Marriage, Murder & Magic- [OMINIS GAUNT]

Chapter 31- Pink & Blue

I hated the Gaunt's wedding gift. It was a caged baby dragon, brown in color, screeching and screaming for freedom. It did not appear to be in good health, either.

I was too stunned to speak. Dragons had been my biggest fear since my encounter with Ranrok. Other magical beasts I could manage just fine. But the dragon- every time I thought of it, I could feel the heat of Ranrok's fire. I could hear his claws scraping against the stone. And in my dreams I saw his snapping teeth aimed for my throat.

All of this was flooding back into my mind as I looked at the baby dragon before me. Everyone was waiting to hear my reaction- but my reaction was a silent one, one of absolute wordless horror.

"What do you think of it, Prisma?"

Ominis's mother's voice sounded far away. I wanted to reply to her, but I did not know what to say- did I lie and say that I was grateful, or did I tell them that this was actually my worst nightmare?

In the painful silence, I felt someone take my hand. It was Ominis.

"I believe Prisma needs a moment to gather her thoughts," Ominis said. "We will return shortly."

With that, he whisked me up the stairs and into the hall, closing the cellar door behind us, dampening the sounds of the screeching dragon.

I suddenly felt as though I could breathe again. A mirror on the wall showed me that I was as white as a ghost. The mood changing necklace was dark red.

"Are you alright?" Ominis asked me, concerned. "It is not like you to be lost for words. And your heartbeat was like a drum. What is the matter?"

I forced myself to take deep breath after deep breath. "I am terrified- of dragons- ever since Ranrok...."

I heard Ominis curse. "Damn. I am sorry. I did not know."

He did not have to apologize. I had told no one but my parents of my nightmares; not even Sebastian, or my sisters.

Ominis took my hand. "You're shaking."

"I will likely continue to shake as long as it's nearby," I admitted. "I cannot help it. I do not wish to offend your family. I am sorry."

"Don't apologize." Ominis said with a frown. "Wait here. I will take care of it."

Ominis returned to the cellar. I heard his muffled voice as he explained my strange behavior.

"Prisma is at a loss for words with the generosity of your gift. She wishes for it to be transported right away into the care of her good friend Poppy Sweeting until we return from our honeymoon."

I relaxed slightly. I was grateful to Ominis for getting me out of this problem. It was important that I did not make a poor impression on my in-laws. But- I remembered with horror- the mood necklace had likely already given me away by changing bright red.

I went up to my private room for a while to calm down. This was to be the last night I had a room to myself. Tomorrow, I will be married, and Ominis and I will share a room. Share a bed, even. All of it was so strange that sometimes it felt like I was living someone else's life and not my own.

There was a knock at the door. "Prisma? It's Sera and Kharis."

I let my sisters into the room. Immediately, the mood necklace shifted from a nervous orange to a happy pale yellow.

"I'm sorry for my sudden disappearance after the gift exchange," I said, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I was not feeling well. Wedding nerves."

"We wanted to speak with you in private," Sera said, closing the door behind her. "May we speak freely?"

I nodded.

Kharis took me by the shoulders and said in a low, careful voice, "We don't like these people, Prisma. They're rude. And a little bit scary."

I could not bring myself to speak ill of Ominis's family, even though I felt the same. "They are rather serious," I admitted.

"Ominis seems like a lovely young man," said Sera, "But these people are not like us."

"They thought a poached baby dragon was a suitable wedding gift. Just that alone is pure evil," Kharis emphasized.

"It was a simple misunderstanding." I could keep on making excuses, but it was no use hiding my true feelings. They had both seen my necklace turn a hateful shade of red in the cellar- and they were my sisters, and knew me well.

Sera spoke in a low and careful voice as if she were afraid there were ears in the walls listening to us. "Prisma," she said, looking me straight in the eyes, "If you wanted to break off this engagement, we would completely support you."

I pursed my lips. "... I cannot."

My sisters looked at me with wide confused eyes. I decided it was time to explain how I had gotten to this point.

I explained, "Ominis and I lost someone very close to us in September. My friend, Morgana, was killed. While I was investigating the circumstances of her death, Ominis and I were seen together alone at night by a professor. The Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster assumed the worst, and ordered that we be married."

Sera clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Did he do something to you?" Kharis demanded.

"No, no such thing happened," I assured them. "Ominis is a good friend, and treats me with respect." I thought of Ominis fondly, and would defend him with my last breath.

Kharis pointed at my neck. "Your necklace..."

I looked down at my necklace and saw it was a bright shade of pink.

"W-what does pink mean?" I asked, even though I could guess.

Sera and Kharis looked at each other. "It means you are in love, stupid," Kharis said, smiling. "Did you not know?"

I shook my head.

"Prisma is in love," Sera said, sounding a little choked up. "But- that family- I still do not trust them. How can we be sure that you will be safe with these people?"

"Ominis won't let anything happen to me." I had no idea how Ominis felt about me. But I was a hundred percent certain that he would protect me with all his power.

"How strange..." I said aloud, touching the necklace. "This entire time, I thought I was in love with someone else..."

"Who?" Kharis nearly knocked over a vase of flowers on my nightstand in her immense interest.

"Our friend, Sebastian."

My sisters' eyes widened as the necklace changed color as I thought of Sebastian. It turned an unexpected shade of dark blue.

Kharis frowned. "Blue? Does Sebastian make you depressed?"

"No, no," Sera corrected. "Dark blue symbolizes a different kind of love. The deep, loyal love between friends."