Burning chains

Ch 5: who's there

Anne's Pov

I was overjoyed at seeing my sister again that I ran over to her and hugged her tightly and nearly cried.

"Anne I was playing so much, everyone here is so friendly,and I made a new friend!" Her excitement was shown through her joyful expression and constant smiling.

"Emily is this your big sister?" A child's voice from behind me.

I turned around and saw a little that looked like Liam,she had the same blue eyes and blonde hair as Liam,she was short and thin and wearing a white dress,she was so cute.

"Hey there, what's your name?" I asked and gently patted her head.

"I'm Sammy, I'm Liam's niece" she smiled so brightly and looked proud.

Olivia gave a me a smile, silently saying that I could play with them for a few minutes.

I took Emily's and Sammy's hand and we run through the garden,I got to see so much of the garden,the different kinds of flowers and plants growing, twisting and turning magically like out of a fairy tale. After 10 minutes I take Emily and Sammy to Olivia and we head inside.

Olivia takes us into the dinning room, it's so big and fancy,and the table is longer than my old bed.

I see Arthur and Liam calmed down and laughing with each other.

"Remember when I was little and accidentally broke your mom's prized vace from the East continent,she was so angry at me that she made me wear a butler uniform everyday for a month and call her My lady?" Liam was laughing loudly,his expression was brighter than before.

"I remember,she was so sad making you do that but she wanted to teach you about the consequences of your actions...those were good times" Arthur gave a wide smile,he must miss his mother.

"Are you boys thinking about misbehaving again?" Olivia's tone was serious and she had a deadly look in her eyes.

"No ma'am!" Arthur and Liam shouted,they genuinely looked afraid of Olivia,I should get her to tell me how she does that.

"Good. Now little ones,go sit at the table while I fetch dinner", she ushered Emily and Sammy to the table and gave me a gentle smile," you my lady can go sit by Liam,I will borrow the prince for a bit," she sat me down next to Liam,and then she gave Arthur a firm grab on his shoulder and dragged him into the kitchen with her.

"So Anne,tell me more about yourself,I should know more about the woman that has Arthur desperate" Liam gave me a gentle nudge.

"There's not much about me, I'm just a  normal girl with weird red hair from a village near the forest, it's not that much" I gave a stupid answer as I'm still pissed off about earlier and how he looked at me with hate.

"I meant what do you like,what do you hate,why haven't you tried to take your sister and run away" he was agitated and looked at me nervously.

"Well I enjoy reading and making flower crowns for Emily whenever she is sick,I hate arrogant pricks who can't understand a hopeless scenario " I spat with venom but careful not to let Emily and Sammy hear.

"So you basically hate people who are hopeful,or every generic Nobel or dragon" he sighed, "I like crafting, I'm a bit of a blacksmith and alchemist,I hate anyone that hurts my niece,and I'm 19 years old, if you're wondering " he chuckled to himself.

"So long have you...been a slave to Arthur" my question stroke a nerve as he gave me an annoyed look.

"I'm not his slave, I'm nobody's slave....but technically I'm property of the queen,she bought me when I was 6 years old and raised me,she never once treated me like a slave,she saw me like a son,so Arthur is pretty much my older brother,in a figurative sense" he laughed to himself but he was still annoyed,"I was 15 when she started her hibernation,and when I became 18....let me just shut up, it doesn't matter,all slaves past 18 went through what I did, I'm just lucky enough to come out living,not alive,but living " he gave me a grim look of sadness and pain.

"I didn't know that,you and Olivia hold Arthur's parents highly,I never knew that dragons could show compassion to another race" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.

"It's okay,me and Aunt Olivia have got it easy in a way, Arthur never got spend one century with his dad,and his mother went into hibernation 4 years ago, dragons hibernate for a minimum of 100 years, some sleep for a hundred centuries if they're feeling it,time means nothing to most of them" he patted my shoulder,"but Arthur isn't like most dragons, he has an understanding of how short life is for the other races,and that makes him more eager to live his eternal life to the fullest with no regrets" he looked at Emily and Sammy with tender love.

"So he's not an egotistical narcissist?" I looked at Liam, thinking that he must be a joking, please let him be joking.

"If he was he would have killed me long ago and my niece,so I can say with full confidence that my brother might be cold at times,he has a heart and cares a lot,but I don't need to tell you that, you'll find out for yourself "he gave me a gentle look and hugged me.

I said nothing and just accepted his hug... maybe life here won't be so bad. Maybe I can grow old here,watch Emily live a good life and have a family of her own, I'd even become an older sister figure to Sammy.

Liam let's me go and puts Sammy on his lap and cuddles her with hugs and loving words. I put Emily on my lap and do the same,my little sister needs all the love and care that she deserves.