This New World (Lakhrymosa and Hidden Lightning)

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"That is Sprite," Xam said, throwing away the core of his fruit. "We're not entirely separated from your human culture, you know."
He licked the juice from his fingertips, smiling to himself. His hair was pulled back from his face, revealing his warm eyes and pale skin.
 
She was somewhat relieved to finally hear of a normal thing in this place. Or, at least something normal for her.
"But you all act as though you haven't humans in years. How could you possibly know what the human culture is like?" she asked and continued to eat until she was full.
"And what is that you wanted to talk about?" she asked again, rather curious about that.
 
"Some of us do live among you in disguise. Monsters like Charlie who can pass for human when they want to. It serves to keep us in touch, you know?"
A pattern was starting to show in the way he spoke. Sometimes formal, sometimes casual.
He sighed and leaned forward, tapping his fingers on the table. "We've found ourselves in a predicament, haven't we?" He looked up at Charlie. "Do you mind?"
She scoffed. "You want me to leave? I already saw you having this conversation."
He glared at her. Charlie chuckled, holding up her hands defensively. "Alright, your Grace." She refilled Riley's cup and slunk from the room, leaving her alone with Xam.

He stared at the counter for a long moment in silence. "Do you understand why we must wed?" he said quietly.
 
His words made sense. Perhaps the monsters in disguise were the ones that she always felt like something was off about them. They would seem normal enough, but something just would't feel quite right.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted though when he spoke to Charlie, eventually getting her to leave. By the sound of it, Charlie could have visions.
Taking a sip of her drink, her attention returned to Xam. "No, I don't understand why," she replied, truly not getting why he would want to marry someone he just met and knew almost nothing of.
 
He sighed. "Then that is worse." He laced his fingers together in front of him, staring down at his hands.
"Monster culture is very... unusual, to humans. We have traditions. Superstitions. To save a person's life is to intertwine your destinies for eternity. We are expected to wed."
He took a deep breath. "And you are a human. Forbidden from entering the gates of the clan. If you are not beneath my protection, you will be executed." Or worse, he added in his head.
 
She listened to what he said, mulling the words around in her head.
"So basically, I marry you or die. Quite the choices," she said, still not too pleased with the whole deal but in a sense, was grateful to him since he was trying to keep her alive even though she was a human and he a monster.
"I guess there really isn't much choice I have in all this."
 
"I wish that things could be different," he murmured. "I apologize for this. It must be hard, marrying a monster."

He looked truly remorseful, and sorrowful for her fate. But there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, hope that perhaps this human girl could come to love him. The thought filled him with guilt.
 
Reaching out a hand, she rested it on his arm to get him to look at her.
"I appreciate your apology. But it's not because you're a monster that it makes it hard to marry you. You haven't tried to kill me like others have so really, I could care less whether or not you were monster or human. This is hard for me simply because in one day, I've two near death experiances, found out there are such a thing as monsters, and to top it all off, before I can get my head wrapped around all that, I'm told I now have to marry a complete strange and get no say in it," she replied, hoping that, that helped him to understand her point of view of all this a lot better.
 
He looked at her, then away when she finished speaking. "I understand," he said quietly. "You must be exhausted." He glanced at her plate and saw it was mostly empty. "You were hungry. I apologize for not offering you food at the castle. My brother..." he sighed. "He understands little."
He stood. "Charlie, you can come out now." The woman came out from the back room.
"Riley, be strong." Charlie gave her a smirk. "Carry yourself like a queen, and you shall be treated as one." Her advice was slightly cryptic, but before she explained she went back to dusting bottles. "Have a save trip home, you two."
 
She was glad that was settled and now they were on the same page. No more random surprise of marriage or why it was happening. But however one wanted to look at it, she was still stuck here. But so far, she was being treated better here then back home so she didn't mind that much.
"Thanks Charlie," she replied, apreciating the food she was given. Once they were done there, she followed Xam back to the palace, starting to feel rather tired from her long day.
 
They were quiet on the way to the castle, but it was a comfortable silence. The silence of friends. When they reached the front door a guard was awaiting them.
"Your Grace," he began, but Xam held up a hand.
"Whatever it is, it can wait. My fiancé and I are tired."
The guard opened his mouth to protest, but then shrunk, defeated.
 
Riley didn't mind the walk back. It was definitely more enjoyable then when she'd left or first showed up.
When the guard started to say something, she grew curious as to what it could be.
"What if what he was going to tell you was something important?" she asked as they started walking again.
 
"If it were important, then he would have insisted," Xam said simply. He led her up a spiral staircase. "I apologize that we don't have a place prepared for you to sleep. For tonight, you can have my room. I will sleep in the study." They entered a room with a surprisingly comfortable looking bed and wide stained-glass windows. A huge bookshelf sat stuffed with books and scrolls. Lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the space warmly.
 
She nodded and continued following him silently. She hardly noticed anything that they passed since she was feeling rather tired.
However, when they entered his room, her eyes widened a little in surpirse. "This is quite the room," she said as she looked around it a bit.
"You don't have to give up your room. I don't mind sleeping somewhere else," she added.
 
"No, I'd rather you were safe up here. The servants have been instructed to leave you in peace, but... you never know." He sighed. "Eventually the novelty will wear off and they'll regard you as just another resident of the castle."
 
Riley nodded and turned back to face him. "Thanks for all your help today," she said, giving him a tired smile. She really did appreciate everything he'd done for her today and now couldn't wait to get some sleep.
 
He nodded. "If you need me, I'll be just down the stairs and through the first door on your left. Sleep well, Lady Luck."
Xam gave her a teasing smile before turning away and heading off down the hall.
 
Riley shook her head a little as he called her that again. Once he was gone, she closed the door and crawled into the bed.
It was so comfortable and she was quite tired that it didn't take very long for her to fall asleep.
 
It seemed like only a few seconds until she was being shaken awake, although truly she slept for hours.
There was a short, chubby woman with her hair tied up in a bun shaking her. "Wake up, my lady!"
 
When she felt herself being shaken awake, she groaned a little and opened her eyes sleepily.
"Whats going on?" she asked sleepily, barely managing to remember she was with the monsters and sleeping in Xams bed.
 
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