Butterflies Coated in Moonlight (Chapter Seven)

I came from one rumor factor to the next. Yet here on top of the gossip about the Duke bringing home a woman. They were all talking about me, my mother, and that I was a Cilliron.

The Cilliron family were kind of popular here, and I say were because that was when this used to be an independent kingdom. Before the war the Cillirons were a foundation of the kingdom, they were famous for their swordsmanship. And we're one of the royals advisory families. The military advisors of course, and each generation born a prodigy, more impressive than the last, that served the royal family.

Now those who have seen me in the capital, or in action know it's true for sure. That I was that prodigy, that I was the strongest, I was a huge piece on a game board and who ever had me was bound to win.

And that's why I believe this is why I was hearing this.

"He's going to propose to her for sure."

"His highness has been looking for a wife for years, she's perfect."

"Not to mention of a high noble house, a citizen of the kingdom."

I would have tried to slip past but with two distinct and unique traits I can't really sneak around anyone. I'm not someone that can slip under the radar anywhere no matter how much I wish I could. So I turn and go back the way I came.

~~~

"Lady Rome!!!" The maid say with twinkling eyes," his highness is hosting a party and you absolutely must go!"

" I'm not much of a party person but thanks for the suggestion."

I lift the tea cup sipping , then placing it back down continuing to read my book.

"But my lady you must I insist, everybody wishes to meet you. And I'm sure Lord Cilliron wishes to introduce you."

I turn the page uninterested.

"The foods going to be really good this time?" She adds unsure what else to say to make me go.

My eyes lift from the page," ...how good?"

"THE BEST."

I shut the book," alright then, but only if I also get to drink something other than tea."

"I'll personally make sure they serve something perfect for you Lady Rome."

~~~

She really did enjoy getting me dressed and doing my hair especially. She raved about how it would hold any shape so well. But to me it was more of a curse than blessing considering that makes it easy to accumulate cow licks.

She dressed me in dusty pink and gold. I insisted that it was to much. To witch she brushed me off tying gold rings into my hair, and accenting me in gold rings and little things.

Grandpa came to get me and walk me of, he almost cried when he saw me. He apologized saying he was still getting used to seeing me.

Entering the humble ball room with a little announcer felt like the first time I'd ever been to a ball. Gandpa was actually still a knight for Atalon, he wasn't very old, maybe in he's fifties. However he still looked much more youthful recently. It wasn't like parties in the capital, sure it was busy but the people all knew each other well, the atmosphere was so lively.

"Lord Cilliron and Lady Roma."

All the eyes turned to us which wasn't anything new, but this time they weren't looking at who I was next to, they were looking at me. I turn my head to the side, maybe it was the strange environment, or that I felt venerable in the dress, but it made me feel shy.

"Hey everyone," Grandpa calls waving his hand.

"Remi!" One man calls holding his arms out a glass in one hand," this her?"

Getting to the bottom of the steps we walk toward the group of them. I let go of his arm when we stopped there.

"This is my granddaughter, doesn't she look just like her mother?"

"I'd say she looks more like Lily."

"I suppose they look pretty similar, but she's a born Cilliron. The best swordsman on the content according to the king."

He lifts his head gloating to his friends. I bow into a curtsies.

"I'm Rominda Xiron, please call me Roma."

"I thought you told us her name was Rome, Remi?"

"Well it is." He retorts.

"When I returned to live with my father he felt it necessary to change it. That is what I'm know by so that's what I tell people to address me as."

"Well lady Roma, I believe my wife told me about you when she visited the castle. Though at the time I had no idea you were Remi's granddaughter. You're the kingdom's Lieutenant General yes?"

"That is correct, I'm sure you know the set, the king is the supreme Commander he has four master generals. One in the north, east, west, and south, and here in Zeren the north and south work together to protect the border. I manage the security in the capital, including the royal guard, as well as being the king's personal guard and right hand."

Grandpa lifts his head high with a smile.

"That a very impressive resume Lady Roma."

"Indeed," another one speaks intreated.

"My wife told me a story of you pinning and subduing a man in a few seconds at a ball."

"Yes, I think that was the first time people really noticed me."

"She had a hard time explaining your aura."

"Oh, I have a very rare aura," I open my hand and let electricity jump around my fingers and arm," I am essentially thunder and lighting," I shut my hand shaking off the energy," it allows me to strike the ground, and surface, summon the sound and feeling of thunder, and move at incredible speed. As well as having Cilliron aura that lets me summon a shield."

"Say Lady Roma have you met my son Siden? He has strong metal aura."

"Haha, I don't think so Gus," Grandpa interjects," your not setting up my granddaughter with your son."

"He's only 4 years older that she is."

"That's not the issue Gus, it's that he's not up to my standards."

"Well you don't have the right to give her away."

"Neither dose her father, she's pledged to the king witch means you have to convince him," Grandpa counters.

"That's not true."

I raise my eyebrows," oh?! That's already gotten out has it?"

"It's been spreading like wild fire among the women of high society."

"Rome what are they talking about?" Grandpa asks.

"I asked the king to give them to me, I own myself."

His mouth fell open clearly surprised.

"It's historic to say the least, and I'm surprised he went through with it," Atalon says walking closer.

"I am as well," I admit," I guess he really wished to get on good terms with me again."

"He offered you things for forgiveness?"

I clutch my hands on my dress tighter," yes," I answer looking off a thousand miles away, my voice fringed.

Atalon grimaced a little in response, mumbling under his breath I couldn't hear what he said.

"What?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just thinking about it."

"The king wants to apologize to you?" Grandpa questions.

"I've been with the prince for a great many years now."

"He is very overly reliant on her," Atalon explains simply.

"Yes," I confirmed," he feels he needs me by his side everyday from when he eats breakfast to when he goes to bed. I have few hours to work on my job as Lieutenant, because of that."

"I guess that hasn't gotten out yet," Atalon sighs.

"The whitenesses there wouldn't have said anything."

"What are you two talking about?"

".... I think I'm going to keep that to myself, sorry grandpa."

"Ok then bird," he pats my head softy.

The night went on quite like a normal ball, after Grandpa introduced me to the people there I escaped outside.

The garden was lit by circling butterflies, and the glowing white roses. The lightly blue butterflies let off little glittering particles in the air behind them. I wonder if they had light aura some other creatures have auras, but usually they are very old or mythical creatures.

I find a bench and sit down, sipping on the drink in the glass, the maids brought  it to me. It was a wine made here in Zeren, it was sweet and fruity.  If they hadn't told me it was wine, I don't think I'd known it was alcohol.

I know I said I'd never drink again but I needed it. It did however influence me. Sitting under the moonlit sky, glowing butterflies fly around me. My feelings started to come up from the depth of my heart. Silent tears fall off my eyes. The wet path traveled sinuously down my face.

It could have been one of those nights, the beauty of the night, or the alcohol that's made them come up. It was pretty normal for this to come about when I was alone in any case. I hold the glass by the brim and gently let it slip from my fingers and stand on the ground next to the bench. The slightest sound escapes from my lips, I lift my hands to my mouth muffling the sound. I shut my eyes rubbing the tear streams from my cheeks.

"I feel like I always find you like this."

I freeze opening my eyes looking up to see Atalon standing there. He sits beside me and I look to the side. He leans over picking up my glass and smelling it.

"I didn't know that you drink Rome."

"..." I didn't want to speak right now. I know my voice wasn't going to come out right,"this is my second glass."

"Wow, you really got drunk that quickly?!"

"..."

I think he was trying to lighten the mood, but he shifts his approach to that of a more somber one.

"You know it's okay."

I look over at him.

"It's okay for you to cry, you don't have to always be the shining pillar of strength. I feel I under stand you more when I know that you feel the way I do, that you have your own sadness as well as happiness."

"I don't deserve it."

He turns to look at me.

"After all I've done I don't deserve the happiness, the praise and titles."

"Everyone dose-"

"No! You don't understand! I've killed people, innocent people, their blood is forever on my hands. They come back in my dreams, they remind me of what I've done. If I didn't exist those people would still have their lives, even my mother would still me alive."

Atalon takes my face in his hands. I look up at his mismatched eyes watching me with concern. He uses his handkerchief to dry the tears from my face.

"That wasn't your falt Rome, we can't erase the past or undo our discussions. But we can reconcile with ourselves and move forward. Decisions you made in your past shouldn't be effecting you, or your happiness, in the future."

"He made me kill them," new tears stream down my face," I did it for him, because I love him, but how could I ever feel like I deserve happiness after I took the rest of there happiness from them."

"You mean the king? Who.?"

A sob bursts from my body and I can't stop myself.

"Rome-!"

I wrap my arms around him and pull myself close to him crying onto his shoulder. The feeling of cold snowflakes and the smell of pine come over me. He hesitates a moment taken by surprise before hugging me back.

"He made me kill the princes so he could become king. I would do anything for him, and I owe him. My Savior. But how could it not haunt me? The first time I had done something so... despicable, to someone who was innocent."

I grab a tight fist of his shirt. His hand strokes my head gently.

"You won't have to do anything like that ever again. He can't make you do anything Rome."

I snuck back to my room and my maid there was obviously worried when I returned eyes twice the size and Atalon walking me back. He exchanged a few words with her before bidding me a good night. I, with her help, got ready and went to bed.

~~~

I remember why I said I'd never drink again. The morning after the party I wasn't exactly jovial, I felt heavy and my eyes as well were swollen. I'm almost regretting coming out since I felt I had more turmoil than when I first arrived. Deep in my soul was like a smeared palette of colors. Complicated and messy. I don't understand.

When I went to get breakfast this morning I felt this ache in my heart when I saw Atalon. I have no reason to feel this way, well I don't think I do anyway.  Though I was embarrassed that he saw me cry like that.

"Rome, you know you don't have to stay, you can go where ever you wish. There isn't any reason for you to be working so hard either."

I'm a workaholic I suppose, because even if I'm on vacation, the only thing I can think of doing is work.

"My lady, have you been to the main city here?"

"No, I don't believe I have."

"Why don't we go!?"

I shut the book I was reading," what is there to do?"

"We can shop, get food, or watch street performers!"

"..."

"Oh I know why don't we drop by the book store since we know this is the third time you've read that manual thing."

"It's a book on war strategy."

"Yaaaa..., well why don't we get something more..., interesting!"

She dresses me in common clothes and a hood to cover my hair to draw less attention. Together we walk around by shops, food stands, and plenty of people.

She pulls me into a shop, all around me were books stacked high organized in the shelves perfectly. She walks away from me around the shelves pulling out a couple books she told me I have no read. I was mostly browsing, I don't do things like this often considering I spend most of my time working. I look at the colorful books, and the ones with especially beautiful designs on the cover.

One book catches my eye in particular, not because it was shiny, or the prettiest, but because I recognize it. The cover was slightly pink and on the front was a woman and two men dressed like knights, around the image white lilies were painted. The cover title read Girl of Lily Flowers. You see I remember this book because my mother used to read it to me.

"Oh! It's been a while since I've seen one of those," my maid comments.

"You know this story?"

"Of course I do, it's all Lord Cilliron talks about." I pull a face and she looks a me a little surprised," you mean you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"That story is about Lady Lily Colliron, his late wife, and your grandmother."

I'm starstruck for a moment, my grandmother. I look back at the image depicted. One man with white hair, and the other with black. The woman on the cover had brown eyes and hair made of golden curls.

"Wait, so then the story is true?"

"Yes, the prince at her window was the late king of Zeren, and the kightly prince is the father of the current king. And I'm sure you can figure the light at the end is you're grandfather Lord Cilliron."

"How Ironic…"

She raises her eyebrows confused by my comment.

"It's nothing forget I even said anything," I brush it off and we finish our day out with nothing else out of the ordinary.