GOLD AND SILVER

Dinner...With a Murderer

"Ah, Lord Dracon." My father says with a smile. "Dinner is almost ready." Lord Dracon strides into the room, and I am taken aback by how much Jonah doesn't look like his father. While Jonah has chestnut colored curls, Lord Dracon has pin straight blonde hair; where Jonah has warm brown eyes, Lord Dracon has cold blue eyes.

"Excellent Chase. Have your reports been finished? I heard you found someone special." Lord Dracon says with an evil smile.

"Yes my Lord, the reports are finished." My father says through gritted teeth. Lord Dracon either doesn't notice or doesn't care about my father tone.

"Who is this special person you have found?"

"My daughter." Father says proudly.

"Ah, so this is the daughter you were telling me about? She has your eyes Chase." Lord Dracon says as his gaze lands on me. His eyes rove all over me, and I resist shivering. "Is she coming to the ball this weekend?" Father nods. "Good. When she is introduced into polite society, then you can see about getting her a match. Jonah has some friends that would like her." Jonah's fists shake as he glares at his father. I put my hand over his fist, and all of a sudden I am overcome with anger, and something else. I let go of Jonah's hand, and I don't feel anything.

"My lord, I wasn't planning on marrying her off. I just found her."

"Oh bother. She's beautiful. Like Maria." The name is dropped casually, but it is as if a bomb of tension went off.

"My lord. I assure you, Cassidy does not have powers or gold eyes." Father says tersely.

"She has the blood of two powerful families, you cannot blame me for wondering."

"Dinner is served." The butler says. I silently thank him for coming. We all sit down, and maids come around and pour drinks and place plates in front of us. After everyone starts eating, the talk turns to politics. I zone out until Lord Dracon addresses me.

"What do you think of the plans for the Gold and Silvers Cassidy?" I quickly swallow the bite in my mouth before speaking.

"It depends on the plans my lord."

"I plan on giving them an option, they can either submit to testing, or join the army." Lord Dracon raises an eyebrow, waiting for my reaction.

"I think that is an excellent idea my lord." I hate myself.

"Tell me, did you see strange things at the orphanage where you grew up?"

"The strangest thing that I saw my lord was the fish stew they served as a treat." Jonah snickers into his chicken and rice. Lord Dracon glares at Jonah before turning back to me.

"Whatever do you mean by that?"

"Well my lord, the last time that I checked, fish stew should not be gray."

"Indeed." Lord Dracon says with a look of slight approval. We eat the rest of the meal in silence until Father and Lord Dracon decide to go into the office to discuss reports. Jonah and I wander around the palace for a while. We end up in the theater, watching a news report over terrorist attacks in the northern part of Ataria. I sigh and flip the TV off.

"What's wrong?"

"Too depressing to watch." Jonah nods, and we decide to head back to my wing. When we get there, we see that his Lord Dracon has left. Father tells us to get ready to head to bed, so that is what I do. Some maids come into my room to get me dressed. I manage to brush them off, but then I'm lonely. I walk to a bookshelf, and randomly yank a book off. I am expecting a gilded cover, but instead I am holding a book that is barely holding together. I open the front cover, and see a name in it.

This book is property of Maria Escovera. My mother. My father has my mother's books. He really loved her. I shake my head, and open the book, but something falls out. It is a picture of my mother with her arms slung over the shoulder of two boys. I recognize my father, but the other boy gives me pause. With a start, I realize that the second boy is Lord Dracon. Both my father and Lord Dracon look at my mother with love in their eyes. Now it makes sense that there is much tension between my father and Lord Dracon. They both loved my mother, but my mother chose my father over Lord Dracon. I sit on my bed, and look at my mother. We have the same gold eyes. I fall asleep with the picture in my hand.