A New Life

In The Afternoon

Lucien reminisces on his past with Elain

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A few decades later, Lucien sat in the field of sunflowers next to his mate Elain, getting a free day, which came so rarely now that they were parents of their own. The two had welcomed a daughter five years prior.

Lucien remembered every fight, every joyful moment, every night spent together before Elain decided to hell with it and just stay with him every night.

Yes, Elain had wanted to take things at a slower pace. Like a human courtship. So Lucien had read about them, studied them, to make sure he knew what they entailed, and would not cross any lines, any boundaries, before his mate was ready.

But he quickly learned that all his studies were for nothing, as Elain took most of the rules for human courtship and threw them to the side.

After a few times, it had happened already, and Lucien decided to tease his mate. Elain wished to go for a walk through Helions' gardens, probably to inspect them if he knew her, and with his knowledge on human courting, Lucien asked if he should get one of the servants to supervise them. Elain simply stared at him with displeasure before she started walking without him. Lucien laughed as he jogged to catch up.

Lucien also remembered all the rough times when times got emotional, and while the bond would usually flare up in anger or jealousy, when talking of past love, it did not for either of them. Elain explained her past with her human fiancé, the pain she felt when he had rudely broken things off. Lucien listened through it all and promised that for what it was worth, he would not leave her, even if there was no bond tying them together.

It was a bit tougher for Lucien to open up about his past, but he did. He told Elain about Jesminda, the love he had for her, and how they had thought they were mates, that their love was that strong. Lucien struggled finishing the story of Jesminda, not wanting to relive that part, but not wanting to leave her story an unknown to Elain.

So when he had explained that Jesminda had been murdered by his father in front of him, as he was held down, forced to watch, he saw pain and sympathy in Elains eyes. She had held him then, in the very same sunflower field, until the pain had calmed down in his heart.

Lucien remembered the first year was awkward when the two would visit the Night Court. After how Elain had left things with her sisters, things were definitely tense. He felt as though they were angry still, but definitely trying to put on an accepting front. Though it had only lasted a year before, they saw how Elain was truly thriving and had fully accepted her leaving the Night Court.

He also remembered the night Elain accepted the bond officially. They had spoken about it, how Elain wished to have a mixture of a Human Wedding, along with a Fae Mating Ceremony. Lucien didn't know when it would take place, but she would speak of it every so often.

She would say the first half would be that of a Human Wedding, and when it switched over to the Fae Mating Ceremony, it would symbolise Elain truly accepting her change, officially saying goodbye to her Human past. Her Human life. Lucien didn't even want anything else. He wanted her to be happy.

What he didn't expect was one night, Elain preparing a full meal. Unsure of what to do, Lucien did not touch anything and waited for his mate to explain. And when she did, Lucien had felt his heart swell.

Elain had been researching, as well as talking with her sisters, and had realized that after officially accepting the bond, there would be a-Elain blushed a deep red as she spoke the next part-frenzy that overtook the newly mated pair. Elain wished for a clear mind during the night of the ceremony, learned of this older tradition, and had worked the entire afternoon preparing dinner. Not to get the frenzy out of the way, but to allow it to be private. Where no one was expecting it to happen after the ceremony.

After her explanation, it made perfect sense to Lucien. Of course, she would not be embarrassed, but she did not want everyone to know about that side of the mating ceremony going on. This was not the time for his usual teasing. So without saying another word, Lucien picked up his fork, and the two began eating dinner.

The next memory Lucien found himself in was the first time Eris had actually relaxed during a visit. He would visit often, but was usually tense, as if he were looking for signs that their mother was being mistreated. Lucien could not blame his brother. They both grew up with their mother being treated horribly by their father their whole lives. But the first time Eris visited without that tense stance, the looking around, the short answers, the first time his brother visited with a smile he hadn't realized her mother had been quite so tense herself, until he saw her relax as well.

It was also the moment that Eris started visiting as often as he could, being the High Lord of Autumn meant it wasn't often, but it was far more than before. He had also been welcomed into the family, aside from just a mother's son and a brother. Elain had welcomed Eris, which, according to his brother, was to be expected. But the first time Lucien had truly seen genuine shock on his oldest brothers face was when Helion accepted Eris into the family, knowing Eris was the least like his father, and far more like his mother.

Lucien wouldn't tell anyone, but he knew his brother was still on the fence about that.

Then Lucien found himself in the memory of holding his daughter for the first time. It was that moment, looking down into his daughters face, that he knew. It was that moment that he stopped referring to Beron as his father, even by accident, because looking into his daughters face, he knew he knew how precious it was to be a father. That was the moment it truly felt right, where he began referring to Helion as his father rather than his name.

The first time, he had called Helion Father, without hesitation, without thinking about it, just casually, as if it were something he had always been doing, he thought the male would cry, from the emotion in his eyes.

Elain had simply smiled, placing a hand on his arm, as she was remembering the conversation the two had had about the topic, knowing it was only time Lucien needed to mentally make the switch of knowing Helion was his father rather than Beron.

Suddenly, Lucien was pulled out of his memories as his mate spoke.

"Do you think we should go relieve your parents from their babysitting duties?" Elain looked up at him, from her spot lying back against his chest, in the centre of the sunflower field.

Lucien smiled softly. "Not just yet. Eris says Helia is like me, but also my brothers when we were all her age. Hyper, and full of energy. Mother is used to children, as she had seven of them. Father never got to experience this himself. Let's leave Helia with them for a little longer."

Elain smiled as she shook her head. The two had sat there from the morning right into the afternoon. They had talked, laughed, and enjoyed the silence. It was coming on dinner now. The two would wait there just a little longer until the want to see their daughter again crept in.