“We were engaged, Euripedes and I” Leniver looked at Adwin for a moment, holding a steady gaze. “We got engaged at 10”
Adwin looked like he was going to say something, but Leniver cut him off. “It was normal back then, in the aristocracy, we tended to have political marriages.”
Leniver paused and studied Adwin’s expression,, a curious stare, before continuing “Our families agreed to the marriage, Euripedes did not have the Gift of Teia back then.” At Adwin’s puzzled glance Leniver paused.
“A long time before even I was born there was a war, you wondered why Antheria lost contact with the other continents, it was because of this war. To stand a chance, the Three Gods who sat on the throne granted gifts to three knighthoods. The Knights of Sym, The Knights of Teia and The Knights of Gaea.” Leniver waited a beat to see if Adwin understood
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“I had the Gift of Sym, the ability to control the winds around me. Euripides had the gift of Teia, she could feel a person's emotions almost read their minds, she could even influence their decisions. I wouldn't meet the “holder of the Gift of Gaea” for a while still”
Adwin looked like he wanted to ask but he knew better and settled for a sip of tea.
“As I was saying, back then, when we got engaged, Euripedes didn't have the Gift of Teia, her sister did, it was taboo for two Giftholders to marry since they did not want the chances of a strong heir to be diminished.
During the Great War the Gift of Gaea fell to the Romarian side and it hadn't been seen since, so it was important to preserve Sym and Teia’s boon. Euripedes didn't have the Gift and she and I were close in age so our parents married us off.
Five years later we were hopelessly in love but her sister fell in battle and Euripedes inherited the Gift, we had to void the engagement. She and I dated in secret for a while until my ‘death’”
Leniver realised he had been playing with his engagement finger the whole time, and smiled at Adwin.
“Yes we did end up getting married, that part of the legend is true”
He lowered his collar, revealing a gruesome Golden scar on his neck
“The day she died I tried to kill myself.”