The Blitz (BEING REVISED)

Chapter Thirteen: The Blonde Family

As Twanette walked into the grand entryway, the eyes of four tall blonde men turned to her; she narrowed her eyes and scowled at them.

“Well look who came back,” sneered one of the darker blondes, his navy eyes glinting cruelly.

“Oh fuck off, Gaston,” snarled Alec. Adrian chuckled and Twanette watched as the two brothers approached one another, their hands on the hilts of their swords.

“Knock it off, all of you,” a medium built woman in a black dress glared at them all; though her chocolate brown eyes softened when they rested on Twanette. She looked back up at the men and their heads were bowed. “Imagine how your father would feel if he caught you all fighting when your sister finally came home.”

“Sorry ma’am…” Said a properly ashamed looking Gaston.

“Don’t apologize to me,” she snapped and he turned and looked at Twanette.

“Sorry sis,” he mumbled and Twixy nodded her head.

“Now you boys all get your arses up to your rooms and get ready for the funeral while I catch up with my favorite niece.” They nodded and hurried away as the woman turned to a nervous looking Twanette. "First thing we need to do is get you changed out of those awful clothes," remarked her aunt.

Twanette smiled shyly and nodded, as she regarded her aunt Eilith who had raised her since she was a baby. "Yes aunt Eilith."

Eilith tsked softly at her. "None of this formalness, I was your aunty before you left and I  expect you to still consider me your favorite aunt."

"But you’re my only aunt," giggled Twixy.

"And all the better for it, no competition," she winked as she led her niece up a grand staircase and down a hall of eight doors. “Now come on, let’s see if any of your old clothes still fit.”

The two made their way down several hallways and into the family wing of the castle. Eilith shoved on an oaken door and it creaked loudly in protest. She pushed again and stumbled inside the room as it suddenly gave way. Both she and Twixy coughed as years of dust floated up as they looked around Twanette’s old room. Her aunt marched over to her baby blue and white painted wardrobe. Eilith opened the doors and gazed at the ten year old sized clothing.

“None of this is going to fit,” stated her aunt as she looked back at Twixy who frowned.

“Well I can’t keep wearing these clothes. They aren’t even mine,” she said softly, caught up in grief for losing her father and leaving Dimitri and Axe behind. Her aunt reach out to pat her shoulder gently and then turned back to the clothing situation.

“Well, no time to grieve. Live in the present, your father always believed that. Speaking of your father, there is one set of clothing here you can possibly fit…” Twanette cocked her head to the side curiously.

“What?”

Her aunt pulled out a folded pair of traditional dance clothes from the bottom of the wardrobe. they were varying shades of sable, maroon, and orange. Threaded through the outfit were golden designs with sewn on coins.

“I guess if I must,” said Twixy softly.  She gently took the thick fabric into her hands and unfolded the clothes. Her aunt nodded and left her to get changed.

When Twixy finally came downstairs, she dashed through the hallways till she was safe in the empty kitchen. She shivered slightly from her exposed stomach and shoulders. Twixy wrapped her arms around herself and sat down with her back against one of the islands.

The sound of footsteps interrupted her reverie, she ducked her head down and stayed quiet.

“Some rogue just rode in with one of those lil’ pocket dragons,” said a deep male’s voice; his footsteps were heavier than his companions.

“Really?” A woman asked, her voice soft and lilting with common speech. “I thought those were only found in the Valhaen.” Twixy listened closely, hope filling her as the strangers talked on.

“Apparently two of the lords threw him in the dungeon, they said he was talkin’ all sorts of nasty about their sister or some’at.” The woman gasped at this and Twanette jumped to her feet, scaring the two.

“Do not talk that way about Dimitri!” She yelled before bolting from the kitchen and out into one of the many hallways. She raced down the stone steps to the lowest levels of the mountain castle. She ran past cell after cell and saw no sign of Dimitri or Axe. She whimpered in frustration and punched the slimy stone wall next to her.

“Ouch!” She yelped and cradled her now severely bruised hand to her chest. She walked slowly out of the dungeons and back up to the main levels of the castle. Twixy drifted around, not really seeing where she was going.

Twanette was stopped abruptly as she slammed her face into someone’s chest. “Oof,” she muttered whilst rubbing her nose, she looked up into the ocean blue eyes of her brother, Alec.

“Might want to watch where you’re going there, sis,” he said with an amused smile.

She ignored his playings and placed her hands urgently on his chest. “Dimitri, where is Dimitri?” She asked, her eyes wide with panic.

“Umm, Dimitri? You feeling okay sis’?”

“Dammit, the rogue you threw in the dungeon!” She slammed her fist against his chest, causing ice to freeze his shirt.

“Holy shit, Twanette, calm down! I haven’t thrown anyone in the dungeon!”

Her eyes slowly began to turn white. “Then where is he!” She screeched and he took a step back.

“I don’t know!” He flinched from her anger and tried to back up quickly before she froze him. She let loose a pained sounding screech and threw a glimmering ball of ice at him, the deadly spikes on its surface glimmering in the torchlight.

“Twixy, no!” Shouted a voice she had desperately wanted to hear. The sphere of magic dropped, bursting into a fine shimmering dust that coated the stone floor. Twanette stared at the powder, thinking she had imagined the voice. “I’m fine, Twixy. No one threw me in the dungeon, but you’re about to hurt someone you love; please turn around.”

She slowly turned to face him, her head still lowered. She heard his footsteps on the stones and then his warm fingers caressing her face gently. “You don’t hate me…?” She said softly, her voice trembling. He carefully forced her to look up at him, his hazel eyes locked onto her pale blue ones.

“I could never hate you, I have an addictive personality and you’re my drug.” Tears welled up in her eyes and he gently wiped them away with the pad of his thumb.

“I’m so sorry!” She collapsed into his chest and he wrapped his strong arms around her. Dimitri pressed his lips against her hair as she sobbed loudly. Twanette’s tears soaking his cream tunic. He rubbed her back and became slowly aware of the large group of her brothers staring at them. Dimitri looked up at them and raised a dark eyebrow, still holding Twixy against his chest protectively.

“Can I help you?” He asked them casually.

“Nope, we just wanted to let you know the funeral pyre will be lit soon,” stated Adrian as he and his brothers turned to leave. He paused and looked back at them. “And if you hurt her, I’ll gut you like a fish,” he smiled cheerily and caught up to his siblings. Dimitri rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Twanette.

---------------------------------------

Twanette is sooooooooooooo overdramatic. Like, yeesh!