I'm glad that I saved Bastion from whatever Sophia thought she was going to do with him. She really is a stupid girl. The whole ordeal was preposterous and completely childish. I don't understand women who don't understand what a rake is. Seriously, if I were a family man (back then) then I would have courted her properly. Wooing a woman and then just saying goodbye is a romp, a pleasure, a passing fancy; it doesn't bind forever. I'm trying to understand how hard that is to figure out. Then again, all I can really do is think nowadays.
It's been a week or so since we actually got Bastion back and I've been at the end of my rope. The coughing is continual and I can't stop shaking. I feel like I'm made of only skin and bones and I know that if I tried to put some clothing on I would look silly, like a young boy trying to play dress up as his father. I'm glad that whatever Sophia thought she was going to wish for didn't happen or I would probably either be dead or in even worse shape than I am... if that were possible.
I wish that I could get better but I know I can't. I can't just tell Minerva to stop loving Andrew because I wanted to save her. In this world, this time, she loves Andrew because she has been courting Andrew. She doesn't know me...
I coughed hard and could feel the blood climbing up my throat. I put the sheet over my mouth, although that didn't really do much for me. The sheet was soaked through almost immediately and I decided that I should get another chamber pot just for the coughing up of blood. I think the maids were getting angry at trying to scrub out the blood in the white sheets.
There was a knock on the door and I turned, seeing Father come in. For some reason he's been hanging around even more as of late. Although I do appreciate him for the help, I still hate him for what he did to Mother. As much as he was trying to make it up with me, I would have rather had my mother with me now than for him to try and make up for it... but I had to admit that from the way he cared for me that he felt terrible about the past. I'd already resolved that he really had tried to help my mother. During my blackouts and series of being unconscious due to being so weak, I have had glimpses of the past and remember many times when he would pick me up and haul me over his shoulder to take me to bed. I remember hearing him tell me, "You're going to be an amazing lord over your household. Your kindness is beyond compare and your selflessness will make you dearly loved. I truly wish it was not this way." He said that to me so often... every time he put me to bed.
"You're looking like the skeleton that rides the pale horse from Revelation. If this wish backlash thing is true, why can't you unwish it?"
"If I unwish it, then Bastion will just get it back... probably tenfold. That and Andrew, so I've heard, has officially proposed to Minerva. Taking her bliss and happiness away would be selfish. I made this wish to give her the life she should have had, both her and those boys. I cannot take it away now, when it has come to such happy tidings."
"But you're killing yourself, Salem. Why not tell Bastion about the past? He would understand and probably believe you since he has this power you say he has."
I turned away from him, not wanting to think about it.
"I just... don't want to mess anything up for them."
"Then can't you wish it to be the same but different from the past?"
"That sounds way too complicated."
Father put the cool rag on my head and sat next to me.
"Not really. Hear me out: you make some sort of wish indicating that you wish they remembered the past you had but you still want them to have this future so that she is still of high standing."
"That sounds like it will just make things worse for me. The backlash is because of what I've undone and what could have been done. If I just rearrange it, it will add more because now I'm messing up two timelines."
Father sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"Damn it all... Well then, are you going to really let Andrew take the woman of your dreams?"
"What?"
"You told me that in the past Andrew tried to have his way with the woman you love. That's why you have some animosity towards him now. Of course, he and Lady Cavensold don't remember it but you do. You also have a love that she doesn't remember. Use your charm, Salem, to get her back."
"She's getting married to Andrew!"
"But she's not married yet."
I stared at my father and pulled the covers over my shoulders, turning away from him.
"Why do you care so much?"
"Son, I know how it is when you find the woman of your dreams. I had her and I let her go. I will not let you do that. I will not see you in the pain that I felt. I let my duty get ahead of my love for my lawfully wedded wife. I was bullied to divorce her and tortured to watch her die, punished by losing your favor. If I could do it all over again, you would be running a small little tavern, serving drinks. Watching you suffer is not on my agenda."
I had to smile. "Well then..."
"I have an idea that I think may work for you."
He sat beside me on the bed and began to tell me what he had thought of.

*********************************************

Minerva
I was so happy! I was going to be marrying the man of my dreams... although oddly, when I dreamed it was of Duke Barma. For some reason, I kept thinking about him as of late. The way he went up against the Sophia woman, outwitting her and getting Bastion back to me was quite remarkable; especially since he looked like he could hardly ride on the horse both to and from that barn but he seemed so cheerful, so happy to have helped. I felt pity for him...
"Ma'am, there's a message for you." The butler said, walking in.
I turned and saw a small envelope on the message tray and grabbed it. All it said was 'Minerva' on the front. I excitedly opened it, hoping it was a letter from Andrew. I was surprised that it was actually an invitation and a letter from Duke Barma.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Greetings and congratulations,

Lady Cavensold,

I wanted to warmly congratulate you and Andrew on your recent engagement. To show my support and no hard feelings, I would love to have the honor of holding an engagement party at my manor this weekend. I know it is on short notice but –though I hate to share sad tidings- I do not think I will be able to make the wedding nor anything past this week or the next. I will try to prepare myself and be at my best for this party, because I want to see you happy. Please accept this invitation and I do hope to see you this weekend.

Yours,
Duke Salem Barma

PS: the children are invited as well

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Mummy, why are you crying?"
I looked up as Xerxes looked at me and I wiped my eyes of the tears I wasn't aware I was shedding.
"Nothing, sweetheart... Would you please go get me a piece of paper so that I may accept an invitation?"
"Can we come?" he asked, going to the writing desk.
"It looks like we are all invited."
"Yay!" he said, walking over with the paper and inkwell.
I began to write an acceptance letter for the invitation when Andrew walked in, scaring me from his unannouncement. He must have slipped by the doorman.
"Andrew!" I yelled in surprise, almost dropping the inkwell.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was coming over to ask if you received a letter of invitation from Salem."
"I did. I was just about to reply."
"What were you going to say?"
"We would be delighted... Why?"
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"What did your letter say?" I asked, frowning.
" 'Andrew, I'm holding an engagement party for you and Minerva. Please accept this as a token of no hard feelings and a gift from me to you. Salem.'"
"Ah... I got a little more information." I held out the letter for him and he read it. His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at me. "What is it?"
"I thought that the doctor from the city had gotten him stable? Why would he keep this sort of information from me?"
"Because you would probably tell him he shouldn't throw this party and to keep at rest. It sounds like he wants to be there and support us before whatever his sickness is takes more of a hold of him."
"So you're going out of pity then."
"Not necessarily. I feel for him. I mean that in that he wants to do something for us before he believes he will... he will die. To think that he won't even make it until our wedding day is just horrid. He's your friend, Andrew..."
Andrew sighed. "Fine. I will deliver the acceptance myself."
I nodded and then thought better of it.
"No... let me do it."
"Minerva..."
"I won't let him do anything to me. He's too sick to try."
"You'd be surprised." He mumbled, looking at my bookshelf. He pulled something out. "I think you should give this back to him."
It was the manuscript he had that I was reading. 'The Rake and the Mother'... I got up and took it from him.
"Yes, I should... I'll go right now and let Salem know we will be attending."

***************************

Salem
I hate the postage in England. It's so slow. At this rate, I wouldn't even be able to organize the party myself if no one responded. I actually gathered enough strength to go outside and was leaning (heavily) on the banister outside of my room. It looked like rain was on the way, the dark clouds billowing upward and gliding across the skies at a patient speed. Stupid clouds...
"You just have all the time in the world, don't you?" I grumbled to them.
I looked up the pathway and was surprised to find a carriage coming. I squinted to see if I recognized it but it was hard enough to see anything at all let alone something from far away. I waited for it to come closer and saw that it was Andrew's carriage. Great, like I really needed him breathing down my throat about what I was doing. I watched with disdain as the door opened but was surprised to see Minerva walking out instead. I shuffled my way over to the other side of the balcony that overlooked the roundabout.
"Hey!" I called out as best as I could.
Minerva looked up and waved at me.
"Are you well enough to come down?! I would like to speak with you!"
"I will... try my best!"
With that, I turned and was surprised to find Uma waiting there for me.
"Uma..."
"I am here to help you down the stairs, Lord Barma."
"Thank you..."
She helped me get down the stairs where Minerva was waiting and she smiled.
"I am very happy to see you up and about. From your letter I was so very worried."
"I'm not in the clear at all but I know things won't get any better. What brings you by? I would have thought your fiancé would be very possessive... especially coming to my house... alone."
Minerva gave me a smirk. "I assured him that you were too weak to try anything."
"Hmm."
"I came to accept your invitation as well as give this back to you." She handed me my manuscript and I frowned. "I do apologize. I never meant to take it. I was reading it and then Bastion got kidnapped and in the rush I think I packed it up with my things. It's very good and I enjoyed it a lot except..."
"Except?"
"It's not finished."
"Ah, well, my muse was no longer around for me to base the woman off of and I have been way too sick to do much of anything nowadays. Maybe I'll finish it for you as a wedding present to leave..."
"Don't say that Duke Barma- er, Salem... May I ask who you based the woman off of? She's awfully spicy."
I smirked. "If I told you, you would get mad at me."
She blinked at me and I smiled a little. She then realized what I meant and blinked even more.
"Duke Barma."
"See?"
"I'm not mad, per se, I'm just... confused. I hardly know you and yet you based this woman off of me. She seems almost just like me but just in a poorer state..."
I smiled a little, taking her hand. "Minerva, there are a lot of things that you will not understand. Please bear with me because I know things that you won't remember."
"What do you mean? You speak in riddles, sir."
"I speak of the truth." I began to cough and tried to turn away from her but she caught my hand. "Minerva..."
"I don't want you to die, Duke Barma."
"I'm doing it for a good cause."
"But who? Who would you want to die for?"
I stopped coughing and touched her cheek, caressing her face in my hand.
"You... it's always been for you."