A/N - Hello! I finally was able to update this chapter, after a while of author's block, and other stuff. Well, school's starting again, so the chapters will be updated on the weekends again. Hope everyone likes this one. Thanxz for all your reviews!
Chapter 2
Sebastien watched as everyone followed his grandfather down the hall to the luscious dining room, mostly used when guests are there, the women sobbing on their husbands shoulders as they went. Sebastien himself had only been in the room once, but that had been many years ago, and he had no desire to return there now. Xavier hung back and watched his relatives leave as well, the two of them sliding into the small nook, found years ago, under the stairs. When the last crying woman disappeared from view, Sebastien and Xavier emerged from under the stairs, as Ace and Philip came out from behind the curtains. None of the boys had any wish to be part of the decision making for their cousins future. Whatever they suggested would be overlooked either way. They were of no importance to their aunts and uncles. It would be announced later that evening what had been decided, and why waste a perfectly good day inside a stuffy old room? And if there were any juicy events of the evening, they would no doubt be talked about between their older brothers that night, so there was no point in either of the four attending the meeting.
"Nice to see you finally returned to us" Xavier joked with Philip
"I would have been back earlier, but uncle Mark begged me to stay" Philip replied with a grin "Of course I couldn't refuse!"
"Of course!" Ace replied
"You always did have a soft spot" Sebastien added
"Now tell me Sebastien, how were you able to con your knight master into letting you come?" Philip asked turning the tables on him.
The four boys laughed, knowing Sebastien has a problem with lying. His knight master in turn never lets him out of his sight, for fear of what disasters he would get into.
"To tell you the truth" Sebastien joked "I simply explained the situation, and showed him the letter sent from my father. He didn't believe me, and thought I had written the letter, so he personally escorted me here, took one look at the sobbing aunts, and hi-tailed it back to Corus, telling me to return before the months up, or else."
They laughed thinking of how they're mothers and aunts got when together.
"What about you Ace?" Sebastien asked taking a deep breath
"Yeah, How did you escape the evil clutch's of Lord Daniel?" Xavier added
"Lord Daniel isn't that bad." Ace replied folding his arms and leaning against the banister of the stairs
"Of course he isn't" Philip commented with a grin
"He really isn't" Ace protested
"Then why is he so angry all the time?" Sebastien asked
"Explain that!" Xavier added
"He told me, that many years ago he was in love with a woman, and she loved him back" Ace commented
"No way!" Philip joked
"A man and a woman in love, imagine that!" Sebastien added
"Would you let me finish!" Ace hollered
"If you keep your voice down we will!" Xavier replied
"Anyway," Ace continued "She was a thief and he was a noble, eventually she told him that they couldn't marry and she went to live with her family again."
"Yes we all know the story of Lord Daniel and the thief, what we want to know is why hasn't he gotten married yet? Doesn't he have to secure his fief by making little Daniel's?" Xavier pointed out.
"Nah! He's got an older brother that's taking over their fief, and he's already got three nephews. Plus his younger sister was married a year or two ago, and is expecting her first child soon." Ace replied
"So he just tells you his life story then, and keeps you updated on his family?" Philip commented
"It's kind of hard not to when we travel to see them every once in a while." Ace replied
"Which brings us back to the subject we were originally talking about" Sebastien added "How long did Lord Daniel give you here?"
"How does that bring us back to that subject?" Xavier asked
"Shut up Xavier!" Sebastien replied
"Fine,"
"I've got until the end of the month as well." Ace said before the two could continue to bicker some more
"Perfect!" Philip replied
"Enough time to reek some havoc around here!" Sebastien added
"That's only two weeks away!" Xavier pointed out
"You're really slow today aren't you?" Ace asked laughing along with Philip and Sebastien.
"All's I'm saying is a feel sorry for Philip!" Xavier replied
"What?" Philip asked staring at him along with the other three. Xavier had obviously been hit over the head one to many times.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Sebastien asked his twin brother.
"Well earlier we were talking about our knight masters. And I'm just commenting that I feel sorry for Philip!" Xavier said.
"All right…" Ace replied slowly turning and staring at Philip for a moment while he thought about what his cousin just said, before replying again. "I do feel sorry for you."
"I as well" Sebastien said crossing his arms
"Why?" Philip asked confused
"Because," Xavier responded "While the rest of us are here until the month is over, you could be here forever."
Philip thought about this for a moment before his eyes grew wide. His knight master happened to be Xavier and Sebastien's older brother Frances, who happened to be very devoted to their family, and loved helping out in any way. They could be stuck watching the younger kids for months on end.
"Mithros…" Philip replied
"Exactly" Xavier said before he, as well as Ace and Sebastien stared laughing.
"I don't see how four young men, such as yourselves, could be so cheerful, in this time of misery." someone said from the hallway.
Turning the four looked at their grandfather, surprised at how he had snuck up on them.
"We hav--had nothing against Uncle Scott and Aunt Vivian, if that's what you're thinking." Ace, the oldest out of the four responded
"Why would you think I meant that Ace?" their grandfather replied after staring at them for a few minutes. His beard and hair had grown white with age, and his robes were dusty from sitting in the library reading for long hours. That was one of the only things any of the boys could ever remember their grandfather doing. Every time any of them had visited, they could always find their grandfather sitting in a chair by the fire with a book open in his lap. He would read anything to the boys for hours on end, or until the candle burned out, never stopping and never getting tired. The boys loved the stories with magic in them, as Ace and Sebastien both possessed the gift, as well as the ones with lots of fighting, where the hero always wins. Any mention of a love story would send the boys hiding under the furniture, but the begging for another adventure never stopped. Their grandfather was the one who taught them their letters, and how to read and write. It was one of the things he prided himself on, for he taught their father's and uncles as well. But their grandfather was now getting old, and his eyesight was not the same, although his hearing never wavered. He had stopped reading aloud to the boys a few years back, and often had them read to him in turn. They thought of it as their way of thanking him for the years he had devoted himself to their studies. Now that the boys were off with their knight masters, they didn't see their grandfather as often, so the job of reading to him was left to the younger ones, who saw him more. But even they were still learning their letters, so their grandfather was content.
Ace looked at his cousins for support as their grandfather leered at them. "I don't know what you meant grandfather" he replied his voice cracking as it changed, as well as fear.
"Perhaps I meant that you had no feelings for your aunt and uncle, at least not the same feelings as everyone else has" their grandfather answered
"You mean, because we didn't grow up with uncle Scott, or aunt Vivian, and we barley got to know them, as they lived so far away from the rest of us, that we don't think of them as we would one of our parents." Philip replied, the smarter of the four.
"Perhaps" their grandfather answered "But why is that?"
"We're not sure," Xavier replied
"Your not sure, or you don't want to tell me?"
"Both,"
"I see." their grandfather replied bowing his head and thinking. Philip exchanged glances with his cousins, all of them were worried that they had said something wrong, that would then be repeated to their parents. Their grandfather stayed in that position so long the boys thought he had fallen asleep. Xavier swore he could hear him snoring. Finally he lifted his head and started talking. "I can't make you boys come and listen to what we have to say, but I urge you to go somewhere else, if you're going to act like nothing has happened." He turned and walked back down the hall as the four boys stared at him.
"It helps!" Sebastien called after him
Their grandfather stopped where he was and turned back to face them. "What does?" he asked
"Pretending it never happened" Xavier replied
"I lessens the pain" Philip finished
Their grandfather said nothing as he turned and continued his way back to the dining room.
Chapter 2
Sebastien watched as everyone followed his grandfather down the hall to the luscious dining room, mostly used when guests are there, the women sobbing on their husbands shoulders as they went. Sebastien himself had only been in the room once, but that had been many years ago, and he had no desire to return there now. Xavier hung back and watched his relatives leave as well, the two of them sliding into the small nook, found years ago, under the stairs. When the last crying woman disappeared from view, Sebastien and Xavier emerged from under the stairs, as Ace and Philip came out from behind the curtains. None of the boys had any wish to be part of the decision making for their cousins future. Whatever they suggested would be overlooked either way. They were of no importance to their aunts and uncles. It would be announced later that evening what had been decided, and why waste a perfectly good day inside a stuffy old room? And if there were any juicy events of the evening, they would no doubt be talked about between their older brothers that night, so there was no point in either of the four attending the meeting.
"Nice to see you finally returned to us" Xavier joked with Philip
"I would have been back earlier, but uncle Mark begged me to stay" Philip replied with a grin "Of course I couldn't refuse!"
"Of course!" Ace replied
"You always did have a soft spot" Sebastien added
"Now tell me Sebastien, how were you able to con your knight master into letting you come?" Philip asked turning the tables on him.
The four boys laughed, knowing Sebastien has a problem with lying. His knight master in turn never lets him out of his sight, for fear of what disasters he would get into.
"To tell you the truth" Sebastien joked "I simply explained the situation, and showed him the letter sent from my father. He didn't believe me, and thought I had written the letter, so he personally escorted me here, took one look at the sobbing aunts, and hi-tailed it back to Corus, telling me to return before the months up, or else."
They laughed thinking of how they're mothers and aunts got when together.
"What about you Ace?" Sebastien asked taking a deep breath
"Yeah, How did you escape the evil clutch's of Lord Daniel?" Xavier added
"Lord Daniel isn't that bad." Ace replied folding his arms and leaning against the banister of the stairs
"Of course he isn't" Philip commented with a grin
"He really isn't" Ace protested
"Then why is he so angry all the time?" Sebastien asked
"Explain that!" Xavier added
"He told me, that many years ago he was in love with a woman, and she loved him back" Ace commented
"No way!" Philip joked
"A man and a woman in love, imagine that!" Sebastien added
"Would you let me finish!" Ace hollered
"If you keep your voice down we will!" Xavier replied
"Anyway," Ace continued "She was a thief and he was a noble, eventually she told him that they couldn't marry and she went to live with her family again."
"Yes we all know the story of Lord Daniel and the thief, what we want to know is why hasn't he gotten married yet? Doesn't he have to secure his fief by making little Daniel's?" Xavier pointed out.
"Nah! He's got an older brother that's taking over their fief, and he's already got three nephews. Plus his younger sister was married a year or two ago, and is expecting her first child soon." Ace replied
"So he just tells you his life story then, and keeps you updated on his family?" Philip commented
"It's kind of hard not to when we travel to see them every once in a while." Ace replied
"Which brings us back to the subject we were originally talking about" Sebastien added "How long did Lord Daniel give you here?"
"How does that bring us back to that subject?" Xavier asked
"Shut up Xavier!" Sebastien replied
"Fine,"
"I've got until the end of the month as well." Ace said before the two could continue to bicker some more
"Perfect!" Philip replied
"Enough time to reek some havoc around here!" Sebastien added
"That's only two weeks away!" Xavier pointed out
"You're really slow today aren't you?" Ace asked laughing along with Philip and Sebastien.
"All's I'm saying is a feel sorry for Philip!" Xavier replied
"What?" Philip asked staring at him along with the other three. Xavier had obviously been hit over the head one to many times.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Sebastien asked his twin brother.
"Well earlier we were talking about our knight masters. And I'm just commenting that I feel sorry for Philip!" Xavier said.
"All right…" Ace replied slowly turning and staring at Philip for a moment while he thought about what his cousin just said, before replying again. "I do feel sorry for you."
"I as well" Sebastien said crossing his arms
"Why?" Philip asked confused
"Because," Xavier responded "While the rest of us are here until the month is over, you could be here forever."
Philip thought about this for a moment before his eyes grew wide. His knight master happened to be Xavier and Sebastien's older brother Frances, who happened to be very devoted to their family, and loved helping out in any way. They could be stuck watching the younger kids for months on end.
"Mithros…" Philip replied
"Exactly" Xavier said before he, as well as Ace and Sebastien stared laughing.
"I don't see how four young men, such as yourselves, could be so cheerful, in this time of misery." someone said from the hallway.
Turning the four looked at their grandfather, surprised at how he had snuck up on them.
"We hav--had nothing against Uncle Scott and Aunt Vivian, if that's what you're thinking." Ace, the oldest out of the four responded
"Why would you think I meant that Ace?" their grandfather replied after staring at them for a few minutes. His beard and hair had grown white with age, and his robes were dusty from sitting in the library reading for long hours. That was one of the only things any of the boys could ever remember their grandfather doing. Every time any of them had visited, they could always find their grandfather sitting in a chair by the fire with a book open in his lap. He would read anything to the boys for hours on end, or until the candle burned out, never stopping and never getting tired. The boys loved the stories with magic in them, as Ace and Sebastien both possessed the gift, as well as the ones with lots of fighting, where the hero always wins. Any mention of a love story would send the boys hiding under the furniture, but the begging for another adventure never stopped. Their grandfather was the one who taught them their letters, and how to read and write. It was one of the things he prided himself on, for he taught their father's and uncles as well. But their grandfather was now getting old, and his eyesight was not the same, although his hearing never wavered. He had stopped reading aloud to the boys a few years back, and often had them read to him in turn. They thought of it as their way of thanking him for the years he had devoted himself to their studies. Now that the boys were off with their knight masters, they didn't see their grandfather as often, so the job of reading to him was left to the younger ones, who saw him more. But even they were still learning their letters, so their grandfather was content.
Ace looked at his cousins for support as their grandfather leered at them. "I don't know what you meant grandfather" he replied his voice cracking as it changed, as well as fear.
"Perhaps I meant that you had no feelings for your aunt and uncle, at least not the same feelings as everyone else has" their grandfather answered
"You mean, because we didn't grow up with uncle Scott, or aunt Vivian, and we barley got to know them, as they lived so far away from the rest of us, that we don't think of them as we would one of our parents." Philip replied, the smarter of the four.
"Perhaps" their grandfather answered "But why is that?"
"We're not sure," Xavier replied
"Your not sure, or you don't want to tell me?"
"Both,"
"I see." their grandfather replied bowing his head and thinking. Philip exchanged glances with his cousins, all of them were worried that they had said something wrong, that would then be repeated to their parents. Their grandfather stayed in that position so long the boys thought he had fallen asleep. Xavier swore he could hear him snoring. Finally he lifted his head and started talking. "I can't make you boys come and listen to what we have to say, but I urge you to go somewhere else, if you're going to act like nothing has happened." He turned and walked back down the hall as the four boys stared at him.
"It helps!" Sebastien called after him
Their grandfather stopped where he was and turned back to face them. "What does?" he asked
"Pretending it never happened" Xavier replied
"I lessens the pain" Philip finished
Their grandfather said nothing as he turned and continued his way back to the dining room.