Ancestry Three - Secrets

The trio found Cadis not far from the mansion shortly after they separated from the others; he was being supervised by two members of the Central Order. All three of the nobles were engrossed in making daisy chains the moment the knights noticed the trios presence however they started up into protective positions.

"Uncles you found me!" Cadis exclaimed once he discovered the reason for his playmates sudden change. The recognition in his greeting had the knights relaxing marginally. "Tao is the one who taught me hide and seek,"

"Which one is Tao?"

"The one with black eyes," the way the knight focused on Tao reminded M-21 of how teachers would look at children caught running in the halls. He pulled Takeo toward Cadis as the knight marched up to Tao and gave him a lecture. The other knight had a quiet word with Cadis, acknowledged the two of them with a nod then joined his fellow.

"So what are you making?" It was obvious but M' had found that what they were doing with their hands and what they were doing in their mind could be very different for the kids.

"Crowns," Cadis' voice was so serious, his attention fixed on the flowers in his hands. Takeo had squatted down next to the kid as soon as Tao's lecture proved verbal in nature. Cadis promptly laid down the chain he was working on and picked up a finished crown that he laid on the snipers head.

M felt a smile tugging on the corner of his lips and instinctively turned it into a smirk before remembering he didn't have to around these people. The central order knights left and a shaken Tao dropped into the grass next to them legs positioned for a quick getaway if necessary.

Cadis crowned Tao then looked up to M' imploringly, he obligingly squatted so the kid could reach his head. Also crowned M watched in amusement as Takeo and Tao finished the Central Orders discarded daisy crowns and placed them on Cadis' head. The kid beamed at their gifts but didn't reach out to hug them as M' had grown accustomed to.

"Hey, what's wrong Cadis?" M pulled the kid into a hug. Cadis stared at him in shock and for a moment M' feared he had misread the situation.

Then the kid burst into tears.

There was a brief second of disbelief, they had never seen the kids sad or angry, then a flurry of action as Tao jumped up and Takeo pulled himself closer rubbing a hand up and down the kids back. As Tao completely floundered; making gestures that seemed to be half formed sign language.

"I," the kid sobbed, "need a name!"

"But Cadis you already have a name?" M couldn't tell which of the others asked he was too busy reeling from the realization that 'Cadis' was a place holder, similar to Ajussi, given with love.

"Cadis is not mine," the kid's voice had lost its too high pitch but the sorry still reverberated throughout, "Cadis is some of dad's name. He le' me have it." Unsure of what to say just then they let the kid finish crying.

When the sobs turned into hiccups M had figured something out, he hoped he had at least. "Kid what does your name mean to you?"

"Name, essence of self put to sound. A memory of impor'ance, a gif' given by family" the kid was looking at him with such an open expression that M was feeling uncomfortable; he continued on regardless.

"Do you even know what your essence is yet?" The kid opened his mouth than closed it, a thoughtful look spreading across his face, a shake of that head was the kids answer. "Do you have to chose yourself or even soon?" A silent no again, should he really be the one giving this advice when he hadn't taken any name but M-21 and Ajussi? "Then wait until you know who you will be then chose one, if you still can't when time comes we can give you one as family right?" Cadis nodded vigorously.

How M's advice was taken didn't seem to matter the kid looked happy again. Cadis wriggled out of the group hug that had developed and rapidly scrubbed his cheeks.

When everyone else was ready to move you couldn't see a trace of the earlier tears on the kid. That was properly a good thing; M didn't feel right explaining why Cadis had been crying.

XOX

Victor glanced at Cadis for the umpteenth time; he was more attuned to his brother than was proper. Right now his senses were telling him that a bundle of tension that had been building in Cadis had relaxed significantly. He didn't mention it.

They were going to the shrine with dad so papa had time to explain something to everyone else in the family. It was something a bit too complex for Anapa. Dad had other things to tell them about this place anyway.

They were walking slowly down the gallery taking time to admire all the statues when Cadis dropped daddy's hand to look at something behind a strong man statue. Victor quickly followed his example leaving Raizel slightly confused.

There had been nothing behind those statues for time immemorial but Cadis had noticed a small message carved on the wall. Raizel quickly approached and read the old script prompted by two questioning pairs of eyes he explained.

"It is a message from an old friend, he is apologising for the wrath that arose from his grief and promises to take on board Frankenstein's suggestions so the same thing never happens again." Victor felt very strongly that an apology and promise carved in stone was not enough but he didn't know what this old friend did, did he? It was not his call to make.

"I said I had something to show you," Dad smiled at them both.

Reaching the end of the gallery Victor gazed at the largest set of double doors he had ever seen, carved upon them was a feminine form that looked spectacular for the power that was also her ruin.

Dad had seated himself in front of them kneeling than sitting back on his legs, Victor knew there was a word for that position but it escaped him even as he copied it. It took half a moment to realise sitting this way would get painful real fast and Victor moved to cross his legs before him instead.

Noticing that Cadis was still staring at the doors Victor reached up and tugged his sleeve. Cadis sat down so fast it was like his legs gave out, then he proceeded to curl them up to his chest and rap his arms around them.

Confused Victor reached for his noble senses and was overwhelmed. Every statue told a different story in pure feelings all underpinned by a resolve they would not only die for but live for. It was something he also felt in Raizel a resolve so strong that it willed itself to overcome the limits of the body and spirit; but in daddy it was normally hidden behind and underpinning his current feelings.

The door was made of that resolve with no connected story and it was overwhelming.

"You can feel it." Daddy was looking at them with that same love and affection as always. "This is what I wanted to show you." Victor had more human than noble essence and he was still overwhelmed, how was Cadis tacking this? "This is what I am and the closest thing you have to noble ancestors. We have no family name; instead we carry the weight of our own will and resolve even in death." Dad suddenly looked tired but still happy for that exhaustion had come from choices he made; there was no room for regret.

Victor got the strangest feeling that they would have been permitted to attended papa's explanation if he realised the alternative was this.

XOX

"Frankenstein."

"Yes Seria?"

"Why are those Anapa not pure bloods?"

"They were made with fragments of the bond between Master and I, not from pieces of our pure soul. That would have harmed Master." There was nothing else to say on the matter.

While Raizel's illness is heavily hinted at in the Lukedona arc it is not actually revealed to the household until the 12th Elder dies. This AU has the elders to busy ripping at each other to bother investigating for trivial proof first.

Is this making sense to everyone?