“Seems to be the case when you break someone’s spirit.” Eldora chimed over to Dante as they watched Sol.

All of their talking ended once Xunatar came into the room with Angela. “You are free to stay at the Red Manor.” She knew that Mordecai would want to be as far from Xunatar as possible. Still, Cala for her daughter and she couldn’t very well just let the girl sleep in a crumby inn.

Angela let Undine go as soon as she could. The woman had a bit of a dizzy step but the goddess kept an eye on her. “The same goes for you Undine. You will not harm your kin.” Undine’s blue eyes looked up at Angela and she merely let it go.

“It’s insulting you think I would harm my sisters.”

“If push came to shove… You would destroy them.” Angela said it plainly. This house was a nightmare for Undine and gods only knew what it would do to her for even being inside it.

Once Steele started to go off with Sol Undine found herself following behind. She didn’t like seeing him in chains and she didn’t like seeing him behave the way he was. This was going to be different for them. They had so many blows dealt to them at this point. They had restarted many times. They had even been refugees. Now they were trapped in her motherland… Doing gods know what.

Their room was fit for nobility. She expected nothing less. Deep blues with hints of red. This room had been prepared for them ahead of time. She was cautious as she took a peek around the room. Skeptical that there would have been that much care put in place for them. Were they not prisoners in some sense?

In truth, if she had known about Kirika she would have expected it… but she knew the old ways.

Angela took a long look at Xunatar and waved. “She is your problem now. I would talk to her and get her under a geas as well. She is far more volatile then I care to deal with.” With that, the goddess was gone.

Undine waited and watched as Sol was let out of his chains. She waited for the door to close and finally she turned herself to the only person she felt like she had. “You accepted it for me?”

Xunatar saw Undine as different from Sol in terms of their ignorance. The poor girl had been a product of her unfit mother and her tasteless desires for power- sacrificing the lives of her offspring for it or whenever her temper boiled. Sol, on the other hand, was a pampered, spoiled brat that threw a major fit when he couldn’t take what he wanted. By controlling the boy, he was sure that she would be kept in check as well. He needed not to place her into a geas; it would serve better than to face the possible wrath of her father.

With the two in custody, he could focus on more important matters, the likes of which he wouldn’t be keen on sharing any time soon with them. Meanwhile, Sol felt utterly defeated- by both his brother and father. How was he supposed to come back from this? He had NOTHING! Over and over they started up again. Over and over they would fall and fall. He felt like he wasn’t even there as Steele dragged him to their bedchambers. Gods, what would he do now? Be a puppet of his father’s? That outcome scarred him to his very soul.

“As father said, stay put and don’t cause trouble”, Steele said, still mistrusting of the duo as he unshackled Sol and took his leave. Sol quickly moved over to the bed and slumped over it. “There was little choice in the matter. I’d be locked away or dead and you would likely be sent back to your father. That is how dear old dad operates.” He slammed his fist against the mattress, “And despite the lavish appearance, we are naught but his prisoners. No, his lapdogs to do as he sees fit. No better than those that are downstairs right now.”

He couldn’t look at Undine, or at anyone for that matter. The prideful felt a deep shame for his failures, perhaps the greatest yet. He was destined for greatness, was that not what his parents had told him so many years ago? How could the great Sol be reduced to this?

“Perhaps I am cursed. That would explain how everything went wrong.” His hands squeezed against the bedsheets in anger. How he wanted to burn it all to the ground; this house, this city, this desert! But he couldn’t, not under that geas he was sworn to.

How infuriating!

“Gods knows what that man plans on us doing for him, Undine. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about how I failed you and everything.”

Undine listened to Sol about their situation. She was doing her best to be supportive of him. After all, she felt like he needed it the most. She sat down next to him and let her body lean against his. She listened as he complained about how he failed her and soon the Siren was taking his face in her hands. “Sol, you didn’t fail me. You are alive and that matters the most to me.” Her eyes were sad but she wanted him to be aware.

She moved his arm around her slowly enough so he could pull it back if he wanted. “When I was a child, I remember seeing devilish things. I have always been able to recall what my baby eyes could see. Maybe it was because of the magic my father used but I remember the devil herself.” Her eyes closed. “How she ripped the fingernails off my sibling for feeding me. How she took the hand from another. I remember their screams in this house.” She opened her eyes and looked around. “As pretty as this place is now… It’s a place of death. MY death.”

There was silence for a moment. “But I will rebuild as I always have. No matter the obstacles in my way… It includes this predicament that your father has put us in. Us being alive gives us another chance. It might take a while but eventually, we’ll be free, so long as we mind ourselves. You are prideful and I know it hurts. But you not dying was the best thing you could have done for me. As long as you are with me we’ll find a way. We’ve rebuilt a lot of times now… What’s one more long one?” She reached up and put strands of his hair behind his ear.

There was a chuckle. “You have me… ME… preaching about patience. What have you done?” He had changed her in very few ways and she could see the changes in him too. She moved her free hand into his and held it. “It won’t be terrible as long as we are both here.” The siren turned and kissed his forehead. “We’ll see what they do to us in the coming days I’m sure.”

She sat there with him for what seemed like forever as they waited in silence. She held his hand firmly and gripped a little when the door opened. It was Eldora with some food, by her side was the tiny little angel from before. “Remember what I said Angelette… No antagonizing.” Eldora looked down at the little one who was carrying a bottle of wine and a bottle of cider.

“Okay, Auntie.” She totted her way in as Eldora walked behind her.

“You two need to eat to get your strength back. Had the kitchen make this for you and Angelette thought she would bring you some things as well.”

The little angel looking child floated up enough to put the bottles on the stand. Once she landed she totted back over to Sol curiously. “Are you a bad man?” Eldora stopped a bit but recognized the question as harmless. She put the tray full of food down. “Papa says you’ll be staying with us for a long time. Do you like games?” Angelette touched his leg and moved herself so she could look up into his eyes. “I don’t live here but I visit a lot.”

Being alive was fine and dandy, but for Sol, was being imprisoned and being forced into servitude actually living? While Undine was content with just having him, Sol wanted the world as well. He had spent his life trying to get it and later on, sought his revenge. It just turned out that neither would happen and he was expected to be a good obedient dog for his father. It gnawed at him greatly but what was he to do?

“All the more reason to want to escape this place”, he replied after listening to her tale. It was not cruel for them to lock their own blood here where they knew she hadn’t had to go far from where she was killed by her mother? Perhaps its a twisted irony of sorts- all the more reason he couldn’t trust them any more than he could his father in this predicament.

“I’ve grown weary of this whole ‘starting over business’, but I suppose you are right.” It was truly not ideal for him but it was the only thing to remotely look forward to. He rolled his head away from the bed enough to glance over to Undine. Even with it all making sense, his pride didn’t like it one bit. Being at the mercy of others, when it should have been vice versa.

He barely looked over to the door where Eldora came in with food. “Great, at least they feed their inmates.” He was in no mood to be fed, especially by them. He spotted the little girl but didn’t get her a second thought. She was just another product to be used by Xunatar as far as he was concerned.

Unfortunately, Angelette wasn’t going to let it go. Instead, she sought to go after her “uncle” even though he was trying his best to ignore her. He glared at the angel, but that was all he could do without breaking the geas. “Yes, I am a very bad man, one you should stay away from. I’m sure that Xunatar has told you about the awful, terrible Sol, little girl.” Would that be enough to grant him some peace? “I do not like games, girl. I am Sol, a conquerer, not a babysitter.”

“Aye, but I will be patient and wait… While I have always seemed impulsive I can be very patient as well.” There was a small quirk to her lip as she gave a very small smile to him. She didn’t want him to worry too much about her health both physically and mentally. She refused to see the manor as a prison because she didn’t want to be swallowed by the grief she knew to still be in her heart.

“Only the strong can continue to start over even after everything has been destroyed Sol. You are as strong as you are prideful… You are just down and out a bit and you never fully recovered the power you lost from your slumber. We can afford this start over if it means we become well rested for the future. A future where both of us can be at our best.” She looked forward to a life with him but she found herself also wondering what a life with him would be like.

Eldora looked at Sol with no pity as he spoke about being an inmate. “You are family not a prisoner… Even if that is what Xunatar has chosen to do this isn’t his house. You have rules from both ends but Kirika is choosing to let you adjust but most of it was covered by the geas from your father. However, family needs to eat and in Sularia we don’t keep our prisoners alive long enough to worry about food.” There seemed to be a bit of lie there somewhere but it was hard to place where it was. Though if Undine had to guess it was the very last thing she said. Eldora in her own way was attempting to comfort Sol and herself. She had always been odd like that.

Angelette looked up at Sol until he spoke to her and she shook her head. “No, I think I like you. A bad man you could be but you can’t hurt me so you are a good man too.” Eldora smirked a bit at the perception of the child. She truly saw things in shades of gray just like her mother. “Papa told me about you but he didn’t say you were a bad man. He just said you were causing a little bit of trouble. I cause trouble all the time and I’m not terrible.” She batted her pretty little eyes at him as innocently as possible. “So you can’t be terrible either.”

After his final words she thought about what she could say and opened her mouth… Only to close it soon after as she continued with her train of thought processing in her pretty little head. “I don’t need a babysitter. Well, according to Uncle Dante you like all kinds of games with Auntie Undine. Like rolling around in the ha–” Eldora had dived half way across the room and cuffed the girl’s mouth shut.

“We told you not to repeat things that your Uncle Dante said. Now you promised me you wouldn’t antagonize your Uncle Sol.” Eldora was up on her knees now as her and Angelette were deadlocked together in a stare. “Are you done?”

There was a sharp nod and Eldora took away her hand. “Everyone is always up in arms when I say rolling in the hay. It’s an adult game.” The little one was innocent when speaking with her aunt and Eldora sighed a bit. “Besides, how old is Uncle Sol. If he’s a lot older than Auntie Undine that makes him a cradle robb–” Again Eldora cupped Angelette’s mouth.

“Sorry, she picks up on everything people say… She can speak most languages too.” Eldora sighed again and looked at Angelette who had her hands behind her back and was bouncing on her toes patiently waiting to be able to speak. “Fine, what is it you have to say now?”

Eldora let the girl’s lips free and Angelette looked at Sol. “I think Uncle Sol is my favorite now. Uncle Steele is second.”

Consider the oracle puzzled as she held herself in a crouched position looking at her niece. “Why?”

“Because for some reason he reminds me of Daddy. I feel like Daddy was a lot like Uncle Sol.”

Eldora was speechless for a moment before patting Angelette on the head. “He is, isn’t he? You should go find your father he is probably looking to take you home. Say bye to Uncle Sol and Aunt Undine okay?”

Angelette gave a reluctant look before climbing up on the bed and kissing Undine’s cheek and climbing over her aunt to Sol and forcing a kiss on his cheek even if she had to fight him for it. “I’ll be back later. You guys be good while I’m gone and don’t eat Uncle Dante even if you want to… He probably tastes weird and you don’t know where he’s been so he could be so icky.” She made a grossed out face before running out of the room.

Eldora got up off the ground and waited til she knew the girl was gone. “I’ll pray for you. She can be a bit of a handful but she is a joy to have around. If you need anything please don’t hesitate to yell for me. You may be here against your will but you are still family and you should be able to have the luxuries of that as well. It should be a few days but I was told that you’ll be able to come join us in the dining room for breakfast and dinner. After a bit, you’ll be allowed out and about as long as you don’t leave Sularia or cause problems. It’s not a forever thing… So try and make the best of it.”

Undine pursed her lips and thought about it as she put her hand in Sol’s again. “We’ll keep that in mind.” Eldora left them alone and Undine felt her sighing a bit. “I forget how lively Sularia is on the outside of this house. Once… Once we can go outside I want to see it. I’ve only ever heard the noises from the house and the crashing sea on the rocks.”

If there was one thing that he was akin to his father at, it was trusting others. Perhaps Sol had a worse time believing others than Xunatar did- though the old man could always be sure to stack the odds in his favor. Meanwhile, his oldest son wasn’t about to put his trust onto those called family. Why did they believe him to be a fool?

If that wasn’t enough, then they had to spoonfeed their bullshit to their brats, and the girl’s reasoning clearly showed that to him. “Your papa hasn’t dealt with me for centuries, and that’s after he locked me up for being ‘bad’. If you don’t do what he wants, then one day you will be in a tomb too.” He was trying to be as menacing as he could be, hopefully scaring the girl away so that he didn’t have to deal with her anymore.

He didn’t really give her anything save for a rose brow when she started to speak impropriate content that her Uncle Dante had told her. “Dante, Dante, Dante. I don’t even know the man and I don’t like him.” It wasn’t hard though when the other person he could tolerant was Undine. He had heard that name in passing but never actually saw this supposed brother of his.

“I am not your favorite Uncle”, Sol quickly retorted, his eyes narrowing at her, ” I barely know you and you know nothing about me save for whatever fairy tales you were told of. I don’t even know you, daddy, either.” Not that he cared to, anyway. Sol just wanted to roll over and sleep, begging to the higher power that when he awoke, he would still be in Kurayo. Instead, he felt like he was suffering a punishment that was worse than the tombs. There was no freedom here- he would be stuck beneath his father’s thumb and there was nothing he could about it. And with this little imp terrorizing him at boot; how cruel Xunatar could really be at times beneath that heavenly mask of his. When he heard Eldora telling her to be on her way, he would have sighed in relief is not for what the little urchin did next. He damn near flailed off the bed when he felt her kiss and he bit his tongue from telling her off.

“We’ll see; actions speak louder than words. That old fool may not run this house, but I can guarantee that he will have eyes on me at all times. If not him, then my siblings that serve him will.” He spoke nothing about joining them in feasts or even spending time with them. What was the point of inmates fraternizing with the enemy?

Sol took a deep breath as soon as Eldora was finally gone. His hand was taken by Undine’s and he looked toward the window. “If the warden deems it so. Freedom at a price still feels like shackles to me.” He remembered the kiss that Angelique gave him and furiously rubbed at his cheek. “I hope that they don’t have more children about- I’m not fond of them for many reasons. Ugh.”

After a bit, he reluctantly went to ask her something to change the mood. “So what’s this place like? Didn’t get to see the outside since my dear brother dragged me into this place.”

“No, I’m pretty bad and all they make me do is read the manual,” Angelette replied.

Eldora froze and sighed, “What did you do this time?”

“Oh, I went to the tavern and took everyone’s silver,” Angelette gave a toothy grin and Eldora sighed.

Angelette was shooed off and Eldora sighed a bit. “It’s not all bad I promise. Eventually, you’ll get to go outside.” The oracle left and Undine watched her lover while holding his hand.

“I hope not, that Angelette sounds like a trouble maker.” Undine chuckled while he rubbed his cheek.

After a bit he asked her a question and she shrugged. “I never actually got to look at my motherland. I was taken to the deep depths after I was killed. I never saw outside these walls before that point. It’s going to be new for both of us…”

–

The next morning it was decided that they would be allowed down for breakfast. Eldora woke them up for it and without opening the door she called out. “You might wanna get dressed. We’ll have the house help bring you down. There’s a big breakfast in your honor since they want to make you feel at least a bit more at home.”

Undine opened her eyes to Sol and sighed. “I don’t see the point but…” Her stomach growled again. “Let’s go.” Once they were dressed they were led down to a huge dining room that had picture windows looking out over the ocean. It was serene and beautiful. Undine didn’t remember this room.

“I had it built after I took over,” Kirika came out of the shadows in her own nightgown. “Figured we needed more light in the house. This room… used to lead downstairs.”

Undine clenched her fists hard as her memories opened back up. “I see… and downstairs?”

“We blew it up,” Lotus said quietly. “It can’t hurt you anymore Undine… It can’t hurt any of us.” There were two seats for Undine and Sol as children came in and filled up the others. Angelette was dragging a basket behind them. “What do you have there Angel?”

“A present for Uncle Sol,” Angelette let out in a heavy heave as she got the basket to them. “Hurry up and open it!”

New…he wasn’t really looking forward to anything that this place would provide. He loathed his father and didn’t care much for any of his siblings. As far as he was concerned, this place couldn’t burn up quick enough for him. Sol ended up retiring early and let a dreamless sleep take over him. After what felt like forever, he was awoken by the sound of Undine’s sister’s voice, Hazily he stirred, but refused to get up completely. Let the wardens wait for the inmates, he’d say. He shifted over to the other side but then he heard the siren’s suggest and grumbled as he plopped onto his elbows. “Great, let’s go meet the rest of the wardens.” He took his time getting up and dressed before the staff came to retrieve them. He was expecting them to be lead by chains but instead, they were free to walk without restraints. Still, he didn’t trust his prison at all, not even they made it to the dining room.

His attention shifted over to the girl that suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, she looked younger than the others they ran into. Apparently Undine felt something when the downstairs was mentioned. Something about it struck an obvious nerve with her. He reluctantly took to his reserved seat and pondered what was the story behind that. To his displeasure, he spotted not only that little urchin Angelette coming to join for breakfast, but there seemed to be more children pouring out from nowhere.

“Who the hell are all these things?”, he growled before he spotted the girl close to him and offering him a present. He cocked a brow before he took the basket and had half a mind to burn it right before her eyes. Instead, he rolled his eyes and thought for a moment that he felt movement for a split second. He peeked inside it and saw an eye staring back at him. “The fuck is this?!”, he exclaimed as he lifted a girl tinier than the little devil that gifted him this.

“Triss!”, Colden came into the room, nearly panicking as he laid eyes on his daughter and scooped her up. “Where was she?” Sol didn’t know who he was and merely shrugged as he regained his composure. “She’s the one that gifted her to me.” His finger pointed squarely at Angelette and Colden, recovering from his worrying, was upset at his oldest. “Angelette! What have I told you about giving your sister away?”

Gods, Sol placed a hand over his face- he might as well been in the damn circus at this point since this place wasn’t much different.

“Wardens are a good name for them,” Undine kissed his cheek.

“They are all of your nieces and nephews. There’s quite a few now. It only used to be the four of us in the house,” Lotus chuckled. “Well, Black Court anyways. Isn’t that right Dante,” she reached over and tickled her lover’s chin.

They settled down into their seats quietly and before long she watched as Sol opened his present. The girl had black hair with white tips, actually, she barely had hair. It was short but enough to be pulled into two single curls for pigtails. Her eyes were bright blue and she appeared quiet.

“Tristine,” Angelette smiled up at him. Once Colden came in she grimaced and ran around the chair to the other side and looked up at her father. “I put her in a basket and gave her to Uncle Sol. She was loud this morning cause she was hungry. I made sure she was safe and still within the family so you could visit her.”

Kirika smirked a bit and shook her head as Crystaline came in and swooped Angelette up. “You can’t give your sister away. We don’t do that to family,” Crys kissed Angelette’s hair. “Besides you cried over having a sister for months.”

“Well, refunds are understandable,” Angelette nodded. “You can try again.”

“No, we like Triss.” Crys argued with the little girl before the girl pouted and the mother put her next to Artemis at the table. “Now, behave please.”

“Okay,” Angelette made a face.

“Alright, introductions for Sol and Undine,” Kirika got up. “I’m Undine’s youngest sister Kirika. That’s Colden and his wife Crystaline, he’s the second youngest of the Black Court and he’s also one of your brothers Sol. That’s Lotus, my sister, and your brother Dante. That’s Eldora and Steele. Eldora is my sister and Steele is your brother. Finally, the children. Over there we have Steele and Eldora’s two Estelle and Artemis. You met Tristine and Angelette.” Angelette gave a shy wave. “Dante and Lotus’s three children the twins Casimir and Corbin and their sister Shiroi. This is my daughter Sahara and her father is away on business right now. Over there is Aria she is the late wife of my brother Casimir and that’s their daughter Cinder. That’s everyone in the house. Your father comes and goes as he pleases these days.”

“…I expected a lot more to have lived,” Undine frowned a bit.

Lotus looked over at Sol and nodded. “After breakfast when we send the kids off to school we’ll explain everything for the Black Court. The kids shouldn’t have to hear this.”

“I agree, they are our sins, not theirs,” Eldora took Steele’s hand. Everyone ate up and the kids were readied with books to send off to school for the day. Triss was too young to understand yet so it was okay to have her around. Angelette was shoved off to a special school for advanced children her age. “I think that’s all of them…”

They moved to the sitting room where Kirika had tea brought. “I’m sure you have questions about our family Sol and Undine.”

“…” Undine looked uncomfortable. “How many died?”

“What you see here is what we have left. Mother killed the rest.” Lotus frowned a bit. “We barely saved Colden.”

These urchins, all of them were his kin? He truly felt as though he was being punished for his wrong-doings. Now he was to suffer being an uncle…a position he wasn’t keen on owning at all. Sol had to figure a way for them to escape from this hell, but any ideas soon left him the moment Steele entered the room. He didn’t look like he had changed much since their last encounter. The lycan wasn’t too thrilled with sharing the same air as his older brother. Behind him was Dante, who he barely recalled. “That’s right. We certainly helped to fill the ranks back up”, Dante cooed at Lotus’ touch, immediately making Sol sick to his stomach. He had a feeling that he would have a certain kind of disdain for those two for some reason.

Colden was rubbing furiously at his temples as he listened to the poor reasoning his daughter had to get rid of her sister. Fortunately, her mother helped to deal with the girl and Angelette settled down while he still had Tristine in his arms as he took his seat. When the chaos settled down, Sol had the misfortunate of having to learn the wardens’ and urchins’ names. Too many of them for his taste was around and about and Undine seemed as though there should have been more. Gods, he made a face at her but there was something about her reaction that made him quickly retract it for the time being.

“All will come shortly”, Steele said, never taking his eyes off Sol. For countless years, he had feared him for being his tormentor, but he realized that Sol was as much of a victim of his sin as Dante, Colden and him have been. “Dante and Colden as sin carriers as well. Dante is Lust and Colden is Envy.” Sol rolled his eyes, “So has the old fool completed his quest?”

“…Yes…”

That’s all he needed to hear and he went to silently eat his breakfast as the others were.

After breakfast and the little ones, with the exception of Triss, were gone, the adults moved to the next room and Sol sat down and rested his chin on his hand as they got down to business.

“Sounds like dear old Daddy, minus the courtesy of letting his own children live…as long as they didn’t get in the way of his plans.”

“I don’t know how much I can trust Xunatar”, Colden started with crossed arms, “But at least he wasn’t planning on me killing my own kin. My mother was responsible for goading me into doing the unthinkable. Lotus, Eldora, Steele, and Dante saved me from myself and her.” He wasn’t proud of how he was back then, being power-hungry and selfish to the point where he would discard what was left of his family for a stupid crown. He would have this good life he was living now had he continued to pursue a foolish goal. “What is left of the family saved me and we want to help you in a similar way.”

Sol huffed, “Lookie here, boy. I barely know any of you but Steele and I sure as hell don’t trust y’all. We are the prisoners and you? You lot are the wardens for my father.”

“Geesh, a dramatic little one, isn’t he?”, Dante shrugged, “You are the Lion of Pride, all right.”