The Reality of the Future

"Oh, sure. But really she's not so bad."

Jovian's posse of friends turned and gave him a skeptical look.

"...Well I suppose you might as well have an attitude like that, since you have to marry her." Quarry mused.

"I think you're delusional." Ouranous shook his head.

"You're just saying that because she's a Castenie, Ouranous." Forra snorted. Ouranous held his hands out in admission.

"Maybe. But you've seen her before. She doesn't care about anyone but herself." Ouranous folded his arms.

"But she sure is pretty…" Jovian grinned. "I think I can live through everything else about her with a body like that."

Forra rolled her eyes and Quarry laughed. Ouranous remained unconvinced.

"I'm not going to get to see much of you once I inherit." He mumbled. Jovian patted his shoulder and laughed.

"Sure! But we'll be neighbors! I'm going to be a duchess~!"

"You realize the Castenies hate my family as much as we hate them, Jove. She's not going to let me anywhere near you."

"The way you're talking it sounds like you want to marry Jovian!" Forra laughed. Ouranous scowled. He had been courting a young noblewoman from the Adellon's duchy, and most certainly did not want to marry Jovian.

"Please. For one thing, Diamond is much prettier than Jovian will ever be."

The group broke into a chorus of laughs and Jovian grabbed his chest in mock offense. They were a young, light hearted party. Despite the discussion topic they had not quite grasped the reality of how much the future would change them. The picturesque night of fine wines and the youthful spirit of a party was all they could see.

It was the last time all four of them would be together.

Jovian often looked back on that night, and ached for what used to be, what time had done to him. And regretted his careless naiveté. The future would have only ill to deal him.

---

One learned to not stand up to Karina. Jovian had learned that some time ago. But it had taken him years before he understood his place.

Jovian's mind finally cleared and the pain finally faded, leaving him splayed out on the expensive, dusty carpet. Distantly he heard the soft click of the door shutting and Karina's fading footsteps.

Jovian rolled over onto his back and groaned, his chest still heaving. He covered his eyes against the glaring light of the chandelier. The decadent room sitting quiet, cold, and uncaring around him.

Karina hadn't physically hurt him. She rarely bothered physically hurting anyone. That was something she left for her lackeys, she said sullying her hands was beneath her. No, Karina knew a much better way to make you hurt. An unbeatable, oppressive, suffocating magical cloud of pain.

Jovian heard a maid come into the room, they paid no attention to him as he caught his breath on the floor. You don't ask questions on the Castenie estate. Jovian was sure the servants had heard their argument, and everything that came after. That was fine. Jovian shut his eyes and wiped away tears.

"Bring me an ice pack." He ordered the maid hoarsely. He heard them abruptly stop their cleaning up and quickly leave the room. Jovian rolled to a sitting position, ignoring the lingering wisps of the horrible pain clinging at the back of his mind. "And some coffee!" He barked after them.

Believing Karina cared about his opinions had been his first mistake, he'd grown to understand that. - The servant returned not long later with an ice pack and steaming coffee, prepared just how he liked it. He put the ice pack to his head and plunked gruffly into an ornate, plush armchair. - But his second mistake had been believing Karina cared about him - him. Jovian. The individual. - at all. Well now he knew better.

He was her husband, her charming duchess, nothing more. To Karina there was nothing behind his face, or beyond his voice or body or name. He doubted Karina saw anyone as having more depth than a cheap, hollow bronze statue. Certainly not any more than her. The world was hers. And now, he finally understood what being hers meant.