Third P.O.V
Everyone bowed out of respect to the three royal siblings going down the steps. Once they reached the last step, a flock of women approached the vulnerable crown prince not before bowing in front of the twins. Violet giggled at the funny-looking woman that approached the big brother. Michael in turn just raised an eyebrow and led the twin to the table filled with food. But before they could reach the long table. Daughters from different households blocked their way.
"Good morning your highness. I am Vivianne of the Grinorian clan and these are my two beautiful daughters, Nilria and Harmia.", The three bowed in front of the siblings to which Michael nodded to and Violet smiled.
The sisters both asked multiple questions at once, all directed to the young prince, clearly ignoring the princess. Michael's eye twitched at the idea that these female beings are ignoring her sister on purpose. Violet noticed that the brother was uncomfortable and softly tightened her hold on his hand. Signaling and asking him if he was okay.
The twin smiled at the other's concern. "Princess, may we borrow your brother for a bit? We want to talk with him more if that's alright with you separating for a little while, or does the princess want to take the royal highness for herself?", baffled by the question. Multiple young ladies have gathered around, trying to take any reaction from the princess. This made Michael enraged from the inside but kept himself sane and quiet to not ruin the party. The event was held in order for his twin sister to find female friends and he would not dare cause a scene ruining her chances of finding one.
Violet looked at the little lady who asked her with a bright smiling face. "Oh but you see, my brother keeps pulling and tightening his wrap around my hand clearly showing his discomfort from your rude behavior and remarks by ignoring me and even behaving as if my brother is an object you can easily borrow.", Violet stated with a sweet smile on her face. All ladies murmured and whispered to themselves how the two sisters were rude and unbecoming as noble ladies.
From the distance, Paine who was listening in accidentally spat out his drink from how the baby sister handled the situation easily. His butler scurried over to give him a napkin to wipe his mouth and chin before the drink would stain his red suit. After wiping, he made his way over to the ladies surrounding his two younger siblings.
Paine's P.O.V
"Hello everyone. Welcome to my sister's first tea party commemorating her return to our esteemed society." I smiled widely at everyone which made the girls blush and stare at him with awe. Turning to look at the twins noticing a twitch in Michael's face who still had a cold look on while staring at the two sisters. I knew that look and yearned for the baby brother to also become a part of the family's business. He could kill the two easily and everyone here would only shrug it off but it would be better if he could keep the negative feelings in. This tea party would be his first patience test.
On the other hand, Violet doesn't really show anything in her facial features. More like she seems extremely calm and collected. Puzzled but still concerned, I softly patted their shoulders. "Now what seems to be the problem? Why does everyone seem so, Tense?" lowly growling the last word, I looked at the sisters who seemed frozen in place when they saw my eyes turn to a shade of red.
"It's nothing brother, they just wanted to talk more with brother Michael.", Violet sweetly voiced out. "Oh? Then why don't you join them for a bit of chat baby brother? One of these LUCKY girls may become your fiancée one day." Slowly tearing the two apart from one another and pushing Michael in front of the little girls.
"Yes, big brother.", Michael answered looking up at me with a menacing glint in his eyes.
I snapped my fingers and time seemed to stop for everyone except for Michael and I.
I kneeled in front of Michael and stared the little boy eye to eye. "Listen, this is your chance to practice and prove that whatever kind of insanity you have will be controlled. I know it's hard but we both know it will help Violet and our older brothers in the long run.", I held onto his shoulder tightly making Michael nod understanding what needed to be done. I could sense that he regained himself so I ruffled his hair annoying him.
Standing back up while Michael fixed his hair, I snapped my fingers again and time continued on. Michael looked at Violet then nodded before stepping forward to the girls who quickly surrounded the boy, desperate to have his attention now that I mentioned the word fiancée.
Smirking to myself, Violet looked up while holding my hand pulling me towards the table filled with food. "Why did you let him go to them?", she asked me while I carried her up so she can have a better view of the foods laid out and easily take her pick.
"Because he needs to practice patience." Violet pointed at a large strawberry dipped in chocolate which I picked up from the table and gave her. "Patience for what?", she asked while eating as I carried her over to where my grandmother and other elderly ladies were.
It'll be a much safer space for the little girl to be in than to be surrounded by this noble trash. "He needs to practice how to control his emotions or else this place will be ruined by blood." Violet just nodded as if understanding but clearly her attention was still on the strawberry she continued to finish. "Do you want to meet our grandmother?", I asked looking at her. "Grandmother?"
"Well, technically she's my granny from my mother's side but still grandmother nonetheless."; I answered hoping she'll say yes.
"Okay!", Violet happily agreed before squirming and asking me to put her back down on the ground. "Do you not want me to carry you anymore?", I playfully pouted making her giggle.
"It's not that! I just want to be on the ground so I can bow to her.", Violet looked around for her nanny who came rushing over to us with a wet napkin to wipe her chocolate-stained cheeks and fingers. After the nanny's done wiping Violet, her little hand reached up for my hand again to hold. It made me smile crazily and giddy inside of how cute my baby sister was.
On our way to the table, grandmother instantly saw us and excitedly waved us over signaling to hurry up. She laughed and smiled seeing Violet before opening her arms wide. "Come here baby and let grandma see how beautiful you are!", Violet hesitated a bit looking up at me. I smiled assuring her then let her hand go so she can approach the elderly lady.
Violet rushed over to her and hugged her tightly making some of the visitors gasp at the sight. Grandmother was also taken aback for a bit but hugged her back tightly while patting her hair. This was what opened our hearts to the matriarch and a clear definition that Violet was one of us.
The aura of emitted by the matriarch for us man-eaters was that of warmth and pure motherly love. It does not matter if she wasn't your real mother or anything of the sort, you will still feel this strong sense of comfort and love like that of a mother from her. A reason why no one from our kind can resist the matriarch's orders and will. My heart suddenly ached to know that Violet was void of any motherly affection, a reason why she seemed more attracted to her grandmother's aura.
I started sweating a little realizing what I had just done. Grandmother released her from the hug and sat properly with Violet now sitting on her lap. "How are you our baby?", she asked with a soft gentle voice as if luring a baby animal into its clutches.
"I'm okay grandmother, thank you." Violet smiled brightly up at grandmother. She couldn't help but stare at her with awe. "You look so big, grandma."
My jaw dropped to the floor along with the other elderly ladies at the table. Anyone who ever commented about grandmother's enormous height all ended up being cut with her scythe. "V-Violet! I'm sorry grandmother! She didn't mean to-", I was cut short by grandmother's loud laugh. "Do I really look big?", asked Violet placing her chin against her knuckles and tilting her head at the little girl who sat on her lap. "Yes! I look so small compared to grandma! I mean the only way I can even look at grandmas face is to lean my head back a little so I can look up at you from your lap!"
I slapped my forehead at her stupid courage. Yup, she's my little sister alright. Not afraid of anything at all. "Is it bad that grandma is big?", the grandmother asked with a curious voice. "No! I love that grandma is huge!", I am confident to say that I felt my heart stop for the second time in my whole life hearing what she just said.
"Why is that?", "Because that way, there is more of grandma that I can hug tightly!", Violet gleefully answered which made my grandmother smile. "You are just like your brothers. Always straightforward with their words but oh so pure that it can never break your heart."
I released a sigh of relief along with the other ladies at the table. After the exchange, Violet chatted more with their grandmother and the other elders before being called off by brother Jaime for her lunch.
Grandmother stood up from her seat and placed Violet's hat back on her head before waving goodbye to the little girl. She stood next to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Is there something you need to tell me?", I gulped at her question. "Well."
Third P.O.V
Jaime carried Violet over to her seat beside a tan young lady and across from her is her brother Tristan. "Violet this is Olly. She is a cousin from my mother's side." Tristan proudly showed off. "You're my uncle, not my cousin.", the little girl retorted making Tristan pout. "Hi, my name is Olly.", the little girl stretched out her hand to Violet for a handshake.
"I'm Vio-", Violet could not finish her introduction when she fell kneeling to the ground clutching her chest. Jaime and Tristan rushed over panicking not knowing what was happening. Tristan quickly instructed their attendants to discreetly call for the doctors in order to avoid causing any scene.
"Is she gonna be okay?", Olly asked kneeling beside Jaime who laid Violet down on the grass and raised her back making her sit up to help her breathe easier. "I don't know.", the man replied to the little girl who was almost in tears not knowing what to do. Tristan already took off trying to find a doctor and informing the other brothers. Olly heard her mother call and instinctively ran up to her and pulled her to assist Violet and Jaime.
The mother's eyes widened looking at the princess in pain. She immediately dropped her glass of juice and took off her gloves to help heal the little girl. "Who are you?", Jaime asked pulling Violet away as he saw the woman almost touch his little sister. "I am Olly's mom and Tristan's cousin is my husband. I need to touch her so I can heal her.", she explained. "Mommy's a healer!", Olly smacked Jaime's back defending her mother.
He hesitated for a bit before passing Violet into her arms. Olly's mother examined her closely. "She's hyperventilating and her veins are starting to pop from her skin. Her eyes are turning bloody red.", touching Violet's chest she spurted blood and her ears started to bleed. "Mommy!", Olly screamed going near her mother. "Don't come! Someone else is doing this to her! If you come here you'll be affected as well.", her hands started to glow a light color of blue and green but it did not stop Violet's erratic breathing, instead made her scream out loud in pain.
Before his baby sister screamed, Jaime's eyes turned golden and placed a barrier between them and the rest of the party. Blocking everything from coming in or out within the space. Violet let out more screams of bloody murder, her eyes started to bleed and blood dripped from the corners of her mouth before her body contorted to the side pushing back Olly's mother to the edge of the barrier. Olly screamed seeing her mother's fainted figure splattered with Violet's blood and her own staining the dress the mother wore.
"What do we do?", Olly looked up at Jaime with a tear-stained face. "I don't know.", he whispered now watching black mist start to surround her baby sister's body and her blood pooled on the grass. He was internally panicking already and has no idea what to do. Memories creeped back out and engulfed his mind.
Flashback - 2 millennia ago
Jaime's P.O.V
"Jaime! Do it!", John screamed at him from the distance while he was being carried by Tristan as they continue to run. Jaime looked in front of him seeing an encased cocoon made out of their brother's blood that he needed to destroy. Inside, you could hear someone screaming in pain, begging me to put an end to its life.
I raised my hands holding onto a burning sword ready to strike and destroy before the cocoon breaks letting out the monstrosity we have created. As soon as he was about to strike down his sword, a figure ran in front of him trying to protect the cocoon but ended up being cut along with it.
Present-
Third P.O.V
Olly screamed and smacked Jaime who collapsed on his knees staring at the baby sister with dead eyes whilst crying. Olly was confused as to what was going on and it scared her to see the princess's body be enveloped with a black tar-like substance.
"Olly.", she heard her mom whispered. Rushing over, she held her mother's hand and tried to heal her with her own gift. "Stay here mommy. I'll help her.", Olly kissed her mother's forehead. "No, don't go near her.", she whispered before closing her eyes.
Both adults are not in the right state and she can't do anything else because the barrier was still put up preventing others who are already panicking outside to come in. Running over to the princess' body, she placed her hands along her chest copying the mother's actions. Her gray eyes turned into a deep shade of blue and her body glowed brightly with a bluish hue. Her mind was filled with blood and guts spilling from everywhere. Olly cried out in horror trying to focus on healing Violet but the images that filled her head were too much to take in. Nevertheless, she continued to hold onto Violet and heal her.
Violet's screams instantly stopped after the barrier was broken by John who came running toward the two. Olly looked up and saw a man wearing a blood-red suit carrying her to where her mother rested. Closing her eyes, not before seeing his uncle Tristan punch Jaime in the face and the crown prince carry their baby sister.
Paine's P.O.V
I carried a passed-out little girl to where another woman laid down, calling out to Tristan's cousin who was frantically searching for his wife and daughter. I looked at the two and assured him that they were both fine.
Grandmother was at the distance watching everything unfold, her lips pursed together in a thin line indicating that she would need a detailed explanation as to what happened. I walked up to her waiting to be questioned or scolded but she placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed tightly. "Your brother is soaked in blood.", she whispered in my ear. "What?", I looked at my brothers who were present at the scene but none of them had bloodstains on them.
My eyes widened catching what my grandmother informed me. Michael's in trouble.