"But I will admit that some part of me wants to believe that she`s somewhere else and not dead."
Jia watched her Papa wrestle with his feelings as he continued, "Logic and everything the world tells me that she`s dead but if she were gone, I`d feel empty and lost. But I wasn`t. I snapped back and took care of you because something told me that it wasn't over for us."
"I`m sorry Papa, I didn`t tell you that dream to hurt you." Jia whispered sadly.
Marcellus shook his head, "What I am trying to understand is why now? Why not those others years when you were growing up?"
"I…I have a theory about why now. I`m just not sure if it`s off true or not," Jia admitted.
"What is it?" Marcellus asked.
Jia sighed, "What was different about this year?"
Marcellus arched his brow down at her, "You went to school?"
"Exactly. I went to school, "Jia confirmed," I was exposed and the Emperor was released."
"So crazy to even consider, why are things happening now?"
"That, "Jia said with a frown, "I cannot answer, I was hoping you would."
Marcellus chuckled and shook his head, "Sorry child, I`m good but I`m not All-Knowing." He then leaned forward to kissed her forehead, "We`ll figure things out and we`ll get through it."
Jia hummed and leaned against her Papa. The Dance lasted till Midnight but Jia left the ball early, she needed to rest as she was due to visit her cousins the next day. However, before she left, she had to at least dance with her Uncles and some Elites. Roy`s Squad didn`t dance with her and some part of her felt disappointed. Another part of her felt relived.
The next morning, she was invited over to her Uncle Dalton`s house for Boxing Day Breakfast. Her Papa had stayed behind to deal with some business transactions but he had requested that she join him for lunch, citing that they would hosting guests.
Thirty minutes before lunch hour, a ship had landed before six boys disembarked and walked towards Castle Paravel. At the Castle Entrance, they were searched by some guards before they entered through the doors. Roy stayed behind to hear the instructions from the Guards while the others went passed the first pillar. However, they stopped at a Portrait of Jia.
"Wow! Doesn't she look great? "Mike asked the others as they scanned the portrait. In the portrait, their friend was dressed in a flowing white dress without her gloves and was smiling over her shoulder. However, her eyes were the wrong color. They were a bright shade of violet.
"What are you all looking at? "Roy asked when he finally caught up with them and watched as Dylan pointed at the portrait. "Oh, Aunt Marina`s Wedding Portrait."
The Knights spluttered and turned to their grey-eyed friend.
"That`s her mother?!" Chase exclaimed.
Roy grinned at them, "Shocking right? She`s a carbon copy of her mother, except for her eyes. She`s got her dad`s eyes and personality," He then slapped Mike`s shoulder," Come on, this way. We`ll be having lunch in the Green House."
The boys shook off their shock and followed him.
Roy was honestly nervous when he led his friends into Castle Paravel and through the Hallway. His friends didn't bother with small talk as they were taking in the wonder of Jia`s home. It didn`t surprise him when Cole wanted to take a selfie near the suits of armors, griffins, eagles and dragons that stood proudly in the Hallway.
"Jia lives here?" Chase asked as they managed to pull Cole away from the suits and they continued on.
"Yep, since the day she was born." Roy confirmed. Castle Paravel was Marcellus pride and joy as this was the home he had made for the woman he loved." Uncle Marcellus wanted to have Aunt Marina better protected whenever he was away on missions. No one can get in or out and the Castle has everything to accommodate Jia when she was growing up."
"Awesome," Cole whispered.
The Knights were surprised to see other portraits of Marina after the statues.
One was of her in a black armor standing in an arena of sort. She looked like she was twenty or twenty-one. Another portrait was of her as a child in a dress sitting in front of a fire place with her two siblings. There were two huge portraits before the garden doors. It was of Marina and Marcellus on their wedding day. He was dressed in his uniform and holding Marina inside a botanical garden. They were smiling at each other and not the painter. The final portrait was of her in a forest with a baby in her arms with Marcellus sitting behind her with his arms around his wife. One of his hands was reaching towards Jia. Marina was looking at the painter with a smile while Marcellus was looking at his wife.
"Wow," Dylan whispered in awe as they passed the last portrait. Jia looked so tiny but anyone could make out her shock of white hair.
When Roy pushed opened the doors to the Green house, the smell of flower and water assaulted them. It was bright but not hot. There were flowers of all kind onside there and crystal trees shimmered in the midday sun.
The sound of running water could be heard and even some bird cries.
"This place is amazing," Mike whispered to Tristan who nodded in agreement. When they finally reached Marcellus, he was sitting at a long table and reading through some papers. The table was already set up with sealed food trays and drinks for everyone. There were seats for all of them so they didn`t have to worry about space.
"Uncle Marcellus," Roy called out his greeting. Marcellus stood and shook his hand before greeting the other boys as well. He then had them introduce themselves to him as they took their seats. Once introductions were done, he had them open the sealed trays and serve their food.
"I`m sorry boys, Jia was supposed to be joining us but she`s running a little late." Marcellus apologized as he poured his soda into a goblet. All around the table, the boy reassured him that 'it was alright Commander.'
"Call me Marcellus, I`m not at the Main Castle so my title stays there," Marcellus corrected the boys.
"Maybe the twins kidnapped her?" Roy asked with a snicker as he cut into his chicken.
"Possible, highly possible," Marcellus agreed as he shared a laugh with Roy before turning to the Knights at his table," Dalton`s daughters have a habit of dragging their cousin away on adventures around their estate. Unfortunately, their adventures sometimes defy the laws of time so they forget that they have to be home in time for a meal."
"I understand, it's the same with my little brother Elijah," Mike said with a smile.
Marcellus nodded with a knowing grin, "Little kids are a joy. I was happy when Jia started to bond with her cousins especially considering the fact that she`s an only child. She learned to share and get along with others. So, how does she seem to you guys?"
"She`s interesting." Cole answered.
"She`s helpful and kind," Mike added.
"Full of crazy ideas," Dylan called out.
"And she has no fear or boundaries," Tristan exposed.
"Sorry about that, I taught her that, "Marcellus apologized as he ran a hand over his mouth.
"It`s okay, it`s kind of cool," Chase assured him.
"Though she looks like her mother, unfortunately,she inherited my personality, all action," Marcellus recounted," I didn`t think about how she would seem like to the teenagers outside. Just that she would safe here in these walls. It`s great to hear from others about how she`s doing."
Chase swallowed his food before speaking, "To be honest, we were curious about her home. I mean, she`s a girl that fights and has knowledge of weapons yet she`s a Lady of a Noble House."
"Her mother wanted a different upbringing for her and I agreed. In here, she could grow up the way Marina wanted her to grow. Speaking of, what do you think of our home?" Marcellus asked as he leaned back and waved his hands at the garden.
"This Castle is amazing," Tristan complimented him.
"Thank you, it wasn`t easy getting this place set up, believe me."
Roy smirked, "Uncle, the portrait of aunt Marina, they thought it was Jia."
Marcellus burst out laughing as the other boys scolded Roy for revealing their moment of mistaken identity.
"That`s happens a lot. The people who`ve met Jia think that it`s her but when they look closer and see then they realize that it's her mother. I love that."
"The portraits are very well-painted." Mike commented.
"Yes, Marina wanted to keep them in our bedroom but I refused. Why would I hide away the fact that that my wife was her, you know? I wanted the whole world to enter our home and see my wife and moments of her life. To see how I went from nothing to where I am now. Her portraits. This Castle and Green House." Marcellus said as he leaned back in his chair "I built this place from my love to protect her and her child. I was willing to go that far to protect the woman that I love and my child. As a father you try to protect your child and find the best outlet for her life."
"And you do Papa, I`ve never been happier to me than I am today," Jia said as the men all turned to see the white haired sorceress walking towards them with a smile.
"Are you boring them with sappy thoughts about me?" Jia said as she went over to her Papa.
All the men stood as she hugged her Papa before she took a seat at the other end of the table facing him. She nodded at Mike and Chase who were sitting on either side of her. She noted that one side of the table sat Chase Dylan and Roy while on the other side was Mike, Tristan and Cole. She then took off her lime green gloves and rubbed her hands before reached for a tray of chicken.
"Did you shrink the table Papa? It feels smaller?" Jia asked her papa as she served her food onto her plate.
"I had the servants bring in a smaller one," Marcellus replied nonchalantly.
"It`s a different table?" Dylan asked Jia directly.
"For sure, we usually have a bigger one for the entire family to eat at," Jia revealed. She ate her chicken as the boys exchanged glances as Roy sipped his drink.
"Good to know," Tristan mumbled.
Jia gestured at the garden, "Have you told them story of this castle yet?"
Marcellus shook his head at his daughter, "Not yet bolt, I was just gushing about your mother to the boys, besides, I don`t think they`d want to hear a story of romance."
"Technically, it's not all romance, you know. It`s both tragic and romantic. With a hint of action." Jia retorted.
Marcellus chuckled as he turned to his nephew, "Maybe you should tell them when you`re all alone. The story always makes me nostalgic and I don`t want my image of fearless commander shattered before your men."
Roy nodded at his Uncle who then smiled at the boys, "Now, who wants to hear about the time Jia and Roy got lost in the Forests of Egan and they met the Arcana Spiders?"
"Papa!" Jia exclaimed as she dropped her knife and fork as her cousin turned to plead with his uncle to stop.