"these are the times we will hold,
when our memories fade.
Cause' its all we know,
and its only change.
Sun sets on the old,
but we're nocturnal anyway,
and this is how we know.
it'll be ok,
These are the times we will hold."•May, 30th•
Robin, Perry and Bill were following the long corridors through the building on their last day after their exams and relishing in the freedom. The idea struck Perry that afternoon, that they should explore the archaic building before they left the next morning to go back to Minnesota.
"I'm so glad that's over." Robin let out a breath of air. She stepped behind Bill and linked her arms around his neck easily, "Piggy back ride?" She asked him hopefully in a childish voice. He sighed, but a grin gave away his fondness for her somewhat-random actions.
"Sure." She hoped onto his back and he grabbed her under her knees.
Perry laughed and shook his head, and asked, "What are doing for the summer then, Bill?"
He exhaled through his nose, "Not much. Family dinners and such. Actually guys, while we're talking about it. I wanted to invite you to the manor for my birthday." Perry fiddled with a tapestry's tassel absentmindedly.
"The manor?" Perry snorted derisively.
"What do you want me to call it? My crib?" Bill shot back.
"Never mind, what ever you call it. Perry and I would be happy to join you." Robin said as she kicked Perry lightly in the ribs from Bill's back.
"Yeah."
They continued walking for another couple of minutes, in a comfortable silence, until Perry interrupted it with, "What you guys get for question 6a in History-" He stopped mid-sentence when a portrait with an expensive frame caught his eye. Unlike the rest of the paintings of mostly grouped families, this one was a portrait of a young man wearing a smart suit. The intricate designs in the framework indicated to his high class.
"I dunno.' I'm pretty sure I failed that one."
Robin jumped down from Bill's back with little grace and walked over a suit of armour. She stood in front of it in awe. It was hard to believe anyone could be so tall; The suit of metal and chain-mail was almost a whole meter taller than her.
"That question?" She asked surprised.
"No. That subject." Bill said in a dead tone.
"-Jesus fuck, that's me." Perry exclaimed.
"Well done, Perry. You're self-aware." Robin replied not looking away from a full body suit of armour standing in front of her. Bill turned around at Perry's words.
"Woah." Bill said shocked. Robin turned then, too.
The trio stood around the painting confused. The gentleman in the picture looked oddly similar. Perry was right, he did look something akin to him. He had the same jaw and eyes. They were freaky similar.
"Maybe he's a vampire and is secretly hundreds of years old, posing as my twin brother. Perry, are you a vampire?" Robin said with a smile on her face. She laughed heartily at his expense when he shot her a dirty look.
"It's probably just a coincidence, guys." Bill spoke, but didn't move from his standing position as he looked closely at the painting and the title below it.
"Here look. James Dar Daden." He crossed his arms and tapped his index finger on his bottom lip as a habit.
"What?!" Robin's head snapped around frantically, looking for the place where it said his name. Bill pointed to the carved gold-plated name plate nailed into the wall beneath it. Robin kneeled on the ground an and read it clearly in her head. Thoughts rushed around her head in a flurry of panic.
"Isn't that mom's maiden name?" Perry said out loud, with a look of perplexity on his face.
Bills eyebrows rose into his hairline and his eyes widened comically. "What the fuck?" He said ineloquently.
"Yeah." Robin whispered as she stood again. Her jaw had dropped and she stared at the painting again in a new light.
YOU ARE READING
Of Kings and Queens
Teen FictionAvarice Academy is one of the best, most prestigious and most expensive schools in the entire world- And when Robin and her twin brother Peregrine are offered scholarships, they can't wait to get on the plane and rush off to Ireland to start. Though...