It had been three days since Gilean had come and looked into Colin's mind and determined there was nothing he could do. Three days and nights spent watching Colin with a deepening sorrow. The man who looked at her children with adoration was gone. While Sanria could tell Colin enjoyed being around them, she missed seeing the joy on Colin's face. She didn't care if he ever remembered her again, she wasn't worth that in her mind, but she wanted to see the look on Colin's face when he picked up Orn. The look that said, 'THIS is MY son - and he's my pride and joy.'
Gilean had showed her how to put wards on the house to keep Velentham out, and she had diligently followed his directions, each day repeating the phrases and replenishing the magic. There had been no sign of Velentham, which Sanria was grateful to have.
It was evening and Sanria had gone to the sitting room with a book when she noticed Colin was not around. She got up and slowly paced the cavern, her heart beating a little faster. She could sense that nothing was completely wrong, but she was unsettled none-the-less. She forced herself to sit down and read.
Only moments later, Colin returned, and Sanria found herself embraced tightly. "Gilean made Velentham give my memories back."
"Well, that's great," Sanria said. She clutched Colin to her, feeling unsure of what to think. She had enjoyed the time she spent with the Colin that was not overprotective and jealous. They had talked more in those three days than ever before. If he could have gotten some back but not all...
"Sanria, I want you to be able to talk to me," Colin said, as though reading her mind. "Those three days were... great... just having you talk to me."
"I liked it, too."
"I realized just how nice it was - having you feel as if you could talk."
Sanria felt herself letting go of the negative feelings. If Colin could manage not to be overprotective, if they could keep what they found over the course of three days, then Sanria could ask for nothing more. She could make this her life and she could be happy.
Loser
Velentham walked back to the cottage exhausted and in a rage. No sooner than he let up on his mental control than Sanria shouted at him, "Get out... get out now!" He would have held out longer were it not for so many people. He would have to come back later, get Sanria alone, make her understand that he loved her, she loved him, and they belonged together. He needed help. He would ask his cousin.
The cottage was quiet as he went in, noticing Gilean sitting there with a book on his lap. "You have to help me," Velentham began. "I did it your way, I didn't force her and she told me no. So I had to do it my way. But it didn't work. I didn't have time to get her alone to make her understand -" He paced the room having worked himself up into a new froth.
"My involvement with you has practically cost me my relationship with Claire, do you know that?"
"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I promise, if you help me I'll help you in any way I can - regardless of how I feel about you."
"If you want to help me Velentham, then go. Make your own way. I thought that was your plan anyway."
Velentham continued asking, but Gilean seemed so sure of himself. "So... she rejected you," Gilean said.
"Well... I... yes but that's not acceptable."
"You have to understand that for her to have a choice means she has a choice. It's not a choice for her to choose what you think she should."
"I can't be without her, Gilean. I can't."
"Velentham, slow down and take a breath. Now what happened? What did she say to you?"
It was in his own world Velentham found himself. Far from plotting and planning how to tell Gilean what he did, Velentham told him everything. It shouldn't have shocked him that his cousin could get so upset, but Gilean read him the riot act. "By the gods, you wanted to show her how you really felt... I think you've shown her more of yourself that you ever could have imagined."
Velentham went for the door. He'd go back. He'd go back now and finish even if it drove him into the ground with exhaustion. He flung the door open to reveal Sanria standing there, mid-knock. Velentham's heart sank at the look on her face upon seeing him.
The cottage was quiet as he went in, noticing Gilean sitting there with a book on his lap. "You have to help me," Velentham began. "I did it your way, I didn't force her and she told me no. So I had to do it my way. But it didn't work. I didn't have time to get her alone to make her understand -" He paced the room having worked himself up into a new froth.
"My involvement with you has practically cost me my relationship with Claire, do you know that?"
"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I promise, if you help me I'll help you in any way I can - regardless of how I feel about you."
"If you want to help me Velentham, then go. Make your own way. I thought that was your plan anyway."
Velentham continued asking, but Gilean seemed so sure of himself. "So... she rejected you," Gilean said.
"Well... I... yes but that's not acceptable."
"You have to understand that for her to have a choice means she has a choice. It's not a choice for her to choose what you think she should."
"I can't be without her, Gilean. I can't."
"Velentham, slow down and take a breath. Now what happened? What did she say to you?"
It was in his own world Velentham found himself. Far from plotting and planning how to tell Gilean what he did, Velentham told him everything. It shouldn't have shocked him that his cousin could get so upset, but Gilean read him the riot act. "By the gods, you wanted to show her how you really felt... I think you've shown her more of yourself that you ever could have imagined."
Velentham went for the door. He'd go back. He'd go back now and finish even if it drove him into the ground with exhaustion. He flung the door open to reveal Sanria standing there, mid-knock. Velentham's heart sank at the look on her face upon seeing him.
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