March 13, 2004
"Prince Nuuka and his family will be at your wedding? Damn, okay, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear that many dignitaries of our kind are going to attend. Everyone loves flyball… but I think her name is now bigger than the game," said Victoria.
"When was the last time you talked to her?" said Frank.
Coralis and Sebastian were playing in Ethiopia that night. Victoria and Stephanie came to Frank's apartment to watch the game, and Samantha and Jeremie attentively watched it.
"Hmm right after the new year, why? Who else is coming?"
"Did she tell you who'll be singing at their wedding?" said Stephanie.
"No. The last time I talked to her, she talked about yours and asked me questions about the part where your mom walked you down the aisle."
"Is it what she worries about? Because lately… I don't know, she seems distant and barely talks to me," said Frank.
Victoria looked at him, and she became worried about Coralis. She knew, however, that it probably wasn't for the same reason Frank was worried about her. Stephanie was listening attentively, worried too.
"No. I explained to her that it's typically the father who does that, but, well, he isn't in the landscape for you two, so Stephanie substituted him for her mother. She told me that if it is a human custom, she will ask Kief Fullemon if he could do that for her. Frank, I want to know who's going to sing at your wedding, but first, I'm going to tell you this. I think I know why Coralis isn't talking, and it has nothing to do with you if you're worried about that."
Frank looked down, then got up to grab a beer.
"The Moonlight Hammer will perform at their wedding," said Jeremie.
"FOR REAL?" said Victoria, then looked at her friend. "Clearly, she isn't talking to me either, but really, don't overthink it. She isn't going to change her mind about you. Remember, as far as our community is concerned, you and Blue are already married. The wedding itself is merely a formality and I'm sure like hell she isn't regretting her decision."
"Considering the list of people who confirmed their presence at the wedding, I don't see her backing out of it," said Stephanie, looking at her brother. "Vic is right, I don't like that she isn't talking, but I don't think she will change her mind and cancel it."
"She won't cancel. It probably scares the shit out of her. Blue is a warrior and she grew up in the system. She doesn't handle love-related emotions well, but she told you yes. She'll follow through with it," said Samantha.
"Agreed, I wouldn't worry. I'd probably be all over the place like her if it were me," said Jeremie.
Frank didn't know what to answer them. Deep down, he knew they were right. He trusted that she loved him as much as he loved her, but he wished she would talk to him.
"I don't know what else to tell you, bro, maybe talk to her? I mean, direct question direct answer, that's how it works with them elementals," said Stephanie, then returned her attention to Victoria. "Yes, for real. Did she tell you about a bar fight she was involved in Dallas?"
March 20, 2004
Coralis was brushing her teeth, getting ready for bed.
"You know," said Frank, leaning on the doorframe, watching her with his arms crossed in front of him, "I love you and I do want to build a life with you, but if this isn't what you want, I hope you would tell me. Are you having second thoughts? Is it why you have been so distant this past month?"
She spit the toothpaste in her mouth and turned to look at him, frowning.
"What makes you think I'm having second thoughts?... never mind, I think I can see why you would think that. Honestly, I am anxious and nervous about it, and it does terrify me, but not for the reasons that you think. I'm not second-guessing my decision to move forward with you, we're past that point."
"Then what is it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like it."
Coralis stepped forward to get out of the bathroom and Frank scooted away from the doorframe to let her pass. She wanted a drink but decided against it. She needed to control her emotions better and own up to them. She went to their bedroom and sat on the bed. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about the best way to answer his question without falling apart.
"You know what I am and you know that for my people, I married you the night I received the branding," said Coralis, lifting her left hand and moving her engagement ring with her thumb to reveal the branding. "I'm not regretting it. If we're being honest, your sister was right. We can't keep our hands off of each other. If it wouldn't have been that night at the flyball stadium, it would have been a different night."
She paused, staring ahead of her. Frank sat beside her but kept his hands on himself.
"I would have tried to talk to you when dropping off Audrey for Christmas… and I don't think we would have just talked. I wasn't talking to Sebastian, but you know I would have when he helped me clear my name during my house arrest and I'm sure the twins would have reached out to you to make sure you didn't believe what was said in the press about me."
Frank stayed silent, looking at her. He didn't want to interrupt her. He didn't like to push her to talk but he needed reassurance and he wanted her to talk to him, to answer his question.
"Victoria was also right when she started telling me that it was time I told you about our world, it wasn't just Sebastian. No matter how I look at it, it was a matter of time before we got to this point, as clearly, we didn't want to be without each other. I hear from all of these people who want to come to our wedding, but there is only one person I wish would come… and she's dead."
A tear rolled down her eye and Frank wiped it away delicately with his thumb.
"On March 31, it will be 9 years. My mind keeps going back to the times we lived together, I can't stop thinking about it, about the trial, about how I felt guilty when people told me she killed herself, how I should have been there for her. I know my cousin has been killed, contrary to what the official story says. She didn't do it herself," continued Coralis, turning her face to look at him, wiping another tear. "We made it out of our nightmare. After all these years, I think I found real love. I just wish Nadilla would be here to see that and be happy with me."
Frank passed his arm around her shoulder and held her tight. He stayed silent, thinking about what she said. There was a trial. He wanted to know more about it but decided against asking her to elaborate. She answered his question. She wasn't questioning her desire to commit to him: her cousin death's was weighing on her.
In the morning, after she left to meet with Sonylla, he called his sister.
"You and Vic were right. She isn't having second thoughts."
"You asked her?"
"Yeah. It's like you said. Direct question direct answer. She explained why she isn't questioning marrying me, and what it was."
"That's good news… but you don't seem convinced? Or something else is bothering you?"
"I don't think it'd be right to tell you about what she confided last night. However, she mentioned something about a trial… not the Massina one. Do you know anything about another one?"
"No. Bro, if we're talking about a trial that happened in her past, there is a chance that even Vic doesn't know about it, or she would have mentioned something when Coralis ignored you for 3 weeks. Maybe we can look it up? Maybe it made the news?"
"No… a part of me wants to, to be honest… but no. Last night, she told me what I needed to know and it wouldn't be right to go behind her back about it. So long as she doesn't change her mind about me, that's all I care about right now."