"That was the last gift from my father."
Lucian froze. His hands were clasped firmly in his lap. His heart ceased its pounding for a moment, leaving his head completely void of all sound.
"What is it?" He asked once his heart began to breathe again.
Serena sighed and rose from the couch. She motioned for Lucian to follow her down the stairs. The two approached the brown, black iron embellished chest in silence. Lucian kept his mouth firmly clamped shut for fear of angering Serena. She was already telling him about a painful part of her history.
She knelt before the chest and grasped the lock. Her fingers trembled as they clutched the cold metal. All heat from her fingertips escaped her, seeking refuge in the iron. The metal clanged as she dropped the lock against the decorative iron lining. She pressed her head against the chest and sighed.
Lucian pressed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"You okay?" He asked.
"No. Just need a minute." She waved dismissively. Lucian retracted his hand and waited.
Serena sucked in a deep breath and quickly undid the lock. Her shoulders shook as she lifted the heavy lid and leaned it against the wall.
The furs were still there, musty and full of dust. None had been removed since that night months ago. Lucian stepped forward and loomed over her. He examined the furs and furrowed his brows.
"What is this?" He gently nudged her with his knee.
She rose and turned around, blocking him from the chest.
"This is my family's history." She said definitively.
Lucian straightened and leaned around Serena's head to get a better look at the fur pelts before him. But as he moved, so did Serena.
"Now you know what's in the chest. We are done here."
Lucian gave her a confused glance.
"What are you talking about?" He pushed her to the side and took a step closer to the crate. "How are we done here? Tell me the story about these." He grabbed the topmost pelt and lifted it from the chest. It dangled helplessly in his hands. The released dust floated from the ground, coating the other furs in its grey haze.
Serena lunged for the pelt. Her fingers grazed its soft follicles as Lucian lifted it out of her reach. Serena collapsed into the chest, her face planting in the remaining pelts. She gritted her teeth and squeezed the rim of the rest. Her angry eyes met his, and immediately, Lucian released the hide. It dropped to the floor with a soft crumple.
Serena cradled it in her arms. The fur was her last memory and item from her father. It had become the most precious thing to her in that lonely cabin. Lucian turned and casually walked toward the door, swinging his legs as he went.
Serene kicked his knee, and immediately a shocked Lucian tumbled to the ground. Serena was on top of him with her forearm digging into the back of his neck. Lucian kicked and fought to grab ahold of her, but he had nothing he could grab. She was small enough to evade his constant attempts.
"What the hell!" He shouted into the cool, dirty floor.
Serena scoffed. Something broke inside her heart and mind. She no longer cared about being protected or being away from Atlas. She wanted the respect that she deserved. The respect that her father deserved as well.
"You bastard." She seethed, slamming her elbow into his side.
Lucian grunted, and a sharp pain rang through his ribs. His eyes watered some as the pain registered in his brain.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Serena was silent for a brief moment. Something else possessed her thoughts. Her body moved on its own, without any consideration for the repercussions.
Serena's heart thumped loudly in her ears, causing the room to sway. Everything around her blurred as her vision narrowed on Lucian's neck and head. She clenched her fists until they were bleached white.
Lucian hoisted himself from the floor, and Serena tumbled to the ground. Lucian sat on top of her and held her arms above her head. She wriggled and squirmed beneath him, grunting as she tried to pull herself from his grasp.
Lucian's face was tired. His eyes were soft and worried. He bit down on his lip and turned his head away.
"Serena. Stop." His voice was weak, pleading with her to calm down.
Serena thrashed a few more times and kicked Lucian. He pursed his lips together and closed his eyes, accepting the blows.
Serena faltered with a final kick and gave in to Lucian. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes and dripped onto the floor. Her lip trembled, and her hands shook.
Lucian released her and stepped back, giving her space and himself distance. She hugged her knees close to her chest and turned her head away.
"What's wrong?" He asked as Serena got ahold of herself.
"That was all I had left of my father." She whispered. "And you treated it like garbage."
Lucian opened his mouth to speak but not had no words. He had treated the pelts with disdain and contempt. He ignored how she had felt about opening the chest and revealing the contents. He had only cared about how he had felt.
"You're right. I'm sorry." He knelt in front of her and wrapped his hand around her wrist. She turned to him, her eyes watery. Immediately, his face softened. "I'm sorry for pushing you and asking more than I should have without any care about your feelings. But I deserve answers, Serena. You have kept things from me, and I can't trust you."
Serena frowned and pulled away from Lucian.
"I can't trust you. How do you expect anything from me when you give me nothing in return?"
Lucian sighed and rubbed his temples.
"I can't believe this." He scoffed. "I have been extremely open with you, especially after you treated me and saved my life from being frozen to death. I have given you everything I have to offer, except things I hold most private."
"Then that's the problem." Serena tore her gaze from his. "You ask too much and give too little."
Lucian sighed and sat cross-legged before her. His hands pressed firmly against his knees. His future was before him, uncertain as it was. He himself was the only thing blocking that future. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. This was something he needed to face.
"I'll tell you how I was kicked out of the Riverwood Clan."