Endahren tried to sit still in his chair. It was dinner time, and he still hadn't said it. It was proving to be more difficult than he had thought, and he had already thought it difficult enough to begin with. There had been absolutely no chance to catch his mother - or even father! - alone since he had reached home after visiting Ella. And if Ella would contact mother for the specifics of the Starlight Celebration dinner tomorrow, he couldn't really push this any farther. He'd have to do it today.
"Try to eat now, darling. You shouldn't go to a business meeting with an empty stomach. You know how those always end up including copious amounts of alcohol, no matter what you try to claim." Endahren looked up at his mother's voice. Business meeting? His father was going to a business meeting today?
"Highly unlikely they'll have much anything there other than something to snack on. If nothing else, your presence will keep me in line," his father grumbled. Endahren suddenly felt dizzy. Did that mean his mother was going too? What was going on?
"Of course she'll keep you in a leash. You always go overboard, you deserve it." The absentminded remark came from Arienne. Did everyone else know what was going on but him?
"What...what's this meeting all about then? I didn't hear of it," Endahren remarked, trying to sound casual.
"Don't worry, son. It's just a small meeting to strengthen some ties and all, nothing important. Your mother and I will be gone the whole night, though." Endahren took a sharp breat, suddenly feeling slightly dizzy. That meant that this was pretty much his only chance to deliver the news unless he wanted things to get very complicated. Which he didn't want, not when he had done a bit of progress with Ella. Hopefully.
"Ah..is that so..." He squeezed his knife and fork tightly. No moment like the present, right? Endahren felt a bit sick. Arienne was there. He was going to hear about this for months, wasn't he? "Actually...there's something I've been meaning to mention..."
His father looked at him carefully, and frowned. "You haven't done anything stupid, have you?" Endahren laughed nervously. Suddenly he felt a bit like throwing up.
"Not stupid, no. At least I sure hope so. We can take in one more person for Starlight dinner, right? I kind of...sort of invited Ella over." He quickly looked down at his place and hoped his cheeks weren't burning too brightly. A silence followed his words, and it seemed to last for ages.
"Well now. That was...unexpected." That was his mother. Arienne started laughing.
"Good work, m'boy!" His father. He was looking at him with admiration. "Get 'em young, I've always said." That was followed by a small grunt as Felitte poked her husband sharply. Endahren could feel a definite blush all over his face. Damn.
"I-It's not like that. She's been a bit down lately, so I thought a little change of pace could do her good."
"You've been meeting her a lot lately then?" Endahren was startled by his mother's question. He hadn't remembered that they might not know even that much. After all, he hadn't really been forthcoming about it himself, so the only way for his parents to know would be if the Delouviens told them.
"Ah...ma-maybe a little."
"So that's where all the gil is going to. Don't pamper her too much," his mother nodded sagely.
"Give the boy a break, Felitte. Nothing wrong with buying a couple gifts for your woman."
"Ellanore is only 13 at the moment. Too many gifts now will just spoil her rotten."
"I don't know...I sure would have liked an attentive fiancé like that when I was thirteen," Arienne smirked. "What have you given her? Something grand, I hope. I don't want my brother getting a stingy reputation. You'd better entertain her well, or you'll hear from your big sister, remember that!"
Endahren groaned. This wasn't really a family matter, it was his own private life they were discussing! He had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but things lately had been insisting on not going his way. The rest of the dinner conversation had only one subject - Endahren's love life, and what his family thought he should do about it. When the dinner ended, Endahren retreated to his room, exhausted. Who knew families could be so bothersome?
Endahren sighed. Again. He thought it might just be the lousiest birthday ever. Lately, he had been thinking a lot of his duties and obligations. It didn't make for the best way to spend your birthday, especially when the only person you could possibly talk to was a mere child. Once again, he sighed bitterly. Arranged marriages really weren't his thing, especially with a difference in age this big. It bothered him. It seemed that no matter what he did, he was confusing the girl badly. He hadn't wanted to do that, but he wasn't really an expert in how to treat 13-year-old girls. The ones he usually spent his time with were his own age. He supposed they had been 13 once too, but at that age, he hadn't paid any attention to them, and had just spent his time with his male friends. Back then, girls might as well have been a separate species for all he cared.
He stopped, cheeks flaming. He had really invited her to the Starlight dinner. He would have to inform mother of it now, he supposed. The experience might just make him die of embarrasment. He hadn't even meant to go to see Ella in the first place, and had somehow blurted out that question to give even some semblance of a reason for his visit. He supposed it hadn't been the smartest thing to do.
Slowly continuing his walk back home, he wondered if he shouldn't just stop trying. For now, until Ella grew up a little bit more. Maybe in three more years or so she would be capable of listening to what he said. At the present, the girl seemed so inexperienced and innocent that he didn't want to burden her with his worries. It would of course leave him with no one at all to talk to, but he could handle that. It would hurt even more if she downright rejected him if he tried telling his thoughts to her, she was likely to do that the way she was now, he thought.
He wondered what he could distract himself with. That would be sorely needed now, more than ever. Perhaps he should start reading more, concentrate on his studies. That'd please both father and mother for one, although not so much his friends. Friends, he called them, but how good friends could they really be since he never talked to them? They weren't the type to take serious talk well, and Endahren didn't want to talk to them in the first place.
He sighed again, feeling rejected, and made his way down the street. There was really no one else he could talk to. There was only Ella.
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