✧YOU'VE FIXED EVERYTHING✧

◊━━━━━✥━━━━━◊

***

"Absolutely not! Radolphous, how could you allow this?!" Alphard had attempt to keep Rhea's head planted to his chest, but out of respect for her parents and the image of both herself and Alphard, she stood outside his hold but remained just by his side.

"...I won't have our daughter marrying someone closer to my age than hers! Are you completely mad?! A bet?!" Rhea's eyes had grown wide at her mother's declaration and she turned towards her hopefully future fiancee.

"A bet? What type of bet?"

"Not to get too into detail as it's quite the story, but your father owes me a favor. That's how I came here without any scars on my person from asking for your hand. But clearly, Clarissa—You rather have Rhea unhappy with Dolohov than with me." He deemed, and the mother's glared further. 

It wasn't anything less than the truth, in Rhea's eyes is was utterly simple.

"I won't have my daughter marry someone more than twice her age." She repeated, but that had broken the patience that Rhea had tried so hard to retain for so many years. "You're the one who told me that age was just a number when it was Dolohov." She explained, and it was clear that she was getting visibly upset once more, and her parents were failing to secure a healthy environment for her to flourish in.

"Sweetheart, think about this...Alphard is forty-two, he would've had children that are near your brother's and Sirius' age if he—"
"But he didn't, and for the first time since you brought up the idea of needing a betroth, I can finally see myself with them." Her claim had uplifted Alphard beyond the heavens, he felt so enjoyed by her declaration that he reached for her hand and kissed the back of it.

"This is not a suitable marriage, there are plenty of other wizards for you to marry."
"But you didn't tell me that when I asked to get out of this courtship with Dolohov, I told you both and I was ignored...You told me there was the possibility of meeting someone a party, and I have." Her voice was even but it wouldn't manage for much longer, not when Alphard had felt an escaped tear onto their encased hands.

"Rhea...You have to tell them." He whispered, and that startled her parents outright. The worst of any scenario passing through their minds. The firm expression of her father hadn't helped, not when he looked so similar to her brother.

The one that said she deserved it.

"Dolohov almost killed me..." She whispered out, and while Clarissa had opened her mouth to speak, Alphard had given his hand up to stall them. Rhea simply needed time to get it out.

"It hadn't b-been the first time he struck me, but if Mr.Black hadn't found me then I would've died...The first time it was the night before father told me he receive the Saint Mungoes letter. The next is when I faked my fall down the stairs...I couldn't heal my ribs myself..." Her shoulders began to fall and she looked away, her whole body was shaking and Alphard had continued to remain the comfort she needed.

"He hurt me. He continued to hurt me, and Rodolphous said I deserved it." The anger in her voice had caused another round of trembling, and Alphard leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"I'm so proud of you, love. You're doing wonderful. They'll all regret it later."

Her small frame had been faced with so much pain and neglect that Alphard needed to settle this here and now. Though he still had the plan of beating both Rodolphous and Dolohov's arse before they would wed.

"So you rather condemn Rhea to all that...Then have her marry me?" The disbelief had been clearly read on either parent's face and Rhea scoffed. "They don't believe me either! What was the point?!... I rather marry a bloody elf than spend another moment with Dolohov!" The young witch had pried her hand from his hold and made her way to the door.

She had planned her escape for tonight but right now would work just as well.

"With that all being said, I have all the reason in the world to put you into this position, but truthfully under the pretenses of this contract and the verbal words of Radolphous, she's legally my betrothed. And I plan to propose once the ring is made." He said, his eyes glancing back and forth between them and the door.

Knowing Rhea would have nearly everything prepared to leave, he needed to hurry.

"Radolphous! Tell me he's lying!" Her outrage had caused him to smirk, leaving the Ravenclaw to allow the two Slytherins to catch up to the situation at hand. Even now he was calm, his hands cupped to the center before him.
Even with Radolphous being the eldest and Rhea's father, Alphard Black was the heir of the Black family fortune to the highest extent. Meaning that the children he had would still outreign Sirius and Regulus.

"You're stealing her away from a much more suitable marriage."
"And as Rhea had said prior, this is a business deal for the both of you and it's come to an end. You're inconsiderate of her well-being has been nearly labeled as neglect, and I'm not the only one who's disgusted. Orion, the one who found her that fateful evening, is mere words away from taking her in as his own after the shite you've allowed." He took a pause, a breath, as he needed to regain his stature.

He needed Rhea to come out on top right beside himself.

"And in the event that she does indeed marry the bastard, will you be the one to comfort her when Dolohov cheats? Commits adultery in the room next door with his mistresses who live in his manor—Who are sucking his funds dry. Or when of course, he hits her. Because if he's managed to almost kill her so far, it will only be a countdown until we're faced with an obituary...It's a wonder why she didn't tell you that portion." Radolphous saw complete and utter red, while Camilla was much more emotional—Going into complete hysteria at the fact that they had been wrong.

At the expense of their daughter.

"Now I am going to go and tell Rhea that all is well, that she won't have to worry about a single thing of retaliation from you or her brothers. Unless of course, you'd actually submit her to that type of torture, then I'll inform Orion and that'll end much more public. And sure enough, Rhea is of age now in the common laws. So she's more than competent to pick and choose her own husband." He nodded his head with a curt and made his way towards the door, but once his hand had touched the knob...
Another thought appeared.

"Oh, and call your son. I have a few words for him as well." He hadn't bothered to wait for a reply, and instead had called upon an elf to escort him to Rhea's bedroom.

The decent walk had been enough to calm himself down, and as he approached it fully he cleared his throat. It was rather odd, knocking at the door of his beloved.

His little goddess

But now he was here and needed to emulate a strong figure if he wanted her to remain standing. Orion was correct about one aspect, that Rhea would need a bit more of a backbone if she wanted to be Mistress Black.

His knock at the door had caused a paused shuffle, she was contemplating on whether not to give whoever had run after her a chance. And clearly, she hadn't thought he himself would risk it.

So he threw his hands over his eyes—In cause she was truly indecent, and walked forward in.

"Do you plan on running away in broad daylight?"
"I would've left at midnight if you didn't come anyhow, what's the point? They don't believe and they never will. Godforbid it was anything more drastic."
"No, this constitutes as drastic. Both Dolohov and your brother have gone too far. It's Rodolphous' mentality of being the eldest, even I get a bit title-heavy when it comes down to it." She huffed, clearly frustrated to the point of holding the majority of her belonging in her arms.

"I highly doubt that Alffie, I haven't known you that long, but you're the most heartfelt and wholesome man I've met to date."
"And you're much more mature than your father, and he's the senior in this manor." Rhea had giggled into her hands, which looked extremely odd considering that her eyes were still bleeding out tears every now and again.

"Now then...I plan to propose to you properly, so you'll enjoy that." 

"Oh please don't make it big deal." 

"My dear dear little goddess, you are about to become Mistress Black. The entitlement calls for a showy union. And I apologize in advance, but I have many friends from out of the country that I would love to come and witness our union." She nodded enthusiastically, clearly she was more afraid of the proposal than the actual ceremony.

"...My parents won't—" 

"Rhea, I say this in the nicest way I can manage. Screw your parents. Your well-being is my first priority. Regardless of what they think." With a long inhale she started to nod, wiping her eyes and trying her best to regain a better hold on her emotions.

"I don't understand though...Why do you want me as a wife?" She dwelled and he had cracked another grin. "I'll admit, I'm not in my prime as I was. But I have plenty of time before my hair turns grey. I'm not sure what it is, you're beautiful of course. But it's up here, that's the true beauty. And it being beaten down and contained has made me brutally angry. It's not pitty, I promise you that, love. These last few days without your missives as company has caused a pang in my chest that I cannot explain other than pure worry and admiration to you." A kind smile had glistened on her face as she nodded.

He had such a way with words.

"You sound like your letters, even in person."
"Soon, we won't need letters anymore. We'll be at our own devices to enjoy our life." Our life.

She turned back towards her trunk and waved her wand to return things back to the way they were, biting her lip in pure embarrassment. "I didn't mean to act so poorly."
"You have more than enough reason to warrant an outburst. And if they decide to be difficult, we could get married tomorrow and handle the celebration will at a later date."
"You're going to cost me my head, aren't you?" His laughter had filled her bedroom, and she squealed in the same level of delight when he twirled her around and held her close.

Alphard hardly managed hesitation to lean forward for a kiss. "Marry me." His voice was on the brink of emotion, and she knew that type of vulnerability well. In response, she had pulled her hand up to his cheek and caressed it gently.
"Alphard, of course I'll marry you—And I will be the happiest I'll ever be." She deemed, and it earned her another delicate kiss to her temple.

"We will have to wait a season until a wedding as it's what's proper, but then all will be well." Rhea had questions, millions of them. But she hadn't a clue if she should confirm with Narcissa before coming straight out to ask Alpahrd them.

The conflation was easy to witness and he hummed to gain her attention once more. "Whatever is causing your frown, tell me. Nothing you say will make me upset." How did he possibly know that she was holding herself back?

"I—Well what happened after we get married...?"
"In which context?" Alphard had offered such a friendly gaze that she felt quite foolish in not understanding the duty of a wife.

"You never wanted a wife until me, how do I fit in your life when we do actually get married?" "Well, as you know I'm called a few weeks at a time to the surrounding countries for my business ventures. So you'll be joining me on those." A gasp of excitement had left her mouth, the young Lestrange daughter had only ever visited the French manor.

Yet nothing was telling of the manor itself, as it was just as boring and isolated as where she was living already.

"I knew that would manage a smile, I don't intend in leaving you here alone. Your passbook will hold plenty of stamps by the end of this year...But as for a living situation, I have three manors here. The party manor that I rent out on occasion, and now I've been switching in between my first and second halfway through the year." That in itself was interesting, that he had his own scheduling.

"But that can all be decided together, it's not just my living situation it'll be ours." Relief was starting to chip away the stress, and he took the chance of letting his lips connect to hers.
"See? And we'll speak more of these concerns of yours as they come. This is more than a union, this is both yours and my livelihood. I already knew that my bachelor life won't be suited for you." Rhea couldn't hold back her question any longer, thus making her blurt it out only to slap her hand back towards her mouth.

Shocking both himself and her to what transpired: Do you have a mistress?

While the way he was raised, it wasn't a wife's place in the family to worry about her husband's mistress. Alphard hadn't had one in ages. "No, not in the last few years. I'm a busy man, Rhea. I didn't have time for those desires." Those words had shocked and almost upset set her on some level, not for the sake of herself and what marriage would be like, but the fact that Alphard hadn't found someone to be with after all this time.

"...But make no mistake. I. Want. You. Rhea. This isn't something I want to or can ignore. What you think of me matters and I...I'll understand at any point that if you feel I'm too old for you then we'll discuss alternatives to—" She silenced him with a kiss, much like her own fears for this relationship, he had his own.

Alphard was insecure about his age when he shouldn't be, he could pass off as being in his early thirties with ease. And in the wizarding world, most lived well into their hundreds. So what is the twenty-year difference worth?

"My heart has room for you, you and only you." She claimed, letting her thumb brush over his lips as she grinned. Clearly, she had the same effect on him that he had with her. They stalled their worries.

"We better get back to your parents before they think I'm corrupting you." He mumbled, and she hummed along as she held his hand back into the hallway and closed her door. They hardly made it that far before a yell caused them both to halt.

"You've ruined everything!"

◇──◇────◇────◇──◇

Date Posted: 09/14/2021

Time: 4:58

Words: 2636

Author's Note:
So sorry for the infrequent updates, sad to say that I barely have much time to post my regular series, and this idea started on a partial whim.

Hopefully, I can start posting on a specific day than popping out random chapters when I have the time.

ANYWAY--

What do you all think about Alphard and Rhea?