Cecilia's Parents

Cecilia POV

Something was wrong, I could feel it.

I tried to think about what, about why I was feeling so broken and hurt but then, suddenly I heard the voice of my father speak loudly into my subconscious.

"I know I'm being selfish but please Lia, when you meet her... protect Ellie... she doesn't know anything about the nobles." His voice was soft yet shaky. Asking a favour of his daughter was not something a duke did. "She is your sister, after all."

I felt my eyes burn and my chest tighten. Yet my voice rang through my ears.

"Yes, father."

I felt disgusted. With my father, with myself. I wanted to cry hard but then, Loki's voice drifted into my ears.

"My lady..." he said.

As he said this, I felt his warm hand touch my cheek.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked.

Looking up with a pained expression, Loki's face became dark. I saw his red eyes. And with that, I knew I couldn't lie to him.

I had a half-sister? I could understand why I felt like this, but there was something else hidden behind the pain. It was fear. And that was the feeling I couldn't quite understand. What was I afraid of?

Looking into Loki's eyes, I shook my head no.

Loki caressed my cheeks with even more gentleness, and then he brought me into a warm embrace. Feeling this, I smiled and allowed Loki's warmth to fill me but it was cut short by a voice.

"Cute." The voice said with a regal giggle.

Suddenly, Loki let go of me to look towards the mistress of the house, Shahira Ashington.

He bowed.

Shahira Ashington... Cecilia's Mother. She was a force. She was a beautiful woman with long red hair, long lashes and beautiful tanned skin. In the lands of Kenelm, she was an exotic beauty. Something that they had never seen before.

When she was younger, she had been sent from her mother nation, Anwar, as a way of offering peace after a peace treaty had been signed between the two nations. She was the daughter of the general. Usually, a princess for the King or prince would have been more satisfactory, but all of the princess's of Anwar were married and the King of Kenelm didn't find it necessary for him to acquire another wife. Mostly due to the fact that the two wives he already had were at war with one another.

Tired, both kings agreed to have Shahira, the general's daughter, and Cedric, the duke of Ashington wed. The general being the King of Anwar's younger brother made everything go smoothly.

In memory, I remember this story being told. When Shahira had first told it to Cecilia she had looked bitter, but since then, her expression had softened.

Shahira walked over to Loki and I and looked over the two with calculation and expectation but she didn't say anything at all. Instead, she touched them both of their shoulders.

After this, she said, "Come along, Cedric has called."

We followed her.

I was not very good with Shahira. Maybe it was because I still remembered my mama from my previous world. Because of this, I couldn't accept Shahira as my mother but she was really a kind woman who loved Cecilia with all her heart. That fact made it all of the more painful.

Walking to a door, Shariah then stopped and knocked before entering. Yet she didn't wait for a reply before.

Inside, Duke Ashington was at his desk signing documents with his attendant, Gerald, by his side.

Gerald looked towards us, then his eyes landed on Loki. He shot Loki a look.

Loki stepped slightly away from me. I frowned at the sight.

"Give me a second." Duke Ashington said as he signed yet another document.

Shahira frowned.

"You called us here, so if you take more than one second I'm walking out that door, and taking Cecilia and Loki with me," Shahira said.

Hearing that, Duke Ashington laughed, immediately putting his pen down. He then got up from his desk and walked towards his wife.

Bringing her into an embrace, he kissed her cheek.

At that moment, something stirred within me. I remembered my parents from before. They were never like this. Even when they weren't fighting there wasn't a shred of love between them... at least not from my father.

Darkness began to consume my heart and began to fester. It was the worse feeling. As if I was choking and drowning at the same time. But this time around I also felt guilt. Cedric and Shahira Ashington were Cecilia's parents and now, they were mine. They were perfect, and I should love them but they didn't feel like mine...

These thoughts consumed me for a moment but then I felt a hand on my back. It calmed me like the feeling of the hot sun on bare skin. Turning, I looked at Loki who was by my side.

He was expressionless as he looked at my parents but somehow, I believed he was trying to console me.

I could almost smile.

From across the room, I saw Gerald shoot Loki another look, yet Loki made no move this time. I bet that to Loki if was as if he was doing his job. Gerald had no right to interfere and yet, I knew Loki would be getting a really annoying talking to later.

I looked up to him apologetically.

Loki just shrugged.