“Someone else?… Why, don’t fret young one. You’re worthy as is… Here. Have a sip of water and calm down. You’re son’s getting restless,” The old Varon suggested with a clap to Alis’ shoulder.

 

Cassandra watched as Alis tried to hold back tears as thick and strong as a waterfall. Alis’ words kept ringing in her head. ‘Someone else.’ Why? Wasn’t she good enough? Cassandra mulled over the possibilities before she chipped in and asked, “Are you by any chance upset that his father can’t be present today? That you’re not good enough for Juel as a lone mother?”

 

Alis greedily drank some water and replied, “Upset!? Hah! I’m angry! Furious!... And yet… I don’t know how to blame that deserter! He’s probably clueless as to what he left behind that day he went and-… I don’t know where to place my anger and feelings of guilt, because… I know that I deserve this.”

 

Alis gestured out into the room, “But does Juel too? I feel like I’m keeping him imprisoned here. He should be with his real family. Not in this decrepit hole with me. He should have been born by someone else. Someone more worthy of his heritage. We don’t even resemble each other that much…” Juel startede crying too. Smitten by Alis' mood. “I just wished that his mother had been of worthy blood. Then he wouldn’t have to live like this,” she concluded whilst rocking Juel back to calm.

 

The old Varon stood to the side with a face full of remorse for having his house criticised to such an extent. Cassandra, on the other hand, looked around for inspiration to ease the situation.

 

But what came galloping on her tongue weren’t words of comfort. They turned out to be words of blame. “Live like this, you say?... You wrote in your letters that everything was all fine and dandy. But that was a lie, wasn’t it?” Cassandra began accusing the bunch. “I know I don’t amount to much right now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be of any help. I didn’t want to pry about this since you both made it clear that you’ve got this, but now I want to know… Why aren’t you eating enough? Why do you both look so emaciated and weak?”

 

Alis stole a few minutes to temper her voice back to normal. With every gulping sob, her eyes stared harder and harder at Cassandra till she finally cracked. “If there's anyone to blame other than me, then… It’s the rats fault… The rats are the ones eating up our supplies and ruining it." Seeing Cassandra’s disbelief, Alis sharpened her gaze to cut its growth. She continued to explain, “I know… We’ve been dealing with them for ages. We’ve tried every solution we could think of. Both Peres and Daniel have managed to eradicate their nests multiple times but they just keep coming back! As if to mock us for even trying… We strive not to have any food lying around and your grandfather only goes fishing when we’re in need. But somehow, what little scraps we have keeps them alive.”

 

Cassandra took in her friends' dispirited faces. She assumed that, “All these cracks and holes in your hut, grandpa. Are they also the doing of rats? Is that why you haven’t sealed them shut yet even though it's so cold outside?”

 

Her grandfather glanced around the place, “No? They’ve always been here.”

 

“No, they haven’t!” Alis barked back. “Your guess is true, Cassandra. Those vermin truly make life miserable here… You’re grandfather might not remember, but I’ve tried to seal their holes shut countless times only for bigger ones to appear. It’s so frustrating that I gave up! But we haven’t lost all hope yet. The black hellebore Peres is fetching might be the solution we’ve been looking for. It just might be… But that’s besides the point. Whether or not those damn rats disappear it won’t change Juel’s future. And in the end, that’s the only thing that matters to me.”

 

“Well… Why not hope for the best then?” Cassandra implied with a sly glint.

 

Alis looked at Cassandra dumbfounded, “For what?”

 

“That his father will someday return and help him achieve a brighter future? You said it yourself: That his father may not even know that he exists. I can only assume that you loved that guy. And if he’s the one I believe him to be, then… Isn’t there still hope?”

 

“No-… I-… Juel is mine… They don’t deserve him anymore…”

 

Cassandra exhaled a great, “Ha!” before ensnaring her trap, “Then if that’s what you believe, stop fussing about it and keep Juel. You deserve him just as much, if not more, than his father and family. Besides… Who’s to say that Tymanra will ever return? He might never come back.”

 

Alis widened her eyes in shock, “H-how… How did you know?”

 

“Well, I’m more surprised that the others haven’t figured out the truth yet… Those secret letters you always kept reading in private. They came from Tymanra, didn't they? And that day you clumsily pricked us during a fitting session, right before the ascending ceremony? At first I didn’t think much of it, but wasn’t that so he’d be able to pick you out for the Daffodil dance?” Alis didn’t utter a single word but her face kept blooming a more disastrous red for each detail Cassandra revealed.

 

“Oh! And that day you left me to fend for myself amongst your so-called friends!? You were off to the Irondanes to ask for help weren’t you!?” Cassandra suddenly realised.

 

“That… Did you tell this to anyone else?”

 

“Of course not! It’s been pure speculations so far. Most of it I thought about during my grounding. But going by your face, I guess everything I’ve suspected is true… And here I thought you were just a little grey mouse? Yeesh!… Girls can be scary.”

 

Alis redirected that remark right back at Cassandra, “You’re just as scary, Cassandra. All of this.. To think you’d remember it all… I don’t know what to say. I never had a chance, did I?”

 

The two girls felt a new connection. Cassandra revealed how conscious she’d been through it all, while Alis admitted to her secret romance. All the while the old Varon just stood confused on the sideline. He barely understood what they were blabbing on about. Who was Tymanra? And what did he have to do with the Irondanes? Was he a cousin of theirs?

 

“Grandpa, you better not utter a word of this to anyone!” Cassandra reminded the old man. He scratched his beard. Not entirely sure as to what she meant. All of this new information just went straight over his head. He’d already tuned out at the mentions of secret letters and confusing dances.

 

“You girls prick yourselfs before a dance? This old man really can’t keep up anymore,” he confessed.

 

“Haha! Whatever, we should finish Juel’s song and eat some food. I’m starving!” Cassandra said without a hint of shame. The boulder of uncertainty had been lifted from her shoulders, making her feel as light as a feather.

 

They feasted on what they had and begrudgingly said their goodbyes. Before splitting up, Alis promised not to omit the truth in her letters and Cassandra agreed to keep the teen's secret tight.

 

The day ended with Cassandra at the Dray’s dining table. She’d relished in the sight of Peres’ seat being empty, but that relish soon turned into horror when she saw the boy slowly join their company. He appeared frostbitten and a tad exhausted.

 

Her parents, who’d long returned from their little rendezvous, gazed at the boy and asked, “Where have you been skulking about, Peres?”

 

The boy ignored their question and found his seat. Only when he’d seated himself did he answer, “Oh, here and there, I suppose… Grandfather told me to fetch some black hellebore to quell his rat infestation. Turns out it wasn’t as difficult to find as he recalled. Nowadays shops sell them for a considerably cheap price… I had some fun riding around on my genosaur, and then I spotted another pest lurking around his hut.”

 

Peres’ eyes shot up, landing smack-dab on Cassandra’s already paling mug. His insinuation was as clear as day.

 

Her parents exchanged looks, then Lady Dray swallowed and said, “Cassandra, after we’ve eaten I want you to follow me upstairs.”

 

Can we please not!? Cassandra begged inside of herself. She knew not to plead her case, but now that Peres had already laid out the facts, there was another subject she found appropriate to bring up. “Father. Isn’t there anything we can do to help grandfather and Alis? Why not let them stay with us inside of the manor? It would instantly solve their problem and remove any concerns of them getting sick.”

 

The Varon halted a spoon from slipping into his mouth. He’d expected his daughter to plead innocence, not to dwell on the matters of his old man. “Hoho, I wish I could, my child. But my father is too stubborn to move. I’m not forcing him to live in the garden. It’s all by his own choice… As for Alis. You could say that it’s her punishment to live with him. It’s out of principle that I cannot rescind this decision. Not out of ill-intentions. Why, in a few years she might be sensible enough to rejoin us again?”

 

Lady Dray gave him a look that said: Don’t go around making pretty promises you can’t keep! Before probing her future victim, “have you finished eating your meal?”

 

Cassandra felt like retching the whole thing back up just to repress the inevitable.

 

After the drawn out dinner, Cassandra and her mother traversed the stairs in uncomfortable peace. If she had truly been a child of almost 4, she wouldn’t have followed the madwoman so easily. But her older self told her to keep it in and endure. Escape wasn’t an option at her age.

 

Past the door’s threshold, Cassandra braced herself to meet her mother’s gaze. People say that the eyes are like the window to one’s soul. Could this saying be true? Upon absorbing her own mother’s light green eyes, she caught a glimpse of the fear lingering beneath the artificial calm. A fear that her mother tried to rear through raw power alone.

 

“Today the bastard was given a name, wasn’t he?” Lady Dray inquired.

 

Taken back by her interest, Cassandra replied, “Yes?”

 

“Well, out with it, child. What did Alis name him?”

 

“Juel.”

 

“I see. I hope it was worth it.” The lady went over to a drawer to fetch her instrument of discipline. “You’re not afraid?” she asked, perturbed.

 

Cassandra didn’t look at the thing. She tried to clench her twitching fists into a rock-solid state as she answered, “I love Alis and grandpa… I only wished that you loved them too.”

 

Lady Dray held the birch up for inspection as if its purpose didn’t bother her. “I do have a reserved spot for them in my consciousness. But to me survival comes first. And to survive, one must have discipline and smarts. It’s something we’ll all have to learn,” she explained softly. Her mother found a spot on the bed’s edge and beckoned, “If you're a strong girl, you’ll come over to me now, and I’ll let you off with 3 strikes.”

 

Cassandra really wanted to ask Lady Dray who had given her the idea to beat her own children straight, but withheld the question from slipping out. Instead, she let her feet do the walking and the rest quickly became history.

 

After the beating, Cassandra had teeth marks on her lower lip and a wild beat thumping in her chest. She was resting on Lady Dray’s lap, who added, “Just so you know, I take no pleasure in this. But this is the only way I-, no, we can protect you… Unless you want your wings clipped completely.” Her mother turned Cassandra around to face her. There were emotions clenched on her face that Cassandra had never seen before. “Know, child, that I want you to survive and be free! And someday, I want you to help your husband succeed and be happy. Like I do... That’s the way to freedom. And you can’t be free without it! So let mother help you. Listen, when I tell you to stop and don’t try to undermine my rule!... I have a heart too!”


****

Cassandra limped the following days after her lashing. She’d never imagined the wounds to persist for this long. But there was no room for recuperation. The Irondane’s had come. And every family member had thus been drafted for the formal visit.

 

The Dray’s stood ready at the manor’s frontgate, all dressed up in a lavish display of jewelry and garnet red fabric to greet their guests. Beneath the shade of weeping trees arrived a carriage decked with guards, and imposing blue flags that flickered restlessly in the wind. To most it would be unusual to have this many ironclad followers tag along, however, to the Irondanes who stood for strength and order, their guards’ company was as natural as breathing to them.

 

Despite the presence of snow, the sun was out and about. It had its fun sparkling through pieces of dripping ice as well as bouncing off the guard’s metal plates. These reflected beams of sunlight were of course lovely to look at, until the second they went from the ground straight into people’s eyes. Cassandra was the perfect height to not get beamed to death. The same couldn’t be said for people like her older brother, who fought to regain sight after the unexpected blast. What he didn’t expect either was for Cassandra to use this opportunity to exact some petty revenge. She hadn’t forgotten the harm he had caused her through his tattling. Therefore, just as they were all about to retreat inside, the little troll decided to extend her foot for the boy to trip over. And like an absolute klutz, Peres was completely floored by the attack. From his fall came a muffled thump. It made people from both parties take a gander back to witness the disaster. A scene that could only be described as pathetic with the boy lying there splayed in the snow.

 

Peres shot up from the ground as if his blunder could be overlooked that easily. He tried to dust off the biting snow but it merely cracked and rippled, further cementing itself into his clothes, and after a short while, it cooled his skin. The boy didn’t need long to figure out what had actually happened. Oh, the look he gave her. If looks could strangle then Cassandra would have dropped blue.

 

The girl he eyed with such ire shrugged her shoulders and made a gesture as if she was utterly clueless. Making her brother want to bite her head off. Cassandra relished in his indignation, now that their feelings were somewhat mutual. She smiled smugly before leaving the sod behind to follow the others more closely. She knew by now that there would always be an occasion to justify a feast. And she had yet to hear the exact reason for their gathering this time.

 

Inside of the manor, one of the cook’s assistants served a tray of welcome drinks. The steaming hot beverages were quickly downed by the Irondane couple. They were in a heck of a mood. Probably due to their new heir: A baby boy that slept in Lady Irondane’s bosom. Coupled with the recent joyous news concerning the mines.

 

Varon Irondane raised his mug and boasted, “Hail! And cheers! For the wonderful find that’ll keep us in the mining business for another handful of years!” The slightest mention of the mines made Cassandra’s parents perk up.

 

“Indeed! Cheers!” her father toasted. It was at this point in time that Cassandra would normally turn around and whisper to Alis in search of answers. But, to her dismay, the teen was out of the picture. Cassandra frowned as they went further inside the manor. Thinking: Who am I to turn to now that Alis is no longer here?… tsk.

 

The whole gathering seated themselves around the grand table, decked with golden streamers and dishes floating in greash. Fat for the winter. Cassandra tried her best not to stand out, but the old wounds she had received from her mother’s lecture still ached like mad. They begged for her to scream, but how could she? Peres was meant to be the oddball around here. Not her.

 

With beads of sweat trickling down her nape, Cassandra finally got to sit, and then… She somehow felt lost... As if everything she looked at was twisted askew. It didn’t feel right for the Irondanes to sit there so smug and confident, when she knew they had a shunned blood relative living nearby. Hidden away and neglected by the big players. Nor did it feel fair that Alis and the boy weren't allowed to attend.

 

Cassandra rested her chin in one hand and stared at Juel’s grandfather: Varon Irondane. Him and Juel truly looked alike. With coal-black hair and eyes the cool color of a summer's sky.

 

“So, have they managed to estimate how deep the newly discovered vein is? Like how many kilometers are we talking about here? One? A few dozen?” Varon Dray started guessing, despite the rudeness of it. As business partners they had made a mutual agreement not to divulge intel outside of their formal meetings. But Varon Dray couldn’t withhold his excitement.

 

Varon Irondane took an indulgent sip of his wine. He scanned the room and explained, “Whatever… As always, these estimates take time to measure. I said we’d have the clear results next month, but for now, let’s just say that the vein contains enough riches to keep our business going for about 5 years. Maybe more?… As for businesses. Have you considered a partnership with the Clerebolds?”

 

It was as if Cassandra’s father caught a lump in his throat. He stuttered, “I… I-eh…”

 

Varon Irondane chuckled at his friend’s approach and bluntly said, “There’s no need for secrets, Hammond. Not at this table. You’ve probably already heard, but we’re thinking of joining hands with the Clerebolds after we’ve helped drain the last metia vein... They’re always in need of strong able-bodied men, and that my friend, is our specialty. We house a wide array of knights. Knights that’ll keep their livestock safe and expanding territory out of harm's way… Now... I know what you guys are thinking. What about us? And to that I say, when the time comes, keep the metia mines. They’re all yours for the taking. Albeit the veins will take some time to recover, they’ll replenish themselves in due time. And by then, they’ll be worth a fortune again. That is what we leave you as a parting gift... I hope you don’t take it personally, but things change, and we’ve decided to follow the path of a knights guild, no matter the costs.”

 

Two jaws hung slack from disbelief. Lady Dray was the first one to recollect herself and question, “What about our union?”

 

Cassandra froze at its mention and glanced over at Janet, then Rey.

 

To this Lady Irondane replied, “We’ll still accept one of your daughters as agreed upon. But it’ll be with no strings attached. Since our most desired union is with the Clerebolds. No offense, but we strive to meet our duties as varont owners, and the mines simply aren’t sustainable enough as a source of income for our taxpayers. Our people require stable jobs if they’re to help us build and keep the varont. Not some flaky passtime.”

 

Varon Dray was on the cusp of leaving his seat in sheer panic. “B-but!?... If our partnership is to be annulled, who is then supposed to guard the mines from passing thieves and hungry Defilers? Who will escort our shipments?… And who’s to keep our workers in place!? It can’t be that you’ll completely redraw your troops just like that? Can it?” he rambled on with climbing desperation in his voice. It was rather unsightly, but understandable. His wife didn’t reprimand him, and his children merely looked on, wide-eyed and shaken.

 

Varon Irondane’s eyes sunk into the shade of his brows. Their baby blue color shifted into a new shade of navy. “As I’ve said, we’ll be looking forward to establishing a proper knights guild. You may ask for our services. But they won’t be given away freely without proper compensation…”

 

Silence draped the grand table. Not a single finger dared to twitch in fear of causing the whole thing to explode. “... I understand…” Varon Dray mumbled in defeat. “You do leave us with a great fortune. If we can keep it, that is… I guess we couldn’t possibly ask for more? Being neighbors and all.”

 

Varon Irondane strongly conveyed: “No, you couldn’t. But if your varont should ever be in danger of passing into the wrong hands, we’ll certainly be there to aid you. That, I can firmly promise you!” And that he surely could, for unlike the plains of the Sinless Empire, the Twinheaded’s realm was a place where science thrived and order ruled. If one should ever cross the line by obtaining land in said Divine’s domain by force, they would shortly after find themselves purged by one of his close associates: The Masked Warden, or, if not by the legend himself, then at least by one of his many skilled men. Besides them, there were also the Divine Warriors, who acted like lesser kings for the Divines. And beneath them would be the Varons and their knights. All working to ensure that their favorite Divine could remain on top for all eternity.

 

As if nothing groundbreaking had happened, the Irondanes resumed their meal, flashing their superiority and guiltless minds in the process. The Drays, however, took some time to start nibbling again. They were still trying to digest the Irondanes' bold decision.

 

Following her last bite, Lady Dray announced, “My children, please go ahead and play with the Irondane’s eldest son. Your father and I wish to entertain our guests in peace.” Concerned, the children skedaddled over to a safe zone. The kitchen. Janet’s good ol’ friend made them sit over by the active oven. There they sat all warm and cozy with the cook’s show of skills as entertainment. She was busy topping off a cake with spun sugar, when Rey suddenly decided to ask, “Hey, Peres? Isn't it about time that you mutated your genosaur?”

 

Cassandra perked an ear and Peres answered, “What of it?” He was unsure of Rey’s intentions. Rey glanced over at the two girls and made a nod towards the exit. Peres complied and left together with the younger noble. They didn’t want to talk about the subject in front of Cassandra and Janet. Which made Cassandra far more curious. Casually, she strode up to the cook with feigned interest. Now she could stand near the opening, without looking suspicious. Janet soon followed, and she began to talk with the hectic cook.

 

With enough concentration Cassandra could hear Peres say, “It’ll be soon. I think my partner is around 8 years old. But, I don’t know. Maybe I don’t want to ascend? Grandpa didn’t. Neither did my dad…” His voice was getting farther and farther away. Cassandra panicked at this. She knew that they were heading towards Peres’ room, upstairs. And she assumed that they should be around a point where the floor acts as a blindspot. Right about… Now!

 

Cassandra left the kitchen with her eyes constantly on the stairs. She managed to catch a snippet of their feet leaving the area, and the faint sentence, “Psh! That’s because they’re both cowards!”

 

Peres snarled back at Rey, “How dare you! There’s nothing wrong with putting family first. Rather than being someone who seeks his own luck in life, I want to be a strong patriarch. One who’s there for his family. Like my grandpa.”

 

“But not like your dad,” Rey noted.

 

“No, not like my dad. His far too busy juggling two sides of a business and keeping it afloat. I bet if mother hadn’t forced him to settle, he would have still roamed the realms with a smile. They still call him, you know.”

 

Cassandra snuck up the steps, silent and prepared, if they should notice her.

 

“They?”

 

“The roads,” Peres said with a longing, “They keep calling him. And so he goes while we stay… Someday, I want to come too.”

 

“Hah! Do you really think that they’d let you? Just wait. Once the next son comes in line, they’ll force you to try,” Rey half-chuckled, wise to the feeling.

 

“Then, try I will. If that’s the price I must pay to have a little brother.”

 

Cassandra heard Rey say, “To be honest... I wish that I had your conviction. I’m scared… What if my partner dies?” Then the door closed and along with the click their voices disappeared.