Returning back to Sinnoh, Shauntal sat at a table in Lucian's home, tapping her pen against her cheek for all but a moment as she allowed her muse to embrace the instrument of creativity she held within her fingerless gloved silk fingers. Occasionally her gaze would shift over to the engagement ring on her left hand, reminding her that she wasn't completely alone in this endeavor. A deep breath slips from her as she adjusts herself from the slumped position she was in. She then allows her pen to write out her second speech for her grandmother.
Recalling in her memory, the woman was a well-known owner of old paintings from Kalos that began their renaissance era several hundred years beforehand. Her family had a wealthy background in art and fashion before the family head wished to retire, then settle down somewhere quiet.
To him, Sinnoh was a quiet place to settle. Her grandmother grew up on the tales of many fanciful fairs that featured one masterpiece after another -- which still hung up in the old halls of her manner. Her grandmother was quite talented with a brush as well. A gift, unfortunately, her father didn't have. Shauntal had very few conversations with the woman but she did encourage her with her writing. Painting a visual picture with paint was just as important as painting a picture with words, or so she was always told by her grandmother.
Finishing her speech, Shauntal noticed her hands shaking and her eyes burning again. "Not again. . ." she muttered to herself, carefully taking her glasses off as a wave of grief fell over her. Tears blurred her eyes as she places her paper to the side. ". . .could I just not cry for one day? Please?" she muttered softly to herself.
As she started to crumble and break down into a soft crying fit, she could feel a soothing hand rub against her back, followed by a soft kiss against her head.
"You don't have to hold it in, darling," Lucian mutters, "There's nothing wrong with grieving for a love one."
She turned for a moment from her current seating position before reaching out to her betrothed. Clinging to him as her head rested against his chest while he ran his hand over her back. Seeing her like this broke his heart. He was just glad that she was allowing herself to cry and express her emotions about the situation. When she was holding back, it honestly had him worried. Now that she was allowing herself to express that sadness, her mind was having a chance to grieve and comprehend the loss.
When her shoulders ceased movement and her sobs grew silent, he took a knee beside her so that he could tug on the cloth within his breast pocket. With a delicate hand, he brushed the fallen tears from her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
"Everything will be okay, love. You don't have to face this alone. I do apologize I couldn't be with you during the first service you had to attend. I will be sure I am with you during the second one though. "
"Y-you don't have to. It's not like you knew her. . ." she muttered softly.
"Nonsense. This woman was someone who was important to you, was she not? I feel it's my obligation as your spouse that you are accompanied during your darkest hour. I'd put my reputation to shame if I was anything less than a supportive partner. " he lifted her left hand, brushing his lips against her knuckles, tracing the lines of her hand with his thumb while looking at her with a small smile, " I am here for you to lean on, whenever that may be. You don't even need to say a word."
Shauntal sniffles, giving him a nod, "Okay. Thank you. I don't know what I would do without your love and support."
Lucian gives her hand a soft squeeze, "I'd rather not ponder on that train of thought." His gaze shifted between Shauntal and the speech she was writing, "Would you like to talk about her? Perhaps share a story to preserve her memory?"
"I wouldn't mind talking about her if that's okay?"
"That's perfectly fine with me." He stood from the floor, taking a seat beside her as he still held her hand. "Do you have anything in particular in mind you'd like to share?"
Giving a small nod, Shauntal reached for her glasses and adjusted them accordingly.
"My grandmother was a painter. She could paint pictures of Pokemon with people in a way that made it look like it was from an old glass shrine. I was always fascinated with the way she knew just the right amount of shading was needed to make the Pokemon come to life in her art." Shauntal gave his hand a tight squeeze as she thought back to the last time she saw the woman, "When we last spoke, I had informed her that I was not only doing well as an Elite in Unova, but I had a successful career as a novelist. The smile that woman had made my heart ache. She was so proud of me. It had been so long since I heard the words 'I'm proud of you. Your hard work is finally paying off.'"
She slumps against her chair, "She promised me one of her paintings when she found out and said it was a surprise. I still don't know what the painting is but I was told that the painting would be given to me during the service."
"Interesting. I'm sure it will be a lovely painting. We can find a place for it once we know the dimensions of the frame."
"Yeah. . .The service is in two days so hopefully, I can get all of this. . .emotional crying out of the way before then. I would really like to not cry as I did at my grandfather's funeral. "
"...and if you do, you know you can lean on me should you have the need."
Giving him a nod, she closed her eyes for a moment, "Until then, I think I'm going to lie down. That trip from Unova was rough."
"My Empress requires her rest and she shall have it. Allow me to act as your escort."
"Hm? O-Ohh!"
Lucian rises from his seat and gathers his betrothed in his arms, holding her close to his chest. Shauntal wrapped her arms around his neck, still not used to him being able to lift her with ease.
"Y-you really don't need to lift me like this. I can walk," she remarked, a flustered blush washing over her cheeks as she looked up at him.
"Now where would the fun in that be? I have everything I could ever need here in my arms."
"Lucian. . ." her eyes started to water again, but not out of grief -- but joy. The joy of having someone love her completely, even on her lowest of low days. The fact that he was still with her, supporting her through her worst days, spoke volumes.
Shauntal leans her head against his chest, "I love you..."
He presses his lips against her forehead, then a gentle peck towards each cheek, followed by a soft kiss against her lips, "I love you too, Shauntal."
Taking her to the bedroom, he settled her on the bed, allowing her to rest her troubled head against his chest. The pair spoke at length about the memories she had with the family she had recently lost while he traded a few stories of his own with his family. It was a somber moment, allowing them to bond over memories of the people who once walked through their lives, now on the other side or bound as a ghost somewhere. Despite the sadness and heart-wrenching news of what happened, Shauntal was able to slowly piece herself together with the assistance of her beloved.
