EmiliainWonderland

Agnes Santos smiled somewhere far far away, wherever she is now.

"My children have family beyond than we expected, this is good."

"Ich'm glad he visened up. Zhis ist nicht somezhing zhe family should suffer for."

Marlena d'Arkent, Konstantin's youngest sibling said with a sigh of relief, hoping this would mean that her family would at last have peace in Aaun.

Within the space of the Seven Skies, arms reached out for the young girl with a smile.

"Bonjour fille, you are safe here with me." Chloe de Rosius-Valens smiled warmly, comfortingly, to the girl who was her descendant. 

At first, it took a long while for the news to reach Ceceliya's ears. She was on cloud 9 because her one and only daughter had just married and she felt elated. Over the years, she had of course grown to miss her family, but there were times she didn't even know if they were alive. 

Family had been what SHE made it, or at least... Cece thought.

It wasn't until she was at home after the wedding with her husband and family that the news finally reached her. 

At first, she'd almost forgotten who Grigoryi Ruthern was. She'd never named a child after him of the many she had. She never stuck true to her Ruthern roots. She was always so much fonder of Auvergnian.

But memories had a way of creeping back up on her, the pain she felt when her family missed her wedding didn't matter anymore.  What mattered now was, the people who raised her were dead. 

Ceceliya was plenty old enough now, wasn't she? So why had she gone to her room and cried? 

Why was she in pain for a man she could hardly recall?

"Rest in peace, papej." 

A BASED Anna post <3 

As someone who's dealt with harassment on LOTC. It's so great to see one of my favorite people (and my lovely trainer) Anna write a post to talk about the problem. It's lead me to in the past want to leave LOTC and I'm glad to see we're all taking it seriously and addressing it.

My respect to the moderators who worked on this.

Blanca smiled wide. "Finally Casimir has found a woman! Never thought I'd see the day!" The red-head celebrated, remembering how she once made fun of poor Casimir when she was a very different person.

Meanwhile, Elaine grinned from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it Casimir!" 

"You did well, Gaius. I'll come see you shortly, if you'll allow." Eryane had a melancholy smile as she read the missive.

"Goodness gracious, another Vuiller child gone and passed. Seems my family truly is dwindling... on all sides." Eryane frowned to herself, but intended to keep her happiness while she still had life left to live with Jack.

Eryane could seldom believe that yet another person had passed away she'd met several times throughout her life. 

Time never stopped ticking.

Yet another of Eryane's family members had passed. What a sad fate. Even those so much younger than her passed away so much sooner.

Marlena d'Arkent smiled, getting some ink and a quill ready to write to the Queen of Balian.

Eryane smiled the sun's smile, hearing that her nephew would be wed. She was elated that her brother's family was succeeding well in their lives when hers and the rest of her siblings had done rather poorly for themselves. 

She turned to her partner, still wearing that same smile. 

"Jack. Gaius' son is getting married. You should send your congratulations, mon amour." 

The very last of her name, one of the only two of Chloe's children to be alive to this day. Eryane was overjoyed to live a long enough life to witness this day. Even if not the de Rosius-Valens name, her mother's blood, and by proxy, her blood, would continue to spread. 

Then a thought hit her with melancholy. 

'I'll be the only one left to witness it. I'm so sorry Diane. Forgive me for your terrible fate, and forgive me for the joy I must feel for Gaius and his family on your behalf as well as mine. We did good Diane. We did good.'

And she wondered if Diane was happy too. If Laetitia was happy for her uncle's family, if Chloe was proud of Gaius and his heir, and suddenly she realized they must be. 

All of the de Rosius-Valens' must be smiling upon this occasion.  

And with the daughter of Callista, no more joyous an occasion than the daughter of the woman who stepped in to be Gaius' sister when she could not. 

Eryane was pleased. 

Feodor took a deep breath, swallowing. The child could not fathom all of the loss he'd dealt with recently, but knew he had to be strong for hie grandmamej and siblings. 

The child, hardly old enough to think his own thoughts resigned himself to quiet studying, determined to make the family proud.

Meanwhile, Feodora, mother of Feodor, arrived shortly after Elia, smiling warmly when she saw a familiar face, the normally shy and soft spoken woman walked up to hug her mother in law, who always managed to treat her with kindness and compassion despite Feodora's awkward behavior. 

Once the news reached her ears, the elderly woman frowned. Eryane hoped the best for her little brother Gaius. She had never met his little Natalya, but prayed that Gaius was able to remember that his family was around him with him during his time of need and loss.

Marlena grinned at the paper. 

"Das ist about damn time zhat zhey got married." The woman said, wondering how the hell one of the longest running couples besides her and Gabriel still hadn't been wed yet.

"It's about damn time Renilde." An aged Eryane Rhodon smiled hearing that her old friend Renilde has finally become a queen. 

"Let's go Renilde!" A red-headed Norlander cheered for her fellow red-head.

"Oh Albert. Your mother became a queen!" Elaine Novellen d'Petra said to her husband, Albert.

Ceceliya Halcourt was proud to serve her queen.

"Despite what many people will say, I only hope my grandchildren are doing well right now." Eryane smiled softly, wondering if some day she'd finally get to meet them, soon.

Man Alex, I been waiting for this for a while!!!

Blanca remembered the Prince rather fondly. Reminded of the day they first met at the social season in Balian. 

"I lied to you far too much back then Henry, thank you for taking a neutral stance in the fight against my family and I, and not judging me harshly for my estrangement to them. Though we weren't close, you were a great friend in the times I ran into you. I'm glad we were able to know each other." 

Blanca was reminded of the prince she tried to get along with, always so aloof and strange in his mannerisms. She remembered the fortune teller who spoke to him and told him of his future, what a beautiful future it would've been to see her friend and her cousin Adela truly live a long and happy life together. Fate was a cruel mistress, and Blanca realized for the first time in a very very long time, perhaps she really DID believe in Fate.

She turned to her spouse, tears streaming down her cheeks with the words she'd never get to tell Henry himself. @ichigomaster98

"Having emotions is such a double-edged sword, isn't it Io? Maybe things were better when I felt nothing at all." Then she looked upon her spouse and thought of her children and shook her head. 

"Or perhaps having emotions is the best thing I could've ever asked for.... but in times like these.... I wish I were numb." 

"Poor Adela." Blanca frowned, hearing the news that a friend of hers had passed away and that her sweet cousin Adela was left widowed. 

"All wounds heal with time, but if she needs me, I will go."

"Congrats Richard!" Marlena read over the missive with a smile.

A letter arrived for Ezren. 

"Dear Ezren, I have a lovely niece who is currently unwed. A wonderful daughter of House von Augusten, a county in Aaun called Hohengarten. I can try to set something up between them if you'd like, contact me about it if you'd like to have them meet and I will talk to her about such an occassion.

Sincerely, 

Marlena d'Arkent"

"Und of course he doesn't list vhen zhis meeting is!" Marlena huffed, taking care of her son, Peter Theodoric.

"But gutt for him anyvays."

Blanca read the missive and smiled warmly. 

"Congrats cousin Konstantin, I'm sure you will do your mother proud."

Marlena blinks at this missive.

"Vell ich don't HAVE to travel to Aaun for Richard's vedding, if ich'm not even invited zhat is... 'esteemed' pedigree. Ich am ihr favorite aunt Richard!" She huffed before falling into a fit of laughter. "Nein, ich'm kidding. Du vill come vith me ja?" She asked her husband with a smile. @FredrickTeufel

The Union of the Dragon and the Aurentanian Eagle

 (Gabriel and Marlena Circa 1934)

┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

In the last month, Marlena von Augusten and Gabriel d’Arkent took a trip to the far away continent of Ba’as accompanied by their respective families to be wed. 

They enjoyed a lovely wedding by the seaside and returned home to the city of Balian as Gabriel and Marlena d’Arkent.

└───❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚┘