Anthony looked at him suspiciously. There was no longer any fury in his eyes.
"A few minutes ago, you seemed ready to kill me."
"Yes... But that's beside the point. You didn't lie to me. You didn't tell me that everything I said was a lie, but you didn't deny it either. And think about it. Imagine that a daughter of yours married a man who had the thoughts that you brought into your marriage. How would you react? Wouldn't you be enraged?"
"Yes. If I listened. I've never said anything to anyone about my wedding plans."
"That's how I heard it, Anthony. From the first time we sat down together to make a deal and you asked in disgust if she was sick. At that moment, you opened the door for me to know your thoughts."
"So... It's not just the women in your fable, in your family, who are born with gifts?" Anthony asked mockingly.
"Boy, everyone in my lineage is born with the gift of magic. But you don't need that gift to know the pretensions of someone as transparent as you."
The maid entered the dining room at that moment. Anthony noticed that everyone was bowing their heads to speak to their employers.
"The mistress has sent word that the son of the blue moon has been conceived." She said and left.
Anthony didn't understand a word she meant, but his father-in-law leaned back contentedly in his chair. He looked relieved.
"So, Anthony... You can leave right now, if that's what you want. Your dowry is in the car I bought for you and I can accompany you there. I've also arranged for a castle, almost as opposing as this one, to be built for you, and that was something I decided as soon as you accepted our agreement."
"Will you give me the dowry, even if I don't stay? You know I can get married again, right? Marriage celebrated here, by wizards, is not formally recognized.
"Then do it. Take the money, and the car, and the castle, and my blessing. Go and be happy, with the life you choose to lead. You have no ties... There's nothing holding you here."
Anthony stood up.
"Since that's the case, I accept your proposal. I'll leave right now.
Kellen's father stood up calmly.
"Follow me, please."
Anthony followed his father-in-law, finding the whole thing very strange. He had ruined his daughter's purity, and yet it was as if he was now paying for him to leave. As he followed him, he couldn't help thinking that his father-in-law was leading him into a trap. But his curiosity was stronger than his fear, so he followed.
They stopped in front of a car that smelled new.
Anthony noticed that there was no coachman, but he didn't mind driving the carriage. He never thought he would have such a carriage, with strong, beautiful horses. Inside the carriage, there was a suitcase. He got in, sat down on the seat and opened the case next to it. There seemed to be more gold in it than they had agreed on.
He got out again and looked at his father-in-law, then sat down in front of the car.
"Thank you." He said and spurred the horses to move the cart. He heard a sweet, soft voice call out his name and he stopped the car, feeling a tightness in his chest.
Kellen, she was kneeling on the ground, as if she had exhausted all her strength, running to catch up with him. She just stared at him and Anthony could see the hurt gleam in her eyes from where he stood. It was intense. He could feel her pain. Anthony saw when his father tried to hold her, but she managed to get rid of him and ran to the car, where she stared at him with tears in her eyes, looking very confused.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving, Kellen."
"But I saw..."
"You live in illusions. I warned you that I didn't believe in such nonsense... But you'll be happier without me. Believe me."
Anthony said and urged the horses to move the car, speeding up so that he wouldn't have to see the tears or the torment that those eyes conveyed. But he felt that her gaze was with him.
Three weeks went by and no one from his wife's house came looking for him. Despite his night out with friends, bars and women, Kellen's intense eyes followed him. Even when he was asleep, she inhabited his dreams. He could no longer enjoy himself as he had the first week he had left her behind. And suddenly, in his life. He felt a huge chasm inside him. Nothing made sense anymore. He was living as if his life was tasteless and that woman's lips were the only spice he could taste. He no longer felt with any woman what he felt in Kellen's arms. And after much thought, he decided to go and visit her.
Anthony arrived at the castle and the butler came to see him and asked him to accompany him to the drawing room. There, Anthony was left to wait to be attended to. He sat down, imagining that his father-in-law was going to give him a chair tea to punish him for leaving. He had no hope that he would allow him to see his daughter again, but just standing there, it was as if he could smell her. He felt watched and raised his head towards the door to see the vision he had dreamed of for all that time. At that moment, he knew he couldn't live without her. Maybe it was a spell, but he couldn't resist any longer. Kellen stood in the doorway, looking at him with a gleam of joy in her eyes, and as soon as he stood up, she ran and threw herself into his arms. Anthony welcomed her with the same longing. To smell him again was a gift from heaven. She pulled away a little, but he pulled her back and kissed her warmly. She reciprocated. Anthony felt he needed more than just her kiss, and was about to ask her out, when her father entered the room.