“Young Miss I remember distinctly to have taught you that eavesdropping is not the deeds of a miss?” A voice said next to Titania. She turned to see Drake with a raised eyebrow looking at her. 

“Sorry.” She said, and made puppy eyes at Drake while squeezing herself out of the crevice. This thing had seemed bigger when she had been younger…and probably smaller. 

“You are not the least bit sorry.” Drake noted dryly, “Come.” 

“Drake, Drake, Drake… I have to get sis from her room; Mother asked.” She interrupted him before he could begin lecturing her, shrugging her shoulders and earning a dark look from the butler. 

“Alright but this is not over; you cannot go listen to your mothers business.” 

“Cedric does it all the time.” She argued. 

Drake opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering, “But you are not the young master.”

Grabbing hold of her hand, he began to pull her with him.

“That is not an argument, really Drake…what is happening?” She asked him and he sighed, patting her head.

“Nothing that you need to worry about young Miss, you are too young for that.”

“Cedric obviously knows, and he is younger than me. He came back injured last time, and even Emery had trouble cleaning it up…Damn it! Drake tell me what is going on! Please. This is my family too! I have a right to know!” 

“Young Miss, your mother will naturally tell you when it is time…” Drake  ushered her out of the servant pathways, right near where the stairs were .A moment later, he vanished around a corner leaving her feeling alone and helpless.

“Drake.” she turned and gripped his arm. “What is happening?”

He was gone, left her standing refusing to answer.

Just what is going on!? 

Drake had been very distracted, it wasn’t like him to simply pull her around and then leave like that. Something was going on, and she wasn’t supposed to know what it was.

If only she could be useful for her family, instead of a burden. Even now, she was being sheltered. Her first mission in the forest, they had sent Emery with her. Then Cedric had come home clearly injured, and nobody would tell her what had happened to him. This morning, when she had been questioning Mikki. That had been a complete failure.

It was frustrating.

Now her mother asking her if she would magic contracts for the illegal businesses; stuff she did not even want to know about since she knew she would feel anything but comfortable and then ….that conversation. 

“Ah Damn.” Titania cursed under her breath and shook her head. “Forget it, I’ll get Chry from her room and then sleep on this. After I got some answers.” 

I cannot believe I am really considering going anywhere close to our illegal businesses…that feels as if I am selling my own soul. 

Determined to ignore the issue and everything she heard she made her way up the stairs and through the hallway and then to the third floor Titania stopped in front of Chrys rooms.

Alright.

Knocking politely she waited for someone to answer, but no one did. Since nothing seemed to be going on, assuming the soundproofing was substandard as usual, Titania went to let herself in. Chrys's room was never locked for family members, their genetic code embedded into the doors lock. It opened at the touch of her hand and she stepped into what would remind someone of an ancient Serail from a movie set. There were no chairs around, the floor was filled over and over with carpets and cushions. A kanapee to the left and string of cushions lying around. From the beams silken rolls of the thinnest of fabric offered privacy. The walls were covered in nothing but bookcases packed full of ancient books from across all genres save for a window front that opened to view into the greenhouse. 

The lush light filtered by the green of plants gave the room an incredible abundance of natural light and shadow making it appear like a wonderland from another time, another dimension, a dreamworld of fineries.  

There were several Holo porters distributed throughout the chamber, and charms dangled everywhere. Glittering glass charms in all variants casting rainbow colored plays of sunlight. 

The birds present saw her, but said nothing and bowed respectfully before finding themselves places for her privacy, avoiding her as usual. The giant curtains falling were made of embroidered silk, somehow see through and somehow not the same way. Each and every one was spelled, spelled in the crafty work of her sister. Walking over the extravagant luxuries she came to the next door which was the way to her sister's workshop. Almost as big as the combined rooms she used as living space. Opening it she walked into, again, a completely other world. High tech and chrome covered the walls, screens full of designs, equations, and material descriptions. A gigantic long table smack in the middle littered with papers, a Holo field in the middle for 3D constructions, currently depicting a model for an energy gun in all its details. In the back near the window with ample natural light an almost ancient out of place forge. An amboss sat next to it, hammers hanging on the wallEven a magic core driven oven was there. In another corner one found everything for fabric and colors of all varieties. 

This was the biggest section, the fabrics on thick balls stacked over and over each other. Chry had an extremely broad field of work, dabbling in almost everything that was a craft done by hand, but Fabrics and Machinery were her favorites. 

Golden Hands. A creator by choice, magic and soul.

That was what their mother said Chry had, was. From there on a little out to the back was her private chamber, in other words her bedroom. Knocking, she heard nothing so decided to open the door and look inside, and immediately froze, petrified. 

Chrys was lounging in her gigantic bed. Next to her an undoubtedly naked Emery, barely covered, who  caressed her skin and to her feet a sweating man with fuzzy eyes, swollen lips and a crimson red rope still loosely hanging around him. 

Her breasts being caressed by an unbothered Emery whose Hair she was stoking softly Chry moved her gaze to Titania. "Mhhh, want to join in? I could offer you some entertainment?" Chrys asked but Titania shook her head adamantly. 

No, not interested. Which had her wonder why for god's sake soundproofing worked here but not towards her room. 

"Oh dear....then not. Emery treasure...." Her sister kissed him, tongue, teeth and all, slurping sounds filling the room. Titania found it hard, almost impossible to look away before catching herself and doing exactly that. "...get us some clothes would you?" 

Emery hummed in agreement and wrapped his privates in a sheet left taking the other man with him. The rope was still hanging on him as he was princess carried out and from the blush on his cheeks very unconcerned with his debauched apperance. He raised his arms and put them around Emery's neck leaning upwards placing a kiss at the man's throat. 

Chrys turned to Titania and raised an eyebrow. "So how come? Usually you take great pains to avoid coming into my rooms."

"Mother wants to see you." She said and pointed at the wall to her bedroom. "And while I am at it, get some better soundproofing towards my room." 

"Oh, of all the dear things. Emery! Get some proper clothes!" Chry swung her legs out of bed, "I will do something about the soundproofing. Do you have any idea what mother wants?" 

"Business, things I should not know about, trouble… I don’t know" Titania told her, it was half a lie but her sister did not even blink, instead she simply accepted her words as they were given. 

"Ah...Emery! Nothing in red!" She shouted once again, "I need to be more professional." 

"What does Red have to do with being or not being professional?" Titania wondered. 

"Reasons, things, matters, means, take your pick little Sister. Are Raon and Cedric also coming?" 

"Not to my knowledge. Mother had her talk with me already. She is in motherly mode today, rather coherent and sane too. Last I heard Cedric was after the guys who shot him alongside Raon. He was sharpening his blades for the matter." 

"Boys, Men, always about the slaughter and bloodshed. Ah wonderful Emery." Her sister clapped her hands as Emery was now fully dressed in a suit and handed her a beautiful embroidered light yellow summer dress, “We cannot live with them nor without them.” 

"Certainly my Lady." He kissed her temple and went to one of the walls, rope in hand, pressing a button and the wall slid open. 

Titania needed a second to process, next to the toys for Chrys entertainment was probably the wet dream of every hunter on the second wall. Carefully crafted guns, different models, knives, swords, spears, weapons in all shapes and forms. Each and every single one imbued with magic stones and covered in delicate runes. Masterpieces that could not be sold on the public market because one look and even Titania saw them to be eighth order weapons. A singular gun, the size of her own was not entirely finished but she could not help stare.

"Hush sister, this will be one of yours anyway once it is finished no use drooling on it like a lost foal." 

The wall slid closed being back to revealing being nothing but a wall. With a few paintings on it.

"We can go." Emery said and Chry nodded, stepping to him. Her hand roamed on his body as she smiled softly leaving it lingering just a second before walking out.

"Certainly." Turning back she cast a look at Titania. “Do not worry all will be fine, let this sister take care of it.” 

As they left Titania balled her hands into fists. 

“Hey Chry.” she stopped her sister who halted in her tracks turning around. 

“Yeah, what is it?” she asked with mild suprise. 

“What is happening to us, and why is no one talking to me.” 

She smiled and walked closer hugging Titania with a faint smile before pulling away. “Because you are our little sheltered princess and too young to worry about things like that.” She raised a finger. “And do not argue about Cedric. He is in a way the older one of you two, at least mentally.” 

“But I want to know. I am Tarajan, this obviously is huge, I have a right to know.” 

“Maybe but maybe you are not ready as well, not yet anyway. Don’t worry we will just take care of the problem. Like we have always done.” with that Titania was once again left behind standing there.

I feel so damn useless.