RAVEN

CHAPTER 5

Bloodvich Estate

          "Young master, get back here!"

          A breathless laugh escaped his lips as he ran down the corridor, swerving right to hide inside one of the many rooms in the manor. Alistair let out a mischievous smile, waiting for the angry butler to pass by before falling on the carpet and laughing with tears in his eyes.

          This morning, he had the most brilliant idea to put a spider on Uncle Jasper, their household butler's face while he was sleeping. It was a harmless prank. Really. He even made sure that it wasn't a large poisonous spider or else the man might pass out in fright.

          Uncle Jasper is such a scaredy-cat. Alistair ridiculed inwardly, peeking his little head out the door to check if the said person was still there. After confirming his absence, Alistair quietly shut the door and sneaked past the ornate cabinets and statues until he came across his parent's room, the oak door slightly ajar.

          In his inner battle of whether he should look or not, his curiosity eventually won him over, causing him to crouch down in front of the door. Alistair jerked in surprise after hearing a scream of what seemed to be out of frustration coming from the room.

He looked over to see his mother, gripping a crumpled piece of parchment in her hands. Ophelia ripped it apart in anger, causing Alistair to flinch at the sound. It was the first time he ever saw her lose her composure.

Usually, his mother was the epitome of what it meant to be a lady. Graceful, mindful, and considerate to others. Not once has she raised her voice to anyone, rather choosing to scold people calmly.

Alistair wondered what exactly was written in the paper to get her to react in such a way.

Seeing that Ophelia was still busy throwing away the scattered remains of the letter, Alistair took the opportunity to leave. He silently shut the door and ran away, unwilling to get caught peeking into something that he wasn't supposed to see.

~ ♛ ~

Raven sat on her little wooden stool in front of her dresser as she took in her reflection in the mirror. It was the face of a young girl, skinny and pale. Her dark eyes, shaded by long lashes, stared out at her.

The door creaked open, leaving her to do away with her thoughts and focus on Alistair entering her bedroom. She couldn't help the mixed feelings that she had for him. On one hand, it was an interesting experience to have an older brother; on the other, it led to having to deal with all his playful antics.

"Raven!" His eyes crinkled at the corners, wrapping his arms around her. The maid loosened her grip on Raven's hair, allowing the siblings to have their moment. "Come on, I have something to show you." As she was done dressing up, Alistair pulled her hand in an attempt to bring her out the door.

Raven silently gazed at their interlocked hands, not knowing whether she should pull away or not. The touch felt oddly comforting despite its unfamiliarity. Raven sighed, if only Alistair wasn't her brother. Had he been a little younger, it would have been easier to get out of this situation.

"—should have seen his face when he found the spider on his bed. It was priceless! He was so mad that he chased me around the manor. Good thing I hid in one of the rooms, or else he would have caught me by now. Oh, and Missus Hendrick is going to bake pastries today. She always made me blueberry tarts – it's my favorite – you have to try it, it's super tasty..."

Unknowingly, even to herself, Raven listened attentively. After walking around for a while, they reached the kitchen area. Raven took a moment to look around, appreciating the polished black and emerald tiles that lined the walls and flooring. Everything was well-furnished, with an old-fashioned copper stove and fireplace at the corner of the kitchen. It was clean and smelled of flour and cinnamon.