Chapter Text
Miles hadn't been to his hometown in over a decade. It didn't look that different, from what he could spy outside of the moving carriage. There was the old mill, still standing after all of these years. The same old chill nesting in the air.
Or had the atmosphere always been this gloomy? It had been so long ago since he'd been here. Nearly twelve years, if he were to be exact. Did he only remember this town as being so depressing because of how he left it?
But the exact circumstances of his departure was a subject he preferred not to dwell on, so Miles tried to turn his thoughts to the present.
Not that the reasons behind his return were any more enjoyable to think about, if he were being honest.
Both Manfred von Karma and Franziska had reminded him multiple times that this marriage would be beneficial. The Feys were a respectable family, with a line that went back as far as the von Karma's.
"Certainly a better line than your father's." Manfred had scoffed whenever the topic arose. And, like he always did whenever his mentor made disparaging comments about his father, Miles had said nothing.
Franziska, trying to be supportive without implying that she actually cared, often pointed out that Mia Fey was well known for being both beautiful and brilliant. It was the only comment she made about the marriage, in front of her father at least.
There had been one night shortly before they departed to the Fey's town, when Franziska had crept into his room. She hadn't done anything like that since she was much younger, when she still allowed herself to seek some small comfort in him.
Just like then, he had let her crawl into his bed silently. They laid side by side, not touching. Neither of them felt they could lapse into physical affection—even here, in the darkness, Manfred von Karma’s lessons on weakness followed them. But they were together. And that was enough.
"Her mother left her when she was young, you know." Franziska had whispered. Miles didn't need to ask her to explain. They both knew that she was speaking about Mia Fey. The woman Miles had never met, and the woman he was soon going to marry.
“I read a few of her files.” Franziska continued, “They still don’t know what happened to her mother…But an event like that, it’s unlikely she’s ever forgotten it.”
Franziska looked at him then, her eyes asking him to understand what she was trying to say. For a second Miles was overcome with the urge to comfort his sister, to let her know that he would be alright. She was worried, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
“You two…I think you will understand each other.” She finished. In true Fransizka fashion, the words had multiple meanings. It was an offering and a collection of apologies all at once: I’m sorry this is happening. I’m sorry that I can’t understand what happened back then, not really—but she might. It’s not enough, but it’s something. Please don’t let this end you.
He wished that he was strong enough to reach out and hold her hand, and that she was strong enough to not push him away.
“I hope so. I want us to—” Miles confessed back. “I want…” He sighed. The two of them stayed like that, quiet and close, until the sun rose and they had to prepare for their departure.
They had both known the truth. It didn’t matter what he or his sister wanted. None of that would change the fact that Miles would never love Mia Fey. Not in the way that a man was supposed to love his wife.
Perhaps it was childish of him to be upset about that. Most marriages were made of convenience, not love. Why should he of all people expect anything more?
But there was still a small part of him, the part that remembered the kind crinkles in his father's eyes, which held onto those fairy tale romances from his childhood.
Not that he would ever admit to any of that. He was going to marry Mia Fey, and that was final. It would improve the von Karma’s good standing, and it was what Manfred wanted. It was the least that Miles could do after the man had taken him in.
Still, there was one aspect of this situation that Miles was looking forward to, though it made him feel ungrateful. After marrying Mia, he would no longer have to live with Manfred. Instead, he and his future wife were to move into one of the smaller von Karma residences here in town. And Manfred would return to his mansion, only coming back for the occasional business visit, as he had done so before.
He should be thankful that he had been adopted at all, nonetheless by such a renowned noble as Manfred von Karma. Miles knew that. But Manfred was a very cold and exacting man. No one could ever say that he was pleasant to live with.
His thoughts were interrupted by the carriage dipping into a particularly big hole. Miles held in a curse as his head banged into the corner back wall. The sooner they could get out, the better.
Franziska looked similarly annoyed, though she said nothing. Miles could tell that she was thinking of whipping the driver the moment they exited.
It was another painful twenty minutes until Manfred declared that they had arrived.
The mansion (because while it wasn’t as large as the main von Karma residence, it was impossible to call the place anything but a mansion) was stony and imposing. That was not surprising. What was surprising was how close the mansion was to the rest of the town. It was so close, in fact, that Miles could see a man selling wares nearby. From the man’s loud and shrill voice, he was apparently selling some sort of themed food.
For the past twelve years Miles had grown used to having at least two yards between himself and the rest of the population. But it seemed that, from now on, he’d be close enough to hear anyone who raised their voice near his street. He didn’t know what that meant, if it meant anything at all.
Miles sighed and threw away that line of thought. Why was he being so foreboding lately? He tried to refocus his attention back on carrying out their luggage. Manfred had already headed inside, and Franziska was currently lecturing their carriage driver on his technique, so he was left alone in his chore. It didn’t matter, that was usually how these things went.
He had just gotten everything out onto the driveway when the merchant’s shrill voice was suddenly much closer.
“Hey, Edgey! Edgey, is that you?” The man ran towards him. Miles felt frozen before he was struck with a dim recognition. Orange hair and a goofy smile…
“…Larry Butz?” Miles asked.
Larry nodded, clearly excited. “Holy shit, Edgey, it is you! I mean, I’d heard rumors that you were coming back, but I didn’t really believe it—it’s been ages, man!”
“Yes, I suppose it has.” Miles admitted. He wasn’t really sure how to react to this sudden reunion. He had only had two friends during his childhood here, and Larry had been one of them. But even then, the two of them hadn’t been particularly close. And from what Miles could see, the man was as carefree and presumptuous as he’d ever been.
“What brings you back anyways?” Larry asked. Miles felt a premonition (or perhaps a sort of déjà vu) come over him. It told him that Larry would probably continue to bother him no matter what Miles did.
He allowed himself a small sigh before answering. “If you must know, I’m supposed to be married by the end of this week.”
Larry looked shocked. Miles wondered if he should be insulted by that. “No way!” Larry yelled, “Man, why is everyone getting married now? First Nick, now you. You guys are no fun.” Larry sighed, then quickly brightened up, “I guess that leaves more ladies for me.”
It took a moment for Miles to remember who Nick was. Or rather, who that strange nickname had been for.
“Phoenix Wright? He’s married?” Miles asked before he could help himself. Phoenix had been the final member of their childhood group. He was also the person that Miles had been the closest to. They had been inseparable as kids. Even when Miles had left, Phoenix had written letters to him. It took years of no response before Phoenix finally gave up.
(A part of Miles would have liked to blame his lack of reply on Manfred. But, while his mentor’s strong disapproval had been a factor, the real reason was that Miles had found it nearly impossible to explain to his friend what had happened to him. After that, too much time had passed.)
He had always loved weddings… Miles suddenly remembered. Afternoons spent holding hands and whispering about fairy tales and true love passed through his mind before he forced himself to pay attention to Larry. Larry who, apparently, was still talking.
“Well, truth be told, no one actually knows.” Larry whispered. “He just went up and disappeared one day, ‘bout a year ago.”
“He’s missing?” Miles asked, incredulous.
“Now, now, don’t look at me like that!” Larry laughed. “God, your face. Okay, you see…Nick had been seeing this girl, and he was head over heels, man. It was kind of pathetic, honestly. Anyways, a couple of days before he runs off, he acts really excited about something but refuses to tell me what it is. Then he’s gone, and so is that pretty girlfriend of his! They totally eloped!”
“I see.” Miles replied. The whole thing seemed suspicious to him, but there was little he could argue against. Larry would know the situation better than him anyways. But still… “What reason would they have to elope?” He asked.
Larry hummed a bit before shrugging. “I’m not really sure. I think there was some trouble with the girl’s family. I mean, Nick was working for the girl’s cousin. Maybe they thought he wasn’t good enough for them?” Larry paused before speaking again. “And I guess it’s a little weird that he hasn’t written or anything yet. But maybe he’s waiting for it to all boil over. Or, you know, they’re still in the honeymoon phase.” Larry waggled his eyebrows and started to giggle. He really hadn’t changed at all.
“What about you, Edgey? Excited for your honeymoon? Who’s the lucky lady anyways?” Larry asked.
“I’m currently engaged to Mia Fey.” Miles answered. He didn’t bother to address the honeymoon question. That was not something he was looking forward to, to say the least.
“What!” Larry yelped, “Are you serious?”
“Is there a problem with that?” Miles asked, starting to get annoyed with this conversation.
“No, no, man, it’s just that’s such a weird coincidence.” Larry said. “Mia Fey was who Nick used to work for! His girlfriend was related to her too, I’m pretty sure. Isn’t that weird?”
“I suppose…” Miles said. Really, the whole day was starting to be filled with coincidences. Like Larry Butz just happening to be selling hotdogs in front of his future home. And now this? Maybe it was true what they said about small towns, but Miles had never remembered everything being quite this connected before.
And Phoenix’s ‘disappearance’ was concerning. From what he remembered, Phoenix wasn’t the type to not contact his friends for a month, never mind a year. Perhaps Miles had just spent too much time involved with crimes, and maybe people changed, but the whole thing rang very strange to him.
He had been contemplating too many ‘maybes’ lately—ever since he came back into town. It was getting on his nerves.
“You know,” Larry said, “I could probably bring you over to her place if you wanted. You can ask her yourself some stuff about Nick and that girl. Not to mention, you probably want to see her anyways.”
The prospect of seeing Mia Fey so soon was terrifying. But he had to meet her eventually. It was better to get it over with, in his opinion. And she would probably give him better information than Larry. This Phoenix situation was mildly worrying.
It figured that something like this would come up the moment he arrived.
“You’d do that?” Miles asked.
Larry nodded. “Sure, why not? I used to head over there all the time to bother Nick. I’ll totally be your guide!”
“…Okay, fine.” Miles said. There was still the problem of the luggage though.
Luckily Franziska seemed finished with her lecture. She acknowledged Miles’ present company with an unimpressed look.
“Franziska, would you mind taking my luggage in?” He asked. “I seem to have run into an old friend.”
“Finding excuses for your laziness now, are you?” Franziska scoffed.
“He knows where my fiancée lives, and has offered to take me there.” Miles explained. He took a moment to be grateful that Larry had decided to stay quiet for the moment. Franziska digested this new information and then nodded. “Fine, I’ll take these in. I’ll tell Papa you’ve gone for a tour if he should ask.”
“Thank you.” Miles said. Franziska rolled her eyes, but did as she was asked.
“Well, lead the way.” Miles turned back to Larry. The man seemed a bit dazed, but quickly shook out of it.
“Alright, follow me!” Larry said. “Who was that lady anyways? Talk about killer legs…”
Miles cringed. “My sister.” He said, voice harsh. “And don’t even think about it.”
Thankfully, Larry took the hint.
They reached the Fey Manor with little incident. But Miles was a bit puzzled when Larry began to lead him away from the main entrance.
Larry, surprisingly observant, noticed Miles’ strange look. “I used to go this way all the time. It’s the best way to talk to Mia or the other Feys directly, instead of one of their servants or whatever. Trust me!”
Miles sighed but made no comment. He followed Larry as he led the two of them to the right side of the house. It was already obvious how different the Fey household was from the von Karma’s.
The architecture was of an entirely different type. While the von Karma buildings’ tended to lean towards a Gothic style, the Fey Manor had a lighter and simpler touch. It was mainly made of wood, an expensive and attractive type of bamboo as far as Miles could tell. It wasn’t unpleasant to look at.
“Okay, wait here.” Larry stopped, having brought them to the side entrance. Nearby was an adjacent room that stretched out from the main house frame. It seemed to be there for a specific purpose, but for what Miles didn’t know.
“I’ll be right back!” Larry said, entering the house through the side entrance. Miles was slightly worried that the door hadn’t even been locked.
With Larry gone it was suddenly very quiet. Even when the man didn’t talk, his mere presence was incredibly loud.
Now this place seemed too empty, the air too still. The only thing he had for company were the soft cries of the crows that had gathered nearby. And while Miles generally enjoyed being alone, at this moment he felt too much like an intruder on sacred ground.
He knew he was being overdramatic. Yet all the same, he wondered how long Larry would be gone.
It was almost a relief when he heard the crash nearby.
It had come from the adjacent room of the house. The crash hadn’t been very loud. It was probably just the result of a dropped glass or plate. But Miles felt himself move towards it anyways.
“I’m sorry…” The sound from the room was a bit muffled, but carried well enough that Miles could tell that the person speaking was a young girl.
“It’s okay, Pearls! It was only a cup.” A cheerful woman comforted her.
“I know, I’m sorry, it’s just hard to hold things sometimes…”
“Truly, don’t worry about it.” This was a different person. Another woman, whose voice was deep and calming. “Now, are you sure that he's someone we can trust?” It was clear that Miles had stumbled into the middle of a private conversation. Feeling a bit guilty about eavesdropping, he started to move away.
“Mr. Edgeworth?” The use of his name by the little girl stopped him. “His dad is pretty sure he’ll go along with it…”
“And we still haven’t told Nick about all this yet, but—”
“Maya…” The woman with the deeper voice sounded disapproving.
“I know, Mia, it’s just, it would be easier if—”
The talking in the room came to a sudden halt. Miles finally forced himself to walk away from the room. It was likely that Larry had found them. And even if he hadn’t, listening in on Mia’s private conversations wasn’t the best start to a marriage. Even if she was talking about him, apparently.
What was he supposed to be going along with? The marriage? That made the most logical sense, especially if they had spoken to Manfred about it. Miles assumed that was who they meant by his “dad”. While Manfred disliked it when others referred to him as Miles’ father, it was still common for people to do so.
Larry showed up at the side entrance, proving his earlier intuition correct.
“Found her!” Larry said. “She’s in that mediation room or whatever it’s called. Just go to the left till you see those fancy doors. I told her you were gonna go and talk to her.”
“I see.” Miles replied. “Thank you for your help.”
Larry smiled. “It was no problem, man! What are friends for?” He clapped Miles on the shoulder.
Miles wasn’t really sure what to do next, so he just nodded. That seemed to be enough for Larry.
“Shit, I should probably go.” Larry scratched his head. “My boss will kill me if she finds out I left the cart unattended. Good luck!”
With that, Larry ran off.
Miles watched him go and spared a moment to wonder if he should feel more sympathy for Larry, or for Larry’s employer. Hopefully nothing had been stolen while they’d been gone.
Either way, Miles had other things to worry about. Such as meeting his fiancée.
Miles followed Larry’s directions and arrived in front of the doors Larry had mentioned. The doors were slightly ajar and there, sitting in the center of the room with her back turned to him, was Mia Fey. She was alone.
She seemed to sense his presence, getting up and facing him before Miles had the chance to say anything. The stories about her were true. Even Miles, who had never been drawn to women, could acknowledge that she was beautiful.
“Miles Edgeworth, I assume?” She asked.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you.” Miles replied. “I hope I haven’t interrupted anything.”
Mia walked out of the room, taking a moment to close the doors behind her. “No, I was just meditating.”
“I see.” Miles wondered where the two people she had been speaking to went, but it wasn’t his place to ask. And it wouldn’t be wise to admit to eavesdropping on her during their first meeting.
“Do you want some tea?” Mia asked. She began to head in a different direction of the house, apparently not needing an answer.
She led him into a waiting room, complete with lounges and a piano.
“What would you like? Milk? Sugar?” Mia asked. It struck Miles how regal a figure she made. She didn’t seem that surprised or concerned that Miles had come to visit her out of the blue.
“One cube of sugar, if you’d be so kind.” Miles responded. Mia nodded and left the waiting room, presumably to head into the kitchen or wherever their tea was kept. Miles stood around awkwardly, not feeling comfortable enough to sit on one of the lounges. He still wasn’t really sure why he was here in the first place. He hated feeling so uncertain. He’d been feeling the emotion a lot lately.
It probably wasn’t surprising that he headed for the most familiar thing in the room—the piano.
The case covering the keys was already opened. It was a welcoming sight, and helped Miles to not feel too intruding when he sat on the bench.
He tapped a few of the keys, testing the tone. There wasn’t anything he wanted to play in particular, but the bursts of notes helped him to calm down a bit. From the corner of his eye Miles noticed a young woman standing at the entrance to one of the waiting room’s doors. Her braided hair was a deep black, and her brown eyes sad. She didn’t seem to be staring at Miles in particular. She winced in surprised when she noticed that he could see her. Miles was considering introducing himself, but she quickly left the room before he could speak. He wondered if she was the young woman he had overheard earlier.
“Here’s your tea.” Mia entered from the opposite door, carrying two cups. “I see you’ve found the piano.”
“Thank you.” Miles said, taking the offered cup. “Do you play?” He inclined his head towards the piano.
Mia sat next to him on the bench. “No.” Her smile was nostalgic, if a bit bittersweet. “We got it for my sister, Maya. Phoenix used to play it as well.”
“I think I saw your sister earlier. She was watching me test the keys.” Miles responded. He didn’t expect the comment to cause Mia to turn such an intense gaze on him.
She looked at him for a few moments before the tension in her posture drained away. “My sister has been dead for three years. That was probably my cousin you saw. Her name is Iris.”
“Oh.” Miles said, almost dropping his tea. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He had been sure that Mia had called the other woman ‘Maya’, but he must have misheard.
They sat in silence, not necessarily awkward but not comfortable either, before Miles brought up a different topic. “Phoenix worked for you then? We used to know each other as children.”
Mia smiled. “I know. He mentioned you a few times.”
“O-oh.” Miles took a sip of his tea, trying to hide the mild embarrassment he felt. “That makes sense, I suppose.” He thought he could hear Mia chuckle, but her face was impassive when he glanced at her.
“Larry says he’s eloped with a member of your family.” Miles said.
It was like a dark curtain had fallen on Mia’s face. She placed her teacup back onto its plate with a sharp ‘clink’.
“That’s what a lot of people in town think.” She deadpanned.
“Is it true?” Miles asked.
Mia turned to him and looked directly into his eyes. “No.” She said, her voice foreboding.
“Then what happened?” Miles asked, half to Mia and half to himself. Dread was staring to gather in his stomach.
“He was killed.” Mia stated.
Miles’ right hand, which had been resting idly nearby the piano keys, jerked violently. It moved a few keys in response, and the discordant notes permeated the air.
“Excuse me?” He asked, not really believing what he was hearing.
Mia refused to turn her eyes away from him. “My cousin killed him.” Finally her gaze left his. “You have a right to know, I suppose. I’ve tried to tell Larry and the others, but they’ve refused to listen.”
As it tended to do in times of stress, Miles’ mind turned to the logistics of this situation. “What’s your proof of this? And why haven’t you gone to the police?”
“There’s no body.” Mia replied. “Not one that we can find, anyways. Nor a murder weapon. I have some evidence of previous murders my cousin, Dahlia, has done. I was building a case against her before they disappeared.”
“But you have nothing decisive.” Miles concluded.
Mia sighed. “No, nothing the police would consider decisive.” The way she worded that was strange, but not in a way that Miles could pinpoint.
Mia stood up from the piano bench. “You can choose to believe me or not, Edgeworth. But I have my sources. Phoenix is dead.” Her voice was confident, the tone final.
Miles stared at the inside of his empty cup. “Thank you for the tea.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Mia said.
“Why are you apologizing?” Miles placed the teacup and its plate on top of the piano. He felt exhausted. “I hadn’t seen him in years. You’re closer to him than I was.” Mia said nothing. Miles stood up and dusted his overcoat.
“I assume we’re still meeting tomorrow?” Miles asked. “To go over the specifics of the wedding?” Miles was suddenly aware that this was the first time either of them had acknowledged that they were engaged.
“Yes. I’ll see you then.” Mia replied. He appreciated that she had also switched into a more professional and distant tone. It helped.
“It was good to meet you.” Miles said politely.
“And you.” Mia returned. She didn’t move from her spot at the piano. That was fine. He knew the way out.
Miles walked the rest of the way back to the von Karma mansion and very carefully thought of nothing at all.
~
That night, like every night for the past twelve years, Miles had a nightmare.
It always started the same. The earthquake, trapping the three of them inside the building. Waiting in the dark. The feeling of trying to breathe, wondering what the chances were that this breath was the last one, that he had taken in that last bit of oxygen.
Then he would hear something in the darkness, and he knew that it was a monster—come to eat him and his father. The pistol would be in his hands, the cool metal markings biting his palms.
The sound of a gunshot would ring out, and that terrible scream would surround him. At that exact moment light would fill the room again.
And, every single damn time, Miles would be greeted with the sight of his dead father. Shoot through the heart by Miles’ own hand.
Except, apparently, tonight his mind had a different idea.
Tonight the light turned on to reveal the corpse a nine-year old Phoenix Wright. His body was laid out on the floor like a small broken doll.
Miles dropped the pistol and recoiled. Then his back hit something solid. He looked up to see the towering figure of his father. His eyes were cold and furious.
“You killed us.”
Miles woke up. His heart was racing at a concerning speed. It took a few minutes before he felt steady enough to even put his head into his hands. He couldn’t tell if the moisture on his face was from sweat or tears.
“This is ridiculous.” Miles mumbled. The old nightmare he could handle, mostly. This new addition was not appreciated. It wasn’t even accurate.
There was no proof that Phoenix had died. And even if he had, Miles certainly had nothing to do with it.
Miles didn’t even know what Phoenix looked like anymore.
The thought dragged out a sudden sob from him. God, he was being ridiculous.
Would he still have those weird hair spikes? Was he taller or shorter than Miles? Did he still have that stupid giddy smile of his?
He was never going to find that out now.
Miles cried harder then, and didn’t stop until he eventually tired himself out and fell back to sleep. Fortunately, this time, he didn’t dream.
~
“You have the ring, correct?” Franziska quietly asked him. She must have gotten bored with the proceedings. He didn’t blame her. It was mostly Manfred and Mia’s aunt talking, with the occasional input from Mia. Miles hadn’t seen a reason to speak over Manfred yet, and doubt that he would.
This meant that he and Franziska had spent most of the time trying not to fall asleep. This was more difficult than it should’ve been, due to the lack of rest Miles had gotten the night before.
So he was happy to distract himself with Franziska’s question and unspoken request.
“Yes.” He replied. “I’ve been carrying it in my waist pocket.” He took out the ring, knowing that offering to show it to Franziska would only make her deny wanting to see it. That was how she’d always been.
Franziska took it from him, gentle with her grip. Miles appreciated the care. The wedding ring had been his father’s.
It went against tradition for Mia and Miles to hold onto their own rings. But it was the most practical situation. It would’ve been risky to wait until the wedding week to get their rings, and the two of them had been living too far away to meet up and test out ring sizes. It was just easier for them to provide their own.
Miles was silently grateful that this gave him the chance to use his father’s wedding ring. He hadn’t told Manfred that he’d decided to use the ring that he’d held onto since his father’s death. Miles had never brought up where he gotten the ring, and Manfred had never asked. All that seemed to matter to his mentor was that Miles had one.
But he had told Franziska. And now she was able to hold it and know its significance. He saw her touch the dent on the side, where his father had almost cut his finger off. The gold-like metal had stopped the knife from cutting too deep into his skin.
Franziska handed the ring back to him and Miles tucked it back into his pocket. It was perfect timing, as the last wedding preparations seemed to be over.
“So we’ll have the rehearsal later tonight, and the wedding in two days.” Morgan Fey stated.
Oh, that was right. Miles had nearly forgotten. Due to a scheduling conflict with the priest, they had to have the rehearsal today. The immediacy of it all gave him a stomachache, but there wasn’t much he could do.
Mia seemed unaffected by the schedule change. Then again, she was often hard to read. Perhaps he would get better at it once they’d been married for a while.
Franziska and Manfred promptly began to leave the Fey Manor now that business had been resolved. Miles followed after them.
He was almost through the hallway when he spotted the girl from yesterday, Iris. Her eyes widened when their gaze met, but this time she didn’t run away. In fact, from the way she had positioned herself, Miles almost suspected that she had been waiting for him.
“Mr. Edgeworth?” She asked. Her voice was very quiet and gentle. “Could I speak to you for a moment?” While she seemed timid, her tone was firm.
Miles paused, surprised by the request, but he saw no reason not to talk with her. “Of course. Iris, isn’t?”
Iris nodded. Miles glanced at the leaving figures of his sister and mentor. It was unlikely that they would worry about him. As long as he returned back home at an acceptable time before the rehearsal, then he would be fine. He doubted this conversation would take very long.
“You were Phoenix’s friend?” Iris asked, her voice dropping in volume till it was almost a whisper.
The new topic caused Miles to involuntarily stiffen. “You could say that.” He tried to subtly straighten out the fists his hands had involuntarily curled into.
“He…” Iris paused, it seemed her nerves were starting to catch up to her. “It was my sister he was in love with.” She finally said.
“Oh.”
Iris looked around, as if checking to make sure that they were the only people nearby. “She told me where they were going to meet, that night…Their meeting place, it was the crooked oak tree in the woods. Do you know the one? On the hill?”
“Yes, I remember.” Miles said. There were hundreds of old superstitions and legends surrounding that tree. Most of the locals tended to steer clear of it. But he had been seen it, and had even climbed it once on a dare from Larry.
“I haven’t…I haven’t told anyone that I know that.” Iris explained. “Dahlia said that if I did—it doesn’t matter. I’m not sure if it will help at all.”
“Thank you.” Miles wasn’t sure what to do with this information. A year had already passed. It was unlikely there would be any evidence left for him to find.
There was one thing that was bothering him though. “Why have you told me this, and not Mia? If you don’t mind me asking.” If she had finally decided that whatever threat her sister had made was worth risking, then why was she telling him this instead of her cousin?
Iris thought about it. Her eyes were cast on the floor when she answered. “Phoenix used to talk about you sometimes. He cared about you.” She looked up at him. “He thought you were a trustworthy person.”
Miles didn’t know how to respond. Thankfully, Iris continued. “And Mia…I thought she would be able to find it herself. I didn’t know that Phoenix wouldn’t—I’m sorry.” Iris covered her mouth. “I really can’t tell you anything more.”
“I understand.” He didn’t, not really. But it was clear that Iris wouldn’t, or couldn’t, explain herself. And he wasn’t sure that pressing her was a good idea. She was the type of witness who would clam up if pressed to hard.
Iris bit her lip, as if debating whether to say something else. Miles noticed with mild horror that tears were starting to gather in her eyes. He was terrible at comforting people. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
“Please…” Iris said, her voice starting to edge on desperate. “Please, believe me. I didn’t think Dahlia would—would hurt him! I didn’t know…” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t descend into crying.
It was still awkward though. Miles floundered for a second before deciding to place a hand on her shoulder. He’d seen people do that before, to comfort people. That was a normal thing to do, right?
Iris sighed, and the tension seeped from her. Miles took that as a good sign.
“Thank you for telling me this.” He said. It had clearly taken effort for her to confide in him. It was unlikely that the information would help him, but it meant a lot to her.
Iris nodded. She looked up at him again, her smile weak but grateful.
Miles took his hand off her shoulder and she quietly left.
~
Manfred hovered over him after he returned to the mansion. It didn’t need to be said that he expected the rehearsal to go perfectly. Perfection was what the von Karmas stood for, after all.
The church where they were holding rehearsal, and in two days the wedding, was a small two-story chapel at the edge of town.
It had a simple design, but still maintained an elegant air. The windows were made with stained glass, a detail that Miles would’ve missed if it weren’t for the rare beam of sunlight that peeked out from the clouds and into the church. They left scatters of red, gold, and blue along the floor for a scarce few seconds before disappearing again.
Though the chapel was small, it felt empty with so few people in it. Morgan Fey had accompanied her niece once again, and was currently in the only seat on the right side of the church. Manfred and Franziska took up the left side.
He could feel all three pairs of their eyes behind him from where he stood at the front at the church, besides Mia and before the priest.
Would he feel as scrutinized at the wedding as he did now? Probably. It might even be worse, as there would likely be more people watching him then. Exactly how much though, he was unsure.
Miles knew that there would be no wedding guests from his side, save for Manfred and Franziska. He had no one else to invite.
Would it be appropriate to invite Larry? Miles wondered idly. Manfred wouldn’t approve, that was sure enough. But Manfred approved of very little.
Were he and Larry even at the point where Miles could invite him? Miles wouldn’t exactly call the man his friend. But he was the only person in town that he knew. Or, at least, had known.
It was a silly thing to worry about. There was always the chance that Larry might turn up anyway. He knew about the wedding and he seemed to know Mia well enough. Either Larry would show or he wouldn’t. There wasn’t much of a point in inviting him, or in worrying about it.
As for the rest of Mia’s guests, Miles had no idea who to expect. He knew that she was anticipating a small number of people. That had been established during the discussions. He assumed that one of them would be her cousin Iris, though she had failed to show to either the wedding discussions or the rehearsal. But the others? He had no idea what sort of friends Mia had.
That was part of the problem, he supposed. He knew nothing about Mia Fey.
He had known that. The fact that he was marrying a stranger wasn’t new to him. But standing in the church, besides the woman who would be his future wife, that knowledge felt distressingly fresh. Miles could feel the edges of panic creep on him.
“…with this ring, I ask you to be mine.” Mia Fey’s voice was steady and sure but devoid of all emotion as she said her vows. Held within her right hand was Miles’ ring.
They had exchanged their rings earlier, back at the start of the rehearsal. Gripped within his own right hand was the slender and engraved ring that Mia had chosen for her own. It felt fragile in his hands, though he knew that it was not.
It was Miles’ turn to say his vows. He had always been a good public speaker, a fact that he was grateful for at that moment. It allowed him to go on autopilot, even as he was starting to feel a bit lightheaded.
“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.” Using as steady a hand as he could, Miles tilted his candle into the flame held out by the priest. “With this candle, I will light your way in darkness.”
It was the last part that damned him. He was so focused on maintaining his calm façade that he hadn’t noticed how sweaty his hands had gotten.
“With this ring, I ask you—” He moved to hold up Mia’s ring, but the slight tremor in his hand and his loosened grip caused it to fall.
The ring made a twinkling clack as it fell onto the church floor. The entire room fell silent.
The panic Miles had been fighting off consumed him, freezing him to the spot. The sharp gaze of Manfred’s disgust carved a hole into his back. It took a few seconds, too long by far, before Miles could collect himself enough to reach down and pick up the ring.
“I’m sorry, that was my fault—” Miles apologized, already knowing that he was about to ramble but unable to stop himself.
He was cut off by Mia’s hand reaching out for his own. Her hands were soft and firm.
“It’s alright.” She said, and Miles almost believed it. Mia had a voice that oozed out comfort. She was the kind of person who could make you feel strong enough to do anything, Miles was starting to see that. If he were anyone else, this would have been the exact moment he fell in love with her.
Her kindness only made him feel worse.
“I think that’s enough for today.” Mia told the rest of their party. The priest was the first to nod.
Morgan Fey looked unhappy, but she silently conceded. From what Miles could understand of the Fey family politics, Mia held more power than she did. It explained some of the bitterness the woman had for her niece.
Manfred was more vocal about his displeasure. He snorted loudly and sat up from his seat. Without saying a single word he walked out of the chapel. He refused to even look at Miles.
Franziska stood standing for a few moments. Eventually, after glancing between him and the exit, she followed after her father.
Miles sighed. Franziska could try to calm down her father, but staying away from the both of them was probably the best solution for now.
“I’m sorry about your ring.” Miles apologized to Mia again. “Perhaps it’s best if you hold onto it for now.” He didn’t trust himself with it. Even looking at the thing made him uncomfortable.
Mia paused before taking the offered ring. “Thank you.” She said. “You might as well have yours back again, I suppose. We can trade again the next time we meet.”
It was silly and impractical, but Miles agreed to it instantly. Having his father’s ring calmed him. He wondered if Mia’s ring held a similar significance. If so, his mistake was even more mortifying than he'd previously thought.
He walked out of the chapel shortly after the exchange, ignoring the glares of both Morgan Fey and the priest. It wasn’t their opinions that he cared about.
It was still light outside, considering the time. The sun must have only set a few minutes ago, but already the moon was out. It seemed brighter than usual tonight.
That was convenient for him, Miles supposed. There wasn’t anywhere indoors that he could think of going to at the moment. The only houses he knew were the Fey Manor and his own.
Miles let his feet carry him across the bridge and along an old forest trail, one he hadn’t taken since he was a child. Walking might help clear his mind, he thought.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he found the old oak tree. It looked the same as it had twelve years ago, give or take a few branches.
It had been terrifying, the first time he, Larry, and Phoenix had come here to play. There were legends about this place for a reason. The tree was old and foreboding. Its figure, combined with a few coincidentally placed cracks and viewed from the right angle, made the tree look like a person's face crying out in agony.
But it was only a tree. As children, they had figured that out quickly enough. After that the tree became one of their main play areas—helped by the fact that no one else liked to come near it. Miles had fond memories of this place.
It was nostalgic, seeing it again.
He sat down by the foot of one of its branches, next to a root that seemed to have grown out of the ground since he’d left. He didn’t care if he got dirt on his suit. It wasn’t like he didn’t have others.
Miles breathed in the fresh night air. If he turned just to his left, he could see the edge of the chapel’s tower. Remembering what had happened there earlier that night, he turned away.
In his left hand was the comforting shape of his father’s ring. He looked at it now, noticing how the moonlight made the metal appear more silver than gold. Miles put his chin in his hands.
“I never really understood why you were so eager to get married, Phoenix.” Miles said to the air.
It was ridiculous for him to talk to himself. He knew that. Phoenix wasn’t going to hear him or respond. The man was most likely dead.
But Phoenix had written letters to him without reply for years. Maybe Miles owed him some foolishness. And there was no one here to see him.
“Even as a child, you wanted a wedding.” Miles continued. “That’s strange for boys, you know.”
Miles paused. “But then, we were both strange. I'm not sure if you noticed, but it’s not generally considered normal for boys to hold hands, or to promise to marry one another.”
He sighed. Even with no one out here but himself, it felt strangely final to say this all out loud. Miles leaned back into the tree and began to absentmindedly fiddle with his ring. “I enjoyed it though.”
“Don’t get me wrong. Weddings are stressful, and there’s too many people looking at you. I didn’t understand your obsession.” Miles said. “Though obsession might be too harsh…Still, when I was younger, I thought it would be nice to be married to you. I never told you this, but I loved those romantic fairy tales too.” Miles laughed quietly to himself. “You might have known that though. You always were more observant than Larry or I gave you credit for.”
It was nice, talking like this. Miles was so rarely able to open up about these things.
“Sometimes, you know, I used to wish…” Miles trailed off. He sighed. There was so little use for wishes or childish dreams. The time for that had passed by long ago. Miles looked at his ring again. From the corner of his eye he noticed that the root besides him resembled a hand.
Maybe it was because he had so many memories of playing pretend here, or because of how tired he was. Either way, he felt a small bit of whimsy in him. I’m going to be married in a few days , he thought, there’s still a bit of time for a silly dream.
“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine.” Miles said the words quietly, a hint of self-deprecating humor in his tone.
“With this candle,” At this line Miles gestured to the moon, “I will light your way in darkness.”
“With this ring, I ask you to be mine.” He slid his father’s wedding ring onto the root’s pseudo-ring finger.
Miles laughed softly to himself. He was just about to take the ring off when he felt the ground shake.
His first immediate thought was that it was an earthquake. On instinct Miles started to scramble away. Memories of wooden boards falling down around him filled his mind.
The root was tearing up out of the ground and Miles had just enough coherency in him to hope that the tree wouldn’t fall and crush him.
But if this was an earthquake, it was a strange one. The ground farther away from the tree seemed stable. And the upturned root was starting to not look like a root at all. In fact, if Miles wasn’t sure that this was just the adrenaline talking, it was starting to look like a person—like someone was bursting out of the ground.
Miles heard the scream seconds before he realized it was his own. Because it was a person, or at least something shaped like one, and it was moving towards him.
“…You came back. You actually came back.” The thing was talking, Miles noticed hysterically as he crawled backwards as fast as he could. It was talking, and it almost on him now.
Miles’ back hit the trunk of a tree with a large thump. Not knowing what else to do, he blindly grabbed at the bark and used it to help set himself upright again. His legs were shaking so bad that he doubted he could move without the tree’s support.
“Miles…It really is you.” The thing, or man, as far as Miles could tell, was smiling at him. How did he know his name? The man had stopped moving, and was only about a foot away from him.
He did look slightly familiar, now that Miles could see him clearly. His skin was strangely toned, almost blue-looking in the moonlight. But his hair, at least, looked familiar. And his face…his jawline was more refined, but it looked like—
“Phoenix?” Miles said, voice high enough to be a squeak. Phoenix is alive? Miles thought.
“Yup.” Phoenix smiled, and it was almost exactly how Miles remembered it. And it was wonderful, a miracle, until Miles noticed the skeleton hand that was now cupping his face.
“I do.” Phoenix whispered, leaning forward to press his cold lips against Miles’ own.
That was the exact moment that Miles fainted.