"Thank you, father! You kept it hidden from me."
Ryan knelt in front of his father. It was a surprise to him that sounded sweet.
"Rise, three of you worth it, use them well."
His son slid on his feet, he entirely forgot what had happened in the yard near the Rose bushes.
Elizabeth brought the daggers that were inside the carved steel sheaths.
"You bless us with these arts." She begged.
"Fine, then you promise to clean up yourself, your parents will arrive by the dawn, I'd dislike they see you this way."
"You mean, our father!" Elizabeth corrected her uncle.
The ten years old Luna bobbed her head. Her face looked as if a goblin wiggled inside the marsh.
Uncle Miguel grabbed the daggers, directing to them, he mentioned, "stand in a row, like the men of the kings, Luna, you first."
He rowed them by the age, Luna, Ryan, and Elizabeth who was the keenest amongst all.
"I, Miguel James call you by the name of Griffin tamers Kin. Here, you will get the honor of this title, a dagger made of rare steel that I brought from the Faeries land when I was young. You the light of darkness, Luna James take this title as a Queen of hearts."
He put down the first one in Luna's hand and she bowed, "I, Luna James, the daughter of the moon, I appreciate this honor. May gods bless us to use it against darkness."
She walked away but Ryan was already staring at her, spellbound by the speech that she just offered them perfectly. To him, everything about his cousin was perfect.
"Move, Ryan!"
He looked back at his father when Elizabeth poked him from the back.
He got his dagger, tending to hug his father but a strong forefinger stopped him by the forehead.
"Don't even attempt to touch me like this."
Ryan's eyes grew wide, his body remained still, he was acting like a silly panhandler that just achieved treasure.
"It is my turn."
Elizabeth's eyes were sparkling, if the dirt hadn't masked her face, you could say that her pale skin now was flourished like spring pink roses.
"You, Elizabeth James walk forward."
To her, it was as if a dream that found a way to reality, every noisy sound around her decreased, only the image of that glowing dagger when she saw him as a king with a crown on his head.
She expanded her palms and waited for him to chant the words for her glory.
"Elizabeth James, I call you the Queen of Night, your bravery will become a word that runs mouth to mouth, your glory will bring pride to our kin and your name will bring dread into the dark hearts of our enemies."
The heat and flames of the furnace changed as if stars and cheers in her perspective and she sensed the cold steel-made sheath kissing in her palms.
She rolled her head down, bowing to him, she strongly said, "I am carrying these words with my soul."
The shrieks of laughter brought her back to presence. She shot back glare to where their stepmother was standing. Why was she here always to ruin every joyful moment that she barely could earn?
She sensed her uncle's hand on her shoulder. Although he hated to touch the mud, he supported her from yanking back, a strong mountain that never could fall by a shiver.
"You arrived early father, we are surprised."
Luna abruptly chimed in before her sister could pick a fight with Elenore. The young lady with redhead was wearing dark glorious gowns that the gem beads only could buy a house for a villager, but it was dark exactly like her soul. She smirked at Luna, taking her nose with those leather-gloved fingers.
"Yes, daughter! Prepare yourself. We are going home before dark."
Their father was a slender man who wore a gray tailcoat. He held the umbrella down. His hat covered his forehead but his brown eyes were visible, not concealed by the shadow of edges. This was the most image of him that they always captured in their mind.
"But today was my mother's memorial day, you promised us a whole day, not only a few hours."
Elizabeth protested, almost shouting, wearing rage toward her father.
"Yes, darling! I am truly sorry but our business in the court ended faster than we expected."
"Look at you! We left only a few hours and you are so unlike yourself."
Elenore noted, tugging it a disgusted complexion, it made Elizabeth even more furious.
"This is the real me."
She squeezed the dagger in her hand.
Uncle Miguel found it hard for their father to convince them. He knelt, turning Elizabeth to himself by the shoulder.
"Listen the Queen of the night, you must go home. This time, you should spend this night with your father. You should not take this chance from him. See, the forest has gone savage, if a storm arrived unexpectedly, we wouldn't be able to lit up candles."
Elizabeth glanced out, the window's glass was hazy by the steam but she could hear the branches, the groaning woods that made it unsafe for all of them.
Her eyes averted to her uncle, "come with us if here is unsafe."
He manly smiled and shook his head.
"I must stay here, I am not only a smith man but also a woodcutter, no storm can harm me." She surged forward and hugged him.
"Thank you, cousin." Lucas James uttered before getting out of the smithery.
Uncle Miguel picked the small beast figure up and walked outside after his cousin, the lord of Greenwood.
Luna strode beside him. Her eyes were wandering around. Her uncle was speaking the truth, the storm was heavy.
"What is that?" Ryan pointed to a blackbird that fell from the sky.
He didn't wait for them to avoid him from approaching it. He ran into the rain while the rest were almost close to the fine carts and those guards on horses.
"Captain Black, check what Ryan found."
Lucas James ordered through the cart's window, seeing Luna running to her cousin. She wasn't a girl that could neglect and play in the mud.
Luna grabbed her mouth with two hands. She completely forgot that the wind and rain were lashing her from every side possible.
"Don't touch it."
Before Ryan's finger could touch it, Miguel alerted him. He put Elizabeth down. His eyes drew blank. He knelt near the bird, red ropes tied its claws. He scowled and wrinkles appeared in the middle of his eyebrows. It was a cursed crow.