The twins looked adorable in their matching dresses.
Their silk shorts and those tunics with puffy long sleeves were a light shade of green. White ribbons had been tied into bows around their collars and their short black hair had been brushed back and tucked behind their ears to keep them from falling into their eyes. Pure emerald stones rested against their chests as beautiful brooches to adore their dresses.
They ran down the manor's hallway, hand in hand. Their short boots making soft clacking sounds on the white marble floor.
Woof! Woof!
From the end of the hallway, a large German shepherd barked. Excited at the sight of the twins. Tongue hanging out of its sturdy jaw, it sprinted towards them. It stomped its heavy paws across the polished floor, and skidded to a halt right in front of the children.
They giggled.
"Puffy!"
They hugged their friend. Their small frames were easily hidden among its golden fur. Puffy felt like a huge ball of cotton; soft and fluffy.
Woof!
It licked their cheeks, wordlessly expressing its happiness.
"Haha! It tickles, Puffy!"
Jeeha giggled, wiping the saliva off her chubby cheeks.
Woof!
It sat down on the floor beside their feet. A blue collar had been tied around the dog's neck, and Abed grabbed it, gently tugging on it to help himself get on Puffy's back.
"Jeeha, here!"
He extended his small hand for his younger sister to take. She looked at it, reluctant to mount.
She grabbed it, and got on the dog's back. She tightly grabbed the sides of Abed's shirt.
"I'll hate you if you let me fall, Abed!"
She hugged his back.
"I won't, Jeeha!"
He said over his shoulder.
"Do you promise?"
"Pinky promise."
The dog got up from the floor and a gasp escaped her lips. Abed grabbed her wrist.
"Here. I will hold your hand. Just don't cry."
He chuckled.
"I wasn't!"
She pouted. The dog started walking towards the large doors of the dining hall. Housemaids rushed in and out of the hall, trays of breakfast in their hands. Muffled sounds of the silverware being set up on the dining table erupted from behind the large doors.
The maids and butlers in the hallway would quickly step aside, making way for the twins and their mighty ride.
Woof!
Puffy barked proudly, holding its head high as it marched down the hallway.
"Oh, you two are here!"
Salina said just as she turned around her heals.
She, too, was dressed up for the day. Her white sundress reached past her knees, and it was adorned by large red flowers that had been meticulously sewn in the fabric. Around her waist, she had tied a green ribbon, it beautifully complimented the shining emerald stone in her necklace.
Her hair had been skillfully braided, gemstones adorned the turns of her long hair.
"Sister Salina!"
The dog laid down on its stomach, and Abed let go of Jeeha's hand. She jumped down from Puffy's back.
Salina walked towards them, each step of hers reflecting the gracefulness of a lady; from the perfect curve of her back to the slight stretch of her lips as she smiled softly at the little girl rushing towards her.
"Here! I got this for you!"
The little princess pulled something out of her pocket. She stood on her toes, and stretched out her hands in front of her.
It was a rose. Its soft, white petals beautifully swirled around its core.
"For me?"
Jeeha nodded, her short hair bouncing with her head.
"Thank you, Jeeha. Would you put it in my hair?"
Her face lit up.
"Can I? Can I?"
She hopped in her spot.
"Yes, little bunny."
Salina chuckled, and grabbed the sides of her dress. She tucked them neatly behind her knees, and knelt down on the floor. Jeeha brushed her hair with her hand, and then carefully placed the rose behind her ear.
"All done?"
She nodded.
"Yes! You look pretty!"
Jeeha clapped her small hands. Salina touched her cheek, rubbing her thumb gently across her soft skin.
"You look prettier, Jeeha."
"I do?"
"Yes."
"Hehe!"
Salina looked past Jeeha's shoulder at the boy standing beside Puffy. He had a cute pout on his face. She chuckled.
'How adorable~'
"You look pretty too, Abed!"
She said, and a pink shade spread across the prince's face.
He crossed his arms.
"I'm not a girl!"
He huffed.
"I can't be pretty, sister!"
Salina got up, and reached the flustered little boy.
"Then are you not pretty?"
"Huh? No, I am, but..."
Jeeha peeked at him from the side of Salina's waist.
She gave him a mischievous grin.
"So you are pretty? Hehe, Abed! You are pretty like a girl!"
His cheeks turned beet red.
"I said that I'm not!"
He stomped his little foot.
"I'm not a pretty girl. I'm handsome! Like papa!"
"Really? Abed thinks that I'm handsome? How great!"
Abed turned around upon hearing the familiar chuckles. His father stood behind them, holding Zoey in his arms. She was still in her nightgown and Salina frowned when Zoey coughed. She hid her mouth behind her pale hand, and tapped her father's hand, gesturing him to let her down.
"Hubert! Bring her shoes!"
The head butler was quick to oblige. He left his place beside the hall's doors to get the her shoes from her room upstairs.
Jeeha and Abed rushed to the Duke's sides, wide eyes looking up at their elder sister.
"Is sister Zoey feeling bad today?"
"Does she need bitter medicine?"
"Does it hurt badly?"
Zoey shook her head.
"I'm fine, Jeeha, Abed. I'm just cold because I walked around without my shoes. You should listen to sister Salina when she tells you to wear your shoes. Alright?"
They nodded eagerly and looked over their shoulders.
"We will always wear our shoes, sister Salina. Pinky promise."
They promised in unison.
Zoey coughed once again, and leaned into her father's chest, clenching the front of his shirt into her cold hand.
She closed her tired eyes, unhappy about the unexpected deterioration in her health.
There would be days when she would catch a cold, an unwelcomed guest that would come and go as it wished. She had no critical sickness, or at least that was what all the empire's physicians had told her parents.
She heard heavy footsteps approaching them from their right.
"Am I late?"
Mona asked, adjusting her sword in the leather belt that hugged her waist. The gold hilt of the blade rested low on her left hip bone. Unlike her elder sister, she was dressed in a pair of black pants and a cream colored shirt that had been neatly tucked into her pants. Over her shirt, she wore a brown leather vest, one of its three emerald buttons left open to reveal the white silk cravat tied around her neck. Her short black hair barely reached past her shoulders and had been parted sideways and tucked behind her ears.
"No, not as much as your sister Aria."
The Duchess was the one to answer, and Mona looked over shoulder at the arriving woman. She flexed her arm, offering her mother to take her elbow. The Duchess accepted, wrapping her arm around Mona's and resting her white gloved hand on her forearm.
"Good morning, mother!"
Mona smiled, and bowed her head for her mother to kiss.
The lady of the house looked elegant in her violet colored dress. Her hair rested in a low bun on her nape and her emerald earrings and bracelet matched those sharp green eyes of her. On her finger was a gold ring with a green gemstone, the heirloom of Haeyet dukedom
She had been gifted that by her mother-in-law when she had first entered the household 22 years ago.
"Everyone's here, I see," she said.
"Except for Aria, that is."
The family walked towards the dining hall, maids standing on either sides of the large doors, their heads down and hands clasped in front of them.
Duke saw the approaching head butler and gently tapped Zoey's cheek, waking her up from her short slumber. Hubert knelt down in front of him, and placed the fur slippers down on the floor.
Zoey coughed, and the Duchess let go of Mona's arm. She approached her husband and took off her glove to press the back of her hand against Zoey's forehead.
"No fever."
She whispered.
"As always," the Duke replied.
The Duchess bent over to pick the slippers from the floor.
"Please, let me do it, your grace."
But the Duchess rejected the butler's offer. She gently grabbed her daughter's cold ankles, and put on her slippers. She patted her head and kissed her cold temple.
"It will be alright, my love. Mama's here."
The Duchess had said the words that she would say every time that nasty cold returned to make her child restless. Though simple, those words were enough for Zoey to feel the love that was being showered upon her.
"Salina, did you wake Aria up?"
Salina nodded.
"Twice?"
"Yes, mother."
The duchess sighed.
"That girl. Sleeping till the sun's up in the sky. Why can't my eldest act more like a lady?"
"Now, Arbina, do not be so upset."
Duke Haeyet wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Aria's just a little free spirited. Besides, I adore her liveliness."
"Rayen, she is turning 20 this year. What would her in-laws think about her so called liveliness?"
"Still, let my children do whatever they wish to do. Let them have whatever they desire. That's the reason I'm here for, my dear, the reason I'm living this life."
Arbina pouted, well aware that she couldn't argue with her husband when it came to the wishes of their children.
"You are spoiling them."
Haeyet chuckled.
"Can I not?"
Hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, and they could tell to whom those belonged to.
Zoey peeked over her father's shoulder, and smiled when she saw sister Aria rushing towards them, not so gracefully.
Her green skirt fluttered around her legs as she hurriedly tied her long hair behind her neck. She twisted them into a low ponytail.
The emerald stone of her necklace bounced over her white silk blouse, as her heels went clacking down the hallway, and towards her waiting family.
"Lady Aria, please, wait. You are missing your earrings!"
Her maid, Becka, worried voice called for her, but she brushed her concern aside by a wave of her gloved hand.
"Becka! I have no time to waste on insignificant details!"
The twins giggled.
"Sister Aria's funny!"
Salina shook her head, sighing in defeat.
'I really should have poured cold water on her.'
Aria came to a halt beside Mona. She grabbed her elbow, slightly bent over and breathing heavily.
"Wait...Let me...catch my...breath."
Mona chuckled, and patted her back.
"You are in for an earful of scolding, sister."
She whispered to her. Aria looked up at her from behind her long eyelashes.
"Is it that bad?"
A nod.
"Unfortunately, yes. Even sister Salina looks mad."
She scrunched up her nose.
"Now that's really bad."
She stood up straight.
"Good luck, then."
Mona gave her back a slight push. Aria stumbled forth a little.
'This better get me mother's forgiveness.'
She stepped forward, and grabbed the sides of her skirt. Lifting it a little, she bend her knees and bowed her head.
"Greetings, mother and father. Please, do forgive my late arrival."
"Ahem!"
The Duke covered his mouth with his fist, hiding his grin. Aria was trying to evade Arbina's scolding.
He glanced at his wife, and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him.
He blinked, nodding his head as he gestured her to let the matter go.
"You really are spoiling them."
She whispered, but not without a smile on her lips.
"Yes, good morning, Aria."
Aria looked up, and her face began to glow. She smiled.
"You look stunning as always, mama." She grabbed her mother's hand to place a kiss on her knuckles. Arbina flicked the side of her head.
"Flattery is the only thing you are best at, you lazy soul!"
Aria chuckled.
"And it works every time, mama."