Elaclea Electronic

Chapter Two: A Revelation

(Hi! Thanks to you peoples who're keeping up with this. And thanks so much for all the wonderful comments!!! I appreciate them so much and it keeps me motivated to write more. hugs you all Sooo…Here's the next installment!)

In the Guild, we did not normally call people we knew "friends." When Delphine told this boy that was what I was, you can probably imagine how surprised I was. Also, I wondered how anyone could consider being a "friend" a job. I decided that the next time I saw Cicada, I would give him a talking to. This was all just too ridiculous.

On a side note, although I have been calling Dio a boy, he was actually sixteen years old when I first met him.

Without saying anything, he gave me a shy glance and then looked back at Delphine. "I hope he isn't as mean as the last one," he told her. For a moment I thought he might be her son, but then I remembered she was too young to have a son his age.

The Maestro let out an irritated sigh. "Don't be so ungrateful! He had been looking forward to meeting you." Delphine told him and pushed him toward me. Although she had seemed so pleasant earlier, now she just seemed impatient and annoyed.

While Dio examined me, I did the same to him. He was thin, pale, and shorter than me by a few inches. His eyes were light blue, just like the sky, and his white hair was just below his chin, except for his bangs which went straight across his forehead, and a long strip that hung past the left side of his face. He wore a perfectly white outfit and had gold painted around his eyes and in a vertical eye on his forehead. I thought he was the most perfect being in the Guild, looks-wise, even more so than Delphine. I had no clue as to what he thought of me.

"What's your name?" he asked. It was amazing how shy he was at first and then became so bright and happy later on.

"I am Luciola, sir."

"That's a nice name. So, Delphine said you already know about me! All the others didn't have a clue." Dio said, walking around me in a circle. Delphine did not take her eyes off of him once. I kept wondering who he actually was, for that had not yet been revealed to me.

An enigmatic grin formed on Delphine's lips. "Dio, you should take your new friend and introduce him to the doctor," she said, "You remember which one, right? Doctor Ressius." She began to head back to the palace after that, the two guards that had been with Dio were now following her.

I stared at him and he stared back. It was a strange moment. Hundreds of thoughts ran through my head, and I am sure that the same went for Dio, although at least he knew what was going on.

Once Delphine was out of hearing range, Dio grinned. "Ressius isn't going anywhere any time soon. Let's go somewhere else today," he said and immediately began walking back the direction he had come. He kept glancing over his shoulder at me as I followed. "So…Why did you want to come here? Wouldn't you rather be somewhere else?"

For once I was truly at a loss as to what to say. This boy had no idea that I had no idea why I came to the palace. My mind churned, trying to come up with a decent response. "To be entirely honest, I had no say in the matter." At least this way, I did not have to reveal my ignorance.

Dio stopped in the middle of the pathway and frowned. He was working out what I said as if it were an arithmetic problem. "That's not fair! How come you don't get to decide what you do?" he questioned, stepping closer to me. Of all the things for a Guilder noble to ask me, this was the strangest. Due to the fact that I did not know of his ignorance to the normal world, this puzzled me to no end.

Now it was my turn to think. I did not wish to offend him, but I did not know how to reply, once again. "Well, sir, people of my status do not have a choice in what we do." I finally said.

With a shrug, he turned on his heel and continued walking through the garden. "I don't get to do anything either. Delphine's only let me leave this place a few times." Dio sighed. The way he spoke about Delphine led me to believe that he had absolutely no respect for her. Perhaps he just had a big ego, I had thought then. In reality, there was much more to the story than I was aware of.

I could not stand it any longer; I had to find out who he really was. If he became angry with me for asking, then it would just be too bad. I did not like being kept in the dark. "If you will permit me to ask, sir…What is your relation to the Maestro?" I asked, my curiosity intensifying.

The silence that immediately followed was overwhelming. Dio did not make any sort of response. His pace quickened, as did mine, for I still wanted an answer. Before I knew it, we reached a wall that seemed to be entirely made of roses. He halted and gave me an angry, yet sad, stare. "I should have known you didn't really know who I am. Delphine always lies."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. No one ever talked about her that way.

"Oh well. It doesn't matter," he decided, "All right, well, the truth is; I'm Delphine's brother." He was very reluctant to reveal this to me, as if it was a terrible secret he had hidden from a close friend.

Naturally, I was shocked. In fact, I can not even begin to describe the emotions that went through me upon hearing this revelation. Although I wanted to say something in reply, no words would come to me. I was dumbfounded, and all I did was stare at the younger Guilder in disbelief. Yes, it was very rude of me to do so, but try putting yourself in the situation.

A few moments passed, and then I realized how ridiculous I felt. "I am sorry, sir. I had no idea!" I thought this was the best thing to say, who knows why.

Instead of being angry, Dio laughed loudly. He was the first person I ever heard do such a thing. That day was full of many firsts, I suppose. "What're you apologizing for? You can't do anything about that!" He paused and eyed me strangely. "I like you, Luciola. I hope you stick around for a long time."

"As do I, sir."

(sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Oh well. Next one is longer! Also, please don't forget that Luciola is telling all this to Dunya, so when he says things like "you would understand" or something, it is to her. )