𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄. reign

four . in delusion

◤ DORETHEA ◥
*.☽ .* :☆ act one, loving you
ˋˏ *.·:·.⟐.·:·.* ˎ
CHAPTER 004—in delusion

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

✧☾.·:·.*chapter four
a love that was really
something, not just
the idea of something

ELIJAH FOUND DORETHEA TO BE quite beautiful. Of course there were very few people in the world that he'd actually admit that too. Watching the way the corner of her eyes creased as she laughed at whatever Catherine de' Medici was rambling about made him smile, yes, it may have been a small almost unnoticeable smile but it was something.

He'd been admiring her face from the other side of the drawing room for a little while now, only training his eyes upon her for a few moments at a time before averting them temporarily in fear of someone catching him and having to face the embarrassment of explaining why he was watching the pretty girl.

Another thing that he found quite mesmerising about her was her ability to converse so naturally with the Medici queen; this was a gift granted to very few.

Catherine did not speak voluntarily with many people, it had taken years for her to finally take a liking to Elijah. He'd always found the women very intimidating but slowly, over the years, came to the realisation that if she liked you enough then you wouldn't fall victim to a poisonous game of hers, so from a young age he made it his mission to get in her good books and by the age of thirteen he'd succeeded.

From across the room he had no way of knowing what Catherine and Dorethea were chatting about but it was obviously something amusing as they were currently both reduced to fits of 'un-ladylike' giggles.
He considered going over there and joining in but didn't want to intrude, Lady Astley didn't seem to care for him much and he'd hate to upset her. She was very kind to him a few days earlier when they spoken about the loss of family but other than that she did seem quite weary of his company.

The young man had come to a strange conclusion the other day, a conclusion that made him feel a whirring range of emotions. It was originally a passing thought, one he dismissed quickly, but it appeared again later at the forefront of his mind.

He had long ago vowed to himself that marriage wasn't an option in his lifetime; he would not marry some poor, unaware girl and live out the rest of his time in a loveless alliance and he would most definitely not stand by whilst a woman was forced into an unwanted relationship with him.

He was quite happy with the unbound life and there'd never been a women whom he'd seen and thought, i think that she'd make a good wife for me, i think we could be happy. That was until of course only a few days prior when he'd looked at Dorethea and his mind told him that if he really had to marry then her hand would not be an awful one to ask for.