History of Fictitious: Volume Three

Chapter 1

"Come along, Arabelle, we can't wait much longer," my mother says.

I place a red rose on my father's memorial and softly smile at her. She wraps a shawl around me and leads me out of the flower garden to where the rest of my siblings wait.

My father's death was unexpected. He was traveling with his men on his ship when a sudden storm came. It is fate's way of saying it hates our family because this was an irregular trip my father took with his men. He said he needed to experience the fishing frontlines again to humble himself.

Gill, the eldest in our family, believes fate hates him the most. He was supposed to gain control of the fishing business, but our three ships sank with our father, leaving our family with nothing. It also ruined Gill's engagement to the richest girl in town.

As a result of our misfortune, we are moving into Derwin's countryside. The cost of living there is cheap because most people say the ruins of Effa haunt it. For whatever reason, no one remembers anything about the Castle of Effa. We knew it was rebuilt, and Queen Vivian reigned for a time before the kingdom suddenly reverted to its ruined form. No one has claimed the land surrounding the castle because everyone is too frightened to live there.

My older sister, Jenessa, ushers me into our carriage. "Let's go, Arabelle! No more wasting time!"

Jenessa turns to Mia, her twin, who sobs like there's no tomorrow. "All our dresses and jewels! Why did we have to sell them all?" she asks.

Jenessa hugs Mia, "Yes, yes, I know. I'll miss them too!"

My three brothers push the two girls into the carriage roughly but teasingly, making me smile. Danny, the second youngest, sweetly helps our mother into the coach. Then he gets inside after her. Flint, the second oldest, rides up front with Gill. They drive the carriage off.

My sisters stare out the window with tears in their eyes. I'll miss our old home and my father most of all. But I think change is best, and the countryside will be a peaceful place to live for the time being. It will be different where we can learn new things, just like in books. I am tired of waiting around in a house with my sisters and looking pretty for every man who comes calling.

However, I don't point this out to my sisters. Instead of seeing it as a chance to start fresh, they will say I am happy that father died and that our lives were ruined. The simple fact is our lives aren't over.

Within a few hours, we reach our destination. I am the first to jump out, ignoring Jenessa's complaints. I stare at our new house. It is far better than I thought it would be. It has nicely painted green shutters and a cute little porch. Inside are five rooms: three bedrooms, a family room, and a kitchen with a table.

We have ample space for farming in the yard, and I see a perfect spot to grow flowers to honor my father. His spirit will be the soul of this new house and bring hope to all of us, including my sisters.

"Want to check out the town?" Danny asks me after we finish roaming our new property.

I know having a favorite sibling is wrong, but Danny wins by a long shot. He's the only one who takes me seriously. Flint and Gill team up when our family pairs off, and Jenessa and Mia go together. So, it has always been Danny and me. We never complain, being the youngest two. We are most like one another anyway. He enjoys writing, and I like reading, giving us plenty of topics to discuss. Recently, though, I've been trying to write some of my own works. He encourages me while Jenessa and Mia lift their noses at the idea.

"Sure, are the others going too?"

His grin is cat-like. "Yep. As soon as Jenessa and Mia saw the house, they headed straight into town. Mother followed them with Flint and Gill. They're probably buying some food."