There was something about the way Colden dissolved into the little boy that she had known again. As much as she had promised and wanted to run away with Dante Lotus found herself at ends with herself. Luckily Dante had noticed and she gave him a soft smile as they went with the group. They could always run away together. Always.

The trip to Arri was fast and Eldora had the doll out now as they stepped foot into the hot weather. It was barely afternoon in Sularia. The sun was at its peak and Eldora groaned as she pulled Steele to her and huffed up at Lotus. “We’re going, we’re going.” Lotus pet Eldora’s hair as they walked through the crowded streets.

The merchants were yelling their wares and the children, mostly girls, were playing in the gardens. This was home and this was what they went to protect. The gold and silver roads diverted into darker bricks as they made their way into the Black Court district of the city. It wasn’t depressing as normal. People were hanging out their windows watching them. Lotus rubbed the back of her neck as she saw the glare from Eve, at least she wouldn’t be killed today.

The giant dark stone manor that sat on the edge of Sularia could be seen before they even got there. It was etched with glowing blue stone. The manor absolutely was gorgeous and the work that was done on it even had Lotus’s jaw dropping. “I didn’t think Kirika had remodeled that far. It looks great.” Lotus spoke to Eldora who was huffing and puffing. The doll was glowing as it kept the weight of the spirits off of her. “Eldora did you hear me?”

“Yes, I heard you. I heard all of it.” Eldora went spastic for a moment before she took a deep sigh and centered herself. Lotus frowned and knew that Eldora was maybe suffering from coming home. They got to the doors of the manor and they were flung open by Angela. The goddess was beautiful as usual.

“You took your sweet time getting your brother here.” She stared at both sisters and then Xunatar’s children. “Mind you he can’t die but that doesn’t mean anything in him can’t effect him. I’ve made a room up.” Kirika was standing behind Angela as she peaked around at them while they got chastised.

“Yes, yes we’re sorry we took so long.” They followed Angela and Kirika up the grand staircase and down one of them any hallways. They found the room had been decorated for Colden and Angela motioned for Colden to be put on the bed.

“Honestly, this boy has been a pain,” Angela muttered as she went about stripping him of everything from the waist up. There was a table of several herbs and premade remedies. Most likely that was what Angela had been doing while she waited for them to arrive. “His mind is a damn mess… his hand has been stabbed and crudely healed,” Angela glared at Eldora who hide behind Steele now. “It was a good attempt.” Eldora took a sigh of relief.

“Is he alright Angela?” Kirika was concerned as she stood by her siblings now.

“Deranged isn’t the word I’m looking for… but his world was built on a bunch of lies and not he doesn’t have that. His treatments are going to be similar to Toya’s. Except… he will probably be more willing. Did you discuss my proposal?” Angela looked up at Kirika and the Black queen was blushing just a bit.

“I actually think Crystaline will be able to help more than we first realized. It wasn’t too long ago that she was in a similar spot.” Kirika mused. “That might help more than whatever it is you do to Toya.”

“Now now. What I do to Toya is humane. It’s getting her there that isn’t. She fights me tooth and nail every time we have to go do it.” Angela reassured the group. “Time to wake him up.” She put her hands on either side of Colden’s head. “Colden, wake up now. Your siblings are here and I’m here too. We’re in Sularia.”

From there Angela needed him awake so she knew where to put the salves and ointments. “Are the rest of you fine? Steele? Dante? What about you?” She did love her goddess powers.

Colden was out for most of the journey. Inwardly however, he continued to struggle with what was going on and what happened. The darkness shaded and seemingly comforted him but at the same time it drained as well. He could feel himself growing more numb by the second. What was left for him here? He had all but betrayed his family and sought for delusional dreams that would never come to be. Steele carried the lad through the streets of Arri while Dante walked alongside Lotus, cozening up to her to chase away her worries about Colden as they made their way through the city. Of course there was a problem here- this was the first time Dante had been in Arri and as he gazed about the place, surrounded by beautiful women as far as the eye could see, he couldn’t help but to feel like he was in paradise. He looked to Lotus and teased at her with his eyes. Despite it all, he still loved her. Steele paid close attention to Eldora, remembering that she had not been around this place for too long for a reason. “We don’t have to stay for too long”, he reassured her, worried about her safety before they reached the manor.

The moment the door flew open and a stunning redhead came out. Oh, she had Dante’s attention, front and center and Steele could only shake his head. “I think that’s Angela, you idiot.”

“And? You know how I am with older women…”, he clicked his tongue loud enough for only his brother to hear before setting eyes back on her again.

“Yes, dealing with a demon like your sister had became is surprising time consuming.” He adjusted himself with Colden still on top of him as they were lead inside the house. Reaching their room, the elder half demon finally set his brother onto the bed and stepped back to watch the goddess at work. His hand sought for Eldora while she hid behind him, squeezing hers back for support.

Colden didn’t know what was going on around him or where he was. When he was stirred awake, he immediately rose up to a sitting position and then looked about with a somewhat crazed look as he came to terms with where he was. “Oh good, prince charming has awakened”, Dante said smoothly with a smile. The young one looked at him and then looked blankly in front of him. “Well now that he is awake, I think I do need some tending too”, he said, referring to Angela’s recent question. Steele stomped on his foot which made him shut his mouth real quick. Colden lowered his head and for a while was silent before he uttered one question.

“When is my execution?”

“Why does everyone always assume I’m so old?” Angela sounded a tad offended as she glared at Dante. “Adraejen thought the same thing.” The goddess mused.

“You’ve just been around, famous enough, and have enough lore around you that people tend to forget you are only a few centuries old.” Lotus laughed a bit as she grinned at Dante. “Angela is only the second oldest sister. Cathrine is the first and her and Angela only have a few years between them.”

Angela watched Steele and nodded. “Tell me about it. Cyprus was the demon possessing my current husband Adraejen. The shock I had when I found that out… I was digging ethereal daggers out of his back for hours while he told me that.” She sighed a bit. “Cyprus was always too much work.”

Eldora squeezed Steele’s hand as she came up and under his arm and snuggled into his side. With the doll, Sularia wasn’t nearly as painful as it had been in the past. “Does Bryony expect me down in the lake?”

Angela worked a bit more and stared up for a moment. “Of course, all oracles must come home every ten years to bathe in the water. For you Eldora, it’s been decades. It might help your mind’s eye Child. Steele when you are done here… Can you take Eldora to the castle? From there Bryony will meet you and take you underground. If you are lucky Eldora might be able to give you a tour down there. Maybe. If not and she passes out, Bryony can bring you back here. It’s important.”

Eldora made a face and buried herself in Steele more taking in his scent. “I dislike it.” She clicked her tongue and Angela sighed. When Dante began to flirt with her Angela casually got up and came over to him. She was almost as tall as he was. She moved her hand and put it up under his chin.

“What a naughty man you have Lotus. One that matches your father almost. Daughters do love to find men that remind them of such. He has quite the likeness of Xunatar. Should I have been single I might have sought company of such a man.” Angela let Dante’s chin go as she reached for some medicine by them.

“Give up the harem life style huh?” Lotus chuckled.

“Oh, Adraejen is enough man for me now. Ever since we started to court my ungodly desire to screw every man has come down greatly. You can thank the sphere of Fertility for that. My need to reproduce is… lets just call it a life force. It is a show of power. The amount of madness in the world is Xunatar’s trophy. The amount of children and even children from my womb are my power trophy.” Angela chuckled at Dante though. “He is fine by the way. Aside from the rushing of blood to certain areas… That is.” Lotus snerked at that comment and Angela went back over to Colden.

Kirika gasped as she came over to Colden and hugged him tightly. “Oh, Colden! No one told you?” Her blue eyes looked at him with concern. Angela pryed the younger sister off her brother.

“For god's sake girl let me do my job.” Kirika pouted as the goddess made her back off. “And never. As long as you follow the guidelines we have. Kirika told us if you were sentenced for execution we would have to kill her as well. We aren’t about to do that.” Angela booped Colden’s nose. “There is a punishment but we’ll tell you later. For now…” Angela felt his chest and his sides and she frowned greatly.

“What?” Lotus about jumped now as she seen the serious look.

“I’m going to have to get inside of Colden.” Eldora went to reach for her dagger and offer it but Angela shook her head. “My god girl… Do you ever not want to use that thing?” Angela was clearly used to Eldora and her solutions. “I’m a god of earth, which includes the healing artes.” She shook her head and Angela plunged her hand ethereally into Colden’s body. “This is going to feel weird.” She was chasing something as she moved from side to side. “This will probably hurt by the way.” she gave the warning a bit too late as whatever she was chasing was trying to rip his insides apart. “AH HA” She pulled out a wiggling shard of metal.

“What the fuck is that?!” Lotus yelled.

“Demon metal,” Eldora exclaimed as she came over to look at it. “I’ve heard about it but I’ve never seen it. It is a living piece of metal that infects the host. It was most likely put into Colden when Mother sent the message to me.”

Angela frowned a bit and threw the worm-like metal. Soon it was exploding and the powder lit on fire. “That’s what I think of demon metal. I saw enough of that stuff during the Godslayer War. Demon metal doesn’t get its name because it was made by demons but from the way, it slowly takes over and destroys the body. Believe it or not, it was developed by an Angelic society as a method of torture. It was deemed too heinous. Pieces of it still float around the markets.”

She got the salves and began to apply them. “Tell me where your insides hurt kid,” She pushed on different parts of his body until she had him covered where it needed to be. “Girl, why don’t you introduce yourself to your brother before you smother him?”

Kirika blushed a bit and nodded as she came over to sit by Colden. “I’m your little sister Kirika. I’m sure you heard a lot about me. They told me all about you too Colden.” She reached over and brushed Colden’s hair out of the way. “We’re going to get you all better… alright?” Kirika was the loving one out of the three sisters even compared to Lotus.

“Excuse me,” someone bumped into Dante. “Oops.” The voice was highly angelic and bell-like as a hand came up and touched his back and then Lotus’s.

“Cry, you need to be more careful,” an annoyed voice followed her.

“Hello, Liz and Crystalline. Coming for a visit?” Angela said softly as she continued her work without looking up.

“I tried to talk her out of it. She would have gotten lost had she come here by herself… and she is incredibly stubborn for someone who can’t see.” Liz huffed, she had the scent of lupine blood on her, unlike her sister. They both had long tresses of white but Liz more lithe where Crystalline was curvaceous. Liz was taller than that of Crystalline though as she helped Crystalline maneuver around the small group of people.

“I just wanted to make sure that Colden was alright.” Crystalline pulled away from her sister’s guide and Liz had an annoyed look on her face and brown eyes as she did so. The cloudy crystal like blue eyes peered around the area as if she were taking it in even if she couldn’t see. She had a basket full of fruits and other things. She took her hand and slowly made her way around the room so she could feel the faces. “Hello Lotus,” she started and she was puzzled at Dante. “Hello Eldora,” and then she was puzzled again at Steele. “And Aunt Angela and Kirika..” She ended it with putting the basket down and feeling at Colden’s face. She was expecting him to jump but she felt his face for long periods of time. “Liz,” Crystal cooed at her sister.

A scoff came from her sister. “I am not your translator. I’m hardly qualified to be your babysitter.” The half-wolf crossed her arms. There was a pout from the blind one before the older sister gave in. “He has tanned skin like everyone here. Black hair and his eyes are green like Aunt Angela’s and Mother’s. The first brother you felt has a blue like Itjivut Snowbelle petals and his hair is like freshly fallen snow. The second brother you felt has black hair and the same blue eyes as the first. Anything else?”

Crystalline mused a bit and reached into the basket. She was looking for something and Liz stepped forward to help her. “I got it, Liz,” the angel was reassuring as Liz sighed. “Here,” Crystalline held out what looked to be a plum. “They taste good and when you eat them they make your aura shimmer a bit.” She felt around a bit on the bed and Angela knocked Colden’s hand over as if helping her out without saying anything. Crystalline looked pleased as she found it and took up his hand to put the plum in.

“I’m going to go… Can you bring her home when she is done here?” Liz asked and when Angela nodded Liz took off from the house.

After a few minutes, Eldora spoke up. “What was up with her today. Normally she isn’t a bitch about helping you.” The bluntness of her words made Crystalline flinch.

“It’s the anniversary of Coriko’s death this week. She has been in a foul mood.” Crystalline answered and smiled. “She will get better eventually. My sister normally isn’t so abrasive but her son died not too long ago. They got stuck in a void storm in Parvpora and she couldn’t get him home. He died of illness.” Angela frowned a bit and nodded. It was a shame as Coriko had been a beautiful child. Crystalline looked happy as she reached into the basket and pulled out a book. “This is my favorite. It cheers me up when I get down.” She put the book in Colden’s lap.

“Why are you so eager to help?” Lotus spoke up a bit concerned about the angel’s intentions.

Crystalline’s fingers retracted from Colden’s hand for a moment or two. “Well, when I was a girl my twin–”

Eldora cut her off. “You don’t have to tell her if you don’t want to.” Eldora understood the pain the girl was about to share.

“It’s alright I don’t mind. I was going to tell Colden anyways. When I was a girl my brother Kai, he was Liz’s twin, died. My twin brother Xavier wanted Kai back so badly. My mother had gone back to Arri to deal with what Cyprus was doing so we lived in the forest together. Just Xavier and I, we had so much fun together. I’ve been blind since I was three but Xavier had always taken care of me. He taught me how to fly.” The clear lack of wings on the girl made Lotus dip over to look at her back. Maybe she was hiding them? “He taught me… how many trees were in a row from our house… where the roots were so I wouldn’t trip. Everything.” She frowned a bit. “I didn’t know that he was creating a surge of happiness in me so that angelic life force were in my feathers. It was really dark where he had me, I don’t remember how I got there.” Angela scoffed a bit and Crystalline jumped at the noise. “He tore my wings off and drained the blood and magic to bring Kai back. Said it was too much to take care of me and Kai would be worth being alive more than myself. I was sad and broken. Angela came and she healed me up the best she could. My wings had been separated from my body for too long for her to put them back on and by the time that she had found me… Whatever creature Xavier had spawned had killed him too.”

“She was holding on by sheer will. I took her in. We come from DaeLuin you know. At least a part of me does. There I was known for my healing skills but not on a godly level like now. I couldn’t piece things back together like I can now. I couldn’t heal her completely. I took her in and helped her live again. The best that I could anyways. Xavier was broken for some reason. I knew their father and he had this side of him that could be like Cyprus. It scared me to see it but I was so busy. At the time I was only mortal. I was helping run a guild, my potion shop, my children, I couldn’t make the journey to check on Crystalline as often as I should have. It was by some miracle that Bryony came to me and told me about it. I found her in a pool of blood almost drowning in it. I’m sure the blood wasn’t just hers.”

Crystalline nodded. “That’s why I want to help Colden. Because I do know.” She reached back into the basket and pulled out a small wooden toy. “Liz made this for when I was really young. She was already an adult and out on her own when I was born so I never got to hear from her much. She made this for me so I wasn’t ever alone or scared.” She put that with Colden too. “I can’t see it but I like that it’s there. And I can see just not in the way others do. I don’t do it all the time though because it makes me tired… but I can see your auras. You are so sad, Colden.” Her blue eyes peered at him now. “No one should be that sad. It takes time though. It took me a long time especially since we were twins. Twins have this connection to each other. There was a story once about how when you would kill one twin the other would feel the pain of it. Sometimes I wonder if Xavier felt what he was doing to me or if he cared.” She reached again for the basket and pulled out some lavender. "Lavender will help relax you too." She put that on his lap.

He was awake, but he felt dead inside. It was hard to feel anything other than pain when he found out his life, his existence, had been a facade. All he knew was that everyone was trying to be friendly and kind to him even though he knew he didn’t deserve it. It made no sense to him just like how he wasn’t sure why Dante had a bit of a sour look on his face as he pouted. He looked to the one that was Kirika, this having been the first time he had met his little sister, the one he was suppose to do heinous, unspeakable deeds towards. Simply because their mother demanded it. He looked to her almost as if he could stare right through her and was taken back a bit when she hugged him. Why? It made no sense to him as to why she was being like this after everything he had sought to do to take what was rightfully hers. Perhaps this whole family was crazy after all, and not just him. He knew next to nothing of either Steele or Dante or anything of his other siblings from Xunatar’s side, now that he thought about it. All he knew was that from the looks of it, they were…somewhat close to his sisters. Glossy eyes looked on and narrowed ever so slightly because they went over to Angela when she noticed something. He had no time to react before his Aunt’s hand was directly inside him. She was right, it felt weird having a foreign object inside him, moving about until she found what she was looking for. A sharp gasp came from his mouth and then some moments later, she removed some sort of metal. Eldora filled them all in and Angela added to the information on this Demon Metal. “So, if we hadn’t known…”, Steele spoke, rubbing at his temples before Dante finished. “It was her final attempt to insult us. Damn, that woman is vile.” It did nothing to help Colden’s opinions on his life. If anything it made his temperament worse. He would have voiced that maybe the wretched thing should have just finished him off, but before he could say anything, Kirika introduced herself and attempted to comfort him. “Better? I don’t think I ever will. Not after all that I have done…” His eyes shifted back and lowered submissively. “Yes, I’ve heard of you though it had been tidbits here and there. Me? I can only imagine what was said.”

His drearily mood was starting to be a pain to Steele but then he stopped from grabbing the boy and shaking him when Dante turned around from someone bumping into him. When the name Crystalline came out, the latter perked up from getting embarrassed earlier, but Steele wouldn’t let him act like a fool. Not now. Colden hear the new voices, but didn’t bother to lift his gaze to see his newest visitors. Not until he felt one of them feeling his face and he pulled away a little but gave up really quick. There was no fight in him right now and he wasn’t sure if he ever would again. Cyprus’ betrayal and abused had cut him very deep. It was hard to trust anyone really and it was harder to forgive himself even when they could do so. Angela assisted in having him catch the plum she offered and he finally looked up. It didn’t take too long to see that she couldn’t see him. More things were given to him, and for the longest time he couldn’t fathom why she was being so generous to him. Had he been his former self, he would have tried to insult her to no end. Now, he couldn’t bring himself to be that cruel. Not anymore.

He couldn’t help but to wonder quietly to himself as to why she was trying to help him, like Lotus had asked.  Her answer was depressing, so much that Dante looked onto the girl and shook his head. But her tale seemed to serve a purpose- that no matter how break the world seemed, there were rays of sunshine somewhere. Steele took Eldora by the hand, “Come on, I think we should go ahead and see Bryony like promised.” Dante followed the cue and nudged at Lotus.“I think we need to step out for now. You can show me around too”, he said with a wink, suggesting more than what he was saying. The half demons would soon depart and Colden watched them with lackluster eyes before coming back to Crystalline. “My life has been a lie from the start. My mother was deranged and wanted to see me dead. She lied to me and sought to turn me against my family, all for her sick need to feel relevant.” He didn’t touch nor did he pull the gifts away from him. Right now he didn’t know what could be done. What was left for him in this world?
 
“The blood that runs through my veins makes me twice as cursed, twice as dangerous and twice as foolish.”

Kirika tried to comfort him more. “All can be forgiven with time Colden. You were misled and used but your family still wants you here. I still want you here.” She thought about the things she had heard and she smiled. “Most of it was from Lotus. She told me that you were lost and didn’t know what you were doing. That you had been led astray and that maybe we could bring you home. That you wanted to kill me, but I think that has changed now.” She reached over and stroked his hair again.

“Sorry, sorry,” Crystaline told Colden as he pulled away. “It’s the only way I can see you, so to speak.” She continued to feel until she was content and sat down by him as she found the bed.

Eldora nodded, “I’ll show you the castle,” she took Steele out of the room and Lotus did a double take at Colden before following Dante out. She was attached to his arm as if she would lose him. Kirika said her farewell soon and Angela continued her work as they spoke to each other. She was quietly listening to the two of them.

For a while Crystaline just listened to him and she contemplated what to tell him. “I understand.” She moved her hand to find his free one and held it. She shifted on the bed so it was easier to have a conversation with him. Even if she couldn’t see she needed to face him so he could at least read her lips if he wanted. “Xavier tried to kill me to get our brother back because he found me to be too much of a pest. I do understand Colden. I’ve lost a lot of my joy in life especially when I lost my wings. It was the only part of me that I didn’t feel disabled about. I don’t have the wind anymore. At least not in the way I used to.”

She gripped his hand and thought about his words. “Not entirely, you have Willow’s blood in you and all the ones before your mother. They are certainly not cursed. Your blood doesn’t set your life path, Colden. You learn and adapt and grow as a person, not as your blood. It is true that we are predisposed to the personalities of our parents but we can grow past that. We can become something more. That is why good people have bad children… and bad people have wonderful children. You can still change and you can make up for all the wrong you’ve done. If Xavier were alive today I would forgive him if he could change. Living your life miserable is no way to go. We’re going to live a long time people like us… We need to try and enjoy and not live with regrets for as much as we can.”

She scooted back so her back was against the backboard. “We are all foolish and sometimes it takes us a while to learn. We learn by making mistakes. Your mother was cunning Colden. No one could see through that unless you had experience doing so. No one can fault you for that. You will grow and learn as a person from this and it will make you stronger. What matters is what you do from this moment on. You control your own destiny now. You’ll see that it does get better. Maybe not at first but it does.”

Dull green eyes glanced over to his sister and then to Crystaline. Generosity given to him had been few and far in his life, not that he felt he deserved it. He just wanted to be left alone to stew in his wallows, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen between the two of them alone. But apparently his siblings would take their leave one way or another, leaving the room with only Colden, Crystaline and Aunt Angela. Though he was greatly depressed and felt like he was drowning in it, for a moment the young halfling to her hand against his and then at her face. He felt as though she did understand his pain and although she went through a similar experience, she didn’t seem to be like him. She had adapted and wasn’t brooding like he was. He had to let it go, but for him it was the hardest part to do. After everything he went through and put his family through. How could it be so easy to push all that aside? Even with all the time in the world, he felt like he could crumble apart at any waking moment.

“I just don’t know what to do now. I don’t know who I am. I’ve been fed lies and false beliefs the whole time. I was made to think my family hated me, that my mother was the only one that loved me. That I was cast out from the Court and was supposedly the heir. She said that I would prove myself if I did what she said and that I would survive the trial.” He felt himself falling apart as tear started to stream down from his eyes, his voice getting choked up as he struggled to keep the last bits of himself together. “She would have saw me go to it, knowing I would die and was willing to see it. That or if I had…hurt Kirika the way she intended…I would have died. They all would have died because of me. Moth…Cyprus may have been pulling my strings, but I was willing to let her.” He buried himself into his arms, slowly rocking back and forth. It was something he hadn’t done since his youth. She said that he could make up for his misdeeds and become better and stronger. Colden lifted himself up enough for one of his eyes to peek up at her.

“Perhaps. I don’t really know about this world enough to know what I can enjoy or not.”

He felt her hand growing tighter and he felt himself coming out of the darkness a little. Not a lot but enough to continue to listen to her. “I trusted her, loved her even no matter how malicious she was. I guess that I always wanted the approval that I would never get from her.” Soon he fell back into the bed and turn his back at her as he laid down. “I just…need to be by myself right now. Can you please leave me be?” Despite it, when he felt that he was alone, he reached for the plum that she had given him and took a bite of it, if only to settle his stomach from hunger.

—

Colden hadn’t came out of his room for days, not that it mattered because he would be frequently visited by Crystaline. Most of the time he contributed little to the conversation as she gifted him with more things each day. He had desired to be alone but each visit had slowly worked over his darkness. Bit by bit he was pulling away from his fractured mind and listened to what she said. He couldn’t fathom why she kept up with seeing him, heaven knows that the average person would have gotten annoyed with his stubbornness, or in Steele’s case, would have slapped him to kingdom come. When he was alone, he would observe her gifts, especially the wood toy he received on the first day. He made sure that it went undamaged and was careful in touching it. He still had no idea of who he was, but it wasn’t long before his brothers came and literally snatched him up and dumped him onto bathing waters, clothes and all and let the women tend to him.

His mind was healing and his physical state improved as well when he finally got into fresh clothes and even his eyes seemed to be returning to their vivid green hue. Around the time Crystaline was to visit him, he was sitting on his bed, reading the book she had left. 

Crystaline felt him roll away and she just nodded as he asked her to go. “Just remember you are loved, you belong here, and that it will get better.” Angela helped Crystaline home but the half angel made arrangements for the days coming so she could come and make him feel better. Even if he were to brood the whole time she would at least try. She had brought it upon herself to helping him even if the others wouldn’t, not that it appeared like they would leave him alone.
–

She brought him tons of little things every day. They weren’t expensive or extravagant gifts but little thoughtful things she thought would make him feel better. She had even gone out of her way to get a few of the roses from her mother’s garden for him. The vibrant shade of purple was among her favorites, and she knew this from the aura of people and from how the roses were described to her.

Kirika brought her into the room with the armful of flowers and a basket on her arm. “There’s a vase on the dresser Cry. Want me to get it?” Crystaline shook her head and smiled.

“I got it, it’s alright. I’ve learned the room now.” Kirika smiled at Colden and left Crystaline in the room with him. She stepped forward and put her arm out until she felt the edge of the bed. She placed the basket on it and took out some shears. “How are you feeling today?” She asked as she made her way over to the dresser that Kirika had spoken of. She felt around and her touch was gentle enough not to even move the vase as she found it.

She set the bundle of flowers down and felt the stem on them one by one and began to trim off the thorns. “I heard they gave you a bath. There were girls talking about it in town,” she chuckled a bit as she started to put them in the vase as she got done. “I brought you some more fruit. I think they are from Angela’s garden this time. There is a pear, an apple, a durian, and I didn’t know if you liked sour or bitter things so I put a lemon in there too. I asked and made sure that they were all ripe.” She finished cutting the flowers. “Do they all look alive still? I was terrified they would be starting to wilt by the time they got over here.” She frowned a bit as she found a pitcher of water and brought it over to fill the vase. Her fingers touched the vase and felt where the water line was by the way of the ceramic getting cooler as the liquid settled in.

She was dressed in a light summery halter dress that dipped far down her back. It dipped enough to show the deep scars she had, rigid and not smoothly healed like most of Angela’s healing. Her white hair was pinned and braided around the back of her head. Her purple court necklace was shimmering just a bit as she moved to come back over to the bed. “What’s the sky like today? Liz said it was a little cloudy earlier like it was going to rain. I haven’t smelled any petrichor so I was unsure if it had happened and I just didn’t notice or if it just moved past us. The birds have been oddly quiet today too like it would storm.” She mused softly as she sat down on the bed next to the basket.

She reached for it and handed him the fruit and pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses putting them on the nightstand not far from where she was. “It’s from Aunt Angela. She said you could probably use it, though I wouldn’t drink it in misery. I think it tastes good.” She took out another box and put it by him. “Aunt Lily made you some sweets to help cheer you up… and Mother got you another book. I think it is written by the same person who wrote the one I gave you.” She took out the book and put it by him. “And… Aunt Toya gave you…” She tilted her head. “She gave you some words of encouragement?” She blushed a bit as she hesitated. “But Uncle Blaine put some dried meat in there since Aunt Toya was being mean again as a sorry. She really is loving she just has a hard shell and is a pain to deal with.” She waved her hand in Colden’s direction as if telling him not to put too much thought into it. "Aunt Toya said that she would teach you fire magic since Lotus told her you were using it. Not that you don't know how to conjure it but fire magic is Aunt Toya's expertise. I guess that was her way of giving a gift too. She also said that if you weren't a pansy like the rest of us she would take you out for a ride on Karith." She chuckled a bit at that. "Not that being in the sky would bother me but it is dangerous for me to do things like that now."

“And Liz brought back some dried seaweed from the market. It is actually good if you like that sort of thing. It is supposed to be good for you… Has a texture like the dried meat if you like the taste of sea salt. Grandmother Willow also wanted me to give you a new necklace.” She took it out and it was one that matched Kirika’s. “You are home and one of us so she thought you would like a new one.” She shifted around things in the basket and smiled a bit more. "I also got you something else though. It's supposed to be a charm for good luck and healing. At least that's what our cousin Nymphaea told me when she took me to the market." She mused as she pulled out a rather odd looking little stone. It was cut into the shape of a moon and made out of marble inlaid with some various little gems. She reached for his hand and when she finally found it she put it in and closed his hand. "I don't know if it works but it's the thought that counts, right?"

Colden glanced up from the book in time to see his sister and Crystaline come in. “Hello”, he spoke meekly to her. Before he would never had greeted her and it would take some time before he would even open his mouth, but at least he was opening up to her more. Closing the book, he gave her his undivided attention and watched her while shaking his head. “I could do that if you wish”, he offered, referring to the flowers she tended to. There was plenty of times where he had noticed that she pushed herself too far because she was too kind for her own good. Had she always been like that?

“Better, I suppose.” He took it one day at a time, but then again she of all people would know of that. It was still hard, but he was trying to do as Crystaline had advised him and think more optimistic. Perhaps one day he would find his calling, but for now he would work on bettering himself. “Bath, is that what they are calling it?” He couldn’t help but to roll his eyes at what had happened during that time. “Steele and Dante practically burst into here and dragged me into the waters and threw me in while some of the ladies had attacked me with soaps and oils. I can’t even recall the last time I bathed., to be honest. Suppose I’ve been stuck in here longer than I thought.” The rosenite had lost track of time since he first arrived here and aside from that fiasco that his brothers had done, he hadn’t left the room. His eyes met with the scars on her back and it wasn’t hard at all to figure out how that came to be. He frowned at the sight of them as he recalled it happening to her in her youth. He couldn’t imagine the pain she must have felt and still, she seemed so cheerful. “I’m fine with anything you bring me”, he replied before he slid on the bed so that he was sitting with his feet on the floor. “They were well kept, so yes they still look fresh, Crystaline.” He would have offered again to trim them for her, but he decided against it.

“It looks like it will rain after all. I peeked out there earlier and the clouds were rolling up. If it does rain…you can stay here. ” Retrieving the goods, he took a bite out of the pear and let its juices roll about his tongue. “I do especially like pears though. They are…my favorite.” Despite the fruit being meant for him, he took the apple and cut it into slices with a knife he had nearby and and brought up to her. “Here, taste this. I don’t feel like eating alone today, if you don’t mind.” 

He watched her as the gifts were presented, more of them from the other parts of their family. His aunts were all caring and wanting him to be strong and better, even his Aunt Toya’s encouragement felt like it came from a good place.

Colden was wearing a green shirt and black trousers, his hair trimmed neater though and his black hair had strains of white at the ends. Fortunately he smelled far better too, like lilies though that was likely because of the oils used on him. He sat straight up as he went through everything as she described them one at a time. “Been too used to receiving hand-me-downs and broken things from my mother. From what I’ve learned, Lotus would used to sneak me things every now and then until mother would find them and punish us for them.” He was grateful for what his family was trying to do- perhaps he wouldn’t have been so messed up in the head if his mother would have just disappeared entirely.

Taking the necklace, he started to tear up when she said that he was one of them after all, but he quickly wiped them away and draped it around his neck. When she presented the stone to him, he brought it up to his eyes and watch its gems sparkle before glancing over to her and allowing himself to smile a little. “Thank you.” He didn’t know if it really worked either, but he would cherish it all the same. Colden bite into the pear again and chewed in thought. Glancing towards the window, he could see the sky getting darker. It was a good thing that she had made it here prior. “Your sister was right. A storm is heading our way.”

Crystaline smiled as he offered to help her. It was the first time he had done so since he showed up. It showed he was at least trying to do as she suggested and that being here had been good for him. “I got it. Believe it or not doing little things like this makes me feel more useful. It’s so I push myself so much. Everyone is out fighting wars, battles, and who knows what else and I have to stay here because I can’t see.” She chuckled a bit. “So I do what I can.”

There was a large fit of laughter from Crystaline as she had to steady her hands with the shears. “You were starting to smell a little. My nose is rather good compared to most people. You can say I can see things through scent sometimes… Just like how I can navigate by hearing better than most.” She thought she felt her face start to heat up just a bit as he said he was fine with whatever she brought. “That’s good. I’m not too sure what you like so I tend to bring whatever I can find.”

She smiled that the roses were fine and did the last few touches on them. “That’s good. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’ve ruined the petals or not when I’m holding them.” She moved to sit next to him and she put her hands in her lap as she listened to him speak.

“You are speaking a lot more to me now… That’s good.” She offered a smile in his direction. Honestly, she was at a loss for words for staying. “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, me staying if it rains. Especially if it thunders, I don’t much like the thunder. Might be because my hearing is so sensitive. Or that the thunder and lightning storms around here shake the buildings a bit.” She chuckled more. “That must sound silly.”

She heard him take a bite of the pear and kept the smile on her face. It was good that he was eating now too. “That’s good, I should be able to get more of them for you. They grow on this little tree out in our night garden. I had to bug Liz to tell me how ripe it was though.” She laughed a bit as she thought of the look on Liz’s face.

“Not at all. I am ashamed to say I haven’t eaten anything all day. It’s a real problem when I get busy doing something.” She took the slice offered to her and munched on it quietly. “They are really sweet this time of the year. Towards the end of the season, they tend to get a tad bitter but not overly.”

She listened to him tell her a little bit about what his mother used to do and she frowned. “That’s sad. I know Lotus is a genuinely nice person underneath the front she puts up. She’s had to deal with a lot from what I know about her. It’s only been recently she’s been allowed home, though recent for us is going back a decade or so.” She waved her hand while she thought about it. “All my things are made especially for my sight problem, at least that’s what my mother tells me. They are made for your other sensories so I don’t miss out on much. Though I do still like asking what color things are.”

She could feel it when he started to tear up and while he tried to wipe it away she brought her hand up to feel his cheek and the dampness. “It’s alright to be happy Colden. I think we all cry in happiness.” She smiled at him before putting her hand down. “It’s no problem. Liz said that the gems on it are all different colors. She wouldn’t tell me how many different ones there were though because she didn’t want to count.” She chuckled.

She thought for a minute before smiling more. “Would you tell me what the sky looks like right now? The colors and such? I have a knowledge of what the colors look like but it helps if I can put them to things like the sky or your features.” She reached for the wine bottle and took something out of her hair for a moment. It was a gem pin. She twisted it just slightly before feeling the neck of the bottle feeling the cork. She jammed it in the center and paused. “Don’t tell my mother that I use the expensive pins she gets me to open things.” She laughed a bit more as she used a slight force to pull the cork out. She fixed the pin and put it back in her hair before grabbing the glasses. “One for you and one for me.” She put them steadily on the bed, it was more like a balancing act as she blew a soft breath. The wind magic swirled around the glasses keeping them upright as she felt the rims of the glasses and filled them up halfway. When she was done she placed the bottle back on the stand and picked the glasses up letting the wind magic go. “It’s a nifty trick I’ve heard my mother use.” She offered the glass to him now.

After he took it she sipped on the glass. “You don’t mind me being here do you?” Now that he was better she could ask that question. Before she knew what the answer would be. “I don’t have many people to be with when Liz is out of town and she is out of town often. I think she was only here recently because you were coming home.” She blushed a bit at that mention and let her fingers play with the edge of the glass.

“Has Kirika told you what she was able to get the sentence down to yet?” She could feel the heat on her cheeks as she turned her face away if only to save her the embarrassment of him seeing her face that red if it was indeed as red as it felt. “I doubt she wanted to put that on your mind while you were still very upset.” She mused as brought the glass back up and sipped it softly. “Everyone in your family that’s left is required to have a child in ten years,” she sounded a bit sad as she knew that Lotus especially hadn’t wanted kids.

“And they put a stipulation on you that it had to be with one of your cousins,” her voice was low. “Angela was all for you having one with one of her daughters.” Crystaline laughed, “but… I’ve been to all the court meetings since this started. You sounded like me. So, I offered to be the one. I think Aunt Toya spit all the whiskey she was drinking out. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak up often in the meetings. I am not being this way because I feel sorry for you or that I just want to help your sisters.” She wanted to curb that thought before it started.

“I really want to help you, Colden. You don’t deserve the harsh punishment the stupid council wanted. You deserve to be understood and loved. I do the things I do because I want to do them. It’s just how I’ve always been.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know what else everyone is doing besides fighting.” He hadn’t been in an actual fight himself, but he has seen conflict and death before. Too much to know that he didn’t want anything to do with it. He didn’t think Crystaline needed to know about that side of the world any more than what she had. “You were kind enough not to tell me that despite you being bothered. You could have told me, though I guess I was still in my funk.” Colden still was, but he seemed better, far better than before. Every now and then he noticed the girl’s face changing to red, though he was unsure as to why. But he wasn’t lying to her about the flowers, he couldn’t see any damage done to them as she trimmed them with care. To be fair, he was still unsure if he would have the patience or the gentleness that she had with that sort of work.

He looked to his own hands, which hadn’t created beautiful things- if anything they had only managed to ruin and destroy. He looked to cousin and shook his head, “It’s not. I’d imagine there’s plenty of people that don’t like storms. Everyone has something they fear, no matter who they are.” He feared being inadequate and alone; despite his darkened mood a few weeks ago, he needed connections. It showed in how he took to his sisters and brothers and the others. Especially Crystaline as he voiced to her things he wouldn’t have to any other. He kept eating the pear, not realizing how hungry he had really been until he all but devoured the fruit and went to cut some more slices for her and placed them softly into her hand before fetching the durian.

“I’ll…have to talk to my sister when I feel confident enough to. I do owe her an apology since the last time I spoke to her, I thought she was lying to me.” He had behaved  like a rabid, foaming mouthed fool towards her when she was his biggest support, even when he had sided with Cyprus against her. “We hadn’t seen one another, but I think she still is. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says about her.”

He wasn’t used to sharing hs feelings, much less allowing himself to be so vulnerable in front of someone else. And though she couldn’t see it, Crystaline was a good judge of when he was feeling a certain way. He didn’t think he truly belonged here and perhaps some day he wouldn’t feel so alienated despite everyone’s attempts to make him see otherwise. He looked again on the stone she gave him and counted the different gems. “There’s five gems on the stone. Ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz and amethyst.” 

Glancing outside again, he looked carefully at the clouds as they nearly covered the sky above. “There’s plenty of thick grey clouds and a few white ones. The whole area seems to be caught in a grayish tint.” Colden merely watched her as she popped the cork out of the wine bottle and took his glass when given. “Don’t worry I won’t tell her.” He smiled. “I don’t mind it at all. It would be no different than you coming here every day now.” His eyes caught her blushing once more but didn’t make a fuss over it as he sipped at the wine. “You can come over when you please.” The wine was really good, but since it was crafted from the goddess, he wasn’t too surprised in the least.

“No. She hasn’t yet”, he said with with his eyes narrowing. No one had told him of the punishment he was required to go through. He had expected death, but Angela told him otherwise. It was something quite bizarre given his crimes. But even Crystaline seemed to know what was up with that. And again, she seemed embarrassed. “You know, your face keeps turning red like a tomato”, he said with a slight chuckle. He sipped at his drink right up until she spilled the beans and he nearly spilled his drink. “A…child?” He looked dumbfounded, but not nearly as much as when she confessed more of the stipulations. Apparently he wasn’t trusted enough to make his own pick, though given everything that happened, he couldn’t have been too upset. An annoyed sigh slipped from him, he figured that Angela had something to do with it when she was speaking to Kirika when they first brought him over here. Then his frustration tried to a bewildered look at her. His jaw dropped and would had hit the floor if it could. “I…don’t understand…why volunteer yourself?” His voice still filled with shock as he came to terms with all this. Was that why her face had been filled with so much red? Did his sisters know of this? She claimed that she was doing this out of her own accord and he couldn’t think otherwise. She had been so unselfish so far, so to think any differently seemed taboo.

“I suppose it was the council that wanted the death penalty, then?” He slowly rose from the bed and came to the window and opened it. The breeze was strong and he could smell the impending rainfall that would come. Colden leaned against the window sill and looked across the city. “Why put yourself through my burden, Crystaline? I think you deserve far better than what I am capable of. Especially if it means a child of all things.” He turned to her, his eyes watching with uncertainty. This was a big deal and yet she didn’t seemed bothered by it. Why?