𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔶-𝔱𝔴𝔬(**) (***)

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

age: 44

      In the last four years, I'd rarely left the Forest House. And never without Elio escorting me. My disdain for him had only grownn.

       Diana was still cold with me, while Gideon's overprotectiveness, though endearing, weighed on me with concern for his safety.

I walked down the corridors with Eris that afternoon, the pair of us speaking briefly.

       Eris and I, in our silent dance, skirted around the dark truth of his brother's violence, speaking of everything but the bruises that marred my skin.

       But I was beginning the realize he was the only one here with power that I trusted. Sure, I trusted Marzia, but she and I were in the same boat. Eris, on the other hand, was the eldest son of the High Lord and heir to the throne.

"Would you teach me to fight?" I asked. His surprise was evident, pausing to consider.

       Without my power, I had no advantage against him. I finally understood why my mother didn't want Rhys to rely on his magic. Without it, I had nothing.

      As a child, I'd always considered myself lucky that I didn't have to train. The boys would come home dirty, sweaty, covered in blood, and I'd be studying in a pretty dress with a ribbon in my hair, counting my blessings.

       I envied their strength now, wishing for the ability to defend myself against the cruelty I faced.

"I wish I could, but the risk..." He trailed off, the implications of such an act hanging heavily between us.

"I just hate being so defenseless," I admitted.

"I've been wanting to teach my mother to fight for years," he said to me. "I just want her to be able to stand up against him. But it's too risky. I'm sorry, Eve."

"It's fine," I mumbled.

A bloodcurdling scream shattered through the hall, shaking me from my self pity. Eris and I exchanged a glance before taking off in the direction of the sound.

We found Marzia in the throne room, her husband slamming her into the wall, nothing to protect her from the onslaught of hits.

Elio and Callum were both screaming at their father to stop as they tried to pull him off of their pregnant mother.

Two year old Arlo was crying in Foster's arms while he tried to calm him. Eris rushed to his brothers' sides, helping them get their father off of Marzia.

"You fucking whore!" Beron yelled at his wife.

"Father, enough!" Eris shouted, finally yanking him away.

"What's going on?" Foster demanded, still holding his crying baby brother.

"Ask your mother," Beron sneered, his sons still holding him back as Marzia sobbed on the floor, her hands clutching her belly. "She's the one who's been fucking the High Lord of Day."

The accusation Beron hurled at Marzia, of her infidelity with the High Lord of Day, hung thick in the air, fear and guilt reflected in her eyes.

"You're going to hurt the baby," Callum pointed out.

Beron seemed to remember himself at that. He stopped fighting back against his sons.

Before any of us could say a word, flames erupted right next to Marzia. She shrieked as the rest of us cried out, jumping back. She managed to get up and rush away from the fire before getting singed.