TBATE - What if Tessia was the legacy ? - The legacy of it all

Keep calm and carry on

{Arthur Lewin}

Anxiously walking in circles in the main hall of the Hestla's manor while glancing at the great door, I didn't know what to expect.

Not only had I been warned of her presence for my birthday only a day prior, but also her motives were unclear, her means of getting here unknown, and the number and identity of people accompanying her were also a complete mystery.

And to add insult to injury, my parents and the Hestleas were convinced that I and Tessia had romantic feelings for each other, which, beyond the fact that we were both only nine years old, was completely impossible.

Despite my childish body, I had lived for almost 47 years, meaning that I was 5 times older than her. I am an adult, and she is a child; this possibility shouldn't even be raised.

Whatever either of them has planned, I will not fall for any trick, trap, scheme, or other machination of theirs. I must remain calm and act with my reason, disregarding my emotions and instincts.

What I have in front of me is a board game, and my win condition is to not end up in an embarrassing situation or otherwise validate my parent's or Tessia's ludicrous claims.

Stopping, I took a deep breath to calm myself before hearing a small giggle come from my right.

Glancing that way, I saw Elli's big toddler eyes locked on to me as she stood half hidden on the side of the large central staircase.

-I can see you, you know?" I said as I narrowed my eyes, causing her to giggle even more.

-Brother is all weird today!" She commented while staying hidden behind the stairs.

-It's because a very good friend of Arthur is coming today." Commented Mom in a sweet tone as she arrived from the hallway behind Elli wearing a brown and white dress that seemed to be a mix between formal and casual.

-My brother has friends?" Asked my baby sister in a genuine tone as she turned toward Mom.

Letting out a loud laugh, Mom struggled to answer Elli's innocent question as I kept my calm. I couldn't let anyone see any sign of weakness that could be used against me today. God knows what awful spot I would find myself in during lunch if I lost my composure now.

Knock knock*

Jerking my head toward the door, I took the initiative to open the door.

Also, I wasn't sure if it was the Twin Horns or Tessia; I had to make sure to keep those two groups as far away as possible for as long as possible to diminish the chances of them sharing intel about me.

Even if I knew that Tess wouldn't weaponize our past experiences, someone like Adam could prove to be very hard to handle if he found himself with any compromising story about me, especially since he is a moron.

Opening the door, I was immediately greeted by a loud "Happy birthday, Arthur!" from the entire twin horn party.

-Whoa, thanks everyone." I let out the best smile I could muster, as I used the fullest of my past experiences as King Grey to not let them see how stressed I was about all this. "Come to the garden; we have everything set up for you there." I added as I pulled the door wide open to let them in while pointing to the back of the manor.

If I could keep them over there with my parents while Tess stayed in the manor itself, I would hopefully delay their meeting and any problem resulting from it by at least an hour.

-Well, we have a small surprise first." Said Helen, who was standing at the front of the group with a soft smile as she pointed at Durden, who was standing at the very back.