"H-Hey! You are cheating!"
A little girl's voice echoed in a beautiful garden.
It was a sunny day, a cool breeze blew in the garden.
The garden was filled with flowers of different colors and in the center of this garden was a large ornamented gazebo.
Inside the gazebo were a lot of children seated on the circular bench, but only in the center were two people facing each other.
One black-haired and grey-eyed girl who couldn't be more than six and a boy around her age as well, who had tangerine eyes.
Elona Falkrona was playing a guessing game against Loid Stormdila.
The game was simple.
One person hid a chosen number of pearls in his hand and the other one must guess the number. The guessing person has three chances and the hiding one could only hide until ten pearls. A simple childish game.
But a small problem occurred.
"Loid! You cheater! You had three pearls and dropped one on the ground.
"Oh? Really? Then look for it, Elona crybaby!"
Loid laughed as he imitated a crying girl twisting his body strangely.
Behind him a green-haired boy, Thomas Greenvern and a golden-blond-haired boy, Alfred, were laughing as well.
Elona clenched her tiny fists holding back her tears.
"I-I will find the proof!"
Elona crouched down and started looking for the pearl Loid had dropped stealthily.
But as she was looking, her back was unguarded…
"Ouch!"
Loid pushed Elona slightly and the latter fell on the ground dirtying her pink dress. She wasn't hurt but she was covered in dust.
"Waaaahhh!"
She couldn't hold back anymore and she cried.
Her cries were loud enough to attract the maids and guards around but they didn't know what to do. In the gazebo were children of great nobles…
"Elona!"
"!"
Elona, who was covering her face with her hands, looked up and saw the boy she loved the most in the world, more than her father.
"B-Big Brother!"
Elona stood up and jumped into Edward's arms.
"Brothaa waaaaaaaaa!"
Upon feeling her brother's warmth, Elona cried more.
"It's okay, I'm here…"
Edward patted his sister's head with one hand and her back with the other.
Taking a handkerchief out of his breast pocket, he wiped his sister's runny nose.
"A lady shouldn't cry, Elona."
Edward patted his sister's clothes, and arranged her hair.
"B-Brotha…"
Elona hugged her brother again.
She was scared after what happened and didn't want to leave her brother.
Edward patted his sister again before looking up.
His gentle smile vanished as if it never existed in the first place.
At the end of his gaze was an awkward Loid.
"S-She insulted me as a cheater! She deserved it!"
Loid stuttered like never before.
Edward shifted his glance toward the prince of his kingdom.
The latter didn't seem to care and was playing with Thomas at the same game.
"Let's leave Elona, I will ask for some sweets."
"R-Really?!"
"Yep!"
"You are the best brother!"
"And you are the best sister."
Edward grinned as he grasped his sister's hand and they left.
****
"Waaaaaaah!"
Elona cried.
It had been a long time since she cried that much.
In front of her was a glass case in which was a woman enclosed.
A woman she knew very well since she was her mother.
"Mamaaaa Aawahaahah!"
She hugged the arm of her brother tightly, ready to never leave it.
"B-Big brother…"
Elona glanced up at her brother as tears flowed endlessly from her eyes.
Her brother, Edward, was looking blankly at his mother.
She hugged Edward's arm tighter.
She didn't know why, but at that moment she was afraid of losing him as well. She continued to cry but that day she never left her brother's side.
****
Elona raised her teenage body from her bed.
She touched her cheeks. They were wet.
"I-I"
She hugged her knees and looked at the empty wall.
"W-What should I have done?"
No reply.
"T-Tell me brother…"
A low whimper left her mouth.