I haven't given up on this story yet. I'm determined to finish it. This last chapter was really hard to write and I'm not totally pleased with it, but I'm posting it anyway.

Review and let me know what you think!

~Aquaria~

Chapter: 10

Talking Things Out

Musa stood outside Riven's bedroom door debating whether or not she should knock. She could turn away right now and walk out the door. He'd never even know she was there. But Sky and Helia had seen her come in on their way to class and she didn't want for them to mention it to Riven, then he'd know she'd chickened out. After a short mental debate Musa knocked on the door letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

From outside the door she could hear the shuffling of feet and Riven cursing under his breath. He looked like a beast of a man, the way he towered over her. His violet eyes flickered between annoyance and anger.

"Musa now isn't a good time." Riven said crossing his arms. It felt as though the temperature had dropped a few degrees. Musa had seen Riven in pretty bad states, but she'd never seen him like this. He'd never treated her so coldly.

"Riven we need to talk," Musa breezed past him and into his bedroom. It always amazed her how he was able to keep his room so neat. All of his books were neatly ordered on the shelves, his desk was organized, and the floors were free from clutter. She could tell Riven had been laying in bed seeing as the blankets were balled together on the bed. Pushing the lump of blankets to the side Musa plopped down on Riven's bed.

"Musa you need to go." Riven could hear the bite in his tone and hoped Musa hear it and understand that he didn't want to talk.

"Not until we talk." She patted the spot next to her. "Come on and sit down."

He wanted to walk away, but it was the look in her eye. He could tell she genuinely cared. She really wanted to be there for him. This was something Riven wasn't used to. He grew up having no one, not even his father, the only family he had left, had shown him any kindness. So he listened to her and sat next to her on the bed.

Surprised that Riven hadn't put up a fight Musa took a quick deep breath. She wasn't sure what she should say. "The past couple of days you've been in this mood." She began. "Something's wrong. Something's bothering you and I really wish you'd tell me." Her navy colored eyes met his violet ones. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

Musa wanted for him to open up and let his defenses down, something he'd never done before with anyone. He should trust her. She's his girlfriend and he should be able to tell her anything, but why wasn't it that simple?

"You trust me don't you?" Musa asked after waiting a few moments for Riven to respond. "I trust you." She kept talking trying to fill up the silence. "I'll admit it wasn't easy at first. I wasn't used to having someone to depend on." It seemed all of her talking wasn't helping any, because Riven still hadn't said a word.

"Musa," Riven turned to face her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just drop it." His eyes were pleading.

"Riven what happened?" She asked. "You can tell me. You know you can."

The way Riven saw it he had two options. He could walk out the door and end the conversation, or he could be honest with her. The old Riven would have walked out the door, but he'd started to notice a change in himself. He wasn't the same person he was when he first came to Red Fountain. Meeting his team had changed him, meeting Musa had altered him completely. Without him even realizing it Musa had whittled away the walls he had thrown up around him. He knew he could trust her, so he could be honest with her. Couldn't he?

"You'll have to bear with me." He took Musa's hand in his. "Did I ever tell you about my mom?"

Standing out on the terrace of her mom's estate Stella breathed in the crisp night air. There were only a few more hours until the wedding and she still wasn't looking forward to it.

He makes mom happy, that's all that matters. At least that was what she kept telling herself. She figured if she said it enough she'd begin to believe it. Luckily for her she'd had Brandon here to help her cope with all of it. She and Brandon had had dinner with her mom and Lord Cameron. Lord Cameron and Brandon had hit it off. Apparently Lord Cameron was an alumni of Red Fountain and the two had bonded over talk of battle strategy and discussion of various weaponry.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Brandon stepped out onto the terrace. He'd been so engrossed in his conversation with Lord Cameron he hadn't noticed that she'd left the room.

"He really loves her." Brandon saw Stella's eyes were on her mother Luna and Lord Cameron. The two were now walking through the garden below.

"He does." Brandon agreed.

"I can't remember my parents ever being that way with each other." Stella said thoughtfully. No, her parents never went on romantic walks under the moonlight, fingers interlaced, nor did she ever remember her parents sharing deep romantic kisses, as Luna and Lord Cameron did now.

"They make each other happy." Brandon said as he wrapped an arm around Stella's waist. "You should be happy for them."

Stella sighed. "I want to be." She really did, but a part of her didn't want to be. "It's rare for royals or really anyone of nobility to marry someone they truly love." Marriage was all about creating alliances, as long as you were of noble bearing you did not marry for love.

"He'll take care of her, protect her, and love her." Everything a husband was expected to do.

Stella knew that he would.

"This is the only picture I have left of her." Riven pulled a small picture from his pocket and handed it to Musa. "After she left my dad was depressed and angry. In his anger he destroyed anything that would remind him of her. Wedding pictures, old family photos, the only thing left to remind me of her was me." That was why Riven and his dad had such a terrible relationship.

She could see he took after his mom in many ways. He had her coloring, her red hair, and her violet eyes. "What was her name?" She asked.

"Noeli," Riven answered. He was young when his mother had left, his memory of her had faded over the years, but the one thing he'd been able to hold on to was her name. "She just left one night while we were all sleeping, with no explanation. She didn't leave a note or anything she was just gone." Maybe she hadn't been content in her marriage to his father or maybe the little family that she had hadn't been enough for her. Not enough to keep her from leaving.

"How long has she been gone?"

Riven sighed. "Sixteen years tomorrow."

That was why he was in such a bad mood. The anniversary of the day his mother left was approaching, he was entitled to be in a mood. "I'm sorry Riven." She placed a hand over his.

"It's okay," he murmured.

"No it's not," She knew what it was like to lose a mother. How it felt to remember very little of them, but she'd lost her mother to sickness. Riven didn't know what made his mom leave, if she was still out there somewhere, if she even cared for him.

But it would get better, she would be there for him, to support him and love him. That was what couples did.

The wedding would be starting in a few minutes and Stella knew she was supposed to be in her place preparing for the start of the ceremony, but there was one thing she needed to do first.

She'd thought long and hard about it the night before, and had lost a lot of sleep in the process, but she was sure about this.

She quickly made her way through the hall until she came to the room she knew Lord Cameron was staying in and knocked on the door.

"Stella?" Lord Cameron was dressed in his tux. "The ceremony will be starting in a few minutes."

"I know but I needed to talk to you first." She said stepping inside the room. "This won't take long."

"Okay?"

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to my mom." She began. "I wanted so bad for my parents to get back together I didn't think about her happiness. She really loves you and if she wants to be with you, I'm going to be supportive of that."

Lord Cameron was at a loss for words. "I'm not sure what to say." He'd always hoped that at some point she'd warm up to him, but he never expected this.

"Just promise me you'll be good to my mom and continue to make her happy. I don't doubt my dad cared for her, but he couldn't make her happy like you can."

It was a promise he had no problem keeping. "You have my word."