Ceaser and the Lycan brothers were left in shock at what Crow had said. Genevia was his sister?
"You spent hours looking at the tapestry in your mother's room. Don't you remember that story? asked Genevia.
"You're the children..." Ceaser said thoughtfully.
They kept and shifted their attention to the moon and silently watched it silently. Two hours went by then they decided to go back inside. Ceaser was the last to go inside as he wanted to look at the moon for the last time. Crow had mentioned that the blue moon's power was visible during the day and his heart rate sped up in anticipation. He closed the door and made his way to the rooms down stairs. Clause had a strange plan for the house and he had placed the rooms below ground level because it was warmer than on the ground.
He looked at the painting just next to the stair case that Clause had made depicting the great war; the fight between humans, lycans and Crow in which Crow and the lycans fell. At least the lycans weren't completely extinct. The painting showed Crow in his creature form flying towards the observer like he was flying out of the painting, his grandfather on the ground looking up at Crow and a few human and lycan corpses around. The top part of the painting was blue while the bottom was red.
"If you like it so much, you should keep it." Clause said from behind Ceaser.
"Really? I can have it?"
"Yes of course. It will probably rot away here anyway." he said.
"I will. Just remind me to pack it tomorrow before we take off. Pleasant dreams."
"Same to you sire."
Ceaser walked down the stairs and found Crow waiting for him by his bedroom door. They went in together and sat on the single bed in the room.
"Where are you sleeping?" Ceaser asked.
"What do yo mean where will I sleep? Aren't I already in your room and on your bed?"
"I was just clarifying."
Crow rolled his eyes and sighed. He took the cloak off and sat naked on the bed. He got up and took some of Ceaser's clothes from the dresser and put them on. When he turned around, Ceaser was already asleep so he quietly went to the other side of the bed and lay down. He slowly drifted off to sleep; the first slumber in a century in his body.
In the morning, Ceaser was the last to wake up. The others were already outside and chatting away the morning. As he walked up the stairs, he realised the ground floor wasn't as cold anymore. When he walked out, his eyes marveled at the sight before him; it was summer. The air was warm and most of the men who had gone running were sweaty. His eyes locked with Crow and the latter smiled in a self praising way.
"Instead of running with only your shirt off you can now run completely naked. " Genevia said laughing.
"We should eat quickly if we want to be on time for your welcoming ceremony." Lucan stated bluntly.
"Do you always have to spoil the fun?" Benjamin complained.
"I have to make up for everyone's brainlessness." he answered.
Benjamin stuck out his tongue at Lucan in a childish manner and Lucan just stared at him as if he was disgusted. They sat down at the table where a new chair had been placed for Crow to sit in.
"I would have been touched by this if I had feelings so all I can say is thank you." Crow said in a bored manner.
"Then just don't say thank you and do something for us. Something lovely." Genevia said with a bright smile on her face.
"The fact that I addressed you as 'sister' doesn't make you special in the least. I only serve Ceaser and not you." he answered seriously.
The air felt dense as his words sank in and a deafening silence settled in. Ceaser looked at Crow with an accusing stare and he sighed. Crow turned to look at Genevia who looked like she was about to cry but was holding back her tears to save herself from further embarrassment. She was sitting at his left so he took her hand. She wanted to take it away from him but his tight grip didn't allow her to do so. He made something in her palm and let her go. She looked down at her hand and opened it and in her palm was a beautiful necklace. It was a long loop of small pink diamonds joined by even smaller red diamonds. She smiled and looked at her older brother. He looked serious but extended his arms to hug her. They embraced and after a few minutes Crow broke their hug and continued eating.
"The fish is lovely." Clause commented when everyone else fell silent.
"Indeed. She hasn't lost her touch." Crow said.
Genevia blushed and bowed her head slightly.
"Don't do that! You'll break your neck." Crow said straightening Genevia's neck.
The others, except Ceaser and Crow, laughed heartily. When they finished their meal, the cleaned the dishes and swept the house before leaving. This time the lycans were driving instead of the horses that had died years ago because of the weather conditions. They moved faster and in a few hours they had descended the mountain and were running through the forest. For the people inside it was and uncomfortable ride because of how the carriage flew through the air at times and as it speeded over rocks.
They took their first rest in the Forests of Wanderers that was believed to be the resting place of the woman by the lake, Crow's mother, after she had been burnt to death for practicing witchcraft. Crow wandered to the lake in the story and tried to fathom how he had survived the rapids of the lake all the way to the river that led him to Genevia's mother.
"What are you doing here?" Ceaser asked coming to stand next to Crow.
He didn't answer and just kept looking at the rushing water and listening to the sound of water hitting rock. They looked almost the same age as they stood side by side. They were of the same height; six feet. There eyes were completely different; Ceaser's blue and Crow's gray.
"Thinking." he answered after a momentary silence.
"about what?"
"How I survived the rapids."
Ceaser said nothing in response and sat down at the side of the lake. Crow joined him and sat a meter away from him.
"We have to leave soon." Ivan said from a distance.
He left after relaying the message. When they finally started off it was nearly noon. They moved quicker than before and they rested again in a village in Zeth.
*
*
"I heard the prince will be returning to Dreg soon and they will have a ball to welcome him home. Anyone who wishes to go is invited and I want to be there as well." said one maiden servant as she cleaned a window.
"I heard he was to be engaged to the princess years ago but it didn't go through. I wander what happened." said another maiden mopping the floor.
"He'll be passing through Zeth in two days time, I hear, so I plan to go and see him first hand when I am buying vegetables. Besides, the princess already lost her chance with him and now she is promised to prince Bezel."
Eve listened quietly to their chatter as they had failed to notice that she was there. She blended effortlessly with the white background so she couldn't blame them. She was wearing a white gown as usual and she sadly turned around and walked away from there. She wandered if they had been invited to welcome him and hoped her beloved aunt Terra had not forgotten about them.
She went to her mother's room and halted at the door when she heard her parents speaking in low voices.
"I don't want to go there. She's probably thinking of a way of getting back at us for the last time we spoke." whispered her mother.
"Let's just go and then we can see what she does when she discovers Eve is engaged. We'll take Bezel with us." Napoleon said loud enough for even the guards positioned at the door to hear.
Eve frowned but was a little happy because she would get to see Ceaser. Everyone was talking about his return especially the young maidens. A lot of princesses would be there as well. Would he even remember her name or her face? Eve left her mother's door no longer interested in what they were discussing. Her best friend, Elizabeth was going to come later in the evening and then they would go to Dreg together. Eve smiled to herself and skipped to her garden. She was going to turn fifteen on the day Ceaser's ball would be held and she thought of how they would dance together. She started dancing alone in the garden while Bezel watched her without her knowledge.