“Why did we break up?” She asked.
“For the same reason you broke up with all of your past love interests. You were scared of falling in love with someone and losing them, like it happened to your mother.” Aerth said.
“Thank you very much.” Solus hugged the painting like it was her lost family and tears streaked from her eyes. “I’m sorry for what I did and I’m even more sorry for what I’m about to ask you. Would you please draw a new painting for me?”
“Sure thing. Let me guess, you want me to add Lith to the family?”
“No. I want you to add all these people to the family.” Solus projected a hologram of the Verhens above her hand.
“It will take a much bigger canvas and a hologram with a higher definition. I can’t see the details from something that small.” The Phoenix said.
“There’s no need for a hologram. Today is my new birthday and would be honored to have you at my party. This way you can meet them and see them in person.” Solus said with a dazzling smile that stirred feelings that had never died.
“Sure. Just tell me where and when.” Aerth nodded.
After the matter with the painting and the birthday was resolved, Lith trusted the Phoenix enough to share with him everything they had discovered about the memory crystals.
As Faluel always said, only an idiot never shared. Besides, with the resources and manpower of Salaark’s R&D, it was only a matter of time before Aerth discovered everything on his own.
“Fascinating.” Aerth seemed to have two different personalities, going from mushy to business in a split second. “I had guessed most of these things, but not all of them. At the same time, there are a few things you have missed.”
The Tiamat and the Blue Phoenix literally exchanged notes while also debating the unique properties of the memory crystals. After a while, they were considering the idea of working together to expedite their respective research.
“Lith Verhen! This is my birthday and you have the gall to waste my time working? I’ve been waiting for over an hour. Any longer and we’ll be late for lunch!” Solus stomped her foot, creating a weak quake.
“We’ll discuss this matter some other time, then.” Aerth gave her a small bow in apology. “I’ll see you tonight, Solus.”
She rushed out of the cave, falling down on her knees the moment they entered the tower. Her angry fagade fell apart and Solus started to cry as she could finally vent the pent-up emotions that seeing her father’s works had stirred.
Seeing her sob and tremble like that while she held the only image she had of her father, made Lith feel like a jerk.
“I’m sorry, Solus. I have no excuse.” He lifted her from the ground and moved her to a couch. “I should have known that being surrounded by your past like that had to be overwhelming to you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.” Yet it was clear that wasn’t the case.
Lith sat beside her, remaining quiet until she calmed down.
“Is there anything I can do to make it up for you?”
“It’s not your fault, idiot.” She blew her nose with a handkerchief. “The gallery didn’t affect me much at first, but while you worried about your work, leaving me alone, I started to look at the paintings.
“Memories from different moments of my life started to pop up one after the other until I couldn’t take it anymore, yet I didn’t want to start crying in front of a stranger. I waited, hoping for you to notice my distress, but you never did.
“You were too happy to have found another work freak like you to look at me even once.”
“Fuck me sideways. I can’t imagine what nice words you would have used if you considered it my fault.” Lith said. “Any more passive-aggressiveness and you’d strangle me while saying that you are not angry at me.”
“I guess you are right.” Solus chuckled amid sniffs. “It is your fault and I’m angry at you.”
She sent the painting to her room while several copies of it popped in all the common spaces of the tower.
“Now let’s go home before Mom starts worrying. We’ll think of a way to make you suffer later.” Solus said while Tower Warping back to Lutia and then to their house, where everyone was waiting for them.
During lunch, she showed her newfound prized possession to the rest of the family, sharing with them what she had discovered about her past that didn’t involve her personal relationships.
After so many emotions in the morning, Solus spent the rest of the afternoon resting and playing with the kids. The hours passed peacefully until the time for the dinner party was around the corner.
“Wait, why are you dressed like that?” Solus said after noticing that the members of her family had worn clothes that they would use for a fancy restaurant. “I thought we’d spend the night here, like for Lith’s birthday.”
“As someone pointed out to me more than once, I’ve never brought you to a nice place so it’s time to correct the situation.” Lith wore a white shirt and ocean blue pants, offering her his hand.
“If you don’t tell me where we are going, I don’t know what to wear.” She replied, standing up from the couch.
“Wear whatever you like.” Tista said with a scoff. “It’s a family dinner. We are dolling up for you.”
Solus shapeshifted her clothes into one of her favorite evening dresses. It was bright red, with golden embroideries that formed a small floral pattern. It had a square neck and left her arms and shoulders exposed.
Much to her surprise, Lith brought them to the tower and from there to the Verhen Mansion on the other side of the Trawn woods. The keep had been built according to his specifics, exactly in the middle of the mana geyser and large enough to accommodate the tower.
This way, Menadion’s legacy could sustain Solus’ human body no matter where she was.
“I’m not going to rely on the generosity of a Guardian for tonight. prepared for everything.” Lith led them to the ballroom of the house, where everything for the party was already set.
The crystal chandeliers were lit with both candles and magic, giving the place plenty of light but also warmth. The white marble of the floor shone like a precious gemstone and was covered with tables filled with delicacies that Solus loved.
The walls had been decorated with tapestries identical to the one that Solus had woven in the tower, depicting all the major events of her life. In all the family paintings that Lith had hung on the walls, she was there as well.
“This isn’t a proper restaurant but it’s still a nice place.” Lith said, glad to see her eyes sparkling with joy every time that she noticed a new element of the room where she had been included.
“Also, here you can have fun without the worry of running out of energy.”
“Thank you, it’s perfect! It’s more than I had ever hoped for.” Solus hugged him, fighting back an insistent tear of joy that demanded to be shed..
