For some reason, Valerie remained silent for sometime, feeling the cotton rub against her back. "What do you think will happen now?" She questioned back.
Malorie shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe father will try to kill me?" She was done treating the wound, she arranged the box and stood, walking to drop the box back.
"Who's he, Mal?" Malorie paused in arranging the drawer, drawing in a breath, she closed the drawer and climbed back on the bed, seeing as Valerie had arranged her dress. "You never told me about him."
The sisters laid down back in their initial position.
"I've been going out with him for a year. I didn't want to tell you, I thought you'd be mad since you knew father had already promised me to the Grand Duke of Aetherialis." Malorie told her and shifted so she laid on her back, facing the white ceiling.
"I would never be mad at you." Valerie said softly, "What's he like? Is he a human? Where did you meet him?"
"Calm down, that's a lot of questions." Malorie chuckled and Valerie joined her. "Uh... He's nice. He's not a human, but don't get scared if I tell you his race."
"I promise not to get scared."
"He's a vampire." Malorie turned to face her sister but there wasn't a twitch in her soft expression. "I met him in Sir Taylor's library. He likes to read like us too."
"That should've been one of the days I didn't go with you?" Valerie asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah. You didn't go with me that day. He is a handsome man, after that day, I started seeing him. He asked me to go out with him and I did. I mean, we are still together." Malorie responded with love filled eyes and a smile. "I love him, Valerie."
Valerie nodded with a smile and caressed her sister's cheek, "Do you think he knows about the baby?" She asked and Malorie shook her head.
"Do you think I should send a letter to him?"
"Yeah it'll be good if you let him know. We'll go to the post office tomorrow on our way to the library."
"Okay. What if dad doesn't let us?" Malorie question with worry.
"He will, you know how Sir Taylor is about his books. He wouldn't let you buy it even if you're the king." Valerie laughed and her sister joined her.
"I wonder how he can bear the bribe. If I'm him, I won't." Malorie added amidst their laughter.
Their laughter died down and they lay facing each other again, "How do you think he'll react if he gets the letter? Lorien I mean?" Malorie asked.
"His name is Lorien? He has such a nice name," Malorie nodded, "Uh... Let's say he'll barricade our home and come to find you? From the look of it, I guess he loves you too. When last did you see him?"
"Last week. He always sent me letters but I managed to retrieve them first before it gets to father's hands. He wants to see me, he says he misses me."
"Oh... Does he know...? That you were promised to the Nor'east Duke?" Malorie shook her head at Valerie's question.
"I didn't tell him. I didn't want to." Valerie nodded.
They spoke some more about some other trivial things. Malorie wrote the letter and enveloped it, hiding it in her own side of the room, they came back to Valerie's bed and they both succumbed into an afternoon slumber.
★
The girls' door was knocked on before it was gently opened. Valerie, a light sleeper as she was, woke up to the sound. Squinting her eyes, she realised it was their mother. "Mama..." She softly called out, raising into a sitting position gently as not to awake Malorie.
"Mal's asleep?" Cynthia asked as she came and sat at the edge by Valerie's side.
"Yeah." Valerie nodded, leaning against the headboard and hugging her knees to her chest. "Mama... Do you love father?" Cynthia was stunned to hear the question, she was tongue-tied and Valerie asked another; "Does he hit you, mama?"
Cynthia took a deep breath and released. "He does, sometimes when a meeting didn't go well and he's agitated. When his manhood doesn't stand even after a long time of trying or he doesn't get his release. I'm at the recieving end of his aggression."
"I'm sorry." Valerie whispered but Cynthia leaned in and caressed her cheeks.
"You shouldn't be sorry about anything, love. Nothing is your fault."
"I think it is. When I killed his first wife's son. I think that's where it all started." Valerie said, biting her lips. "I guess I'm the cause of his aggression."
"You're the cause of nothing, darling. Ethan is just... Ethan." Cynthia shrugged, "He has power, money and everything, so he doesn't really care about whatever he does to his children. So don't you go saying anything is your fault, okay?"
Valerie nodded but a tear slid down her eyes, followed by another and another.
"Baby..." Cynthia whispered.
"I'm sorry." Valerie sobbed, "I'm the first daughter, but I can't even do anything to stop father. I'm so weak." She covered her face and sobbed on her hands, forgetting about not waking Malorie.
"You're anything but weak, darling," Cynthia pulled Valerie's hands away from her face, wiping her tears with her hands. "You're very strong in your own way. God, your father doesn't deserve you. You will find a man who does, okay?" Valerie nodded with a sniffle, "Now wipe your tears and weep no more, we don't want Malorie waking up. She needs more sleep as a pregnant lady."
"Yeah," Valerie chuckled, "I can't believe I'll become an aunt soon, and you a grandmother." The two laughed and Cynthia nodded.
"I've never had daughters or sons of my own, but I love you two, so much." Cynthia said, wiping the sheen of sweat on Malorie's forehead.
"We love you too, mama."