Little Star

Chapter Nineteen

Eyebrows on fleek.

Once again, if you've not read the whole Noblesse story, then don't read this chapter and the next unless you're prepared to get major spoilers.

Aramina's POV

When I opened my eyes again, I saw that I was still nestled in Rael oppa's arms. Rael oppa himself was asleep too with his head pressed back against the wall behind him, but the tear stains were still visible on his cheeks and his hold on me was pretty tight. Papa was still here too and was awake as well, though he was just staring at the floor with an empty gaze in his eyes and hadn't yet noticed that I'd woken up. I had never seen Papa look so lifeless before, at least not in person. However, according to him, he had been lifeless and distraught like this during one dark period of time in his life.

As in the time that my mother had been killed and I had been kidnapped.

The memory of that short conversation I'd had with Papa many months ago, which he'd ended very quickly, just gave me a bitter reminder of how Sir Rajak's death must be a repetition of history for him which made this whole situation much worse than it already was. This time round though, it was evident that Papa was somehow managing to keep up his calm facade and not cry in front of us. Back then, he didn't really have any reason to be strong except for the fact that he had to resume his duties of the Blerster clan leader and he eventually did that. Now, however, the ongoing battle with the Union was enough of a reason for him to stay strong. All of us were enough of a number of people for whom he had to stay strong.

I glanced up at Rael oppa, smiling slightly at how Rael oppa actually sounded way better than Sir Rael, and cuddled closer into his chest. Dad had told me to stay by his side, and that obviously meant that I had to be as strong for as him as Papa was being for all of us. He had suddenly become the Kertia clan leader right in the heat of most likely the biggest war of his life, and he needed us to maintain his own strength for everything that was about to happen in the future. Besides, he wasn't the only one who'd suddenly become the leader of his clan in the heat of most likely the biggest war of his life. The same had happened with Regis oppa when he somehow summoned the Landegre soul weapon by sheer force of will during his last battle and Sir Gejutel let it go to him without dying. As a result, it became clear that the position of the Landegre clan leader had also been passed on to Regis oppa, regardless of the fact that he hadn't actually had a full awakening yet since Sir Gejutel was still alive or that he hadn't had his coming-of-age ceremony either.

I yawned softly and tried to wriggle out of Rael oppa's arms without waking him up so I could stretch my arms, when I suddenly felt something clutched in my closed right hand and looked down at it. A gasp tumbled out of my lips when I saw that something was a necklace, and a very pretty one at that. Its chain comprised of a simple silver string but its blue pendant had the silver image of an elegant howling wolf carved into it. But I knew very well that this necklace wasn't mine. I had never even seen it before in my whole life.

"Aramina?"

I looked up to find Papa staring down at me or more specifically, staring down at the necklace in my hand, and I felt Rael oppa stir awake.

"Where did you get that?"

Papa asked slowly, cautiously, as he knelt down to be closer to me and now I could feel Rael oppa's gaze on me too.

"Hey, didn't that necklace belong to Madam Rowena? The one that she never wore but just kept on her dressing table all the time?"

He muttered and my eyes widened as I recalled that dream I'd seen in which I had finally met my mother on a brief visit to the land of those in eternal sleep.