THE SECOND VOW

CHAPTER 7 A PAST THAT LINGERS

Lavania stepped into her mother's room.

It used to be her favourite place in the entire house. Before she turned ten, she remembered how she would spend hours in here, admiring the colours, the designs, the paintings, and all the little details that made the room feel different from every other room in the house.

She had always admired her mother's taste in interior design. When she was younger and was asked what she wanted her own room to look like, she had requested something similar to her mother's.

She wanted to feel her mother around her, even when she was alone.

There was no doubt that Vivienne had an eye for beauty, and it was especially obvious in her room.

Lavania walked towards one of the paintings hanging upon the wall. It showed a woman dressed in many different colours, each one flowing into the next. She gently touched the frame as memories of her childhood came rushing back.

She remembered how her mother used to tell her the meaning behind the painting.

"This painting represents women," Vivienne had once told her. "The colours represent the different things we must endure in life. Yet, through all of it, we remain beautiful."

Her mother had purchased the painting the very year Lavania was born, making it almost as old as she was. After all these years, it had not changed.

"You still love it."

Vivienne's voice broke through her thoughts.

Lavania turned around, suddenly remembering that her mother was in the room. She had become so absorbed in the painting that she had forgotten about everything else.

"Yes, Mother," Lavania replied, her eyes returning to the painting.

"You may have it if you wish," Vivienne said with a gentle smile. "Take it as a special gift from me."

Lavania turned to her mother, surprised.

It was more than just a painting. It carried years of memories, and that was what made it so precious to her.

"Thank you, Mother."

She hurried towards Vivienne and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

Vivienne smiled and held her daughter close.

Lavania eventually pulled away and returned to the painting. She carefully lifted it from its place upon the wall and held it against her chest.

"Come and sit with me, Lavania," Vivienne said. "There are many things I wish to discuss with you."

Lavania placed the painting carefully against the wall before walking towards her mother's bed. She sat down, facing Vivienne.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Vivienne finally broke the silence.

"You are to be married soon," she began. "And I believe that, as a young woman, there must be many things upon your mind. There must also be questions you have yet to find answers to."

Lavania nodded.

"Being born into a wealthy family comes with responsibilities," Vivienne continued. "There are traditions that families such as ours have followed for generations. Marriage is not always about love. Sometimes, it is about preserving the family's name, wealth, and position."

Lavania lowered her eyes.

"You must not go against the wishes of those who have arranged this path for you," Vivienne said. "Doing so may bring trouble upon you and upon the family."

"All right, Mother," Lavania replied quietly.

But the words did little to settle her heart.

"I am troubled, Mother."

Vivienne looked at her.

"What troubles you?"

Lavania hesitated before finally asking the question that had been sitting heavily upon her heart.

"What if I do not love him?"

Vivienne remained silent for a moment.

Then she gave a faint smile.

"Perhaps I should tell you how your father and I came to be married."

Lavania looked up.

"My father was a cruel man," Vivienne began. "His word was final, and there was very little anyone could do to change his mind. From a very young age, I understood him well enough that even his anger no longer frightened me."

She paused, her eyes becoming distant.

"I was quite popular among the young men when I was a girl. Many admired me, not merely because of my father's wealth and influence, but because of the presence I carried. Whenever I walked into a room, I could feel their eyes upon me."

A faint smile crossed her face.

"Even some of my sisters grew jealous. They saw me as competition, and because of that, I struggled to keep many true friends. I was often alone."

Lavania listened quietly.

"I could have had the attention of many young men if I wished, but I never allowed myself to forget my family's name. I would not throw away everything my family had built merely for amusement."

Vivienne's smile slowly faded.

"But then I met my first love."

She took a slow breath.

"His name was Draygon. He was one of my father's horsemen."

Lavania noticed the change in her mother's expression.

"He was handsome," Vivienne continued. "His hair was long and dark, and his eyes were as blue as the sea. The first time I saw him, I could not stop thinking about him."

She smiled faintly at the memory.

"We began by exchanging glances whenever there were gatherings. Neither of us dared to say anything at first. Then one day, he was assigned to accompany me on a visit to my uncle."

Vivienne's voice softened.

"Halfway there, our carriage broke down. Draygon had to repair it while I waited. I remember watching him work, pretending not to stare. He noticed, of course."

Lavania smiled slightly.

"He began telling me jokes while he worked. I laughed so hard that I could hardly breathe. After that day, we became close."

"But you hid it from your family?" Lavania asked.

Vivienne nodded.

"We had to. We knew what my father would do if he discovered us."

She looked down at her hands.

"We would secretly meet whenever we could. We spoke of our future and imagined a life together. We believed that, somehow, we would eventually be allowed to marry."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"But secrets do not remain secrets forever."

Lavania's smile disappeared.

"The servants began to gossip. Eventually, my mother heard about us and told my father. Draygon and I were called before them. They tried to convince me to end the relationship, but I refused."

Vivienne swallowed.

"I was forbidden from seeing him, and he was forbidden from coming near me. But we did not listen."

"What happened?" Lavania whispered.

"My father decided that he would take matters into his own hands."

Vivienne's eyes became glassy.

"On my eighteen birthday, he arranged my marriage to your father."

Lavania could see the pain returning to her mother's face.

"I was furious. I left the gathering and locked myself in my room. I refused to come out for days."

"And Draygon?"

"He came whenever he could. He stayed close to me and tried to comfort me."

Vivienne paused.

"Then one day, he told me he had been ordered to travel with my father. He promised me that when he returned, we would find a way to be together."

Lavania waited.

"But he never returned."

"Why?"

Vivienne's eyes filled with tears.

"He died."

The room fell silent.

Lavania stared at her mother.

Vivienne reached for a piece of clothing beside the bed and wiped her face.

"When I was told, I could not understand it. I cried. I stopped caring about anything around me. I barely ate or slept. Every night, I hoped that somehow he would return."

Her voice broke.

"I began to lose myself."

Lavania felt a heaviness settle in her chest.

"My father could not bear to see me that way. Eventually, he married me to your father, despite my mother's pleas that I be given time to heal."

Vivienne looked at her daughter.

"I felt empty. I did not care about the marriage anymore. I only wanted to leave the place that had caused me so much pain."

She took a slow breath.

"Your father was kind to me. He understood that I was hurting, and with time, I came to love him."

She smiled sadly.

"But it was never the same love I had for Draygon."

Vivienne looked towards the painting on the wall.

"I kept all of Draygon's letters. Even now, I sometimes read them."

Lavania remained silent.

"I have always believed that my father had something to do with Draygon's death," Vivienne continued. "Perhaps he believed that removing him would force me to accept the marriage and preserve our family's name."

She looked at Lavania.

"But all it did was break something inside me."

Vivienne reached for her daughter's hand.

"The reason I have told you this story is because I want you to understand something, Lavania. You cannot always choose the path placed before you. Sometimes, you must simply find a way to live through it."

Lavania stared at her mother.

For the first time, she understood that the woman before her had carried a pain far greater than she had ever imagined.

She had never loved anyone herself. Perhaps that was a blessing. Perhaps it was a curse.

All she could hope for was that she would come to love the man she was going to marry, so she would never have to experience the kind of pain her mother had endured.

Lavania moved closer and rested her head upon her mother's lap.

Vivienne gently ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.

For a long moment, neither woman spoke.

They simply remained there, mother and daughter, sharing a silence filled with memories, fear, and the uncertain future waiting beyond the walls of the house.