"You're the tramp, miss slutty. Stay away from Raven." Said the handsome stranger, as he pulled me behind him. I was stunned.
Who am I to experience the love from people of any sort? Even a stranger can warm my heart. What of my family? Standing behind him, I felt that everything would be ok as long as his around. His back gave off a feeling of reliance and safety, like all I had to do was to smile while he took care of all the hectic stuff.
Even though my legs were wobbly and tired, I didn't dare to complain. I couldn't really afford to distract him right now. After all, he was going against the feared three.
Yup, my older siblings, the first three that is, were called a feared trio. Alone, they didn't seem intimidating but together, I'm sure that even the ladies and lords of various houses would quake in their presence.
"Vivi, you're too soft. Even a common bug dares to look down on you." Taunted Rupert. Seriously? I thought he doesn't talk!!
"Heh, don't worry. I'm going to teach him a lesson he won't forget." Retorted Vivienne. The next scenes might be disturbing. Guidance is advised.
Vivienne pulled a wrinkly stick from god knows where and started speaking something like Latin. I know because grandma taught me Latin. But this was more of Greek mixed with age old languages.
Still distracted, I didn't notice the stranger's fingers moving faster than the speed of light. Next thing I know; bright lights were being thrown in places where I was also almost hit!!
What's going on here?!
I felt my view of the world get shattered. Powers? Super humans? Meta humans? What was going on? How come lights and what nots were being thrown around? Can I do that as well?
I watched as the handsome stranger had to fight off four, four of my siblings. Yes, even Aidan has these weird stuff like powers or whatever and this is so frustrating. The soldiers at the side, innocent as they were, were not spared the damage. Broken hands, blasted flesh, lingering jaws were everywhere due to the battle. I think an eyeball had fallen in my hair at some point. That didn't worry me though.
"How much were they keeping from me and why? Am I not a Hera?" I thought, having a slight mental breakdown.
The weight of the last question dawned on me at full weight and I realized just how serious it was. My momentary relapse made me unware of the world around me so much so that I was hit by one of the flying thingies.
For a moment, the world around me seemed to be thrown into a reverb as everything seemed to slow down and reverberate at a snail's pace.
I saw the different facial reactions on the faces of the people I had called family for the past few years of my life. Pecku had happiness, happy that I was hurt. Vivienne didn't even react, like I was beneath her. Rupert looked the other way, like I was nothing but trash. Aidan's face conveyed nothing but disdain.
In the midst of the chaos and thoughts, only the strangers worried expression calmed me, made me believe it was alright. Made believe that someone still cared. How lucky I am to still be loved!
.....
.....
.....
It has been weeks since that incident. I found out some things through Emma, my faithful loyal servant, (yes she became my personal maid). We had bonded over a pot of tea and ginger cake.
Turns out, in Asther, there are families of abilities. Dragon, werewolves, vampires, even hybrids, you name it. My family in particular has witching blood. Meaning they are white witches. The royal family is a mix as they have to get married to people of different abilities to keep the balance.
I also found out why the handsome stranger came to see me and why my other siblings hate me. The stranger (still don't know his name) was sent by my grandmother to "rescue" me from my family's clutches.
For the last year, I was not awake. Well, I wasn't awake, figuratively speaking. But it was because it was an induced coma. My own family, made me have a partial death, a partial death!! Sigh, what did I do to deserve this?
Anyway, my grandma, former Viscounts, Dana Viscera (she's my maternal grandma by the way) has been sending people to get me from my parents but they were adamant about letting me go until she sneaked in and found out what they were doing to me.
My mother and grandmother are black witches so, you get the enmity, right? Anyway, I don't understand at all. One, both my grandma and mother are black witches and father is a white witch, why did he marry her?
And Pecku's hate for me doesn't come from me being a witch. There's something else.
"My Lady you need to eat. You are malnourished and with this stress you won't mature properly. Please have a bite." Begged Emma. She was trying, really she was. But I couldn't bring myself to eat.
I stared out the window as another peculiar was turned away. I've been reading up on black witches and learning of their different abilities and how cooler we are than white witches.
Though we are cooler, we are far too few. Turns out, years and years and years (Yup, that's how long ago it was) ago, the white witches carried out a purge on black witches. They hunted every single last one and did away with them. Women, men and children. They killed whomever they didn't like. Only powerful witches like my grand ma could survive.
Dana, my grandma, is a renowned witch. Not for her powers (ok, partially because of this) but because she saved a lot of black witches during the purge. Even though they weren't too many, only about three hundred, these few pioneers managed to spread the community of the black witches to over a thousand.
Peculiars, unlike what people know and think, are actually creatures from the abyss. Fascinating, right? Black witches have an affinity with dark elements so they can easily summon creatures of the dark.
Grandma's peculiars were really, peculiar but I'm glad they are really trying to get me out of here. The stranger was the one whom I was most worried about. I wasn't allowed to see him or meet him. Not even was I allowed to ask about him!!
I really wanted to see him and thank him for trying to save me.
"Sigh, if only I could see him." I thought dejectedly. I really didn't like being a burden on people. Now, because of me, he is being tortured.
Staring on into space with nothing on my mind, a familiar glint glistened in the distance, seemingly calling out to me. I couldn't recognize it as my memory was but a haze from the past stuck in the present.
"My lady, please eat a little. Even if it's just a sip of...." Emma's words were cut off by Vivienne, Rupert and Pecku's barging in.
They sauntered in like they owned the place (which maybe they did considering how I was unwelcome in the place). They looked at me with disdain and prejudice? Maybe, I don't know but their gazes caused me to finally feel the last straw of sanity snap.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little peep squeak." Says Vivienne in a sing song voice. I hate her.
"What do you want, Lady Vivienne?" I asked, like I would care what she wants.
"Ho-ho, she talks." Cried Rupert. " I thought that her powers had gone haywire, causing her to lose her vocal cords. Impressive!" He added acting like I was a monkey who had learnt something and deserved an award. Do I look like one?
"Of course I can talk. Unlike those who are heavily fed and lowly taught, my intelligence surpasses those of my generation." I retorted, taking the chance to jab at Rupert's weakness, eating. As a noble, his appetite was one of who had been imprisoned and he was more openly than not looked down on because of it. Personally, I wouldn't mind the overeating.
Rupert seemed to want to blow his top as his face reddened and he sputtered incomprehensible words. An evil smirk adorned my slightly chapped lips as I felt the joy of bullying and getting payback
"So, this what it feels like to bully people?" I thought, exhilarated. Deciding to push it further and get some interest, I thought to continue taunting him.
"Please, do not show is how light of brain you are seeing as you cannot form a single coherent sentence. Please do escort yourselves out for I have therapy shortly and I wouldn't want to be disturbed during my treatment." I retorted, snorting.
They all shocked that I could retaliate, knowing how submissive I've always been. This is what happens when a person gets tired of all they see and they want change.
An evil chuckle erupted from somewhere in the room, causing goosebumps to sprout up all over my skin. I thought that it would be Pecku as he is the scariest of them all but when I turned my eyes to his position, it seemed as though he too was searching for the source of the disturbance, hand on the hilt of his sword.
They all looked around, searching for the perpetrator while I wondered why that cackle sounded familiar.
"Little slut, did you invite in a man?" Questioned Vivienne leaving me rather dumbfounded at her accusation. I was only nine for crying out loud!
"If you think we all lack obedience towards social enclosure such as yourself, then you really are as ignorant as dirt." Yes, I did just use those words on whom someone would dare to call related to me by blood. I'm no longer a sweet little girl.
A snicker was heard plus whispers that seemed to unsettle the trio. Taking a look around as Vivienne looked ready to pounce on me, Pecku turned to glare at me while dragging away both Vivienne and Rupert.
I stared on, wondering if I had successfully put down those beings. The sound of the door slamming and Emma's little squeals managed to bring me back to the present.
"Wow, my lady. Good for you. You finally stood up to those idiots." Said Emma, clearly all smiles before she throws her hand up and clumps it over her mouth.
"I'm so sorry, my lady! I didn't mean to...It's just that... they ... them."
Emma was spouting nonsense and her innocence tickled my fancy as I wished I still had the same.
"Don't worry. I won't rat you out. After all, you are my people." I said to reassured her. Otherwise, she would keep on fussing over everything eventually making her clumsy. Clapping resonated in the room shortly after Emma had calm down.
We both swerved our heads around, trying to find the source of the noise. Looking around at the empty room filled with the both of us and dead furniture, we were perturbed at the problematic ghost sounds we kept on hearing.
"Do you think it's a ghost, miss?" Whispered Emma, shaking from her side of the room. She stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. I found it rather funny that just a mere clapping sound would shake up the sixteen-year-old more than it shook me, a nine-year-old.
"She forgot us. Can you imagine?" Said a voice that sounded feminine from beside me. Emma's already large eyes bulged out of their sockets and I felt it rather comical that she can still make a funny face in this situation.
"It's to be expected as she has been a cabbage for the last two years." Came another voice, more masculine and deeper.
"Can you stop making a fuss already? She's frightened as is." Another voice sounded out and this one seemed familiar.
It was smooth and gentle, with authority but not dictatorship. It reminded of a certain elf like man. Wait, the elf like man.
"Guys, is that you?"