"What is happening here?" Duke Garcia asked as he looked from the Anabelle who held a bloody dagger to the Estrela whose hand was bleeding.
"Oh, my Duke Julius!" Estrela cried out his name sweetly as she rushed into his arms hugging him as she hid her face from him smiling evilly at Anabelle. "S-she, att-attacked me w-with, t-the da-dagger. S-saying I t-took her husband aw-away from h-her!"
"No! That's a lie that's not what happened" The Duke frowned his eyebrows and sat Estrela on a chair that was kept on the balcony as he walked towards Anabelle who slowly backed away.
He held her up in the air with one hand at her throat while threateningly holding her near the balcony's railings.
His eyes were cold as he held her by the neck and Estrela quietly snickered.
"M-mother!" Crinoel screamed from below. He wanted to run upstairs but with the little breath Anabelle could wheeze she reprimanded him.
"Don't come up!" She warned knowing he'd be affected in the wrath of the Duke.
He disobediently still wanted to come upstairs but she warned him more strictly.
"Do not come upstairs" He stayed down obediently as he held the crying baby Mareeonel in his hands.
"Send this message to Lord Perluntan and let me receive a reply within ten minutes. He's currently at the imperial castle so I expect no delay. Ask him this as a direct message from me 'Lord Perluntan, would you rather want your daughter to live or fifty gold coins" The Duke commanded and after five minutes the messenger came back.
"He chose the fifty gold coins" The messenger said.
"There, you heard it" He held her neck tighter as she struggled to move free.
Crinoel dropped Mareeonel on the ground and was about race upstairs when, Anabelle with the little breath she had reprimanded him once again.
"Crinoel Julian Allen Elkim Garcia! Do not move an inch from where you are! And take care of your sister!" Those were his mother's last words to him and the world.
The Duke let go of her over the grand balcony and her body hit the ground hard with force and then her blooded splattered over the little boy and the baby sister he held in his hands.
His little small golden orbed eyes shook as he looked at his mother's body which was broken and covered in a red liquid.
It was hard to tell if it was the once beautiful lady with white hair and golden eyes, as her skull was broken just like her bent arms and legs.
The little boys legs shivered as he clutched his little sister close to his chest. His mother who was alive an hour ago, now laid on the ground, lifeless. With her body out of place.
….
….
….
….
The vision of his mother slowly faded as they reached the Garcia territory.
His mother's death marked the beginning of a new life for him. A life were he could never rely on anyone. Never trust anyone. And the only way he was able to survive, was by the death of those who appeared to be a threat.
He despised himself. He had the blood of the man who had the title of 'father' in his life. The blood of his father who he slayed mercilessly.
But that didn't bother him. It wouldn't bother him. He had grown used to the smell of blood which he felt would never go away from his hands.
He entered the mansion in a haggard state of mind which Harim noticed and recommended something.
"You just passed through the 'forbidden forest' were demons roam. Protecting yourself must have drained your energy and recalled some old memories, horrid memories. Even I felt nostalgia. I recommend a good drink" Harim said gently as he knew Crinoel had been lost in thought.
Throughout his life Crinoel had never relied on alcohol to relieve his worries. His worries were preferably handled with a sword going through someone's heart, and it was just midday. He had so many documents to go over and so many tasks to complete, but…
"Tell the butler to bring the strongest alcohol drink to my office before I finish changing. And all requests to see me should be denied unless it is of the most importance" Crinoel turned around and went up the stairs, into his dressing room where he changed without the aid of any servant.
He wore simple trousers which he usually used for training. A simple long sleeved white shirt.
He didn't care for arranging his disheveled hair and went through the secret passage to his office.
Papers laid untouched on his desk as he had been out all morning. Trivial matters were on the ground and the important ones were neatly arranged in a bundle.
The bottle of liquor he had requested from the butler rested on the table which was in the middle of the room where he sat down and talked private matters of top secrecy with important people.
The bottle cap was opened effortlessly before he heavily gulped down the contents of the bottle, some spilling on his shirt which looked like a blood stain as the liquid was red in color.
"Just great"
He drank the alcohol half way then sat on the couch beside the table which was in the middle of the room.
Though he had drank half of the bottle he wasn't at all feeling drowsy like someone who was drunk, so he continued drinking and eventually finished the substance in the bottle.
It was of no use as he was still alert and on high senses though it was probably one of the strongest alcohol in the continent as he had asked for something strong and things of the highest quality would always be given to the Duke of Garcia.
He stood up and walked to his desk considering doing paper work.
"Ugh" Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his head as his consciousness slightly wavered. Was the alcohol taking control?
His consciousness slipped as he felt his legs give out and he staggered back to the couch. He laid down holding his head as the alcohol displayed its effects.
Knock. Knock. He turned around to the knock on the door and felt surprised. How come he hadn't sensed someone approaching the door?
He had said no one should meet with him unless it was an urgent matter, that meant there was either something urgent happening or Harim hadn't relayed his command.
"Um, Duke, its me" A soft feminine voice reached his ears over the door and he knew who the person was as they were allowed to see him.
He took a moment to breath and pulled back his disheveled hair trying to regain his posture as the Duke and sat upright giving permission for the door to be opened "Come in"
The door was opened gently and the figure of a lady with verdant emerald eyes which shone brightly amidst the dark color scheme of the room.
Her titian hair pulled into a bun with strands of hair allowed to fall to the sides of her face. She wore a green gown which had baggy white sleeves with tips of jade lace at the wrists which complimented her eyes.
His eyes shook heavily as an effect of the alcohol and the lady noticed so she came closer and inquired about his health by touching his forehead.
"I'm fine" He said stubbornly removing her hand which touched his forehead.
"Oh My Guinea, you're heating up to the point I could use you as an oven! Let me get the butler or a doctor or something" The lady turned around about to exit but he panicked, thinking of what to call her but unexpectedly called her name.
"Erionella, wait!" His sight dizzied and made him hold his head which heated up.
Erionella turned around and spoke "But you need to see a doc-
"Please" His voice came out meekly and Erionella obeyed his plea and sat beside him on the couch. "I just drank some alcohol that's just a bit strong"
She squinted her eyes as she understood then raised her eyebrows in question "A bit strong?" She further went into thought and he saw her eyes recalling something before she spoke again "Since when do you drink? You see drinking as a pitiful way of removing worries and you've always hated it…
-Erionella bit her lip as she allowed her thoughts slip. It was weird for her to know about his drinking qualms but she had read the novel after all.
Quickly trying to cover up her slip of the tongue she asked gently "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Why should I tell you?" He said stubbornly.
"Because I'm your friend"
His golden eyes shook at the unexpected word. His heart suddenly felt warm as he looked at her and his eyes held softness it had never had. Friend? This word had no special meaning but why? Why did he feel so warm? Why did his tensed up nerves suddenly get relaxed.
He suddenly felt that he didn't need to carry his burdens alone, as long as there was the existence of the person he could call a 'friend'
"It's okay for you to relax. I'll listen to your problems" Erionella said with gentleness in her tone.
He felt a kind of happiness surge within his heart.
"Noel, I want you to live a happy life. A life were you will have someone to rely on"
The words of his mother echoed in his mind.
***
"See 5th throne! I knew I was right! That girl will destroy us all the more she continues changing the characters of the book!" In a room there were 9 people each on a gold throne. Three thrones were vacant.
The man who sat on the 1st throne was angry and shouted at the person on the 5th throne. Almost everyone was tense as they looked at a flower that had began to grow in a vase.
"We are the order of fate. You think a mere girl like her can threaten our existence?" But some people didn't lose confidence. The woman on the 8th throne spoke with smugness. "Even she can't go against us so you expect this Erionella to be a threath. Ha! What a joke!"
The 2nd throne spoke up "Do you still believe that? As long as the characters of the book change we will be destroye-
"Enough!" The man on the 5th throne who was their leader slammed his hand on the table and said angrily. "Have you all forgotten the prophecy made by Evelyn? If you have let me remind you; The first child of the 5th throne will kill the mage named Erionella.
I am the 5th throne and my son, who is my first child, is already there in that world. Very soon they'll meet and she'll surely die at his hands. So enough of this"
"But what if Erionella changes the plot of the novel before then?" The 1st throne was still worried and asked. "You know how rogue that son of yours is"
"It would be her own benefit for her to not change the plot of the novel. She'll only be gaining her anger" The 5th throne ended the matter there.
"Where is 10th throne anyways? Tsk, she's probably off in the human world protecting the book and trying to cure her disease. Such is the fate of a throne who lowers themself to the level of the Garcia and Landon family" A throne changed the subject.
"Yeah. What was her human name again? I think it was 'Estrela'..." Their conversation continued while their existence transcended time.