When Rome Falls

Chapter 1: Spring

"The Earth laughs in flowers" 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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A boy rested near a window, his body tucked tightly in the wooden ledge of the glass planes. His eyes looked out to the garden below while his fingers absentmindedly tapped a quiet staccato on the glass. Finally, getting bored with the silent stillness of his room, Winter jumped from the ledge and stretched his arms. He sighed at the pleasing crack from his back before walking towards and opening his door.

The mansion was unusually silent, quiet except for the clacking of Winter's shoes on the floor. The maids and butlers were all out doing their chores, mom and dad were out doing boring stuff that adults probably did.

It was to be expected; everyone else would be doing something productive instead of being holed up in their room all day like him. Leo was presumably outside, having a tea party with Mr. Snuggles and Tear Bear and doing surprisingly snooty waves of laughter that perfectly imitated Madam Jenkins from the tea shop across their house.

Winter didn't like that hag; she kept six naked mannequins on display in her shop. No one sane old woman would keep six naked mannequins in their shop.

Plus, she kept hinting at him to marrying her nephew, who thinks Winter is worse than scurvy, and Winter thinks that she's an entitled asshole so that match was never made to be.

So that leaves one person to fend off the ongoing boredom.

Aria, part-time best friend, part-time devil, and full-time aristocrat lived in a stupidly pretty mansion next door. (Winter had always had plans to steal that house from her) They met when Winter was six and threw a cricket on her face after she told him his hair looked like dirt. Through fate and chocolate chip cookies--they've been best friends ever since.

The guards didn't so much as glance at him as he strode through the golden gates, knowing full well that Winter was no trouble (unless one of them gives him alcohol again, but Winter thinks they learned their lesson after the Fiasco of Christmas Eve) He didn't bother knocking before barging in.

"MADAME, YOUR LORD AND GRACE HAS COME,"

Silence, before a loud and melodic voice, resounded around the marble walls.

"TELL THE GUARDS TO SEND HIM BACK," Aria yells.

Winter rolled his eyes before turning left and began to walk towards the garden, definitely tending to her darling plants. And oh and behold, there she was, looking fondly at a snapping dragon bud as if it were her child.

"Let me guess, you were bored and mummy and daddy weren't there to amuse you."

Winter sat down on the chair, taking a piece of bread from the table, "Must you think so little of me, Aria? Can I not visit you merely because I missed you?"

Aria turned around to give him a raised eyebrow.