'He has changed again...' A heavy sigh escaped Fria's lips. The juice placed in front of her rippled under the intrusion of her finger as she gently caressed its surface in circles.
Her shiny, steel surface, eyes peered past her vague reflection in the window and at the subdued grass rendered unmoving by nature's mute.
"Fria... you seem troubled?"
"He has changed again, huh?"
"Fria?"
"Eh?" Her finger pulled out, and her head turned to stare back.
"Master!" Her lips pulled in a bashful smile as she lowered her head, "I didn't notice you earlier."
"It's fine." The chair next to her pulled back and W. flumped down with a polite smile.
"How is the Duchess fairing?"
Fria's lips, about to bless the juice's surface, trembled. With a pa, the glass settled on the table again, the juice staining the table.
"It's been two days... she is... I guess... doing better?" Her expression squeezed together.
"Aw!" W.'s expression shook, lowering her head lightly, she whispered softly, staring at the shimmering liquid spreading out on the table, "I didn't mean to upset you... And certainly... what recovering would there be from a lost arm?"
Fria shuddered once more.
Suddenly, a rhythmic double-gaited sound echoed as Enix jogged down the stair.
Fria's head turned back, her expression brightening as she saw him. She hurried to her feet, a smile adoring her face.
"En–"
"Morning Fria!" Without looking, he left a greeting whilst bolting toward Mugam's room. His steps crisp and sharp.
'Unchanged... She is still unchanged.' A weary smile stretched on his face as he held the knob in his hand, his eyes closed as he relished in Fria's unchanging demeanour, 'Fria didn't really change or even felt affected much by mother... yes, she wept. She expressed anguish... but she didn't show anything I would call childlike.'
His grip on the handle tightened, his shaking pupils settled at the ceiling, and a chuckle escaped his lips, "Man... How I want to taste a lolipop."
The door slowly gave way to Enix and wearing a soft smile, he sauntered in.
"Morning, mother... Seeing that smile charms me into believing you are well." His lips parted, revealing his slightly yellowish teeth, and he embraced Mugam— leaning against the bed.
"Hahaha! Which mother wouldn't be well at seeing her son first thing in the morning? Hmm?"
Her warm hand gently ruffled his hair.
And as he felt her long fingers swim in his hair, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, 'If Fria were here... and started crying... she wouldn't be able to hug her would she?'
"Really? And here I believe I had interrupted my mother's breakfast." He backed off and smiled toward Claire, holding a bowl in her hand which she, upon nodding toward him, started to feed Mugam.
"It's quite fine, my day starts whenever I see you."
His eyes fell to the other side of the bed, and deep grooves dug into his forehead, "Father is..."
"Oh, he had to leave early." Mugam smiled and glanced behind him, "Did Fria not follow you?"
"She was outside."
"Did she have breakfast? She's been up before you, when Aukharam arrived, she told me you had slept late last night."
"And I was relishing at the fact Aukh could skip days too." He let loose an exasperated sigh.
Mugam giggled and gently gazed into his eyes, "Go freshen up, I bet Fria was waiting for you to have breakfast together today... Don't worry her too much, Enix, whatever happened to me was just an accident. Don't let it bother you... or you will bother me and Fria too."
His body jolted, and a wary smile cracked on his face, "I will... freshen up."
His steps echoed lightly. As he walked out, he could see Fria staring into a glass of juice despondently. Her chin pushing into the table.
As he was about to walk toward her, the main door slowly opened and Gruis started to stride in, his face masked in lines that Enix read as strange.
His ears perked up, and following the crunching, rustling sound, his eyes landed atop the newspaper squeezed in his hand.
"Y-Young master!" His feet paused, and his face troubled into a frown.
"You don't read newspaper, so..." His heart fluttered, and he nabbed it away from him with trembling hands, "Give it to me."
His fingers pinched into the thick paper. And his eyes rolled along the unfolding words.
"The missing Veench is found dead... his body was discovered charred to the point of being mistakable." The paper dropped from his hands, and his eyes glistened with a strange light.
But suddenly, the prickling in his pores settled. And the cold sensation in his feet withdrew, 'What am I reacting for? I already knew it...'
With a strange smirk, he raised his chin and stared at the Gruis's face lowered in shame, unable to be raised or gaze at him.
"Mother was... once known as the Scorching Sorcereress, correct, Gruis?"
"How—" His chin swayed up, and his eyes pierced into Enix's wry smirk. His hastening breath collided into his words and turned into an incohorent bruble.
"I..."
"It's fine, here." Enix returned the paper and walked toward Fria, " You seemed earlier to be in a hurry."
"Had your breakfast yet?"
Fria's eyes, shuffling between him and Gruis, quivered before falling atop Enix, "N-not yet."
"Then let's go." He smiled and walked off.
It was some time later, after the heavy silence had reigned past the breakfast, and Mugam's prescene failed to stir either child to speak up when W. decided to hold her lesson.
Mugam was, like she did, sitting under the shade. Watching the two with a soft, unfluttering smile.
"Alright, today, we get into real magic casting. Not just stimulating!" W. smiled and pointed toward the targets she had prepared beforehand, "I hope you are excited! Well... because I am!" She smiled sweetly, melting Enix's heart.
Her words beckoning excited cries from her two pupils.
"Let's do this." Fria grinned, 'Finally something worthwhile.'