Genevieve

ChapterTwentyEight: Ardeon

"You truly are a bastard," Evie spitted out as her heart started to beat faster. Quickly looking around her to see if someone was staring at her.

Luckily they were hid in the mass of people walking down the streets that could have been taken from dreamworld.

Because she knew Ardeon. Had known ever since the day of her birth. Her mother was from there.

"Finally you see it too." He said with his usual tone that annoyed her more than anything. The smirk on his face made it even worse.

Evie shook her head trying to understand everything. Her mother was born here. Her mother had walked down the same streets, breathed the same air.

"Did you know?" She whispered.

"Know what?" His voice was serious.

"That my mother is from here?"

Chasen stared at her face taking in all of her features: the nose with a small hump, striking blue eyes and the carefully arched eyebrows over them. Evie watched as his attention focused on her hair and then on her petite frame.

"No, I didn't." He finally said.

Evie let out a relieved breath. She didn't remember a lot from her mother, most of what she knew about her were what her father had told her. She knew how their marriage had been arranged and how they didn't love each other.

"I have always wanted to visit Ardeon," she admitted as a man walking past them accidentally pushed her to the side.

"Watch it," Chasen growled at him as he turned to see if she was fine. Evie could feel butteflies in her tummy as she saw his expression.

"Why haven't you then?" He added.

"I think you know the answer to that," she crossed her arms over her chest. "The overprotective papa and all." Ever since she had learned that her mother was from here she had wanted to visit it. She knew it was silly of her because no matter what she would do, her mother wouldn't come back to her, to papa.

Her mother was dead.

As dead as the stome she just kicked on the sidewalk.

"Your mother didn't ever bring you here?"

"No."

Her father had never mentioned much of her mother's origins. It was a topic he rather didn't talk about. Apparently Evie's grandparents families had never gotten along after her mother's death. Their arranger marriage had been an effort to mende the feuds but it had ended terribly.

"Do you want to see your family?" He asked analyzing her features.

A child who was dressed in the most green outfit she had ever seen ran and almost fell to the ground next to them. "Ethan!" A woman, who must have been his nanny, ran after the child trying to catch him but failed when the kid started to run faster.

"I am not sure." She wasn't.

The woman running after the child accidentally hit Evie making her stumble towards Chasen. As her head hit his chest her put his arms around her waist, keeping her safe from the others.

"You are in luck then."

Evie furrowed her brows. She could have sworn that Chasen was able to hear her heart that kept beating faster and faster as she was still in his arms.

"You will see," he smirked at her. Evie settled to only roll her eyes as an answer.

***

Ardeon was one of the largest cities. The stories around its founding were uncertain but all of them agreed on how it was the greatest. It didn't matter if the town was the result of sheperds ancient bet or that the greatest families of the society decided to make Ardeon the heart of it.