Et Stellas: Beyond Different Worlds

(Lucius; II) Between you two

Lucius stays a very long time sit down on that furniture, he can't help grinning while his thoughts run over and over through his mind.

He wants to stand up but his mind can't understand anything else than, Will he like me?

He stays sit for a long time, Will he like me turns on and off like a neon sign in front of his eyes, a sign that calls him by his name with no ashamed to shine. Will he like me?, beautiful words flowing down his blood like an exited river, dancing and splashing everywhere without someone or something to stop it.

Until he finally stands up.

His head still sinking in thoughts but he anyways makes his way out of the room.

The corridor is empty, with nothing than the light of the torches that hang on each side of three doors, perfectly situated in the same long corridor; His room, Vita's room, and Tatiana, Lucius' sister's room.

Still with a grin on his face, he begins to walk down the corridor, resting one paw on the wall and the other on the side of his head. He can only imagine a grey wolf, fluffy tail wagging from one side to the other, an almost unnoticeable scar crossing one of his green eyes and his tongue out his muzzle.

He sure has never left the Empire before.

The Snow Leopard stops in front of a door. It's not bigger than the door of his room but he still looks at it with a unique admiration, perhaps for the person who he knows is inside.

He closes his paw to a soft fist and knocks the door four times with no hesitation, a few seconds later, he knocks two more times.

The feline waits a few more seconds before grabbing, with a single and decided slide, the handle and opens the door slowly.

The doors are exactly the same as Lucius' room, but the comparison of room size is very different. Tatiana has a much smaller room, two furniture next to a medium mattress.

Inside the room is Tatiana herself, sitting on one of the furniture while a servant is on her knees, right behind her. The tiger is grooming the fur of the Emperor's daughter with a big decorated brush.

Lucius enters the room, closing quietly the door behind him. Tatiana already knew it was him, because of the knock. They have their 'secret knock' to announce one is coming to the other room.

The tiger puts the brush down, laying it carefully on top of the mattress, before standing up and bows at the two felines that are sitting on one same furniture. Tatiana smiles, delicately grabbing the brush "Thank you, Arnensis".

The tiger puts a palm on top of her other one and makes a soft bow with her head to the young black panther, before leaving the place. Tatiana quickly looks at her brother "So, I guess he yelled at you".

Lucius looks at his sister, frowning and shaking his head "N-No, what are you talking about? Why would he yell me?".

Tatiana forms a smirk, softly placing a hand on top of his. The Snow Leopard just sighs "Well yes, but how did you know?".

"If you whisper something in this hallway, I could hear it from the other side of the Empire. C'mon" She says grabbing his arm and, very softly, extending it.

Lucius doesn't notice, he just continues talking "I really don't. . . well. . . you know, the Emperor thing sounds too much for-What are you doing?".

Tatiana already started grooming the fur of his arm with the brush, long and pleasant strokes in the company of an innocent humming.

Lucius just stares at her, he won't ever admit he really likes it, but Tatiana knows it anyway. "Give me your back" She orders, not even raising his head to look at his brother's eyes, she's just focused on the rosette spots of his fur.

He obeys, giving his back to his sister while she starts grooming his soft fur from up-to-down, in very firm strokes that leave a satisfying whooshing sound. They stay in quiet, only the sound of the brush and Lucius, barely noticeable, soft purrs.

Until the door opens. Lucius gives a small fright jump making his hair stood up, while Tatiana just looks over her shoulder. It's their mother. She enters, looking at her children, leaving a soft and surprised gasp "Oh! Lucius, you're here!".

Lucius stays quiet, he's no that afraid to his mother but he no longer trusts in her anymore.

In his young fourteens, Lucius started having doubts in lot of things, and he used to run to his mother for a quick ask-reply. He trusted everything to her, but Vita, like most mothers, told her husband.

Trust is a big beautiful word for such a small horrible world.

Vita glances to the other, and empty, furniture of the room. With a single and hesitant slide, she approaches one furniture and quietly sits down, placing properly one paw over the other one "So, guys, tomorrow we'll have Emperor Arthur and his Son with us"

"I know. . ." Replies Lucius, rolling his eyes to one side, letting a heavy huff leave his lungs. Tatiana thumps him with the brush on the back of the head.

"I'm aware mother, Father has already briefed me" Corrects himself Lucius, darting his eyes to the cold floor.

Vita quietly sighs "Lucius, what's happening between you two?" she asks, carefully leaning herself in front, trying to catch his son's lost glance "When you were young, you and he were very close. You never wanted to separate from him at any time, you had eaten sit on his lap, you even cried if he wasn't sleeping with you"

Lucius stays quiet.

He perfectly knows is true and perfectly knows what happened too, but he doesn't want to admit it, maybe because it's a very sensitive topic to talk about without a spice of trust.

Besides, Lucius is scared. Scared of everything, scared of what's already happening and what he knows will come next.

The Snow Leopard is drowning himself on his own thoughts, filling his mouth with words that will never come out. Tatiana gives him another thump with the brush, harder this time.

Lucius stands up "Appreciate it, sister, I'll keep going"

No hesitation behind, he walks forwards the door. His hand is already pulling the handle of the only exit of the room when Vita calls. "Wait."

She stands up, dusting her dress off before getting closer to her only male born, while the younger Snow Leopard just stares. Vita slightly looks up because her son is taller than her.

She has a lot of things to say, so much to argue about, but she limits herself to only grab his shoulders, a warm smile on her face, and hugs him with all her forces, trying to bring back the joyful and smiley son she once had, hoping to bring those moments she always missed.

But they are too far away, being so close.

Lucius doesn't even hugs back, he doesn't even form a smile or a grimace on his face. He just turns around and leave the room. 

Vita stays looking at the closed door in front of her eyes, feeling the cold breeze that came out hit her as it has never before.

"You okay ma?" Tatiana's voice sings behind her.

Vita sniffs, holding back the sad memories that are running through her mind and heart, and turns around placing a smile on her face "Yeah, I just want your brother to take along with your father like they once did".

"Father says he's a missing case" Tatiana huffs, placing the brush on one side, following it with her glance.

Outside the room, with an ear pasted on the big door, is Lucius. He knows he mustn't hear conversations of others, but he couldn't resist this time. And he heard enough, or at least that's what he thinks. With a sigh, he retreats to his room.

Vita frowns "When someone is angry can say a lot of things, but most are wrong. Lucius is not a missing case, he just needs someone to help him. That's all"

She carefully places her paws on her daughter's cheeks and, pressing her eyes closed, kisses her on the forehead. "Now, look for a good dress because tomorrow we will have Et stellas in our palace".