Crowns And Swords

Chapter Twelve

"You're home..."

Sebastian, Liam, and Elijah all are beaming with excitement in their eyes. One by one, they all come running up the stairs; I jog down to meet them halfway. I feel each of their warm, genuine embraces when we hug.
"Giada, you're home... you're really, really home..." I can hear Elijah squeak out through his sobbing.
"Yeah, I guess I am home."
They each let me go. Elijah and Sebastian both wipe their tears away, but Liam stays still and quiet. He seems more concerned than happy, now that he's been given enough time to think.
"Where have you been all this time? You left all of us practically for dead, you know," Liam exclaims.
"Don't listen to him, he's exaggerating..." Sebastian explains. "I honestly didn't think you'd come back."
I laugh nervously. "I, uh... well, I had to come back eventually... took me long enough, haha.."
I feel a hand placed on the back of my shoulder; I turn my head and see Levi with a smile on his face. "These your brothers?" I nod.
Levi brushes softly against me and introduces himself to my brothers, bowing low.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance at last, Your Majesties," he says.
Elijah approaches Levi as he's about to stand up straight and touches his ears. "Woah.... they're so soft..."
Liam comes up and hesitantly touches them as well. I notice Levi trying to hold back any temptations to giggle as he stays still.
"I... I take it that you like them..?" He says, playfully. Both of my brothers agree with his statement. I laugh a bit as Sebastian steps close.
"You have them too, the ears... who did this to you?" He asks worryingly, reaching up to touch my navy blue cat ears.
"Some crazy wizard... It's a long story. I don't know if- er, when it'll wear off..." I say. As Sebastian starts rubbing them, my feline instincts kick in and I start purring. My brothers begin to giggle while I'm covering my mouth, waiting for this ridiculous noise to stop.
Levi stands back up and shows off his usual charming smile. "We were both cursed. But, that hasn't stopped us from loving one another, isn't that right..?" He ends his question looking in my direction.
"Not now... especially in front of them."
"Right, right."
Sebastian looks at Levi quizzically before grabbing my hand. "Come, I have something important to talk to you about."
As my twin whisks me away down the stairs, the rest of my crew begins introducing themselves to my younger brothers. I can hear their laughter as I head down the north wing.

Sebastian takes me to my mother's chamber, where she laid in bed alone.
"Mother, I have a little surprise for you," says Sebastian, letting go of my hand and rubbing my mother's back gently.
"Hmm...? What is it?" She groans quietly, sitting up. Mother rubs her eyes and blinks; I wave at her.
"Hi, Mother..."
"By the good Lord himself... You're back..!" Mother exclaims. I come up to her bed and sit on the edge, giving her a hug.
"Well, why wouldn't I come back? This is my home..." I say. It feels weird to say those words.
"'Why wouldn't I-' Giada, I thought you were kidnapped darling... sold off the market..!" Mother says abruptly, coughing.
I look over at Sebastian on the other side of the bed. He looks back with almost the same look I had on my face: concerned with a little upset mixed in. I remember for a moment and look away.
Right, I must've forgotten... that was our plan from the start.
"Mother, she ran away. I didn't tell you the truth, I'm afraid..." Sebastian softly states.
Hesitantly, I add on. "I couldn't stand to be locked up here, alone ruling a ginormous kingdom. I knew that if you knew my plan, you'd drag me back here, and I didn't want that. I just wanted to be free."
"Free? Honey, you're free to do whatever you want in this castle, it's got everything you-"
"Free from the responsibilities, Mother. I was tired of being told what to do and who to be... I wanted to be free from that."
The room remained deadly quiet for a solid minute. Mother just stared at me like I grew a second head. Sebastian thought long and hard. I remained still, flicking the tip of my tail every now and then.
Mother inhaled some air to start talking, but she began to cough instead of speaking. I lean in closer to her, concerned. Sebastian sits down (finally) and leans in too.
"Honey, your mother is very, very ill," she says between coughs. "I'm afraid I can't take the role you were born for any longer. You're going to have to find a king and get crowned queen eventually."
I don't say a word, looking at Sebastian again.
"She's right, you know... I can't be king here. It's against the law, Giada. Besides, I want to explore too, get the chance to be the person I've wanted to be for all my life. You know how it is."
Embarrassing as it is, he's right. I can't just run away from it anymore. What kind of role model would I be if I just kept running..?
I change the subject. "The, uhm, the trip home was pretty exhausting. I'm going to bed. Rest well, you two," I say, standing up and leaving my poor mother and Sebastian. I quietly close the door of her chamber as I exit.