Blood Ties (Ophelia and Allaire)

[Kassia Burke]

Under the guise of a sisterly lunch Kassia was going to attempt to hush Ophelia's nasty words. It was no secret that Fee didn't want to get married to her betrothed, but the talk was getting so bad that it reflected on the Burke name. There had to be a way of placating Fee and working things out, but first Kassia was going to have hopefully a productive lunch with her sisters first.

She was already at the restaurant waiting for them.

[Allaire Burke]

Quite honestly, Allaire was proud of Ophelia for trying to make her own way. Naturally, things were not going to be easy. Their father seemed to already be on edge with the way that Ophelia had been acting. Who really wanted to have their parents choose who they marry? Marriages like that didn't always work out and Allaire didn't see the point in it. Of course, the only reason for an arranged marriage was connections but Allaire didn't care.

For once, Allaire slept in. She was usually one of the first girls up and out, gone before hardly anyone else was up. Today, she slept longer. Why? She stayed up late until the wee hours of the morning. Allaire finally started to wake up and she stretched. Realizing that Kassia was already gone, it dawned on her that they were supposed to have lunch today. Dressing quickly Allaire ran into the girl's bathroom to brush through her hair and put on just a hint of make up. Her hair was still straight from the day before and she just let it go, knowing that she was probably going to just pull it up later.

She left the school, not knowing if Fee was at the restaurant yet. It was obvious that Kassia was the first one there but Allaire didn't know about Fee. She ran out of the school and toward Hogsmeade, fearing that she was late. As she got closer to Le Repas Cher, Allaire ran her fingers through her hair and attempted to make herself look presentable just as she walked through the door.

She put on a smile once she spotted Kassia and motioned to the server that she was going to join her sister.

"Hello Kassia."

[Kassia Burke]

Fondly Kassia reached up and smoothed a portion of Allaire's hair that she had missed then gave her a hug, then sat back down.

"Getting enough sleep lately?" she asked concerned. This wholl affair was wearing thin everyone's nerves including her own. She just wanted things to go back to normal, but she was wise enough to know that it would never happen.

[Allaire Burke]

Returning Kassia's hug, Allaire smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I thought I was going to be late."

Kassia was the one out of the three sisters that worried the most. She seemed to be the one who tried to keep them all together and on the right track. "Yes," Allaire answered. "I have, just last night I was reading and didn't realize what time it was." That wasn't a lie. "Plus I'm attempting to get ahead in class so that way I don't have to worry about all that work and I'll have more time to relax."

She took a seat next to Kassia at the table. "How are things on your end? Haven't been stressing over the finals that are coming up soon have you?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia shrugged, "Late's a relative term when it's a sisterly lunch." she smiled, " Besides you're here before Fee so as far as she knows you've been here all the while." She listened as her sister explained different things and nodded, "No that's good that you're trying to get ahead, perhaps I should be doing more of the same." Not that she really needed to study, she was smart and would do fine on her finals, but beside that she knew her fate was to marry, finals weren't that important.

"I think there've been other things to worry about than finals lately."

[Allaire Burke]

That was a main difference between Kassia and Allaire. Allaire was more worried about her finals than marriage. In fact, as of late, Allaire didn't worry about herself in the sense of marriage. She was going to find some way to set her own path. Right now, Kassia seemed that she was going to be taken the road most traveled on, the road that had already been laid out for her. Allaire on the other hand, wanted the adventure of going down the road less traveled, the road that was grown up and she had to make her own path in order to get down it. The poem that entered her mind that described the difference between her and Kassia was the poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.

"I don't think I'm going to end up stressing too much over the finals. I've gotten a lot better in Charms, so I think I'll end up doing just fine." Allaire smiled. It was important to her that she made sure she received high grades in order to please her parents, or at least she hoped that it pleased them. Her smile faded and her eye brow raised. "What do you mean Kassia?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia didn't think of herself taking the road traveled by most, she simply knew her duty as a Burke. Sure she would have loved to have chosen for herself, and there was still a chance for that if she could choose within the accepted circle of males, but the truth was she didn't care who she married. She wasn't as idealistic as Allaire or romantic as Fee, she knew that she would be a good wife, and that she would make her husband happy. She also knew that her father would choose a good man for her, but what it came down to was respect for her father, and respect for their name.

Jadon would be carrying on the Burke name but Kassia would always be a Burke as well, she would always live up to that prestige because she was proud of her name and proud of her family.

"I meant with Father's health over what's been going on, and Fee's lack of affection for her betrothed." then Kassia smiled, Allaire and Fee thought that Fee's refusal was romantic and independent. Kassia instead knew that it was tearing their father apart, that it would tear their family apart, and drag the Burke name through the mud. She thought it was selfish but she would not bring it up in that way.

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire's smile faded a little. She had a feeling that she knew what Kassia thought of Fee's attitude. Granted Allaire did think that Fee could have been a little less dramatic expression of her distaste for Axis, but still she had every right to stand up for herself.

"Oh yeah," she said pretending to finally realize what Kassia meant. Allaire wasn't a huge fan of Axis, herself. She hadn't really gotten to know him, but she didn't really know if she would really like him very much.

"Father will get better soon once things end up calming down."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia was utterly unconcerned about any of these things. She had refused all attempts by her father to arrange a meeting with Axis, and so, after being engaged for two weeks, she still had yet to meet her betrothed. Worse, her father still had not yet agreed to call off the engagement, causing her to refuse to speak with her father at all. Maybe it was selfish of her, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. This was her life, and she wanted to live it the way she wanted, and not the way her father told her to.

Kassia had arranged a luncheon between the three sisters, and Ophelia was immediately suspicious. Of course she knew that Kassia did not approve of her flat refusal to marry or even meet Axelbaum, and she actually asked Lani to ask Rystain to find out what her so-called fiance was doing that day, to make sure he would not be attending this supposed "Burke sisters lunch." Once she was certain that he had alternate plans, Ophelia made her way to Le Repas Cher, but she did not hurry. She knew that at the very least, she could expect a lecture from her sister, who seemed to think she was her mother instead.

At last she arrived at the restaurant and was lead inside by a waitress with bright red hair. She could see her sisters as she approached the table, and could tell from their expressions that this would not be a fun lunch. She wished she had asked Tyler to join them.

"Things will calm down as soon as Daddy agrees to call off this sham of an engagement. I will not be marrying this Axelthorne person, and that is final," she said firmly, sitting down at the table and pausing to fluff her hair.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia sighed, " Let's not talk about that, let's just enjoy lunch okay?" she asked. She knew that talking to Fee would get her no where, it never had. Kassia had been picking up Fee's slack for nearly all her life. Both sisters thought that Kassia worried too much about the family but in actuality she was simply very observant, and being the middle child she also somehow took the role of mediator. Fee never before had felt her father's wrath because Kassia had always been there to placate him, to soothe his feathers and calm him down whenever Fee had him upset, but this was different, this was out of Kassia's hands and she knew that.

Perhaps she should just let Fee accept the consequences of her actions for once, perhaps that was why Fee never really seemed concerned with getting in trouble, someone was always there to bail her out.

[Allaire Burke]

As Fee approached the table, Allaire smiled, but let it fade as she made her comment. She understood completely where Fee was coming from. Maybe it was the books she read that gave her ideas. Being the youngest, Allaire looked up to her sisters. She was the one who could easily be molded. Fee used to be more concerned about her looks than anything, so she was always off doing that, while Kassia was off doing whatever she wanted. That left Allaire alone and once she discovered the library and found a few books she liked, she didn't stop reading.

She had a feeling that today was not going to go extremely smooth but she would worry about that if anything happened. "How's everything going Fee," she asked trying to steer the subject away from Fee's engagement.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia eyed Kassia warily. She thought for sure that her sister, ever the peacekeeper, the one who was so worried about the family all the time, had planned this little event in order to try and get Ophelia to accept her fate. And even if Kassi wanted to drop the subject for now, Fee was sure she would bring it up later. Well, she wouldn't get anywhere if she did... Ophelia would not be moved.

"Everything is fine," she said primly, looking back at Allaire. Sweet Allaire, she understood. Ophelia was sure she was on her side. "Tyler walked me here. He said I was too beautiful to walk alone, and he wanted to be sure I was safe. Isn't that so very gallant of him? I bet Axelthorpe wouldn't be so gallant."

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire let out a giggle but tried to quickly mask her giggle after glancing to Kassia. She cleared her throat and turned back to Ophelia. "That is very gallant," she said agreeing with her oldest sister. Allaire thought that Tyler and Ophelia were the perfect match. She did get to meet Tyler finally and she thought that he was perfect for her sister. She loved the way that they responded to each other and just watching them sometimes was almost like reading a book.

"I'm glad that you got here safe," she said with a smile. Even though Allaire knew that if there was anything horrible going to happen, their parents were going to make sure that they were safe. Things were getting bad and Allaire, even if she was fairly innocent, understood that there were things happening.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia settled herself into her seat and carefully arranged her napkin on her lap. She always liked eating at Le Repas Cher, because it made her feel like royalty, which she believed she was. She was a princess, and surely no one could deny her anything that she wanted. She honestly believed that her father would eventually cave in to her demands and let her out of this ridiculous arranged marriage.

Picking up her menu, she glanced over at Kassia. Honestly, the girl always carried so much worry on her shoulders. It was beginning to show on her face, and if she wasn't careful, she was going to have a wrinkled forehead and frown lines creasing her face.

"So, what is the occasion, dear sister?" Ophelia said in a syrupy voice. "Or were you just getting tired of all that common English food at school?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia knew better. Their father would not relent and it would be a bloody battle. Kassia was just hoping she could help in some way.

"I just thought we could all use a day out." she smiled. She had called her sisters here to try and talk to Fee, but she realized quickly that wasn't going to happen.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia smiled serenely, feeling utterly confident in herself. She was sure that she could beat her father in this battle of wills. He had no idea just how stubborn she could be, and this was the most important thing in her life. It would decide the whole course of her life, and she was not going to let her father choose it for her. She had a mind of her own, and she wanted to make her own choices and be her own person. She didn't think anyone could fault her for that. If she went along with her father's decision and married this person, she would become the same vapid, mindless princess that everyone had always thought her to be. But she wanted more than that.

"Well, I must say, it's good to get away from the school. I keep wondering when I'm going to run into this Axelthorn person. I swear, I'm positively dreading it. Did you hear that our poor cousin Guinevere has an arranged marriage, too? She's so upset, poor thing."

[Allaire Burke]

The thought of arranged marriages sort of scared Allaire. For one thing, arranged marriages weren't always the best. As a result, it would lead to affairs. No girl wanted to be cheated on. Of course, the women would probably end up having an affair too. That was not a marriage. On the other hand, it could turn out okay. Her parents turned out okay. They didn't argue every day, they got along pretty well but then again her parents were part of the few that didn't have to put up a cover.

Maybe it was the books that she had read that gave her all of her ideas about marriage. Maybe it was the books that gave her the ideas on how things should be. From her reading, she did become a smart girl, a lot smarter than most girls her age in her house, and probably a few older ones too. Maybe all of her reading could be considered dangerous when trying to find a suitor. After all, what man wanted to have an arranged marriage with a bright woman?

"Guinevere? Poor thing. I bet she's putting up a fight about that." Allaire knew that Guinevere was a lot like Fee when it came to stubbornness. "We're all going to end up on the shelf one day," she said sadly.

[Kassia Burke]

"His name is Axis...he isn't awful and hardly the stalker you make him out to be. I'm not even sure he's at the school much anymore, he has an estate to take care of after all. He's a very busy man. Which is perhaps why you're averse to meeting him, he doesn't fawn at your feet...he's more of a challenge than that."

When they spoke about Guinevere Kassia became quiet. All arranged marriages weren't bad. She didn't know about Gwen's marriage but she knew that her father had been extremely careful and selective when finding a man for Fee. He went into the sea of eligibles and picked out the cream de la creme for Fee it was in his own way showing how much he loved and valued his daughter.

"The shelf isn't so horrible Allaire. In fact what could be more wonderful than having your own home to take care of, children of your own, it's a legacy you leave behind unless you would rather remain a child forever, being taken care of by your parents forever."

[Allaire Burke]

"I'm not going to be taken care of by my parents for the rest of my life. There are other opportunities in life than just staying at home. There are jobs such as working at the Ministry, becoming a librarian, becoming a healer, or something like that. There are more opportunities than just becoming a house wife. You don't find a lot of men who want women like that because they might see that as a threat to them for some reason." Allaire was firm in her words. She wanted to be more than just some trophy wife who lived at home and took care of children. She did want children one day, but she wanted to have her life going first.

"There aren't a lot of men who give you room to live for yourself. A lot of them only want you to have a one track mind of having children and taking care of them and the house. There's nothing wrong with that, but that life is not for everyone. It would be nice to find a man who wants you to do whatever makes you happy and loves you for it. One who wouldn't get bored of you and become 'too busy' in his work."

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia gave a delicate sniff. It was so very typical of Kassia to defend this person. She probably thought it was perfectly acceptable that Father should just barter her as if she were livestock. But it was not acceptable to Ophelia, and it wouldn't be even if Tyler wasn't in the picture. It made her feel dirty and cheap, like a woman of ill repute bought on the streets for one night.

"He doesn't have to fawn at my feet," Ophelia said airily. "Apparently, all he has to do is wave a few galleons about and buy himself a wife. Really, Kassi, how am I supposed to be happy about spending my life with a man who can't even be bothered to meet me? I've never laid eyes on him in my life, and you'd think if he wanted to marry me so much, he could at least have tried talking to me once. How can I love or even respect a man who would treat a wife as something to be bought and sold like... like cattle! I am not cattle, Kassia, and I will not be treated like it."