Peony

Chapter Three

Peony didn't hear any more voices after that. She stepped away from the door. Confusion and anger flooded through her. Tears stung her eyes as they dripped to the carpet.

Her parents were alive, and they left her. How could they? How could they leave their daughter for fifteen years? And now they wanted her to meet them?

No. She wouldn't meet them. If they truly loved her, they wouldn't have left her. She wanted nothing to do with them. But then again she did. She wanted to know the people that gave her life.

She was just too afraid of getting hurt.

The door to Iko's room opened. "Oh you're home." Her aunt smiled. "When did you get here?" Though the woman was hiding it well, Peony knew that she was secretly hoping she hadn't heard the conversation between Iko and her parents. "Why are you crying?"

"No reason. I'm fine." Peony lied, wiping the tears away with her sleeve.

Iko hugged her, "Well something must be wrong. What is it, dear?"

Peony sobbed, giving in easily, "I need to know who they are."

"Oh honey, I know." Her aunt cooed, rubbing her back. She wiped a tear away with her thumb, then stroked Peony's hair. "Why don't you get a snack and do your homework? It will give you some time to calm down...And then I'll tell you a little about your parents after dinner. Sound good?"

Peony wanted to call the woman out. She wanted to tell her that she knew her parents were alive. But she didn't. And she had no idea why. She nodded her head obediently, and walked into her room. She didn't want to eat anything, she hadn't had an appetite all day anyway.

She sat down at her desk and took out her portscreen. She turned it on and started doing her chemistry homework. If there was one subject she hated more than anything, it was chemistry.

An hour passed and she was done with all of her homework. She still had about half an hour until dinner was ready, so she crawled out on the fire escape, and started reading an article about the war, under the teacher's page. It was labeled The origins of Princess Selene.

PRINCESS SELENE WAS BORN INTO A FAMILY OF POWER, NEXT IN LINE FOR THE THRONE OF LUNA.

QUEEN CHANNARY'S-- SELENE'S MOTHER--SISTER LEVANA MURDERED THE QUEEN OUT OF SPITE, WANTING THE THRONE TO HERSELF. BUT PRINCESS SELENE STILL STOOD IN LEVANA'S WAY.

JEALOUS OF THE YOUNG PRINCESS'S POWER AND BEAUTY, LEVANA ORDERED GUARDS TO SET FIRE TO THE GIRL'S NURSERY. THE FIRE KILLED THE NURSEMAID AND BURNT OFF SELENE'S LEFT HAND AND LEG. LUCKILY, DR. TANNER, A LEADING RESEARCHER AT THE LUNAR PALACE, HAD SAVED THE CHILD AND STOWED HER AWAY ON AN EARTHEN SHIP.

THE SHIP WAS CAPTAINED BY MICHELLE BENOIT, WHO HOUSED THE UNCONSCIOUS PRINCESS FOR EIGHT YEARS ON HER FARM IN REIUX, FRANCE. DURING THAT TIME, MICHELLE BENOIT, DR. TANNER, AND THEIR PARTNER, LIHN GARAN, GAVE THE GIRL CYBERNETIC LIMBS AND EYES.

LINH GARAN CLAIMED TO HAVE ADOPTED SELENE, TAKING HER TO LIVE WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY IN THE EASTERN COMMONWEALTH. SADLY, GARAN DIED OF THE PLAGUE SHORTLY AFTER TAKING THE ELEVEN YEAR OLD PRINCESS UNDER HIS PROTECTION, LEAVING THE GIRL TO LIVE WITHOUT ANYONE THAT KNEW HER TRUE IDENTITY.

"Peony, time for dinner!" Iko knocked on her door. Peony would finish reading the article after dinner...after Iko told her lies about her parents.

She climbed back into her room--from the fire escape--and tucked the port in the drawer of her desk.

Peony walked into the small dining room and sat at the table where there sat a plate of her favorite food in the entire galaxy: macaroni and cheese with meatballs. She knew that it was unhealthy, but she didn't care. She lived in Wisconsin where it was practically a necessity to eat some form of cheese during the day.

But there was something suspicious about the way Iko was acting. And it wasn't just after that strange conversation she had listened in on, it had been almost a month that strange things had been happening. Iko had made Peony's favorite foods and even did her chores for her.

Peony continued to ignore the abnormality of the past month and took a bite of her food. Iko sat in front of her rambling on about something she didn't care to pay attention to.

She tried to hold it in, but couldn't help it, she snapped. "Iko!" The woman's thin face creased in confusion. "Please. You promised." Peony begged softly.

Iko sighed. "All right, what do you want to know first?"

"What did they look like? What were their personalities and jobs? How did they meet?"

"Well your father, Kai, had black hair and brown eyes--though not your brown, you have your mother's brown eyes. He was tall and lean. He was often quite sarcastic, but dreamy and kind. His family...was made up of politicians, so he was working up to be one as well."

"And my mother?"

Iko smiled. "Well Cinder had brown hair and tanned skin, much like your own. She was sarcastic too and a bit of a pessimist up until she and your father were married. Before then, she was poor and had to work as a mechanic to support her adoptive family."

"Where did they meet?"

"Ooh! I was there that day, working with Cinder at her booth in the market." Peony watched her aunt smile, relishing the memory. "It was a hot August day in 126 T.E. and your father came up to the booth wearing a sweatshirt and jeans!" Iko chuckled fondly. "He asked Cinder to fix an android for him. And that was that. That was when you, my dear, became a possibility. Though at the time it did seem very far fetched."

Peony wanted to know more, whether this was the truth or not, she at least wanted something to think about. "Tell me more." She pleaded.

"Okay, okay! Help me with the dishes, though."

As they cleared the dishes Iko told more stories about her parents. When they were finished, they sat on the couch for another few hours. Iko telling of Peony's parents. Once in a while she would interrupt to ask a question.

"Time for bed, it's already eleven." Iko announced.

Peony still needed to know more, but decided that she'd learned enough for one night. "Night, Iko." Peony hugged her, "Thank you for giving me some answers."

"You're welcome. Good night."

Peony walked into her room and shut the door. She slipped on a long sleeved yellow shirt and black cotton shorts. Pulling the portscreen out of her desk, she climbed into her white downy bed and began reading.