Uniting with my family

TERI POV

I sprinted towards my mother and embraced her tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mother!"

"Mama's boy," the youngest lady teased.

I lifted my head and gazed at her incredulously. Was she really here? Was this all real?

"It seems you all love your mother more than me," my father joked.

The ladies ran to him and hugged him. "We love both of you," they assured him.

The maids brought in the food and laid it on the table.

"Come, my prides, let us eat," my mother said, and we all took our  seats.

I couldn't stop staring at everyone. I turned to the eldest. "Selina?"

She laughed. "What is wrong with Teri this morning?"

"How old are you?" I asked, noticing that she was a grown-up lady.

"That is a silly question, Teri. How can you forget your sister's ages?" the second lady chided.

"Hmm, I don't know what game you are playing, but I am twenty two years old," she said, smiling like my mother.

I looked at the second lady.

"Since you want to play this game, I am twenty one and I am Darlene, your second big sister.

I wonder what made you like this," Darlene said.

I looked at the youngest. "If you tell me you've forgotten my name and age, I will slice your throat with my knife," she threatened, pointing her knife at me.

"Elley," I said, as a tear rolled down my cheek. "You're fifteen, I know."

"Teri, are you alright?" my mother asked worriedly.

"No, mother. Is everything really real? This is not a dream, is it?" I said, as I sobbed.

"Why wouldn't everything be real? Did you have a nightmare?" she asked.

"Yes. And it was a very bad one," I said.

I looked at my father. "I was born with silver hair and red threads on my fingers. I could also see ghosts. You said I was a ghost weaver and I wasn't the first one."

I turned my head to Selina. "I dreamt you died when you were 12 and during that time you were betrothed to King Athelin. You were sick sometimes but you always recovered fast. However, one day...

One day, you..." I took a deep breath. "You died suddenly. I remember how I felt that day. Mother held you in her arms begging you to come back. I, Darlene and Elley could only cry as we watched you. Father was comforting mother despite holding back his tears."

I turned my head to my father. "That was a horrible year. A rebellion took place. Your friend, the minister of war took over.

You told mother, I, Darlene and Elley to run away.

We ran away but we heard you were killed because you didn't swear your allegiance to him."

I looked up to make my tears go back inside as I clenched my hands.

I intertwined my fingers and bent to look at them. "Life was hard.

Mother decided to be with a man to feed us while we were on the run.

That man hated me because I talked to ghosts. I hated him too.

He poisoned me and I couldn't see after that. And as if that wasn't enough, he decided to kill me but mother blocked him and she was stabbed.

I killed him in rage. It was the first time I ever killed a person with my powers.

After that, I, Darlene and Elley became beggars to survive.

I hated it. I was blind, Elley was only five and Darlene was always complaining. And in the end, Darlene abandoned us.

After that, after that I..." I furrowed my eyebrows trying to remember what happened next but I couldn't.

"I can't remember what happened next," I said to my mother.

"It's just a nightmare, Teri. None of what you said is true," Selina said.

"It's not just a nightmare!" I said as tears streamed down my cheeks, standing up from my chair.

My parents glanced at each other, stood up, walked to me and hugged me.

"We are all alive and we are with you Teri. It's just a dream. It's just a dream, my boy," my mother said to reassure me while hugging me.

My sisters also stood up, walked to me and joined the hug.

"King Athelin chose another wife 10 years ago. Also, I don't get sick easily. I am as strong as a lion, my little brother," Selina said.

"Now why would I ever abandon my little and only brother?

I love you and I'll never abandon you or any of my sisters," Darlene said.

I burst into tears when I heard those words. "I will not abandon you."

"My goodness, the nightmare must have really terrified you. A family of six is still a family of six. We are not going to leave you.

We will have each other to the end, even though you all will get married and live in different places," my mother reassured me and I wailed.

"I'm not good at comforting but I love you big brother. But don't wail, you look funny," Elley said.

We laughed together.

"A family of six can increase if only you big sisters won't stop turning down your suitors," my father said and we all laughed again.

"Now let's eat before the food gets cold," my mother said and we all happily sat back on our chairs.

"Alright let's eat!" Elley yelled.

I glanced at all of them as I smiled while I ate.

************************************

MIZAK POV

I swung my sword in the air, practicing my moves in the yard. The sun was shining brightly, casting shadows on the grass and the flowers. Elley was chatting with Lord Hoself and his wife. Prince Ivive had left early in the morning, saying he had some urgent business to attend to. I wondered where he went and what he was doing.

But my main concern was Teri. I hadn't seen him since last night, I took him to his chamber.

It was already noon. Could he still be sleeping?

I decided to check on him. I sheathed my sword and walked to his chamber.

I knocked on the door. "Teri, I'm coming in."

He didn't answer, so I opened the door.

I covered my nose with my hand.I was hit by a wave of mixed scents. One was sweet and floral, like a perfume. The other was foul and rotten, like a corpse.

The room was filled with a thin mist, making it hard to see clearly. I squinted my eyes and looked around.

I saw him lying on the bed, motionless. His silver hair was spread on the pillow. His face was pale and his eyes were closed.

I felt a surge of panic. Was he dead?

I looked at the floor and saw something that made me gasp.

It was a body of a woman. She was dressed in a serving girl gown, but it was stained with blood. She had blood coming out of her mouth and nose, and her eyes were wide open in horror.

She was dead.

I felt a cold sweat on my forehead. What had happened here? Did Teri kill her?.

I ran to his side and shook him gently. "Wake up," I whispered, hoping he would hear me.

He didn't respond. He was breathing, but very slowly.

I checked his pulse. It was weak and irregular.

I lifted him up and carried him over my shoulder.

I had to get him out of here. I had to find help.

I rushed out of the room and headed to the hall where Elley, Lord Hoself and his wife were having their discussion.

I kicked the doors open and panted. "I think something is wrong with Teri".