It was another Sávvatriâ in Vadina, the sun brilliantly smiled over the magical city, which implied that Zerx, the sun god was very happy with the land, at least that was what Amora was told during the history class.
The Daeva house and its occupants were getting ready for breakfast. Silver trays, bowls and cups could be seen floating in the air and Lady Olette behind them, directing each floating cutlery and bowl of food where to land. It was indeed a beautiful site to Amora.
"Help me awaken those flowers Bloom honey" Lady Olette instructed Bloom who was in the house too. Bloom had come in that morning to drag Amora to the scheduled meeting place they had agreed with Aquata and found that the family was just about to have breakfast and she thought herself to be lucky.
"Daeva house has fancier food than mine" she whispered to Amora as she touched the ceramic vase that held sleeping yellow flowers and with her touch, the flowers opened their beautiful face, revealing white petals, thus, Bloom's hair turned to streaks of white and yellow.
Lady Sereia was manipulating water from the nearby fountain into a ceramic jar that Amora thought to be the family's jug. Everything was set and ready to eat. Delicious aroma filled the entire dining area.
"It's breakfast time!" Lady Olette announced with a loud sing-song voice. Grandma Daeva was the first to arrive at the table, looking elegant in her silk white gown with hems embroidered with gold threads. Amora still wondered how this woman who looked like she was from the age range of fifty, a young looking fifty year old could possibly be her one hundred and thirty year old grand mother. There wasn't a strand of age on the woman's body, except her long locks of grey hair, the woman could pass for fifty with dyed hair.
" Good morning grandma" Amora and Bloom said in unison as the lady gracefully approached the table. Amora thought she was so graceful and she began to play some classical music in her head to match with her grandmother's movements.
" ah! good morning Ulanni, Bloom, please sit" the lady said as she sat. Bloom didn't wait to hear the words twice before she sat for breakfast. The others came in one after the other, with Linetta, Jesper and Evander running down the stairs, chanting " breakfast time". The last to arrive at the table was Lilith, all in her dark glory. Amora wondered if the girl was allergic to colors or she was this realm's Wednesday Addams.
After the beautiful breakfast, the cutleries began to float back to the kitchen under Olette's influence. Linetta followed her mother to help in the kitchen.
Lilith was just about to leave the house as usual, when Grandma Daeva stopped her.
"Ah ah! Lilith, do stay put, no one is leaving this house until Quintina arrives and everyone has their measurements taken for their outfits. My friend,Lady Vauna Asturias would be coming soon" she announced to everyone's hearing.
Lady Vauna Asturias was the matriarch of the Asturias emporium and since Grandma Daeva's name day celebration was coming up, Lady Asturias was coming to take measurements for new outfits for the family and Quintina was also coming to the family house from the other end of Vadina.
"Oh well! I guess I have to leave now, we'll see some other time Amora" Bloom said and headed for the door but was also stopped by Grandma Daeva.
"Come now Bloom, do stay, I'll have Lady Asturias take your measurements for three gowns" The older lady said with a smile.
"Oh the moon goddess!" Bloom couldn't believe her ears. "Three new ball gowns? Oh Grandma Daeva, how can I thank you?" Bloom fell at her feet and thanked the woman. Grandma Daeva helped her up and hugged her. "You are Ulanni's friend, you brought her to us. Any friend of Ulanni, is family, she is my grand daughter too" said Grandma Daeva who was still beaming with smiles. Amora thanked her grandmother with a hug.
They all sat, waiting patiently for Quintina to arrive. They all played some games to pass time, all except Lilith who just wanted to leave.
Meanwhile, Aquata had been waiting for Bloom and Amora for hours at their agreed spot and was getting tired, so she decided to go to the house and drag them out. She quickly left her water form and was wearing a silk red dress.
There was a sudden knock on the door and everyone began to smile thinking Quintina had arrived. The door flung open and revealed Aquata wearing a red dress. Bloom and Amora exchanged glances, the other members of the family stared at the girl.
"Who are you child? Are you lost?" Lady Sereia asked.
"Um, uh, she's my friend too" Amora quickly responded.
"Come in child, come come" Grandma Daeva ushered a dazed Aquata in.
Aquata looked around, from one face to another, she had never really seen the other members of the family so closely before.
"What is your name child? What is your family name? Where are you from?" Grandma Daeva asked all at once staring at Aquata whose beauty looked too ethereal.
"Greetings your ladyship" Aquata started with a curtsey which charmed Grandma Daeva and the rest, well, except Lilith who wasn't interested in what was happening and just busied herself with the lightening on her fingers.
"My name is Aquata your ladyship, and I uh, don't have a last name, I am an orphan" Aquata said and that got her pitiful looks. Amora and Bloom tried to hold their laughter in so badly, not wanting to ruin Aquata's charade.
"Oh dear child! I am so sorry to hear about that" Grandma Daeva was sounding so sympathetic now. "Who raised you?" The lady asked further.
"I was raised by nature your ladyship" Aquata said. "How old are you Aquata?" Easton asked a question for the first time since Aquata came in.
"I am only but a score and one" Aquata revealed.
"A score and one? That's twenty one! How can she be twenty one? She looks like she's my age" Amora whispered to Bloom.
"I doubt if you go to the learning halls" Ruslan added. "I don't want to go to the learning halls sir, I'm too old for that now, I would rather become an apprentice" Aquata casually said. Aquata was sitting now and chatting with the family like she knew them, while constantly winking at Bloom and Amora.
"Well, if you so desire to be an apprentice, I can talk to my friend, the Lady Asturias to take you in and you would learn from the best seamstress in the whole Mystia" Grandma Daeva offered.
"I would really love that but I'll have to refuse because I have no place to stay in Vadina" Aquata said.
"She already lives in the stream behind the house, she's a freaking water nymph" Amora whispered with laughter coated in her voice.
"That is not a problem at all child, you can stay here in this house" Grandma Daeva said. " She can stay in my room" Amora quickly offered.
"You see, we would be happy to have you here" Lady Olette said.
Aquata couldn't believe her ears, she thanked the woman and went to hug Amora and Bloom and whispered to them; " This is the best day of my life" .
Aquata talked about her life with the family and Sereia was pleased to hear that Aquata was a water elemental.
Soon enough, the emporium staff came by, with the Lady Asturias. Grandma Daeva and her friend exchanged pleasantries and Grandma Daeva brought up Aquata to the seamstress who immediately fell in love with Aquata and her charm.
The door blast open with a large gust of wind following continuously.
"Aither! Stop that now!" A voice came from behind all the wind and immediately the wind stopped and revealed a heavily pregnant lady with silky dark hair to her waist, spotless skin and a boy, about four to five years old, he had black and blue striped hair and an amazing smile.
"Grandma Daeva!" The boy shouted and ran with speed, pushing everything down and jumped on the Daeva matriarch with a hug.
"Oh! Quintina! Aither! My beloved grandson. Look how big you've grown" Grandma Daeva lifted the boy and gushed at him.
"Ilya Quintina!" Cascade ran to the pregnant woman and was about to give her a big hug but stopped as she noticed the big belly, giving her a side hug instead. The other children ran to her too. Amora quickly guessed that Ilya Quintina meant aunt Quintina and immediately walked to her.
"Ooh I missed you so much" Cascade said to Quintina who was now sitting.
"You've grown into a pretty young lady Cascade, very pretty" Quintina complimented the fifteen year old who laughed.
"Why is your stomach so big Ilya?" Jesper asked.
"Ah! Jesper, don't bother your Ilya now, you and Linetta, go find Aither" Grandma Daeva said. "How is the baby doing?" She asked her daughter.
"Oh! Olga says the baby is healthy and strong and might be an air elemental like Aither and my husband Anan. having Aither as an air elemental is already much work mother, he breaks everything when he is on a rave and he is always on a rave. I just want a sweet little girl like me" Quintina explained sounding very stressed.
"Come on now, don't talk like that Quintina, you know this is his raving stage as an air elemental, it will pass soon" Olette assured her as she offered her a cup of honeymead.
"When will Anan be here?" Ruslan asked his sister. "He is attending to some matters but he says he'll be here by nightfall" Quintina replied.
Lady Asturias assigned her workers to take everyone's measurements.
A shy blue pixie halfling named Peppa was assigned to take Amora and Bloom's measurements.
"Your gowns would be absolutely marvelous Bloom" Peppa said as she took the last measurements for the gown Bloom had chosen.
"Don't forget to add the rosen bloomers" Bloom said with a smile as Peppa drew the said gown down.
Peppa moved to Amora to take her measurements. " What gowns would you want Ulanni? anything unique to you?" Peppa asked.
"Well, yes it's kind of unusual. Its not entirely like the ball gowns you've been drawing" Amora said.
"I guess it's something from your other realm" Peppa said.
"Yes and I don't know if you'd be able to make it, since it's not really popular in this realm. I just wanted something different" Amora replied.
"As long as it's fabric, I think I can make anything" Peppa said quite confidently. "I just need to see how it looks like" she added.
Amora took Peppa's writing materials and began to draw. Peppa looked at the style in awe and when Aquata came in too, she thought the style to be the most elegant and different style she had ever seen. Peppa assured Bloom and Amora that their dresses would come out fine before leaving the trio.
"I like her, she seems very dedicated" Amora said.
"I can't believe I'll be an apprentice in the Asturias emporium" Aquata gushed.
The three girls talked and watched the others take their measurements.
"I want my gowns to be the most beautiful" Cascade told Lady Asturias as the woman was about to take her leave.
"And that it would be dear, I assure you" Lady Asturias replied and bid her dear friend goodbye.
The family dinner table had now extended to accommodate four new people; Aquata, Quintina , Aither and Quintina's husband, Anan. Bloom had already left for her house, happy with everything that had happened earlier.
" So, uh grandma, why did you pay for Bloom's gowns, and even let Aquata in. I am not saying it's a bad thing, but you know where I come from, the other realm, one has to be very careful with doing good" Amora said to the older lady after dinner.
"Oh poor thing! It is a joy to do good. My name day is in eight days and it is only appropriate to do more good as it attracts blessings from the gods" Grandma Daeva replied.
Just then, Aither came running in with airspeed again, crashing into things and not stopping.
"Aither! Stop now!" Quintina yelled at her raving son who was crashing a lot of things. The boy didn't stop and in fact was beginning to conjure a large gust of wind. Quintina hurriedly searched for something in her leather bag and brought out a clear marble and muttered some words into it and threw it on her running son which immediately trapped him.
Quintina hurriedly got up from her chair and walked to the trapped Aither and with a wave of her hand, she cast a spell on him.
"It's time to go to sleep! êliqram id soqnumis" she whispered and then the boy fell into her arms, snoring loudly and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Anan took the child from his wife and too him to the chamber.
"What a day!" Amora yawned as she hit the bed beside Aquata who was snoring away.
....................
The dark castle was darkest this night. Lucretia stared into a crystal ball without blinking.
"Mistress! Everything is set, we shall soon begin collection of the objects" one of the undead henchmen said as he opened the door.
"Very good!" She said as she dismissed him and burst into a loud hysterical laughter.