Page 31 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope (The Children Of The Gods #100)

RUVON

A s Ruvon strode along the path on his way to Arezoo's home, the box containing the ring felt much heavier in his pocket than it should, its outline too noticeable.

He would have to keep his hand in the same pocket at all times to prevent Arezoo and her family from guessing what it was until he was ready to reveal its contents.

It reminded him of another evening just like this one and another jewelry box that had felt like a radioactive rock, even though it hadn't been an engagement ring or anything as presumptuous.

That gift had led to a heart-to-heart conversation with Arezoo about their hopes and aspirations, which had in turn prompted him to level up his courtship.

He intended to give Arezoo everything she desired, but to do so, their relationship had to become official, and her family needed to accept him.

The problem was that he wasn't sure whether he was supposed to give Arezoo the ring right after her mother gave them her blessing.

If Soraya gave it.

"Assume the win," he murmured. "She will approve."

Perhaps it would be better to propose to Arezoo on a separate occasion and then give her the ring? He would play it by ear, as the saying went. If it didn't feel right, he would just keep it in his pocket and wait for a better opportunity.

The problem was that he wasn't great at reading cues. He would probably mess it up and pull the ring out at the worst time.

As he stopped in front of Arezoo’s house, Ruvon looked at the ridiculously large bouquet of pink roses he was holding with one hand and the paper bag with three bottles of wine in the other. Would three be enough? Arezoo's family was large, but the kids didn't drink wine, so it should be okay.

"Are you planning to stand out here all night?" said a familiar voice from behind him.

Ruvon turned toward its owner, finding Max and Kyra walking toward him. He should have been aware of their approach, but he'd been too preoccupied to notice. Luckily, the village was safe, and he didn't need to fear an ambush.

"I'm gathering courage," he admitted.

Max clapped him on the shoulder. "You've been invited to a family dinner, not a match with a dragon."

Ruvon cocked a brow. "Are you sure about that?" He didn't want to say that facing Soraya felt very much like facing a dragon.

Kyra laughed. "At least Soraya doesn't breathe fire.

" She looked elegant in a deep blue dress that complemented her dark hair.

Despite being the eldest of the sisters, her early transition into immortality made her appear the youngest, which was a little confusing.

"Let's go in and not make everyone wait for us. "

"We are early," Max pointed out. "There is no rush."

"There is no reason to stand out here either." She walked up to the front door and simply pushed it open without bothering to knock or ring the bell.

Max cast Ruvon a sidelong glance, shrugged, and followed in his mate's footsteps.

Fortunately, Soraya had not materialized at the doorway, so Ruvon felt a little less trepidation about walking in.

The living room of Arezoo's home had been transformed.

The couch and chairs had been pushed against the wall to make room for the long dining table that was probably comprised of several smaller ones.

Candles flickered along its center, interspersed with small vases of wildflowers.

The entire family was there, from four-year-old Cyra to Soraya herself, who sat at the head of the table like a queen holding court.

Arezoo stood near the kitchen, helping her younger cousin with something, and when she looked up and saw him, her face lit up with a smile that made his chest swell with the first full breath in a while.

She wore a green dress he'd never seen before, her dark hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.

"Ruvon!" Several of the younger children called out his name, having gotten used to his presence over the past months. "What did you bring?"

"Flowers for the lady of the house and wine for everyone else who is over eighteen."

Their small faces fell.

"Nothing for us?" Rohan asked.

"Not today, but I promise to get you something the next time."

"I'll take these," Arezoo offered. "Although I don't know if we have a vase large enough to contain them."

"You can split them into two," her mother suggested, then shifted her gaze to Ruvon. "Come, take a seat." She motioned to the chair on her left. The one on her right was not occupied, and Ruvon assumed it was where Arezoo would be sitting.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Soraya."

She always insisted he call her by her given name and not the one belonging to her estranged husband.

She nodded. "You are welcome and thank you for the flowers. They are lovely."

He pulled out the three bottles of wine, put them in equal intervals along the table, and then sat down.

"I want Ruvon to sit next to me!" Rohan pouted.

"You can bug Ruvon after dinner," Yasmin said. "Tonight, Ruvon is sitting next to Aunt Soraya. They have important matters to discuss." She winked at him.

It seemed that everyone knew what this dinner was about. In a way, it was a relief. He wouldn't surprise anyone when he asked Soraya for her blessing.

As everyone settled into their places, Rana and Parisa carried the food out with help from the older children.

The spread was magnificent—herb rice with tahdig, kebabs, chicken legs, beef chunks in some sort of fragrant sauce, root vegetables, and several salads, some of them made with fermented vegetables and others with fresh.

It was a feast that must have taken all day to prepare.

"Everything looks and smells incredible," Ruvon said.

"Maman and Aunt Rana cooked all day," Laleh informed him. "Arezoo helped too, but Maman kept making her redo things because she was distracted."

"I was not distracted," Arezoo protested. "I'm just not as practiced as Maman."

"You nearly spilled the rice," Donya pointed out with sisterly glee. "Maman almost fainted."

"I did not," Soraya protested. "We would have just made more."

The familial teasing helped ease some of Ruvon's tension. This felt more like other family dinners at Arezoo's home, warm and chaotic rather than formal and intimidating.

"So, Ruvon," Soraya said as plates were being filled, her tone conversational but her eyes sharp. "Tell us a little about your work."

On Kyra's advice, he'd prepared for this question, practicing his answer until it felt natural. "The field of surveillance equipment keeps evolving, so I need to be on top of things to ensure that Kalugal has the latest and the best. I'm constantly learning."

"That's good," Soraya said. "Success in life depends on the ability to learn new things. Whoever stagnates is left behind."

"A hundred percent." Ruvon reached for the wine bottle next to him and uncorked it. "Wine?"

Soraya nodded. "Yes, please."

Given where they had come from, drinking wine was another small rebellion on the sisters' part, another shackle broken. The changes were not dramatic, but they were constant and progressing.

He poured her the wine, then looked at Arezoo, who nodded.

"Just a little. I don't want my mother to think that you are a bad influence on me."

The table had gone quiet, even the younger children sensing the shift in atmosphere.

"Oops," Donya said from a little further down the table.

Soraya took a long sip from her wine glass. "I'm not an expert, but this is an excellent wine. Ruvon always brings the best for Arezoo."

He nearly fell off his chair.

Had that been praise from Soraya? The same woman who had rarely smiled at him and had been giving him appraising looks that always made him feel not good enough?

"He does," Arezoo agreed quickly, lifting her wrist to show the bracelet he'd gotten her. "And the gifts are always so thoughtful. Ruvon got me this for our three-month anniversary. Just look at the little book charm. Isn't it perfect?"

"Perfect." Donya rolled her eyes, probably having heard Arezoo gushing over the bracelet before.

"It's a very nice piece," Soraya agreed. "But even though gifts are nice and show affection, life is about more than this." She leveled her dark eyes on Ruvon. "Am I right?"

"Absolutely." Ruvon nodded. "Life is made of moments, and none of them should be squandered. I cherish each moment I get to spend with Arezoo."

Soraya smiled. "What are moments usually squandered on?"

No one around the table was breathing, including the little ones. They all knew Ruvon was being tested, and he hoped that they wanted him to pass the test.

"Small and big things," he said. "Even indifference is a culprit.

When one partner prefers to scroll the endless feed on some social media platform instead of paying attention to the most important person in his or her life?

Why watch meaningless television shows when you could be talking to your loved one?

Then there are the big squanders like anger and resentment.

I'm not saying that everything always has to be rainbows and flowers but paying attention and communicating is paramount in a relationship. "

Laleh sighed. "That's so beautiful, Ruvon. Do you have any friends who think like you?"

"Laleh!" her mother admonished. "You are not allowed to date anyone older than you."

"But there are no boys my age in the village."

"Then you will have to wait." Soraya turned back to Ruvon. "You didn't mention trust."

"Trust is important," Ruvon agreed. "It should be earned, though."

"And how does one earn such trust?"

"Through actions, not words," Ruvon said.

"Through being present, consistent, and reliable.

Through showing respect not just for the person you love, but for their family, their values, their dreams." He paused, gathering courage.

"Through understanding that when you love someone, you're not just choosing them, but everyone they hold dear. "