In a nation called Esteria, there was creek by the name 'Wailing Willows creek' by the Western shores. The name of the creek came to, not because of the weeping willows that lined the creek but because of the wailings that happens often along the shores of the creek lined with willows.
The creek separated two towns, the Northern Wilshire and the Southern Wilshire. The Northern Wilshire was where the Sinclair family and their allies lived. The Southern Wilshire was the native of Brunton family and their allies.
The Sinclair family, previously surnamed Boswell, a noble family serving the Monarchy of Esteria and the Bruntons, who are aristocrats who looked after the Duchy of Oakley. The two families were separated not only by the creek but also by a feud that lasted for more than a century. A lot of blood was spilled on both sides because of the feuds.
The Boswells, characterised by their flaming red hair, conspired against the Throne a century back and rallied common people to form a democratic nation but their coup failed with the help of the Bruntons leading to the loss of nobility status of the Boswells. This only intensified the feud that was brewigg between the two families.
The monarchy later decided to leave the nation to be ruled by the people and Esteria became a Constitutional Monarchy.
The Boswells who held the title of 'traitors' then changed their name to Sinclair and laid low for a while only to dominate the politics some decades after and in modern times, the Prime Minister and most members of the Parliament are either a Sinclair or their allies who are the Party of Liberty. They became the ruling members of the nation and the lawmakers.
The Bruntons on the other hand, expanded their wealth through generations and during the industrial revolution, invested well and currently owns one of the biggest conglomerate in the world - Northern Star Groups.
With the Bruntons owning most of the industries and mines in the nation, they controlled the economy of the nation, single-handedly.
With one family controlling the economy and the other the law, the feud never decreased. But for a government to succeed it needs money from taxes and for a business to flourish they needed the government's help. And so both of them learnt to live side by side begrudgingly for their own success.
But internally both family wished for the entire eradication of the other family and conspired against each other secretly.
The Wailing Willow creek is always like an active volcano that might erupt anytime, even by a small disturbance.
The Nation became prosperous and overtime people forgot the "Traitors" and accepted the Sinclair family since their policies in government lead the nation to greater heights. Most people in Esteria worked in Northern Star group of companies with really good pay and they all were happy.
As time passed, the newer generation of people of Esteria wished for the peace between the two families. But the two families couldn't forgive each other and many tried to intermediate between the two families to end the feud.
But there were some people who benefitted from the feuds and they fanned the flames resulting in an endless loop. With revenge begetting revenge, the families went on an endless circle of battles costing many lives of their family members and those who supported them.
The creek served as a border for the both towns and there was laws banning people from both towns crossing the creek for any reason. If any townsmen saw the other townsmen crossing the creek, then the law dictated it was open season. This law was put forth to control the damage done by both sides.
According to this law, the creek belonged to both towns and is neutral ground. The moment the other touches the shore, they can be killed with no repercussions. This has been the law for decades and this reduced the tension between the two towns to a greater extent.
Currently Lewis J. B. Sinclair is the Prime Minister of Esteria and he had two sons. The eldest son, William T. B. Sinclair has three sons. The eldest one has started studying for his degree in politics and the second son was in the last year of his high school. The third son, is just seven and the most pampered youngest child of the family, who had no interest in the feud and no cares in the world, wandered to a place that is forbidden for someone in his family.
His little act of curiosity set out a domino effect that one day entirely changed everyone's life. But he didn't know that at that time.
-----
"Look what I've got... It is the same colour as your eyes..."
The boy in black fleece jacket held out his hand to reveal a beautiful blue marble. The girl in front of him really had pretty eyes. He loved blue and she looked blue. He loved her.
The marble wasn't blue as the deep sea or bright as the summer sky but it closely resembled the colour of Kashmiri blue sapphire.
As he held out his hand, his hood fell back revealing his red hair neatly combed with a side partition. The white shirt he wore underneath the fleece shirt had a designer logo in it and his winter shoes were of an expensive brand too. His every demeanour revealed the blue blood in him and he looked curious as any seven year old as he stared at the girl his brother talked about.
The entire area was frozen and the creek had a layer of ice formed above still. This was a long winter. The trees that had shed their leaves had started forming icicles. Spring would arrive soon, they predicted, as the snow has started to melt.
The entire area was bitterly cold and desolate with no soul in sight, a place where two children are not supposed to be, but something brought them both there at that moment.
"This is pretty"
The girl accepted the marble. She was wearing beige woolen gloves for the cold. As she spoke, vapour formed in her mouth and with her cheeks blushed pink with cold, she looked cute.
The Royal blue designer coat hood lined with fur and her long boots, made her look adorable. This was the longest winter in a while and she was dressed appropriately. A set of pearl earrings peeked from her dark auburn shoulder length hair that was curled beautifully and in that snow, she looked like a princess with the little rain droplets sticking to her hair, like pearls.
"Is this for me?" she asked, her pretty eyes were shining as she was impressed by the beautiful marble in her hand and her polite nature revealed her noble bearing.
"Of course, blue!" he nodded affirming her.
He will forget how hard was it for him to get this marble from his friend. He had to make a gamble to win this and he needed it with him to brag.
But, he didn't care that he'd be mocked for losing this beautiful marble to a girl.
Yes, he can come up with some excuse! He is not going to say he gave it to a girl.
"Blue?" she asked scrunching her nose.
"Yes, blue; you are blue" he said and she looked confused for a second but she didn't refute him. She didn't like being addressed as a colour but she is supposed to be polite with everyone.
She didn't know who this boy is or where he came from. She has never met him before and he is giving her gifts already? 'Could he be from the other side? Should I return it?' she wondered, 'But I love this marble. It is pretty. And also it is not polite to refuse gifts'.
In the end the five year old decided according to her heart and kept the marble safe inside her pockets.
"Thank you... Red! " she said with a smile and there was a little mocking undertone to it. She didn't like him addressing her as a colour, so she will do the same to him.
It cannot be impolite, right?
His hair is amazingly red. But she liked it. It looked so soft and she wanted to ruffle it.
Red hair - he should be from the other side, she was sure now. She should not engage with him.
But... He gave her a pretty marble and he looks friendly. He won't be dangerous, right?
Right?
" I'm red? "
He chuckled and his green eyes lit up.
"Not bad... Not bad at all... It's because of my hair, right?" he asked, nodding his head and pursing his lips with his hands on his hips. He hated it when his classmates call him 'ginger' but 'red' is nice, right?
Plus she is a little girl. He cannot hit girls so he'll let it pass.
"It's pretty" she said removing her gloves and running her fingers through his hair. He was only slightly taller than her and she could easily reach his head. He was stunned by her sudden movement and the gentleness of the hand touching him. His mother used to caress his hair gently too.
But his mother is no more.
He stepped back unconsciously and the girl's smile froze as she feared she did something wrong.
"Do you know about gingers?" he asked with a questionable smile and she shook her head.
She has heard a lot about the red-haired people from the other side of the creek. None of them were nice. They try to hurt her family and kill their friends. She has attended a lot of funerals of her family's friends because of that red-haired people from the other side of the creek.
But... Her mother has told her to only speak nice things. 'If you have no nice thing to say, say nothing at all' she'd say, and so the little girl just decided to pretend she doesn't know.
"Redheads are trouble... They come and snatch your souls... " the boy waved his hand eerily trying to scare her but paused seeing her blinking her pretty blue eyes with no fear at all.
"It's pretty though," she said. She really found his hair pretty. She wished to have pretty red hair too.
But the boy didn't knew her thoughts and it made the boy wonder if only the word 'pretty' is in her vocabulary.
Seems like this girl is a little slow in the head.
"Ah!" he screamed as he caught the midge that flew beside her and squished it with his hand.
Like the proud boy he is, he showed it to her like he'd brag to his friends in school.
"See, I killed it!"
Now be amazed with me...
But her reaction made him question himself.
"Why?" her eyes squinted and became watery. "His family will be waiting for his return and they'd be sad if he doesn't return"
'Could what they say about red-haired people be true?' she wasn't scared but she was sad how someone could take a life that easily as she looked at the dead bug.
'Wait, what?'
The boy was stunned by what the girl said.
"It's just a bug... It has no family," he said as he tried to get rid of the bug by shaking his hand. His face twisted in disgust as he saw the bug.
'Stupid bug has spilled its innards and is now sticking to my hand! Annoying! And why is she crying? What did I do? That bug could have hurt her, couldn't it?'
" No! Don't!" she held his hand and looked at the squished bug and pulling out a tissue from her pocket and grabbed the insect from his hand.
Her entire face was scrunched up expressing her disgust in touching that squished bug, but she still pushed forward.
Holding the tissue in one hand, she started digging with a stick on the ground. The ground was hard and she couldn't break it as it was still frozen.
The boy saw her struggling to dig and exhaled despondently. He squatted beside her and with another stick helped her.
The sun slowly peeked out from behind the clouds, making a long shadow of the two kids on the snow.
The boy saw the girl mumbling something while placing the tissue inside the ground. He listened as he got intrigued.
He could catch only a little, "... earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes..."
'Is she conducting a funeral service for a bug? She really is having a nut loose in her pretty head' he thought but he kept his thoughts to himself.
She seemed to be so serious with her pouted lips, doing the funeral.
"Wrong"
He mumbled. Everything his brother Ray told him is wrong.
'Across the creek, there lives a purple-eyed monster who takes the life and fortune out of anything she glances at... A monster that brings misfortunes... A typical Brunton. See there... That girl wearing blue... She is the one '
Ray said pointing from behind a tree and seeing Little Artie getting flustered a bit, he added, 'Don't worry! Soon it would be just her and we can have her under our control by breaking her... '
Arthur Fredrick Boswell Sinclair - the boy now burying the bug, could not understand what his brother Ray said. He didn't care to understand either. He had an odd wish to see her and crossed the Frozen creek and got to this side, wanting to see this "monster".
I wanted to brag to my friends that I met the purple-eyed monster. That's why I came here...
But, there is no monster here. There is only a silly girl who cries for the death of bugs. She is also a little slow in the head with a couple of loose screws in her head.
He looked at the girl wearing the brooch made of yellow gold with precious gems affixed. Two rearing horses facing each other with a shining star in the middle with laurel branches encircling them. She really is a Brunton. Her eyes did have a hue of purple in them, if looked closely.
But the girl beside him is not a monster. He could understand that much.
If so, why are the adults calling her a monster?
He looked at her.
"Oh, stop pouting!"
He got a little irritated by her face. Even her lips has reduced so small with her puffing her cheeks.
But she looked at him and he could watch the rims of her eyes getting red as she was about to cry. He knew it. Her lips started trembling and he was scared of what's to come next.
'Ron is right! Like his sister, all girls are annoying and are stupid and cry babies...'
"Come on, now... Don't cry! The bug is in bug heavens... He'd be with bug angels and be playing bug violin by now..."
Artie tried to calm her. But it did nothing to stop her.
"You liar! I hate funerals. I don't want to go to a funeral again. But mummy said that attending the funeral is the simplest way I could show my sincerity to those who died, trying to protect me... I don't like funerals. Funerals are sad! People will be crying. I will never attend a funeral again... " she said tears rolling on her cheeks and rubbing her eyes, she opened her mouth.
He saw a couple of bodyguards searching for her in the distance and he knew it won't be far for them to find her.
Artie knew this girl is going to scream and then the guys will think he hurt her somehow and he who is not supposed to be here will be ended with a bullet to his head.
He was advised by his family not to cross the creek. If he crossed, he'd die.
Nooooo! I'm not dying here!
His hands were dirty and he didn't want to dirty her face and so he pulled the collar of her coat and pulled her close. Then he pressed his lips on her lips, silencing her.
He has seen his eldest brother doing this to silence a crying girl friend and he said it is effective. It seemed like it worked on this silly girl too.
But sooner, he felt a strong push by his chest and he fell on his buttocks on the snow.
"You... Nasty red! Why did you do that?" she stood up and pointed at him after wiping her mouth in her sleeves. She looked mad.
"Mummy said you cannot do this unless you are in love. So how could you?"
She wasn't crying anymore and she huffed.
"Well... No..." he was confused.
'Why did her mother and his brother say different things? And what's with 'My mummy said... My mummy said... Is she bragging she has a mummy? I don't have my mummy. My mummy is in heaven...'
His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain in his chest. She had thrown the marble he gave, at him.
Wow! This silly girl does have a temper!
"Come on, blue... Don't be like this," he stood up and seeing the marble back in his hands he felt empty.
"I love you and that's why I did that," he said with assurance. He clearly didn't hate her and the opposite of hate is love, so he must love her right?
"Really?" her bright eyes widened and soon she pouted again.
'Now what?' he has never used his little brain this much his entire life.
"But papa said that you can only kiss in the mouth if you are married. We are not married," she added.
"Well..."
'When did I kiss you?' he wanted to ask. But she might cry again and so he wondered what he could do.
He, in his heart thanked God for not giving him a sister. Girls are annoying!
"Since I already kissed you, I'll marry you in the future. Okay?"
He said crossing his fingers behind his back.
Of course I won't! Who'd marry this silly girl?
"Really?" her face brightened up immediately. She really has not broken any rules then.
"Yes, now hold this for me, okay?"
He returned the marble to her. He wanted her to have that.
She got that marble back and put it in her pocket once more. She was not happy to part with it either. It was so beautiful!
" Well, well... What's a nasty Boswell ginger doing here? " a menacing voice was heard behind Artie's back and he turned to look but was stunned to see the gun pointing at his face.
"Cyrus Lockhart! Stop pointing that at a child!"
An authoritative voice that had a certain gentleness to it was heard and Artie looked at the woman walking towards them in a pink coat, with her hand placed on her protruding belly.
"Mummy..."
The girl ran towards her mother but Cyrus caught her before she collided on her mother's belly putting his gun away.
"He is no child, Maria... He is a Boswell and he broke..."
"Cyrus!" Maria Whiteford reprimanded him and he shut his mouth and picked the girl up.
"What's a fifteen year old doing with a gun?" Robert Whiteford, the girl's father was rather unamused by Cyrus. But he knew the Lockharts are a close ally of the Bruntons and this Cyrus just follows his daughter Talia around like he is her Knight. But, He could never understand the feud between those two families.
Can't they just let go?
"Little boy, what's your name?" Maria asked getting close to Artie and Cyrus stopped her.
"Don't get close," he grunted. He clearly wasn't seeing a seven year old, but a member of the Boswell family who will hurt the Bruntons with no second thoughts.
That's how it's always been.
Maria shook her head seeing this overtly protective boy, she considered a little brother. She then got close to Artie and pulled his hood up. It is dangerous and anyone even if they see from a distance will shoot he kid immediately, seeing the red-hair.
"Little..." she paused looking at him and realising that she already asked his name, the boy replied, "Artie"
"Arthur!",Maria smiled and Artie got reminded of his mother. " The name of a brave king... But Arthur, you have to be careful. The ice is formed only on the upper layer of the creek and with spring approaching, who knows how thick the ice actually is? It might crack anytime. Don't do anything so dangerous in the future, okay? " she patted his head gently, exuding her motherly nature and Artie froze for a while before he nodded.
" Off you go! " Maria waved her hand and he turned and ran back and the family turned to leave too.
" Talia Mary-Anne Whiteford Brunton "
Hearing her mother calling her by her full name, the little girl cowered and buried her head inside Cyrus' coat.
"Come on young lady! What's with this new habit of wandering alone? Do you know how worried your mama and papa were until we found you?"
Maria sighed as Cyrus walked to the front holding her daughter. She never knew the connection between those two. If it were the ancient times, she'd be the Princess and he'd be the Knight, protecting her.
He was ten when Talia was born and he'd address her as Princess and would call himself her Knight. Maria thought it was just a phase but he never grew out of it.
Her daughter cannot be addressed as Princess since she is not a Royal but Cyrus never cares about those rules. 'She is my princess!' he'd say and Maria stopped forcing him to change his ways.
She still thinks that he'd grow out of it.
" Maria, is it fine that our daughter is more attached to Cyrus than us?" Robert asked holding his wife's hand as they leisurely walked towards their car. He could spot nearly hundred bodyguards surrounding them, currently watching them. When he married her, he was disturbed by the amount of weapons around them. But he got used to it now since he understood they need it. They were in a lot of situations where they were thankful they had people protecting them.
This is such a dangerous place.
"You think I should be preparing my reply for the day he comes asking for her hand?" he joked, hissing in her ears.
"Aww, come on, Robby! Cyrus is my brother! They cannot marry! It is wrong!"
Maria didn't think their relationship will develop that way.
Cyrus heard what Maria said and he pursed his lips and no one could tell his thoughts.
" Cyrus..."
Talia pulled his collar fearing her mother might punish her for not obeying the rules. She didn't listen to what her parents were speaking out of fear. Sensing her fear, Cyrus walked faster in the front.
Cyrus didn't like anyone reprimanding his little princess. But she did make them worry by running on her own.
" Princess Talia, That ginger... What did he do?"
Cyrus asked and Talia's hand naturally went to her pockets and caressed the marble. She feared if she told Cyrus, he'd throw it away.
"Nothing... "
She lied for the first time to Cyrus.
"Really?"
Cyrus' voice from above felt skeptical to her and she felt guilty.
"He said he'd marry me"
She only told the least important detail. But she could feel Cyrus stressing up and she couldn't understand why.
"How old are you to talk about marriage?" he snorted and Talia could hear his heart rate increasing as she was carried by him.
"And why would a Princess marry a thug like him? My Princess will only marry a King and become a queen" he said caressing her hair and Talia leaned on his shoulders, relaxed.
"But there aren't many Kings" she said and yawned. She was already tired and Cyrus' voice is the best lullaby, ever.
" Don't worry! I'll find a King worthy for you. If I can't find you a king, I'll marry you myself"
Talia didn't answer as her eyelids closed slowly.
'But Red promised me first! '