Chapter 2

A horn in the distance had me opening my eyes and bolting up, placing my hand chest. I felt pain shoot through my left arm and I couldn't help the shriek that escaped from my jaw. It was so painful!

Hurried footsteps sounded outside my door with my father literally flying in, at least that's how it looked to me. Duke Arthaud Hera seemed worried though I sensed some vagueness towards the way his faced contorted when our eyes met. His facial expression made me want to know me.

I tilted my head to the side, a habit I had gotten used to whenever I got curious. This caused my jaw to clench as somehow, I felt the already ripped muscles rip even further.

" Don't move your head to the side. You'll cause further damage." said an old man dressed in a white dress shirt and black cotton slacks. He had his sleeves rolled up that showed his bulging arms making me wonder if he really was old. My father was glaring at me, making me want to cower into a corner. His gaze was frightening.

Mother, Duchess Matilda Hera, strutted in while fluttering a hand fan, making me wonder why she would do so in this cold weather.

"Lady Matilda, why are you fluttering a fan in this cold?" I asked. Mother had asked me to address her as such and honestly, I felt hurt that she didn't love me enough anymore.

"Thing, we returned to the capital. It's been a week since the incident." she said, further and further cementing the fact that she doesn't like me.

I felt tears want to flood my eyes but my stubborn nature didn't allow them dare to drop. The Duke just glanced her way and turned his attention towards me. I looked back into his sea blue eyes that highlighted his brown hair. I had gotten the same eyes, but not the same hair color. I at times felt that my eyes were brighter than the rest.

I had the darkest hair and the bluest eyes, something that didn't sit well with the evil witch, (yes, my own mother).

"Why were you in the forest?" asked my father in a slow voice. He didn't ask if I was in pain, or if I was comfortable, just why. Great, I officially have the worst parents. As I was in a gross mode, I stubbornly turned my head to the side and didn't bother to speak. They would hit me again and again anyway; it was not like I wasn't used to their ways.

"Thing, answer. We do have other things to attend to by the hour." says the woman who supposedly birthed me. I lead a very pitiful life.

"I suggest not putting pressure on her. As we are not sure of the extent of her injury." says the doctor guy. Thank goodness.

"Good riddance I would say." huffed the duchess before only the hems of her dress were to be seen out the door.

The Duke instead glared at me before turning around with such force that his Cape hit my face, brushing the tips of my hair with the current formed. The doctor closed the door and the dams finally broke. Maybe, no matter how grown up I acted, deep down, I'm just a 7-year-old child looking for parental love.

"Are you ok?" asked the kind old man. Kind because that's the impression he gave me.

"They don't like me." I said, rubbing my good arm over my nose.

"Just because they don't care doesn't mean that they don't like you." he added. Like I'm going to explain it to him.

My silence signified how indignant I was at continuing on the topic so he packed his things up and prepared to leave. As he shuffled about, I caught a glimpse of something by my bedside table and this is when I realized I wasn't in my old room.

The room I was in was smaller, almost like a broom closet where having five people in would make it too crowded. The windows were smaller and so was the bed. There was no walk-in closet flooded with tulle and silk, chiffon and cottons, would and satin. Only an old dresser designed the left hand of my new abode. Should I accept this or throw a tantrum over it?

As I mulled over this question, I didn't notice the doctor leave or the little lights that trailed him, I also didn't notice Aidan enter with a devilish smirk adorning his handsome face. The irony of everything.

"Little sister, are you ok?" he asked, innocently. If I hadn't heard somethings, I would have believed him. I knew just how long I was passed out, I heard what they said and how they plotted, what I didn't know was why.

Why did Aidan have to act like he liked me?

Why did I have to be moved to this little room that appeared to be the furthest away? How I know it's distance, Aidan's covered in perspiration, ok sweat and is panting so perhaps the attic with all the stairs. What was going on?

"Why am I not in my room, Aidan?" I asked.

"Father said it would be better for you to recuperate far from the clutter of the world." he answered after slight hesitation. Heh, if I were three years old, I would have been easily deceived.

"Do you hate me, Aidan?" I asked. The part of me that wanted all this to be a lie, a farce, fiasco even, the part of me that was still a little kid craving a family asked.

"Why would you think that? No matter what, you're still my little Raven." he answered with a smile. If it were before, his smile would have reassured me, made me feel like tomorrow would be a better time, better day. Right now, it reminded me of how the nobles of Asther were jackals and hyenas. Sigh, my life now was going to be different. I noticed that ever since he entered the room, he hadn't come close to me for a hug or pat my head like usually does after seeing me.

I smiled to him and invited him to sit on my bed with a tap of my good arm, while closely watching his face. My grandfather, the viscount I mentioned earlier, had taught me how to read people's faces from the time I turned three. I always liked visiting him and grandmother for I always learnt something new from them. Amongst my siblings, he always liked me most and spoilt me with information and knowledge.

Aidan's face contorted slightly before he masked it again, afraid I would discover the change. Well, too late. As expected of a noble of house Hera. He looked to me and uttered the most ridiculous thing ever

"Sorry, sister. The doctor said not to get too close as we might injure you or get infected."

Infected? Infected? With what? What kind of madness is this? Sigh, what in the name of Herot was going on?

I watched Aidan scurry away leaving me pondering over a lot of things. Lost in thought, I didn't notice the change in weather or the slight haze that settled within the confines of my room.

After that while struggle, I spent days like the walking dead. No eating, no talking just surviving. The doctor tried talking to let but it was all pointless as I had given up on everything. In that one week leading up to this moment, neither of the zygote donors had appeared to check up on my health. Heh, ironic isn't? They always called me little princess but now, they can't even come and see me when I am injured.

The wounds were healing faster than I had anticipated but they would leave ugly scars later on. I didn't really care though my family had abandoned me. How I know, well, Pecku, the first born and heir to the duchy had his coming of age party today and no one even bothered to care whether or not I was fine or even whether I wanted to attend. As if I would want to attend, Pecku never really liked me anyway.

The booming music resonating through the halls bounced and echoed off the different ornaments decorating the pathways that led up to the door of my room that was slightly ajar. The doctor looked to me, sighing and shaking his head at my misfortune.

"Child, don't you want to join the party downstairs? I can fix you up seeing as your wounds have almost healed." he said, pitying me.

I had never liked people offering me such things but the old man had been good to me so I decided to let him be. Weakly shaking my head, I closed my eyes as I let him disinfect and clean my wounds.

The three long gashes on my left arm constantly brought nightmares to me and made me remember of the horrid day I almost gave up my life to a person who treated me like I'm mental.

I opened my eyes and glanced at the wound. Turning baby pink at the edges while the center was a bit red, I didn't know whether or not it was healing. The fact that it didn't re open and gush forth with blood comforted me, making me feel that maybe it would be healed.

"Have some rest, and try to smile. You never know when your luck will turn around." the kind old man, Turner, said. His eyes flickered between grey and green, something that would have earned me a reaction before did nothing to phase me. He left me pondering in the silence so I decided to end everything.

Like an automated living-dead, I walked towards the window. With its size, I could crawl out of it, and that I did. It was a bit of a hustle as I had an injured arm. Managing to climb out of the tunnel like window, I emerged at the top of castle where our duchy was found.

"Wow." A gap escaped my mouth when the cold mist fluttered around me. With the haze going around, one would be scared but in the contrary, I was at peace. I felt like, in that moment, I belonged to the sky with the clouds and birds. To the lapis lazuli that graced the earth, and the wind the howled with unknown songs and tales.

This is where I wanted to be, but life is cruel to me that I can't want to enjoy the sights and wonders of this existence. Trying hard as I can, ignoring all the pain, I stretched out my arms and took a deep breath, ready to jump.

I walked closer to ledge, ready for the airy feeling of being weightless. Steps turned into me dragging my feet, feeling an invisible pull from behind me.

"What is going on?" I thought.

I struggled, putting strain on my left hand that was already injured. I smelt a metallic odor in the air heavy of moisture and I realized that the gashes I had gotten had re-opened.

The force kept on struggling to pull me backwards but I was determined to just end living and breathing. Pushing and pulling, I started to here huffing coming from behind me. Startled, I abruptly stopped struggling, making me be hauled backwards, unfortunately falling on my arm, worsening the bleeding.

I didn't scream nor did make a sound. I just clenched my jaw and shut my eyes, hoping the pain would subside. The whispers I heard that surrounded me had my eyes popping open. To my shock, I found no one but the sounds didn't cease. I struggled up while wondering what is going on?

Still trying to understand the mechanisms of Machiavelli going on, a strong gust of wind blasted my back as it was facing the ledge before a puff of hot breath showered my head with tiny little dots of perspiration. I am so dead right now.