Of Kings and Queens

Part II/11/Arduous Words/

•June, 20th•

"But— Are you sure?— And they didn't...?" A pregnant pause. The teenagers at the dinning table couldn't hear anything being said on either side for a couple of seconds.

"I fear it's starting sooner than we expected," Martin said very quietly.

"Right, I understand. Míle buíochas. Le meas, Pádraig." He finished and hung up. Seconds later he returned to the dinning room. He was completely oblivious to everyone's curious eyes as he sat himself back down to dinner.

Robin and Perry glanced at eachother silently. Bill's brows furrowed together in confusion, and he voiced all their thoughts, "Father, what was that about?"

His father's head snapped up. He opened his mouth but seemed to change his mind as he glanced at the twins. "Nothing, Bill." There was an unexpected steel undertone to the words of man who almost always had a witty comeback over the last day and a half.

Christina; Bill's mother, cleared her throat and changed the topic abruptly, "Dar Calzone, that's an odd name. Sounds European, to me. Are both of your parents American?" She asked.

The twins seemed to be having a private conversation through eye contact, and it only ended with Perry nodded at Robin as she replied, "Actually, are parents combined their last names as a compromise when we were born out of wedlock." They both waited for someone to make a snide remark on that statement, but when none came she continued, "My father was a Calzone and—"

Her voice cracked but before she could repeat herself Martin interrupted her, "Christina." His eyes wide.

"Are we missing something? Has this got something to do with what we found in the attic?— Bill?" Perry asked his friend in a confounded state.

All thoughts of finishing dinner were lost at this point.

"Mother, Father... there's something I need to tell you. Haven't you always told me of the First Descendant family who were destroyed when both daughters ran away? One to America, right?"

"You don't think?..." Christina responded disbelievingly.

"It's possible..." Martin added.

Martin stood up from the table and walked around the table to his right; over to Perry. "Follow me, son." He had a firm but not painful goals of Perry's shoulder.

"William, too. I need to show your friend something he should've known a long time ago." Bill got up and was about to follow his father, when he paused. He stood for a second, contemplating something. He voiced up, "What about Robin? Doesn't she deserve to know, too?"

His father turned to look at him, and he could see the battle in his eyes. All Descendant families were sexist, and he knew the only reason he was even considering it was because the off chance that the DarDaden family found out about the twins true heritage, they both knew they'd never be reinstated as royalty.

He had a choice, in those 20 seconds of silence. Treat a girl like he would treat a male heir of the most powerful Descendant, or Lose his son's respect.

"Join us, won't you Robin. This is just as much about you as it is about Peregrine's future." He said gently. Bill smiled at her and held out a hand for her while she stood from the table.

Her eyes widened and she walked after them, leaving a very smug looking Christina Braxton sitting at the table. Christina studiously watched her Bill around the girl, and she decided to herself; She would let her son be happy with whoever he wanted, even if it broke her families pure lineage.

•••

He lead them into a grand library and somewhat randomly grabbed a very old book from one of the bottom shelves of a ceiling to floor bookshelf. He flicked through the pages quickly, then regretted his actions when a gust of dust seeped out from between the pages and made him cough violently.

The three teenagers continued to stand together at the side of the circular room; Perry trying to sneak a look at the book in Mr. Braxton's hands, Robin looking around the room examining the beautiful mahogany furniture that littered the room, and Bill, who just stared at both of his aforementioned friends' faces.

After five minutes Mr. Brixton seemed to find what he was looking for and turned the book to face to their curious eyes. It was an old page; yellow from age, and marks from fingers, but still readable. A map of Ireland it seemed to be, but unfamiliar to them. Instead of county lines, there was blots of different colours. And instead of roads, there was names of families. At the bottom, it read: 1947

"What are these colour deformities on the page, Mr. Brixton?" Perry asked.

"Well—" He pointed to a dark pink near where Waterford might have been, "This was your great grandfather's domain," He stated matter-of-factly. Both twins' eyebrows shot up nearly into their hairline.

"What?" They said in synchronisation.

--
Pronounced 'Mee-lah, buh-wee-ck-us' and 'Leh, Mah-s'