Blumiere

"I still cannot believe that you had the audacity to fall in love with a member of the Ancients. Not to mention she's a human", Dimentio said darkly.

"You can't change who you fall in love with," I responded quietly, "unless you fall in love with someone else."

"Then fall in love with someone else!"

"Do you think that I would have already? I'm almost twenty; I know everyone in the tribe."

Dimentio didn't reply. Instead, he quickly changed the subject.
"So," he grinned, "how long do you think your father has left?"

I stopped in my tracks. "What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your father is growing older day by day… I won't be surprised if one day we find him dead."

"Dimentio!" I snarled. "How dare you say that! You're supposed to be loyal to my father, not the raven waiting patiently to feed on his body when he's dead! You should be ashamed. You know, if you were my jester alone, I would fire you."

"I didn't mean to sound so awful," the jester replied. "I was just wondering. Dear Lord Kronos is just so old…"
I didn't speak to the jester, for I was still furious over what he had said. Did he really want my father to die?

I soon arrived back at the castle. Dimentio, who soon realized how mad I had grown at him, had flipped back to the castle a while ago. It was nice to walk alone for a chance, without that freak "guarding" me.

When I was about to open the doors, I spun around and saw the purple jester.
"I don't want to talk to you," I hissed.

"Lord Kronos is waiting for you," Dimentio said with a weak smile. "He seems pretty angry."

"How the heck did he find out?"

"That's the thing; he didn't. He's just angry that you left the castle without telling him."

I let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he won't find out where I've really been…

I opened the door to find my father standing there. His tall stature seemed like a reaper looming down over me in the dim lighting. He didn't look like a father, but a demon released from the depths of the Underwhere.

"Blumiere," his mighty voice boomed, "Dimentio told me everything."

I stood there, motionless, for I had a feeling of shock mixed with pure hatred for the jester.

"Why did you tell him!?" I hissed at the jester.

"Do not bring Dimentio into this," Lord Kronos rasped. "This is a conversation between father and son. Not father, son, and jester."

Dimentio flipped away.

My father's gaze locked on mine.

"Son," he said calmly, "you have disobeyed me once again. I told you to forget about that human girl. But no, you just had to keep thinking about her. And then you went on a date with her? But Dimentio told me something about the situation that horrified me worst of all: that girl is from the Tribe of Ancients! Do you know how much that disgusts me? If you were an ordinary tribe member I would kill you.

"I suppose I'll let you live, considering you are my son and my only heir. You are a disgrace to me and the entire Tribe of Darkness. You should be ashamed."

His voice had grown louder with each sentence. Suddenly, when I thought he was going to continue, a tear streamed down from his face.

"Blumiere," he said softly while he embraced me, "you're my only child, and I don't want you to feel the way I once felt when I was your age."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He sighed and replied, "well, when I was fifteen my father was struck with illness, and being his only heir eligible to rule, I was made the Lord of the entire tribe, thus I was forced to mature quickly. At the age of nineteen my mother told me to search for myself a Lady. There was this human girl whom I had admired. In a nutshell, she broke my heart. After that I had a new sense of hatred toward them."

I looked up at him, surprised that my father had a crush on a human.

"On her deathbed," he continued, "my mother told me about the importance of marrying tribe-only women, and I realized that. I was no longer hurt by that human and how she broke my heart. In fact, the only thing I regretted was falling in love with her in the first place. I was so foolish when I was young, and my foolish actions affected the tribe. Son, I love you and I don't want you to make the mistakes I made."

My mind wanted to obey my father, but my heart told me otherwise.

I slowly glided up to my room, while Kronos's words echoed in my mind.

When I concealed myself in my room, Dimentio flashed before me.

"I saw you embracing Lord Kronos," he grinned, "it was a touching father and son moment, just like the moments in depressing literature!"

I grabbed the jester by the throat and there was a look of horror upon his face.

"Go ahead," he smirked, "try to kill me. I'd like to see you try."

"Why did you tell my father!?" I hissed with fury. "I demand you to tell me why you told him!"

"I told him because the more he knows, the better off you are."

Dimentio escaped from my grip and glided to the door.

"Before I go," he quipped, "Lord Kronos told me to guard your room to make sure you don't leave the castle. He said that is the most humane punishment he could think of."

I sighed at the fact of that creep being outside my door. I like privacy.

I sat down at the window and stared out it once more. A slight drizzle of rain came down from the sky.

"Timpani," I whispered, "please don't be upset when I don't see you… I wish you could understand…"

(Meanwhile)

Timpani looked up at the immense castle. She had the slightest feeling that something bad happened to Blumiere, so she came to check and see if he was okay.

The slight drizzle had turned into a thunderstorm, and the young woman was slightly afraid.

"Blumiere!" she called out.

No answer.

"Blumiere! Are you okay?"

Once again there was no reply.

Lightning stuck the ground, and Timpani began to bolt for home.

How stupid, she thought. I should not have came. I could have been struck by lightning! Besides, he's probably fine.

As the girl ran for the trees, Lord Kronos was disturbed by her yelling.

"What in the name of Queen Jaydes was that?" he hissed.

The old man limped to the window, where he saw Timpani running. He grinned.

"Well," he said to himself, "an ordinary human wouldn't have just wondered here by itself. It must have a reason. Dimentio!"

The jester flipped into his room.

"Yessir?" Dimentio responded.

"I need you to catch something for me…"