Maia

7

Word Count: 1230

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MAIA'S POV

Rāwiri turned his head abruptly as the door leading to the kitchen swung open. I followed his gaze, observing three women carrying two trays each as they entered the room. With graceful movements, they circled the table, placing the dishes before us and lifting the dome lids to unveil steaming plates of pasta.

The delicious aroma of the pasta made my stomach growl, and I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. I glanced down, hoping my brothers hadn't noticed. Surprisingly, they didn't comment, which I was grateful for. Just then, the woman walked out, and I could feel Rāwiri's piercing glare back on me.

As Giovanni started speaking, he noticed Rāwiri's behaviour and immediately said, "Knock it off, Rāwiri." I turned to look at Giovanni and saw him glaring at Rāwiri, clearly warning him to stop. As I glanced around the table, I realized that all the brothers had stopped what they were doing to pay attention. Alessandro also shot Rāwiri a look, and it was much more intimidating than Giovanni's.

I watched as he rolled his eyes in exasperation before exchanging a knowing glance with Lorenzo. The tension in the room was uncomfortable, sending shivers down my spine. "Shall we eat?" Wiremu interjected, attempting to shift the focus away from the unease in the room.

As Alessandro nodded in agreement with Wiremu, the boys wasted no time in picking up their cutlery and digging into their meal. Meanwhile, I sat there feeling uneasy, not knowing whether I was allowed to join them. It was a stark contrast to my experiences at home, where Jacob and Māmā wouldn't even let me sit at the table with them. Instead, I was expected to clean and cook for them, with little opportunity to eat.

"Is the food not good enough for the little princess?" Rāwiri taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he caught me staring at the others enjoying their meal.

Alessandro's fork dropped from his grasp and clattered onto the plate, the sharp noise commanding everyone's attention. Fixing his gaze on Rāwiri with a stern and almost menacing expression, Alessandro's voice sliced through the air, "Rāwiri, that's enough. Meet me in my office after dinner," the challenge unmistakable in his tone, daring Rāwiri to disobey his orders.

I shivered uncomfortably as Alessandro turned to me, gesturing for me to eat. His voice was almost soft, "Please, Maia, eat," as if he was trying to be gentle. I hesitated, not wanting to provoke him, especially after witnessing the intimidating way he spoke to Rāwiri. Slowly and reluctantly, I reached for the fork, twirling a small amount of pasta before carefully taking a bite and savouring the flavour.

A weighty silence filled the air, broken only by the clinking of cutlery against plates. I had about five small mouthfuls before a sense of fullness washed over me. Gently setting down my fork, I silently decided that I was finished. The others had already cleared their plates, and while no one remarked on my mostly untouched meal, I couldn't help but notice the exchanged glance between Giovanni and Wiremu.

After taking a sip of wine,  Alessandro turned towards me, "Maia, as you will now be under my care, there are certain rules that I need to discuss with you." I nervously bit down on the inside of my cheek, feeling the sharp sting of anxiety. Jacob imposed his own set of rules, rules that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't help but wonder, where was our father in all of this? Why am I under  Alessandro's care?

As I nodded slowly, I waited for him to continue listing the rules. "I believe that one of the most crucial rules is related to education. Our father had high expectations for all of us to excel academically and achieve top grades."

After a brief pause, he delivered his expectations. "I will expect the same level of commitment from you. If you ever find yourself behind and need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to one of us. We're here to support you and will provide the necessary resources, including tutoring and other academic aids, to better your education."

"Another rule I believe is highly important is respect. You will respect your brothers, and we will respect you back," Alessandro said.

"Rule number three is that there is a strict no drugs or alcohol policy in this household. You are not permitted to have any substances or drinks under my roof. If I or one of your brothers catches you with any of these, you will be punished accordingly," I shivered as he said 'punishment'.

"If you want to go to a party, you must have approval from Wiremu or me," he said sternly.

After a brief pause, he allowed me time to absorb the information. "Rule number four: Dress appropriately. I don't want to see you wearing anything revealing. You will change if I ask you to."

"And the final rule for now is curfew. Curfew is at 8 PM on school nights and 9 PM on weekends. If you wish to have a later curfew, you will ask me and I'll decide whether I'll grant you more time or not. If you leave the house, you must tell one of your brothers or me. We need to know where you are at all times and who you are with," Alessandro said, raising his eyebrow, and daring me to challenge him on his rules.

As I nodded in agreement with the rules, a sense of relief washed over me, knowing that they weren't nearly as severe as Jacob's rules. Alessandro nodded, proceeding to finish his wine. With a snap of his fingers, the maids reentered, quickly collecting the empty plates and transporting them back to the kitchen.

I looked over at them, unsure if I was supposed to follow. If I were back home with Māmā and Jacob, I would be doing all this myself. However, at that moment, I found myself rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do next.

As I observed my brothers, I noticed Alessandro stalking off with Rāwiri following closely behind him, while Lorenzo left the house. On the other hand, Giovanni and Wiremu chose to remain by my side. When Giovanni extended his hand to help me up, I took it and used his strength to slowly pull myself up.

"Want to watch a movie?" Wiremu said cheerfully. I slowly nodded. I haven't watched a movie in years, not since before Jacob. I followed the boys towards the media room. I sat down next to Gio as Wiremu grabbed the remote. He grabbed a few fluffy blankets and handed one to me. I smiled in return. He made his way over to the spare seat on the other side of me. The chairs were more like beds, big and comfy.

"Here, you can pick," Wiremu said as he handed over the remote. I slowly took it nervously, unsure of what to pick. I scrolled through for a while, not recognizing most of the films.

I looked at the film 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging', intrigued by the title. What does 'snogging' mean? I wondered. I looked at the boys, wondering if they were okay with this movie. They both smiled and nodded, encouraging me to play it. So I did.

I nestled into the warmth of the blanket, pulling it up to my neck, eagerly waiting for the movie to begin.