Elemental: The Wedding

Another illustration from the fic Elemental. At Lucius and Narcissa's wedding, Tom realises that finally winning Bella isn't going to be as simple as outliving Cygnus. The backstory to Lucius and Narcissa in the background is that their wedding is a bittersweet occasion: she has recently been treated for cancer and her fertility is in question, and Lucius has defied his father to marry her. I imagine here that she has been stricken with guilt at what Lucius has given up for her.

Specs and credits: Hexagon 2.5, Daz Studio 4.6 Pro, 3Delight, Veil Brushes Set 1 by Falln-Stock.

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Extract:

He thought about it, standing there on the Black balcony, staring out over the grounds.

He had miscalculated Bella. He had miscalculated badly.

It struck him forcibly that Cygnus' death, whenever the hell that would be, wasn't going to change anything. He had thought that Bella, like him, feared losing the old man's money, but he realised now that it went deeper than that. She feared losing his esteem. And that would continue to matter to her even after he was gone.

Bella, his strong beautiful Bella, had a weakness. And it was one that might keep her from him forever.

It was a realisation that, just for a moment, derailed him completely.

It did not derail him for long, however. Nothing ever did.

Slowly, methodically, he worked it through. He analysed and calculated and looked at it from every angle. Then, slowly, his mouth turned up into a smile.

Tom had a plan.