Phoenix's POV

       We stood there staring at each other until he whispered, "Pulchram." I immediately started blushing at the compliment, then I realized he didn't say beautiful in English he said in Latin.

             Only fae know Latin or any language besides English because of the language band to 'decrease discrimination and barriers no other language besides English must be spoken.' Fae know Latin before they're born no one has to teach us it. This means he's fae and after a second of shock I respond with a whisper of, "Gratias ago tibi, tu quoque." Thank you, you are too I responded in Latin.

         His eyes showed surprise then he smiled the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Now that my attention was off his captivating eyes I saw that the rest of his features added to his beauty.

          He has light brown hair that was short and slightly messy. Unlike his cousin, the slime ball, he had a slight slouch, but one could still tell he was tall. He was lean, but not skinny, muscular, but the kind of muscular that wasn't as if he spends all his free time at the gym lifting weights, like the slime ball. Right then the slime ball's mom told us it was time to eat.

          All through out the dinner we were supposed to get to know the other family. We talked about ourselves sharing different things, when the slime ball's mom asked the question I knew someone was probably going to ask. "So, Female Student red hair, magenta eyes I see that your mother didn't join us tonight does she have a government job?"

         I can see why she asked this people assigned to government jobs didn't get time off for special occasions such as meeting with their child's match, but the mention of my mom made my dad go rigid with anger, hurt and sadness. So I answered with the lie I've memorized since birth, "No ma'am my mother died in a car accident when I was a baby my father has raised me by himself."

          The table went silent as was usual when I talked about my mother, then he spoke up. "I understand your pain my mother died giving birth to me and my father died in a work accident when I was five. That's why live with my aunt and uncle now."

        The pain in his voice was deeper when he talked about his father than when he talked about his mother probably because he actually knew his dad. His aunt changed the subject after that, but not before the slime ball mumbled, "Pity party, party of three."

       His parents didn't seem to hear him but all three fae, or the ones who he was referring to as having a pity party, glared at him. I really don't like this guy maybe be in my head I should call him Lucifer the name that refers to the devil.

           The subject wasn't brought up again and dinner continued, but my focus kept drifting to the guy who remained quiet through out the meal and only spoke a few times, Lucifer's cousin. By the end of dinner I had decided a name for him, Amator, which comes from the fae language of Latin it means, one who loves, I have a feeling that this name will fit him well.
                              🔥

         Later that night after we got home my dad and I were talking. "I'm so sorry, my phoenix, I can see why you distrust your match he gives me an uneasy feeling as well, oh how I wish you were born in the past when people and fae lived together and no one knew of our existence and love was a choice not an obligation. If I could I would change history so you could live free. I'm so sorry, you won't be able to have a carefree life of freedom from this corrupt, controlling, government system. I never wanted you to be forced to marry someone, I wanted you to meet your amor aeternus after this government fell, as it eventually will like all its predecessors did before it."

           My dad is on the verge of tears with guilt over something that no one can change.

       "I met my amor aeternus tonight." I whisper. He looks at me for a second then asks, "What? Who?"

         "My match's cousin is my amor aeternus and he's fae." I reply.

         "How do you know?" My dad whispers in shock.

             "Dad you've told me a hundred times about how you felt when you met mom and how you knew the second you saw her that she was your amor aeternus, it was the same for me, I just knew as soon as I saw him." I respond. He shakes his head and clarifies himself, "No, I mean how do you know he's fae?"

        "Oh, I know that because when we greeted each other he slipped into Latin and called me beautiful in Latin." I tell him.

       Things start to fly around the room I know this means that Dad is angry, upset and feels guilty. He's angry at the government, he's angry at himself, and everything else that's the only time when he uses his powers.

            My dad has telekinetic powers as part of his fae powers, but he never uses them. Of course he has other powers too but I've never seen him use them either, but I've seen him use his telekinetic powers only once before.

           It was the anniversary of the day my parents met I was about nine at the time. For his birthday, which was a few days before, one of his friends had given him alcohol and that night he decided to open it up, to drown the sorrows that he faces every year on that date. My father's good at hiding his emotions for most part, but on that night he always cries this time though the alcohol turned his tears into anger and used fae powers to throw things around the room. That night he kept screaming angry questions to no one, throwing things with his mind.

            That was the first and last time I saw my dad get drunk. But right now though he's angry at the government for different reason, he's angry at the government because my fate has been sealed by them and he can't change it, he's angry because I won't be able to be with my amor aeternus either because of them.

      He apologizes again and this time he's weeping for me. I hug him and tell him not to apologize to me anymore and tell him that everything happens for a reason and I'll be okay. That night my father fell asleep in my arms quickly after I drift off into a peaceful sleep, but what I didn't know was that a bird had been outside our window watching and listening to us.