Rei has lived in Rahnoff for sixteen years. The nuns at the orphanage say they saw him at the door when he was two years old. No one was with him on that cold winter night, he simply stood there shivering while looking lost. He was lucky one of the nuns at the abbey couldn't sleep that night. If she hadn't spotted his shadow by the door, he might have died from exposure that night. The nuns said there was nothing on him other than a thick expensive blanket with his name embroidered on it.
They said he wouldn't respond to any of their questions once they brought him inside. It was almost like someone had wiped his entire memory. He was like a blank slate with tear lines frozen on his little face. They say it was such a heartbreaking sight they couldn't bear to turn him away. That was how he began to live in the orphanage. The nuns took care of him and slowly he began to open up to them. They taught him to speak elvish and many things until he got used to life in Rahnoff.
Like all the other orphans at the old church, he grew up on the charity of the community. The nuns and other orphans at the church were his only family. As one of the few humans in a town full of dark elves he often stood out. The other kids always pointed out his fair skin, teasing him about his round ears and for being different. This led to a lot of fights, over time even the local bullies learned not to mess with him anymore. Beating his bullies didn't mean acceptance, it just meant they left him to himself. For a long time, he had been lost and confused about life.
He didn't know if he'd ever fit in or amount to anything. The other kids at school picked up magic so easily while he struggled to catch up. He felt like a failure in many ways and that made him feel guilty. The orphanage didn't have a lot of resources to waste, he didn't understand why the nuns kept someone like him around. He didn't want to be a burden to them. For a time, he considered running off with a pair of adventurers.
It's then that the head nun Lady Oya told him an important secret. Descendants of the elder race praise strength and community. As long as one is able to assist the community and prove their worth, the community would eventually welcome them with open arms. So ever since, he learned to be independent from an early age. He helped the nuns run the orphanage, even took care of the younger orphans like an older brother. Over time Lady Oya's words proved true.
The Dark elves of the town weren't bothered by his skin and no longer pointed out his human features. He just became Rei, a handsome helpful young man. He had finally found his place in the scheme of things when he met Ayna. She was an orphan just like him, arriving at the church a few years after him. A survivor of a recently wiped-out beastmen village, she was highly defensive and quick to fight back. This made the other orphans scared of her, but she reminded Rei of himself and how he was at the beginning too.
He tried to pay forward Lady Oya's advice, paid more attention to her and slowly helped her come out of her shell. There aren't many beastmen in Rahnoff, so she felt just as isolated as him. His best friend Riell happened to be one of the few beastmen in town. Ayna was hesitant to consider him as part of her pack but overtime she softened up to him as well. Before long the trio became famous in town, inseparable at the hip.
Things were going great until they had the misfortune of encountering Ariellia Silvy Garrod. The duke's daughter, a spoiled pampered princess who's never done anything for herself. They met at school, Rei and Ayna's outstanding grades placed them in the same class as the children of local nobles. At first, she was sweet and nice to him. He befriended Ariellia just like he did others. Eventually she began to push away his friends, demanding all of his attention.
She got his friends in trouble with the teachers to force them to avoid him. It got to a point where only Ayna and Riell were willing to stay by his side. By that point the very sight of her sickened him. He purposely tried to avoid her but no matter what he tried she wouldn't leave him alone. For some reason she quickly became obsessed with him. Constantly pestering him and picking fights with Ayna for being close to him as though she owns him.
Rei honestly would rather have nothing to do with the girl. However, though the town may be large there's only so far he can run. Inevitably she managed to catch onto his weakness, Ayna. The spoilt brat actually went as far as to arrest Ayna and use her as leverage to force him to marry her. It just goes to show how crooked she is, totally beyond redemption.
Ayna has always been by his side, in fact in some ways he sees her as his own little sister. There's no way he'd ever let harm come to her. He conceded and agreed to marry, cursing Ariellia's ancestors for ever birthing such a distasteful creature. She promised to release Ayna after they are wed. He doesn't want to trust her but what can he do? He's only one man and he can't go against the whole dutchy.
It has to be said, part of the reason Ariellia managed to become so crooked was due to the duke's obsessive favoritism. The entire town treats her like a princess, whatever Ariellia wants she gets. In the end all he can do is grit his teeth as he's measured for a new tuxedo. His stomach turns as they suit him up and offer him empty praise for his looks. If it weren't for his looks, would he even be in this mess in the first place.
So here he stands, gaping at the beautiful goddess that steps into the banquet hall all dressed in white. Her luscious silver locks twisted into intricate braids to hold up her bejeweled tiara. She looks like a bronze statue coming to life, her beautiful feathered dress making it look like she might take to the skies at any minute. He's momentarily stunned, completely forgetting who this person is.
How could this be Ariellia? The same petty princess known to throw tantrums worse than a two-year-old. She glides towards him like a queen, poised with grace and charm. Her long sheer sleeves trailing by her sides like a light mist. He can't even bring himself to cast off her hand as he originally intended. The ceremony begins and he notices her erratic pulse. Is she satisfied, excited that she can finally have her precious toy?
Rei sneers, momentarily reminded of her vile nature all over again. Then the shaman asks if she's willing to be bound to him and she hesitates. He sees it, a foreign fear he's never seen on her face. She looks almost as unwilling as him, which is laughable since she brought this on herself. Her coy act only lasts for a moment though, then she succumbs to her desires and accepts.
"I swear it by the goddess."
What a joke. For a second, he thought she'd realized her faults. With a stiff face he spits out the same line, vaguely hoping that Selene would strike him dead for lying. This entire thing is a farce, it's only right if it incurs the wrath of the heavens. But he hopes in vain, no lightning strikes down, no deity descends to sanction them. Instead, he feels the warm magic of Selene's blessing travel up the ceremonial ribbons.
'So, Selene would bless this kind of sham too' he thinks, feeling very dispassionate with religion at the moment. He retreats to the side as soon as the Shaman is done with his blessing. No one dares to approach him when confronted with his dark glare. They turn and head for the warm smiling bride instead.
"Rei!"
He turns at the sound of Ayna's voice. Surprised to see her running towards him at full speed. She reaches him with tears in her green eyes, probably blaming herself for his sacrifice. Rei chuckles at her concern, it's cute to see how much she cares. He brushes down her crazy hair, trying to fool them both into thinking everything is okay. It's just marriage, it's not like bonds can't be broken. Nothing lasts forever, right?
He doesn't partake in the merry making, instead he leaves that to Ariellia. She's the true victor in all of this so he watches with a frown as she helplessly stumbles around the hall, greeting one guest after the other. He doesn't rush to her aid, she already has her father for that. That night he escorts Ayna back to the orphanage to guarantee her safety. Only once she's tucked in and asleep does he return to the duke's castle.
He doesn't even spare a glance at the decorations around the marital chamber, going in only to retrieve the locket Ariellia stole from Ayna. He orders a maid to lead him to one of the guest rooms and sleeps there for the night. Finally, he can take off the lavish tux and change into something simple. Some may envy him for marrying the duke's daughter, leaping into wealth and rank in one go but Rei knows. A marriage built on coercion and lies can't last for long.
The next morning, he fully expects the crass brat to whine and complain to her father about him shirking his duties as a husband. Thankfully, he's spared such an embarrassing scene. Ariellia enters the room with a reserved air about her. The illusion of grace from yesterday is still present on her person. If he weren't familiar with her distasteful character, he might have been fooled. They eat in silence for a time, the father and daughter pair sharing a pleasant conversation in his presence. He's perplexed by how toned down she appears.
He even finds himself more shocked to see her spend almost an entire day in the library. She nearly falls off the ladder reaching for a book. He acts before he can even register what he's doing. His hands are already around her slim waist, steadying her on the ladder. She turns back towards him, hair loose and freely flowing with an innocent smile. Those clear amethyst eyes convey her sincere thanks, rocking him to his core.
'Just who are you?'
He can't place it, but he feels a strange alienation. It's like he doesn't know the woman he married at all. To cover his unease, he tells her to join them for dinner and promptly flees from the library. Perhaps she's not an elf but a siren, only then can he explain why he found himself enchanted by those amethyst eyes.
'Get a grip Rei, what are you even thinking?'