Anzhelina can be an unsavoury young woman. (purebred) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-12-11 14:01:00 |
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Antonin had spent the morning working on plans for their Lord, to free their compatriots. Unfortunately, those plans laid all-too-bare the possibility that some of them would not survive this sally; that some of them would leave their loved ones, in the struggle to bring much-needed purity to the wizarding world. Most of the others' families had support. Anzhelina had nobody in England, and he knew she would likely be unhappy in Russia, while her friends remained in Britain. And if she remained unpromised when he died, then there would be meddling by people who did not know his daughter, who hadn't made the promise to her mother that she would have some choice in her disposition. He wanted to give her more time, more time to be a young woman, to find her place in the world and in herself. But they had run out of time. Getting to his feet with a grimace of discomfort -- coldness had well and truly set in, and his joints were painfully stiff -- Antonin collected his cane and went to Anzhelina's apartments, watching his daughter for a moment before knocking lightly on the side of the door. "Dushenka, do you have a moment?" Marriage had never completely left Anzhelina's mind, especially not with people talking of weddings and getting engaged around-the-clock. She knew her father would come and talk to her about the sensitive topic again at some point, much as she tried to postpone the inevitable. She was only beginning to accept what her future had in store for her, and though she realised it wasn't the end of the world, she was bored to death by the idea of being a housewife. Looking up from one of her favourite novels with a smile, she stood up from her seat in the window. "Is everything all right, Father?" "We must talk," he said heavily, giving her a rueful smile. "I am sure that by now you know that we are planning things; you are astute enough to notice when I do these things. What we are planning... it is dangerous, and after what happened in September, I must have things set in motion before it is begun." Anzhelina crossed the room to the sofa and sat down, letting her eyes linger on her father's. "It may be dangerous, but you will be all right. Nothing will happen to you. Nothing has happened to you, and it will stay that way," Anzhelina replied, smiling still, but looking as though she didn't truly believe the words that were spoken. It wasn't like her to think that optimistically, but she refused to accept that her father wouldn't be around for however long she needed him. Antonin shook his head, sitting down beside her. "I cannot take the risk, dushenka. I am sorry; I had wanted to give you more time. But we must discuss the matter of your marriage in more solid terms than we have before. I will not simply arrange things with somebody you do not know or care for, but if I become unable to see to such things, I fear your preferences will be disregarded altogether, should our relatives step in." Looking down at her hands and feet, she thought for a moment. She was grateful that her preferences were even being considered -- she assumed most girls had little influence in the decision, and she was lucky to have a father who cared for her feelings as much as he did. Still, she wanted to suspend the life she currently had for as long as humanly possible. She wanted to remain the girl she was. "You do not need to apologise. You know I am old enough to understand what needs to happen -- falling in love was never on my agenda, and I will learn to settle for a good man who will be as kind to be as you have." "I fear my brothers would step in, should I be unable to see to your disposition, and while I am sure Daniil would consider your preferences, I cannot say the same for Aleksandr. And he is more likely to take charge, as Daniil has his wife to care for," Antonin said heavily, rubbing his stiff knee absently. The cold weather had always troubled his joints, and his leg had only gotten worse since September. "I will be blunt, Anzhelina; at present there are two young men I would honestly consider, both by their individual merit and the friendship they show you. I have my preference, naturally, but I will not let it colour my judgement; whoever you choose, I will speak to them or their guardian, as the case may be, and arrange things." Nodding, Anzhelina thought for a moment. "I cannot tell if Bartemius is right for me," Anzhelina began, twirling the hem of her dress around her finger. "If you tell me to marry him, I will. But I feel as though he deserves someone more sensitive towards him and who he is. Ultimately, I do not feel I can provide him what he wants out of a woman." "He is a good young man, but I worry about his emotional state," Antonin agreed. "Whilst I am fond of him, and would welcome him as a part of the family, I am not certain he is the best choice for you. The other I have been considering of late is Rabastan Lestrange. I know you have been conversing with him; what is your opinion of him, as a potential husband? Do you feel you could be content with him?" "As you know, Rabastan Lestrange was kind enough to take me out to dinner on my birthday. He kept up with the conversation we shared, was nothing if not polite, respectful, and sophisticated, and I enjoyed myself. But I do not know if that is enough to base such a delicate decision on," she said. "After all is said and done, I do not know either of them as well as I would like. You knew mother well before you committed to her, did you not?" "I did. We loved each other very much." Antonin sighed. "I do wish I could give you more time, dushenka. But you are twenty, and with the current climate, I would be much more comfortable if you were settled with someone." He gave her a small smile. "I am not as young as I used to be, after all, and I would like to see my grandchildren growing up." The thought of having children, naturally, scared her a little, but she did want them eventually. And she, most of all, wanted them to have a chance to meet their grandfather. "What if Rabastan Lestrange transforms into a completely different person after this comes to pass? What if he realises he does not wish to care for me?" "If you are truly unhappy with him, or if he mistreats you in any way, then there is recourse," Antonin assured her. "I will not stand for anybody harming you, dushenka, whether physically or emotionally." Strangely enough, hearing those words stilled her heart a bit, even if she already knew he wouldn't let anyone harm her. She felt substantially more content with the situation knowing he would be on her side no matter what, and though it was hard for her to fully accept her future, she was beginning to comprehend the reality that there would be uncertainties with every step in her life. After a pause where it looked as though she were about to cry, Anzhelina gathered herself, speaking as confidently as she could. "I suppose I choose Rabastan." Antonin reached out and hugged her, stroking her hair the way he had when she was a child. "It need not be right away. Engagements can take some time, and I would have you with me a little while longer yet. And we will still see plenty of each other, when you are wed. I hardly intend to desert you the moment you marry," he said, his tone a little teasing. "I do not wish to rush you at all, but Chloris Burke has invited us to dinner on Sunday, with Rabastan and Marius and Astra Lestrange. Do you feel up to attending, or shall I make our apologies?" Anzhelina hugged him back, pressing her face into his shoulder to prevent herself from losing it. When she pulled away, eyes a little round and puffy, she shook her head. "Of course we should attend. I want to attend. And I want to thank you for being so understanding, Father." He smiled at her, tucking one of her curls behind her ear. "You will always be my dushenka, Anzhelina. You can always come to me, for whatever reason. That will not change." |