chapter 29

"What a scene." Richard said as he laughed,

    "Scene? she's afraid of her own children." Malicay shouted as they brought him to his knees,

      "I'll handle that, soon her memory will be rewritten." Malicay smiled as he heard this,

      "Well I won't do it, but..., am guessing you already have someone in mind." Honestly I don't know if he's mad or he just like getting on people's nerves, or probably both.

       "Good guess, for now, I'll have to put her to sleep." Richard replied, 

      Malicay laughed, "You're a monster." He said,

       "Please stop pointing fingers, you're not as innocent as you think you also have blood stained all over you." Richard said,

       "Really?" He acted surprised and laughed, but I knew Richard wasn't lying,

        "Am not in a mood for arguments." Richard said,

       Malicay looked like he had wandering thoughts, just when we thought he gave up he said, "Well, we can agree that she's become much more obedient don't you think Richie." Richard was losing his patience,

      "Mind your own business she's my wife, why don't you do better than I do with your wife." Malicay was laughing harder, and Richard was fuming with anger,

         "Am just saying take care of your wife properly that's all." He muttered, in a position like this

only Malicay would dare challenge his opponent, we were better off quiet.

          "You really know how to annoy people don't you." Richard said, the effect Ethan left had not yet worn out but still he kept his head high,

       He thought for a second and said, "Well I don't know about that but people tell me that like a lot, especially your wife." This caused Richard's anger to rise.

          "Malicay!" Richard screamed.

           "Shh, don't raise your voice." He had a dark grin on his face, and smiled again, "else you'll just show Mira what a loser you are." He laughed harder.

            "You Bastard."

            "What! Come on, I deserve harsher names than that you know." The twins were speechless, Malicay was probably the best at dealing with Richard so they relied on him a lot. 

      "Lock him up and make sure no one enters Mirabel's room." Richard said.

      We were yet again stuck here and I didn't like it in here, we haven't seen Mira since then and I wonder what happened to her. 

    I swallow my pride and sneaked into Mira's room, I don't know why but I feel incomplete without this family, I have become a part of this family because of her, not everyone invites a stranger to their house but she did that, I owe her a lot but most times even when I disapprove of something I always find myself obeying her.

       "Mira." I call out as I open the door,

       "Oh, you came." She weakly said, I follow her hand and sit on her bed. "Want to play snakes and ladder with me", she asked. I turned to Agatha and nodded. I couldn't be more happier than now, I haven't played this in years.

      "Yes."

      "Martha, I never asked you this before but what happened to your family." I stopped at the sound of this, my hands were shaking and she seemed to have noticed that, so she pat me on the head. No one has ever asked me that before and even I don't know what happened to them, I was only told that they died in a fire.

       "They died and I was adopted but they died too. All I have is this scar." I tell her,

       "Oh."

       "I picked up a job so I could care for myself in college."

       "And we ruined it. Am so sorry." She apologized, "how would you like to return to college, I'll pay for it." 

       "What?"

       "I don't like seeing people waist their lives, it pains me to see Ethan that way because I love him, promise me you will speak to him he has to live, if I don't make it promise me to watch my children."

    I stayed silent when she grabbed my hands in hers, I looked up to her and with tears in my eyes I said, "how fortunate of me, to be by your side, you took a stranger in without thinking twice."

      "Enough Martha, you are part of this family."

      "No am not, am just the teenager you saved seventeen years ago."

       "No, you are family, you are an Ego and nothing less. Oh Martha, you remind me of someone." She laughed, as long as am alive no harm will come to them, "I promise."

   Once again I find myself drawn to the old room and run there in search of answers, I move forward and dust the painting and that's when I got confused, suddenly the room began to light up with beautiful lights and I could hear a beautiful sound I know that sound, that was the beautiful melodies of Swan Lake but who was playing it at a time like this, I ran out and I could hardly recognize the mansion it looks so beautiful but empty, a little girl of about seven years was playing the piano and a boy who was the same age as she stood as if awaiting his turn but during the final line she missed a key and tried to hide it.

        "That's enough Eos." I turn around and find a young man standing behind me, he's the same as the painting but I can't see his face properly, he walks up to the child as she begins to tremble and this makes me realize that am inside an illusion.

        "Father I..." He rose his hand and signaled her to remain silent.

        "Don't you dare." He covers his face with one hand and sigh, "this just proves that none of you practice and that I've wasted my time giving you the best, what do you say".

       "I'd say don't blame the children but we already know you won't agree." The lady from the picture came down the stairs and walked up to the man before kissing him. "You're not in a good mood."

       "And why shouldn't I be, they keep playing it wrongly." He angrily said,

      She smiled at him and spoke to him, "Don't blame them, get a new tutor, I happen to be acquaintance of the best pianist in the country." I can't say he was delighted to hear this but he did look a little relieved.

       "Get him here and fix this damage." He says as he walks out. As soon as he leaves the children faces their mother,

       "He probably doesn't want us cause we're no good." The girl says,

       "We can't leave up to his expectations." The boy said. Their mother smiled at them and patted them, "Says who, for as long as I've known, your father always wanted to have kids."

        "He did but who said he wanted us." The girl said, I could hear the sound of the piano once again and turn away from them, a lady was playing so beautifully and the man just stood there watching her and admiring her graceful skills.

      She stopped and turned to the children. "Eos, Edwin. Come here." The both of them walked up to her and she stood, "I would like you to play a duet."

      They were shocked and so was their father, the boy quickly explained, "No Madam we're no good."

       "I've heard you say that a lot now, and am beginning to wonder who keeps telling you all this, sit and play." The only one who made them feel that way was their father, somehow he seems worst than Richard ever will be. Before they could begin their teacher walked over to their father and whispers something to him which causes him to leave, and as soon as he leaves they both start playing and they played well, all this time they were scared of their father but she seemed to understand the whole thing. They finish without a single mistake and immediately their father walks in.

       "You've been listening." Edwin says, but he says nothing and keeps walking, he suddenly stops and without looking back he says to the lady,

       "I'd love for my children to stay at your house two days in a week so they could practice more what do you say?"

        "Its up to the children." She replies with a smile.

        "No its not." He said.

         "Yes it is." She sighs and calms down before speaking again. "Mr Ego I would love it if you stop filling these children heads with false ideas. Children would you love to visit my place during the week?" She asks,

         "Yes please." They both chorus. I don't know how long I've been here but I would love to see the end of all this.

     The children ran with their mother behind them and a beautiful bouquet in their hands. "Hurry up Eos we have to be there on time so we can spend more time with her." Edwin said,

       "Are you forgetting that we would be staying there for two days, nothing to rush about if it all ends in we coming back here." Eos said,

         "Shh, Father might hear you." Edwin silenced her,

        "He's out again so he won't hear a thing." She said, they run away as their mother waves at them, soon a man stood next to her and he began speaking,

       "When will they be ready?"

       "Once they awaken their eye." She says as she continues to wave at the children. The man didn't look satisfied with her reply and continued.

      "Don't you think they've been changing lately, I mean they just ran out with a bunch of flowers."

        "Calm down am sure it'll come soon then we can begin the process to unleach the army of the underworld and then with Death on my side I would gain control over them. They are the two balance of this world, I can't have them turn against me and I can't lose my husband." I gasp when I hear this, the thought of a mother sacrificing her own children for power just sucks, and it sucks the most to see that none of their parents actually cared for them. "Find them, I can't afford to lose them." She shouted from behind, I turn around as the old scene fades away the lady was very angry at something, the man who was with her before joins her,

        "Where do you think his majesty must had run off to." The man asked,

       She stood for a while, fuming about something, and says, "That girl, I knew she was trouble she wants to snatch him away from me find her and bring her to me, I've already lost one, I won't let her have my husband not him." She screamed.

        "Martha." What the! I jerk at the sound of my name and turn around, 

        "What!" I freeze in surprise as I find Malicay next to me, "I thought you were locked up." I say,

      He smiles at me and looks forward. "I wonder when they would understand that locking me up won't work on me." He says.

        "Ah, so you escaped." I laugh,

         "I always find a way." He tells me.

         "Malicay..." I try to call his name but he covers my mouth.

         "Shh, don't tell me about it, I know what you saw, the memories in this mansion is way too strong but only I can access it. No body can see me here right now except you, they can't know am talking to you right now so act natural." He says,

         "But I..."

        He covers my mouth again and when he releases it he says, "Shh, calm down Martha. Okay, it's like a ritual, giving someone that ability to see memories is a big deal and am afraid that soon you might be my only hope and I trust you to make the right decision, so am entrusting this ability to you, until the war is over I want you to hold on to them, in the eyes of everyone you're a snooper and keep it that way because no one suspects you, please Martha, this is the reason I let you listen to my conversation in the first place, I needed you to know everything about me first." I nod my head in consent and look forward.

       "You trust me to this power." 

       "Well someone I trust, trusts you so I trust you to do the right thing." He said, he looks forward and sighs, "What a mistake he made." He says, I believe he was talking about the old Prince, he looks like he pities the guy for his stupidity or something.

       "Why was he that way." I asked but he starts thinking,

       "Honestly I don't know, perhaps he was scared." He says,

       "You think so."

       "Yes. What would you say if I told you he never held them not once." He says and becomes silent.

       I turn to him to ask a question, "Hey Mali... He's gone, how is he that fast."

Not