Beautiful Delusions (on hiatus)

Ch 12: Duty

Hunter POV:

She was gardening...rather angrily, "Violett?" She ripped out a weed, "Violett? Are you okay?"

No response.

I sighed a bit and crouched beside her, tenderly patting down some of the uprooted soil, "Phoenix is a terrible fiend and is best ignored if at all possible."

she glanced at me from the corer of her golden honey eyes.

I smiled sheepishly, "something I'm still trying to master."

Violett sighed heavily, sitting on her heels, "its not just him Hunter its all of it, all of this." She waved her hand in the air, "you two come in, tell me fairies are real and then everything goes three thousand miles per hour."

"I am not entirely sure what that means but I understand this must be upsetting for you."

Her head whipped around to face me, "aren't you upset too?"

I was quite for a moment, having taken off the pendant allowing me to lie shortly after Phoenix noticed it. It was wrong of me. "I am. But you are a nice young woman Violett. And I have a duty to my court."

She snorted a bit, "I don't want to be a duty Hunter. I... I want someone who wants me like you want to be with your fated."

"I have not found her and am unsure how that will feel."

"But even now." She murmured, "you ache to find her dont you?"

Another hesitation, "I do."

"And." She looked at me fiercely, "wouldn't she be angry if you had a child that wasn't hers?"

"I can only hope she is an understanding woman."

She picked at the leaves of the uprooted weed, "I dont want to have a baby with either of you."

"Understandable."

"What happens if I refuse? Is there a time limit? Do you guys leave after a month? A year?"

I shook my head, "we stay until we honor our court."

"By knocking up an underage halfling as Phoenix likes to point out?"

"well..." I tried to grasp a better way to word my answer and found none, "I suppose."

She seemed to wilt a bit, "why me?"

"Because your father was the high king of fae and none of us knew of your existence until now."

She laughed softly, "it was a rhetorical question but thanks I guess."

I nodded, "all will be well Violett I am sure. And as I stated you are kind. I do think I could grow to like you very much. Perhaps close to the way you would like."

But honestly I could never truly want her in the ways she wants, close is the best anyone could possibly achieve without their fated.

She just smiled softly at me, "you are sweet Hunter but no. That isn't something I would want."

I cocked my head to the side, "then what do you want? I will do my best to be this for you to make your role in all of this as easy as possible, we ask so much of you and you are so young."

Her smile turned bittersweet, "I want to be with a man who loves me and wants me above all else Hunter."

I plucked a ripened tomato from its vine, muttering softly, "I am sorry. It would be wrong of me to even try to twist the truth to make that seem possible for you...If I could Violett I most certainly would try if that was your wish. But I-"

She placed a small pale hand over mine, "I know Hunter. I didn't say that to make you feel guilty. You seem to have as little choice in all this as I do. And one day there will be some fairy woman who is very lucky to have you. I have no doubt you will give her even the furthest stars." She smiled brightly, "I can see that and I only met you yesterday."

I smiled back, "you are too kind."

"Im only being truthful."

I nodded, standing and extending a hand to her, "it is a lovely day Violett but your garden needs little work. Perhaps I can pick the rest of the tomatoes for you and you can find a good book to read on the patio."

She thanked me softly starting back to the house.

Violett paused after a few steps, "Hunter.."

"Yes?"

"You are still going to try aren't you?"

I nodded, "I am. As I stated is my duty."

She sighed softly as if disappointed but continued in her steps anyways.

I didn't start on the tomatoes until the door to the house closed softly.

It was best I tell her now and try and grow some sort of bond with her from there.

As I stated she is a nice girl.

She deserves at least the truth. Even if false hope would have been sweeter.