Page 28 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

27

FINNLEAH

T he Emperor’s son?

Like the dead Destroyer Emperor? Who ruled Esnox before the Great Betrayal? My eyes widened in realization as I looked at Gideon, stunned at the information.

The General took a long sip from his cup, savoring the liquid before swallowing.

“A bastard son.” He gave Zora a cautionary look, but she ignored it.

“ The only son, and the only heir existing and carrying the First Destroyer lineage. They will follow you,” she insisted.

My eyes were still glued to the General, for the first time, noticing the uncomfortable shift in his posture, as if he too was not eager to bring up his heritage.

I turned my eyes to Xentar, busy eating his salad, and purposefully changed the subject.

“So how did you befriend a Destroyer, considering you are a Creator?” I asked him. Xentar dabbed his mouth with a cloth napkin in his lap as he replied.

“Well, we were both fifteen and he, in his Destroyer nature, went off to hunt and kill me for sport—” Xentar smiled at me with his gold eyes. “Destroyer teenagers are jerks, Finn, you wouldn’t have liked him then.”

I don’t even like him now, I wanted to say but didn’t. Xentar continued.

“It was clear to him that I was way better looking than he’d ever be.” Zora and Orest snickered near him, giving minor agreeing comments about Gideon’s menacing looks. “So, unable to live with the truth, he surrounded me with flames, as tall and as thick as the walls of this house. But instead of killing me, he told me to run north, and to never return, which I did. Next thing I knew, Liriya brought me money, food, and a letter. Six months later, he finds me by the Cursed Forest, drops off another three kids, and tells me I am to take care of them. Naturally, since we were already ‘sharing’ kids, I figured this relationship was serious.”

Gideon smiled tenderly, as if reminiscing that day. Xentar chuckled, exchanging a warm glance with him of deep-rooted friendship.

“So yes, I’d be careful if I were you.” The Creators’ leader wickedly grinned at me. “First, he looks like he is about to kill you, but it’s all just a ploy. Next thing you know, you’ll be stuck taking care of a bunch of children for him and waiting for a letter with further instructions to come.”

My jaw ached, unused to this much smiling. I turned to a relaxed-looking Zora.

“What about you? How did you join the rebellion?”

“Oh, it was very simple for me. Gideon and I grew up together, so his charm and theatrics didn’t work very well on me. I knew he was up to something, so once I was out of that dreadful engagement, I asked to join—”

Xentar loudly cackled, filling up the cozy room with his deep voice.

“Is that the story you tell people?!” he interrupted her. Then he turned to me, his face lit up with delight as he proceeded to give his own account. “No, it was like this. She was depressed out of her mind after her broken engagement, so Gideon dropped her ass off—” Lady De Villiar sent him a firm glance. He nodded apologetically but continued. “He left her in the Cursed Forest to fight off Glides with nothing but the little knives on that chain and said that if she was going to stay and wallow in the Numb, then at least be useful and clean up the forest. After five days, she came out all beaten up and bloody—”

“And raging pissed,” Zora commented.

“And alive,” Gideon added just loud enough for me to hear. Though I didn’t fail to notice a glance of appreciation exchanged between him and his cousin.

“He then told me that he was looking for a commander for his unit. Little did I know it was going to be a Rebel army.” She glared at him.

“I prefer the term Special Forces,” Gideon countered with a sly smile, swiveling the drink in his cup before taking a sip.

“Anyway, one day he just drops by for some tea and casually mentions that he is committing treason, oh, and storing a bunch of mages and supposed-to-be-dead rebels on the islands and plans to restore the True Order. So, naturally I had to join,” Zora finished the story.

“Zora has a terrible fear of missing out.” Xentar snorted.

“No, I don’t,” she protested.

“You really do,” Orest mumbled near her, earning a sharp elbow poke from her.

“So, wait, are you related to the Emperor too?” I asked her.

“No, my aunt Diamara, my mother’s younger sister, was the Emperor’s wife. So technically, we are not blood cousins per se, but we are family,” Zora explained. Gideon nodded in confirmation. I darted my eyes back to him. It must have been the lighting in the room, though I knew it wasn’t, but his features seemed less harsh and his eyes softened. I looked away, afraid that if I stared a bit longer, I might find something else I hadn’t noticed before.

“But yeah, my mother and aunt Diamara pretty much raised us together, so I’ve been the mature influence in his life ever since.”

“You are barely two years older than me.” Gideon quirked up his brow, though amusement lit his face.

“And yet, so much wiser. It’s truly a miracle.” She gave a cocky comment, and Gideon shook his head, smiling wide.

“What about you?” I turned to Orest.

“Oh, no interesting or exciting story with me, unfortunately.” He gave me a reserved half-smile. But before I could ask any more questions, Zora chattered.

“So, Rey-Rey, are you going to dance for us today?”

“I’d love to. I love dancing. Did you know that, Finn? If not, now you know. I am a very good dancer too. Maybe I can teach you sometime. There is a new dance I’ve been practicing, though it was more of my creation.” She pushed her plate away and rashly chugged the water in her cup. “Come, let’s go.” Aurelia excitedly pulled my hand getting up. “You have to see it.”

The guests leisurely ambled into an adjacent room. It was a bigger room, but just as cozy as the rest of the house. The furniture in the room was elegant, though simple. Large, olive couches faced a small, black, grand piano and an enormous, rounded rug covered most of the polished, wooden floor. Across the room, a few bookcases, tightly stacked with all manner of books, lined the walls. A couple of beautiful paintings by Lady De Villiar hung above the large fireplace adding the final touches.

“Mom?! Hurry up!” Aurelia yelled across the room until Lady De Villiar appeared a second later, sitting down on the round stool by the black piano. She adjusted her skirts, before turning a few pages of the thick music book. Aurelia had already impatiently taken a stance in the corner of the room.

“Which one are you going to do for us today, dear?” her father asked.

“Dance of the swan!” she confidently answered, eager to jump into ballet.

“My favorite!” he cheerfully proclaimed, and Aurelia gleamed at his words.

“Ready?” her mother asked, giving her a questioning nod. Aurelia gave her two thumbs up.

The black and white keys moved in fluid succession with the touch of Lady De Villiar’s long fingers; a beautiful melody filled the still air as Aurelia fell into a dance.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but my heart swelled with gratitude for the beauty of her moves. Each pirouette and each arm movement was striking, mesmerizing. She moved as though she were going to float away; her steps so light and airy, as if in the moment, she was an actual angel floating down from heaven. Her entire body matched each keystroke, each note, as if she were one with the music; as if it weren’t the piano that played the melody, but it poured out of her heart instead. A little shiver went through my body as she made her final steps and the music quieted.

It was breathtaking.

Aurelia theatrically curtsied as we all clapped.

“That was amazing, Aurelia!” I proclaimed as she twirled, taking a seat by her father.

“Thanks, I’ve been practicing it for a while now. It always makes my dad tear up.” She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hide her smile, as her face lit up with glee.

“True.” He squeezed her tighter, landing a big kiss on top of her head. “I couldn’t be prouder of my beautiful, talented daughter.”

“Gideon, would you like a turn?” Lady De Villiar stood up from her stool, putting the music sheets aside.

“I…” he paused, considering. “Sure, why not.” The General casually stood up, shortly taking a seat by the piano. The small, round stool looked instantly petite under his large body. He straightened up, moving one foot to the small, golden pedal near the floor. He held his hands above the piano, hesitating for a moment as if remembering, considering what to play. And then his hands moved. His music was so different from the previously melodramatic notes of the swan dance that Lady De Villiar played. His fingers moved fast, as the upbeat melody unfolded.

“Ah! That’s my favorite song!” Zora yelped next to me, running up to the piano, her voice pouring out a minute later. Her usually commanding voice turned into a silky melody as she sang an upbeat song. Her face dramatically showed every expression of the lyrics. She glared at Orest a second later, gesturing for him to join her. He timidly slid further into his seat on the couch, but under her persistent stare, he gave in. Taking a long sigh, he got up and walked over to awkwardly stand by her. The usually-quiet and reserved Orest’s deep and handsome voice now entwined with the soft, lovely voice of Zora in a perfect duet.

The more I listened to the lyrics, the more I almost laughed.

“What is this song?” I turned to Xentar, amused.

“Oh, it’s a kids’ song. Apparently, Destroyers sing it to their kids, so they stay away from Seers.” He chuckled. I turned my eyes back to the three Destroyers deep into their ballad. A song that, what I now realized, was about a Seer named Bryni that gave bad luck.

Zora’s voice stretched as she sang her solo, just as Orest’s low and deep voice followed suit, their melodies uniting in perfect harmony.

I tried to pull my gaze away from the General’s figure. Tried and failed, as my mind soaked in every detail, every move of his large hands across the keys.

But it wasn’t the way he skillfully played that completely bewitched me.

It was his eyes.

I had stared at his eyes before. In fact, I spent a lot of my time glaring at them.

Except now, something was different. He was focused on the piano, only occasionally glancing over to Zora and Orest, not noticing my admiration-filled look, and for once, I let myself truly stare. His usually harsh, cold, and calculating eyes were somehow so free, exhilarated and enthralled, as if that ancient history they carried was gone and it was just here and now.

And in that moment, I wondered.

I wondered if maybe in a different life, under different circumstances, where he wasn’t the Destroyer General, and I…well, I wasn’t me, that maybe I wouldn’t mind staring at those eyes for all eternity.