"Ah Jade!" Emy exclaimed
The father and daughter stared at the girl in front of them.
"Jade, why are you still awake?" Sardon asked.
"Its hard to go back to sleep if all you can hear is grandfather's rumbling" Jade answered.
Sardon and Emy laughed.
"Grandfather finally stopped. You can go back to sleep now." Sardon cooed.
"Papa, who is Dmitry? You can tell me now instead of later since I am already awake." The girls light brown eyes gave her father a pleading look.
Sardon sighed after being anxious at what his daughter asked.
"Jade, I told you to limit yourself from reading our thoughts, especially when your grandfather is around."
"But, grandfather is not here now."
Sardon shook his head and pointed on one of the bedrooms in the floor. "Alright then, come and help me check on your sister's wounds"
Jade gave a sweet smile and afterwards Emy bent to hug Jade.
"I missed you. How was the hospital?" Emy asked.
"It..it was okay" Jade stammered trying her best to act tough. In fact, she hated staying in the hospital.
Looking at the scenery before him, Sardon's heart felt warm. How could two girls look so different when they were born at the same time and from the same womb. Emerald and Jade were fraternal twins.
Emerald was about five feet tall while Jade was one to two inches shorter than her sister. Because of this difference, outsiders would say that Emerald was older than Jade. They would be surprised then when they are told that Emerald was only ten minutes older than Jade. It was not only the height difference that set the twins apart. Physically, Emy had long straight hair while Jade had fine curly hair. Emy's pupils, without using her gift, were black, while Jade's were light brown. They were both fair in complexion. Emy was fare because of the genetic composition while Jade was fair to the point of being pale because of a genetic anomaly. Emerald was the Elegant Beauty and Jade was the Gentle Bloom.
The girls did not have any problem while growing up. But by the age of 13, the family members noted something was wrong with the twins. Emerald, at young age already showed the potential of being a summoner. They expected the same with her twin, but the main family's, especially Ziron's, hopes were wronged. Jade was not a summoner, nor did she have any gift at all. Emerald continued to mature both physically and on being a summoner while Jade seemed to stop maturing physically at 13.
Jade's physician explained that her condition resulted from genetic mutations. These genetic mutations also caused Jade's heart condition. A congenital disease that stunted her physical and growth development. Over Jade's lifetime, she had three cardiac surgeries already and she was expected to live on medications and frequent consultations with the physician.
Sardon was thankful that they had wealth, because if not for the money of the Kandas, one of his daughters might have died already.
The trio settled in Emerald's bedroom. While applying ointment to Emy's cuts, Sardon began explaining the current situation,
"The attack a while ago was staged by your Uncle Arman."
Emy nodded but asked, " But why would Uncle Arman act on it now? I know that there is a feud between grandfather and Uncle, but the feud has already been going on even before we were born."
Sardon let out a heavy sigh, "That is what you thought."
"What do you mean?" Emy wanted to clarify noticing a dilemma from her father's sighs.
"There are a lot of underhanded situations where each of our clans are doing to subdue the other. This is not the only time this happened. However, I can agree that this is the first time in a long time a clan publicly fought another."
Their father paused a bit to finish covering Emy's injuries, "Remember Bryan?"
Both of his daughters nodded. Bryan was Arman's only son and his hear apparent.
"I and your grandfather heard that the boy and his father was keeping his being a summoner a secret. News spread throughout the region that Bryan's Kowadja is strong."
Emy still did not know where this was heading too. Seeing the confusion on the older twin's eyes, he continued, "There is an ongoing discussion in the council regarding the process of inheritance. There is a move to alter the rules so that females can become heirs."
Emy was surprised. Jade was not. Emy looked at her sister and Jade read her sister's thought, 'You knew?' Jade gave her a subtle nod. Jade decided to join in the explanation, "Grandfather wants the title on you."
Sardon wryly smiled, "It was not only him who wanted the rule to be changed to. A lot of the subclans were vying this rule to be abolished. The meeting of the Elders that will happen in a week's time will discuss this. So, me and your grandfather postulated that before the rules changed, which will probably happen, Arman made a move to eliminate both you and Rue."
Sardon took his palms and held Emy's cheeks, "most especially you since it is widely known that you have a powerful yet uncontrolled Kowadja and added to the fact that you are the granddaughter of the current clan head."
"I see." Emy muttered.
A silent pause was there in the room for at least half a minute until Emy decided to ask, "And this Dmitry? Who is he?"
"He is an ally."
"Grandfather seemed to completely trust him even if he is an ally" Emy commented. She felt Jade' hand on hers and as Emy looked at the owner of the hand she saw an unreadable expression on her. She tried to peek at her sister's thoughts, but as always, she cannot.
"He also has a gift and is exceptionally good at using it. Your grandfather believes that he can help you well to control your Kowadja. Your gifts are similar."
"How did grandfather meet this man?" unexpectedly Jade asked with a tone of suspicion. Jade asked to trigger an answer in her father's thoughts but just before she could read Sardon's mind, their father chuckled and raised his palms, "No need to read my thoughts, Jade. I will answer your question."
Emy, who was obviously more interested to know the man who saved her, bobbed her head forward to listen,
"He is the only living descendant of Selena, Godfrey's only daughter."