to reveal a pregnancy. “Perhaps, I should tell him creatively too,” Asana smiled.

“It is certainly entertaining to watch their faces light up when it clicks,” Mary laughed, “Alfonse was not a planned pregnancy. Klaus was. Elias wasn’t. However, each reveal is a precious memory only parents can reminisce about.”

Mary turned to her daughter-in-law and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “Knowing that I’m going to be a grandmother is the best birthday gift. Thank you. How far along are you?”

“Eight weeks.”

“Well, rest as much as you can.”

Some time more Mary and Asana took up a seat on the outdoor chairs overlooking the gardens. With fireflies illuminating the hedges by the stone railings of the veranda, Mary and Asana talked more about pregnancies and babies. Though, it was more a mother sharing her own experiences to her daughter-in-law who was going through this for the first time. Naturally, she had many questions and many concerns too that Mary tried her best to answer to ease her thoughts.

The conversation dragged on longer than they had expected. Once Mary had excused herself for the night, Asana was by herself once more. She decided that she would tell him creatively too. But, she didn’t want to copy Mary’s examples. She thought hard and came up with a perfect idea!

As the house grew quieter as everyone went to bed, Asana stayed up and used a space in the living room to begin her surprise. She procured blank pieces of parchment and began drawing and writing upon their aged pages. Time passed as she shaded, scratched and concentrated on the pages in front of her. Eventually, the blank parchments were illuminated with colour. As she continued on with her project determined to complete it before morning light.

At quarter to three in the early morning, Asana had finally finished her project and bound the pages inside a auburn leather cover. In gold letters, she wrote the title: “The Little Goldstein.” With her wand in hand, she cast a spell on the book and it absorbed the light. With that final touch, she was done.

“Hope he likes this,” she was satisfied with her hard work.

She extinguished the lights and headed to their chambers with the book she had just made in hand. Quietly, she stepped into their chambers to find Elias sound asleep on his usual right side of their bed. Careful not to wake him, she set the book down on his bedside table. She hoped he would see it when he woke up in the morning. But, it was time to sleep.

At morning light, Elias was first to wake up and was relieved to see Asana next to him. He had noticed that she had come to bed late but assumed that she was simply restless. Carefully, he kissed her cheek before climbing out of bed. However, before he could lift his body off the bed a auburn leather book on his bedside table caught his eye.

He picked it up and examined it, “I don’t remember reading a book before I went to bed?” he questioned how it got there.

“The Little Goldstein?” he read the title quietly.

Confused, he opened the book but a bright light blinded him. He sensed it wasn’t a dangerous light. In fact, the magic felt warm. As his vision came to, he was no longer sitting on his bed within his chambers.

Rather, he was back in their master bedroom at their mountainside cottage where they currently resided. “What?” he wondered, “Was I not just at the estate?” he said confused.

“Wait, let me retrace my steps,” he tried to make sense of why he was back home.

Suddenly, a beautiful melody sounded from down the hallway. It was a voice he recognised anywhere. He had heard Asana’s beautiful singing voice many times and was happy knowing that she was here somewhere. He followed the sound of her voice.

Not far from their master bedroom, he found her with her back turned from the door. Dressed in a long white cotton gown and her chestnut hair cascading down her front shoulder she sang what sounded like a lullaby.

Morning light shined gently through the window panes bathing her in a soft glow as she sang along sweetly. As her song came to an end, she carefully leaned down and gently lowered something onto a small cushion bed. Shaping the object before Asana, he realised the draping white cotton flowing from the bedding to the floor was attached to a bassinette.

“A bassinette?” he quizzed.

At the sound of his voice, she turned her head.

“Oh, good morning Elias,” she smiled at himi, “Sorry, I haven’t started breakfast yet.”

Elias didn’t bother for breakfast since he was still trying to make sense of this sequence before him, “There’s no rush,” he said to her and walked up to her, “Is anything the matter?”

As he approached the bassinette he could see the movement of tiny pink toes and the innocent murmurs of a baby babbling. A stunned expression overcame his face, “A baby?” he questioned, surprised by the little human’s presence in their house.

Asana heard him, “That’s mean,” she giggled and cuddled up to him, “Our daughter.”

The revelation that this little girl was their daughter was unexpected. However, looking down at her she had the same amethyst eyes and curling golden hair as he did. However, the big and round shape of her eyes were definitely the same as Asana’s. “Our daughter? This is our daughter?”

Asana nodded, “She’s prefect, right? Can’t believe we made such a beautiful little girl.”

For what seemed like an eternity, he stood their astonished while gazing down at baby Asana said was their daughter. He couldn’t doubt that her appearance were so alike theirs. Her little body fidgeted as she moved around. Watching her innocent movements, Elias relaxed and reached his finger out to touch her delicately tiny hand. Instantly, her tiny hand wrapped around his finger but it wasn’t quite large enough to go all the way around. “H-Hello,” he shyly greeted her as her grip tightened.

Asana giggled, “Why are you so shy all of a sudden? I don’t remember you being this shy with her last night.”

“Huh?” Elias almost forgot his wife was standing next to her, “Oh… but…is she really our daughter?”

“Of course she is,” Asana tilted her head at him, “Are you okay? You seem off.

With the little baby’s hand still gripping his finger tightly with no intention of letting go, Elias did feel off because this whole scenario was strange. Though, it wasn’t too bad. They had discussed children many times and starting a family was definitely one of their goals. But, seeing it so out of the blue stunned him.

“Well, not that I don’t enjoy this just this is weird,” he expressed to her, “We’ve always talked about having children but seeing her is…surreal. Especially when I could have sworn we were just celebrating Mom’s birthday just last night.”

“Maybe you had one of those realistic dreams?”

Elias was certain that this wasn’t real and that he was inside that book he had opened in his chambers. “…Maybe?” he went along with her theory anyway.

“Though, our little Goldstein is very surreal,” Asana hugged him, “She looks just like you.”

He smiled down at the baby girl who had fallen asleep with her hand still tightly holding onto his finger, “She’s pretty cute.”

“Yeah, she is.”

In that moment, a flash of light flashed around him and his vision turned white again. Suddenly, he was back in his chambers again. The book he had opened still in his hands. “What was that?” he wondered.

He looked to Asana’s side of the bed to see her wide awake and crawling on her knees across the bed to him. “Sorry, that may have been too weird,” she shyly giggled.

“Huh?”

She looked down at the book he held in his hands. He followed her gaze.

“You mean this book?”

“Yeah.”

“You made this?”

She nodded, “Sorry. I thought it would be cute.”

“What makes you think I didn’t like it?” he enquired.

“You seemed annoyed when you came back.”

Elias shook his head, “No. I wasn’t annoyed.”

“No?”

“Of course not,” he assured her, “I was upset. I wanted to spend more time there.”

Hearing him say that, she sighed with relief and took his hands into hers, “Well, soon.”

Covering his hands with hers, she gently pressed them against her stomach.

“…You mean?” he asked astonishedly, this announcement catching him unexpectedly.

“Our little Goldstein,” Asana smiled at him.

“…W-We’re going to be parents?”

“Yep.”

Taking a moment to absorb this information he inhaled a sharp breath. It finally made sense to him. Like puzzles pieces had assembled to create a uniform picture. Her unexplained tiredness and nausea he had concluded to be another anaemic episode she was prone to having. “It all makes sense now,” he gently rested his forehead on hers, “I simply thought you were suffering from anaemia. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Expressions of confusion had disappeared from his face and Asana could see his lips pulled into a smile. “I didn’t want to say anything without making it special. So, I stayed up last night making that book. Are you happy?”

His arms wrapped around her and she found herself being swept into an embrace, “More than happy. I can’t wait to meet our little Goldstein,” he squeezed her body closer to him, “Let me know what I can do to help you be comfortable.”

Asana returned his gesture by wrapping her arms around him, “I will. This will be an exciting time ahead for us.”

They stayed embracing each other for a long moment.

#elias goldstein #mc #wizardess heart #fanfic #pregnancy #fluff #magic #klaus goldstein #alfonse goldstein #waltergoldstein #family

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asunafairywizardessheart · 4 years ago

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Six Years

Elias/Asana

Summary: Elias and Asana celebrate six years of marriage relaxing at home.

“I thought that was never going to end,” Asana sighed with relief.

Although it was a weekend, Asana had an unexpected number of animal and magical creature emergencies that kept her occupied for most of the day.

With the last of her patients being healed back to health it was time to head inside and relax for the rest of the day. Locking the door to her veterinary clinic she followed a path of granite stepping stones to the back entrance to her house.

As she followed the stepping stones, she hadn’t realised just how late it had become. The roof of her cottage had blocked out the sun’s bright light, but the sky was no longer its usual blue. Rather, it was bathed in a warm orange hue that only signified the end of the day and the start of the night.

“Oh, it’s so late too,” she sighed and suddenly looked sad.

Following a curve in the path she followed, part of the sun’s light caught the diamond that sat upon her left hand. On her second last finger, a silver ring encrusted with sparkling diamonds danced with the sun’s orange light. The twinkle catching her eye only made her feel a sensation of guilt.

For today was special.

The last stepping stone led to a cute and charming farmhouse style portico which accessed the blue cottage through the rear of the house. Without hesitation, she turned the dark grey and round door knob and entered, leaving her working shoes outside the door.

Much like outside, the inside of the openly designed house was aglow in a hue of warm orange.

The rear entrance led through to the kitchen to where she found the man who sealed his vows with a kiss and the ring the sunset kissed on her way inside the house.

Not yet realising her presence, his back was turned from her. In the short steps which separated them, she could his white shirt fluttering in synchronisation with the movement of his body as he worked over something on the kitchen bench. At the same time, there was a savoury smell drifting through the kitchen and on a nearby stove a hot skillet made sizzling noises as it cooked something within. On another bench beside him, charcoal coloured round plates were waiting to be prepared with whatever he was cooking along with two round glasses and bottle of red wine.

The sad expression she wore just a minute ago had somehow now faded. Instead, a content smile crept across her face.

Without him noticing her entrance, she quietly closed the gap between them. Gently, she gathered her arms around his waist and hugged him from behind.

“Oh, I didn’t hear you come in,” silky and gentle, his voice resonated as he accepted her embrace, “Are you all done with your patients now?” he asked, turning only his head to see hers resting against the broadness of his back.

Sensing his amethyst eyes on her, she met his gaze and her smile grew bigger, “Yes, finally.”

“Is everything okay? You had an unexpected amount of patients for a weekend,” his attention turned back to his task over the kitchen bench.

“It is now,” she answered not letting go of her hold of him, “I can’t remember the last time I had that many emergencies on a weekend. And, not just any weekend. A special day for us.”

He chuckled. Momentarily, he stopped his task and rested his large hand over hers which rested against his stomach, “It’s okay, I understand. There’s no need for you to feel bad.”

In response, she squeezed him a little more in a burst of happiness that she had married such a wonderful man. “Thank you,” she planted a small kiss on his back, hoping he felt it even through the layer of white cotton that covered his skin.

He did. That small kiss spread a warmth within him.

“I hope you are hungry?” he enquired.

“I’m starving,�� she answered.

Releasing him from her hug, she turned to the cabinets, “I can set the table if you like?” she offered.

Before she could commit to the task, his large hand gently wrapped around her wrist and pulled her closer to him. This time, his entire body faced her. His hand released her wrist. Just like she had hugged him, this time she found her body gently embraced within his arms, “E-Elias?” she was confused.

While in her confusion, she felt his lips gently brush hers followed by his fingers lovingly trace down her cheek and down her jaw line without his eyes breaking contact with hers. “I don’t want you to lift a finger,” his soft eyes and beautiful smiled melted her heart, “I want you to relax and I’ll call you once dinner is all set. Consider this part of my anniversary present.”

“But-“ she was going to protest but Elias planted another kiss on her lips.

This one lasted longer than the previous one. “No buts,” he said, breaking the kiss, “I always had this planned anyway.”

“You did?”

“I want to spoil my wife with a home cooked dinner on our anniversary,” he smiled, “You always cook for us. So, I wanted to return the favour.”

“Elias…,” her smile widened yet again.

Suddenly, his cheeks had a slight redness to them and his tone became shy, “Though… I’m not as good as you when it comes to cooking but usually I’m the one so busy that you end up cooking for us. So, this was my chance to treat you. Having all those emergencies happen bought me enough time to come up with something.”

“Oh you,” this time it was her who planted sweet peck on his lips, “So, what’s on the menu tonight?”

“All will be revealed soon. In the meantime, go freshen up,” he teased her. “Off you go. Don’t ruin the surprise,” he released her from his embrace and cheekily shooed her from the kitchen.

“Okay,” she giggled, “I’ll go take a quick shower then. I can’t wait to try whatever it is you’re cooking because it smells yummy.”

“Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes,” he informed her, “Now, go on,” he insisted.

The gap between them grew larger once again. Visible from the kitchen, she approached the iron spiral staircase at the farthest end from the kitchen but closer to the front entrance of the house. Her shadow trailed her body as she disappeared to the second floor on her way to freshen up in their bathroom attached to their master bedroom.

Knowing she was clear of the kitchen, he could refocus on setting up the dark oak table he had moved next to a single hung window.

Collecting his wand from a nearby desk, Elias held it in the air and cast a spell, “Aperio.” A golden light emitted from the tip of the wand and instantly objects began to take form across the surface of the dining table.

A white linen sheet covered the oak table followed by the centrepiece. A silver crystal vase with a bouquet of pink hydrangeas he had procured from the florists in town earlier in the day. Perfectly aligned with the vase, golden candelabras each holding a single white candle towered over the vase. Next came the dinner ware. A transparent under plate supported the round charcoal plates Asana had spotted earlier. Heart folded napkins took their place beside the main plates along with sterling silver cutlery and empty round glassware taking place atop a transparent coaster. Lastly, the wine. He stored that inside a silver chilling bucket and cast a cooling spell over the bottle to keep it cold while he waited for dinner to be ready.

Stepping back into the kitchen, he admired the table’s set up. Although she would be happy with his effort, he felt as though the table missed something. A thought went off in his head. With a quick toss of the skillet, he headed over to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment paper. Picking up his quill, he wrote a quick note and signing it and placed it in the centre of the plate on her side of the table.

Many minutes passed by and dinner almost ready to be served. Barefooted, Asana began to descend the staircase once more. When her body came to view, she look completely refreshed with her hair still slightly damp from the moisture of the shower but towel dried enough that no water dripped to the floor.

The smell of the food was more fragranced than when she had first entered the kitchen. “It smells delicious Elias,” she said, stepping off the last step of the staircase.

As she approached the kitchen, the dining room caught her eye. “Oh, Elias!” she gasped at the sight. It was simply yet beautifully decorated with her second- favourite flower as the centrepiece. Splashes of white, pink, silver and gold worked together to transform their quaint oak table into a table worthy of the finest restaurants. Leaning down, she smelt the sweet scent of the hydrangea petals.

“Sorry. I couldn’t procure any aruenaristy flowers,” he apologised as he watched her reaction to the set-up he had prepared.

The lace cuffs of her cotton-white night dress fluttered as she moved a lock of her chestnut hair behind her ear to look at him, “No, it’s perfect,” she smiled at him, “It’s so perfect I could cry.”

Elias chuckled, “Please don’t. I never know what to do when you cry, even if it’s out of happiness.”

“Did you need help with anything at all?” she enquired.

Elias sighed and gave her an intense yet gentle stare, “What did I say before?”

“I know but I feel guilty not doing anything.”

“This is my treat,” he insisted, “Dinner will be ready soon. Go ahead and take a seat. Just adding the final garnishes.”

“Okay,” she reluctantly sat down at her usual spot at the dinner table.

Briefly, she admired his quick and swift movements through the kitchen but her attention was once again captured by the beautifully arranged table before her. That was when she found a piece of parchment with Elias’ cursive handwritten on its surface.

She read the contents aloud.

‘To my dearest wife. Thank you for being my best friend and my partner for life for the past six years. Can’t wait for whatever happens next in our lives together. Your loving husband, Elias.’

Overhearing her reading his note, he blushed slightly.

Overjoyed by his sincerity, tears wet her eyes even though no droplets escaped, “I feel the same,” she whispered emotionally to him, “I look forward to all our years together. I love you, Elias.”

“I love you too,” he reciprocated.

At last dinner was ready.

“Ready to eat?” he asked.

“Yes!”

Dished into two white ceramic bowls, Elias set the bowls onto the charcoal plates he had prepared earlier. She couldn’t wait to peep into the bowl to see what he had created for their anniversary dinner.

Steam rose from the bowl sending hints of garlic, rosemary and mushroom fragrances to her nose. It made her stomach rumble with hunger. Neatly arranged pasta weaved through the evenly cut chunks of meat and bite-sized pieces of portobello mushrooms.

“Wow, you really went all out didn’t you?” she quizzed, impressed by his effort.

“Pappardelle pasta with portobello rosemary mushrooms,” he revealed the name of the recipe. “I only hope it tastes as good as it smells. Would you like some wine?”

“I would love some,” she happily accepted.

He poured her glass first and then his own. Before taking a bite of the meal, they cheered to their marriage, “Six years since our wedding but many more years together to come,” he said.

Filling her fork she took a first big bite. The flavours blended together nicely. The pasta was perfectly al dente, the meat was deliciously tender and the mushrooms were soft. “This is delicious Elias,” she complimented.

“I’m happy it turned out exactly as I had in mind,” he felt relieved. “Now, don’t get too full. There’s dessert too.”

After dinner, Elias served tiramisu placed in a dessert glass upon a saucer. The surface of the saucer he had covered in red rose petals.

Asana was overjoyed with the effort he had gone to for the anniversary of their marriage.

Over the course of the meal, they polished off the entire bottle of wine but only felt the effects slightly. They engaged in exciting conversation, especially about the unprecedented emergency cases Asana had today in the clinic. At last the meal was polished off and the dishes abandoned to the sink.

As Elias began rolling up his sleeves to clean them, he felt her delicate hands envelop his, “Thank you for a wonderful meal Elias. I truly appreciate the effort you went to tonight,” she expressed her gratitude deeply.

Bringing her body closer to his, her hands traversed up his arms. His taut biceps she could feel through his shirt. Eventually, she cupped the back of his neck, stood on her toes and deeply kissed him. He was surprised. This wasn’t a light or sweet gesture. Maybe the wine made her bolder in her approach? He returned her kiss deeply too but then she broke away.

The lingering feeling of her lips on his only made him crave her more and it would seem he wasn’t alone in that thought. While her lips pulled away, her hands found their way back down to his. Not averting her gaze away from his eyes, she pulled him along gently. Guiding them up the stairs and down the hallway of the second floor to their master bedroom until finally they were at the foot of their bed.

“I didn’t have time to prepare anything for you this year,” she spoke softly and cheeks flushed with a shade of red, “But… I can do something to show you how much I love you.”

One by one, Elias could feel his shirt buttons being untied but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her adorable blushing face. Even after all this time, and the countless times they had done this, his heart still pounded at her touch. She had grown confident with touching him like this, but she still blushed each time she made the first move on him.

With the last button untied, his fair skin peeked from underneath the shirt with her hands now turning to the bow tie that kept her nightdress snug around body. Unfastening the laces of the bow tie, her dress fell enough to expose her shoulders to him.

Unable to hold back his desire, his lips trailed loving kisses along her shoulder. To the hitching of her breath, he felt her hands slowly glide up his body. Eventually, they found their way to his shoulders. He felt her hands gently peel his shirt off enough to expose the skin of his shoulder blades to her. Just as he was doing to her, he felt her lips trail softly along his shoulder and up to his neck.

This was the beginning of a long and passionate night together.

#wizardess heart #elias #fluff #marriage #love #goldstein

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asunafairywizardessheart · 8 years ago

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Safe Return Home

Vincent/Asana

Note: NSFW. Sex scenes for mature audiences only.

Anon request.

Summary: After being called away urgently, Asana is worried since he has been gone for quite some time. When he arrives home early next morning, the need to feel he is safely back in her arms leads to a very hot morning.

Asana couldn't sleep. Opening her eyes, she found herself alone in Vincent's bed, the room shrouded in the darkness of the night. A single stream of flame coloured light stretched from the window by the bed and extended through to the kitchen, casting a light on the refrigerator door.

“Hope he's okay,” she whispered into the darkness.

She rose to her feet and gazed out the window to see if she could see his figure coming towards the home. While they were eating dinner, Vincent had received an urgent message from the ministry to assist another unit of wizard knights taking heavy fire by a group of dark wizards trying to evade capture.

He didn't say anything to her but he kissed her lips passionately and stroked her cheek with a lock of her brown hair falling through his fingers, “Make yourself at home,” he told her, “I don't know how long this may take,” he kissed her again and left the house.

It seemed impossible to let go of his hand as he pulled away from her when he left hours ago. Looking at the clock on the wall, the sun would soon rise on the next day. Each time she thought about going to sleep, her mind was consumed with nightmares of the worst-case scenario.

“Stop it!” she admonished herself, “He's fine. He will come home,” she convinced herself out loud.

She needed a distraction from thinking about Vincent and where he was fighting. She decided to clean up the house a little bit and read through her book until she fell asleep with the lights on and the sun rising in the sky. It was still early when Vincent arrived home, only seven-thirty.

With a click, he unlocked the front door and found the house cleaned with Asana fast asleep on the bed with a book laying across her stomach. He sighed, “Did you wait up for me?” he took the book from her and bookmarked the page she was on and placed it on the table beside the bed.

Tucking her underneath the covers, he wanted to get out of his uniform and use the shower to cleanse his body from the exhausting battle last night. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her, “I'm home baby,” he whispered.

She stirred slightly in her sleep but didn’t wake up since she was exhausted. Grabbing a fresh set of clothes Vincent went for a shower, but not before looking back at Asana, adorably and beautifully, sleeping with the sun glowing down on her body. Closing the door, there was a happiness in his heart he couldn't describe. It was her influence, he knew that, but he had never felt this happy with anyone before.

Turning the shower on, he waited for the water to warm up before stepping in and closing the shower door behind him. Some wounds he sustained last night stung in the shower, but they were minor scratches and bruises. They would heal in time. Water ran through his fire red hair as he thought about the past twelve hours and how she had waited for him.

Outside the bathroom, Asana had awakened from her sleep but stayed in bed and listened to the water running in the shower. She had an urge to get up from the bed and join him. She didn't know why, but she wanted to feel him and let it really sink in that he was home and he was safely back in her arms again.

She flipped the blankets off just as Vincent turned off the water. Nervously, she put her hand on the knob of the wooden door and opened it. In nothing but a towel tightened around his waist, their eyes met through the mirror. “Are you peeking?” Vincent smiled at her.

She blushed and could see the scratches and bruises across his back, chest and arms and some rips in his uniform. He watched her from the mirror as she gently inspected the rips across his uniform and could read the look on her face, “Hey, stop making that face,” he turned around and wrapped his hand around her hand over the top of the white and blue uniform.

Her eyes met the minor injuries he suffered across his broad and fit body. They filled with tears, but she didn’t want to cry in front of him and buried her face in his chest, “…I’m sorry,” she apologized, trying to use a strong and confident voice to hide the fear and anxiety that had kept her awake, “I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” Vincent kissed the top of her head and embraced her gently.

Composing herself, her fingers gently felt the roughness of a scratch along his rib cage which made him flinch slightly, “Does this hurt you?” she wondered if the wound stung him.

“A little,” he reached for her hand, “But, you shouldn’t touch a man so casually like that.”

“Let me heal you?” she offered, “It is my specialty after all. Wait here.”

All the scratches and bruises he sustained did not matter too much to him since they would heal by themselves. She quickly vanished from the bathroom and came back with her brown wand in hand. She had grown into a stronger wizardess and readied her wand, “Sanatio Osclum!”

Vincent was no expert on healing magic, but he knew that incantation wasn’t right, “Um, Asana?” he watched as a green light enveloped her body and was ready to act if her spell went wrong.

However, it didn’t, and she watched him tilt his head, “I’m going to heal you.”

“How?” Vincent chuckled, “I think you used the wrong spell.”

“I didn’t,” she assured him, “Watch.”

He had a scratch on the right side of his chest just above his nipples. With her lips, she kissed over the scratch and he felt her warm magic make the wound disappear, “Asana,” he breathed in sharply, “What are you trying to do to me?”

She moved across to a bruise he had sustained on the other side of his chest. His heart beat raced and he knew she could probably feel it thumping underneath his skin. He desperately tried to control himself as her lips moved further down his body and caressed parts of his skin that were unscathed.

“…Asana,” he watched her head move and then her eyes looked up at him, “Don’t do that. You’re making it hard for me to behave.”

In response, she only smiled up at him and moved her lips down his body to heal every bruise and scratch on his skin. Her heart beat was racing too as she smoothed her hands up his body as she used her kiss to heal the wounds on his back. She just wanted to touch him and let her psychical senses confirm he had come home safely to her.

It was as though she had become more sensitive because she could feel his heart beat racing and how rapid his breath had become from her touches. Those hard and tight muscles beneath his wet skin felt good under her soft touch and it only turned her on. “Asana,” Vincent’s voice had become raspy and deep, “…If you don’t stop, I can’t guarantee I’ll be a gentleman.”

With the way she felt, all she wanted was to feel him. She was hungry for his touch. Inspecting his body, every bruise and scratch she had seen had vanished, except for the cut on his lip. “I’m almost done,” she promised and stood on her the tip of her toes.

Asana craved him and Vincent’s desire for her had been stirred from her gentle touch and kisses over his body. Pulling herself closer to him, it felt as though time stopped as she pressed her soft lips onto his, still warm and damp from his shower. A warmth spread through him as her kiss healed the cut on his bottom lip, but it was the electricity which ran through his entire body that he felt the most.

She pulled away and studied his face as he slowly opened his eyes to search her expression for any signs of protest as his control over his desire to touch her faded. Stroking his fingers through her hair, he felt her body pull closer to him as she stood on the tip of her toes again to reach his lips, “Vincent…,” she whispered his name, and this time she deepened their kiss, and he parted his lips, invitingly.

Her little tongue flicked against his and her hands, which had come to wrap around the back of his head for support, gently encouraged him forward. “…Asana…,” he called her name between their breaths, “I can’t hold back any longer,” he whispered through a heavy breath.

With a quick answer through her own strong breathing, she answered with deep eye contact, “I don’t want you to hold back, Vincent,” she smoothed a part of his damp red hair from his eyes and brushed her fingers through a lock of hair which fell over his face.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips hard against hers and pushed his tongue through the gap of her parted lips. The force of their kiss almost made her fall over but her back hit the cold tiled walls behind her with her body now pinned by Vincent’s. His large hands gripped the back of her thighs and she felt her feet leave the ground, but their lips stayed connected with their tongues sliding against the other, and wrapped her legs around him.

“Mmm,” Asana moaned under Vincent’s touch.

He chuckled, “It’s my turn to touch you,” he whispered in her ear.

His fingers glided softly against her skin and travelled up her inner thighs while his lips trailed open mouthed kisses along her neck and on her mouth. Everywhere he touched, her body reacted with a flinch. It wasn’t much but his touch was like a shot of electricity that sent waves throughout every inch of her body. In some ways it was unbearable, but she craved more.

Vincent smiled as his fingers ghosted over her wet panties, “You’re ready for me already, darling,” he teased her but wasn’t ready yet to give into her desire since she was still dressed in her light night gown, “This needs to come off.”

With a smooth touch, his fingers smoothed up the sides of her warm skin. Perhaps it was her desperate craving for him that she was highly sensitive to where his fingers had touched, but where his fingertips had pressed against her flesh it burned her and sent waves of electricity through her body. Clutching at the silky fabric of her night gown, the chilled air circulating through the bathroom struck her exposed skin until she was exposed before him.

His eyes travelled up and down her nearly naked body and she watched his golden eyes darken with desire. Tilting her chin up to meet his gaze, she smiled at him, “Your towel needs to go,” Asana whispered, tugging at the linen trapped between their bodies. Reaching for the linen, she tugged at the fabric for it all to unravel and fall to the ground as Vincent pulled away to let it crumble to the cool floor.

“I know something else that needs to go,” Vincent tugged on the waist band of her purple panties.

She smiled and pulled them down, but he stopped her hands, “What’s wrong?”

“Allow me,” Vincent insisted.

Tilting her chin to meet his gaze, Vincent searched her desirable eyes as his lips closed in on hers once again. Pressing his lips hard against hers, he slipped in his tongue and lapped up her taste for a moment before following a line from her lips, chin and neck down her body. Holding onto the towel railing beside her, Vincent’s red hair tickled her skin, like a feather, as he made love to her body with his open mouth kisses, “You did this to me,” Vincent kissed around her breast’s nipples before closing his tongue around the sensitive pink bud and began to suck on the hard flesh.

“Ahh!” she moaned, her back arching off the wall.

He moved across to the left breast and did the same thing to it as he did to the right. Again, she moaned and jumped in response to the pleasure which ran through her body. She felt him let go and felt her feet touch the cold floor. However, he kneeled in front of her, trailing a line of kisses from the center of her chest down to her navel and across to her hip.

Gently, he nipped her hip bone, “Ngh!” at first it hurt, but his large tongue soothed over the red bite mark.

“What to do to you?” he teased her as he kissed across from her hip to where the band of her purple panties remained fastened around her.

Asana watched him peel her underwear down her legs and stepped out of them once they hit the floor. Guiding a leg over his shoulder, he smiled up at her as their gazes met. She knew what he was about to do, and her heart was pounding against her skin hard.

His large hand held her leg in place over his shoulder, but he teased her by kissing along her inner thighs. She grew frustrated and he sensed it, chuckling. “Don’t be mean,” she begged for him, “Please, Vincent.”

“Well, since you asked nicely,” Vincent kissed her lightly on the outside of the skin, “Just so you know, there’s no escaping from here.”

She giggled but had no plans of running, “I’m ready.”

On his face, she saw him wearing a smile that made her aware of the long morning she was in for. At least, she had nothing important to do but spending the day in Vincent’s arms was a day she could look forward to. She felt his wet tongue trace the outline of her entrance, a smile embracing her lips as he continued to slowly tease her. Biting her lip as she watched Vincent, the sensation of his tongue felt amazing to her sensitive skin that she hummed her moans, “More…,” she begged in a whisper.

Hearing her plead, Vincent run his large hands up her body to support her standing. Then, increasing his pace, his tongue moved against her hood, lapping up her juices as he slowly increased the intensity. Gripping on tighter to the towel rack, she felt her body losing its strength and tightening up with tension as Vincent support her and deepened his tongue inside of her.

“Ah, Vincent!” she could feel his tongue sliding against her and hitting the right spots that made her vocals uncontrollable, “Vinc…ent,” she called him, breathlessly with relentless waves of pleasure rolling through her body.

He didn’t rest as his kisses became rougher and faster on the volume of her moans and the way her body arched and jumped to the intensity of his touch encouraged him further. She could feel her pulse sending vibrations through her skin and the knot inside of her etching closer to that rush of ecstasy, her moans and wet noises filled the softly diffused sunlit room to the delight of his ears.

As she hurtled towards that sweet release, she could feel her legs wobbling underneath her, but she had a firm grip on the towel railing, with her knuckles a shade of white as she tightly held on it and Vincent’s handprints felt like they were imprinted on her skin as he supported her. Delving deeper into her center, Vincent sucked on bud between her legs.

“Ahhhhh!” she cried out, loudly.

It didn’t take long for the built-up tension in her body rip through her nerves, sending waves to the very tips of her fingers and toes. Her mind couldn’t think of anything else other than the way her body felt lighter and the pulsing aftermath that feeling left lingering throughout her body. However, she wasn’t completely satisfied, not yet.

Standing to his feet, Vincent gently and slowly kissed her lips, “How was that, good?”

She nodded and received another kiss from his lips, “…Vincent, please…take me to the bed,” she requested, feeling like she had lost the ability to walk or stand, as Vincent held her tightly in his arms.

It would be a long morning for them both and between the bed sheets is where they would spend the rest of the morning making love, again and again.

#vincent knight #asanawayMC #wizardess heart #wizardessfanfic #nsfw #sex #love #maturereaders

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asunafairywizardessheart · 8 years ago

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Part 5 Thanksgiving in the Country: Promises and Acceptances

Elias/Asana

This is the final part of this mini story, hope you enjoyed it.

Elias emerged from the shower, his hair partially wet. Sunlight streamed through the window and lightly glowed upon her body as she took advantage of the holiday to sleep in. She wore a smile as she slept on her side, with her knees tucked slightly and her cheek resting upon the back of her hand. Her beauty accentuated by the sunlight.

It was a sight he was accustomed to seeing and a view he was never tired of seeing. While admiring her sleeping, Elias saw his phone by the bed side table began flashing as it rang on silent. Vibrating on the wooden surface, the knocking stirred Asana but he sat on the edge of the bed and read the caller ID.

“Hello, Father,” Elias whispered.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he greeted, “Extend my best wishes to Asana and her family.”

“I will, Happy Thanksgiving to Mother and you,” he returned the gesture, “Give me a moment, Asana’s sleeping so I need to take this outside.”

He rose to his feet, careful not to bounce the mattress too much and crept silently along the floor to the door. Shutting it quietly, he could continue the conversation with his father more comfortably, “I am fine to talk now.”

“How is meeting her family going anyway?”

“Is that what you really want to discuss, Father?”

Walter sighed, “Must you feel the need to shut me out, Elias. I am curious as to what kind of people they are.”

“Um, actually,” Elias recalled Owen saying he had met his father before, “Asana’s father has met you before. Remember when you represented the Agricultural College in Wiley City?”

Walter hummed, “Vaguely. Why, that’s before Julius was born.”

“He did say you were younger in those days,” Elias repeated, “His name is Owen Way. Does the name ring any bells?”

Walter had to think for a moment, “Can’t say it does,” though, he couldn’t put a face to the name, “However, asking me to remember something that long ago is a stretch. I have a good memory, but I can’t remember his name or face.”

“Well, he remembers you,” Elias added and made his way down the staircase to the kitchen, “Because of the impression you left on him, he believes I am no different.”

“I take it I left a bad impression,” Walter chuckled, “Country folk tend to be suspicious of the city folk. Asana’s family own a farm and her uncle owns a winery, have you toured them?”

“I have,” Elias nodded and waved to Tobias and Charlotte having breakfast in the kitchen, “That reminds me, Asana is bringing everyone back a bottle of wine from her Uncle’s winery, it is quite delicious actually.”

“I am familiar with her Uncle’s wine,” Walter responded but he sounded preoccupied with other tasks by the way his voice had changed, “It is quite good for a middle-range brand.”

Elias could hear shuffling paper in the background and his mother’s voice in the background, “Anyway, putting aside this conversation. Was there something important you wanted to tell me? Are our plans good to go?”

“Yes, that’s why I called,” Walter said.

“And?” Elias prompted him nervously.

“On your call, federal agents will move in to make an arrest. I have all the files you sent me, and I have passed them onto your Uncle who will lead the prosecution. I have called in this favour from a guy who owes me one. What they want is to make an arrest where he can’t run away.”

“Understood,” Elias smiled, “Thank you, Father.”

“It has helped our country,” Walter answered.

“He was already wanted?”

“Correct. Authorities have had a challenging time catching him because he is always changing his appearance and the car he drives. Along with using fake names and leaving no electronic or paper trail. He’s good but we are better.”

“What will happen to him?” Elias questioned, “I assume maximum penalty.”

“Carl is pushing for the maximum sentence,” Walter responded, “So, whenever you are ready, Elias. They make their move on your command.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must be going,” Walter had to end the call, “Aside from working, we are attending a breakfast banquet held by the Mayor and his wife,” he sounded unexcited about having to attend.

Elias could hear the disinterest in his voice and chuckled, “Same thing as usual, I suppose. Rich people trying to impress other rich people.”

“Now, it is not all that bad,” Walter insisted, “There will be decent food and pleasant conversation. It is a shame I will not have any of my children here this year though.”

Slowly descending the staircase, he found his way into the kitchen where Charlotte had already started preparations for the Thanksgiving dinner later in the evening, with Tobias running through the images on his camera and Owen devouring breakfast.

“Sounds boring,” Elias continued to talk to his father, remarking on the quality of the mayor’s banquet his parents were attending, “Too be honest, I am quite glad to be missing it this year.”

“Elias,” Walter sighed, “Parties, such as this one, is an effective way to gain new clients. If you want to become a lawyer, advertising your name to the right crowds is important if you wish to be successful.”

“You know I am not interested in defending the rich and powerful from their own corruptions,” Elias reminded him, “I see no point in it. I would rather put them away in prisons. Uncle Carl said if I am interested in becoming a prosecutor having trial experience on both sides of the fence is invaluable experience.”

“He is not wrong,” Walter agreed, “I guess one day you and I will be going against each other in the court room if prosecution is the career path you choose to take. However, whatever happened to your aspirations to research law in other countries?”

Elias paused for a moment, “…I could still research law. It depends.”

“Depends, on what?” Walter tried to gauge his son’s line of thinking, “On Asana, I am assuming?”

He would compromise on his career goals if it meant being able to build a happy future with Asana, “Asana has her own career goals too, Father, and I want to support her. Depending on what we decide to do with our careers, I am willing to compromise on any of my own career goals to be able to stay with her. I would not be unhappy if I became a federal prosecutor.”

“Elias,” Walter worried about him, “Before she came into your life, you had plans. I do not have anything against her, of course, I think she’s a lovely person. However, if you are changing your career plans, set the right stones for your future and don’t overcomplicate it.”

“I know, I know,” Elias mumbled, “You are sounding like Klaus every day. He said the same thing to me before we left the city for Asana’s home in the country.”

“That’s because out of the three of you, Klaus is the most sensible and logical,” Walter commented, “Your brother would have made a fantastic lawyer, but he opted to teach law instead.”

“Father, you once said, ‘to each to his own success and whatever makes a man happiest’,” Elias in turn lectured his father, “Klaus is happy with his career. Listen, Asana and I are talking about our future and how we intend on moving forward with each other. We will make this work, trust us.”

Again, he sighed and in the background, he could hear Mary calling for him to dress for the banquet, “I sincerely hope you both know what you are doing,” Walter emphasised, “It is not good to make your father worry, Elias. As such, I will be calling in soon and checking on you. For now, I must get going.”

“Have fun.”

“Good day,” Walter farewelled him, “Oh, extend my Thanksgiving wishes to Asana and her family, would you.”

“Of course, same to Mother and you.”

With a click, the phone call ended. Charlotte assumed he had come down for a coffee but had made it for him while he was on the phone, “Was that your father?”

“Yes,” Elias smiled and gently accepted the coffee she offered, “Thank you. He sends his thanksgiving wishes to everyone.”

“Would you like some breakfast, Elias?” Charlotte asked, “I cooked up some bacon and eggs a moment ago. I see Asana must still be sleeping.”

She went to the oven and used a cotton mitt to pull out a tray of cooked food she was keeping warm, not expecting Asana to be having a long sleep in. It appears Edith and Fred were not joining them this morning, but Tobias, Owen and Charlotte already had their own serving. Elias gathered a plate and insisted on dishing out his own meal since she had gone to the trouble of making it.

“I hear you went out to Lucas’ winery yesterday, gathering more evidence?” Owen asked him, his voice the calmest and gentlest it had been towards Elias since his arrival, but still had hints of his sternness.

Elias nodded as he ate a chuck of food and spoke as he swallowed, “Well, that was one reason why we went up there, but I think Asana really wanted to show me around the winery.”

His legs still ached from the many times he had to climb challenging inclines of the valleys’ hills as they walked between the lines of fenced grape vines, harvested earlier to produce the next season’s stock of various wines. Unlike her family’s farm, the winery was closer to the mountains and forests that surrounded the village. From the homestead on the largest hill, provided a romantic and panoramic view of Lucas’ home. He not only learned of the variety of wine they produced but also why Lucas had entered the wine business.

With a colour scheme of black, white and pink, Elias had asked about the brand of his wine. Olivia, his late wife, inspired the pink colour because it was her favourite colour and she had lost her life to an aggressive form of breast cancer. A portion of the winery’s profits went towards research, but Elias caught the sadness in his voice as he lived out his wife’s dream of creating a national wine empire. There were similar sad stories when Asana and he had visited Judith and Bill, and why they would never sell their lands and their businesses to any other person.

“I learnt a lot yesterday,” Elias commented as he remembered those stories.

“So, you should have,” Owen knew what he was talking about, “That’s why so many people are excited about you dealing with Aston. For several people, these farms are not just businesses, as some city men may see it….”

“It’s their homes,” Elias interrupted him, “I know.”

Owen was grateful he understood, “I’m glad you get it.”

“Has Grandad done the rounds on the farm?” Tobias suddenly asked.

“Yeah, he did the minor things he could do with one hand,” Owen replied, “I helped with the rest. It’s a public holiday, so he can’t get to a doctor today.”

“Oh, it’s a sprained wrist,” Charlotte wasn’t worried, “He’s had worse injuries than that in recent years.”

“It’s not the point,” Owen shook his head, “Those injuries were self-inflicted and this one wasn’t. My father was assaulted and as a result injured.”

Tobias chimed in, “I could’ve helped out this morning.”

Owen knew he could of, but Fred had insisted otherwise because Tobias was going to give up on his deadline, “He knows, and I know, but you have your deadline to meet. He didn’t want to interfere with your job, especially not after how much you sacrifice to get the shots you do.”

“I already sent my thesis away,” Tobias promised, “I’m not that behind deadline. I just got to send these images into the magazines for publication. It’s not a big deal.”

After yesterday, Elias had realised Owen had taken a step back from accepting him because he thought he was making false promises. That’s why he brought up Aston’s name now. Elias figured he needed to tell Owen the truth to regain the trust he had earned yesterday before Fred was assaulted.

“Mr Way, are you busy right now?” Elias had no choice but to tell him.

“Not really, why?”

“Could I speak to you for a moment?” Elias requested his private company.

Owen quizzically raised an eyebrow, “If it is about that menace, can’t you tell all of us?”

“Not really, there’s something I want to show you.”

Elias gathered his phone where he had been receiving emails from his father. Charlotte motioned Owen to move from his seat and go hear what Elias had to say and refused to take no for an answer, “Go!” she pushed him out of the room.

Casually, Owen joined Elias in the living room, “What is it?”

“Asking you to put your trust into me is not really working,” Elias said.

Owen didn’t disagree, “I’m only trusting my daughter’s faith in you. Yesterday, you could have done something, and you didn’t, and I’m quite used to being told false promises by wealthy city folk like you.”

“You mean, because of my father.”

“All your father cares about his money and recognition,” Owen laughed, “Our case was just another piece of experience for him. We aren’t a wealthy college, but we are an important educational facility to kids who can’t access higher education in the city. We were accused of abusing animals and performing illegal experiments, but we weren’t doing such things. The accusations came from animal activists and a disgruntled employee who had been dumped from the research team for sabotaging our project. As soon as your father got his money, got his name in the papers and on the news, he represented us and pretended to care about our cause.”

Elias listened to him and Owen continued, “He won our case for us, sure. But he’s one example in the reasons why I don’t trust wealthy city folk. Minister for education, he promised he would build us a new centre for agricultural veterinary education with modern equipment to tend to a widespread region. Many farmers invested funds, their time and energy to make it happen, there were fundraisers, and then the Minister said ‘no’, the money is to be spend elsewhere in the region. We were used and there were farmers who were furious, but the Minister didn’t care. He said there were other urgent matters the region needed, when we complained about it, all records of our fundraising had been erased.”

“Now, I have you,” Owen growled, “You are not here to obviously deal with Aston but introducing yourself as my daughter’s fiancée. However, you have promised to the town, to us, that you would get rid of him. Yesterday, you had a chance and didn’t act on it. Only filmed what you could on your phone. You are just like those men, they don’t care who they hurt making promises too so long as they make themselves look good. These people out here, have been played time and time again by the wealthy and the powerful and they get away with it because the people out here are poor and weak and have a sense of right and wrong.”

Elias now understood why he had a major issue with people from wealthy backgrounds, just as Asana had warned him, “I know I am asking a lot here, for you to trust me, but please don’t hold me in the same regard as those men. I may be from their world, but most of time I wish I weren’t. My father thought I signed up for a career into law to defend those who are corrupt, but I would rather see those kinds of people be punished per according to the law.”

“Saying it is much easier than doing it,” Owen answered.

“Before, when you said the farms here are not businesses to the people,” Elias reminded him, “I have never once thought they were at all. Here and at the winery, what I saw was my fiancée’s home and the home of her family. Now, I am not supposed to be sharing this with you because it is under federal investigation. So, promise me you won’t tell anyone about what I have planned.”

Owen’s expression changed to surprise, “Federal investigation?” he whispered back, “How? No one has said anything because they’ve been too scared too.”

“I did,” Elias answered, “Bradley Aston is not his true name. His real name is Marcus Harrington Junior and he has done this before. He’s a con artist and a fraud, convicted on multiple occasions for tax evasion, illegal foreign investments in Asian markets, embezzlement of government money, using false names and lying to police and aiding or causing suicides in previous land owners he has sent broke, doing this exact same thing. I had my brother look into it to begin with and then had my father revisit his old files. On our findings, his industry is non-existent but has been embezzling government funds for the last five years and has lured in several farmers across the country causing them to lose millions in illegal and unlawful contracts with their money sent offshore to fund illegal foreign organisations. Now, the federal government knew it was happening but were never able to trace it. My father, brother and I have been working to piece it all together and pushed on our evidence onto my Uncle, he’s the crown prosecutor. We have everything we need to pin him, and now he we need to catch him.”

“You did all that in a matter of days?” Owen was shocked.

“My family’s power is…remarkable,” Elias shrugged, “But, I’m not doing this for any other reason than for the sake my fiancée and her family and town. Had I not known her, had I not loved her, I would have never known about this and neither would have the federal police. Hence why I can’t just let him go, otherwise he will just do this to another community. Do you understand, now?”

Owen nodded, “So, you can’t say?”

“I only kept it a secret because gossip spreads around this town like wildfire,” Elias chuckled, “If he overheard the slightest gossip that I was after him, he’d run. Federal police have already raided several of the hotels he has passed through and are now wearing plain clothes across Wiley City, watching him but the wrong move could make him run. He could be armed and that’s why I need to catch him off guard. Please, I need you to trust me.”

Hearing his plan, Owen felt a little more relaxed, “Does Asana know about this?”

“She’s been helping me send these files off to my father,” Elias replied, “Now you know what I am doing, do you still have your doubts about me?”

Owen didn’t know how he was supposed to reply after learning about this major investigation had been happening behind the scenes in the three days Elias had been here. It was scary but impressive, “Remind me never to make you an enemy,” he muttered.

“I am not an unreasonable man,” Elias assured him.

“Even, if in the unlikely event Asana was to hurt you.”

“Of course,” Elias sincerely replied, “I’m not immature. Look, if you don’t believe. Read this,” Elias showed him an email on his phone his father had sent him.

Owen took the device and read the words carefully. Everything Elias had told him was true and with proof from the federal police to prove he was not lying, “He goes from town to town using a different name and image?”

Elias nodded, “He’s a top-class con-man but not good enough to fool us. Remember, you can’t tell another person this, not even your father. I only told you because I didn’t want to lose whatever acceptance I earned yesterday morning when I was talking to you. I love your daughter and I want you to be able to see beyond my name and background and see me as a man asking to marry your daughter.”

For a long moment, Owen didn’t reply. He only sighed and eventually handed Elias back his phone. As he did, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around to see Asana. Her eyes met her father’s and Elias who leaned against the back of the lounge.

“What’s going on?” Asana questioned and slowly stepped towards them.

“Nothing,” Owen promised her with a friendly smile, “Good morning, sweetie.”

She was even more suspicious because it felt tense between them, “…Morning,” she cuddled up to Elias’ side, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You looked peaceful,” his lips curled into a gentle smile, the one he only ever showed her, “I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”

With her back turned to her father, she whispered in his ear, “Why does it feel so tense between you two?”

“…Never mind,” Elias kissed her cheek, “We’re just men, talking about things.”

She didn’t buy it, “You don’t lie very good,” then she looked back to her father, “Daddy?” her tone demanded she know because she feared they were exchanging unfriendly words.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” Elias squeezed her hand.

“Right,” Owen agreed, “Elias here was just talking to me about Aston. What he has told me, I promise I will not share with anybody else.”

Asana looked back to Elias, “You told him about the federal investigation?”

He nodded, “Also, the truth behind Marcus.”

“Okay,” Asana knew they weren’t lying but what was with the tension, “So, why is it so tense between you two.”

Elias fell quiet, searching Owen for a response. Asana traded glances between the both, “…Elias, are you helping us purely because you want my acceptance as my daughter’s partner?”

He shook his head, “It’s part of the reason. However, I am also doing this because I know the people here are afraid of losing their homes because they believe they are powerless against him. I have come to love this area too, I find it very peaceful and a warm place to live. As I said, I’m not like those men who have disappointed you before.”

“Daddy, Elias is being honest,” Asana begged him, and held Elias hand in one hand and her father’s in the other, “Please, Daddy.”

He found himself in a tough spot, especially with Asana begging him to accept Elias. After speaking with him yesterday, and all he has learnt over the past three days, he has been nothing but honest with the family and they hadn’t even asked him to help deal with this criminal that was harassing them. He realised Elias did it out of the kindness of his heart and because it was upsetting Asana.

“…Will this plan of yours work?” Owen asked.

“I have the federal police at my command,” Elias promised him.

Owen thought for a moment, but wasn’t about to be fooled again and replied, “…If this works, you have my acceptance and blessing to marry my daughter. I only just realised no one had asked you to help us with this man but I get it now. It was upsetting Asana and you’re doing this for nothing but being kind.”

“See,” Asana was happy he could finally see it, “He’s not a bad person, Dad.”

Feeling awkward, Owen gave a small smile and then walked away, “Maybe not,” he muttered, it was loud enough for them to hear it, but he couldn’t say it to their faces.

Elias wasn’t sure how to take his reply, but Asana was happy, “That’s one step to getting that handshake,” she smiled.

“You really think he will?” Elias wondered, “He doesn’t like me.”

“No, he likes you.”

“What if he’s afraid of me?” Elias panicked, “I told him everything and now I just said I have the police at my call.”

Asana kissed his cheek, “He’s grown up in the country his entire life. For any person out here, the power to have the federal police at your call and the shadiest of criminals fear you is like…a super power. Thank you, though.”

Elias wanted to change the subject, “Father extended his thanksgiving wishes.”

“We should see them when we get home,” Asana suggested, “Where are we going to spend Christmas?”

Elias could sense her voice getting excited, “Would you calm down. He hasn’t accepted me yet, so let’s get through Thanksgiving right now before we even speak about Christmas.”

“Relax, he likes you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know my father,” Asana giggled, “Did you watch me sleep this morning?”

He remembered how they were talking about this subject just the other day. His lips curled into a wide smile, “Of course,” Elias gave her a light kiss on the lips, “You clutched at the pillow pretty tightly.”

“Aw,” she felt embarrassed, “That’s because my human pillow disappeared on me.”

Jokingly, he replied, “Oh, I see why you are with me now. I’m your personal pillow.”

“A very warm pillow and your arms are like blankets.”

“Okay, I think I have gone from being a pillow to transforming into a bed.”

She laughed, “Hey, you sleep on me too sometimes.”

“Very rarely,” he laughed and held her hand, “Come on, your Mom made us breakfast.”

“Mom!” Asana gasped at the array of spectacular dishes she had made for their private family dinner and the decorations of the table and the dining room, “I told you not to go overboard.”

“I had to,” she cheerfully clapped, “My babies are home and we have a guest. My little girl’s very handsome fiancée.”

Asana blushed at her mother’s over-excited comments as she helped to bring out the plates and bowls of food. There was the mandatory turkey glazed with marmalade and a pot of roasted and steamed vegetables, a casserole of mashed potato garnished with diced bacon and fresh chives, cranberry marinated meatballs and a pot of gravy to serve the whole table.

“Wow, darling,” Owen expressed his astonishment at the amount she had made, “There’s only going to be seven of us,” he joked as he gathered the carving knives and corkscrew for the wine.

“There’s plenty so no one can say they aren’t full by the end of the night,” she added to his joke and gave him a quick kiss, “Go pour the wine.”

At each plate, a single wax candle burned, and the lights above were dimmed to contribute to the relaxing atmosphere for the family dinner. Tobias and Elias were discussing his exhibit in the city next year and agreed to arrange special VIP treatment for Elias and Asana.

“You are welcome to stay at our apartment when you come, or I can set you up at my parents’ home?” Elias offered.

“I wouldn’t want to impose on you and her or your parents.”

“It’s fine,” Elias assured him, “Asana still has her old apartment on lease until it runs out in May next year. You are more than welcome to stay there.”

“Still on lease,” Tobias laughed, “Sis, haven’t you broken your lease yet.”

Asana set cutlery at each table, “Well, we haven’t long since lived with each other. It’s only been seven months,” she answered convincingly that no one questioned it, “We figured I signed up for another six months in case it didn’t work out. It will be the last lease I sign for, so use it up if you want to.”

Her grandfather than asked, “Are you paying for that place?”

“Yes,” Asana said, “It’s only the rent, Grandad. It’s affordable.”

“In that case, you don’t mind?” Tobias asked.

“Of course not,” Asana chuckled, “You’re my brother and we’ll be across the hall.”

As the table was set, the whole family had joined for dinner with Elias again sandwiched between the two siblings and sitting opposite from her grandparents and uncle. Charlotte and Owen taking the two end chairs. There wasn’t really a tradition, just the family together.

“Darling, what are you and Elias planning for Christmas?” Charlotte asked.

“We haven’t really thought about it,” Asana looked over to Elias, “What do you want to do?”

Elias wasn’t sure either, “Would your parents like to come to the city?” he suggested, “Maybe we can organise for our parents to meet?”

“They can stay in my apartment across the hall,” Asana knew where they could stay.

Elias shook his head, “Considering we would have Christmas at the house, they can stay in a guest room at my parents’ house.”

“Won’t that be too…daunting for them?” Asana worried his family home would be too much for her parents to handle and they would get nervous, “Though, before we decide where they would stay,” she turned to her parents, “Would you like to come to the city.”

Charlotte and Owen looked across at each other and to Fred and Edith, “Go, enjoy the city. Fred and I will be fine here with Lucas and Tobias may as well go with you too.”

There was a murmur of anxiety among her parents, “We may as well meet them if our families are going to become connected through their marriage,” Charlotte mentioned across to Owen, “However, I would worry about your father’s reaction to seeing Walter again.”

“We’ll think about it,” Owen said, sharpening the knives to carve the turkey, “For now, let’s enjoy Thanksgiving first before we even think about Christmas.”

Elias welcomed them to the city any time, “You are all welcome to visit us at any time,” he invited, regardless of how often they would visit the city.

Charlotte welcomed his offer, “Thank you, Elias.”

“I once went to the city,” Lucas added, “Went to a business convention to increase sales and learn some marketing techniques.”

Asana knew the story and began laughing at him. Lucas eyed her, “Stop laughing, you,” he playfully warned, “But, I drank a little too much and had to walk back to my hotel. I got lost and ended up in the wrong hotel. Ended up sleeping in the lobby and the concierges rang the police on me. Spent the night in the watch house until I sobered up.”

“Even after he left, he still didn’t know where he was,” Asana laughed, “I had only just moved to the city as well and received a phone call from him, panicking. ‘Asana, Asana, where am I? What hell is this? I can’t find my way,’. That was just before I met you,” Asana recalled.

The reminiscent story earning laughter from around the table as they dished out dinner and sipped on Lucas’ wine. Elias laughed too, “The city is very confusing, even I get lost sometimes.”

“No, you?” Edith didn’t believe him, “You grew up in the city, right?”

Elias nodded, “Which makes it even more sad,” he laughed.

Asana knew the story he was about to share, and everyone listened to him.

“When I was a child, my brothers and I often travelled by limousine or by our mother in our sedan. I knew where locations were, though I never knew how to get to them. So, when I received my driver’s license, and I drove everywhere, I often got lost. I remember I was at my music practice and after that I had to go to a restaurant to celebrate my brother’s graduation. It took me an hour and twenty minutes to find where I was supposed to go from where I was. Now, the smartest option would have been to use my GPS, but I called my father asked him for directions. The restaurant we were supposed to go to was two streets over from where I was, but I had ended up nearly on the other side of the city.”

They all shared a laugh, “So you see, I grew up in the city and I still get lost too.”

“Same with me,” Asana giggled, “I was hopeless when I first arrived in the city.”

“Could imagine,” Tobias agreed, “She still gets lost around Wiley City half the time.”

“Talk about making first bad impressions though,” Asana giggled.

Elias wondered which story she would bring up, “Which one, you have a few to tell. You want to know how we ended up speaking to each other?”

Asana begged him not to tell them, “No, don’t tell them. It’s so embarrassing!”

“Oh, I’m telling them,” Elias wasn’t backing out of the story.

“Oh, please, tell us,” Edith was interested too, “Is this at the bookstore?”

“No, it was before that,” Elias remembered the day very well, “You remember how I told you all that my brother is a junior lecturer at the same university Asana and I attend?”

They all nodded, “Of course,” Charlotte spoke as did Edith and Tobias.

Hiding her embarrassed red cheeks and pink smile behind her hands, Elias continued to tell them the story of how they had got off on the wrong foot, “My brother and I don’t look that different, but we are certainly different attitude wise. He can be much more meaner and strict, in a good way though. Anyway, they both were not watching where they were going….”

“I was reading a magazine off my phone where Tobias’ photos had been published and Klaus was reading a book for one of his upcoming lectures. He was heading out of the café as I was going in, and we just collided. He had a cup of hot tea and some muffins. Nothing like hot tea drenching my shirt along with chocolate stains,” there was a round of laughter, “He gave me quite the lecture and didn’t even assume any responsibility for his role in that happening.”

“You’re such a klutz,” Owen laughed at her affectionately.

Elias continued with the story, “It gets worse,” he prompted, and they listened, “I met with my brother after that had happened, not even knowing who she was. All I knew was he was in a bad mood and complained that people should be watching where they were going. Yet, I was to discover the young lady he bumped into was also my new neighbour. After a long day of dealing with a grumpy brother, also getting my ears lectured off by my parents and sitting in a two-hour exam, I returned home and started getting yelled at by Asana because she thought I was my brother,” he paused and looked over at her with the family laughing.

“Hey, if you ever saw Klaus you would forgive me for mixing them up,” Asana defended her actions, “All I saw was the same gold locks and violet eyes. I was grumpy too and decided if I saw that guy again, he’d get a piece of my mind too.”

Fred even chuckled at the story, “Oh, Asana. I can’t even imagine what you said to him thinking he was his brother.”

“She called me rude, mean, cold and a big bully,” Elias recalled.

“I wasn’t calling you that,” Asana’s cheeks were bright red.

“Look how red she is,” Charlotte teased her, “I suppose this misunderstanding is what started this relationship?”

Asana nodded, “I can’t regret it, now can I.”

“When did you figure out he was not his brother?” Tobias questioned.

“After I gave him a piece of my mind,” Asana remembered it well, “He sighed, and was like ‘you must be the girl who put my brother in a sour mood. Thanks to you, I had to deal with him.’ For a moment, I had to take a step back and then realised there were physical differences. He introduced himself as Elias Goldstein, and the man I had walked into was his older brother, Klaus. I was mortified and embarrassed, not only did I tell off the wrong person but the person I wanted to yell at was a Goldstein.”

“She quickly ran inside her room and avoided me for weeks,” Elias laughed, “We usually left for class at the same time. She would either peep through her door until I left, or we would walk down together in complete silence.”

“Hey, you noticed that?” Asana pinched him.

“You made it obvious,” Elias chuckled.

“You could have made me feel less embarrassed by that situation, you know.”

“I had some random girl yell at me,” Elias corrected her, “I was just minding my own business and got dragged into it by you and Klaus.”

“We didn’t get off on the right off, as you can tell,” Asana chuckled.

Edith proudly smiled at their story, “That’s a very cute story and a very Asana-like thing to do,” she commented with the others around her agreeing it was something Asana would likely do.

“Those first few days of living in the city were my most embarrassing days, I swear,” Asana had made plenty of first bad impressions that she had lost count, “Klaus and I are on good terms too now, but there was the incident with my lecturer and plenty of the neighbouring city people.”

Elias thought carefully, “Oh, you mean arriving twenty-five minutes late to Professor Schuyler’s lecture. He’s a tough professor though, so many people tend to steer clear from making him mad.”

“Do you have some classes together?”

“I have applied for some workshops that focus around the legal components of becoming a veterinarian, specifically animal and environmental laws because I want to do what Dad does and rehabilitate wildlife too. Then, the guy who does the workshop suggested I do a short course in animal and environment law. It’s more of an integrated learning where they stick us in the same lecture rooms with students undertaking undergraduate degrees in law.”

“Part of my course structure is covering environmental law and ecological jurisprudence, she attends those lectures as part of her short course,” Elias summed up, “She arrived late to one lecture Professor Schuyler was giving. He’s a very strict professor. If you are not there by the time he is, he will kick you out.”

“That happened to me,” Asana remembered it well, “I said I got lost and his reply was ‘if you can’t read a map, what makes you think you can pass my class’, everyone laughed at me. Thankfully, Elias had the notes from that lecture and I could get them from him.”

“All you need to do now is stop falling asleep in lectures,” Elias reminded her and received another round of laughter from the family.

Owen realised how little his daughter had changed even though she had been living in the city for the past two years. Gauging Elias’ reaction, his eyes were gentle as he spoke about their adventures together. Owen chuckled, “Nothing has changed much then.”

“It is wonderful to hear you two are having fun together,” Lucas commented, “Right, Owen?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “Though, how did you make a bad impression on the city. That was the other thing you said. Please tell me you didn’t make the news or something for the wrong reasons?”

“No,” Asana giggled, “It’s nothing too huge but I went sightseeing around the city. One of my first locations was this abandoned lighthouse on the cliffs on the far side of the beach. Elias told me the truth about it the other night which is why I now understand why people were giving me a weird look.”

Fred was curious, “Why would you go up there alone?”

“Well, I wanted to see it,” she shrugged, “I never seen a lighthouse before and it was only my second day in the city. The skyscrapers had me amazed so I wanted to see the lighthouse too.”

“There are two,” Elias corrected her, “There’s the current one on the headlands and the one derelict and a haven for junkies and whatever else dangerous. Of course, she went to the abandoned one.”

“I didn’t know it was that bad,” Asana argued with an embarrassed smile.

“Why is it so terrifying?” Charlotte didn’t understand what was so scary about an old lighthouse, “I imagine there are plenty of old buildings in the city that have amazing history.”

“Elias, do tells us,” Edith wanted to hear about it, “Is it a popular tourist spot?”

Elias shook his head, “Good god, no,” he stressed and sipped from his wine, “Now, I am not one for believing in the supernatural or anything but the history there is pretty dark that it makes for a good haunted location for Halloween. There’s a local ghost tour that goes there too but those who grew up in the city know its history.”

“Here comes a good ghost story,” Tobias joked, “Dim the lights and give the man a torch,” he said, drunkenly, “Continue.”

“That’s enough wine for you,” Lucas took Tobias’ glass from him, “He have to hear your adventures yet.”

Charlotte and Edith admonished the boys, “Quiet, Elias please tell us.”

A short round of giggles echoed their interest in the legend surrounding the old lighthouse, “Okay,” Elias began to tell the same legend he had told Asana a few days ago, “Let me start by saying, no one goes up to that lighthouse and it is not recommended as a tourist spot because a lot of illegal activity happens up there or deaths, and it has stayed that way for plenty of decades. So, when Asana was asking for directions to the lighthouse, plenty of people were suspicious of her.”

“Oh goodness,” Owen placed a palm to his head, “Did you not realise this sooner?” he asked his daughter.

“I was curious,” she shrugged.

Elias continued, “Anyway. So, picture the kinds of lighthouses you see in horror films. It most likely is the same lighthouse used in those films, anyway,” he figured, “It has a very steep cliff overlooking the ocean and the jaggered rock pools below.”

“One of those creepy places,” Fred understood.

“Exactly,” Elias continued, “In 1878, a ship carrying navy men collided with the rocks in rough seas. Twelve sailors were killed on impact. There is a legend the ghosts of those twelve sailors still linger around the lighthouse and they lure people to the cliff’s edge. In 1907, nine people died by falling off the cliff after hearing cries for help and hearing a loud crash of a boat colliding with the rocks below. Between 1907 and now, a further twenty people have died after falling off the cliff. The lighthouse was officially closed in 1908 because of the amount of deaths that were occurring around it, it is listed as a heritage site but was become derelict building amongst the vegetation since no one goes up there.”

“Sounds creepy,” Charlotte wriggled the shivers from her body, “Asana, why would you want to go up there?”

“I didn’t know this at the time,” she defended her actions.

Elias continued, “I don’t believe in ghost stories but when I was in high school, plenty of kids used to go up there on Halloween and try to either prove or disprove the legend of the sailor ghosts.”

“Is it true?” Lucas was curious.

“No, of course not,” Elias chuckled, “The building is visited by no one because it is just a creepy old building now. The only people who go up there are those who want the privacy. There is a slight mafia problem in the city and they have been known to do deals up there, junkies and homeless people use the place to get high or to sleep and it used to be the old make-out point during the fifties and sixties. All those people who fell off the edge of the cliff were treated as suicide, murder or accidental death. Asana is about the only person I have ever heard of going up there for a tourist drive, other tourists go to the current lighthouse on the headlands. There is a museum there for the city’s maritime history to deter people from going up to the cliff.”

“Asana,” Tobias cracked up laughing with tears spilling from his eyes.

Owen joined in laughing at her, “No wonder why people thought you were suspicious.”

“After I left, the police rolled up there and asked me a few questions,” Asana laughed at the memory, “They gave me the dumbest look ever and I just said that I wasn’t from the city and had come to down to study at the university. I wonder how many people in the street thought I was going to jump off the cliff or something. After Elias told me this the other day, I felt like such an idiot.”

“There are plenty of cute stories I could tell them of your adventures in the city,” Elias teased her.

“Don’t you dare!” she covered his mouth with her hand.

Fred shook his head while laughing at her, “Elias, thank god she has you now.”

“Second that,” Lucas agreed, “Stop getting yourself into trouble, Asana.”

“I was excited about being in a new place,” Asana protested cheerfully.

Owen was now grateful she had someone she could trust, “After hearing about you going to a dangerous location and nearly being hurt after walking home late by yourself, I’m grateful Elias is in your life.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I have lectured her about being aware of her surroundings,” Elias added, “I keep telling her the city is not the country. Kind of how you should watch for dangerous animals out here, you must keep watch on dangerous people in the city.”

Asana added, “I don’t just have Elias. Sometimes his brother will take me back to our apartment if Elias can’t. Or, Yukiya and Luca if they are heading to work. Yukiya works not far from us and Luca lives just down the street in the student housing. So, I’m not short on people who I have around me now.”

Elias could trust Yukiya since he was a good friend and Asana met him through classes since they were completing the same degree, except he was going for a double degree in arts and veterinary science. Luca, though, they had gone to the same high school and never got along, “Well, Luca’s a different story.”

“Why can’t you admit you are friends?”

“Because.”

“Why?” Asana giggled.

“He always finds a reason to make me not like him,” Elias replied.

“Yet, you would do anything for each other,” Asana added.

“Would not,” Elias denied it, “I wish you would be careful around him too. You aren’t even aware of how many guys around campus like you. Like when we had the university dance party, remember?”

Asana didn’t know what he was getting at and tilted her head at him, “All the guys who asked you to be their date,” Elias jogged her memory.

“Oh,” she remembered the several messages from other guys who had asked her to the dance, “…Well…,” she didn’t have an answer for him.

“I wish you were more aware of how attractive you are,” Elias sighed, “This is why I can’t let you out of my sight. I trust you, I just don’t trust other men.”

Asana blushed, realising what he had just admitted to in front of her family, “H-Hey, d-don’t say things like that in front of my family,” she shyly protested.

It was their usual habit of entering their own world and conversation. The world around them faded and all they saw was each other. Charlotte gave a happy look over at Owen, who only rolled his eyes at her with a grin he couldn’t hide. As they were digging into their meals, it was time for Tobias to tell them of his adventures too.

“Where did you go to this year?” Fred asked him, “You have plenty of photos I hope?”

Tobias nodded, “I have a slideshow to share,” he announced, “I will play it after we’ve eaten but I went to the artic and lived in the jungles of Africa for a while. Working, this time, I swear,” he joked.

“I spent one year in the artic with a team of researchers evaluating polar bear populations, the availability and accessibility of food and the like, even went underwater in the ice to capture ochre whales up close.”

Charlotte placed a hand over her heart, “If there is one thing I’m thankful for this year, it is having Tobias safely home. Though, after hearing Asana’s adventures in the city, glad she’s safe too.”

“Well, I nearly died,” Tobias revealed a nasty scar across his lower leg, “Spent four months in hospital from being attacked by a polar bear. Tore some ligament and damaged some muscles but I’m alive. If anyone is wondering, no the polar bear was not shot but tranquilised.”

Charlotte felt like she could faint and wacked her son around the head, “Tobias James Way, why weren’t we notified of this?!” she demanded to know, her soft and gentle voice changing to that firm voice they were familiar with when they were kids.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Tobias hugged her, “I’m alive though. You would’ve been notified if I was dead.”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed at him and Asana laughed, “See, who’s the good child now.”

“Tobias, please,” Owen pleaded to his son, “Don’t patronise your mother. We worry about you whenever you go abroad because we know you are entering a dangerous world. Do you have your life insurance all up to date?”

“I know, I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Tobias hugged his mother, “Sorry Mom. You know I would call you if it was something serious.”

“That was serious!” she lectured him, “You could have been killed by that bear.”

“I know, but we were trying to help him,” Tobias explained how he ended up in that position, “Aside from the scarce food sources endangering the polar bear, we set out to investigate if there are any other causes affecting polar bears which is spiralling them towards extinction. When he found him, he was aggressive but then we realised he was limping badly. He had a hook in his foot, we had tranquilised him, but he woke up halfway through our operation. That’s how I got attacked.”

Asana assumed his next publication was about his research into polar bears, “Are they the subject of your next paper?”

“Polar bears?”

She nodded, “I would love a copy, so I can read it.”

“Already printed yours off,” Tobias promised, “It’s in my room. I just have to give it to you and I got one for Dad too. It will be published in the next issue of the Wildlife and Ecology Journal.”

What followed was a long summary of his findings not just into his adventures in the arctic but also in the jungles of Africa and east towards India where he followed the adaption of tiger families and leopards in their fight for survival, “I received permission from the government to set up cameras around Indian villages to film the night time behaviour of leopards living next to humans. I can’t wait to show you all what I found, it’s remarkably scary.”

“You kids certainly are having plenty of fun,” Lucas admired their adventures.

“We need Erica and Andrew to have everyone together,” Charlotte added, “Have you heard from them, Lucas?”

He nodded and showed them a postcard he had received the other day, “This postcard arrived just the other day from Egypt,” he showed them a photograph of the two riding camels on the edge of the Sahara Desert with the pyramids in the background, “She looks very happy. Olivia did always tell her to travel young.”

“They have the travel bug,” Edith laughed as Fred handed her the photograph to look at as the family passed it around, “I remember going here before you boys and your sister were born. Fred and I were very young then but such an amazing view, especially at twilight. Asana, you and Elias should travel too.”

They had discussed travelling with each other once their studies were completed. Earmarking Europe, Africa and Australia as their first destinations during their break between receiving their graduate degrees and commencing higher studies. Asana received the photograph from her father and peered at it together with Elias, “It does look romantic,” she mentioned to him, “I should get Erica to give us the low down of her experience.”

“I would love to visit the pyramids sometime in my life,” Elias agreed, “My parents have travelled to Cairo, even my mother recommended it.”

“I want to go to Tahiti too,” Asana smiled, “I’ve always wanted to sleep in a bungalow in the middle of the ocean.”

“Honeymoon destination?” Elias asked her.

“Tahiti or Cairo?”

“I will go wherever you want to go.”

Asana gave him a troubled look, “That’s not fair if I’m choosing where to go for our honeymoon. It’s our special holiday, we have to decide together,” she passed the photograph onto her brother and received the postcard that came with it.

“Oh, look,” Asana pointed to the small writing she knew was her cousin’s and giggled, “Sorry I’m not there to meet Asana’s fiancée, from what I heard from her he sounds amazing. Hopefully, we will meet each other soon. Welcome to the family, Elias.”

“Were you one of her bridesmaids?” Elias asked.

“No,” Asana shook her head, “They didn’t have any best men or bridesmaids.”

“Well, when we get married I have three girls to choose from,” Asana said, “There’s Erica, Elaine and Amelia. Are you going to ask your brothers to be your best men?”

“Maybe,” Elias worried Klaus would do something to embarrass him, “Whether or not I can trust Klaus not to tease me is another thing. I would ask him to be my groomsman, but I have a feeling he would not help me relax. But, three works. I have my two brothers and there’s your brother.”

Asana passed the postcard onto her brother and just as there was a knock on the front door of the home. Everyone’s eyes lifted up from their plates and Owen tilted his head, “We weren’t expecting anyone else to join us, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Charlotte rose from her chair to investigate who would be at the door.

Elias looked out of the window behind him and could see the same silver car Marcus had used yesterday when he assaulted Fred in the snow. Reaching for his phone, he found the number he was looking for and there was an immediate answer, “Greg. Dad gave you the address?”

“He did,” a deep voice on the other end of the phone replied.

Leaving everyone clueless, Asana only smiled, “Must be him,” she growled, “Let Elias deal with him everyone,” she stressed to her family.

“You are good to go,” Elias gave the green light and hung up the phone.

At the front door, Charlotte asked for him to leave their property, but her strength was not a match for her and he invited himself into the house, “I told you to leave!” Charlotte yelled behind his back as he sauntered into their home to the kitchen.

“Happy Thanksgiving family,” disguised as Aston, Marcus clapped his hands and introduced himself to the rest of the family seated in the dining room. Making himself at home, he sat in Charlotte’s seat, “Even a feast is provided for your new land lord.”

Everyone glared at him as he helped himself to Charlotte’s food and wine and made her stand thinking her seat was his. Elias had remained hidden behind the curtain for a moment as he sent a message to his father and brother and gave directions to Greg for the federal agents to arrive. He could see what Aston was doing and it irritated him.

“So, Fred and Lucas, I see my contracts are not signed,” Aston crackled and then frowned, “Why? I warned you before if they weren’t signed by today, you would regret it. I will make your businesses suffer.”

“They aren’t signed because we aren’t selling,” Lucas snatched the glass of wine and plate of food away from him, “How dare you sit down at my sister’s seat and eat her food she cooked for us.”

“Leave,” Owen growled.

Marcus ignored them and meet the glaring eyes of Tobias and Asana, “You must be Tobias, haven’t had the pleasure,” Marcus extended his hand, but Tobias turned away, “No,” Marcus laughed.

He then saw Asana and rose from his chair, “Beauty has a name, Asana. Is it?” Marcus took her hand in his, despite her rejection, “I saw you yesterday cradling your dear old grandfather, but beautiful girls must be greeted kindly,” he went to kiss her hand.

Grabbing her glass of wine, she threw it in his face and regathered her hand, “You are not greeted and should leave this property before my fiancée returns to this table,” she said strongly, her harsh tongue she swore she picked up from him, “You have been nothing but a menace to my family and the community since you arrived here.”

Marcus glared at her and used a napkin to wipe the wine from his brow. He laughed unkindly just as Elias returned to his seat from sending all the necessary messages he had to send to his father and uncle. Elias stepped between Asana and Marcus as Marcus grew agitated with the wine she threw in his face irritating his eyes, “You little…!” with eyes closed he swung a hand but with Elias protecting her, he caught Marcus’ wrist firmly and tightly.

“Do finish whatever you were about to say to my fiancée?” Elias prompted him, his voice cold and terrifying it sent shivers down everyone’s spines, “Please,” his grip tightened.

Opening his eyes, Marcus’s gaze met the ivory skin, reddening at the knuckles, as it restrained his hand and wrist. A brown jacket draped across the man’s shoulders as Marcus’ gaze looked up at the deadly violet eyes and the sadistic, sharp smirk of the man towering above him. Elias was taller than him and stood with much more posture that made him look powerful and intimidating, an art he learnt from his father and brothers.

However, Marcus immediately recognised the bed of golden locks and the piercing violet eyes he had often seen in the courtrooms, “…G-Goldstein?” Marcus stammered, “...What! How?! Fiancée? That…that girl is your fiancée?”

Marcus’ body shivered making Elias smile victoriously, “Not so big now, are you?”

“…She…she’s your fiancée? Impossible!” he growled.

“Her name is Asana and you will refer to her as such,” Elias demanded firmly.

Marcus’ body flinched but he tried to keep up a confident front, “I see now, she paid you to be her fiancée. How desperate are you to get rid of me that you need to pay a Goldstein?”

“Don’t you dare to speak to her like that!” Elias hissed again, “Are you too small of a man you feel bigger by bullying and disrespecting my fiancée and her family? Would you do it before me or are you too afraid?”

Elias pushed him backwards as he let go of his wrist and sent the man to the floor. Marcus had a red mark around his wrist and it hurt when he put pressure on it, “You! You sprained my wrist!”

“That’s quite a statement coming from a coward who injured an elderly veteran,” Elias retorted and then gave him a fair warning, “Also, you are quite lucky I only gave you a sprained wrist after you raised a hand at my fiancée.”

Marcus had remembered his time in jail and the way vicious way Walter had ripped him apart in the courtroom as he represented the widows of the farmers who he had contributed to their suicide seek the damages they deserved for his intrusiveness. With Elias bearing down on him, he did not have the bluffing or the power to withstand the might of the Goldstein power.

Regathering his feet, Elias stood his ground and walked closer to Marcus making him back step until his back hit the wall. Putting a hand against the wall, Elias smiled as he shivered in fear, “Any person who disrespects my fiancée’s family through threats and bullying has disrespected her,” Elias growled in a deep voice.

Marcus eyes were wide, and he apologised very quickly, “I…h-had no idea she was your fiancée,” he felt tears threatening to leave his eyes, “I will leave this village and I will never bother her family again. You have my word.”

Owen and Fred had to smile as the man who had been giving them headaches was finally put in his place, Lucas clapping quietly and laughing, “What’s the matter with you Aston, are you no match for a Goldstein.”

Elias had to chuckle, “Tell me, how does it feel to know you are powerless? Unable to control me like you have tried to control this town, bullying them, threatening them and harassing them, bringing them nothing but pain, so you can con them, leave them broke and with no place to live. Just like you have done to others in the past. Marcus.”

Fred and Lucas looked at each other, “Marcus. His name’s Bradley, right?”

Asana shook her head, “It’s Marcus. He’s a con man who has been convicted of fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and illegal funding of overseas organisations in the past. He is repeating his own crimes thinking he wouldn’t get caught. That’s why Elias didn’t do anything yesterday, otherwise he would just move onto the next town.”

Edith enjoyed this too much and Charlotte smiled as the man experienced karma in the form of Elias. Marcus panicked but Elias didn’t care, “You are not a man, you are a coward, just another piece of scumbag dirt, a pest to humanity. This is what is going to happen right now.”

Marcus felt the cold tears stream down his face at the harsh words which spilled from Elias’ mouth, fiercely. “Anything,” Marcus would agree without a fight, “Please, don’t let me go back to prison!”

“That’s not my call,” Elias said, “Not that I care about you. Why you would repeat the offences you were convicted of in the first place has me puzzled but I am sure the prison guards would love to have you back for a longer stay this time. Before you do leave, however, you will apologise to my fiancée and her family. First, my mother-in-law. Get on your knees and be sincere with your apology.”

“Her mother?”

Elias turned his chin to gaze at Charlotte still standing by the door way, “This kind and gentle woman has gone without seeing her children for two years. She cooked an amazing dinner, which you then, uninvited, thought was your right to steal food from her plate and drink from her wine, ruining this dinner she had waited so long for. Apologise, now!”

Marcus bowed his head to Charlotte, “…I…I am sorry,” he had tears spilling from his eyes.

“To Fred and Edith,” Elias turned the man’s head again and made him looked the elderly man in the eyes, “He is a war veteran and his family have been the life and blood of this town through their farming. In your attempt to rob them of their land, you have caused them great stress, harassed them and even injured Fred’s wrist, preventing him from tending to his farming duties,” Elias grabbed the contract, but had already copied the pages to present it as evidence in court and ripped it to pieces, “All for an illegal and unlawful contract that is now being sent to my Uncle, my father and the federal agents to be used as evidence against you.”

Marcus watched his scheme fall to pieces in the contract Elias tore and began crying under his tough gaze, “…I’m sorry, I’m very sorry!”

“To Lucas,” Elias turned his chin upwards, “Do you have any idea what his winery means to him? What about to the breast cancer researchers who receive a generous donation from his Olivia’s Hills Wine? His winery is not just a business to him, it his wife’s legacy. You destroyed a vine of grapes right at harvest, damaging his production this year, not by much of course, but enough to make any hard-working farmer as mad as hell. What kind of sickening pleasure did you get from doing that? Can’t forget about how you traumatised an employee trying to force her to forge his signature.”

Marcus bowed his head and was beginning to lose control of his emotions as he faced the reality of where this would end up, “I’m sorry!” he screamed and stood up to Elias, “You have any idea how much money I have lost because of your family! I had no choice but to con people again if I was to pay those widows!”

“My father knew you couldn’t pay the difference,” Elias snapped back, “He asked my mother and sister to create a foundation specifically for those women and their families to assist them back onto their feet after the damage you caused! Father would have hoped this would have taught you a lesson, and why should you have a right to live your life happily when those farmers lost their lives and their homes with their families still suffering because of what you did to them. I will not allow you to inflict the same damage on the kind people of this town or any other.”

Elias gaze was strong and down the road he could see the lights of the federal police and hear the helicopter cutting through the air above. Marcus looked out the window and could see the shining black cars and federal agents block off the front and back doors. “No! No! You!”

“Next time, think twice before you pretend to parade yourself as a man with power,” Elias lectured the panicked man before him, “My name is powerful enough to command the federal police to come here to arrest you, to have my Uncle prosecute your case and have my father convince the rest of the legal community to not represent you.”

“You…you don’t have that kind of power,” Marcus panicked.

“See for yourself, you can see the police out there,” Elias proved it to him. “Lastly, there is one apology you need to make before you leave.”

Marcus turned around to Elias, “…W-Who?”

“Asana,” Elias demanded, “Don’t apologise to her and I will make sure the police give you no mercy out of here.”

Marcus paused for a moment, hoping Elias would let him go soon until the police arrested him but the longer he waited the more he realised the police were waiting on Elias’ command. He wasn’t lying that the men outside were answering to a man with much more power than he could ever hold.

Shyly, Marcus kneeled before Asana and he looked her in the eye, “…Miss Way…,” he began his apology that would satisfy Elias, “…I-I apologise…for the pain I have caused you, your family and your community. If my…actions have offended you, I sincerely apologise.”

Elias accepted the apology at Asana’s approval and said one last thing. “Marcus,” he called the man’s attention, “Heed my warning very clearly, my fiancée’s family is mine too. If you ever return to Reitz and cause trouble for this family or community again, I will have you muck their stables for the rest of your life. It is not wise to test me because my patience for criminals like you is thin.”

Bowing his head shamefully, Marcus replied, “Don’t worry, I will never return here.”

“Good answer,” Elias commented and called out to the police outside, “Agent Greg Cameron.”

Police with guns and vests entered the house on Elias’ call, “Mr Goldstein, thank you for your cooperation in our investigation,” he shook hands with him and allowed other agents in to arrest Marcus, “Marcus Harrington Junior, I am arresting you for multiple charges including counts of fraud, money laundering and embezzlement and tax evasion as well as illegal foreign investments, among other charges. You are not obliged to say anything at this point but whatever you do say will be used in evidence in a court of law, you have the right to legal representation. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Marcus’ tone meant that he gave up and let the police take him without much fight, “Well played, Goldstein,” he muttered as he passed Elias.

Greg turned to Elias, “You have all the files we need?”

“Dad has already sent them to you,” Elias informed him but reached into his pocket, “Though, I have also been keeping a backup file just in case,” he handed the flash stick over to Greg, “Thanks for doing this.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do after your father and family helped me out that time,” Greg smiled at him and bowed to Asana, “Miss Way, it’s a pleasure to help your kind community.”

“You were here the entire time?”

“Well, since yesterday,” Greg answered, “I have been staying in the inn in town. Lovely town.”

Asana thanked him, “Do you like wine?”

“I like a glass or two,” Greg smiled.

“Here,” she handed him an unopened bottle off the table, “As gratitude for helping us.”

Greg accepted the generous offer and smiled over to Elias, “Don’t let her go, kid. She’s keeper, thank you for the bottle. I’ll share it with the boys for Thanksgiving.”

As quickly as they came, the police left, and Asana jumped into Elias’ arms, “Thank you,” she kissed him, “You have no idea how much that meant to everyone here.”

Fred scratched his head and Lucas was too astonished to speak, “…Well, he has my vote to marry Asana,” Fred broke the silence.

Edith nudged Owen, “You have to accept him now.”

“How did you manage to have the federal police under your command?” Tobias wondered, “I’m confused as to what just happened?”

Owen rose from his chair and cleared Charlotte’s plate and wine glass for her and offered a new plate and glass for her to continue eating dinner, “Here darling, free from whatever filth he had on his fingers.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte sat at her seat again, “Let’s just thank Elias and put this behind us now. Elias fulfilled his promise and it’s stress off our shoulders.”

Elias and Asana reclaimed their seats and Lucas extended his hand, “You sure showed him. Never seen him shiver like that all the time he had been here.”

Shaking his hand, Elias felt happy that he could help them, “I am happy I could help. After learning about your community and the family farms, I realised how special your homes are to you and to Asana. If ever you need legal help, don’t hesitate to call me. We are becoming family, right?”

Edith nodded, “You are more than welcomed into our family, Elias.”

“I had my doubts about you,” Fred added but after what he had seen, he had nothing left to doubt, “I’m happy you stood up for my granddaughter. I don’t think I have anything left to doubt about you now. Welcome to the family,” he extended Elias a handshake.

“Thank you, sir,” Elias returned the gesture, “I will always protect her, I promise.”

“I accepted him from the start,” Tobias cheered, “My sister did something worthy of praise.”

“More than what you could ever achieve,” Asana retorted cheekily.

Charlotte looked over to Owen, “You know how I feel about him. I entrust to him our daughter’s heart,” she searched him for a response and suddenly all eyes were on Owen.

A long silence ensued as Owen tried his hardest to find a reason not to accept Elias, but he couldn’t find a reason. After bonding with him yesterday, he knew Elias wasn’t a bad person and now he had fulfilled his promise of dealing with Marcus. Owen downed his entire glass of wine in one gulp, “I did promise,” Owen extended his hand to Elias, “Be warned, hurt my daughter and I don’t care how powerful you are. I have rifles and an ex-military gunner for a father who taught me his tricks.”

Elias accepted the handshake, “That gun might get rusty, sir, because I am never going to hurt her,” Elias promised.

Owen was suddenly wrapped up in a huge hug with a pair of arms that nearly choked him, “Thank you, Daddy!” she almost knocked him off his chair, “You have two sons now.”

“Don’t…don’t get carried away,” Owen blushed slightly, “I never said he could start calling me dad. I just accept him as the man you have chosen to build a future with. That’s all.”

Tobias leaned over to whisper to Elias, “He’s stubborn. That’s the closest you are going to get to him admitting he likes you and that he trusts you with Asana.”

“Well, I am happy to have his blessing and acceptance,” Elias smiled.

Asana took her seat again and couldn’t hide her wide smile after her father finally accepted Elias. Under the table, she discreetly took hold of his hand and laced her fingers through his and couldn’t wait for whatever their future held. For now, the incident with Marcus was put in the past as they went into the living room after dinner and desert to watch Tobias’ two years’ worth of photos and videos of his adventures across the world. Asana having to explain most of the complicated language they used in animal studies, medicine and science to Elias.

As they went to bed that night, Asana gazed at him, overwhelmed by emotions of love for him. She was convinced she had fallen more in love with him and kissed his lips gently as he rested his eyes, “I love you, Elias.”

He gentle touch and sweet voice reached his ears and he smiled as he reciprocated her kiss, passionately, “I love you too,” he whispered and kissed her lips again.

“I know it is against your rule,” she wanted to make love to him as a reward for all he had done to help her family, “I really want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for them. Please.”

Elias wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body closer, “Do you know how long it took me to gain your father’s acceptance?” he reminded her but kissed her lips, “We’ll return home the day after tomorrow and I don’t plan on taking it easy on you. This will have to satisfy you for now,” he kept her close to his side and continued to cuddle her and kiss her passionately until they were both exhausted.

#elias goldstein #asanawayMC #wizardess heart #wizardessheartfiction #fanfic #thanksgiving #love

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