Hey guys, hows it going. So since there were some of you who seemed to enjoy chapter one, I decided to come out with the more eventful chapter two immediately. It's always great to get a positive response as early on as the first chapter! Seriously! I really want to thank you all, but at the same time I know you're reading for your own enjoyment and not for me. But whatever. Thank you all anyway!
Please enjoy the second chapter.
At the dinner table I seat myself opposite of Easton, who smiles at me unashamed. I turn away. He should know I already swore not to talk with him tonight. He's not idiot enough to have forgotten. Instead of conversing with him, I observe the artwork on the walls. They were painted by some famous artist whose name is now long forgotten, someone who lived long before the walls existed. Someone who lived before those beasts called titans came. As such, the paintings in this room are rare artifacts from the times before the walls. I usually don't get the chance to admire the beautiful brushwork, though, because whenever I'm in here, it means a confrontation with that dastardly woman. The only times I really see her nowadays (her absence being my great pleasure and these encounters my great dismay) are when the family is gathered to eat together for one reason or another. Other than that, I only ever briefly catch glimpses of her with Easton. I usually avoid him for some time whenever that is the case.
Mamma arrives before Daddy. She's a woman without height, but a woman who stands as if she were a giant. It's dreadful every time I hear it, but I've been told many a time that I resemble her greatly. She struts in and to her seat beside my brother, lowering herself into the chair as if her rear were the most fragile thing on the planet. And then, she looks straight at me.
"My, Edaline. It has been long since we've seen one another."
"It has, Mama. If only that would have lasted."
She purses her lips. "I see you've yet to correct that awful attitude of yours. Really, I must convince your father to hire another manners instructor to fix that."
"Whatever do you mean, my beautiful Lillian?" Daddy bursts into the room, as boisterous as ever. It is all I have in me to keep a snarl off my face when he makes a beeline for Mama and kisses her on the cheek. "Our daughter is a fine young woman! But that is not what we are here to celebrate today!" He flips his head and plants an identical kiss on Easton's cheek. "We indeed have a wonderful daughter, but today we celebrate our son! Happy birthday, my boy!"
Easton smiles pleasantly up at Daddy. "Thank you, Father."
"Now," Daddy continues, placing himself in the chair at the head of the table, "shall we begin with our supper?" Without waiting for any of our consent, he calls in the servants. One of the men slides in front of me a plate of finely cooked and cut pork, as well as sweet greens and potatoes. Next, a woman sets down a small container of sauce for me to pour as I please, and lastly another woman places a small plate of moist cake above the plate of the main course. When this is done for all four of us, all servants but one shuffle out of the room, the remaining one pouring our drinks before leaving.
"Well?" I glance up to Easton, understanding him to be addressing me. Still, though, I keep my promise to not speak a word. Seeing this, he continues, "How does it look?"
"Easton, darling, it looks delicious!" Mama enthuses, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "You always pick the best foods!"
"I'm glad you're happy, Mother, but I want to know what Edaline thinks."
I glare at him. He's trying to get me to talk! After I already told him I wouldn't! And of course, Mama sees what's going on and just has to butt in.
"Don't be rude, Edaline. Your brother cares so much for you. The least you could do is respond to him when he asks you a question."
To her, I state, "I will answer if I want to, and will keep quiet if I don't. You cannot force me to speak when I wish not to." Even so, the fact stands that I am delighted with the display he's put before me, so I take up my utensils and take the first bite.
Mama rolls her eyes and gets to picking at her own food. "Truly, I wonder where I went wrong raising you. It must be your father's influence. He dotes on you too much."
"I simply love my sweet daughter," Daddy smiles heartily. He's already powered through a good half of his dish. I've thought, as of late, that his appetite has increased alongside with his years.
"What part of the girl is sweet, Mason? I haven't ever heard a complacent word come out of her mouth."
"Now, Lillian-"
"Mason! Why don't you actually take a look at the girl? Because of you, she's grown up spoiled and conceited! You should try scolding the girl for once in your life! I swear, if you'd let me take control of her upbringing, she wouldn't have turned out like this!"
"Oh, I'm sure I would have so appreciated becoming a rigorous bitch like you," I snap, slamming down my fork. "At least I don't march around commanding people about how to live their life! At least I keep my way of life to myself!"
She copies me, throwing down her silverware. "You don't know when to shut your mouth, young lady!"
"Mother!"
Both of us freeze, startled by the harshness in Easton's tone. He sits stiffly in his chair, an uncharacteristic iciness in his eyes as he glares at Mama. She falters under his gaze, and I lower my eyes. Satisfied that we're finished, he goes back to eating his meal, and we follow suit. Daddy doesn't interrupt that silence, either.
It's only when I'm halfway through the main course that Daddy suddenly proclaims, "This dessert is delicious!"
"Of course," Easton nods, his usual air of peace having returned. "I requested the cook to make the best sweet she was capable of making."
I pause in my eating to eye the slice in front of me. Her best sweet, huh? It does look as good as Daddy claims, and knowing Cook, I doubt she'd disappoint. She's well versed in my tastes in food. Easton stops me, though, when I stretch out my fork to snag a bite.
"You shouldn't spoil the meal, Edalie. Dessert's for when you're finished."
I back off the treat. "Don't call me Edalie."
He just smiles and returns to eating. I don't understand why he wanted this for his birthday; I'd have thought he would've known the atmosphere would be like this. Family dinners are always tense. On my birthdays, I always make sure to eat alone. At most I'll have Easton with me for company, but never Mama. Usually, I don't even have Daddy there.
"Father got you a new tutor, didn't he?" Easton attempts at conversation.
I bite my tongue, but nod my head in response. Then I start when I realize I spoke to him just now, when I scolded him for using that nickname. Clenching my teeth, I reluctantly decide to swallow the rest of my stubbornness since it's already been broken. "Yes, he did."
From those three words, his expression makes it obvious he knows I've given up staying silent towards him. "I'm assuming he's the older man I saw earlier today." When I nod, he asks, "How is he?"
I stab a piece of meat. "Much subtler than the younger ones."
"Meaning…?"
"I still catch him staring at me, but he at least tries to hide it. I suppose he's easier to stand since he knows he's got no chance. If he ever touches me, though, I won't hesitate to slap him."
"Surely that can't be true," Daddy insists, troubled. "Mr. Carlton is a good friend of mine."
Easton shrugs. "It can't be helped, Edalie. Everyone lusts over the beautiful."
"You would say that, you playboy," I jab. I can't count the number of girls who've tried winning him over, from those of the same status as us to the poor paupers on the streets.
"Please, I've never gone out with anyone. I'm dedicated to my dear older sister."
"That's the problem!" His smile falls at this. "Easton, just pick a girl and settle with her already! I'm tired of seeing all those pests swarming after you."
"But what about you, Edalie?"
"I'm your sister, not your lover. There's no reason for you to spend your life only around me. I've got Daddy for that."
Something inside me tightens at the pain in his face, but I ignore it. I'm saying this for his sake, something I rarely do, so he should be thankful! He can consider it my present to him. Honestly, I'd feel upset, if not betrayed, if he were to suddenly stop caring about me as much as he does, but the fact remains that he should find his own happiness. Just as I want to find a man to live my life with, I want him to find a woman. I can't fill that spot as his sister.
All of a sudden, Daddy hunches over, hacking. I jump at the outburst, Mamma jolting to her feet. She's barely reached his side before she, too, begins coughing. Frightened, I stand.
"Daddy? Daddy, are you okay?" Then I see the blood. With every cough, more red splatters onto the tablecloth like staining drops of rain. I raise my head. "Somebody! Somebody come quick! Daddy's sick!"
No one comes. Where are they? The servant dining room is just next door so that they can come when summoned, so why aren't they coming? I rush to the door to fetch the servants myself.
"There's nobody there, Edalie."
I come to a halt, pivoting to face Easton frantically. "What do you mean? Don't they all eat when we-"
"They do. If you want to take a look, they should still be in their dining room."
"Then-"
"But they're dead. The fact that they didn't come proves it."
Heart racing, I shake my head in confusion. "Why would they be dead? What about Daddy! There has to be someone to help Daddy! Easton, fetch a doctor!"
"What about Mother?"
Baffled, I glance over at the woman collapsed by Daddy's chair. Blood also comes out of her mouth, hers spilling onto the floor instead of the table. "What about her? We need to-"
"Edaline, aren't you glad to see her like that?"
I freeze, meeting Easton's sincere gaze. "What...do you mean?"
"She was always insulting you, always nagging. Wasn't she annoying? Didn't you hate her?"
"I did...I mean I do...but…."
"So," he continues, raising calmly out of his chair. He grabs Mama by the hair and yanks her head back. My body shivers when her body jolts, her coughing morphing into choking and gurgling. "I'm getting rid of her for you. Aren't you glad?"
"Easton! ….you….you poisoned her?"
"It was the most convenient way. It's undetectable if done right, and can kill off quite a few people with only a few grams."
My eyes fly to Daddy, who to my horror has gone still, slumped face down atop his food. Eyes stuck, my lips tremble as I ask, "H….him, too?"
"I thought I could hardly keep him around," he shrugs, releasing the now motionless woman and letting her thump back to the ground. "If I kept him alive, you'd just keep clinging at his side and writing me off. And besides, he would have gotten me arrested for poisoning his wife."
My breathing hitches as water gathers in my eyes. "Why? Why would you do such a thing, Easton? Daddy was never bad to you! And you loved Mama!"
"I hated her! She completely disregarded you as a person for all these years! That's how you felt, didn't you? I've heard you complaining about it to Father. And that man hindered your happiness, too! Every rosebush I planted for you he demanded be dug up!"
"Y-you planted those?"
"Every one! Because I care for you, and I know just how much you love them. That's why I figured I should also get rid of the gardner who dug them up, and while I was at it, I figured I should just get rid of all the people in the house who'd ever bothered you. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to leave anybody alive, so I decided I would live and be sure to take care of you, even if I do sometimes get on your nerves, because you're someone who needs to be cared for, Edalie."
"I hate you!" Whereas he'd been coming towards me, he suddenly stops. The tears in my eyes are spilling over now, but I only try to blink my vision clearer. "Easton, I hate you! How could you kill Daddy? And Cook? And the gardener who was so nice to me? Even if someone bothered me, why would you go so far as to kill them?"
"Because I love you."
"Shut up!" I whirl on my heel and make a break for the door. When his hand grabs ahold of my arm, I wrench myself away and take off down the hall. What is this? Why did this happen? Oh god, Easton!
Why?
So yeah. There was a lot I wanted to say with this chapter, and I hope it reached through to you. I don't know if any of you guys are like this, but I'm always analyzing as I read. And that habit has no correlation whatsoever to school required annotating. I swear. I just enjoy nitpicking stories apart because I like to learn, and if I can break down what's so good about a story, and can hopefully incorporate what's good into my own works. And it get's my mind working, which is something I thoroughly enjoy. It's one of my favorite parts about stories! ...I say that, but I have so many favorite parts about reading...it's kinda unfair to label just the one. But if I tried to list them all, that's end up being a chapter unto itself, and I'm sure you guys aren't here for that. Anyway, I hope I'll see you guys again next chapter!
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!
