She had first started helping out in his house, like she did in many others, after his wife had died. Already then she had noticed how kind he had always seemed, but she never expected there to be anything more between them. Even when Dermot started inviting her and Celestine for supper, she merely thought it another proof of his kindness and only realised his feelings after he proposed to her.
As the priest recited the ancient oaths and prayers and pronounced them man man and wife until death would part them, every single word felt like a solid stone forming a strong new life.
Celestine felt like everyone was watching her, the bride's daughter who was almost old enough to be a bride herself, and while there really was nothing about the attention that would be meant to hurt her, she still couldn't help feeling strange and strangely exposed. During most of her life, she had been invisible - or wished she were.
But still, Kian seemed genuinely enthusiastic and genuinely interested in what she had to say and that felt nice. Maybe it was her dress? She was still trying to remember the last time any attention from boys her age was positive rather than teasing.
Meanwhile, Tristan was nearing teenage years as well and his problems at school were growing rather than becoming in any way better. Eventually it got so bad he couldn't hide it even from his normally oblivious father. Other children in his situation would probably fear punishment from their parents, but Tristan had no respect for either of them and felt mostly humiliated from showing any kind of weakness.
Damien's response was stricter than Tristan would have imagined, though. He had grown up thinking that both of his parents were uneducated and stupid anyway, but maybe Damien's convent upbringing meant something after all.
The fear of punishment finally appeared in the back of Tristan's mind and he wanted to defend himself, but what came was only a command to sit to his studies at once. A strict command with a promise of supervision, but still only that. If he had not been so annoyed about the whole thing, he might have smiled in relief. When he bent over the hated books with his father standing over him, he tried to at least console himself with the thought that it wouldn't last.
True enough, it was only a few days until Damien lost interest in his son's studies again and Tristan could go back to ignoring his books completely. And only a couple more days until his birthday, to which Tristan had been looking forward as the day marking his independence. After it nobody would be able to order him around any more.
He forced his mother to make him a cake like he had for Elena and made sure Adrian would be there for the celebration. He was the only person Tristan really wanted to impress.
He didn't talk to anybody else during the whole party, didn't even notice them really. The only thing that mattered to him was that Adrian laughed at his jokes.
Tristan was sure Adrian saw him as family, as his own son, and he was determined to make him proud and be a better son than that wimp at the Manor could ever be. And when knight training was suggested, he was sure he was succeeding.
The problems he had with his studies didn't go away, though. Tristan had half expected to just stop going, but with knight training on the table it was no longer possible.
A few days of honest effort and Tristan felt the worst he ever had. He just wasn't getting it and even trying didn't seem to help at all. He was getting almost desperate enough to ask Adrian for help, but even if he really could do away with the requirement, he was too afraid of losing his father's respect to ask.
He even thought of falsifying the records, but that didn't work well enough either.
The fact that his annoying, ever so lucky younger sister was excelling in everything she even tried only added insult to the injury. Even the fact that their mother wasn't the type to care about books and learning didn't help much. Even when she wasn't getting attention, she was better than him and he hated even the thought.
He was definitely stronger, though, and so at least he could show the annoying brat where his limits were. Every time she laughed or smirked at him, every time she interrupted him or done anything else he didn't like, he had ways to show her how angry he was. All he had to do was make sure mother wasn't anywhere around.
The less confident Tristan felt, the more he tried to look so to his friends and everyone else who would happen to be around. His cousin Devin was an especially especially good mood booster - shy, awkward, eager to please and easy to impress.
Every time the boys would hang out in the village Tristan would act the confident and experienced friend, all too happy to give advice to the other boy. Most of the time he didn't even need to listen to him.
That day they were speaking about girls, Devin shy as always and Tristan trying to hide the fact that most of his experience wasn't exactly of the romantic kind. So naturally when Devin pointed out a girl and said how much he fancied her, Tristan just had to brag. "If I were you, I would just go talk to her. A few words, some charm and we would be in bed the same day."
Devin frowned, but said nothing, still looking at the girl. He should have been impressed, but instead he seemed lost in thought. Tristan continued speaking, something about his imaginary experience and sure ways to get a girl's attention and after a while Devin's face brightened.
"You're right. I'll try it." He said and then Tristan watched him walk over to the girl and say something to her.
And the girl smiled. Devin was blushing bright red, but Tristan could see the girl was responding to him, leaning in, her face bright and friendly. And only now did he notice that she really was pretty, far too beautiful for his dull cousin.
For Damien and Anna, life continued like it always did. Winter made way for spring and that meant not only less worrying about cold or food running out, but mostly more space for fun. Adrian continued to be a frequent visitor, spending probably more time with his friends or at his hunting camp than at the Manor with his lady wife, and the lady wife seemed blissfully ignorant or indifferent about the whole thing.
The bigger the surprise when she turned out of the blue, walked through the door in the middle of one friendly gathering, on her face a frown that could spoil milk in seconds.
"Ellara?" Adrian stared in shock, trying hard to find the right tone and expression. "What... brought you here?"
"I wanted to see what you prefer to your own home and family! Or who!" Ellara stared pointedly at Anna, who did her best to act natural. She focused on the meal she was cooking, telling herself to not react, not try to throw the witch out.
But it wasn't enough.
Before Anna knew what was happening the lady was standing right in front of her. "I'm speaking to you. And I won't be ignored! Keep your hands off my husband, you understand?"
"What...?" Anna's anger turned into cold fear and back again. Did Ellara know about Adrian? Did she know about Tristan and why her wedding to Damien was so rushed? But surely she would say something, unless...?
"I have seen how you look at him. And how he looks at you, even inviting you to my nephew's wedding. If I ever find out there's something between you and him, you filth..." she ran out of words and just stood there fuming for a few long seconds while everyone else was holding their breath and trying hard to turn invisible.
Damien froze in place and turned away, torn between an instinct to protect Anna and fear of punishment. Devin hid his face in his plate, silently regretting ever accepting the invitation. He was only grateful Delia had stayed at home. And Adrian was standing by the door, all innocence, just waiting for his lady wife to leave.
And then Ellara just slapped Anna and turned away. "Come! We're leaving!"
Adrian followed her out of the door without another look at anyone else in the house.
Tristan remained mostly unaffected by the drama. He may have wished Ellara gone so that his father could elevate him to his rightful place, but, unpleasant as she was, she had never threatened him personally and Tristan found it hard to truly care about other people.
He had finally learned how to charm girls and was using this new skill to boost his self-confidence. He wanted to feel adult, important and, most of all, as much like his father as he could.
As much success as he had with village girls, though, he couldn't stop thinking about the one he had not tried to woo yet.
Eventually he decided to approach her. If she had smiled at Devin, who had absolutely no people skills, she couldn't be too picky.
But to his great surprise the girl didn't react to any of the lines he had spent so much time perfecting, she completely ignored his winning smile, and was less than impressed when he tried to tell her about his knight training and great future. The more he pushed, the more irritated she seemed, until she exploded.
"Will you ever stop your ridiculous bragging? I don't care who your father is or about your wooden sword. If you were really going to be a knight, you would at the very least have a real one."
For a while Tristan just stared dumbfounded. How could she just leave? How could she not be charmed? What could Devin have that he didn't?
It only took a few moments until Tristan's shock was replaced with anger. He stormed up to the girl, determined not to let her escape again.
"Don't you dare look at me like I'm some frog. I'm the prince! Or should be at any rate! If anyone is the frog it's Devin, but he's not going to turn into anything nice even after a kiss, so if that's what you're hoping for..." He finally noticed the girl was watching him with an expression that was half bewildered and half amused. Definitely not what he had intended. "What I mean is..." He tried to change tracks, but the girl just shrugged.
"Don't bother. I'm simply not interested."
Tristan watched her leave and swore to himself he would win her over somehow. After this humiliation there wasn't any other choice.
