#asanawayMC

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Saving him

Saving Him

Pairing: Klaus/MC

Klaus had failed to remain awake. He had tried so hard to avoid deep sleeps and rested his eyes every now and then as a strategy to rest but not to sleep.

With the light orbs still illuminating his room in the dormitory, Klaus was hunched over his desk and fast asleep on top of the assignments he had been doing.

An empty cup of tea, which he had calculated to be his tenth, sat on the top right corner of the table. His glasses were clasped within his right hand as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He had only wanted to simply rest his eyes for a moment, but he was now, unknowingly, in a deep state of sleep, with his head propped up onto his right arm and his mind fading back into his memories that had become his nightmares whenever he fell into a deep slumber.

**

Klaus hadn’t been faced with a situation like this before. While deep inside he was swirling with anger, he could only helplessly stare at the irreversible damage that had been done.

“No,” Serge’s whispered, his voice shaking as he spoke, “No!” he yelled, his heart pounding, his breathing shallow, his hands shaking and tears swelled within his eyes, beginning to spill over, “No!” he repeated, unable to control the raw depth of his emotional turmoil in this moment.

The streaking tails of tears ran down his face and fell off his chin and onto the stone statue in front of him, “Randy!” he cried, painfully, hoping the statue in front of him would hear him, “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” he screamed, trying to tear off the stone with his bare hands.

Serge’s attempts to tear off the stone was in vain. No matter how hard he pulled and scratched at the stone, not a crumble of it fell off. He reached into his pocket and withdraw his wand. Raising his wand, he stood back and aimed the tip at the stone and took a breath to speak an incantation.

Until.

“Stop that you idiot!” Klaus stood in front of the tip of Serge’s wand and pushed him back, knocking his wand from his hand and sending Serge tumbling to the lilac grassy floor below with hard thump, “He’s not covered in stone, he is stone!”

Klaus’ breath was also shallow from the anger and pain that raged within him, “I had warned you this would happen but you didn’t listen? No! You never listen, and now Randy has been petrified because you were too cocky with your abilities!” without missing a beat, his words were direct, sharp and clear.

Serge had stayed where he had landed on the ground below and could only look up into Klaus’ eyes that were welled with tears too but his amethyst eyes were as sharp and terrifying as the anger within his voice. Not even the stars above burned brighter than the anger that reflected within Klaus’ eyes.

Serge couldn’t say anything and looked down at the ground beneath him.

Behind him, a giant serpent laid slain across the grassy meadow in the northern forest that was part of the Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy’s grounds and where the three were students. The meadow at the scene of this tragic night was mostly a beautiful scene day and night. Pale lilac flowers bloomed at the tips of the long grass but melded into a dark violet halfway down the stalk before disappearing into the earth below. Serge and Randy favoured this spot because of its natural beauty but now it marred by blood, death and tears.

The surge of anger within Serge dissipated and was replaced with guilt, sorrow, pain and a sense of helplessness. It was nothing he had ever experienced before and truly began to believe that this was his fault. Regardless that is was a mistake, his mistake was a costly one.

“It…it was an accident,” he pleaded in a whisper, “Believe me Klaus, this…this wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

Klaus didn’t want to hear it, “What did you think was going to happen when you started to recklessly experiment with magic well beyond your experience? At the very least, you shouldn’t have dragged another person into your foolishness,” he snapped.

“Do… do you think I wanted this to happen?” Serge asked Klaus.

Klaus was losing his patience with Serge, “I doubt his family are going to accept that as an excuse, Serge. I warned you not to experiment with dangerous summoning spells and I told you not to drag anyone else into this. Mistake or not, you summoned a basilisk and foolishly tried to handle the creature by yourselves, a creature that is well beyond the experience of two students, regardless of your rare abilities,” Klaus’ sharply replied with his eyes still piercing through Serge’s, full of anger and pain, “You’re lucky I was here to defeat that beast otherwise who knows who else may have been hurt.”

“We weren’t supposed to summon a basilisk,” Serge assured him, “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone! Look, we can still save him. There has to be a way to undo the spell!”

Klaus gritted his teeth as his patience grew even more thinner, “Ridiculous!” he yelled, “I can’t believe you right now.”

Serge rose to his feet and with desperation in his voice shouted, “I want to save him! There has to be a way.”

Klaus Goldstein is a genius wizard and despite being a student was already a certified wizard knight and topped all of his classes. His aptitude for wizardry impressed the ministry so much that he had a guaranteed career once he graduated from the academy.

“There is no cure for a petrification spell!” Klaus reminded him.

“I will find one!” Serge said determinedly.

“Even if you do, who knows how many years that will take!” Klaus replied.

“No!” Serge refused to accept that as an answer, “I will find a way to undo what I did here tonight, even if it takes my entire life. He’s not dead in there!”

Serge was overwhelmed with emotions and Klaus’ anger toward him only grew and had no sympathy since he had so recklessly dabbled in magic well beyond his abilities. In Klaus’ mind, Serge had killed someone tonight.

“You do that on your own,” Klaus said, “I warned you not to be reckless and warned you not to drag innocent people into your cockiness, you didn’t listen. Even if it takes you years to undo the spell, who knows how much time he would have lost and how many loved ones would have passed away. Randy may not be dead, but being petrified is a fate the same as death. You killed someone tonight, Serge. Regardless of it being a mistake, you killed him,” Klaus said harshly, “You killed him,” he repeated.

The weight of those words stung Serge in the heart and the guilt, sorrow and pain he was already feeling multiplied. He didn’t just lose one friend, he lost two. Klaus really thought he was a murderer. The intent within Klaus’ voice was unlike anything Serge had ever heard. Serge used to rile Klaus up for fun, but they both knew it was all in good-humour but that wasn’t the mood. The atmosphere was permeated with a morbid tension and Serge was the villain, Randy was his victim and Klaus was the protagonist. Yet, Serge couldn’t disagree with Klaus’ perception since magical creatures were his speciality, Serge would agree it was a fate worse than death since petrification was simply being frozen in time where one is neither dead nor alive. It was he who wrote the summoning circle wrong and summoned the basilisk that petrified Randy. More tears escaped from his eyes as the reality of the situation began to sink in more.

“You’ve killed him,” Klaus repeated, muttering through his clenched jaw as another surge of anger welled within as he turned his back on Serge and looked closer at the petrified state of his friend, clenching his fist, Klaus added, “I should’ve stopped you from these reckless experiments ages ago.”

Serge listened to every word that was being spoken and the weight of those words would become his burden. In that moment, Serge Durandal no longer existed and he adopted a new name, Randy March. It was now his life mission to find a cure for petrification. As Klaus remained with his back turned, Serge couldn’t bear this scene any longer. He wanted to get started, to find that cure for petrification and free his friend. Disappearing into the wilderness, Klaus was left alone with Randy’s statue, the slain beast in the meadow and Serge was never heard from again.

***

“Ugh!” Klaus abruptly woke up.

Sweat formed across his forehead and his hands were slightly shaking.

Looking around the room, he quickly realised that he had simply had had another one of his nightmares, which he had wished was just some fiction of his imagination, but was actually a memory of that tragic day almost six years ago now. Randy still remained petrified and, until a couple of months ago, Serge was never seen or heard from again.

“Why did he show up there of all places?” Klaus asked out loud to no one.

Klaus knew why he reliving that particular memory and it was one out of two traumatic memories that he was reliving in his nightmares. The other was reliving the night he had almost lost someone he had come to love with his entire soul, heart, mind and being to a madman trying to use dark magic to resurrect the dead. Which is when he saw him again – Serge Durandal. Klaus couldn’t understand why he had shown up, why he had helped him save Asana’s life and how did he know Azusa? Were they collaborating? Was Serge dabbling in dark magic to find a cure for petrification? Why did Serge help him despite their falling out on that night? So many unanswered questions ran through his mind.

The light orbs floating above him were still illuminated and the halls outside his room were quiet with all the other boys living in the dorm still fast asleep. Outside, the moon glowed brightly but there was a faint stretch of sunlight beginning to form at the bottom of the sky. Klaus looked to the clock that hung on his walls and it was quarter to five in the morning.

After waking up, there was no way he was going back to sleep. Not that he couldn’t if he tried, but he didn’t want to sleep and have his mind wonder back to force him to relive his traumatic memories. He sighed with exhaustion. Not having a proper sleep pattern was beginning to make him restless but he’d prefer feeling restless over being forced to relive painful memories.

Quarter to five was about the time he woke up every day. He preferred it. When the other students were asleep, the dorm building and the academy was a lot more tolerable because it wasn’t loud and it wasn’t crowded. He didn’t have to swiftly step into the gaps between the crowd to get to where he was going. He didn’t have to stop to have pointless conversations with others. As an added bonus, he had time to revise his schedule for the day and get started to have everything completed. Though, he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t exhausted and didn’t wonder how he was going to pull through the day contently. But, sleep wasn’t an option right now.

Klaus grabbed his cloak and headed to the kitchen first to have breakfast. After that, he found himself walking the hedged lined courtyard that separated the classrooms from the living quarters. He was bound for his office, but decided to detour to the girls dormitory. Her window was on the garden side of the building, overlooking the forests and springs in the distant north. But, he looked at the building, convincing his mind that she was sound asleep within the safety of those walls. He found himself doing this most mornings ever since he almost lost her two months ago.

Despite the fact that she was Azusa’s victim of choice, Asana barely dwelled on nearly being murdered by a dark wizard practicing dark magic. If anything, she looked happier and healthier than when she had first arrived at the academy. She was proud that she was able to help clear the initial rumours that Klaus was the one practicing dark magic. She was proud that she was able to discover her rare abilities she had never known about. She was proud that her magic wasn’t useless and had helped someone in need. She wasn’t bothered at all and Klaus had come to admire her tenacity even more. But, Klaus, was bothered.

Not only had he nearly lost someone he fell in love with and the fear of losing her a new feeling he was experiencing, but how embarrassed he was to have had become so overwhelmed and emotional about losing her that he had failed to protect her when she needed him the most, that he had forgotten to focus his magic and for the first time felt completely powerless. But, Serge returned, under the name of their petrified friend, Randy March. The first time seeing him since Randy’s petrification and he was the one who broke the barrier, helped him to save her life, stopped the attack and discovered that the Azusa attacking them was just a copy, which he had made, of the real person, who was now long gone.

“Serge,” he muttered, “Why did you come back?”

Klaus didn’t understand why Serge had returned or why he had chosen to help him save Asana. He also didn’t understand how Serge knew Azusa, a man guilty of practicing dark magic and willing to commit murder to see through to his goal. He wanted to know why Serge was using Randy’s name to disguise himself. These questions kept being repeated in his mind and he was desperate to find the answers but since that night by the spring, he hadn’t seen Serge to ask those questions.

After spending several minutes in a trance, thinking about the incident with Randy, the incident with Azusa, Serge and staring at the dorm building thinking about Asana, he was interrupted by someone walking up to him.

“What are you doing?” it was a familiar voice, one he didn’t need to see the face of the owner to know who it was.

“Nothing,” Klaus replied, “Why are you up so early?” Klaus turned his attention to who had come up to him.

Elias had a hand full of books, “There is an exam soon so I wanted to get some studying in before class starts today. You look awful though.”

Klaus gave his brother a fierce glance, “Is that really the first you thing you say to me? Most people begin with ‘good morning’.”

“Well,” Elias blushed in his usual awkwardness that Klaus still found odd but was used to it by now, “I’ve noticed you’ve been keeping your lights on late at night most nights now and you’ve…well…,” he trailed off.

“Well, what?” Klaus prompted, his eyebrows narrowing at his brother.

Elias didn’t want to say it out of fear of brotherly repercussions, “…You know what, never mind.”

“If you have something to say, say it,” Klaus crossed his arms waiting his answer.

Elias glanced away, “Well…You’ve been grumpier than usual.”

Klaus imagined that Elias was aware of the incident involving Randy and Serge six years ago, but if he wasn’t Klaus wouldn’t be surprised since he wasn’t the type to get involved in other people’s business, even if it was his own family. Klaus and Elias had always been close and even if Klaus wanted to hide the truth from his brother, Elias would see through him. Elias had helped Asana to clear his name during that mess with Azusa and it warmed his heart, though he’d never admit it, to know that his littler brother believed in him. Of course, Elias did know that he was romantically involved with Asana, who happened to be Elias’ age, in his classes and they had become friends independently of Klaus. But, Klaus was older and was not going to share his burdens when he knew that Elias, his little brother, had so many of his own to carry.

“You should get going with your studies,” Klaus made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it.

Elias knew what he meant, but also knew by that one sentence that he was also struggling but not willing to share it with him, “…Well,” Elias trailed off, beginning to walk away, “You are okay, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Klaus now glared at his little brother.

Elias kept some distance between them and was ready to walk away but said one last thing before he left, “…Well…um…,” he began, awkwardly, his face a shade of light red, “…Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. It’s uncomfortable watching you work so hard to the point you aren’t resting properly.”

With those last words, Elias quickly bolted in the direction of, no doubt the library, within the walls of the ancient castle that was now the main building of the entire school. Klaus watched his brother’s body fade into the distance and couldn’t help but be warmed by the fact that he cared, but this was not something big brothers share with their little brothers. With one last glance of the girls dormitory, Klaus quietly disappeared from the scene and walked, tiredly, in the direction of his office inside the castle with a mind full of questions and flashbacks to the incidents involving Randy six years ago and the recent mess with Azusa.

As the day continued on, Klaus felt exhausted and felt as though he was going to collapse, especially after covering Professor Schuyler’s practical magic class. Asana, who had been watching from the distance, was worried about him as much as Elias was too. During the last class of the day, the Headmaster had asked Klaus to cover his Magical Beasts lecture, which happened to be Asana and Elias’ class.

“He’s exhausted, I can tell,” Asana commented, “Other people might not be able to, but it’s obvious once you know him well enough.”

Elias, who was sitting next to her, agreed, “He was awake all night. He has been up late most nights lately. I’m worried about him but he won’t ever talk to me about it. Maybe he’ll talk to you.”

Klaus heard them muttering before he was about to get started with the topic of the lecture, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he quickly skimmed through the lecture notes the Headmaster had left for him and the instructions was to cover the topic of incurable spells and curses that could be cast by magical creatures.

“Timely subject,” he sarcastically thought and had to bury the flashbacks of the basilisk from that night six years ago and Azusa’s summoning of a Nue, a foul and murderous creature born of dark magic.

He understood the instructions and was motivated by the incident six years ago and Azusa’s attempts to slain a unicorn with a Nue to educate this generation of wizards about the costly impacts of messing around with magical creatures beyond their experience. Which is probably what the Headmaster also had in his mind when he prepared the material for this lecture.

“Take your seats,” Klaus clearly and sharply instructed and not one student dared to not to follow an order given by The Emperor.

After giving everyone a moment to relax and find their seats he began, but the bright lights was making him feel very dizzy but he powered through it to the point that no one, but Elias and Asana, could tell that he wasn’t feeling well.

“Today, we will discuss the magical abilities of magical creatures and the consequences of underestimating their impacts,” he informed the class, “The magical capabilities of creatures varies between having weak abilities to incredibly strong abilities. For instance, winged-rabbits and carbuncles tend to have weaker magical abilities compared to creatures like dire wolves, fairies, mermaids and dragons. However, human and magical creature conflicts exist and no matter the degree of magic each creature is capable of doing, do note that if you fall on the wrong side it may very well be the last thing that you ever do. Why do I say this? Any ideas?”

No one raised their hands to answer his question and no one, but Asana and Elias, were aware that his speech and movement was slower than usual. Asana couldn’t focus on the topic of the lesson for she was worried about Klaus collapsing in front of everyone.

“No one?” asked Klaus.

Usually silent, Yukiya decided to answer Klaus question from his usual spot by the window, “There are a few reasons why humans with magic shouldn’t underestimate the abilities of magical creatures. I can give three examples. One, humans still don’t know a lot about the magical capabilities of a variety of magic creatures. Two, magical creatures are often used to make powerful contracts and when used incorrectly can be devastating to the wizard or wizardess. Three, magical creatures can possess the ability to curse and kill depending on the creature.”

Klaus accepted the answer, “Good answer,” he continued, “Magical creatures are also unpredictable and, often, it is up to the nature of the magical creature in question if it wants to be friendly or not, for some creatures they embody darkness and will kill or curse without hesitation, this can include dire wolves, werewolves, vampires and chimeras, while others are creatures, born from light magic and have that choice, such as winged-rabbits, carbuncles, fairies, mermaids, unicorns and other intelligent creatures.”

The lecture continued until the last bell of the day echoed across the school, and somehow Klaus made it through the lesson without fainting even though he struggled to see clearly in front of him by the end of the lesson. As the students cleared out of the classroom, unaware of how dangerously drained he was, only one person remained behind and Klaus could sense her presence. After overhearing her and Elias talking, he didn’t want to open up to her either and decided to gather his cloak and muster what energy he had left to make for a quick escape back to his office.

Barely able to stand straight, Asana watched him leave through the teacher’s door near the desk in the classroom. Immediately, she followed after him knowing that this was his attempt to hide whatever he was feeling from her too. She ran to catch up to his side, dodging a hall full of students, who, thankfully, were too frightened of Klaus, who they had nicknamed “The Emperor”, to stand in his way.

“Don’t you want to see me today?” she asked, catching up to him and standing by his side.

“I have a lot of work to do today,” Klaus insisted, but it was a lie.

Asana glanced up at his face and could see the redness within his amethyst eyes and the bags underneath them. His usually perfect and smooth ivory-skin showed some stubble and coarseness that she didn’t even think was possible for someone as regal and respectable as Klaus. It worried her because she had never seen him like this before.

“You look worse than what you did yesterday,” she said.

“Is that so,” Klaus didn’t argue with her, “Elias already told me that this morning.”

The lecture room wasn’t far from his prefect office and he nudged the door open with a slight push of his hand and Asana followed him through, closing the door behind her and locking it.

“Why did you lock it for?” he asked.

“Because, we need to talk,” she said.

Klaus took off his cloak and hung it on a hook on the wall near the door. Asana did the same with hers and put her bag on a vacant chair inside of his office. Klaus went over to his small stove to brew a pot of tea but before he could choose the flavour from his box, she stopped him.

“I will do that,” she said, “Go sit.”

“And if you don’t make it correctly?” he asked.

“You have taught me how to make tea the way you like it,” she smiled up at him, “I’ve basically mastered it,” she amused and gave him a cheeky smirk.

Knowing he wasn’t going to win when she was this persistent and not having the energy to do so, he yielded and sat down at his usual seat on his side of the desk where he worked.

Although he was exhausted, her energy somehow increased his own. The sparkle in her eye, the brightness in her smile and her overall beauty, simple yet divine, had attracted him to her. But, her kindness, strength and understanding personality truly captured his entire heart and soul. She brought a lightness back into his life that he had been missing for so many years. Little did she know it, but in a way she was saving him too.

“I have a different flavour of tea that I’d like for you to try,” she said and waited for the water to boil.

“What kind of flavour?” he inquired, not keen on trying something new.

Asana didn’t answer immediately for she had a plan.

Earlier, in magical pharmaceutics, she had enquired to Professor Merkulova about teas that can help a person sleep better and ease their minds. Observantly, Professor Merkulova had figured it was about Klaus’ restlessness and had handed her a blend of valerian root, black rose petals, camomile and lavender that were great for relaxing the mind, boosting pleasant dreams and helped the drinker to get as much sleep as their body needed to recover.

She had to follow the recipe and cooking method for the brew to work as intended. The water had to boil before putting in the leaves and steeped for at least two minutes before straining the mixture into a cup for consumption. She waited for the tea to be brewed before answering his question. He didn’t bug her in that time and went about his work.

Pouring only him a cup of tea, she walked over to the right side of his body and placed a hand over his right hand that was moving a quill across the papers on his desk. He stopped writing and looked up at her. The steaming cup of tea in her left hand and she looked at him with loving eyes.

Moving a lock of his golden hair from his forehead, she began to speak, “You looked like you were going to collapse in that last lesson Klaus,” she said, concern riddled in her voice, “I’m worried about you.”

Klaus didn’t want her to be and swivelled his chair around to face her directly. His right hand clasped onto hers that she had placed over his and was now using to brush aside his golden locks of hair, and gently he brought the back of her hand to his lips and placed a sweet kiss on the back of her hand, “I’m fine, really,” he said, trying to convince her.

“You’re not though,” she saw right through him, “This is a magic blend of valerian root, black rose petal, camomile and lavender. I made it during Professor Merkulova’s class today to help relax your mind and let you sleep until you are refreshed again. I made it so that it’s sweet for you.”

Klaus gave her a soft smile, appreciative of how much she cared for him but this wasn’t something magic tea could fix. With her in his presence, giving him the kind of love that no one else could, was more relaxing to him than she even knew. She was becoming that one person who was breaking down those walls he had built around him, that he had sworn he’d never let anyone in but, she was becoming an exception to that rule.

“I don’t need tea,” he said, grabbing the cup she had brewed and placing it on the desk.

“But—,” she protested him not drinking it, especially after she was just trying to help him.

In her distraction, Klaus tugged on her arm and pulled her close to him. The unexpected tug had her lose her footing and she fell forward into his arms but he caught her almost immediately.

“K-Klaus?” with their noses almost touching, she could see the fine lines in his skin, the redness in his eyes and the dark bags underneath them much more closely and in more detail.

Immediately, Klaus felt her body relaxing and she let herself gently rest against his frame. He was bigger, broader and stronger than her that her tumble into him didn’t even hurt. Looking deep into her rose-quartz eyes, he could clearly see the detail of her lashes, to the slight curve on the upper eyelid and their roundness. Despite seeing her eyes flickering with surprise, by his unexpected tug, and concern, which she had for him, her eyes were so different from his own but they were full of light and wonder that he could stare and get lost into for a long time. To think that he had come so close to never seeing them again, haunted him in ways she couldn’t imagine.

With a swift movement, Klaus swept her feet off the ground so that she was propped onto his lap and made it easier for him to embrace her entire body. Without saying a word, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers taking in everything he could sense with his own body and senses. The warmth of her body seeping into his, her relaxed and comfortable breathing, a sign that she completely trusted him, the feeling of her cute nose brushing against his, which was larger and straighter, the tickle of her chestnut hair against his forehead, the way her fingers lovingly and gently brushed through his golden locks, knowing the way she was looking at him right now, the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo in her hair and the sweet floral scent that was absorbed into her skin from the perfume she wore, the loving and sweet smile she always flashed at him, the way her mind, body and heart trusted him, the light thumping of her heartbeat and her melodic voice, although she wasn’t speaking, he could hear her internal thoughts like no one else could. He had come so close to losing all of her, but with her safely in his arms and feeling all her warmth, this ensured him that she was really alive and his mind began to relax.

“…K-Klaus?” she called out his name, but didn’t want to disturb what he was doing especially if it was relaxing him.

He felt her breath on his lips and a smile curled at his lips.

All his armour fell off around her and after a moment, he began to speak, “…I almost lost you…,” he whispered, “…I don’t want to ever lose you…”.

She could feel his breath on her lips too and, even though his eyes were closed, she smiled at him, “You’re not going to,” she whispered back, her fingers still lovingly tussling through his golden locks, “I’m right here and I’m not planning on going anywhere so long as you’re here.”

“Well stop doing dangerous things,” he retorted but gave a small humorous laugh, “At the very least, think before you act.”

Asana laughed with him, “…Same to you.”

She suspected that this was why he was losing sleep and asked him if that was the case, “Is this why you haven’t been sleeping? Because of what happened with Azusa?”

Klaus opened his eyes and looked down into hers, “…Yes, and no.”

“Then what is it? Will you tell me?”

Klaus paused for a moment but chose to be honest with her, “…Had it not been for another person that I haven’t seen for a long time, and that I didn’t expect to see there, you would have died. I couldn’t break through the barrier to get to you and was overwhelmed by fear that I was going to lose you that I couldn’t focus my magic properly. I’m embarrassed to admit that I failed to protect you when you needed me the most and after you had so bravely fought for my innocence as well. I keep thinking about that night and how and why things turned out the way that it did. It’s the first time where I felt so afraid and worried that I was going to lose someone I care about so much.”

Asana remembered that night as clearly as Klaus had and never knew it bothered him so much. Despite being the person that was almost murdered, she didn’t think of his rescue as a failure and disagreed with him, “But you did save me Klaus, in more ways than you know,” she insisted, “In the end, you showed up and you did protect me. I was scared but as soon as I saw you, I wasn’t afraid anymore. Your magic was amazing and inspiring that I hope to be somewhere on your level one day.”

“How can you seem to be okay with what happened that night?” Klaus wondered, her response something he was expecting to hear her say but could never understand her way of thinking, “You’re so…weird.”

“Hey! That’s so mean!” she chuckled, but then her voice reverted back to having some seriousness within her melodic tone, “Why dwell on something that didn’t happen? Yes, I could’ve died, but in the end I didn’t and I get to live another day. I also don’t regret my actions. I helped clear your name and a unicorn’s life was spared. After losing my family when I was young, I often do wonder how I survived but I did and that’s what’s important. There is no use spending my energy thinking and fearing what could have been a different outcome. Besides, my mother always told me to keep smiling no matter what because being in the light is better than being in the shadows. I add my own philosophy on the matter too. That being, even the darkest moments of our lives can be temporary if we will it but happiness should always be permanent for it makes our lives fuller.”

Klaus was silent after hearing her response. He never once doubted her tenacity but on the surface she can appear to be quite airheaded, but underneath her happy exterior he was sure that her intelligence and wisdom came from a traumatic period in her own life. All he could do was stare into her eyes to try and make sense of what kind of a person she was and who she would end up becoming.

“…You really are a mystery to me sometimes,” Klaus eventually remarked.

Asana wasn’t sure if that was a compliment, “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

Klaus flashed her a soft smile, “Yes, this time that was a compliment.”

Klaus watched her hand move across to cup his large cheek into her hand and felt her thumb glide across the dark bags that had formed underneath his eyes, “You need to rest Klaus,” she remarked, “I’m right here with you but I sense that my brush with death isn’t the only thing on your mind, right?”

He remembered Serge being there that night and remembered Asana calling him Randy and wanted to know where she had even met him, “Where did you meet Randy?” Klaus asked, curious as to how the two could have crossed paths.

He watched her closely and saw her remembering how she met the man who, unknowingly to her, was the same person she looked up to and the same person that he had loathed for a long time because of that incident six years ago.

“He was very strange,” she recalled, and that didn’t surprise Klaus at all, “You were in custody at the time that I met him. I couldn’t sleep and there was a disturbance in the northern valley. Magical creatures and animals were escaping the area in droves and I went to investigate. Randy was the first person I had seen there and he kept asking if I was a magical creature or a spirit. He had come from his dorm to investigate the disturbance in the forest too. I didn’t know then that Azusa was behind the disturbance, but he was there too.”

“Did the two seem friendly?” Klaus asked.

Asana nodded, “Apparently they were roommates in the dorms. But, you also heard him say that Randy had made that shikigami for him too.”

“Yes, I heard him say that,” Klaus said.

Klaus knew that she was telling the truth but if Serge had been roaming the dorms, he surely would have seen him but it was entirely possible for Serge was a strange and unpredictable person who probably took great measures to conceal himself so that they wouldn’t meet.

“If Randy is who you are concerned about, I wouldn’t worry because I don’t think Randy was involved in the incident with Azusa,” she continued, “If you think he’s dangerous, I don’t sense a malicious vibe from him at all. He tore the shikigami and even wanted to help capture Azusa so that he didn’t hurt anyone.”

Internally, Klaus wanted to be angry that she was defending him but knew that it would be unfair to her because she truly had no idea who he really was and what he did six years ago. He wondered if he should tell her. Unaware, his soft and loving stare into her eyes had changed into a glare.

“…What’s wrong?” she asked after seeing his soft stare turn into that glare, which only a few months ago scared her, but not anymore, “Did I say something wrong?” she removed her hand from his cheek, afraid she had offended him.

Usually always aware of his emotions, he quickly realised that he was glaring into her eyes, “…It’s nothing,” he replied, his answer short.

“Is it because Randy helped you that you can’t sleep?” she wondered.

For Klaus, that was a complicated answer but for her to understand he would have to explain, “It’s complicated,” he answered, “I’m truly grateful for his help, working together we were able to stop Azusa and the Nue, and no one was killed.”

He didn’t like Serge using Randy’s name in place of his own since it wasn’t his to use and it was his mistake six years ago that cost Randy his life. He didn’t like the idea of Serge sneaking around the academy after disappearing six years ago. Inside, that same anger he felt six years ago began to burn once again.

“…Six years ago,” Klaus began to speak, breaking the silence, “Something happened in the northern valley in the meadow not far from the spring where Azusa tried to slay that unicorn and almost killed you. There were two other students and myself. One of the students attempted to summon a magical creature using a summoning circle but had written a component incorrectly and he hadn’t checked it before performing the spell. The other student, my roommate and closest friend here at the academy at the time, lost his life that night. The one who had performed it, disappeared and I haven’t seen him since that night. I was full of rage at him for being so reckless that I accused him of murdering our classmate.”

Klaus felt Asana’s body relax once again and watched her big round eyes flicker with surprise, “I didn’t know, I’m sorry,” she said, sympathising with him as she didn’t know about the traumas he had been through, “That night with Azusa must have reminded you of that night, huh?”

“Yes,” Klaus agreed, but unknown to her it was more so because Serge had appeared.

“…If I can ask,” Asana began slowly, “What…did he accidentally summon?”

If Klaus didn’t want to talk about something, he would simply not talk about it but was comfortable sharing this much of his memory with her, “A basilisk. If you directly look that creature in the eye you will die instantly. However, if you indirectly stare at it, you will be petrified. My friend was petrified that night.”

Klaus watched her eyes widened with fright as he recalled his memory and shared it with her, “…There’s no cure for petrification, right?” Asana asked, remembering the lecture he had given in class moments ago, “I read that in the textbook just now in class.”

“That’s right,” Klaus said, “Maybe, someone will find a cure one day. Though, until it is found, he remains, to his day, in a state of petrification at his family’s house. I keep remembering this memory because of where I almost lost you was almost in the exact same location.”

“It makes sense now,” Asana understood why he was so restless, “I get it now.”

Klaus didn’t need to elaborate any further but felt relieved he was able to tell her the bulk of the memory without dragging names into the recollection of his memory of that night. Although that was a difficult memory to openly discuss, he found himself relaxed and comfortable with her right by his side. It was another reason why he had fallen in love with her, because she had come to understand him and who he was so quickly.

“I’m so sorry for your friend, Klaus,” she apologised.

He felt her hand gently cup his large cheek again and felt her press her forehead against his, “I’m hopeful someday that someone will find a cure and we can release your friend together. But, in order to do that, you need to rest first otherwise I’m scared you’re going to collapse. You may be a gifted wizard, but you are still a human being that has his physical limits just like everyone else.”

Klaus agreed with her, “I know.”

“That tea will help.”

Klaus didn’t think so, “I don’t need the tea,” he assured her.

For a moment, he released his left hand from where it helped to embrace her body as she laid upon his lap. Grabbing his quill, he jotted down words on a piece of paper and then neatly folded it and sent it flying out of the open window on the opposite side of the room. Outside, the orange shades of the afternoon light was dimming into darkness as night began to fall across the kingdom.

“What was that about?” Asana watched it flutter away like a butterfly.

“Help me sleep tonight,” he said.

Asana’s eyes widened as he asked that and he could see her mind going to dirty thoughts. It amused him, but that was not what he was asking, though it was the perfect opportunity to tease her, “Good thing you locked the door,” he teased.

“Wait…,” she protested, thinking he was going to do things to her and her cheeks turning red by the suggestive thoughts going through her mind, “That’s not—.”

Before she could finish speaking, he lifted her up in his arms, carried her across the room and laid her down on the sofa inside the office, on the opposite left side of his desk and below the windows of the office, where he sometimes took a nap during his breaks and breathed in the fresh air that drafted through the cosy room.

“K-Klaus, wait…,” Asana half-protested.

Her shifting eyes were amusing to him but he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead before climbing over the top of her. Somehow, that kiss had her no longer protesting, even though Klaus could see on her face that she thought he had intentions to make love to her.

He chuckled, “One day,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and then on her lips, “Not today though.”

“Huh?” she was confused, “Then what do you want me to do?”

“Stay with me here,” he said.

“Huh?” she sounded her confusion once again, “But…the tea?”

“I don’t need the tea,” he repeated, “…You.”

His body gently pressed against hers and with a couple of shifts they found some comfort laying together on the sofa. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. He could feel that she now understood what he meant as her body comfortably relaxed underneath his and she wrapped an arm around his body while the fingers of the other hand lovingly stroked through his golden locks.

“…I get it,” she whispered, with a smile forming across her face “Sleep well. I’m right here with you,” she said, and kissed him on the forehead too.

Klaus could hear her heart beating and he could feel the vibrations of her vocal chords as she quietly hummed. It soothed him to the point where he fell into a deep slumber and not long after he had fallen fast asleep, did she succumb to her own drowsiness and joined him in a deep sleep. The pair not awaking until the next morning.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Part 5 Thanksgiving in the Country: Promises and Acceptances

Elias/Asana

This is the final part of this mini story, hope you enjoyed it. 

Elias emerged from the shower, his hair partially wet. Sunlight streamed through the window and lightly glowed upon her body as she took advantage of the holiday to sleep in. She wore a smile as she slept on her side, with her knees tucked slightly and her cheek resting upon the back of her hand. Her beauty accentuated by the sunlight.

It was a sight he was accustomed to seeing and a view he was never tired of seeing. While admiring her sleeping, Elias saw his phone by the bed side table began flashing as it rang on silent. Vibrating on the wooden surface, the knocking stirred Asana but he sat on the edge of the bed and read the caller ID.

“Hello, Father,” Elias whispered.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” he greeted, “Extend my best wishes to Asana and her family.”

“I will, Happy Thanksgiving to Mother and you,” he returned the gesture, “Give me a moment, Asana’s sleeping so I need to take this outside.”

He rose to his feet, careful not to bounce the mattress too much and crept silently along the floor to the door. Shutting it quietly, he could continue the conversation with his father more comfortably, “I am fine to talk now.”

“How is meeting her family going anyway?”

“Is that what you really want to discuss, Father?”

Walter sighed, “Must you feel the need to shut me out, Elias. I am curious as to what kind of people they are.”

“Um, actually,” Elias recalled Owen saying he had met his father before, “Asana’s father has met you before. Remember when you represented the Agricultural College in Wiley City?”

Walter hummed, “Vaguely. Why, that’s before Julius was born.”

“He did say you were younger in those days,” Elias repeated, “His name is Owen Way. Does the name ring any bells?”

Walter had to think for a moment, “Can’t say it does,” though, he couldn’t put a face to the name, “However, asking me to remember something that long ago is a stretch. I have a good memory, but I can’t remember his name or face.”

“Well, he remembers you,” Elias added and made his way down the staircase to the kitchen, “Because of the impression you left on him, he believes I am no different.”

“I take it I left a bad impression,” Walter chuckled, “Country folk tend to be suspicious of the city folk. Asana’s family own a farm and her uncle owns a winery, have you toured them?”

“I have,” Elias nodded and waved to Tobias and Charlotte having breakfast in the kitchen, “That reminds me, Asana is bringing everyone back a bottle of wine from her Uncle’s winery, it is quite delicious actually.”

“I am familiar with her Uncle’s wine,” Walter responded but he sounded preoccupied with other tasks by the way his voice had changed, “It is quite good for a middle-range brand.”

Elias could hear shuffling paper in the background and his mother’s voice in the background, “Anyway, putting aside this conversation. Was there something important you wanted to tell me? Are our plans good to go?”

“Yes, that’s why I called,” Walter said.

“And?” Elias prompted him nervously.

“On your call, federal agents will move in to make an arrest. I have all the files you sent me, and I have passed them onto your Uncle who will lead the prosecution. I have called in this favour from a guy who owes me one. What they want is to make an arrest where he can’t run away.”

“Understood,” Elias smiled, “Thank you, Father.”

“It has helped our country,” Walter answered.

“He was already wanted?”

“Correct. Authorities have had a challenging time catching him because he is always changing his appearance and the car he drives. Along with using fake names and leaving no electronic or paper trail. He’s good but we are better.”

“What will happen to him?” Elias questioned, “I assume maximum penalty.”

“Carl is pushing for the maximum sentence,” Walter responded, “So, whenever you are ready, Elias. They make their move on your command.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must be going,” Walter had to end the call, “Aside from working, we are attending a breakfast banquet held by the Mayor and his wife,” he sounded unexcited about having to attend.

Elias could hear the disinterest in his voice and chuckled, “Same thing as usual, I suppose. Rich people trying to impress other rich people.”

“Now, it is not all that bad,” Walter insisted, “There will be decent food and pleasant conversation. It is a shame I will not have any of my children here this year though.”

Slowly descending the staircase, he found his way into the kitchen where Charlotte had already started preparations for the Thanksgiving dinner later in the evening, with Tobias running through the images on his camera and Owen devouring breakfast.

“Sounds boring,” Elias continued to talk to his father, remarking on the quality of the mayor’s banquet his parents were attending, “Too be honest, I am quite glad to be missing it this year.”

“Elias,” Walter sighed, “Parties, such as this one, is an effective way to gain new clients. If you want to become a lawyer, advertising your name to the right crowds is important if you wish to be successful.”

“You know I am not interested in defending the rich and powerful from their own corruptions,” Elias reminded him, “I see no point in it. I would rather put them away in prisons. Uncle Carl said if I am interested in becoming a prosecutor having trial experience on both sides of the fence is invaluable experience.”

“He is not wrong,” Walter agreed, “I guess one day you and I will be going against each other in the court room if prosecution is the career path you choose to take. However, whatever happened to your aspirations to research law in other countries?”

Elias paused for a moment, “…I could still research law. It depends.”

“Depends, on what?” Walter tried to gauge his son’s line of thinking, “On Asana, I am assuming?”

He would compromise on his career goals if it meant being able to build a happy future with Asana, “Asana has her own career goals too, Father, and I want to support her. Depending on what we decide to do with our careers, I am willing to compromise on any of my own career goals to be able to stay with her. I would not be unhappy if I became a federal prosecutor.”

“Elias,” Walter worried about him, “Before she came into your life, you had plans. I do not have anything against her, of course, I think she’s a lovely person. However, if you are changing your career plans, set the right stones for your future and don’t overcomplicate it.”

“I know, I know,” Elias mumbled, “You are sounding like Klaus every day. He said the same thing to me before we left the city for Asana’s home in the country.”

“That’s because out of the three of you, Klaus is the most sensible and logical,” Walter commented, “Your brother would have made a fantastic lawyer, but he opted to teach law instead.”

“Father, you once said, ‘to each to his own success and whatever makes a man happiest’,” Elias in turn lectured his father, “Klaus is happy with his career. Listen, Asana and I are talking about our future and how we intend on moving forward with each other. We will make this work, trust us.”

Again, he sighed and in the background, he could hear Mary calling for him to dress for the banquet, “I sincerely hope you both know what you are doing,” Walter emphasised, “It is not good to make your father worry, Elias. As such, I will be calling in soon and checking on you. For now, I must get going.”

“Have fun.”

“Good day,” Walter farewelled him, “Oh, extend my Thanksgiving wishes to Asana and her family, would you.”

“Of course, same to Mother and you.”

With a click, the phone call ended. Charlotte assumed he had come down for a coffee but had made it for him while he was on the phone, “Was that your father?”

“Yes,” Elias smiled and gently accepted the coffee she offered, “Thank you. He sends his thanksgiving wishes to everyone.”

“Would you like some breakfast, Elias?” Charlotte asked, “I cooked up some bacon and eggs a moment ago. I see Asana must still be sleeping.”

She went to the oven and used a cotton mitt to pull out a tray of cooked food she was keeping warm, not expecting Asana to be having a long sleep in. It appears Edith and Fred were not joining them this morning, but Tobias, Owen and Charlotte already had their own serving. Elias gathered a plate and insisted on dishing out his own meal since she had gone to the trouble of making it.

“I hear you went out to Lucas’ winery yesterday, gathering more evidence?” Owen asked him, his voice the calmest and gentlest it had been towards Elias since his arrival, but still had hints of his sternness.

Elias nodded as he ate a chuck of food and spoke as he swallowed, “Well, that was one reason why we went up there, but I think Asana really wanted to show me around the winery.”

His legs still ached from the many times he had to climb challenging inclines of the valleys’ hills as they walked between the lines of fenced grape vines, harvested earlier to produce the next season’s stock of various wines. Unlike her family’s farm, the winery was closer to the mountains and forests that surrounded the village. From the homestead on the largest hill, provided a romantic and panoramic view of Lucas’ home. He not only learned of the variety of wine they produced but also why Lucas had entered the wine business.

With a colour scheme of black, white and pink, Elias had asked about the brand of his wine. Olivia, his late wife, inspired the pink colour because it was her favourite colour and she had lost her life to an aggressive form of breast cancer. A portion of the winery’s profits went towards research, but Elias caught the sadness in his voice as he lived out his wife’s dream of creating a national wine empire. There were similar sad stories when Asana and he had visited Judith and Bill, and why they would never sell their lands and their businesses to any other person.

“I learnt a lot yesterday,” Elias commented as he remembered those stories.

“So, you should have,” Owen knew what he was talking about, “That’s why so many people are excited about you dealing with Aston. For several people, these farms are not just businesses, as some city men may see it….”

“It’s their homes,” Elias interrupted him, “I know.”

Owen was grateful he understood, “I’m glad you get it.”

“Has Grandad done the rounds on the farm?” Tobias suddenly asked.

“Yeah, he did the minor things he could do with one hand,” Owen replied, “I helped with the rest. It’s a public holiday, so he can’t get to a doctor today.”

“Oh, it’s a sprained wrist,” Charlotte wasn’t worried, “He’s had worse injuries than that in recent years.”

“It’s not the point,” Owen shook his head, “Those injuries were self-inflicted and this one wasn’t. My father was assaulted and as a result injured.”

Tobias chimed in, “I could’ve helped out this morning.”

Owen knew he could of, but Fred had insisted otherwise because Tobias was going to give up on his deadline, “He knows, and I know, but you have your deadline to meet. He didn’t want to interfere with your job, especially not after how much you sacrifice to get the shots you do.”

“I already sent my thesis away,” Tobias promised, “I’m not that behind deadline. I just got to send these images into the magazines for publication. It’s not a big deal.”

After yesterday, Elias had realised Owen had taken a step back from accepting him because he thought he was making false promises. That’s why he brought up Aston’s name now. Elias figured he needed to tell Owen the truth to regain the trust he had earned yesterday before Fred was assaulted.

“Mr Way, are you busy right now?” Elias had no choice but to tell him.

“Not really, why?”

“Could I speak to you for a moment?” Elias requested his private company.

Owen quizzically raised an eyebrow, “If it is about that menace, can’t you tell all of us?”

“Not really, there’s something I want to show you.”

Elias gathered his phone where he had been receiving emails from his father. Charlotte motioned Owen to move from his seat and go hear what Elias had to say and refused to take no for an answer, “Go!” she pushed him out of the room.

Casually, Owen joined Elias in the living room, “What is it?”

“Asking you to put your trust into me is not really working,” Elias said.

Owen didn’t disagree, “I’m only trusting my daughter’s faith in you. Yesterday, you could have done something, and you didn’t, and I’m quite used to being told false promises by wealthy city folk like you.”

“You mean, because of my father.”

“All your father cares about his money and recognition,” Owen laughed, “Our case was just another piece of experience for him. We aren’t a wealthy college, but we are an important educational facility to kids who can’t access higher education in the city. We were accused of abusing animals and performing illegal experiments, but we weren’t doing such things. The accusations came from animal activists and a disgruntled employee who had been dumped from the research team for sabotaging our project. As soon as your father got his money, got his name in the papers and on the news, he represented us and pretended to care about our cause.”

Elias listened to him and Owen continued, “He won our case for us, sure. But he’s one example in the reasons why I don’t trust wealthy city folk. Minister for education, he promised he would build us a new centre for agricultural veterinary education with modern equipment to tend to a widespread region. Many farmers invested funds, their time and energy to make it happen, there were fundraisers, and then the Minister said ‘no’, the money is to be spend elsewhere in the region. We were used and there were farmers who were furious, but the Minister didn’t care. He said there were other urgent matters the region needed, when we complained about it, all records of our fundraising had been erased.”

“Now, I have you,” Owen growled, “You are not here to obviously deal with Aston but introducing yourself as my daughter’s fiancée. However, you have promised to the town, to us, that you would get rid of him. Yesterday, you had a chance and didn’t act on it. Only filmed what you could on your phone. You are just like those men, they don’t care who they hurt making promises too so long as they make themselves look good. These people out here, have been played time and time again by the wealthy and the powerful and they get away with it because the people out here are poor and weak and have a sense of right and wrong.”

Elias now understood why he had a major issue with people from wealthy backgrounds, just as Asana had warned him, “I know I am asking a lot here, for you to trust me, but please don’t hold me in the same regard as those men. I may be from their world, but most of time I wish I weren’t. My father thought I signed up for a career into law to defend those who are corrupt, but I would rather see those kinds of people be punished per according to the law.”

“Saying it is much easier than doing it,” Owen answered.

“Before, when you said the farms here are not businesses to the people,” Elias reminded him, “I have never once thought they were at all. Here and at the winery, what I saw was my fiancée’s home and the home of her family. Now, I am not supposed to be sharing this with you because it is under federal investigation. So, promise me you won’t tell anyone about what I have planned.”

Owen’s expression changed to surprise, “Federal investigation?” he whispered back, “How? No one has said anything because they’ve been too scared too.”

“I did,” Elias answered, “Bradley Aston is not his true name. His real name is Marcus Harrington Junior and he has done this before. He’s a con artist and a fraud, convicted on multiple occasions for tax evasion, illegal foreign investments in Asian markets, embezzlement of government money, using false names and lying to police and aiding or causing suicides in previous land owners he has sent broke, doing this exact same thing. I had my brother look into it to begin with and then had my father revisit his old files. On our findings, his industry is non-existent but has been embezzling government funds for the last five years and has lured in several farmers across the country causing them to lose millions in illegal and unlawful contracts with their money sent offshore to fund illegal foreign organisations. Now, the federal government knew it was happening but were never able to trace it. My father, brother and I have been working to piece it all together and pushed on our evidence onto my Uncle, he’s the crown prosecutor. We have everything we need to pin him, and now he we need to catch him.”

“You did all that in a matter of days?” Owen was shocked.

“My family’s power is…remarkable,” Elias shrugged, “But, I’m not doing this for any other reason than for the sake my fiancée and her family and town. Had I not known her, had I not loved her, I would have never known about this and neither would have the federal police. Hence why I can’t just let him go, otherwise he will just do this to another community. Do you understand, now?”

Owen nodded, “So, you can’t say?”

“I only kept it a secret because gossip spreads around this town like wildfire,” Elias chuckled, “If he overheard the slightest gossip that I was after him, he’d run. Federal police have already raided several of the hotels he has passed through and are now wearing plain clothes across Wiley City, watching him but the wrong move could make him run. He could be armed and that’s why I need to catch him off guard. Please, I need you to trust me.”

Hearing his plan, Owen felt a little more relaxed, “Does Asana know about this?”

“She’s been helping me send these files off to my father,” Elias replied, “Now you know what I am doing, do you still have your doubts about me?”

Owen didn’t know how he was supposed to reply after learning about this major investigation had been happening behind the scenes in the three days Elias had been here. It was scary but impressive, “Remind me never to make you an enemy,” he muttered.

“I am not an unreasonable man,” Elias assured him.

“Even, if in the unlikely event Asana was to hurt you.”

“Of course,” Elias sincerely replied, “I’m not immature. Look, if you don’t believe. Read this,” Elias showed him an email on his phone his father had sent him.

Owen took the device and read the words carefully. Everything Elias had told him was true and with proof from the federal police to prove he was not lying, “He goes from town to town using a different name and image?”

Elias nodded, “He’s a top-class con-man but not good enough to fool us. Remember, you can’t tell another person this, not even your father. I only told you because I didn’t want to lose whatever acceptance I earned yesterday morning when I was talking to you. I love your daughter and I want you to be able to see beyond my name and background and see me as a man asking to marry your daughter.”

For a long moment, Owen didn’t reply. He only sighed and eventually handed Elias back his phone. As he did, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned around to see Asana. Her eyes met her father’s and Elias who leaned against the back of the lounge.

“What’s going on?” Asana questioned and slowly stepped towards them.

“Nothing,” Owen promised her with a friendly smile, “Good morning, sweetie.”

She was even more suspicious because it felt tense between them, “…Morning,” she cuddled up to Elias’ side, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You looked peaceful,” his lips curled into a gentle smile, the one he only ever showed her, “I didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”

With her back turned to her father, she whispered in his ear, “Why does it feel so tense between you two?”

“…Never mind,” Elias kissed her cheek, “We’re just men, talking about things.”

She didn’t buy it, “You don’t lie very good,” then she looked back to her father, “Daddy?” her tone demanded she know because she feared they were exchanging unfriendly words.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise,” Elias squeezed her hand.

“Right,” Owen agreed, “Elias here was just talking to me about Aston. What he has told me, I promise I will not share with anybody else.”

Asana looked back to Elias, “You told him about the federal investigation?”

He nodded, “Also, the truth behind Marcus.”

“Okay,” Asana knew they weren’t lying but what was with the tension, “So, why is it so tense between you two.”

Elias fell quiet, searching Owen for a response. Asana traded glances between the both, “…Elias, are you helping us purely because you want my acceptance as my daughter’s partner?”

He shook his head, “It’s part of the reason. However, I am also doing this because I know the people here are afraid of losing their homes because they believe they are powerless against him. I have come to love this area too, I find it very peaceful and a warm place to live. As I said, I’m not like those men who have disappointed you before.”

“Daddy, Elias is being honest,” Asana begged him, and held Elias hand in one hand and her father’s in the other, “Please, Daddy.”

He found himself in a tough spot, especially with Asana begging him to accept Elias. After speaking with him yesterday, and all he has learnt over the past three days, he has been nothing but honest with the family and they hadn’t even asked him to help deal with this criminal that was harassing them. He realised Elias did it out of the kindness of his heart and because it was upsetting Asana.

“…Will this plan of yours work?” Owen asked.

“I have the federal police at my command,” Elias promised him.

Owen thought for a moment, but wasn’t about to be fooled again and replied, “…If this works, you have my acceptance and blessing to marry my daughter. I only just realised no one had asked you to help us with this man but I get it now. It was upsetting Asana and you’re doing this for nothing but being kind.”

“See,” Asana was happy he could finally see it, “He’s not a bad person, Dad.”

Feeling awkward, Owen gave a small smile and then walked away, “Maybe not,” he muttered, it was loud enough for them to hear it, but he couldn’t say it to their faces.

Elias wasn’t sure how to take his reply, but Asana was happy, “That’s one step to getting that handshake,” she smiled.

“You really think he will?” Elias wondered, “He doesn’t like me.”

“No, he likes you.”

“What if he’s afraid of me?” Elias panicked, “I told him everything and now I just said I have the police at my call.”

Asana kissed his cheek, “He’s grown up in the country his entire life. For any person out here, the power to have the federal police at your call and the shadiest of criminals fear you is like…a super power. Thank you, though.”

Elias wanted to change the subject, “Father extended his thanksgiving wishes.”

“We should see them when we get home,” Asana suggested, “Where are we going to spend Christmas?”

Elias could sense her voice getting excited, “Would you calm down. He hasn’t accepted me yet, so let’s get through Thanksgiving right now before we even speak about Christmas.”

“Relax, he likes you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know my father,” Asana giggled, “Did you watch me sleep this morning?”

He remembered how they were talking about this subject just the other day. His lips curled into a wide smile, “Of course,” Elias gave her a light kiss on the lips, “You clutched at the pillow pretty tightly.”

“Aw,” she felt embarrassed, “That’s because my human pillow disappeared on me.”

Jokingly, he replied, “Oh, I see why you are with me now. I’m your personal pillow.”

“A very warm pillow and your arms are like blankets.”

“Okay, I think I have gone from being a pillow to transforming into a bed.”

She laughed, “Hey, you sleep on me too sometimes.”

“Very rarely,” he laughed and held her hand, “Come on, your Mom made us breakfast.”

“Mom!” Asana gasped at the array of spectacular dishes she had made for their private family dinner and the decorations of the table and the dining room, “I told you not to go overboard.”

“I had to,” she cheerfully clapped, “My babies are home and we have a guest. My little girl’s very handsome fiancée.”

Asana blushed at her mother’s over-excited comments as she helped to bring out the plates and bowls of food. There was the mandatory turkey glazed with marmalade and a pot of roasted and steamed vegetables, a casserole of mashed potato garnished with diced bacon and fresh chives, cranberry marinated meatballs and a pot of gravy to serve the whole table.

“Wow, darling,” Owen expressed his astonishment at the amount she had made, “There’s only going to be seven of us,” he joked as he gathered the carving knives and corkscrew for the wine.

“There’s plenty so no one can say they aren’t full by the end of the night,” she added to his joke and gave him a quick kiss, “Go pour the wine.”

At each plate, a single wax candle burned, and the lights above were dimmed to contribute to the relaxing atmosphere for the family dinner. Tobias and Elias were discussing his exhibit in the city next year and agreed to arrange special VIP treatment for Elias and Asana.

“You are welcome to stay at our apartment when you come, or I can set you up at my parents’ home?” Elias offered.

“I wouldn’t want to impose on you and her or your parents.”

“It’s fine,” Elias assured him, “Asana still has her old apartment on lease until it runs out in May next year. You are more than welcome to stay there.”

“Still on lease,” Tobias laughed, “Sis, haven’t you broken your lease yet.”

Asana set cutlery at each table, “Well, we haven’t long since lived with each other. It’s only been seven months,” she answered convincingly that no one questioned it, “We figured I signed up for another six months in case it didn’t work out. It will be the last lease I sign for, so use it up if you want to.”

Her grandfather than asked, “Are you paying for that place?”

“Yes,” Asana said, “It’s only the rent, Grandad. It’s affordable.”

“In that case, you don’t mind?” Tobias asked.

“Of course not,” Asana chuckled, “You’re my brother and we’ll be across the hall.”

As the table was set, the whole family had joined for dinner with Elias again sandwiched between the two siblings and sitting opposite from her grandparents and uncle. Charlotte and Owen taking the two end chairs. There wasn’t really a tradition, just the family together.

“Darling, what are you and Elias planning for Christmas?” Charlotte asked.

“We haven’t really thought about it,” Asana looked over to Elias, “What do you want to do?”

Elias wasn’t sure either, “Would your parents like to come to the city?” he suggested, “Maybe we can organise for our parents to meet?”

“They can stay in my apartment across the hall,” Asana knew where they could stay.

Elias shook his head, “Considering we would have Christmas at the house, they can stay in a guest room at my parents’ house.”

“Won’t that be too…daunting for them?” Asana worried his family home would be too much for her parents to handle and they would get nervous, “Though, before we decide where they would stay,” she turned to her parents, “Would you like to come to the city.”

Charlotte and Owen looked across at each other and to Fred and Edith, “Go, enjoy the city. Fred and I will be fine here with Lucas and Tobias may as well go with you too.”

There was a murmur of anxiety among her parents, “We may as well meet them if our families are going to become connected through their marriage,” Charlotte mentioned across to Owen, “However, I would worry about your father’s reaction to seeing Walter again.”

“We’ll think about it,” Owen said, sharpening the knives to carve the turkey, “For now, let’s enjoy Thanksgiving first before we even think about Christmas.”

Elias welcomed them to the city any time, “You are all welcome to visit us at any time,” he invited, regardless of how often they would visit the city.

Charlotte welcomed his offer, “Thank you, Elias.”

“I once went to the city,” Lucas added, “Went to a business convention to increase sales and learn some marketing techniques.”

Asana knew the story and began laughing at him. Lucas eyed her, “Stop laughing, you,” he playfully warned, “But, I drank a little too much and had to walk back to my hotel. I got lost and ended up in the wrong hotel. Ended up sleeping in the lobby and the concierges rang the police on me. Spent the night in the watch house until I sobered up.”

“Even after he left, he still didn’t know where he was,” Asana laughed, “I had only just moved to the city as well and received a phone call from him, panicking. ‘Asana, Asana, where am I? What hell is this? I can’t find my way,’. That was just before I met you,” Asana recalled.

The reminiscent story earning laughter from around the table as they dished out dinner and sipped on Lucas’ wine. Elias laughed too, “The city is very confusing, even I get lost sometimes.”

“No, you?” Edith didn’t believe him, “You grew up in the city, right?”

Elias nodded, “Which makes it even more sad,” he laughed.

Asana knew the story he was about to share, and everyone listened to him.

“When I was a child, my brothers and I often travelled by limousine or by our mother in our sedan. I knew where locations were, though I never knew how to get to them. So, when I received my driver’s license, and I drove everywhere, I often got lost. I remember I was at my music practice and after that I had to go to a restaurant to celebrate my brother’s graduation. It took me an hour and twenty minutes to find where I was supposed to go from where I was. Now, the smartest option would have been to use my GPS, but I called my father asked him for directions. The restaurant we were supposed to go to was two streets over from where I was, but I had ended up nearly on the other side of the city.”

They all shared a laugh, “So you see, I grew up in the city and I still get lost too.”

“Same with me,” Asana giggled, “I was hopeless when I first arrived in the city.”

“Could imagine,” Tobias agreed, “She still gets lost around Wiley City half the time.”

“Talk about making first bad impressions though,” Asana giggled.

Elias wondered which story she would bring up, “Which one, you have a few to tell. You want to know how we ended up speaking to each other?”

Asana begged him not to tell them, “No, don’t tell them. It’s so embarrassing!”

“Oh, I’m telling them,” Elias wasn’t backing out of the story.

“Oh, please, tell us,” Edith was interested too, “Is this at the bookstore?”

“No, it was before that,” Elias remembered the day very well, “You remember how I told you all that my brother is a junior lecturer at the same university Asana and I attend?”

They all nodded, “Of course,” Charlotte spoke as did Edith and Tobias.

Hiding her embarrassed red cheeks and pink smile behind her hands, Elias continued to tell them the story of how they had got off on the wrong foot, “My brother and I don’t look that different, but we are certainly different attitude wise. He can be much more meaner and strict, in a good way though. Anyway, they both were not watching where they were going….”

“I was reading a magazine off my phone where Tobias’ photos had been published and Klaus was reading a book for one of his upcoming lectures. He was heading out of the café as I was going in, and we just collided. He had a cup of hot tea and some muffins. Nothing like hot tea drenching my shirt along with chocolate stains,” there was a round of laughter, “He gave me quite the lecture and didn’t even assume any responsibility for his role in that happening.”

“You’re such a klutz,” Owen laughed at her affectionately.

Elias continued with the story, “It gets worse,” he prompted, and they listened, “I met with my brother after that had happened, not even knowing who she was. All I knew was he was in a bad mood and complained that people should be watching where they were going. Yet, I was to discover the young lady he bumped into was also my new neighbour. After a long day of dealing with a grumpy brother, also getting my ears lectured off by my parents and sitting in a two-hour exam, I returned home and started getting yelled at by Asana because she thought I was my brother,” he paused and looked over at her with the family laughing.

“Hey, if you ever saw Klaus you would forgive me for mixing them up,” Asana defended her actions, “All I saw was the same gold locks and violet eyes. I was grumpy too and decided if I saw that guy again, he’d get a piece of my mind too.”

Fred even chuckled at the story, “Oh, Asana. I can’t even imagine what you said to him thinking he was his brother.”

“She called me rude, mean, cold and a big bully,” Elias recalled.

“I wasn’t calling you that,” Asana’s cheeks were bright red.

“Look how red she is,” Charlotte teased her, “I suppose this misunderstanding is what started this relationship?”

Asana nodded, “I can’t regret it, now can I.”

“When did you figure out he was not his brother?” Tobias questioned.

“After I gave him a piece of my mind,” Asana remembered it well, “He sighed, and was like ‘you must be the girl who put my brother in a sour mood. Thanks to you, I had to deal with him.’ For a moment, I had to take a step back and then realised there were physical differences. He introduced himself as Elias Goldstein, and the man I had walked into was his older brother, Klaus. I was mortified and embarrassed, not only did I tell off the wrong person but the person I wanted to yell at was a Goldstein.”

“She quickly ran inside her room and avoided me for weeks,” Elias laughed, “We usually left for class at the same time. She would either peep through her door until I left, or we would walk down together in complete silence.”

“Hey, you noticed that?” Asana pinched him.

“You made it obvious,” Elias chuckled.

“You could have made me feel less embarrassed by that situation, you know.”

“I had some random girl yell at me,” Elias corrected her, “I was just minding my own business and got dragged into it by you and Klaus.”

“We didn’t get off on the right off, as you can tell,” Asana chuckled.

Edith proudly smiled at their story, “That’s a very cute story and a very Asana-like thing to do,” she commented with the others around her agreeing it was something Asana would likely do.

“Those first few days of living in the city were my most embarrassing days, I swear,” Asana had made plenty of first bad impressions that she had lost count, “Klaus and I are on good terms too now, but there was the incident with my lecturer and plenty of the neighbouring city people.”

Elias thought carefully, “Oh, you mean arriving twenty-five minutes late to Professor Schuyler’s lecture. He’s a tough professor though, so many people tend to steer clear from making him mad.”

“Do you have some classes together?”

“I have applied for some workshops that focus around the legal components of becoming a veterinarian, specifically animal and environmental laws because I want to do what Dad does and rehabilitate wildlife too. Then, the guy who does the workshop suggested I do a short course in animal and environment law. It’s more of an integrated learning where they stick us in the same lecture rooms with students undertaking undergraduate degrees in law.”

“Part of my course structure is covering environmental law and ecological jurisprudence, she attends those lectures as part of her short course,” Elias summed up, “She arrived late to one lecture Professor Schuyler was giving. He’s a very strict professor. If you are not there by the time he is, he will kick you out.”

“That happened to me,” Asana remembered it well, “I said I got lost and his reply was ‘if you can’t read a map, what makes you think you can pass my class’, everyone laughed at me. Thankfully, Elias had the notes from that lecture and I could get them from him.”

“All you need to do now is stop falling asleep in lectures,” Elias reminded her and received another round of laughter from the family.

Owen realised how little his daughter had changed even though she had been living in the city for the past two years. Gauging Elias’ reaction, his eyes were gentle as he spoke about their adventures together. Owen chuckled, “Nothing has changed much then.”

“It is wonderful to hear you two are having fun together,” Lucas commented, “Right, Owen?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “Though, how did you make a bad impression on the city. That was the other thing you said. Please tell me you didn’t make the news or something for the wrong reasons?”

“No,” Asana giggled, “It’s nothing too huge but I went sightseeing around the city. One of my first locations was this abandoned lighthouse on the cliffs on the far side of the beach. Elias told me the truth about it the other night which is why I now understand why people were giving me a weird look.”

Fred was curious, “Why would you go up there alone?”

“Well, I wanted to see it,” she shrugged, “I never seen a lighthouse before and it was only my second day in the city. The skyscrapers had me amazed so I wanted to see the lighthouse too.”

“There are two,” Elias corrected her, “There’s the current one on the headlands and the one derelict and a haven for junkies and whatever else dangerous. Of course, she went to the abandoned one.”

“I didn’t know it was that bad,” Asana argued with an embarrassed smile.

“Why is it so terrifying?” Charlotte didn’t understand what was so scary about an old lighthouse, “I imagine there are plenty of old buildings in the city that have amazing history.”

“Elias, do tells us,” Edith wanted to hear about it, “Is it a popular tourist spot?”

Elias shook his head, “Good god, no,” he stressed and sipped from his wine, “Now, I am not one for believing in the supernatural or anything but the history there is pretty dark that it makes for a good haunted location for Halloween. There’s a local ghost tour that goes there too but those who grew up in the city know its history.”

“Here comes a good ghost story,” Tobias joked, “Dim the lights and give the man a torch,” he said, drunkenly, “Continue.”

“That’s enough wine for you,” Lucas took Tobias’ glass from him, “He have to hear your adventures yet.”

Charlotte and Edith admonished the boys, “Quiet, Elias please tell us.”

A short round of giggles echoed their interest in the legend surrounding the old lighthouse, “Okay,” Elias began to tell the same legend he had told Asana a few days ago, “Let me start by saying, no one goes up to that lighthouse and it is not recommended as a tourist spot because a lot of illegal activity happens up there or deaths, and it has stayed that way for plenty of decades. So, when Asana was asking for directions to the lighthouse, plenty of people were suspicious of her.”

“Oh goodness,” Owen placed a palm to his head, “Did you not realise this sooner?” he asked his daughter.

“I was curious,” she shrugged.

Elias continued, “Anyway. So, picture the kinds of lighthouses you see in horror films. It most likely is the same lighthouse used in those films, anyway,” he figured, “It has a very steep cliff overlooking the ocean and the jaggered rock pools below.”

“One of those creepy places,” Fred understood.

“Exactly,” Elias continued, “In 1878, a ship carrying navy men collided with the rocks in rough seas. Twelve sailors were killed on impact. There is a legend the ghosts of those twelve sailors still linger around the lighthouse and they lure people to the cliff’s edge. In 1907, nine people died by falling off the cliff after hearing cries for help and hearing a loud crash of a boat colliding with the rocks below. Between 1907 and now, a further twenty people have died after falling off the cliff. The lighthouse was officially closed in 1908 because of the amount of deaths that were occurring around it, it is listed as a heritage site but was become derelict building amongst the vegetation since no one goes up there.”

“Sounds creepy,” Charlotte wriggled the shivers from her body, “Asana, why would you want to go up there?”

“I didn’t know this at the time,” she defended her actions.

Elias continued, “I don’t believe in ghost stories but when I was in high school, plenty of kids used to go up there on Halloween and try to either prove or disprove the legend of the sailor ghosts.”

“Is it true?” Lucas was curious.

“No, of course not,” Elias chuckled, “The building is visited by no one because it is just a creepy old building now. The only people who go up there are those who want the privacy. There is a slight mafia problem in the city and they have been known to do deals up there, junkies and homeless people use the place to get high or to sleep and it used to be the old make-out point during the fifties and sixties. All those people who fell off the edge of the cliff were treated as suicide, murder or accidental death. Asana is about the only person I have ever heard of going up there for a tourist drive, other tourists go to the current lighthouse on the headlands. There is a museum there for the city’s maritime history to deter people from going up to the cliff.”

“Asana,” Tobias cracked up laughing with tears spilling from his eyes.

Owen joined in laughing at her, “No wonder why people thought you were suspicious.”

“After I left, the police rolled up there and asked me a few questions,” Asana laughed at the memory, “They gave me the dumbest look ever and I just said that I wasn’t from the city and had come to down to study at the university. I wonder how many people in the street thought I was going to jump off the cliff or something. After Elias told me this the other day, I felt like such an idiot.”

“There are plenty of cute stories I could tell them of your adventures in the city,” Elias teased her.

“Don’t you dare!” she covered his mouth with her hand.

Fred shook his head while laughing at her, “Elias, thank god she has you now.”

“Second that,” Lucas agreed, “Stop getting yourself into trouble, Asana.”

“I was excited about being in a new place,” Asana protested cheerfully.

Owen was now grateful she had someone she could trust, “After hearing about you going to a dangerous location and nearly being hurt after walking home late by yourself, I’m grateful Elias is in your life.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I have lectured her about being aware of her surroundings,” Elias added, “I keep telling her the city is not the country. Kind of how you should watch for dangerous animals out here, you must keep watch on dangerous people in the city.”

Asana added, “I don’t just have Elias. Sometimes his brother will take me back to our apartment if Elias can’t. Or, Yukiya and Luca if they are heading to work. Yukiya works not far from us and Luca lives just down the street in the student housing. So, I’m not short on people who I have around me now.”

Elias could trust Yukiya since he was a good friend and Asana met him through classes since they were completing the same degree, except he was going for a double degree in arts and veterinary science. Luca, though, they had gone to the same high school and never got along, “Well, Luca’s a different story.”

“Why can’t you admit you are friends?”

“Because.”

“Why?” Asana giggled.

“He always finds a reason to make me not like him,” Elias replied.

“Yet, you would do anything for each other,” Asana added.

“Would not,” Elias denied it, “I wish you would be careful around him too. You aren’t even aware of how many guys around campus like you. Like when we had the university dance party, remember?”

Asana didn’t know what he was getting at and tilted her head at him, “All the guys who asked you to be their date,” Elias jogged her memory.

“Oh,” she remembered the several messages from other guys who had asked her to the dance, “…Well…,” she didn’t have an answer for him.

“I wish you were more aware of how attractive you are,” Elias sighed, “This is why I can’t let you out of my sight. I trust you, I just don’t trust other men.”

Asana blushed, realising what he had just admitted to in front of her family, “H-Hey, d-don’t say things like that in front of my family,” she shyly protested.

It was their usual habit of entering their own world and conversation. The world around them faded and all they saw was each other. Charlotte gave a happy look over at Owen, who only rolled his eyes at her with a grin he couldn’t hide. As they were digging into their meals, it was time for Tobias to tell them of his adventures too.

“Where did you go to this year?” Fred asked him, “You have plenty of photos I hope?”

Tobias nodded, “I have a slideshow to share,” he announced, “I will play it after we’ve eaten but I went to the artic and lived in the jungles of Africa for a while. Working, this time, I swear,” he joked.

“I spent one year in the artic with a team of researchers evaluating polar bear populations, the availability and accessibility of food and the like, even went underwater in the ice to capture ochre whales up close.”

Charlotte placed a hand over her heart, “If there is one thing I’m thankful for this year, it is having Tobias safely home. Though, after hearing Asana’s adventures in the city, glad she’s safe too.”

“Well, I nearly died,” Tobias revealed a nasty scar across his lower leg, “Spent four months in hospital from being attacked by a polar bear. Tore some ligament and damaged some muscles but I’m alive. If anyone is wondering, no the polar bear was not shot but tranquilised.”

Charlotte felt like she could faint and wacked her son around the head, “Tobias James Way, why weren’t we notified of this?!” she demanded to know, her soft and gentle voice changing to that firm voice they were familiar with when they were kids.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Tobias hugged her, “I’m alive though. You would’ve been notified if I was dead.”

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed at him and Asana laughed, “See, who’s the good child now.”

“Tobias, please,” Owen pleaded to his son, “Don’t patronise your mother. We worry about you whenever you go abroad because we know you are entering a dangerous world. Do you have your life insurance all up to date?”

“I know, I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Tobias hugged his mother, “Sorry Mom. You know I would call you if it was something serious.”

“That was serious!” she lectured him, “You could have been killed by that bear.”

“I know, but we were trying to help him,” Tobias explained how he ended up in that position, “Aside from the scarce food sources endangering the polar bear, we set out to investigate if there are any other causes affecting polar bears which is spiralling them towards extinction. When he found him, he was aggressive but then we realised he was limping badly. He had a hook in his foot, we had tranquilised him, but he woke up halfway through our operation. That’s how I got attacked.”

Asana assumed his next publication was about his research into polar bears, “Are they the subject of your next paper?”

“Polar bears?”

She nodded, “I would love a copy, so I can read it.”

“Already printed yours off,” Tobias promised, “It’s in my room. I just have to give it to you and I got one for Dad too. It will be published in the next issue of the Wildlife and Ecology Journal.”

What followed was a long summary of his findings not just into his adventures in the arctic but also in the jungles of Africa and east towards India where he followed the adaption of tiger families and leopards in their fight for survival, “I received permission from the government to set up cameras around Indian villages to film the night time behaviour of leopards living next to humans. I can’t wait to show you all what I found, it’s remarkably scary.”

“You kids certainly are having plenty of fun,” Lucas admired their adventures.

“We need Erica and Andrew to have everyone together,” Charlotte added, “Have you heard from them, Lucas?”

He nodded and showed them a postcard he had received the other day, “This postcard arrived just the other day from Egypt,” he showed them a photograph of the two riding camels on the edge of the Sahara Desert with the pyramids in the background, “She looks very happy. Olivia did always tell her to travel young.”

“They have the travel bug,” Edith laughed as Fred handed her the photograph to look at as the family passed it around, “I remember going here before you boys and your sister were born. Fred and I were very young then but such an amazing view, especially at twilight. Asana, you and Elias should travel too.”

They had discussed travelling with each other once their studies were completed. Earmarking Europe, Africa and Australia as their first destinations during their break between receiving their graduate degrees and commencing higher studies. Asana received the photograph from her father and peered at it together with Elias, “It does look romantic,” she mentioned to him, “I should get Erica to give us the low down of her experience.”

“I would love to visit the pyramids sometime in my life,” Elias agreed, “My parents have travelled to Cairo, even my mother recommended it.”

“I want to go to Tahiti too,” Asana smiled, “I’ve always wanted to sleep in a bungalow in the middle of the ocean.”

“Honeymoon destination?” Elias asked her.

“Tahiti or Cairo?”

“I will go wherever you want to go.”

Asana gave him a troubled look, “That’s not fair if I’m choosing where to go for our honeymoon. It’s our special holiday, we have to decide together,” she passed the photograph onto her brother and received the postcard that came with it.

“Oh, look,” Asana pointed to the small writing she knew was her cousin’s and giggled, “Sorry I’m not there to meet Asana’s fiancée, from what I heard from her he sounds amazing. Hopefully, we will meet each other soon. Welcome to the family, Elias.”

“Were you one of her bridesmaids?” Elias asked.

“No,” Asana shook her head, “They didn’t have any best men or bridesmaids.”

“Well, when we get married I have three girls to choose from,” Asana said, “There’s Erica, Elaine and Amelia. Are you going to ask your brothers to be your best men?”

“Maybe,” Elias worried Klaus would do something to embarrass him, “Whether or not I can trust Klaus not to tease me is another thing. I would ask him to be my groomsman, but I have a feeling he would not help me relax. But, three works. I have my two brothers and there’s your brother.”

Asana passed the postcard onto her brother and just as there was a knock on the front door of the home. Everyone’s eyes lifted up from their plates and Owen tilted his head, “We weren’t expecting anyone else to join us, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Charlotte rose from her chair to investigate who would be at the door.

Elias looked out of the window behind him and could see the same silver car Marcus had used yesterday when he assaulted Fred in the snow. Reaching for his phone, he found the number he was looking for and there was an immediate answer, “Greg. Dad gave you the address?”

“He did,” a deep voice on the other end of the phone replied.

Leaving everyone clueless, Asana only smiled, “Must be him,” she growled, “Let Elias deal with him everyone,” she stressed to her family.

“You are good to go,” Elias gave the green light and hung up the phone.

At the front door, Charlotte asked for him to leave their property, but her strength was not a match for her and he invited himself into the house, “I told you to leave!” Charlotte yelled behind his back as he sauntered into their home to the kitchen.

“Happy Thanksgiving family,” disguised as Aston, Marcus clapped his hands and introduced himself to the rest of the family seated in the dining room. Making himself at home, he sat in Charlotte’s seat, “Even a feast is provided for your new land lord.”

Everyone glared at him as he helped himself to Charlotte’s food and wine and made her stand thinking her seat was his. Elias had remained hidden behind the curtain for a moment as he sent a message to his father and brother and gave directions to Greg for the federal agents to arrive. He could see what Aston was doing and it irritated him.

“So, Fred and Lucas, I see my contracts are not signed,” Aston crackled and then frowned, “Why? I warned you before if they weren’t signed by today, you would regret it. I will make your businesses suffer.”

“They aren’t signed because we aren’t selling,” Lucas snatched the glass of wine and plate of food away from him, “How dare you sit down at my sister’s seat and eat her food she cooked for us.”

“Leave,” Owen growled.

Marcus ignored them and meet the glaring eyes of Tobias and Asana, “You must be Tobias, haven’t had the pleasure,” Marcus extended his hand, but Tobias turned away, “No,” Marcus laughed.

He then saw Asana and rose from his chair, “Beauty has a name, Asana. Is it?” Marcus took her hand in his, despite her rejection, “I saw you yesterday cradling your dear old grandfather, but beautiful girls must be greeted kindly,” he went to kiss her hand.

Grabbing her glass of wine, she threw it in his face and regathered her hand, “You are not greeted and should leave this property before my fiancée returns to this table,” she said strongly, her harsh tongue she swore she picked up from him, “You have been nothing but a menace to my family and the community since you arrived here.”

Marcus glared at her and used a napkin to wipe the wine from his brow. He laughed unkindly just as Elias returned to his seat from sending all the necessary messages he had to send to his father and uncle. Elias stepped between Asana and Marcus as Marcus grew agitated with the wine she threw in his face irritating his eyes, “You little…!” with eyes closed he swung a hand but with Elias protecting her, he caught Marcus’ wrist firmly and tightly.

“Do finish whatever you were about to say to my fiancée?” Elias prompted him, his voice cold and terrifying it sent shivers down everyone’s spines, “Please,” his grip tightened.

Opening his eyes, Marcus’s gaze met the ivory skin, reddening at the knuckles, as it restrained his hand and wrist. A brown jacket draped across the man’s shoulders as Marcus’ gaze looked up at the deadly violet eyes and the sadistic, sharp smirk of the man towering above him. Elias was taller than him and stood with much more posture that made him look powerful and intimidating, an art he learnt from his father and brothers.

However, Marcus immediately recognised the bed of golden locks and the piercing violet eyes he had often seen in the courtrooms, “…G-Goldstein?” Marcus stammered, “...What! How?! Fiancée? That…that girl is your fiancée?”

Marcus’ body shivered making Elias smile victoriously, “Not so big now, are you?”

“…She…she’s your fiancée? Impossible!” he growled.

“Her name is Asana and you will refer to her as such,” Elias demanded firmly.

Marcus’ body flinched but he tried to keep up a confident front, “I see now, she paid you to be her fiancée. How desperate are you to get rid of me that you need to pay a Goldstein?”

“Don’t you dare to speak to her like that!” Elias hissed again, “Are you too small of a man you feel bigger by bullying and disrespecting my fiancée and her family? Would you do it before me or are you too afraid?”

Elias pushed him backwards as he let go of his wrist and sent the man to the floor. Marcus had a red mark around his wrist and it hurt when he put pressure on it, “You! You sprained my wrist!”

“That’s quite a statement coming from a coward who injured an elderly veteran,” Elias retorted and then gave him a fair warning, “Also, you are quite lucky I only gave you a sprained wrist after you raised a hand at my fiancée.”

Marcus had remembered his time in jail and the way vicious way Walter had ripped him apart in the courtroom as he represented the widows of the farmers who he had contributed to their suicide seek the damages they deserved for his intrusiveness. With Elias bearing down on him, he did not have the bluffing or the power to withstand the might of the Goldstein power.

Regathering his feet, Elias stood his ground and walked closer to Marcus making him back step until his back hit the wall. Putting a hand against the wall, Elias smiled as he shivered in fear, “Any person who disrespects my fiancée’s family through threats and bullying has disrespected her,” Elias growled in a deep voice.

Marcus eyes were wide, and he apologised very quickly, “I…h-had no idea she was your fiancée,” he felt tears threatening to leave his eyes, “I will leave this village and I will never bother her family again. You have my word.”

Owen and Fred had to smile as the man who had been giving them headaches was finally put in his place, Lucas clapping quietly and laughing, “What’s the matter with you Aston, are you no match for a Goldstein.”  

Elias had to chuckle, “Tell me, how does it feel to know you are powerless? Unable to control me like you have tried to control this town, bullying them, threatening them and harassing them, bringing them nothing but pain, so you can con them, leave them broke and with no place to live. Just like you have done to others in the past. Marcus.”

Fred and Lucas looked at each other, “Marcus. His name’s Bradley, right?”

Asana shook her head, “It’s Marcus. He’s a con man who has been convicted of fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and illegal funding of overseas organisations in the past. He is repeating his own crimes thinking he wouldn’t get caught. That’s why Elias didn’t do anything yesterday, otherwise he would just move onto the next town.”

Edith enjoyed this too much and Charlotte smiled as the man experienced karma in the form of Elias. Marcus panicked but Elias didn’t care, “You are not a man, you are a coward, just another piece of scumbag dirt, a pest to humanity. This is what is going to happen right now.”

Marcus felt the cold tears stream down his face at the harsh words which spilled from Elias’ mouth, fiercely. “Anything,” Marcus would agree without a fight, “Please, don’t let me go back to prison!”

“That’s not my call,” Elias said, “Not that I care about you. Why you would repeat the offences you were convicted of in the first place has me puzzled but I am sure the prison guards would love to have you back for a longer stay this time. Before you do leave, however, you will apologise to my fiancée and her family. First, my mother-in-law. Get on your knees and be sincere with your apology.”

“Her mother?”

Elias turned his chin to gaze at Charlotte still standing by the door way, “This kind and gentle woman has gone without seeing her children for two years. She cooked an amazing dinner, which you then, uninvited, thought was your right to steal food from her plate and drink from her wine, ruining this dinner she had waited so long for. Apologise, now!”

Marcus bowed his head to Charlotte, “…I…I am sorry,” he had tears spilling from his eyes.

“To Fred and Edith,” Elias turned the man’s head again and made him looked the elderly man in the eyes, “He is a war veteran and his family have been the life and blood of this town through their farming. In your attempt to rob them of their land, you have caused them great stress, harassed them and even injured Fred’s wrist, preventing him from tending to his farming duties,” Elias grabbed the contract, but had already copied the pages to present it as evidence in court and ripped it to pieces, “All for an illegal and unlawful contract that is now being sent to my Uncle, my father and the federal agents to be used as evidence against you.”

Marcus watched his scheme fall to pieces in the contract Elias tore and began crying under his tough gaze, “…I’m sorry, I’m very sorry!”

“To Lucas,” Elias turned his chin upwards, “Do you have any idea what his winery means to him? What about to the breast cancer researchers who receive a generous donation from his Olivia’s Hills Wine? His winery is not just a business to him, it his wife’s legacy. You destroyed a vine of grapes right at harvest, damaging his production this year, not by much of course, but enough to make any hard-working farmer as mad as hell. What kind of sickening pleasure did you get from doing that? Can’t forget about how you traumatised an employee trying to force her to forge his signature.”

Marcus bowed his head and was beginning to lose control of his emotions as he faced the reality of where this would end up, “I’m sorry!” he screamed and stood up to Elias, “You have any idea how much money I have lost because of your family! I had no choice but to con people again if I was to pay those widows!”

“My father knew you couldn’t pay the difference,” Elias snapped back, “He asked my mother and sister to create a foundation specifically for those women and their families to assist them back onto their feet after the damage you caused! Father would have hoped this would have taught you a lesson, and why should you have a right to live your life happily when those farmers lost their lives and their homes with their families still suffering because of what you did to them. I will not allow you to inflict the same damage on the kind people of this town or any other.”

Elias gaze was strong and down the road he could see the lights of the federal police and hear the helicopter cutting through the air above. Marcus looked out the window and could see the shining black cars and federal agents block off the front and back doors. “No! No! You!”

“Next time, think twice before you pretend to parade yourself as a man with power,” Elias lectured the panicked man before him, “My name is powerful enough to command the federal police to come here to arrest you, to have my Uncle prosecute your case and have my father convince the rest of the legal community to not represent you.”

“You…you don’t have that kind of power,” Marcus panicked.

“See for yourself, you can see the police out there,” Elias proved it to him. ���Lastly, there is one apology you need to make before you leave.”

Marcus turned around to Elias, “…W-Who?”

“Asana,” Elias demanded, “Don’t apologise to her and I will make sure the police give you no mercy out of here.”

Marcus paused for a moment, hoping Elias would let him go soon until the police arrested him but the longer he waited the more he realised the police were waiting on Elias’ command. He wasn’t lying that the men outside were answering to a man with much more power than he could ever hold.

Shyly, Marcus kneeled before Asana and he looked her in the eye, “…Miss Way…,” he began his apology that would satisfy Elias, “…I-I apologise…for the pain I have caused you, your family and your community. If my…actions have offended you, I sincerely apologise.”

Elias accepted the apology at Asana’s approval and said one last thing. “Marcus,” he called the man’s attention, “Heed my warning very clearly, my fiancée’s family is mine too. If you ever return to Reitz and cause trouble for this family or community again, I will have you muck their stables for the rest of your life. It is not wise to test me because my patience for criminals like you is thin.”  

Bowing his head shamefully, Marcus replied, “Don’t worry, I will never return here.”

“Good answer,” Elias commented and called out to the police outside, “Agent Greg Cameron.”

Police with guns and vests entered the house on Elias’ call, “Mr Goldstein, thank you for your cooperation in our investigation,” he shook hands with him and allowed other agents in to arrest Marcus, “Marcus Harrington Junior, I am arresting you for multiple charges including counts of fraud, money laundering and embezzlement and tax evasion as well as illegal foreign investments, among other charges. You are not obliged to say anything at this point but whatever you do say will be used in evidence in a court of law, you have the right to legal representation. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Marcus’ tone meant that he gave up and let the police take him without much fight, “Well played, Goldstein,” he muttered as he passed Elias.

Greg turned to Elias, “You have all the files we need?”

“Dad has already sent them to you,” Elias informed him but reached into his pocket, “Though, I have also been keeping a backup file just in case,” he handed the flash stick over to Greg, “Thanks for doing this.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do after your father and family helped me out that time,” Greg smiled at him and bowed to Asana, “Miss Way, it’s a pleasure to help your kind community.”

“You were here the entire time?”

“Well, since yesterday,” Greg answered, “I have been staying in the inn in town. Lovely town.”

Asana thanked him, “Do you like wine?”

“I like a glass or two,” Greg smiled.

“Here,” she handed him an unopened bottle off the table, “As gratitude for helping us.”

Greg accepted the generous offer and smiled over to Elias, “Don’t let her go, kid. She’s keeper, thank you for the bottle. I’ll share it with the boys for Thanksgiving.”

As quickly as they came, the police left, and Asana jumped into Elias’ arms, “Thank you,” she kissed him, “You have no idea how much that meant to everyone here.”

Fred scratched his head and Lucas was too astonished to speak, “…Well, he has my vote to marry Asana,” Fred broke the silence.

Edith nudged Owen, “You have to accept him now.”

“How did you manage to have the federal police under your command?” Tobias wondered, “I’m confused as to what just happened?”

Owen rose from his chair and cleared Charlotte’s plate and wine glass for her and offered a new plate and glass for her to continue eating dinner, “Here darling, free from whatever filth he had on his fingers.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte sat at her seat again, “Let’s just thank Elias and put this behind us now. Elias fulfilled his promise and it’s stress off our shoulders.”

Elias and Asana reclaimed their seats and Lucas extended his hand, “You sure showed him. Never seen him shiver like that all the time he had been here.”

Shaking his hand, Elias felt happy that he could help them, “I am happy I could help. After learning about your community and the family farms, I realised how special your homes are to you and to Asana. If ever you need legal help, don’t hesitate to call me. We are becoming family, right?”

Edith nodded, “You are more than welcomed into our family, Elias.”

“I had my doubts about you,” Fred added but after what he had seen, he had nothing left to doubt, “I’m happy you stood up for my granddaughter. I don’t think I have anything left to doubt about you now. Welcome to the family,” he extended Elias a handshake.

“Thank you, sir,” Elias returned the gesture, “I will always protect her, I promise.”

“I accepted him from the start,” Tobias cheered, “My sister did something worthy of praise.”

“More than what you could ever achieve,” Asana retorted cheekily.

Charlotte looked over to Owen, “You know how I feel about him. I entrust to him our daughter’s heart,” she searched him for a response and suddenly all eyes were on Owen.

A long silence ensued as Owen tried his hardest to find a reason not to accept Elias, but he couldn’t find a reason. After bonding with him yesterday, he knew Elias wasn’t a bad person and now he had fulfilled his promise of dealing with Marcus. Owen downed his entire glass of wine in one gulp, “I did promise,” Owen extended his hand to Elias, “Be warned, hurt my daughter and I don’t care how powerful you are. I have rifles and an ex-military gunner for a father who taught me his tricks.”

Elias accepted the handshake, “That gun might get rusty, sir, because I am never going to hurt her,” Elias promised.

Owen was suddenly wrapped up in a huge hug with a pair of arms that nearly choked him, “Thank you, Daddy!” she almost knocked him off his chair, “You have two sons now.”

“Don’t…don’t get carried away,” Owen blushed slightly, “I never said he could start calling me dad. I just accept him as the man you have chosen to build a future with. That’s all.”

Tobias leaned over to whisper to Elias, “He’s stubborn. That’s the closest you are going to get to him admitting he likes you and that he trusts you with Asana.”

“Well, I am happy to have his blessing and acceptance,” Elias smiled.

Asana took her seat again and couldn’t hide her wide smile after her father finally accepted Elias. Under the table, she discreetly took hold of his hand and laced her fingers through his and couldn’t wait for whatever their future held. For now, the incident with Marcus was put in the past as they went into the living room after dinner and desert to watch Tobias’ two years’ worth of photos and videos of his adventures across the world. Asana having to explain most of the complicated language they used in animal studies, medicine and science to Elias.

As they went to bed that night, Asana gazed at him, overwhelmed by emotions of love for him. She was convinced she had fallen more in love with him and kissed his lips gently as he rested his eyes, “I love you, Elias.” 

He gentle touch and sweet voice reached his ears and he smiled as he reciprocated her kiss, passionately, “I love you too,” he whispered and kissed her lips again. 

“I know it is against your rule,” she wanted to make love to him as a reward for all he had done to help her family, “I really want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for them. Please.” 

Elias wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body closer, “Do you know how long it took me to gain your father’s acceptance?” he reminded her but kissed her lips, “We’ll return home the day after tomorrow and I don’t plan on taking it easy on you. This will have to satisfy you for now,” he kept her close to his side and continued to cuddle her and kiss her passionately until they were both exhausted. 

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Part 4. Thanksgiving in the Country. Goldstein Power

Elias/Asana

Just one more part left after this one as this mini story continues. The good mood in the morning after the community party is ruined by a visit from the businessman who is threatening her family to sell their property. However, Elias puts into action a plan with the help of his father and brother after Fred is assaulted.

Fog clouds ascended from the ground to the high-top mountains hugging the countryside and the snow had stopped falling for the first time since Elias had come to visit Asana’s hometown. He laid asleep next to her with his face buried into the back of her shoulder and his right arm dead from her weight laying on it most of the night. Silence assumed the usually lively house as everyone slept off last night’s fun.

However, Elias drew the short straw as Casper sat on his body. Though asleep, Elias could feel the weight of the feline but it didn’t bother him since the cat had rearranged his positions all night and even had slept over his feet at some point. Casper’s blue eyes were wide awake and his brown smoky ears twitched as he kneaded his paws into Elias’ skin.

“…Casper,” he groaned, pleading for the cat to stop digging his sharp claws of his white tipped paws as he kneaded his skin.

He heard a loud purr as Elias raised out his hand to pet the animal, “…What do you want?” Elias questioned the bright blue eyes around his smoky grey face and petted his fluffy ash fur of the ragdoll breed.

“Meow,” the cat bunted his head into Elias’ hand.

“Are you hungry?” Elias guessed the animal was only being this friendly because he wanted food, “…Alright then, come on. Don’t wake up your owner,” he warned to the cat like it was a child.

Slightly awake from his deep voice and Casper’s meowing, Asana peeped as Elias gently rose up off the lounge where they had slept for the night to be escorted into the kitchen by her cat. Now they had agreed to live together, Asana wondered if it would be okay if they could bring Casper back with them. She loved her pets and missed her beloved pet. Elias petted him and carried him in his arms giving him all the strokes Casper desired, a sight Asana thought was incredibly adorable because Elias spoke to Casper like the cat was a human child.

“Alright, you will have to give me a moment to find your food,” Elias said as he rummaged quietly through the kitchen to find the cat food he had seen Tobias use yesterday. For Elias, it felt weird to be going through her family’s kitchen.

“Meow!” Casper continually rubbed against Elias’ legs with his grey tipped tail pointed into the air, meowing loudly.

“Hush,” he begged the animal to be quiet so not to wake everyone else in the house.

As he rummaged through the cupboards, he found the tin of food he had been searching for, then, the dogs outside resting in their shelters to keep them warm from the snow, began barking. It stunned him but then he remembered they are well trained farm dogs and probably were used to hearing this cupboard door opening and closing, “Don’t they have precise hearing,” he laughed, “I will feed you three as well,” he promised, receiving a yelp from what sounded like the border collie, Meekah. Having met the three dogs during Asana’s tour, he didn’t need to fear the big dogs attacking him.

He gave a scoop of wet food to Casper and some kibble and a saucer of milk for his feast. Like it had been starved, Casper dived his head straight into the bowl and purred loudly in satisfaction. Then, it was onto the dogs. Meekah greeted him first but didn’t jump or pounce as the two German Shepherds, Kibby and Jarrah followed him. Kibby had a black saddle with a tanned coat and Jarrah a redder coat which was how he could tell the difference. Before feeding them, he petted and played with them as their tails wagged affectionately.

“There you go,” Elias’ job was complete after he refilled their water bowls inside the dog shed where they usually slept to keep out of the cold.

Asana pretended to sleep as she heard Elias quietly come back inside, put away the animal food and roamed through the bookshelves in the living room. He saw more novel titles and animal encyclopedias as well as a generational folder marked as family recipes. He went to grab a novel to read but after letting his eyes wander through the shelves found a row of photograph albums. There were some marked as simply ‘family photos’ but the one he was most interested in was marked as ‘Asana’s baby photos’. His mother had shown his baby photos to Asana when they met and he was very interested to see hers.

He gathered the album in his arms with the novel he was interested in and snuggled back underneath the blanket, being careful not to wake her up. Coloured in a powder purple background, blue birds and pink butterflies graced the hard cover of the landscape shaped album with a heart in the middle with Asana’s full name written in cursive gold letters.

“Asana Lee Way,” he read inside his mind and flipped to the first page.

It was not an ordinary album book a person could find in any book store. Her mother was a creative type of person and had created the book by hand as it was bound at the spine by purple and white ribbons. On the front page, there was a list of prolific questions detailing Asana like she was a character ready for a novel.

“Date of birth…5th of March,” he read her mother’s neat handwriting, “Time of birth…eleven past three am,” for some reason, knowing she was born that early made him chuckle.

He continued to read and discovered this was not just a photo album but Asana’s baby book her mother had created so she could remember her little daughter even when she had grown into a beautiful woman. From Asana’s birth to her first year, she had made a note of all the changes and at what age she had begun learning to walk, when she began showing teeth, her first smile to her first bath and the first time she slept an entire night without crying in the middle of it. She had even recorded the difference in her hair and eye colour from when she was born to her first birthday.

Turning the page over, he found her baby photos visually recording the those first twelve months. From those first moments and being held in her brother’s arms to the younger faces of Fred and Edith and her father and mother holding her, those precious memories kept securely within this precious book. Each picture had a caption with her age. As he kept looking through her childhood years, more and more images of her with animals began to appear, along with those bright and round pink eyes and cheerful smile he had come to love, “You are very loved, Asana,” he whispered to her beside him, “I hope you know that.”

Flipping through the many pages of her baby book, he compared Charlotte to his own mother. She had plenty of photos safely tucked away into photo albums as priceless treasures that were her most favourite possessions, but he didn’t know if she kept anything this devoted to him or his brothers. It wasn’t to say his mother loved him and his brothers less than Charlotte loved Tobias and Asana, but it made him realise how warm and close their family ties truly are. He wanted to be a part of that someday as someone they accepted as their son.

Somewhere in the house, he heard a door close and another open and close again, startling him enough to scramble and put the baby book away. It was a treasured item that he’d never be forgiven for if it were to be destroyed or he worried getting yelled at for snooping into family photos without permission. He heard footsteps creak at the stairs and saw Owen’s figure as he touched the bottom of the staircase.

Those greying brown strands of hair were in a mess and he looked as though he was still half-asleep as he let out a yawn and stretched his limbs at the bottom of the steps. His deep set brown eyes looked into the living room where he peered over the sofa to see his daughter still asleep but Elias gone. Putting away the baby book, Elias pretended to browse more of the bookshelf as he felt Owen’s gaze on him.

“Morning,” Owen waved at him.

“Good morning, sir,” Elias returned the greeting with a gentle smile.

Owen still waking up, saw Elias finger tracing the spines of the novels, “That’s right. Asana said you two met at a bookstore,” he yawned, “You like to read?”

Elias nodded, “I do, sir.”

Owen cocked up an eyebrow as Elias referred to him as ‘sir’ again. He wasn’t used to being referred to as formally, but he remembered the amount of times he had referred to Charlotte’s father as ‘sir’ when they first met because he was nervous and wanted the old man’s approval to date his daughter. He let it go, and continued their conversation about books.

“What you into?”

He had to think for a moment, “Mainly ancient philosophy and history but I do enjoy mystical and crime novels too. I don’t mind reading some classical literature classics either. I know Asana reads, did she pick that up from somebody here?”

“Charlotte and I tend to read a lot,” Owen answered him, sleepily, but noticed Asana’s baby book was out of place. His lips curled into a smirk, “Coffee?” he offered, hoping the invitation would naturally lead into a one-on-one conversation with his daughter’s fiancée.

Elias paused for a moment before accepting the offer to share a beverage with her father while the house was still asleep and Fred and Edith had not yet awakened to the glorious morning outside, with soft golden rays warmly creeping across the white blankets of snow, or if they had, they didn’t bother to wake up anyone else. Though, he promised to speak to him and this was the opportunistic moment as Owen seemed relaxed after a good night out and a good night’s rest, “Sure,” Elias accepted and followed the older man into the kitchen but not before checking that Asana was snugged inside the blanket. Owen observed, before turning the corner at the staircase, Elias pulling the thick woollen blanket up to her chin to keep her shoulders tucked underneath.

Owen thought it should have bothered him but it didn’t and it frustrated him that his heart had already decided on Elias before he even spoke to him alone. Pulling two mugs from the cabinet, Elias shortly followed as Owen turned on the kettle, “How many sugars you take?”

Nervously, Elias replied, “Um…t-three, please sir.”

“You have a sweet tooth, huh?” Owen chuckled remembering the playful bickering about chocolate stealing that occurred between Elias and Asana last night at the party, “Asana’s one too. When she was little, we never took her down the confectionary aisle because she always wanted something. We say no, she’d pout and cry, refused to budge from her spot until we gave in. Milk?”

“Y-Yes, please sir,” Elias agreed as Casper sauntered over to him as he stood against the counter in the kitchen, listening to the rumbling of the kettle until the switch clicked off with a sound.

Owen poured the milk and stirred in the boiling water until that bitter yet inviting smell of coffee overwhelmed the room. The metal spoon clanged against the porcelain mug as Owen stirred everything together and handed a cup over to Elias, “Thank you,” Elias expressed his gratitude, taking the warm cup with one hand.

An awkward silence overcame the room as Casper rubbed up against Owen. “Do you want food?” Owen asked down into those blue crystal-like eyes of the ragdoll.

“Oh, I already fed him and the dogs,” Elias informed him, “I received quite the claw massage which is why I was awake early. I apologise if I overstepped any welcome, I did not wish to wake anybody up and Asana already gave me instructions yesterday on what they are fed, so I followed her instructions.”

Elias’ rushed apology amused Owen that he chuckled, “Is that so, Casper?” he bent down to pet his head, “You lured Elias into feeding you and now you want seconds. I don’t think so.”

Owen’s bright smile and sparkling eyes when it came to animals bore a striking resemblance to Asana’s expression when she became surrounded by them or even spoke about them that he could see who she truly idolised and who she had learned the most about animals from. She could read any textbook but her father was her favourite source of knowledge when it came to practice becoming a talented veterinarian.  

“Thank you for feeding them,” Owen thanked Elias for doing a chore outside of his responsibilities as a guest in their home, “Do you like animals?”

Elias liked them but didn’t love them on the same level as Owen or Asana, though he had a soft spot for dogs because of the Doberman he raised with Klaus when they were kids. Though, being with Asana, he found a greater appreciation for them, “I do. Especially, dogs.”

“Why dogs?”

“My brother and I raised a Doberman when we were younger,” he reflected back sadly on those happier childhood moments, “…There were some fun times then. I am also fond of horses since I sometimes ride and play polo.”

Owen resumed his usual standing position and sipped his coffee as he watched Elias do the same, “You don’t have much experience around other animals, like the chickens yesterday. Mom tells me you were quite afraid of them,” he said.

It was true, Elias never had much experience around other types of animals and had never stepped foot onto a farm before he came here with Asana, “Dogs, cats, horses and birds, like pigeons and seagulls, I am quite used to but I have never held a chicken or touched a cow before yesterday when Asana showed me around. This is my first time on a proper farm. I have been to ranches but not to a proper farm in the country,” his voice pitched with excitement.

Owen saw his violet eyes pop and his voice become more cheerful as he spoke about the farm. With lips ready to lather up another sip of warm coffee, Owen’s voice reverberated through the porcelain cup as he spoke, “Are you liking it out here?”

He wasn’t going to lie, “I love it out here. Not just because of the farm but the peacefulness of the wilderness and the kindness of the people in town. Everyone here…are there for each other and there’s none of those crunching and shrilling noises of the city here. It is refreshing, actually,” he enthused and took another sip of his coffee.

“Does that mean you're not going to keep my daughter locked away in the city?” Owen muttered his next question, looking into his cup of brown liquid.

Elias tilted his head in confusion at him, “Of course not, sir,” Elias promised him, “Mr Way, this is always going to be her first home. If I may say, I looked through the photo albums on the bookshelf in the living room, and I can tell by the way the baby books and photos are organised to the way you all live off each other and influence each other that this a close-knit family. I want to be a part of that as Asana's husband rather than steal her away from here.”

Something in his voice told Owen he was being sincere with his promise, “...Tell me,” hesitantly, Owen recalled his wife's advice about asking him about his family since a reason why he judged Elias was because of his father, “Are you close with your family?” Owen asked, swallowing another gulp of his coffee as it cooled down in his hands.

Elias searched for the right words to use since his family were close but not quite like Asana's family. They celebrated the holidays and private occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries, together, even helping each other keep up their public profile, despite not caring about what others thought of them, and they came together every Sunday for brunch as their lives became busier.

“I suppose we are...in our own way,” Elias guessed that was the way his family stayed connected but there were plenty of times growing up that he wished they were closer, the image of his father popped into his mind and the countless events he missed because of his job or because he was swooning his clients, “...My family are busy with their lives so it is hard to tell sometimes if we are or not.”

Owen caught the flicker of sadness in his eyes and the painful expression he wore for a brief second, “Not like us, is what you mean?” he wondered.

“Don't get me wrong, I love my family,” Elias showed him a small smile, “We celebrate private occasions and the holidays together, and not to mention we attend public functions to keep up our public profile and even spend Sunday brunch together. If I was, say, in any kind of trouble, they would come to my aid, including my father.”

Owen then recalled the news surrounding his family a few years ago, involving Elias and his girlfriend's sex tape and her alleged extortion of his family, it was an ugly conundrum Owen didn't want Asana to get caught in the middle of if something similar ever occurred again. He did remember his father suing her for defamation as she publically lived off the fame her fabrications troubled Elias and his family, “Like how your father sued that girlfriend of yours for defamation?” he drank from his coffee again, “It was big celebrity news a few years ago now. It's situations like those where I don't want Asana getting caught in the middle of. She's a sweet and simple girl, she wouldn't handle that relentless pounding from the media.”

“I had a similar conversation with Charlotte yesterday about this,” Elias swallowed a sip of coffee and looked Owen directly in the eye, “Sir, I promise. Asana is safe with me and I will do whatever I must to protect her happiness. What happened between my ex-girlfriend and I…it was a mistake, she was a mistake and I should have been wiser than to believe girls like her are pure and honest,” he spoke about his ex-girlfriend with disgust that his violet eyes had a sharpness about them which surprised Owen.

“What did she do?” he asked.

Elias sighed as he told him the truth about his last relationship, “My ex-girlfriend and I met through our parents, and I loved her because she was beautiful and I thought she was a nice person. However, I was very wrong and should have known better those nice smiles and personalities only hide something bitter and ugly underneath. Like Joel and Asana, we dated throughout high school and she was the first girl I ever loved physically. After about a year and a half, her true colours showed she was a manipulative, deceiving and cheating person. Without my permission, her and her football star boyfriend, she had dated during our relationship, began to threaten to publish video and photographic material of us in bed together if I did not pay for her material life. I said no, so she followed through on her threats, and decided to air a video during a fundraiser my mother and sister-in-law organised to assist victims of sexual assault and abuse. She made money and gained fame for exploiting me and my family and as a result, my mother and sister’s philanthropist projects lost support and money for their causes. With the media hounding me and my family, my father’s career suffered from the humiliation and our family’s reputation was damaged. Eventually, my father stepped in a sued her for defamation seeking damages and breach of privacy. I found it extremely hard to trust relationships again and never dated anyone until I met Asana,” he explained.

“In other words, you were heartbroken?”

Elias shrugged, “I was but…I’m glad that it ended otherwise I might still be with that disaster of a human being and would have never met Asana. Or, I might have, I don’t know. All I know is I’m happy she is at my side. Also, she’s a terrible liar and she’s not the type of girl to do such a cruel thing to another person. She’s too warm and kind to even think it.”

“She’s a good person with a heart of gold,” Owen agreed with Elias and wanted to know what his family thought of her, “What does your family think of her? Do they live in the city too?”

Elias nodded, “Yes, my brother works at the university we attend to for study. My sister-in-law has pretty much adopted Asana as her little sister and my parents adore her. When we go home, she’s invited to the Goldstein Estate for our Sunday brunches.”

“What about your father?” Owen worried that Walter wouldn’t like her and the story Elias had just told him sounded more like a lawyer saving his face rather than helping his son from a cruel situation, “You seem alright, but I can’t say the same about your father and worry he might use Asana.”

“...You don’t need to worry about him,” Elias assured him, “My father might be a complicated man but he does love his family and those who come to enter it. He’s a hard and strict person but I know he would do anything for us.”

“You really think so?” Owen questioned it, “Charlotte said that you and your father aren’t close?”

Sadly, Elias admitted they weren’t as close as he’d like to be, “No…no, we’re not.”

Owen gave him time to speak if he wanted to talk about it and finally seeing the sadness Charlotte must have noticed consume his violet eyes. Elias took a deep breath and spoke, “Rather than my father being a role model to me, I relied more on my older brother, Klaus. My father was always working that he never had much time for us. Then, whenever he and I spoke, we usually just fought or we had nothing to talk about because we…never knew anything about each other. We are slowly rebuilding our relationship now, but…where Asana idolises you, I want to become closer to mine, that’s why I want to follow him into law.”

“So, you have something in common with your old man?” Owen asked, a little sympathetic for Elias’ situation.

Nodding, Elias sadly admitted, “My father has paid more attention to me now than he ever had previously. Though, I assure you, sir, I know I intend on following my father into law, I am not going to be sucked into that world of pretentiousness and greed and I will not allow anything to happen to Asana.”

Those harsh words Elias spoke about his world did not escape the careful ears of Owen as he engaged himself in learning more about him. Without even asking, he could see the eyes of a boy who has been tormented in the world he grew up in and found peace with Asana, her warmth and gentleness melting whatever hard walls he had built around him.

“…I’m sad to hear that you don’t have a close relationship with your father,” Owen sincerely expressed his sympathy for Elias, not fully comprehending how a father could be distant from his children since he was close to his or how a son coped without the nurture of his father.

Owen couldn’t bring himself to imagine a life without Tobias and Asana. With Charlotte and the kids, he considered this life his entire world and something he simply couldn’t live without. Likewise, Fred had always been a grumpy and strict man but he was hard because he never wanted to show any weakness in the face of his children. Edith, being the only exception to that rule. Therefore, he glanced up at Elias the moment he had turned his head the other way. Something inside of Owen wanted to reach out to him, to soothe whatever pain he endured through the loneliness of not being able to bond closely with his father.

Elias had to be clear with Owen, “I do love my father and I know he loves me. If someone ever attempted to hurt us, he'd protect us. I don't like the world I grew up in but there's nothing I can do about having been born into that world.”

He made quite a convincing case for himself without trying to lie or cover up and truth in his feelings and opinions but his hands were visibly trembling. Owen stood silently taking in his trembling figure as he tucked his hands into his pockets to conceal his nerves and trying to put up his confidence.

Hesitantly, Owen began to speak, now with more understanding of Elias as a person, “...I...was told by my father last night that you had intentions of speaking to me alone but standing before me you’re a trembling mess.”

“Well...,” Elias nervously answered, “...Y-You aren't just any stranger, sir. You are Asana's father and after the argument yesterday, I don't want my presence to interfere with that relationship but I'm not going to let Asana go either.”

“I see,” Owen was surprised to hear he was only being considerate of their relationship.

Elias continued to speak, “Asana is very fond of you, sir. She idolises you, whenever she tells me about animals most conversations start with ‘My Dad',” he laughed and then looked Owen directly in his surprised brown eyes, “...I want to marry your daughter, but not before I receive your blessing and acceptance. I understand you don't like me, part is because of the world I am from but I sense a large part is you feel as though I'm stealing her away.”

“…I may have had my opinions about you,” Owen admitted and then sighed before putting away his stubbornness to speak truthfully, “…Asana is my only daughter and we’ve always been close. She’s also my youngest child and the last one to leave the nest. I suppose, I’m not emotionally ready to accept that my daughter has grown into a beautiful and independent woman, capable of making her own decisions. Now, she brings home a young man from a wealthy family with intentions to marry him.”

Elias chuckled, “I understand, sir,” he smiled and made it clear to him, she would never forget her roots, “I may be her fiancée but you are her father. You are an important and irreplaceable person as is your wife and son, even your parents and brother. By being here, I can tell how loved and treasured Asana is and I would never dream of her forgetting her roots. You hold a place in her heart that I could never own. So please, don’t be worried about losing her.”

With a deep inhale of breath followed by a low exhale, Owen searched around the room in deep thought. His mind becoming persuaded that Elias was a good person and his heart already approving of him marrying Asana. As they drank their coffee, somewhere a door softly opening and another door opening and then closing again.

“Must be Charlotte,” Owen guessed the soft footsteps and the direction of the noise came from upstairs as his wife woke up to start the day, “Tobias is usually louder. But, I don’t see him being up for ages.”

“I really enjoy his photographs,” Elias commented, “My sister-in-law is obsessed with his creations too.”

“Is that so?” Owen felt proud to hear his son had fans, “He does incredible work out in the field. It worries Charlotte and I when we don’t hear from him for a while, but he travels to some of the remotest parts of the earth. We always worry that someday he’s going to go missing and never return home but he loves what he does so we never say anything. We just make sure he knows how much we love him before he leaves. Are you close to your mother?”

“Yes, I am,” Elias nodded and finished off the last mouthful of his coffee.

“What is she like?”

He swallowed the now lukewarm beverage and replied, “She’s nice and warm, though scary when you rub her up the wrong way. Mother used to work in public relations and now runs her own philanthropy enterprise to raise money or make awareness for various causes. She loves Asana, I would not be surprised if she already has a photo album ready for our wedding.”

“She’s a photo collector to, is she?”

Elias chuckled and looked around at all the photographs he could see on display in the hall, “Yeah, I guess my mother and your wife have something in common. Photograph hording,” he laughed and Owen appreciated the joke too, “One day, I hope I can be a part of these photos just as I hope she becomes part of our photos too.”

“You really love her, huh?”

“I do, I really do love your daughter,” Elias declared strongly with direct eye contact.

Owen threw back his last mouthful of coffee now and could hear the creaking of the steps on the staircase. He didn’t say anything out of curiosity to see if his guess was correct and Charlotte was up. There was a brief silence followed by small whispers coming from the living room.

Charlotte was awake but she spotted Asana admiring her pink sapphire ring in the morning light as she pretended to be sleeping so she could listen to Elias and Owen talking in the silent kitchen, their conversation audible through the thin walls and the echoing hall, “Give me a closer look,” she whispered, startling Asana for a moment but then joining her on the couch, “…Are you eavesdropping on them?”

Asana nodded, “I want a coffee but didn’t want to disturb them.”

“Your father wanted to speak to him alone,” Charlotte informed her.

“Yeah, Elias wanted to speak to Dad too,” Asana couldn’t stop that natural curl of her lips as Elias followed through on his promise to speak to her, “…I know Dad is struggling to accept that I’ve grown up but I would never forget where I came from. Elias and I will come visit and you can come visit us. It’s not goodbye.”

Charlotte kissed the top of her head, “I know, sweetie. It’s a parent-thing,” she explained, “It’s not that your father doesn’t like Elias…he’s just scared that you’re not going to need him anymore and scared that our time as parents is…done.”

“What?” Asana stared at her directly, “Mom, I’m always going to need you and Dad. You two and Tobias, Nan and Grandad and Lucas, you all are important to me. I miss you when I’m in the city.”

“I know, I know,” Charlotte knew, feeling the metal of Asana’s engagement ring on her fingertips, “He’s your father. It’s hard to understand now but once you have children of your own you will understand just how hard it is to let go. Anyway, give me a look at your ring. I haven’t had a good look at it yet.”

Asana raised her left hand and showed her mother the precious jewel, despite knowing the engagement wasn’t real but she was elated this morning since they agreed last night to move in together. Elias’ apartment was now both their homes.

A stream of sunlight flooded the living room from a window to their right, allowing the rose gold band to shine and peach sapphire to sparkle, “Wow, this looks expensive,” Charlotte chuckled, “Is that a real sapphire?”

“I don’t know,” Asana shrugged and laughed, “Knowing him though, it probably was. He said he could never buy me anything cheap, especially if it’s as important as an engagement ring.”

“Oh, how did he propose?” Charlotte wondered.

Thankfully, they had discussed the details of their engagement before they decided to scheme their parents on being engaged. Elias had told his mother, since she loved animals had taken his horse from the ranch on a romantic sunset ride along the beach where he proposed to her.

“Elias’ family own horses on a ranch outside of the city,” she felt terrible about lying to her mother about being engaged but the story was based off a date they went on earlier in the year, “There’s a path that goes over a mountain to a secluded bay along the beach. I thought it was just a date but it was very romantic. Sunset over the waves and he gave me a rose with a ring inside of it and then asked me to marry him.”

Charlotte awed, “That sounds so wonderful.”

“I didn’t even hesitate when I said yes, that’s how much I love him.”

“I can tell,” Charlotte smiled, “The ring really suits you.”

“I know, I love it,” Asana laughed, her cheeks turning pink, “Even if he proposed to me with a cheap ring or onion ring, even no ring, I would’ve said yes.”

Asana’s story stirred Charlotte’s own memories of how Owen had proposed to her, “You know, I had never seen your father so nervous but when he was about to propose to me he was trembling and sweating.”

“Really?” Asana couldn’t picture her strong and stubborn father reduced to an anxious wreck, “I can’t picture that.”

Charlotte laughed at her reaction and the way her head tilted trying to picture it, “He took me up the mountains where we camped for the night. Underneath the stars and around the fire which reflected on our faces and in our eyes, all I could feel was this nervous energy rolling off him in waves. I had no idea it was on the night a meteor shower peeked. Then, he got down on one knee and proposed. I still wear my engagement ring, hasn’t moved since he proposed to me all those years ago.”

“You got married with your engagement ring on?” Asana laughed, though could picture her mother being too stubborn to take off something that meant so much to her as it marked the beginning of their happy marriage, “Elias and I were saying we hope to have a happy marriage the same you and Dad have.”

Throwing her arm around her daughter, Charlotte hugged her close, “You will. Elias loves you.”

“I know he does,” she cheerfully said, knowing she would have a happy life if she stayed with him, “He will take good care of me in the city, Mom. He already does now.”

Charlotte hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head, “I’m sure he will and I’m going to trust him with my only and most precious daughter,” she kissed her again and pretended to sob, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Mom, I’m not that far away and we can always talk on the phone and stay connected on social media,”  Asana hugged her in return, “I can give you Elias’ number too if you like if you need to contact me.”

Charlotte had tears in her eyes as the last of her children was set to leave the house, “I would appreciate having his number,” she wanted to have any means of communication with her daughter open, counter to Tobias who she could barely reach, “…And your address, please.”

“Oh, Elias and I live in the same apartment block so the address is the same.”

“Is that how you have been getting your mail?” Charlotte exasperated, “Asana, you must tell people when your address has changed. What if someone moved into your old apartment and accidentally collected your mail because you were too lazy to change the address. Now, what room number is he?”

“Twenty-two.”

Charlotte made a quick note of it on a nearby notepad with a huge grin on her face. Despite her upfront questions on the first night at dinner, she was glad her mother had finally come around and blessed their relationship and trusted Elias to care for her.

“Thanks for accepting him Mom,” Asana suddenly hugged her mother tightly and they both laughed.

Charlotte caught her in her arms, “Oh sweetie, you’re a little too big to jump in my arms now,” she joked but held her. Seeing beyond her shoulders, Charlotte’s pink eyes skimmed the bookshelf and noticed her baby book was out of place, “Did you go through your baby book?”

“Casper the alarm cat woke Elias up,” she had been watching him while she pretended to be sleeping, “He fed the animals and I guess he couldn’t get back to sleep so he searched the bookshelf and read through my baby book. It was embarrassing really.”

“I was going to show him anyway.”

“Mom!” Asana protested, but they soon burst out laughing.

“Come on, let’s get that coffee. I will make you a mocha with marshmallows.”

It was an offer she couldn’t refuse, “Okay.”

Just as Asana could hear Elias speaking to her father, the men in the kitchen could hear the girls in the living room talking and laughing. Elias smiled fondly, “See, sir. I don’t want to marry your daughter until I have gained your acceptance because I don’t want to create a rift between a daughter and her parents. It would hurt Asana and I know it would hurt your wife and you.”

“You’re a good kid Elias,” Owen began to cave in but he lost count on how many times Elias had called him ‘sir’, the formal title he wasn’t used to it, “Also, stop calling me ‘sir’, would you? Owen is fine, or Mr Way if you’re that uncomfortable calling me by my first name.”

Elias wondered if the permission to call him by his first name was the first step towards acceptance by her father. Biting the bullet, Elias looked up to him and asked nervously, “…Now, that you know more about me…,” has he was about to ask Owen, Charlotte and Asana entered the kitchen.

“Refills?” she asked them.

Elias accepted her offer as did Owen, “Thank you, Mrs Way,” he then turned to Asana and smiled happily, his eyes and expression lighting up, “Good morning. I did not realise you were awake.”

“Good morning to you too,” she greeted him with the same lightness and cheeriness he had, “…I heard you talking to Dad so I didn’t want to bother you,” she said it nervously, now knowing Elias knew she overheard them.

Water in the kettle rumbled loudly as it did not take long for the water to heat up again. Charlotte moving around the kitchen relaxed and happily making four cups of coffee, two refills for Owen and Elias and an espresso and mocha for herself and Asana. She made eye contact with Owen, smiling because she knew he had finally accepted Elias and urged him to give them his blessing on their marriage.

“Elias, were you about to say something before?” Owen asked.

Elias shook his head, “Oh, it’s not important.”

“Are you sure?” he raised an eyebrow at him but realised his cheeks were tinged with pink because he learnt that Asana had overheard them speaking while she was awake in the kitchen.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang across the paddocks, “Get off my property!” followed by Fred’s angry shout made more fearsome by the ringing of gunfire. Another loud bang sounded, “You get out of here ya scum!” he yelled.

“Frederick!” Edith ran out from the cottage and begged him to stop firing his gun, “Stop, please,” then turned to the city man, “You best leave or else!”

Running to the window, the four gazed out at Fred shooting his rifle into the sky as a middle-height man in a suit began yelling at him in return. Elias ran into the living room where he had left his cell-phone in his jacket pocket and came back to the window setting his phone on record to film the encounter.

“How dare you threaten me with a gun?” he pointed his finger and walked up to Fred’s lanky figure, mocking him and filming the incident, “You will not shoot me because you know you can’t. Mark my words, this farm is mine and I will sell it to an international market and make sure you get nothing!”

With a flicker of anger, the man known as Bradley Aston stared fiercely into the horrified eyes of Edith as he towered over her to appear intimidating. Owen abandoned his cup as did Charlotte and Asana with Elias taking a detailed note of this man’s figure. He cut a clean city look with his sharp navy suit and tie and his sandy brown hair neatly slicked back to help him appear professional. He seemed familiar to Elias but he couldn’t remember where he had seen him before.

Right as Owen came out to defuse the situation, Bradley turned his strict and intimidating gaze onto Fred. His scarred hands held onto his rifle and he wore an unmoving expression to impress how unafraid he was, “I face the Japanese in the pacific boy, your glare will need some more work before you scare me,” he hissed.

Bradley smirked, challengingly, “I know you won’t shot me, Fred.” In the next instance, Bradley used all his strength to knock Fred’s thin and elderly body back into the snow. With that simple nudge, Fred went tumbling down.

“Grandad!” Asana went to her knees to try and catch his fall, “Are you okay?”

Owen stood in front of his father protectively, “Leave, now!” he growled.

A rush of anger ignited in Elias as he watched Fred tumble into the snow after being pushed by the man he had eagerly waited to see. Standing on the ledge of the back door, unseen by Bradley Aston, he remembered where he had seen him.

Court.

He had the same face and hair but a different name but his true identity was Marcus Harrington Junior. Elias remembered him because his father had successfully defended a client he had tried to unlawfully evict off their lands. As a result, an investigation was launched and his Uncle, a top prosecutor had him convicted of fraud, which included embezzlement and tax evasion to fabricated identities, assault and the unlawful evictions of previous land owners he had attempted to persuade in selling up to cash into foreign investors. He was a ruthless and lowly human who had robbed farmers of their homes, promising wealth but leaving them broke. Some farmers spiralled into depression with five cases leading to suicide. He was convicted of their deaths too and sued by the families in civil trials, in which his father and brother both assisted grieving families in getting justice.

“When I come back that contract better be signed or I will burn those greenhouses!” Harrington, falsely identifying himself as Bradley Aston, threatened Fred. He then got into his car and flicked up snow with his tyres, leaving the property.

Elias ceased recording the incident and phoned his father. After three rings, he heard his father’s voice on the other hand of the phone, “Father, it’s Elias.”

“Elias, I thought you were enjoying Thanksgiving with Asana’s family,” his tone expressed his surprise at hearing his son’s voice.

“I am,” he assured him everything was fine but needed a favour, “I need to ask a favour of you if you don’t mind,” he hoped his father would help him and could hear his father typing in the background as they spoke.

“What favour would that be?” Walter asked, unemotionally and with his eloquent speech.

“Do you remember a man trialled a few years ago for fraud, assault, aiding suicide and unlawful evictions of farmers from their properties. His name was Marcus Harrington Junior?” Elias jogged his memory of the highly publicised case.

Walter didn’t need a memory jog to remember that man, “I do. What about him?”

“Well, he’s at it again,” Elias informed him, “Only this time he’s after a few farms in Reitz and Asana’s grandparents and Uncle are among those being threatened and harassed.”

Walter thought for a moment but wanted to know about what Elias wanted to do, “What do you want me to do, son?” he asked, his fingers ceasing typing on the computer as he addressed this urgent issue.

“I need whatever information you can give me on that man,” Elias was going to put the man in his place and use whatever power he could gather to make him squirm, “More than anything, I want to scare him enough that he will never want to step foot in this town again.”

Over the phone, Walter helped Elias hatch his plan as Owen scared the suited man from the property. Elias would wait for next time to really get under the man’s skin and show him what the Goldstein power could do. Though, Owen was slightly disappointed that Asana hyped Elias up and he had the chance now to get rid of him.

“Useless!” Owen growled, “I thought he had information.”

Asana explained to her father, “Elias does. He’s just waiting for the right moment.”

“That was the right moment!” his rage was directed at Bradley rather than Elias.

“No, it wasn’t,” Asana assured him Elias had a plan, “Dad, please trust him. He’s like a hunter, he assessed the prey and now he’s setting the trap for the next encounter. I know how he does things and he never leaves anything half-finished.”

Owen helped his father back into his cottage with the old man’s arm possibly sprained from his fall into the snow, “…We’ll see,” Owen mumbled as he carted his father away into the warm house.

“Mom, Nan, I promise you Elias has something up his sleeve,” Asana pleaded to them and ran back to the house to find Elias and speak to him and found him pacing around with his phone on his ear as he made his way back into the kitchen. A smile coming back to her face.

“Okay,” Elias nodded as he smoothed the details of the plan over with his father, “Understood, Father. Thank you,” he noticed her and after saying their goodbyes, hung up the phone.

“What do you have planned?” she asked him and explained, “Dad’s not happy that you had your chance to tell Aston off and blew it.”

“I haven’t blown it,” Elias promised her, “Men like him will come back. They are like leeches who stick to flesh to drain the blood until it is dried. When he does, my trap is all set. As soon as I saw what he did to your grandfather I wanted to bound out of here and give him a piece or two, which was the original plan, but now…”

Asana loved it when he had the fire in his eyes, “…He’s going to wish he never stepped foot in Reitz?”

“He’s going to wish he never bullied my fiancée’s family,” Elias corrected her, “I stand by what I said last night. Any threat or act of aggression towards your family is a threat and aggression directed at you. Which, then, makes me angry because your family don’t deserve to be treated so disrespectfully.”

As Asana leaned up to kiss him, Tobias entered the room.

“What’s going on?” he interrupted right before Asana’s lips touched Elias’, “What’s with the gunshots?”

“Aston was here,” Asana informed him, “He knocked Grandad over and I think he might have a sprained wrist.”

“Did Elias give him a what for?”

Asana couldn’t wait to see what Elias was going to do, “Not yet. He’s just setting his trap for his prey to return. Right?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Elias smirked, “Do you have a computer with an internet connection? Father has sent me some documents on that man I wish to look through.”

“Documents?” Asana widened her eyes with surprise, “You mean, he’s been in trouble with the law before?”

Elias nodded, “I will get rid of him.”

Tobias turned on the kettle to brew himself a cup of coffee, “Give him hell Elias. I won’t need the computer until after lunch anyway,” Tobias said as he spooned sugar and coffee into his mug, “I’m going to see Grandad once I make this.”

“Okay,” Asana left her brother and escorted Elias to the computer in the study room.

“Sorry if I made them mad at me,” Elias apologised to her as he sat down at the computer chair and grabbed her hand to pull her closer to him, “I truly did not mean to upset your father.”

Standing between his legs, her hands rested on his shoulders as his arms embraced around her waist. Leaning down, Asana gently kissed him and felt his cheeks turn red, “He’s not angry at you,” she promised him, “I guess he’s just desperate now to get rid of Aston. Especially, now that he has assaulted Grandad.”

“They feel helpless?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “They feel like they’re trapped into a corner because they don’t have the power or money to do anything if Aston decides to steal their land from under them. They’re afraid they’re going to lose our home.”

“They have me,” Elias promised in his heart her family were not going to suffer, “Does your grandfather or Uncle still have the contract Aston gave to them, as well as Bill and Judith?”

“Grandad still has his,” Asana answered, “I can ring Lucas, Bill and Judith to see if they still have theirs?” she offered.

Elias figured he could use her help to gather enough evidence, “Alright, do you want to call them and ask if I may have them to look through and potentially use as evidence against him?”

“Evidence?”

“Also, I need statements from anybody who has been harassed, threatened or assaulted by him,” Elias added and looked up at her with a smile, “Care to be my beautiful assistant?”

Asana couldn’t say no, especially if Elias’ plan meant helping her family and community, “Of course, I will be,” she kissed him and pulled up a chair beside him but Elias grabbed her, “What?”

“S-Sit here…,” he brought her legs up to fall across his and held her warmly in his arms to have her sit across his lap.

“C-Can you work like this?” she wondered as he began logging into his email using one hand to type on the keyboard, “I’m in the way.”

“You are never in the way,” he promised her that he was comfortable, his words honest, “If I hold you, I am reminded why I am doing this. Not only is it good motivation but makes me more determined to help weed out Aston from harassing your family and the community. Also, on an unrelated topic, do you remember what we spoke about last night?”

“Please don’t tell me you regret asking me to move in with you?” she worried he was going to take back his proposal.

Panicked, he rushed to assure her that was not the case, “No, no, of course not. I want to live with you and my feelings have not changed since last night. I was worried that you might have had doubts. I mean, I asked in the heat of the moment but I know it’s the right move to make. I just wanted to make sure you still want to…live with me.”

“Of course, I do,” she relaxed in his arms and stared up into his eyes, using a hand to turn his face to look at her, “…I’ve been smiling about since I woke up,” then she thought about this fake engagement they were parading, “You know, I’m a terrible liar but for some reason it has been…natural or normal…to say we’re engaged and that we live together.”

“I know what you mean,” Elias agreed, the rouse was too easy for them, “…If I did propose to you for real, would you say yes?”

“Of course, I love you,” Asana giggled, “If I proposed to you, would you say yes too.”

Elias tilted his head with confusion because he couldn’t understand why she would propose to him, but had often heard of the woman asking the man to marry her. He was old-fashioned and found the traditional ways of marriage proposals romantic. Bumping his forehead against hers and kissing her lips, he smiled and said, “No.”

“No?”

“Because, I want to propose to you first,” he smiled but he wanted to ask her to marry him, “…You know, I know I promised that we would wait until we graduate before I proposed but we could just have a long engagement and marry after we graduate.”

It was a nice thought, but she worried their different career paths would impact heavily on the type of marriage they would have. Though, she would compromise if it meant being able to stay with Elias. “I want to stay with you,” she declared, “I want to be yours and I want you to be mine forever. I’m just…afraid…of how our careers would impact our lives once we do graduate.”

“We can work around it,” Elias promised her, “I will follow you.”

She was happy to hear that, “I will follow you too, Elias. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” they shared a kiss which lasted for several minutes.

Elias was the first to pull away from her and bumped his forehead against hers. He had to regather his breath but the urges they had built up last night and the night before last. Asana giggled.

“Are you okay?”

“…I want to touch you so badly it hurts,” he admitted.

“I do too,” she whispered, cuddling her face into his chest.

He sighed and needed to focus on the task of getting rid of Bradley Aston, “We should do this though,” he refocused her attention back to the evidence they needed to gather, “Do you remember what you need to do?”

“Ring Uncle Lucas, Judith and Bill for the contracts they were given and collect statements from anyone who has been threatened, harassed or assaulted by Bradley Aston,” she recited her task to him.

He smiled at her, glad she remembered what she had to do, “Smart and b-b-beautiful,” he shyly complimented her.

She giggled at his shy cheeks and his compliment, “Made only beautiful because of the handsome man who’s beside me,” she complimented him now and his cheeks changed into a deeper shade of red.

“L-L-Let’s just do this,” he urged them to start and access his email account.

In his inbox, his father had already filed all the evidence he needed into one file that he could download. The speed at which Walter had sent the documents astonished Elias but he knew how organised his father could be and probably had the documents on a flash drive as well as a back-up paper copy in his filing cabinets in his home office and in his city office.

While he read through the files, he kept Asana in the comfort of his lap while she began phoning around. First, she called her Uncle’s direct cell number and he answered almost immediately, “Hello, Lucas Way speaking.”

“Hey Uncle,” Asana cheerfully greeted him, “How’s your head this morning?”

He chuckled, “Asana, good morning. My head has a tiny headache but nothing too pounding. Did you call because you were worried about your old Uncle?”

She giggled at him, “I have seen you worse than last night in the past, Uncle. Remember when you put on Aunt Olivia’s purple dress and tried to fight a tree?”

“No one ever lets me live it down and Erica still has the footage on her phone, even uploaded it to that damn internet you kids are into these days,” he dreaded that memory even being dug up but he had drunk way too much that night to celebrate the wedding anniversary of a couple in town, “Anyway, how’s everyone this morning?”

Apart from Bradley ruining their peaceful morning, everyone was happy and Elias and Owen had slightly bonded over a cup of coffee. Of course, she was happy that Elias had asked her to move in with him but this morning’s dark cloud was all she could think about and her poor grandfather now nursing a sprained wrist because he was assaulted, “Well, that depends. Do you want to hear the good things or the terrible things?”

“Terrible things?” Lucas repeated her words, “Don’t tell me your father kicked Elias out or something?” he joked.

“No, no, he wouldn’t do that,” Asana giggled at his joke, “Everything was fine until Aston showed up here.”

“Did he? Elias give him hell like he promised?”

“Not yet,” Asana explained, “Like any hunter, he’s seen the prey and now he’s setting up the trap for the next encounter. He has something planned and I’m helping him gather evidence. I don’t know what he’s planning but I don’t think he’s letting Aston walk away scot-free.”

Lucas hummed, “Uh-huh, I see,” and chuckled, “Can’t wait to watch this unfold. Times like these make me thankful that you nabbed a Goldstein,” he joked again.

“Where are you now? Are you home?” she asked.

“I’m doing the payroll and some paperwork in the office,” he replied.

“Great,” Asana enthused, “Do you mind if I came over and grabbed that contract Aston gave you and some statements from any staff, if they are willing, about Aston’s actions towards them. Also, if you have any footage from your cameras to help us that would be wonderful.”

Lucas wondered what Elias had up his sleeve but if his niece trusted him, he could too, “Sure, bring Elias up here too. I can give him the grand tour of the vineyard,” he invited Elias to the vineyard, “Just let me do this payroll though. Come up at about eleven-thirty, I should have all this paperwork done.”

“Okay, see you then Uncle,” Asana agreed to go to him at the time he set, “I have to call Bill and Judith, so I have to go now. See you soon Uncle.”

“Is he grabbing their contracts too?” Lucas wondered.

“Yeah, I think he wants to read through them and catch onto anything that’s illegal,” Asana guessed and Elias nodded to her assumption, “He’s nodding, so I guess that’s a yes.”

“Alright, I better let you two get on with it,” despite being on the phone, Lucas smiled, “See you both soon,” he farewelled her on the other end of the line, marking the time they agreed to meet in his mind.

“Bye,” Asana farewelled him too and they both hung up at the same time.

Next, she rang Bill and Judith and agreed to meet her in the afternoon to hand over the contracts as well as any other strip of evidence they had to convict him. Meanwhile, in the city, Walter was on the phone to a man who owed him a massive favour and organised for Aston to be removed from the region at a moment’s notice.

Asana decided to grab the contract her grandfather had left in the dining room but had seen her mother stash away in a kitchen draw where they kept papers of all kinds in an unorganised mess, “I’ll get you Grandad’s contract.”

“Thanks,” Elias let her rise first and after reading through the files his father had sent him, needed to speak to Fred, “I’m going to speak to your grandfather. Are you coming?”

Asana left the contract she collected by the computer as he rose to his feet. “How are you going to stop him? I’m curious,” she asked as he went to leave the computer room.

“First, I am going over to see your grandfather while my video is uploading from my phone,” he said and could see the video was only a quarter of the way from being uploaded, “Coming with me?”

“Sure,” she followed him out of the house and trudged with him through the snow.

Across the path, the houses were on a slight hill overlooking the large paddocks of their estate. Bumps of snow covered the path between the colonial two-storey home to the small blue cottage sheltered underneath a large tree and surrounded by a white picket fence. Asana forgot how deep the snow could get around the back gate of the cottage and she ended up falling over.

Collecting a face full of snow, Elias laughed at her, “A-Are you okay?”

“Don’t laugh,” she pouted while flicking white snow out of her mouth with her tongue, “So cold and gross!” she made cute noises as she flicked the snow from her mouth.

Elias still laughing at her and receiving a cold snow ball right in the face, “Hey!” it landed on his forehead and faded into his golden bed of hair, “Oh, that’s it,” he playfully gathered a snow ball up in his hands.

“Oh, no. No, Elias,” she laughed and ran behind the trunk of the tree and arming herself with a ball of snow too. Her giggles didn’t conceal her location for long.

“Your giggling is giving you away,” Elias chuckled as he approached the tree she was hiding behind.

Her arm poked out from behind the skeleton tree as it leaves had been stripped in fall, only snow had been collected along the thick branches. He came around the other side of her but she ran around the tree, but he tricked her in thinking he had followed her and she bumped right into him.

She attempted to run from him and threw her snowball at him where it hit his shoulder with a gentle thud on his thick cotton jacket. But, her efforts were in vain because his long legs easily caught up to her and he grabbed her from behind, picked her up and dumped her into a pile of soft snow that had gathered over a bump in the ground. With a squeal and laughter, she landed softly on her back, her brown hair now dusted with small balls of crunched ice. They were both in a fit of laughter as they played, momentarily straying from their task.

Charlotte could see them playing from the window of the cottage but Owen was still mad that he did nothing about Aston like he had promised. Tobias then whispered into his father’s ear, “He was on the phone before talking to someone. Asana said he’s just set the trap for the next time Aston comes.”

“Why didn’t he do anything now?” Owen wanted to know, “Now, he’s playing with Asana in the snow like they’re four-year olds,” he madly said, “To think I almost gave him my blessing this morning.”

Edith tapped her son on the shoulder, “We don’t know what he has planned. Why don’t we ask him?”

“Yeah, right,” Owen rolled his eyes, “So he can promise us he’ll do something but won’t.”

Fred nursed his sprained hand in a sling, “How the hell am I supposed to farm now?”

“I can help you Dad,” Owen promised.

“What about when you need to do your rounds?” Fred questioned him, “It won’t work.”

“Oh, it’s only a sprain,” Edith shrugged off their dramatic overreactions, “It will heal in a matter of days. As for Elias, he’s been wonderful to us and maybe he knows something more than we do about this guy. However, it’s not fair to him if you’re going to take your anger for Aston out on Elias just because he’s also from the city.”

Charlotte encouraged Owen, “Your mother’s right. Asana has faith in him, we should too.”

With Elias and Asana finishing playing in the snow, they opened the door to the cottage and all eyes turned on Elias as they sat gathered in the living room. On the advice of Edith and Charlotte, he kept his mouth closed but glared at Elias. Asana bounded over to her grandfather, “Are you okay, Grandad?”

“I’m okay, it’s going to take more than that to keep your old man down,” he promised her he was fine otherwise she would just worry, “But, what happened to you keeping your promise about standing up to him?” he snapped at Elias.

“I promise I am going to do something about him,” Elias thought it was best to explain what he was going to do now that he had their attention, “That man, I was at first just going to give him a piece of my mind to make him leave for good. However, knowing what I do know, if I let him go he’s going to just move onto the next town and lure more victims.”

“Victims?” Owen’s eyes widened, “You mean he’s done this before?”

Elias nodded, “He’s a convicted fraud. However, after I heard he destroyed Lucas’ vines and threatened and assaulted Fred, I have decided an enjoyable conversation with him is not going to cut it. He has intentionally hurt Asana’s community and family and he is not going to walk away freely. Please, don’t think I have broken any promise to you about dealing with him this time. I am organising my game plan and putting it into motion for the next time he comes here.”

Edith worried Elias wasn’t going to move in time, “…Do you have time?” she looked sad and afraid as she asked him, wanting to trust he could do something, “This farm has been our life and it’s Fred’s family’s legacy. Reitz, needs our farm. This region needs our farm. We’re powerless against Aston but he could rob us of our land,” she teared up.

“Nan…,” Tobias hugged her since he was closer to her, “That’s not going to happen.”

Asana echoed her brother, “He’s right, Nan. We aren’t going to lose our home and Elias isn’t going to let that happen.”

Seeing her aging brown eyes, the wrinkles around them tightening, as she tried her hardest not to cry, Elias understood why they were afraid but he wasn’t going to allow a fraud to strip Asana and her family of their property or anyone else being threatened and bullied into signing this illegal contract he presented Harrington presented to them. Even he had come to love the peacefulness of the family farm and the warmness of the community, though he wondered just how long Harrington had been menacing her family and the community.

“Listen to your grandchildren, Mrs Way,” Elias’ fierce violet eyes stared her directly in the eye and he met the worried eyes of her father and grandfather too, “I don’t know how long this man has been a menace but I refuse to leave until he has disappeared and you never have to worry about him again. Any threat made to Asana’s family, be it her blood relatives or to the family township, is a threat made against Asana. As her fiancée and husband-to-be, I have promised to protect her and what is important to her. This man crossed a very big line and with me here, you are not powerless.”

He spoke with confidence and conviction that restored Edith’s faith in his ability to eliminate this problem and the stress it weighed on their shoulders. Charlotte too, was convinced Elias could do something about and said, “We’re on your side Elias. If there’s anything we can do to help you?” she asked him.

“You better do something about him next time,” Owen warned him.

“He will, Dad,” Asana spoke highly of Elias, “He never makes empty promises.”

Fred nursed his sprained wrist and had no choice but to trust whatever the famous Goldstein power could do to help save his farm. It almost felt like he was god-sent considering the troubling time he had come to the property to present himself as a suitable partner for his granddaughter. He had no choice but to trust his words and hope he could make Aston disappear. Fred had not vocally accepted Elias into his family but sensed he was not like other city people who only thought about themselves, he cared for his granddaughter like she was a precious gem.

“…What are you going to do?” Fred asked, “You have told us you have something planned but you haven’t told us what it is you intend to do.”

“That’s part of the entertainment,” Elias teased and then seriously replied, “He is going to go back to a place where criminals like him belong. What I do need, however, is visual evidence of your sprained wrist.”

“Your collecting evidence?” Tobias concluded.

“I am,” Elias nodded in reply, “I already have the contract he gave to you and other information my father is collecting from my brother. I had him research Bradley Aston’s movements and discovered his entire corporation does not legally exist. Right now, there are federal agents stripping his hotel room where he is staying in Wiley and his so-called “offices” from other communities he has been previously to coming here to Reitz.”

Owen was surprised he managed to do so much in such little time, “…How did you manage to do all of this in such a short amount of time?” he asked the question the others were going to ask.

“That’s impressive,” Charlotte commented.

“That’s kind of terrifying,” Tobias added with a chuckle.

Edith’s tears seemed to have dried up now that Elias had admitted there was something being done but felt guilty for dragging him into their situation, especially since it’s Thanksgiving. Though, she was grateful for his help, “If there’s anything we need to be thankful for this year, it’s Elias loving our little Asana. Thank you, Elias. This means so much you’re doing this for us.”

He had to agree with her. Had he not been with Asana, he wouldn’t even be aware of the injustice Harrington was trying to pull over her family or the townspeople, “You are good people who don’t deserve to go through this,” Elias honestly said, “Had I not been with Asana, I would not know this was happening either but I am very happy that I am here and I can help you.”

Charlotte could see Owen calming down now that Elias had admitted to slowly reeling in the menace that is Bradley Aston, even before he had promised he would do something about his nuisance presence. He would never admit to having overreacted and instead said, “…We’ll see if it works,” he disguised his smirk behind a cup of coffee he had brewed in the cottage.

Asana proudly smiled, “There’s that Goldstein power,” she joked and walked over to his side and showed him her phone. While they were talking and Elias was convincing them that he was keeping to his word, she had been taking photographs of her grandfather’s sprained wrist, “I took some photos of his wrist. The swelling and it covered up. Are these good?” she showed him.

“Perfect,” Elias could clearly see where she had highlighted the swelling in the pictures, “Can you upload photos from your phone?”

“I can email them to you?”

“Could you?” Elias asked, naturally putting an arm around her as she began to forward them to him in an email, “Do you remember my email address?”

“Isn’t it just Elias dot Goldstein?”

“Elias, dot, capital G, another dot and Goldstein.”

She began giggling, “I just realised something.”

Cheeks blushing and her eyes glowing, she stared up at him with her body close to his where she stood in the small space to show him the photos. Distracted momentarily by her beauty for a split second, he came back to his senses and stared at her confusedly, “What? Something funny.”

“Well, it’s just your initials, if you include your second name, spells egg,” she giggled.

He had no response other than, “Be afraid when we cross the snowy path again,” threatening another dump in the snow for her joke while his threat only made her giggle harder, “You really have no fear.”

“Nope,” she said, a popping sound following her response, “I have an older brother. He once buried me in the snow.”

“You have one older brother, try two,” he challenged as he watched her send the images to his email account and he would download them into a file when they returned to the computer.

“Did they bury you in the snow?”

“Worse,” Elias trembled at the memory, “They buried me in the snow and left me there for hours, pretending they didn’t know where I was. Mom was furious at them because I ended up getting a nasty flu. Dad made them look after me until I was better but their idea of soup was snow soup, which is just boiled water.”

Asana could picture it, “…I could see them doing that. Especially, Klaus. He scares me most of the time. Did you know I spilled his tea on him once?”

“He told me,” Elias laughed, “That was before we met and you put him in a bad mood that day because of it.”

Asana pouted, “That’s not my fault! He should’ve watched where he was going too.”

She remembered the day she had walked into Klaus as she went to a café to study. Tobias had just been published in a magazine and she was on her phone downloading and saving his images for her collection of his pictures that she kept. Klaus had brewed his own tea into a traveller mug and had visited the café for his favourite muffin while reading a book he was going to use in his lectures. With both heads down, they bumped into each other has he was leaving and she was entering the café.

“You are thinking about it, aren’t you?” Elias could see her spacing out, “Then you confused me with him making our first meeting extremely awkward.”

“Don’t remind me!” she turned red, “Not only did Klaus not assume any responsibility for that incident, he gave me quite the lecture on top of that. I thought he was just rude and mean then I saw you and you both look alike. I was grumpy all day too because of him so…”

“You unleashed your anger onto me,” Elias remembered, at the time, being yelled at by a strange girl, “I was very confused but I had seen him earlier that day and he told me what happened. He got mad at me for saying it was partly his fault too.”

“You said that to him?” she seemed surprised.

“Then I left because he glared at me.”

Suddenly, they both started laughing not realising they had drifted off into their own world again while her family were still together under the cottage roof following the incident with Aston.

Charlotte and Owen noted the gentle way Elias’ hand rested on Asana’s waist and the way her body leaned in close to him like they were close to cuddling as she stood just in front of him and they entered their own conversation, unaware that they had become oblivious to the outside world around them. Both faces glowing as they reminisced on the recent past and worked together to deal with Aston.

“She’s grown stronger,” Edith commented quietly.

“Yeah, she has,” Charlotte agreed with her observation, “That’s his influence.”

“I’d say so,” Edith could see how they both influenced each other, “They are perfect together too. Looking at them now, you wouldn’t even know he’s from a wealthy family and she’s a plain and simple girl from the country.”

“Opposites do attract,” Charlotte smiled at them but it was about time to start their day and put this morning’s inconvenience behind them, “Well, I’m going into town to clean up after the festival and get some supplies for the family feast tomorrow. Don’t forget to ask Lucas to bring the wine, dear.”

“I won’t,” Owen promised her and turned to his father, “I best get a start too. I have to go out to the Fawnwood property to check a flock of chickens but I will be back to help you out on the farm Dad.”

Tobias had some photographs to complete and send them off before deadline but had a moment to spare to help his grandmother feed the animals, “I better feed the dogs and I can come help you out Nan.”

Elias caught onto Tobias’ announcement about what he was going to do, “Oh, um, I already fed the dogs and cat this morning,” he nervously informed him and explained frantically, “I had an alarm clock in the form of a very hungry cat with sharp claws digging into my skin.”

“Relax,” Tobias chuckled at him, “Thank you, though. Casper usually doesn’t allow strangers to feed him either. I guess the cat loves you now too.”

“Even the dogs love him,” Asana added.

“Well, Nan. Looks like I can help you right now.”

“I need to go up to the cows and give them some grass,” she had been feeding the chooks when that horrible man turned up and they became frightened by the gunshots Fred had fired into the air.

Fred managed to get to his feet and could at least go check the levels of his crops in the greenhouses. He had been worried that Aston had welcomed himself down to the sheds because that’s where he had frightened him from as he tried to access the greenhouses by using the number pad security feature to keep out thieves. “I need to check my crops. I can at least spray them and check the levels.”

“Don’t over work yourself,” Edith warned him, knowing how stubborn he could be and where Owen had inherited the same trait, “I’m sure Tobias can give you a hand.”

“Sure can,” he didn’t mind if he missed deadline, not when his grandparents could use an extra set of hands to assist with farming duties, “I’ll come down after I help Nan feed the cows.”

“I’ll be fine but if you want to come down, be my guest.”

Elias and Asana had their day already planned and with their free morning, until it came time to go up to the winery, they went back to the house and began reading through the terms and conditions of the contract with Elias highlighting anything that would help to incriminate Harrington and extend whatever sentence he would be looking at now. His father sent him texts and emails with new contracts from other communities he had managed to contact for his son and had him sift through those contracts too for anything incriminating.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Thanksgiving in the Country: Part 1 Family Dinner

Elias/Asana

Summary: In this modern AU, Asana lives in the city for university and has lived there for the past two years where she meets and falls in love with Elias. Pretending to be engaged, she brings him home to meet her family who don’t like him because he’s the youngest son of the famous Goldstein family. 

Note: This is not finished. There will be one or two parts after this. It just got quite lengthy so I’m splitting it up. 

A swaying melody of violin and piano compositions filled the cabin of the car with some popular modern songs and rock classics thrown into the mix. In the darkness of the early morning, Elias and Asana drove out of the city, leaving the eerily silent city and its skyscrapers and lush parks behind for the mountain countryside eight hours away.

“I’m going to apologise now,” Asana twitched her fingers in her hands because they were headed to her family’s farm in Reitz, “My brother and grandmother will be okay but I’m not certain on how the rest will react to you.”

“Asana,” Elias rested his hand on her knee as she sat on the passenger side, “I’m glad to be finally meeting your family and I am determined to prove to them that I am a man worthy to be your partner.”

Leaving her country side home for the busy city, Asana had secured a place at a prestigious college on scholarship to study veterinary science and would later move onto attaining her Ph. D in animal science and medicine. Moving into an apartment nearby, she met another student across the hallway, Elias. That was just little over two years ago and each day they were falling deeper and deeper in love with each other that it was time to meet the parents.

A week ago, Elias invited her to his weekly Sunday brunch with his parents, brothers and sister-in-law Elaine. Thanks to the capital city also being his hometown, Asana has met his brothers previous to meeting his parents, but as he expected his parents adored her. She wasn't as optimistic about her parents liking him, at least not straight away.

“I know,” she sighed, “My parents tend to be overprotective and my father and grandfather have an unhealthy issue with people from the city, especially people from wealthy and elite backgrounds,” Asana worried that her family weren’t going to accept him immediately.

As the sun rose with them, her peach sapphire ring on top of a rose-golden band shined a gentle shade of pink upon Asana’s cheeks from her left hand. Glancing down at the ring on her finger, Elias was determined to win her family over during the Thanksgiving holiday and the week they would spend in the deep snow in the countryside. Part of their plan was to pretend they were engaged to express the seriousness of their relationship.

“Well, I just have to be myself and hope they can see past my name and background,” Elias hoped his strategy to be honest would help them make an honest judgement of him, “Either way, I want to earn their acceptance because I love you and I want us all to get along well with each other. For your sake.”

His determination to earn her family’s trust made sent warmth through her heart. Leaning over to the driver’s side, she kissed his cheek and watched his cheeks turn pink, “Knowing how far you are willing to go really makes me happy, Elias. Thank you.”

“I never want to make you sad,” he looked down at her ring again, “Someday, I want to give you that ring for real but I don’t need to marry you to promise I will always make you happy and treat you right.”

“I want to make you happy too, Elias,” she promised as he promised her and they shared a smile, “Though, I appreciate it,” she giggled, “Did you have to buy me an expensive fake engagement ring?”

“I would never buy my precious girl a cheap engagement ring, even if this is all for making a point to your family,” Elias replied cheerfully but he had another plan in the future for that ring she wore. Even as he looks at it, the gentle pink colour of the ring suited her.

Perhaps, it was because it was the same shade as her lips and eyes that made him think of her when he saw it on display at the jeweller shop. The rose pigmentation of the band and the peach pink colour of the sapphire was not confronting but relaxing, warm and gentle that made him think of her personality. If all went to plan, he would love to propose to her someday, for real, with the same princess-cut stone. For now, he glanced across to her as she looked out of the window and could not imagine his life without her now.

Vacant meadows that were once carpeted in green grass and wildflowers of assorted colours were now powdered in a thick white blanket of snow and the trees, except for the pine trees, exposed their naked skeletons to the world with dams and rivers turned to ice. More hours passed and the sun rose higher into the sky but they kept on driving, taking turns in driving and stopping for refreshments and to use the bathroom.

“Next time, we take the train,” Elias whispered while Asana snoozed away on the passenger seat. Looking across to her, a smile naturally curled across his face as her mouth hung open. He thought she was worth the challenge that awaited him at the end of this eight-hour journey to her home town.

She had told him several stories about the people in her hometown and how someone’s wedding could easily turn into a community festival. Her captivating pink eyes would sparkle each time she spoke about her home and her family but that’s just how much she loved them and they loved her. It’s why he wanted to win them over because he would hate for her to be put in a position where she would have to choose between him or them.

Likewise, she couldn't wait to show him around. Her excitement was the topic of the day before they had packed for a week in Reitz, he remembered listening to her saying “Thanksgiving is a huge day and we have a community ball in honour of the holiday,” she smiled but quickly frowned.

“Why are you frowning?” he giggled at her that day they were lounging on his bed and listening to the rain fall across the city.

“...Well, I'm worried my ex will be there,” she said.

Elias poked her nose, “You have me now. Don't worry about him.”

“I'm definitely very happy now,” she said happily and rolled her body over the top of his, “I don't want to talk about him since I have you now. Words can't express how happy I am to have meet you.” After making love that morning, Asana told him more about her hometown and now they were driving to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Reitz with her family.  

Familiar mountains came into view hours after they had left the city in the darkness of the morning. It was two-thirty now and passing signs indicated they were close to Wiley City, the major business district for many in the region and only a twenty-minute drive from her small hometown.

She stole a glance at Elias and couldn't gauge his expression since his violet eyes were covered by a thick pair of black sunglasses that suited his complexion well. However, the fingers on his hand were fidgeting and as she laced her fingers through his, found they were warm and slightly sweaty.

“Are you nervous?” She squeezed his hand for comfort.

He sighed and looked away, “...Y-Yeah, it's pathetic really.”

“It's not,” she disagreed, “It's normal to be nervous. Especially, when we don't know how this is going to pan out.”

“You're nervous too, huh?” Elias sensed she was afraid her parents wouldn't like him, “Well, whatever happens we will face it together.”

“I should be saying that to you,” she giggled and felt the car speed fall as they came into Wiley City. They squeezed their hands until Elias pulled his back to take a right turn to follow the sign directions to her hometown tucked within the mountains, “I remember how scared I was meeting your parents for the first time too.”

“Were you that scared?” Elias remembered how she wanted to army roll out of the car and go home, and he had a similar feeling, but she soldiered through and he stood by her side to help her cope with her anxiety, “…I suppose I know how you feel now. I’ve never done this before and it is terrifying.”

“You’ve never been the boy the girl brings home?” she asked him.

“My ex-girlfriend, I already knew her parents because they knew mine,” Elias explained, “It is oddly exhilarating and nerve-racking to be going to the countryside to meet your parents for the first time because I don’t know how they will react to me and our relationship. Honestly, this whole time I can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario if they don’t like me. Like, I’m afraid they won’t ever accept me and I don’t want to put you in a position where they make you choose between me or them. What if they have some ex-boyfriend or a likeable guy show up to ignite some flame?”

Asana laughed because he was too adorable for words even though he was slightly panicking as they started the last leg of their trip to her home, “You’re overanalysing it,” she kissed his cheek and watched his cheeks turn pink, “Just be yourself. I know they might not adjust to you at first but they aren’t going to kick you out of the house or make me dump you, they aren’t those kinds of people. They will just ask a million questions and stare at you judgementally for a bit and try to see if you have some ulterior motive with me. At first, they will see you for your name but I want them to see what a wonderful, kind and smart man you are who makes me incredibly happy. Once they see that, they’ll love you.”

“You really think so?”

Asana nodded, “I do.” She couldn’t even picture her parents inviting Joel to rekindle their romance, not after he had used her and broke her heart, despite now saying that he made a terrible mistake. Elias knew the story, but there was a chance they would meet at the community Thanksgiving party. She studied his profile as he looked around the streets of Wiley City and gently smiled because she was happy Elias was by her side and ready to face this challenge.

Looking around the streets of Wiley City as he came to a stop sign, he noticed that the country’s idea of a city was not the same as the one he imagined. The centre of town had a grocer market, a fashion boutique, a primary school, service station, a bank and bakery. There were no large corporations or firms but he did notice a solicitor’s office next to the council and a medical clinic. It was a large town, but no city.

“This is a city?” he questioned.

Asana shrugged, “It’s an old town so I guess the founding villagers had hoped it would be. It’s still the largest hub in this region though. Apparently, it used to be the home of witches too.”

“Witches?” Elias had not heard of this legend before and became curious in the region’s legend, his face glancing between her and the road as he drove carefully down the single lane road.

She nodded, “It’s one of those old town legends since it’s been here since the 1700s. But, apparently, there were at least five witches burnt for witchcraft. Two were from Reitz, three were from Wiley City and one lived between Reitz and Holly, that’s a smaller farming town about forty minutes west of Reitz. There’s a Halloween festival founded on the story each year.”

“For a small town, they like to hold a lot of parties,” Elias joked happily, “I’m sad we just missed it though.”

“Yeah, me too,” Asana had plenty of fond memories of Halloween, “My brother used to take me around trick or treating. Unfortunately, he liked to trick me more than give me treats. When I was five, he put a glow mask under my bed and it freaked me out.”

“My brothers did the same to me too,” Elias could sympathise, “Does your family have any Thanksgiving traditions?”

Asana couldn’t really think of anything they did except go to the Thanksgiving festival where the regions farmers and sommeliers would showcase their best harvest and sell them. That usually would use the large dining table and sit together for a feast.

“We eat a lot,” she summarised with laugh, “If I have to say anything, we all contribute something to the family feast, whoever comes to it. My parents, my Uncle, my grandparents and sometimes the odd cousin will come over or a friend who has nothing better to do. My brother and I missed last year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas, so my parents demanded us home this year.”

“My family’s the opposite,” Elias smiled, “We drink a lot of wine.”

Asana imagined all the fancy parties they would attend, “A lot of parties?”

“Rich people trying to impress other rich people with who can pull off the better party,” Elias nodded, “Ever since Julius married Elaine, I had a swarm of girls trying to dance with me. Klaus usually scared them away once he opened his mouth but Mom usually ended up forcing him to dance with someone. I used to hide to escape them.”

“Sounds rough,” Asana laughed at him and traced his cheek with her finger, “Though, I can see why they want to dance with you. You’re very handsome.”

Underneath his sunglasses his violet eyes widen and his cheeks turned pink from embarrassment, “Hey…quit that,” he coolly and gently grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers, “…D-Don’t catch me off guard like that. I never know what to do.”

She giggled, “Okay, I’m sorry.”

“Also, now that I have you, I don’t have to dance with strange girls,” he smiled happily to never have to dance awkwardly with spoilt daughters from wealthy families. It’s how he ended up with his ex-girlfriend when he was still in high school.

Asana had the misfortune of meeting her while she went shopping with Elaine for a dress to wear to the dinner when she met his parents for the first time. Elaine explained most of it but she ended up receiving the full story from Elias. She treated him cruelly and for the most part destroyed Elias’ trust in women.

“So, you will dance with me at the Thanksgiving party?”

“Of course,” Elias already planned on asking her if there was dancing.

Asana looked out of the front window with a pink smile stretched across her face since Elias promised her a dance in front of the residents of her hometown, who were basically like a second family since everyone knew each other. Rolling across the top of a hill along the otherwise straight road, she saw the town’s big windmill in vision and behind it, the brown rooves of the country town she still calls home.

“We’re here,” she was excited to see the place and happy to know it had not changed while she was gone, “Welcome to my hometown of Reitz. It looks much better in the spring and summer though.”

On top of the hill, Elias was greeted with a panoramic view of her hometown. Many of the homes were old mixed with some newly built houses too, but they all had brown rooves and farms which climbed over the mountains in the background. Through the centre of town, he could see where the frozen river flowed separating the town centre from some of the residential areas.

“When you get to the bridge, turn left onto Stockman Street,” she directed him.

People walking around the village stopped to stare at the flashiness of the unfamiliar silver car strolling through the town. Some of the kids in town were skating across the frozen river as the road embarked up another hill. Asana wanted to know what he thought but he hadn’t even seen the entirety of the town, “I can’t wait to show you around tomorrow,” she said, “Mom’s bakery is also a café and it’s very popular. I can show you Dad’s clinic and my Uncle’s winery. There’s also the farm,” she wanted to show him a side to her he had not seen yet.

“I guess it’s true,” Elias noticed the sparkle in her pink eyes as she gazed about her hometown with long-awaited affection, “You can take the country girl out of the country but can’t take the country out of the girl.”

“I guess so,” she had to agree, “It hasn’t change a bit and I don’t think it ever will.”

He was following the road she had told him but as he continued to drive, the town’s centre disappeared from his mirror, “Am I going the right way?” he hoped she wasn’t lost after not being home for a long time.

“See that sharp bend up ahead?”

“Yeah,” there were yellow signs with black arrows to indicate the corner was incredibly sharp which required slowing the car speed down but just on the corner he noticed a letterbox with WAY written over it, “Is that it?”

Asana nodded, “Sure is. The driveway is just off the bend here,” she directed him to the entry and the drive way down to her house was quite long that he could not yet see any homesteads but plenty of acreage which backed up into the woods to the west and mountains to the east, “Okay, after this dip the drive way will peel off because there are two houses on the property. Stay on this track.”

“Why two houses?”

“See the blue cottage over there?” she pointed down to a low-set sky blue cottage with a tiled roof which was surrounded by a white picket fence with a farm truck, motorbike and tractor parked near it. It was tiny but spacious enough for two people and the flowers decorating the side of the house had closed for the winter, “My grandparents live there. It used to be a garden shed but Grandad suggested turning it into a cottage for him and Nan because they wanted to downsize and the stairs were getting too much for them.”

“I see,” Elias understood, the property was one large estate but was separated into two separate properties.

Down behind the little blue cottage her grandparents lived in, Elias could see a barn and stables for the horses and the chickens to keep warm during the snow season. Down the hill and further in the background were rows of white farming sheds, several paddocks separated by wired fences and other buildings he didn’t know. He was curious to find out when Asana gave him the grand tour. Until, the sounds of a motorbike roaring behind the car made Elias jump.

“Relax, it’s the quad bike,” she found him too adorable as he looked in every direction trying to take in her family’s large property.

Speeding past the car, the bright red panels of the quad pulled off the side of track and did a little jump over a bump of hard snow, the intended destination was the double-storey colonial home that belonged to her parents. “Who’s that?” Elias asked, seeing the man on the bike being cheeky with his tricks.

“My brother,” Asana shook her head at his stupidity, “Unlike your brothers, mine is pretty stupid and reckless. He has broken both his legs and arms doing stupid tricks like that on the motorbikes. Dad banned him once from riding because he was being an idiot. He’s just showing off.”

He laughed at her summary of her brother, “In other words, he’s a more extreme version of you.”

“I’m just clumsy by accident he’s reckless on purpose,” she corrected him cheerfully, “There’s an enormous difference between being clumsy and being reckless,” she pleaded.

“If you say so,” Elias teased her and pulled his car up behind a brown hatchback sedan parked next to a black jeep with wheels made for off-road driving.

Her home was quite flash for being a country home though he assumed it had been there for a long time. It had classical colonial markings of homes built in the 1700s and 1800s but was kept in mint condition. Clad in colours of ivory white, the roof was made of small grey stones, the window shutters were a shade of sky blue like the door and the window seals painted white with silver mullions. To the right side of the roof, a square chimney poked towards the sky chugging out a stream of greyish blue smoke.

Around the side of the house, the quad bike which had passed them was switched off and parked inside its shed to keep out of the snow as flakes began to fall again. Elias switched off the ignition and pulled up his handbrake and took a deep breath.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked him before it came time to introduce him to the family and could already see her curious brother waiting, “My grandparents shouldn’t be too far behind Tobias, he usually helps with feeding the chickens around this time or helping Grandad tend to the livestock and horses.”

Much like his sister, his hair was a shade of chestnut brown but it curled from not having seen a brush in a while. It fell to the shoulders where his black leather jacket kept his body warm from the snow. He had a bit of a rocker type look about him which, at first glance, made him look unapproachable. He was clearly fit and strong from growing up on a farm but he had to remain fit for his job as a photographer where he travelled to some of the remotest places on earth, climbing mountains and trudging through swamps. When he first saw the car, he was afraid it was some business man looking to buy out the place but could see Asana through the window allowing him to relax.

“I will warn you now, he’ll pretend to play the overprotective big brother but he’s a very open-minded and chill type of guy,” Asana warned him, “A little bit like Julius.”

Elias relaxed with that knowledge but felt his nerves bubbling to the surface as they stepped out of the car. Immediately, Asana bounded over to her brother and gave him hug since she had not seen him in two years because he had travelled to the arctic tagging along with a research team, “I’m sure you have plenty of photos to show us for being gone for so long,” she begged for a preview and loved the photographs he took.

“I have a slide ready to show everyone,” he assured her, “I’ve shown Dad and Mom a few of them already. Also, Mom is going nuts in the kitchen.”

“Why?”

Elias walked behind Asana and waited to be addressed while they reunited after a long time.

“When Mom heard you were bringing your fiancée home, she’s been cooking all these different foods,” he laughed, “Dad said she’s going overboard but it’s Mom. She’s just overexcited.”

“This is the first Thanksgiving in a long time where we are altogether, except for Erica since she’s travelling with Andrew,” Asana understood why her mother was going to the extremes of putting on a delicious feast, “It’s a Mom thing. I guess she wants to give us our fill of nutrients and the love of home-cooked food since we haven’t been home for ages.”

Her brother’s brown eyes were gentle and kind but his lips curled into a smirk as he looked behind Asana to Elias looking around and taking in his surroundings, “So, is this the fiancée, huh?”

Asana looked behind her and found Elias’ darting eyes very cute as he did not know where to begin analysing. Her grin and gentle eyes was noticed by her brother as she reached for Elias’ hand and his attention, “Elias, I would like you to meet my older brother, Tobias. Tobias, this is my fiancée, Elias Goldstein.”

Tobias extended his hand casually and Elias gave it a firm shake, “Pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard plenty of stories about you,” Elias attempted to sound as confident as possible but it faded when he saw Tobias’ lips frown.

“I don’t usually meddle in my little sister’s love life but…,” he looked directly into Elias’ eyes, “After what happened with her last boyfriend, I would hate to see her end up hurt again. So, treat her right and we won’t have a problem.”

He wondered if this was the overprotectiveness she had warned him about but nothing in that threat sounded like a playful bluff but a stern warning, even though he had nothing to worry about. Elias looked back at Tobias, “I only ever want to make her happy so you don’t need to worry about her getting hurt by me.”

Asana rolled her eyes at her brother, “Where’s everyone else?”

“Inside, waiting,” Tobias said, “I had to catch a chicken that escaped the barn. Uncle Lucas will be in later but I will warn you that Grandad is probably going to be super grumpy.”

“Why?”

“We had a visitor before, some hob knob from the capital, trying to buyout the farm and turn it into an international agricultural investment.”

“Grandad would never sell this place!” Asana protested.

“I know,” Tobias nodded, “This guy is pretty determined to try and weasel them out of here. Even gave him a contract to read over and sign if he was happy with the conditions.”

“He’s not seriously buying into it, is he?”

“I don’t think so,” Tobias was certain their grandfather wouldn’t sell up, “This place has been in our family for generations, he wouldn’t just let it go, especially not to some corporate dog from the city,” he minded his language and turned to Elias, “Sorry, no offence.”

Elias didn’t think much of it, “Don’t worry but if you don’t mind,” he suggested he look at the contract for them, “My father is a lawyer and I’m studying to be one, so perhaps I can help review it for him?”

A wave of happiness rushed through Asana, “I can’t ask you to do that,” she said to him, “I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you or anything.”

Elias didn’t think of it that way, “This place is your home and if someone from my playground is going to bully the others around, I want to help put a stop to it. Agricultural hierarchies can be relentless in their pursuit of land if they think it’s worth something.”

“Wait, you said he was a Goldstein?” Tobias asked.

“Yeah, so?”

“You mean, from THAT family,” he tilted his head to the side.

Elias nodded, “Yes, I am the youngest son of Walter Goldstein.”

“How did you end up with him?” Tobias sounded shocked to hear it but his tone was sarcastic.

“Shut up, all you have to please yourself with is your hand,” Asana returned and looked to Elias, “Thank you for offering your help, I really appreciate it. Should we get the bags from the car and head inside?”

He nodded and with Tobias help, they rolled their luggage through the snow and into the lobby of the house. Contrary to the wet and freezing conditions outside, inside the blazing fire warmed the whole house with the smell of ginger and melted chocolate fragranced in the air.

“As a favour to you, I will take these to your room while you introduce him to everyone,” Tobias kindly offered and gave Elias another handshake, “Good luck.”

“…T-Thank you,” he tilted his head with confusion, “Is it going to be that bad?”

Asana’s fingers twitched with anxiety but she took a deep breath and checked on Elias. They glanced at each other and their expressions were hoping for the best as they could hear loud conversation coming from the back of the house. “Asana should be home soon, I hope nothing’s happen. The roads are very slippery around here, hope she hasn’t forgotten,” her mother agonised.

As the sun began to fall on the day outside, Asana kissed Elias, “No matter what happens right now, I want you to know I love you so much for coming all the way out here to meet my family and even if they don’t approve, we’ll keep convincing them.”

Bumping his forehead to hers, he gave her a gentle look though his eyes couldn’t conceal from her how nervous he was, “We can’t delay this any longer,” he took in a deep breath, “Also, you’re the only girl I would do this for. That’s how much I love you.”

Shyly, Asana walked in hand with Elias following the sounds of conversation. It was coming from the dining room as her mother and grandmother were setting the table for dinner. This one was the usual quiet dinner until the big feast on Thanksgiving Day. Walking to the side of the staircase leading up to the second floor where the bedrooms were, Elias could help but take in his surroundings.

Timber was turned into a marble and carpet runners lined the hallway as well as indoor plant decorations and photographs. Coming down the hallway, Elias watched as a very fluffy grey white-tipped tail disappeared into an adjacent room to hide from him.

“That’s my cat, Casper,” she said, “He’ll jump onto my bed later.”

Outside he heard animals and the wilderness, a barking dog and cows mooing like they were in conversation. Though, the voices of her parents and grandparents worrying over Asana’s arrival reached his ears. He could tell that her family were very close as evident by the proximity of their houses and sharing a property and farm duties. He had decided ages ago he would do whatever was necessary to earn their respect but now he was more motivated to gain their acceptance into the family.

“Maybe I should call her,” Owen suggested, “She surely remembers her way home.”

“She is with her fiancée, maybe they stopped somewhere,” her grandmother teased.

Asana felt her face cloud over with embarrassment and hoped her grandmother wouldn’t say anything obscene when she presented Elias. At the entrance of the dining room, she knocked on the archway to announce she was home. There was no wall obstructing entrance into the kitchen and her knock attracted her mother’s attention.

“I’m home!” she announced happily.

Dropping the spoon into the saucepan, her mother bounded over to her and hugged her and was almost in tears, “Ah! My little girl has finally returned home,” she missed her children and Tobias patted Elias shoulder as the family each greeted Asana.

As they reunited with Asana, he took in their physical appearances and noticed the resemblance Asana shared with her mother. Though older, her mother still retained much of your youthful beauty and had the same rich texture in her chestnut brown hair and the same coloured pink pupils shined at her daughter with an unconditional motherly love.

“I missed you too Mom,” Asana whispered and reciprocated her hug.  

Tall and thin and fit and healthy, an older man smiled at her fondly, “Did you get lost?” her father asked, bringing her into a hug and kissing the top of her head, “It’s good to have you home sweetie.”

Her mother’s brown hair was thick and light compared to the shade of Owen’s. Greying slightly, Tobias inherited his father’s dark chocolate-coloured hair with the texture thinner than her mother’s or Asana’s. His eyes were brown too, like Tobias and her grandfather’s.

“No, I didn’t,” she assured them, “…I just needed a little time is all.”

“My babies are finally home under the same roof again,” her mother cried and hugged them together, grabbing Tobias as he tried to sneak past her into the kitchen, “Come here.”

“Mom!” they both protested and she let them go after a short but tight embrace, “Let me have a good look at you Asana. You look very healthy, isn’t she glowing Owen?”

Owen nodded but didn’t respond as his eyes stared at Elias waiting in the threshold of the doorway and allowing the family a moment to reconnect with Asana after being away from home. Her mother peered over Asana’s shoulder and Asana followed her family’s gaze to Elias. Seeing his violet eyes wide and nervous, she grabbed his arm gently and stood at his side ready to bite the bullet and finally introduce him to everyone.

“Everyone, I would like you to meet my fiancée, Elias Goldstein,” she smiled at him as he bowed, “Elias, this is my father Owen and my mother Charlotte. You’ve met Tobias outside. The elderly gentleman is my grandfather Fred and the elderly lady is my grandmother Edith.”

Again, he bowed respectfully as her grandfather reclined on the chair reading over papers from the contract Tobias had mentioned while her grandmother helped Charlotte set the dinner table. Edith’s fluffy grey curls, styled as though it had never moved on from the glamour of the 1940s, bounced as she moved between the kitchen and dining table with her round eyes wandering up and down Elias. A total opposite reaction from her grandfather, his piercing brown eyes and tall frame made him appear intimidating. Severe burn scars marred his wrinkled hands but he seem to mind putting them on display.

Extending a handshake to Owen, who was closest, Elias expressed his gratitude for allowing him to join their family thanksgiving in the most confident voice he could find, “Mr and Mrs Way, thankful for allowing me to spend this holiday with your family and allowing me to stay in your home. It is a pleasure to finally meet all of you, Asana speaks highly of all of you.”

“Did you say Goldstein?” her father cocked up an eyebrow and gave Asana a questioning glance.

“Even I was surprised, Dad,” Tobias joked, “Asana landed a Goldstein.”

“Shut up,” Asana threw him a glare as he pinched pieces of carrot from the salad his mother had made for the table. Then, she gave her father a gentle and kind look that always worked when she was little to get her own way, “Dad, please keep an open mind. I know what you’re thinking but Elias is a kind and smart man. Give him a chance and try looking beyond his name,” she begged.

“A Goldstein, huh?” he almost laughed sarcastically, “I once had the unfortunate pleasure of working with your father once. He represented the agricultural college I sometimes lecture at over in Wiley City. He was your typical city suit and tie, quite young back then I suppose, but even on television he’s still an arrogant old fool. He didn’t care what it was we were fighting for, all he cared about was the money he was raking off our backs.”

“Dad!” Asana admonished him.

Fred, sitting at the dining table behind where Owen stood, let out a hearty chuckle, “Knew it,” he grumbled, exhausting his frustrations out, “Told you shouldn’t let her go to the big city for school. City boys are bad news but rich city boys are dreadful lot. He’ll only break her heart with one of his mistresses.”

“Grandad!” Now, Asana protested her grandfather’s harsh comment, “He’s not like that. Elias, I’m so sorry,” she apologised to him.

“It’s fine,” he whispered in her ear, “You prepared me for this.”

Edith slapped the back of his head with a tea towel, “Just because that rude man from the city wriggled his way under your skin, you can’t assume Elias is the same,” she lectured her husband and gazed warmly at him, “We welcome you, please sit,” she invited.

Elias gulped down his nerves at their harsh words but found relief in Edith’s support and Asana’s rejection of their judgemental assumptions she had warned him about. All he could do was look her father in the eye and plead for chance, “Mr Way, I know my father can be quite a complicated man but although I am his son I am not my father. I hope my relationship with him and my name will not influence your feelings towards me,” then, he declared his love for Asana, “You have raised a remarkable daughter, sir. I love Asana very much and plan on making her very happy.”

Owen didn’t respond, creating an awkward silence. Charlotte distracted the tension, “Let us get the table ready for dinner,” Charlotte cheered, “I would like to hear more about you Elias. Is there anything you can’t eat because of allergies? Asana did tell me you are allergic to chili?”

He nodded shyly, “Y-Yes, but I’m fine with everything else.”

“Great,” she picked up her feet happily and sauntered back to the kitchen to check her cooking, “It shouldn’t be too long, please take a seat anywhere you like.”

Owen sat at one end of the table with Tobias taking a seat next to Elias where he became sandwiched between the two siblings with their bodies faced towards to kitchen and Elias going eye-to-eye with Fred across from him. There was no assigned seating plan as the smell of warmly cooked vegetables and steak filled the room and stirred up hunger.

“Freddie, darling, could you please put that contract away,” Edith begged for what sounded like the last time she would nag him, “Dinner will be out soon.”

Charlotte’s voice now called out from the kitchen, “Elias, I apologise if this is not like anything you are used to, but we are having slow cooked beef and mushroom stew with a side of roasted potatoes and broccoli.”

“Sounds delicious,” his words were honest and his smile charming, “Smells delicious too,” but his nerves was like the broth in the pot, bubbling on the surface but he tried to hide it.

Seeing his fingers fidget, she reached out to hold his hand and had an idea that would help him relax, “My Uncle Lucas, you’ll meet him soon, he owns a winery on the other side of town and often gives us a bottle. Would you like to try some family wine?”

He nodded, “Sure, I’d love too. Did you want some help?”

Standing up, she shook her head and looked down at him with a comforting smile, “You’re my guest here, silly,” she giggled, “I can’t ask you to go to the trouble.”

“I’m just saying,” he whispered, “The last time you opened a cork it broke a window.”

She felt embarrassed as the memory came to mind, “Don’t even remind me of that,” she giggled and went to the kitchen where her mother already had collected a bottle from the cellar, “Anyone else for a glass?”

“I’ll have a beer,” Tobias opted.

“I wasn’t asking you,” Asana replied, “Dad? Grandad?”

“Tobias, get me a beer,” Fred said.

“I’ll have a glass,” Owen accepted Asana’s offer.

As she poured the wine, Elias heard the front door to the home open and close. Down the end of the hallway, he could hear some heavy footsteps then quiet padding across the floor. Another tall man with dark chocolate hair stepped into the room.

“Uncle Lucas!” Asana cheered at the sight of her favourite uncle entering the dining room to join the family for dinner. With a bottle of wine in her hand and setting a glass down in front of her father and Elias, she went over to hug him, “You don’t look happy.”

“That suit and tie came up to the winery,” he grumbled, “He wants to buy not just the farm but also the winery too. Gave me this to think over,” he held up another contract and Elias cocked up an eyebrow at their properties being targeted relentlessly by the same person, “I have no plans to sell up. But, who's this?” he turned to Elias.

“Uncle Lucas this is my fiancée Elias Goldstein,” Asana introduced him and was happy to see her Uncle reciprocate Elias' handshake, “My Uncle owns the winery on the other side of town and closer to the mountains to grow the grapes. In fact, this wine is his.”

“Goldstein?” her Uncle’s hazel eyes, inherited from his mother, widened with surprise the same way Tobias had registered the news his sister bought home a son from the second wealthiest family in the country, “How did you end up nabbing a Goldstein?” he ruffled her hair, “It’s nice to meet you Elias. Hope my niece isn’t causing you trouble.”

“It’s most likely the other way around,” Fred muttered as Lucas said next to him and Elias and Asana took up their seats again, followed by Tobias grabbing a beer for himself, his grandfather and his Uncle.

Though, Owen, Lucas and Asana were momentarily amused by Elias’ reaction to the family made wine, though Lucas did sell his creations nationwide and were quite popular among the lower and middle-class drinkers. Taking a small sip, the cabernet sauvignon tasted liked perfectly ripe black berries.

“What do you think?” she asked him, interested in his opinions.

Elias had some knowledge of wine and didn’t need a tour to know the altitude in which the grapes were grown contributed to the black berry taste which tantalised the tastebuds and salivated thirst leaving a refreshing aftertaste. “I want more,” he couldn’t lie that his mouth craved for another taste, “Mother would enjoy this. I take it because the grapes are grown on higher altitude it tastes like rich black berries?”

“I see the boy knows his wine,” Lucas was impressed with his knowledge.

“It’s the drink of the wealthy, I’m even surprised your commoner drink appeals to him,” Fred muttered loud enough for Elias to hear him.

Asana shook her head, ignoring her grandfather’s grumpy judgement with Lucas accepting Elias’ compliments on his wine, “Glad you like it, Elias. Asana, feel free to bring him up to the winery to see the vineyards while you’re here, aye,” he invited, “Asana used to love helping me harvest the grapes.”

“Except it was always a grape for her and a grape for the basket,” Tobias reminisced, “I have a photo of her looking all innocent with her twin pigtails, dressed in pink wellingtons and smiling as she plucked one right off the vine with Uncle Lucas down the line.”

Elias could imagine what she looked like as a little girl and would love to see the photo someday, “I would love to see it,” he said to Tobias, “I imagine she was adorable as a child.”

“Depends on who you talk to,” Tobias joked, “To Mom, Dad and everyone she was an innocent little girl but to me, she’s pretty much devil spawn. I did ask Mom and Dad for a brother but they gave me her instead.”

Charlotte appreciated the playful sibling banter had returned to her home as did Owen. Asana retorted her brother, “You say that but you know you love me. Besides, everyone here knows I’m the good child.”

“You were a pest to the harvest,” Tobias returned served.

“At least I helped instead of breaking my bones stacking the bike and making the whole town search for you because you got lost in the woods taking photos,” she brought up some fond memories of their childhood that at the time were probably not so much fun.

“You fell through the ice in the river once,” Tobias remembered, “After Mom told you countless times to not walk on the ice.”

“I was five!” she protested, “I was curious where the water went. Though, I never did it again.”

Tobias didn’t reply as he drank down a gulp of his beer making Asana feel victorious in shutting him down. Elias too, couldn’t ignore his desire for more of the wine in front of him but he wondered if it was the taste or the tense atmosphere between himself and her father and grandfather.

“Should we bring her back a bottle?” Asana suggested, “Klaus and Elaine would like it too.”

“I could see them all drinking this actually,” Elias pictured his father liking the taste of the wine after assessing it for a while, “We should take some back with us. Help us with end of semester exams.”

“You mean for when we start our internships next year,” Asana corrected.

Elias had forgotten about it and did not look forward to working as an intern in his father’s firm with his brother supervising him. Asana, on the other hand, was excited about beginning for internship at the city’s zoo where she would work with animals she only ever dreamed of working on. Though, he agreed they were in for a stressful year, “Agreed. Let’s take back a crate.”

For a moment, they were lost in their own little world and forgot they were at her home meeting her family. Smiling and laughing among themselves, Charlotte putting a bowl of salad on the table drew Asana’s attention to the vegetables inside. “Oh, you have to try these too. Grandad grows vegetables and fruit in the agricultural sheds down the back but it’s all organic,” she held out a slice of carrot for him to eat, “Go ahead, try it. It’s fresh out of the garden for our own personal supply.”

“Asana, he will eat the food,” Edith teased her granddaughter’s excitement to show him everything while he was here.

She blushed when she realised they were in front of her family, “…I-I know. I’m just excited to have him here and want to show him what we do,” she heard the crunch of the carrot next to her.

Unlike some vegetables in the city, he could taste the difference between the chemically grown vegetables from the market and the freshly grown vegetables straight out of the earth. It was tender yet crisp and the shade of orange seemed brighter than the ones back home. “It’s delicious. I can taste the difference.”

Edith delivered plates of food to each person but Charlotte sat a plate in front of Elias, “I hope you like it, I apologise it is not anything big,” she said and then sat down once everyone had food in front of them. It didn’t bother Elias, “So, Elias. Tell us about yourself. Your studying at the same college as Asana, what are you studying?”

“That’s right,” he smiled at her and made eye contact with her father and grandparents, but Owen and Fred’s eyes burned into his, “C-Currently, I am doing a double major in law and anthropology and minoring in literature and language.”

“I see,” she accepted his answer.

“You intend on following your father into the legal world?” Owen used his fork and knife to cut into the meat on his plate then set down his knife to drink from his glass of wine, “Quite a contradiction with your own words about not being the same as your father. Do you intend to only care about money and not the cause of your cases?”

Asana cut him an intense glare to express she didn’t like how he was speaking to him. However, she felt Elias reach for her hand as to say he didn’t mind and didn’t want her to speak on his behalf because he felt as though he had to answer for himself. He sipped his wine and let it refresh the back of his throat, sending it down with the salad he swallowed.

“I can’t say I know too much about how my father methods when he practices law,” he said, “However, I wish to practice international law with the intentions of understanding how diverse systems of law govern other countries and the impact on that society and culture. While I complete my Ph. D in legal anthropology, I am going to intern at my father’s firm but I will be taught under my brother’s guidance. While I present my own cases, I am going to become the kind of lawyer I want to be, not who everyone else wants me to be.”

His answer sounded impressive to her parents but Charlotte had her own reservations as she listened to his future goals. Awkwardly smiling, she applauded his mission, “That’s impressive, however…,” she paused for a moment, “It also sounds like Asana is in for a lonely marriage.”

Sitting across from Asana, Edith eyed the peach-sapphire ring shining under the lights in the dining room. Princess-cut, the sapphire sat on top of a rose-golden band that she felt suited her smooth fingers and cheerful personality, “Give me a look at ring,” she wanted a closer look and Asana stretched her hand across the table, “He certainly picked a beautiful ring. Reminds me of you.”

Edith’s comment had distracted Elias from answering Charlotte but he was glad she saw the same reason why he purchased the ring for her. Looking to Asana, he looked at her warmly and couldn’t forgive himself if he ever made her feel lonely and was willing to change his career goals if it meant having her by his side. With that thought in mind, he had a response to Charlotte’s worry.

“Mrs Way, I love your daughter and would never forgive myself if I ever made her feel lonely. As we work toward our career goals, I will support her as she does with mine. However, I promise to her and to you I would never make Asana feel lonely, not now and not through our marriage. My grandmother once said I should work to live not live to work. That being said, if I must change my career goals to protect her happiness and keep her smiling by my side, I am willing to do so.”

Asana could tell when Elias was just saying something with no meaning and saying something with complete sincerity because he spoke with his sharp violet eyes. As he promised to her mother to protect her happiness, his eyes were deep and intense and his eye contact was direct. At first, she was surprised to hear him make such a declaration and although he was saying it to her mother, he was also saying it to her that her gentle lips curled into a warm smile, “Elias…”

Owen rolled his eyes as he noticed her looking at him warmly, “You both have different career paths, I’m not certain a marriage between you two will work no matter what you promise. Are you going to be a typical man of wealth with a wife and a dozen mistresses?”

“Dad!” Asana frowned at him where he sat at the head of the table on her side, “That’s rude to say when you don’t even know him!”

He gave her a stern look, “I am only trying to protect you from getting used and hurt again, like what happened with Joel. The last thing I want is to see my cheerful daughter reduced to tears from getting deeply involved with that vicious high society life. It would break my heart to see you end up so miserable.”

“I thought you planned on coming home after you completed your degree and Ph. D?” Fred questioned her, “If you marry him, I don’t see him being helpful around here. Boy’s probably never got his hand or feet stuck in mud in his life,” he flipped through the contract he was given while eating at the same time.

Asana never had promised she was going to come home and thinking about a real marriage to Elias it seemed likely she was going to stay close to the city. She scratched her cheek and then sipped on her glass of wine too, “…I never promised I was going to come home to the farm. I said I would keep my options depending on what doors open up to me in the veterinary world. I’m going to be starting an internship with the city’s zoo after Christmas and Elias will be working in his father’s firm until he completes his Ph. D. I want to stay with him and if that means living in the city, that’s what I’ll do.”

Edith approved because she could see the love between them and they would figure it out, “Do what makes you happiest but don’t let another year slip by without coming home to visit. This will always be your first home after all.”

“Of course, Nan,” Asana didn’t think of the city as a home more important than here but it important because Elias was there, “My heart will always think of here as home but my home with Elias is important too.”

“You live with him?” Charlotte almost choked on the potato in her mouth.

“We are engaged Mom.”

Owen searched his wife’s expression and could sense she had the same doubts as him while his father almost felt heartbroken hearing Asana say she might not return here to live. He would soon let it go. His mother, son and brother were not worried or had doubts about her decision. There left an awkward silence.

Drinking down the potato with her glass of wine, Charlotte tried to understand how they even met each other as they were two people from different worlds and walking towards different lives, “If I may ask, how did you two met? Campus, I assume.”

“Actually,” Asana corrected her, “We live in the same apartment building. He lives across the hall from me but we didn’t start talking until we met each other at the bookstore around the corner from our apartment. We started talking and we just…fell in together.”

“Sounds to perfect,” Tobias teased.

“I know it does,” Asana assured them they loved each other, “We have a lot in common, we’re never out of conversation topics and we enjoy being with each other.”

Charlotte wasn’t convinced and neither was Owen. Awkwardly, and careful not to word her next question wrong or upset her daughter, she was curious as to why Elias would be interested in her plain and simple daughter. Fred cut him a severe glare while Lucas ate his food with not much interest in his niece’s love life. Receiving a compliment on his wine was enough for him to approve of Elias. Edith wasn’t worried nor was Tobias, but he tried to smooth things over with his sibling jokes.

“Let me ask you something, Elias,” she began nicely and nervously, seeing her daughter’s eyes becoming frustrated with how this meeting wasn’t going well, “Why are you with our daughter?” she asked and clarified her question, “No offence to Asana, but she’s just an ordinary and simple country girl who grew up on the farm and in a tiny community. She’s not tailored to your world of fancy parties and luxurious homes. She never had seen a skyscraper before going to the city for school. To Owen and me, Asana and you are two completely different people from different worlds that don’t go together. Are there no girls from a similar background you are interested in, if so, why pick my daughter?”

Tobias erupted with laughter, “Mom, that’s savage.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” she gently tapped his shoulder, “I’m only trying to protect your sister from getting hurt. Please don’t take it personally, Elias, I’m sure you’re a nice person but I can’t help but feel she’s, well…making a mistake.”

Asana balled her fists around her cutlery and her eyes narrowed into anger at her mother’s comment. Grabbing the bottle of wine, she poured herself a larger glass of wine, drinking the juice while looking away from her to conceal her disappointment. Edith noticed and so did Owen. Although, Charlotte tried to be understanding and accepting of their relationship but need answers to her worries, even if she sounded rude but trying to be kind.

Elias could feel his nerves exploding like fireworks and tried to turn this nightmare around by choosing his words carefully and answering as honestly as he could, “You are not wrong, Mrs Way,” Elias understood why she was worried but also she did not know about the cruelty and pretentiousness of his world and that’s why he was attracted to her, “…To be perfectly honest with you, I think it’s because she is simple, ordinary and true to herself that I am very attracted to her.”

“Are you admitting your world is savage?” Owen judged.

Elias nodded, “…You are correct, sir,” he didn’t even try to deny it, “Asana is a strong and smart woman and there are several things about her which I find her attractive. Her passion for animals and knowledge about them amazes me, her excitement for the little things like food or a friend’s company and her honesty, her warm gentleness and kind heart, it is all attractive to me. I even find her clumsiness adorable,” he smiled and laced his fingers through hers as he struggled to keep his nerves settled.

Asana squeezed his fingers in support and comfort. Feeling his nerves settle from her warm hands, he took in a deep breath and answered the remainder of Charlotte’s questions, “…I’m not going to lie that there are plenty of girls in my world who would love it if I gave my name to them, but each one of those wealthy daughters look at me with dollar signs on their eyeballs rather than seeing me as a person. Unfortunately, Mr Way is correct when he says the world I live in is full of pretend people trying to outshine each other with a better looking and richer partner, better parties and better homes, jobs and cars, but I don’t care for all that. Yes, I could be considered being fake when I perform just for the sake of my family’s reputation but Asana liberates me. I don’t have to pretend, I don’t need to put on my name. She sees beyond the wealth and fame of my family, she sees…me.”

His words were honest but Asana could see the flicker of loneliness he had when he told her about his childhood growing up. Often his father was too busy to make to important events and their relationship was quite strained because of it, with their relationship only beginning to get better, “Elias,” she worried he was feeling incredibly uncomfortable as he didn’t make eye contact and continued to eat his food.

Charlotte noticed how Asana looked at him painfully, “…I apologise if I have struck a nerve, Elias,” she didn’t mean to make him upset, “As her mother, I just want what is best for her.”

“I understand,” Elias nodded and smiled softly at her, “...Also, this is off topic, but the food is delicious. Thank you.”

Charlotte nodded, accepting his compliment, “There’s more if you would like seconds,” she invited him to help himself but felt guilty for making him uncomfortable, glancing across to Owen at the other end of the table.

Asana leaned in closer to Elias’ ear, “I’m sorry, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright,” he assured her and could see the tears in her eyes because she felt horrible for dragging him through this, “Don’t cry, please.”

“…This isn’t going well,” she felt anger welling inside of her, “I knew Dad and Grandad would be difficult but not Mom.”

Careful not to make sudden movements and feeling her grandfather and father’s tense glare on him, he wrapped an arm around her and discreetly kissed her cheek, “They love you and they only want you to be happy,” he understood why they were asking plenty of awkward questions about their relationship, “Like I promised you, I’m happy to do this and I’m learning more about you. They might change their opinions by the end of the week. So, don’t get upset yet.”

He used her own words on her and she felt herself calming down and peeled her face away from where she had it nuzzled into him to conceal her almost-tearful frustration, “It’s still not fair to you,” she wanted them to be kinder, “You’re a wonderful man and I hope they see you the way I do rather than your name.”

It made him happy to hear her vent when people immediately judged him because of his name but he didn’t wish for that anger to be turned onto her family. He couldn’t live with himself if his presence destroyed their close bonds, “It makes me happy to hear you say that but don’t be angry at your family. They love you, that’s why they are grilling me.”

He watched her lips curl into a smile, “I love you, remember that.”

“I love you too,” he whispered.

Tobias squeezed his voice in, “Asana, this is the family dinner table not your bedroom. Save sucking face for later,” he teased and noticed her eyes were trying to hold back her tears, “I can cover you if you want.”

She shook her head, “It’s okay. It’s been a long day,” her tone of voice thanked him but she pulled her head away from Elias to face her parents with a straight face again, but her expression couldn’t fool her parents. Charlotte didn’t want to upset Asana but she couldn’t watch her daughter end up nursing a broken heart again.

Owen was closer to Asana to study her face and then looked across to Elias, deciding he would watch him carefully during his stay but could easily say right now, he didn’t like him. “Elias, will you join us tomorrow for the Thanksgiving Party in town?”

Edith tried to lighten the tense mood by enthusing about the traditional party, “It’s not like the big parties in the city but I would like to think of it more as a festival than a party. During the day, there are rides and games, a demolition derby and bull ride and a garden and farm show to present the harvest,” her hazel eyes sparkled as she told Elias the events to take place, “There’s ice skating on the river. Oh, there’s so much to do. You’ll enjoy it.”

“Asana has been excited about the party all week,” Elias compared the sparkle in Edith’s eyes to that of Asana’s when she was telling him about her fondest memories of the festival, “I already promised her a dance during the feast,” this time he watched her cheeks turn a shade of pink with a gentle smile as he thought she couldn't be any more adorable.

Embarrassed, she concealed her own grin behind her wine glass and kept her head down as she cleaned off her plate of beef stew. Owen studied her expression and looked over to Elias where their gazes met but her father's still hadn't waivered in his dislike of Elias.

As dinner went to dessert, the awkwardness between Elias and Asana's parents and grandfather lingered. Slicing into her mother’s signature chocolate mousse cheesecake, she was beginning to tilt as she became drunk off her Uncle's wine. Everyone else was still holding their alcohol with Elias being careful not to drink too much. Lucas stole his bottle back from her with Edith chuckling at her, “Elias, does your family have any thanksgiving traditions?”

Traditions, he didn't think they had any except going to expensive parties and inviting extended family to join in their private dinner. He responded with uncertainty if it counted as a tradition, “I don't know if it is much of a tradition,” he began to answer, “My family would attend several parties and events. My mother and sister-in-law are quite the philanthropists and usually hold a fundraiser for various charity organisations or causes. We have a private dinner with members of our extended family. One thing we used to do when I was little was Mother would put down a white table cloth and we would write our names where we sat at the table and write what we were thankful this year.”

“That’s touching,” Edith positively responded, “We simply contribute something to the town’s feast in the grand hall. Charlotte makes gratitude rolls for the townspeople.”

“Never heard of a gratitude roll?” Elias was confused and cutely tilted his head.

Charlotte’s face lit up as she explained, “Gratitude rolls, they are rolls of soft bread dough and throughout the month of September, I have anyone who enters my café or bakery write down something they are thankful for. Then roll it inside of the dough. I make enough to cater the feast for everyone in town and when it comes time to break bread, there’s a piece of gratitude.”

“They’re quite famous,” Asana smiled at him with tipsy eyes, “I know what I’m thankful for this year.”

Tobias joked, “Your fiancée is still with you.”

“My brother, you are correct!” Asana announced cheerfully, “I am very thankful I have an amazing fiancée by my side and helps me keep focused on my studies too. I love you.”

“You’re drunk,” Elias laughed at her.

“I’m not drunk.”

“You have those tipsy eyes looking at me,” he teased and kissed the top of her nose, “Drunk or sober, I love you too,” he whispered discreetly.

“Yay!” hearing him say those words, she cheered and threw her arms around him to hug him, “But, I am not drunk,” she argued, nuzzling her head on his shoulder like she was a house cat rubbing against the corner of a table.

He let her rest there but Lucas started cracking up and Fred joined him. Charlotte shook her head, “Oh dear,” and Owen and Tobias finally caught onto whatever it was that made them laugh. Edith urged Tobias to take a photo. Their eyes were focused on Asana and Elias looked down at her sleeping face on his shoulder. “She hasn’t changed,” Lucas laughed, tears coming out of his eyes.

“Asana?” Elias tried to wake her up but it was no use. Even sober, she was a difficult person to awaken from her slumber but was worse when drunk. Once she was asleep, she would sleep until the morning, and with their tiring day of traveling she could no longer fight her exhaustion, “…This is a very inappropriate question, but where is her bedroom?”

Carefully, he picked her up like a Princess with her arm reaching around to cling to his neck. Charlotte apologised as the time was well past ten, “I can’t imagine how tired the both of you must be from travelling, I apologise I didn’t realise sooner,” the time managed to get away as they sat around talking for the most part, “Tobias, would you show Elias the way.”

“Sure,” Tobias prompted Elias to follow him as he carried Asana in his arms, “She’s a handful when she was little too. A lot of people will say she’s just grown taller but inside she’s still the same little Asana.”

“You mean her childish side?” Elias followed Tobias up the stairs across from the front door where they had entered the home and found her cat coiled on the rug near the fire of the living room.

Tobias chuckled, “Yeah.”

“I love that about her,” Elias admitted shyly to Tobias’ back, “There’s not anything about her I couldn’t like.”

“That’s what makes her special,” Tobias agreed, “Do you know what happened between her and Joel?”

Elias nodded, “I do. They were best friends since childhood, dated throughout high school and she gave herself to him only to discover he had cheated on her several times with other girls. She told me she was humiliated and completely devastated more so that someone she trusted would have betrayed her trust so cruelly.”

Tobias nodded, “Yeah, she was a mess after it,” he told him, “She wouldn’t leave the house or her room, ate nothing but ice-cream and chocolate and once she gathered enough courage to go back to school she was judged by the others, not maliciously but they sympathised with her but she hated it because it made her feel like a fool. So, Mom and Dad and everyone are quite protective of her because she’s never been an unhappy person but that was the unhappiest we had ever seen her.”

“I would never hurt her unintentionally,” Elias declared as Tobias opened the door to her bedroom and turned to see Elias staring directly at him, “I love your sister very much and only want to make her happy the same way she makes me happy. I will protect her and keep her smile safe. I promise.”

“I believe you,” Tobias accepted his declaration, “I know they don’t think this will work but I’m sure you both know what you are doing and will compromise to make it work. I can see she loves you and I can see you love her. Anyway, this is her room and through that door over there, she has her own bathroom,” he left them alone, “Feel free to make yourself at home while you’re here.”

Her bedroom had a rustic feminine aesthetic to it and her bed was quite low and in line with the large window giving a spectacular view of the farm and the woods in the distance, stretching as far back as the mountains. As he entered her room, her bookshelves leading up to her bathroom door were decorated with novel titles to thick encyclopedias on animals, biology and veterinary medicine along with commemorative photographs of her life growing up in the countryside.

“Thank you,” Elias entered her room and first set her gently down on her bed, newly made with clean white sheets and covered with a triple layer of warm blankets top with a duvet printed to mirror the fur of snow leopards. He searched around her room and found their luggage just inside the door where Tobias left it.

Rummaging through the bags, he found a set of her pyjamas and changed her into the warm clothes as he couldn’t let her sleep in her sweater and jeans. After he had changed her into those warm clothes, he tucked the blankets over her and let her sleep while he used her shower, ready to put this night behind him and be ready for another day tomorrow. Coming out of the shower, he slipped into her double bed and cuddled her from behind.

“Good night,” he kissed her cheek, “I love you,” she gently snored next to him as Elias snuggled in right behind her to keep her body warm from the cold as it crept along the window. Despite the awkward tension over dinner, he liked her family and could only hope they gave him a chance too.

To be continued...

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Thanksgiving in the Country: Part 2. Farm Hands.

Elias/Asana

This continues from the last post. 

Warning: There’s a slight make out scene it’s not to NSFW but putting it there just in case.

Morning, and a soft sunlight filled her bedroom.

Slowly awakening, she didn't remember how she managed to get to bed or when she changed but at least she only suffered some memory loss as her head wasn't throbbing. She wondered if the expensive and higher content of alcohol she usually drank with Elias and his family strengthened her tolerance. It didn't matter though since she enjoyed mornings like this.

Her large window gave her a view of the grey blanketed sky above and the fresh snow which fell across the vacant fields. Even though she was back in her childhood bed, she wasn't alone for the cold air to strike her body. With the comfort of the blankets around her, she found Elias' strong arms cuddling her and felt his warm breath on her back as he tucked his body close to hers as he slept. To her, this was not only the warmest and happiest place but also the safest.

She had several places she wanted to show him and share her stories but last night's events eventually began crawling back to her. A part of her was still upset that her parents couldn't bring themselves to see how their relationship would work because of how different their lives were. They saw his name and not the kind person he was. Tracing her fingers up and down his arm, she wanted to see his face and gently tossed onto her other side.

Feeling her move, Elias' arms accommodated her like it was some instinct to do so and then they embraced her body as warm and secure as their last position. She smiled and studied his handsome god-like features as the soft sunlight kissed his velvety smooth skin, shimmered through his golden blonde hair and highlighted the length of his golden eyelashes. His expression was gentle and warm but seeing him sleep was a rarity for her since he was usually up before her.

“Thank you for last night,” she whispered, leaving a light kiss on his cheek, “I'm sorry they were being rude,” she said it quietly so not to disturb him and then, resting her hands on his chest, nuzzled her face into the fabric of his shirt and allowing herself to relax again.

She could hear his healthy heartbeat and could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His scent of cinnamon and melted chocolate wrapped in the warmth of his body that she inhaled deeply, captivated Despite the stress of introducing him to the family and the challenge to convince them to accept him, she felt soothed in this moment. Smiling in his embrace, she remembered something her grandmother once told her when she was little.

Most of the townspeople turned out to a celebration honouring her grandparents’ long marriage. Held on her Uncle’s vineyard, Asana was only fourteen when they celebrated her grandparents’ fifty years of marriage and wanted to know the secret since Joel’s parents were going through a divorce. “What’s your secret, Nan?” she approached her grandmother nibbling at cheese and crackers on the food table.

“My secret to what, darling?” Edith always spoke to her grandchildren with gentleness that they tended to approach her to talk openly about any topic whereas her grandfather was a little rough around the edges as a result of the war.

“Your marriage to Grandad,” she asked happily, “You still love him even after fifty years of marriage, there has to be some secret.”

Edith laughed with amusement at her serious question, “There’s no big secret sweetie,” she pinched a piece of cheddar cheese from the wooden platter on the table, “I still love him as I did fifty years ago, if not more.”

“Is that all it is?” Asana was confused, “You just love him. There has to be a reason.”

“Oh, there are several reasons,” she counted count just one and thought carefully on how to word her response to her young and curious granddaughter, “Your grandfather can come across as a strict and complicated man but he is very kind and would do absolutely anything for his family, but it’s because he wants to be so strong and never wants his family to see his weaknesses that he comes across as strict and harsh. So, there are several sides I know of him that not many other people do, and a person only shows you their weaknesses when they trust and love you.”

“I see,” she tried to understand but her head was tilted with confusion.

“Your father and Uncle and our precious grandchildren are the most important people in your grandfather’s eyes,” Edith continued, “Our family we built together makes us love each other even more because our children and grandchildren are our legacy.”

“I still don’t get it.”

Edith chuckled at her again, “You are a beautiful and wonderful girl and someday when you meet someone you will understand what it means to love somebody more than yourself,” she promised.

“How would I know?” Asana wasn’t sure she would, “Is it how you know you love Grandad?”

Edith didn’t agree, “Not always. Think of a relationship like a fingerprint,” she began to explain it in a way that was easier to understand, “Marriage is, on the surface, the same concept but the markings of each relationship are different because the people in those relationships are different. In my own experience and opinion, I could not imagine my life without your grandfather and I love everything about him from his strengths to his greatest flaws. More importantly, I enjoy his company and I still miss him when he’s out for hours on the farm. He relaxes me, makes me feel safe and loved and always helped out with the kids too.”

“…What you’re saying is,” she tried to make sense of her words, “Grandad is the one person you can’t see yourself without?”

“That’s one way to look at it,” Edith agreed, “What I can tell you is a marriage works when the love is alive and communication is still open and natural. When I sleep next to him, he still holds me the same way he used to when we were younger. When I feel his breath and heartbeat, I still feel how much I do love him. That’s my own experience though, you will have yours too.”

She was about to walk away and then turned around to her granddaughter, “Love is an energy, Asana, and it has to be felt all through your body and with the entirety of your heart and soul. If you can’t, then the love has died. As our own life is ours to decide, not even we are in control in how long it lasts. Love is similar to that because love is life, your Grandfather and I have our children and if your parents didn’t love each other they wouldn’t have you and your brother. You won’t understand now, but you will when you find that one person you can make a life with.”

Looking at Elias, she finally understood what her grandmother was trying to tell her fourteen-year-old self. The sound of his heartbeat, the gentle rise and fall of his breath, the feel of his warming in embrace and skin and his welcoming scent, soothed her heart and stirred her deep feelings of love for him, “I get it now,” she murmured and smiled, moving her face to take in more of his profile.

He looked somewhere between cute and handsome while he slept through the morning. Peering over his shoulder, she tried to read the time on her alarm clock, her mother had it set her room in order in lieu of her arrival. It was only quarter to nine but she was in no hurry to wake up, “…Good morning,” Elias’ morning voice had a sexy deepness to it that made her heart leap. As she looked over his shoulder to the clock on the bedside table, she looked down into his violet eyes as he greeted her.

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” she relaxed in his arms again.

Elias pulled her closer to him, “I did, you sure did too.”

“…Ah,” she blushed, “I drank a little too much last night, didn’t I?”

He smiled at her gently, “Well, if I wasn’t already well aware how much your parents didn’t like me, asking them where your room is because you passed out on my shoulder topped off the most awkward dinner I have ever been a part of,” his arms circled around her body warmly since it still felt too cold to leave the bed.

“I’m sorry,” she desperately apologized turning onto her back, “…God, I feel so selfish,” she hid her face behind her hands with her cheeks bathed in red embarrassment, “Here you are being amazing and I ended up getting passed out drunk on you because of how horribly they spoke to you. Mom even called our relationship a mistake,” she felt angry.

Raising his body up and covering half of hers, he peeled her hands away from her face, “Hey, don’t be that way,” he kissed the back of her hands, “I understand why they were being protective of you. You are very loved by your family for your smile and cheerful personality and they just don’t want to see you sad.”

“But, I’m not sad,” she argued, “I’m incredibly happy with you, Elias.”

“I could tell but how you were watching me sleep,” he teased and dipping his hands under the mattress to press her boy against his, “I’m happy with you too and sometimes actions speak louder than words,” his face came closer and he felt her arms wrap around his neck to accept his morning kiss.

“Were…,” they kissed while they spoke, “…Were you awake?”

“I woke up when I felt you toss over,” he admitted and smiled as they kissed.

“Sorry,” she whispered her apology, “I was trying to be quiet.”

“It’s fine,” he kissed her again, “These k-kisses are making up for it. But, I’m curious.”

Their kisses were light and gentle but she could feel her body igniting, “About?” her fingers combed through the small hairs on his neck as she smiled at him.

“You said you ‘get it’, what did you get?” he searched her dreamy pink eyes only to see the desire he had stirred up with his kisses on her lips.

She felt her cheeks turn red as he became surprised to see her dreamy eyes looking up at him. It felt silly to become this work up over his kisses but it was the feelings of love which had bubbled earlier that really sparked her mood, “…Ju-Just remembering something my grandmother told me once.”

“Tell me,” he prompted her with his lips travelling from her lips to her jaw and teasing her neck. He could hear her breathing hitch as his lips applied light kisses across her face and his hand gripped at her thigh to bring her right leg around his as he positioned himself right over the top of her as he felt his desire for her climb.

Cuddled into her soft and warm skin as she was pinned underneath him and seeing her eyes wet with desire for him had awakened his own feelings of love. Her hair smelt like fresh air and her body had an alluring fragrance of rose, strawberry and coconut that attracted him to her femininity. Her angelic voice and pink smile also captivated his attention and his heartbeat began to race slightly.

“Well,” she decided to tell him because she never wanted to keep things a secret, “When I was fourteen we celebrated my grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary and at the time, when Joel and I were still best friends, his parents were going through a divorce. So, I asked her how it had survived so long, what was the secret,” Elias’ lips travelled across to her ear where he applied light kisses underneath it where her skin curved to connect her face and neck.

“What did she say?” Elias whispered in her ear.

As Elias kissed her, she found it increasingly hard to concentrate on anything other than him, “…She…she said there was no big secret other than feeling that love is alive and communication is open. Where a person can relax and be themselves with no hesitation around each other, showing their weaknesses and strengths. Loving the pieces that make up a person’s personality, even their flaws. At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant but…now…now I do.”

“…!” Elias’ lips stopped kissing her and he pulled his face away so he could look at her, “…You mean because…of me?” he turned a shade of pink.

She nodded and felt embarrassed too, “…When you cuddle me while we sleep, it makes me feel safe, warm and happy, but when I feel your heartbeat, feel you breathing, smell your scent, and kiss you…I can’t describe in words how much I love you but I feel it through every inch of me. I could say how much I love and I can show you but I always feel like it’s not enough.”

“…You…are making it very hard for me to be a gentleman to you right now.”

She didn’t mean to stir him but she wanted to be honest, “Sorry,” she apologized and brought her lips to his, “…I just wanted to be honest with you.”

“Ah,” he struggled to control himself, “…Thank you, I love you too,” he was glad she said it because he felt the same way, “…To be honest, I feel the same way when I watch you sleep too.”

“…When do you watch me sleep?”

“Well,” he felt shy to admit it but since she was honest with him, he wanted to be honest with him, “…I’m usually up before you and you have kind of moved into my apartment but I never have it in my heart to wake you up and let you sleep longer. Sometimes, I just…get captivated by your beauty…and, yeah…” he trailed off shyly, “…I think about how deep I am with you and often think about our future together. I never felt this way before, not even with my ex. You…you’re special to me.”

He wanted to look away but Asana gently turned his face so he would look at her, wondering if the reason why it was so easy to pretend to be engaged was because that’s what they really wanted, “…You’re special to me too,” she raised her head to meet his lips, “…I really don’t want you to be a gentleman right now,” she pulled him closer to her and was ready to make love to him that morning.

“…I want to,” his head rested on her chest, fighting the temptation to touch her, “…However, I feel I would be disrespecting your family by making love to you in your childhood home and bed. Not that I don’t want to, I just don’t want to ruin any chances of earning their acceptance.”

She understood but she needed to do something about her urges, “I understand,” she said and accidentally nudged her nose against his as she sought a kiss from his lips, “I want to kiss you though,” she cutely brushed her lips against his.

They smiled and Elias could comply with her request, “I can do that,” Elias pressed his lips against hers passionately and hungrily, following her lips as her head gently fell against the pillows beneath her head.

For several minutes, their bodies moved together as they touched each other’s skin and their lips hungrily sought out each other’s taste. Positioned between her legs, his clothed body pressed against hers and felt her gentle hands feel the muscles in his body moved with him. Likewise, she felt Elias’ large hands disappear up her top to her breasts. “Ah!” she moaned and tried to arch her back in reply to his touch in her sensitive area and his lips descended her neck. He didn’t want to stop but after several minutes of passionately kissing and touching each other’s bodies, he finally pulled away leaving her partially satisfied.

Panting breaths filled the quiet room as Elias laced his fingers through hers and he came to rest his forehead on hers, “That will have to do you for now,” he breathed but his words betrayed his desire, he wanted more of her but couldn’t bring himself to have sex with her in her family home. He closed his eyes to regather whatever control he could and she studied his expression with a smile.

“…Are you okay?” she asked, stroking her fingers up and down the small of his back where she had raised his shirt above his waist.

He nodded, “…Yeah.” Rolling off her body, he rubbed his hands down his face and inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm his racing heart, “…I just find it difficult to control myself when it comes to you.”

“Likewise,” Asana agreed but didn’t press him into anything he was uncomfortable doing, “…I didn’t want you to stop either,” she admitted and reached out to hold his hand, “But, I understand why you don’t want to you and I’m not going to pressure you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

He squeezed her hand, “Thanks,” he leaned over a gave her a gentle kiss, “It’s past nine, should we make an appearance for breakfast?” Elias questioned since he didn’t hear much movement beyond her bedroom.

“Dad and Grandad are probably out on the field and Mom has probably gone into town to help with the festival preparations,” Asana thought out loud, “Though, I’m going to have a shower first but feel free to head down if you want. My brother should still be hanging around if he’s not out on the field too.”

After speaking with her brother for a few moments last night while carrying Asana to bed in his arms, he felt at ease talking to Tobias, Edith and Lucas than he did the rest of her family. Her mother was sweet and kind like Asana but she made it very clear last night that she didn’t like the idea of him being involved with her daughter while her father and grandfather were two men he didn’t want to be alone out of fear of what they could say.

“Okay,” Elias liked her plan and simply put on a change of fresh clothes for the day.

Finding a long sleeved grey cotton shirt and a pair of warm jeans, he quickly changed while Asana showered. His eyeline attracted to the row of photos lined across her bookshelf that he had noticed last night. There were several school photographs and commemorative photos of her champion strength in gymnastics. Next to her holding her high school graduation certificate, he found her dressed beautifully in her prom dress standing next to a black-haired boy, he assumed was Joel. Nothing had really changed about her appearance only that she had matured into her beauty.

Setting the photographs gently where they stood, he smiled towards the bathroom and heard the running water splash onto the floor and travel through the drains. He left her room and shyly and slowly padded his way across the hall taking in the framed photographic art along the way, most of it he assumed was Tobias’ handiwork from all his adventures. However, one image caught his eye and that was a little girl about ten years old, smiling and bonding with a tiger cub and kissing the tip of its pink leather nose. Remastered in black and white, the portrait had a powerful image but he didn’t need to read the art’s title to know the little girl in the image was Asana.

Her smile, he recognized it immediately.

“Like it?” suddenly, he heard a voice from beside him and saw Tobias stretching his limbs into the air as he exited his bedroom to begin the day only to see Elias gazing warmly at the portrait.

“…It’s a powerful image,” he could see the meaning behind the image, “A little girl bonding with a different creature happily, and even after all these years she still has the same love and passion for animals as she does here.”

Tobias couldn’t argue with those words, “…You’re right. Asana told you what I do for a living, didn’t she?”

“You are a wildlife and natural landscape photographer, right?” Elias had seen several of his publications because Asana has a large folder in her apartment and is an avid subscriber to the many magazines he has been published in, “Asana collects all your photos when they are published in magazines, even subscribes to the magazines you are prominently published in. She’s very proud of your work.”

“I didn’t know she did that,” Tobias cocked up an eyebrow at his comment, “That’s a small part of my job though. I am a photographer as well as a cinematographer too but I am also an ecologist and biologist. My job is to study and assess different habitats, record population numbers and research the behaviours and characters of different animals. I’m a firm believer in my photographs doing the talking rather than writing three-thousand-word research papers.”

“A picture can paint a thousand words,” Elias could see what he meant just by looking at the black and white portrait of Asana with the tiger cub, “Where was this taken?” he pointed to the portrait.

“Our cabin in the research facility of the Sikhote Alin mountain ranges on the reserves for Siberian or Amur Tigers,” he answered, “Asana went with Dad out on the track with one of the other research members and along the way they found a dead tiger with two of her cubs hiding behind some dense shrubs. Unfortunately, the mother’s death was poachers who had shot her but one tiger cub, I think, adopted Asana as its surrogate. She held it as they took the two orphans back to the hospital but when she left it just cried for her.”

Elias smiled, “Animals just follow her, don’t they?”

“Animals have always loved her, more than Dad and he’s a vet too,” Tobias chuckled but returned to the story he was sharing, “Asana and the cub had an instant bond and the doctors tending to the cub coped with the cub’s anxiety by letting it come back to our cabin. They trusted Asana because of how gentle she was with it and because Dad would be with her. I think, in hindsight, it was this experience and bond that ignited her passion for animals. Sure, Dad and I might have had something to do with it, but I think the trigger was this cub. I was only experimenting with taking photographs at the time but when I rediscovered this I couldn’t keep it part of our private collection. It carried a strong and emotional message about interactions between humans and animals, especially now when this breed of tiger is in danger of extinction.”

“You do exhibits too?” Elias remembered Asana mentioning it once.

Tobias nodded and began to walk down the stairs, “You drink coffee?” he asked.

“I do,” Elias followed him comfortably to the kitchen.

“Great, come down and have a cup with me,” he invited, taking a likeness to his little sister’s fiancée, “Is Asana awake?”

“She’s showering,” Elias answered him.

At the bottom of the stairs, the ash white and grey fur of Asana’s cat met the two men and began meowing and rubbing up against Tobias’ legs. “Are you hungry Casper?” he picked up the large feline and rubbed his hand against the fluffy fur, “Come on then.”

Disappearing into an adjacent room next to the kitchen, Elias could hear the rattle of cat nuts and Casper’s happy meow as he dived his head into the bowl to soothe his hunger. Not sure if he was invited to help himself to a coffee, Elias waited for Tobias to reappear before turning on the kettle already full of water and slightly warm with two dirty mugs sitting in the silver sink.

“Feel free to help yourself,” Tobias called from the room where Casper’s food bowls were, “Just going to quickly feed the dogs. We have two German shepherds and a border collie who help us tend to the livestock, won’t be a moment.”

He flicked the switch to the kettle and heard a loud rumble as it began to boil the water inside. He wasn’t sure where they kept their mugs but opened several cabinets overhead and under the benches. He heard footsteps behind him and a cheerful voice which belonged to her mother.

“Oh, are you looking for a mug?” she asked.

Quickly, he closed the cupboard like he had crossed a line since her parents made it very clear last night they didn’t not approve of his relationship with Asana and he was sure her father didn’t like him as a person. Elias spun around and blushed with embarrassment, “Oh, yes,” he was surprised to see Charlotte since Asana was certain she had gone to town to prepare for the festival, “Asana’s in the shower and Tobias just went to feed the animals. They said I could help myself but they did not tell me where the cups were,” he desperately explained himself.

Charlotte giggled at him, “Relax, Elias,” she walked over to an overhead brown timber cupboard in between the pantry and stove but above the bench where the kettle was rumbling, “Here you go,” she dragged four cups out of the cabinet including a cup that had the design of a cat. The handle curled like a cat’s tail and the print on the side of the cup was a black and white image of a panther.

Elias heard a door close somewhere in the distance and heard another one shut nearby. Snow was dragged through the kitchen as Tobias completed his chore of feeding the dogs while upstairs he could hear footsteps creaking along floorboards.

“Oh Mom,” Tobias expressed his surprise seeing his mother was still at home, “I didn’t know you were still home,” he put away the dog food and went to the fridge to pull out the milk for their coffees.

“I can make you coffee if you would like, Mrs Way?” Elias offered as he watched her spoon sugar and coffee into each cup.

Kindly, she shook her head, “Oh, I can’t ask you to do that Elias,” she smiled, “You are our guest. How many sugars do you take?”

“Three please.”

“Three?!” Charlotte had to double check that is what he said.

Elias shyly replied, “…Sorry, I have a slight sweet tooth.”

“No, no, don’t apologize,” she wasn’t judging him but his answer surprised her, “I have a regular customer in my café who orders a cappuccino with a vanilla shot and three sugars. I was just surprised because you look like the kind of person who likes bitter and sour foods, I didn’t take you for a sweet tooth.”

It didn’t surprise him since many people thought that of him, even Asana when she discovered his sweet tooth was surprised and now found his sweet tooth adorable, “I get that reaction quite a lot actually, even Asana was surprised when she discovered that side of me.”

“She can’t talk,” Tobias laughed.

With a click, the kettle turned off and Charlotte poured hot water into each cup and stirred with expert skill. She handed Elias his and Tobias grabbed his for himself, “Elias, I want to apologise for last night,” Charlotte sincerely apologized as they hung around the kitchen, “I know I upset Asana but if I touched on a sensitive issue, I would like to apologise. I can see how special you are to Asana.”

“It’s alright,” Elias didn’t mind, “If I am going to be a part of Asana’s life I want those important to her to know me to.”

“So, you there is a sensitive issue present when it comes to you and your family?” Tobias asked.

Elias sipped from his coffee and then quietly answered him, “…My father and I have never exactly seen eye-to-eye but we are starting to rebuild our relationship. My brothers and I figured out when we were children that money is a good thing to have to make life comfortable but it is not the most important thing about life.”

“That’s very true,” Charlotte agreed, “Has Asana met your family?”

“She has, yes,” Elias nodded, “My family are very fond of her. They look forward to seeing more of her in the future.”

“Are you the youngest of your siblings?” Tobias asked.

“I am,” Elias answered honestly and comfortably as he felt relaxed now the tension from last night had disappeared, “My eldest brother Julius, he’s a lawyer too, is seven years older than me and he’s married to my sister-in-law, Elaine. My second brother Klaus is five years older than me but he’s a junior lecturer now but he’s studying to become a professor teaching politics, business and law at the same university Asana and I attend.”

“I see,” Charlotte sipped from her coffee cup but still her mind was full of doubts, “I remember a few years ago reading about a story in the newspaper regarding you and an ex-girlfriend going through quite an ugly break-up. I would hate to see the same thing happen to my daughter, that’s why I worry if she marries you and you divorce what she would lose?”

Elias didn’t expect her to bring up the ugliness of his last relationship. Emotionally, it prevented him from opening his heart up for a long time and would usually hide from dancing with other girls at events. “She…was a mistake,” Elias stared into the brown warm liquid of his mug, “…A very big mistake.”

“Is she what you meant when you said girls born into wealth are after nothing but money?” Tobias wondered.

“…I loved her, always had a crush on her,” Elias began, “She blinded me with her kindness when she was a manipulative and deceiving person. Similar to Asana and Joel, we were lovers in high school. After about a year and a half together she started sleeping with the star of the football team behind my back and had filmed and photographed us together in bed. She posted photos of us around school and used the footage to extort me for my family’s money. I said no, so she played the footage during a fundraiser my mother and sister-in-law organized to assist victims of sexual assault and abuse. As a result, my mother and sister-in-law both suffered money loss and support for their causes and I was hounded by the media. My father’s career suffered too from the humiliation. Of course, she took advantage of the attention, gaining some fame, and making money from it. Eventually, my father stepped in a sued for defamation seeking damages. I found it hard to trust again.”

“How horrible to treat someone like that,” Charlotte disapproved of his ex-girlfriend now that she knew the whole story, “Is Asana your first relationship since your ex?”

Elias nodded but his past relationship with his ex-girlfriend no longer played on his mind now that he found Asana, although he had his reservations when they started to know each other, “She is,” he sipped from his coffee, “My relationship with my ex-girlfriend ended in high school but it did prevent me from getting close to her when I first met her. We didn’t get along straight away because I think we were both overcoming the pain our ex-partners caused us but after getting to know each other I think we gradually opened up to each other and fell in love with each other.”

He didn’t know it but Asana lingered in the hallway listening to him opening up to her mother and brother. Elias continued to speak while sipping at his warm coffee, “I understand why you are worried about Asana becoming involved with me, but even if this didn’t work out it wouldn’t be because of something as cruel as being cheated on or exploited for money or fame. Asana’s not the kind of girl and I’m not that kind of guy. Honestly, I despise my world much more than anyone else here but I can’t help being born into that world so I try to live my life the way I want to and so long as Asana stays with me, I will protect her.”

Pressing her hand over her heart, Asana tried to calm it as it beat hard from the happiness she felt hearing his words. Charlotte happily replied, somewhat relieved of her worries as he was honest with his words, “…In that case, how can I argue?” she rhetorically questioned, “Every time I have spoken to Asana over the phone, she always speaks very highly of you and I can see you are a nice man. Even if we end up talking about something else, it’s as though she spends every minute of her day with you. She loves you, so I guess I’m just going have to trust you to make her happy and trust her decision. My husband and his father might need quite a bit of convincing.”

Asana tried to hide her wide smile as her mother finally accepted Elias but she had to enter as casually as possible because she didn’t want them to know she was eavesdropping as they spoke. She then heard Tobias, “I have an exhibit coming up next year in the city and I will be auctioning off my images. Usually, I do it so I can raise money to fund my travels but this time I will be raising money to build a nature reserve for lions and leopards as well as other animals too. Feel free to come by and check it out, Mom and Dad will be coming so it might be a good opportunity for both parents to meet?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Charlotte agreed, “Though, your father might be apprehensive about meeting with Elias’ father after all these years. He still hasn’t forgotten the last time they had met.”

Elias had no response since he knew how complicated his father could be. He would most likely has forgotten all about representing the agricultural college during his younger days as a lawyer but he could surprise Elias with his extraordinary memory. Silence briefly fell between them until Tobias looked to his mother, “Did Uncle Lucas go home last night?”

“He left early this morning,” Charlotte narrowed her eyes, “That Bradley Aston came by the winery again to inspect his winery. Walking around the place like he already owned the place.”

“Lucas isn’t selling,” Tobias chuckled, “He’s determined to get him to sell.”

“I know,” Charlotte agreed with Tobias, “He called your father to vent about him. Apparently, the man threatened him to sell and promised he would receive proper payment for making his wine an international best-seller among the high class. Lucas told him where he could go but the guy still hung around inspecting the place.”

Asana used the opportunity to enter the room, walking up to Elias, “Your coffee’s probably cold by now,” he said, “Do you want me to make you a new one?”

“It’s okay,” she declined, “I really want to show you the farm before we head to town. I just heard you say something about the guy trying to force Uncle Lucas to sell his winery, Mom.”

“Persistent is what I would call him but if he’s not careful, Lucas and your grandfather will lose their tempers at him,” she could guarantee Fred would pull out his shotgun to scare the pants off the city man, “That’s all this family needs, a lawsuit because your grandfather pulled out his shotgun on him.”

“It’s more than what he deserves,” Tobias sided with his grandfather but understood they couldn’t afford to be sued by some pretentious rich man from the city, “But, if Grandad pulled out his shotgun, even fire a warning shot, he’d get done for it. He’d lie and make up some reason to sue him and take this land from out underneath him.”

“Why is he so persistent to acquire the farm and winery?” Asana curiously asked.

“It’s worth money,” Tobias shrugged, “Lucas’ grapes are rich and ripe and the soil here is full of nutrients. Dad said this Aston guy wants Grandad and Lucas to sign ownership of the properties to him, they would retain the right to live on the land and make money from the harvests but they can be forced from the property any time and this Aston fellow can sell to foreign buyers for investment.”

“In other words, he wants to evict your family from their land,” Elias summarized, “Can’t say I have ever heard of this Bradley Aston guy, does he have a company name he works for? If he’s trying to bully and intimidate your Uncle and Grandfather into signing, it’s an illegal contract.”

“I think he said he’s the CEO of AgIndustries International,” Charlotte answered, “He’s also hanging around for the festival but the mayor has already told him it’s for community people only. That’s how much the farmers around here despise him.”

“So, he’s not just after our property?” Asana asked.

Tobias thought carefully, “Dad said Bill and Judith have been approached by him but they have no intentions of selling up either.”

“Why would he be interested in those farms?” Asana didn’t get it, “They only focus on growing one thing. Judith grows olives and Bill is experimenting with aquaponics to enter the vegetable market but he’s a cattle farmer.”

“Judith makes sense since she manufactures her own olive oil but Bill has no international market for his cattle,” Charlotte could see the potential in their farms, “Neither want to sell up either since Judith’s son is going to take over the family business and Bill’s grandson and his wife are thinking over taking over for him.”

It was a hot topic of conversation around town as it seems but Asana couldn’t help but express her worry that this man’s threats and harassment of her family was stressing her grandfather out and it made her mad, “This property has been in our family for generations, does he not care that he’s trying to steal a war veteran’s farm?”

“War veteran?” Elias tilted his head, “…Is that where he sustained those burn marks on his hands?”

Asana nodded, “Yeah, Grandad handled explosives in the mortar platoon against the Japanese. He doesn’t talk about the war often and doesn’t like it when people stare at them or mention it, but he’s not afraid to pull a gun out on someone to scare the hell out of them,” she explained and felt sympathy for her beloved grandfather, “I know he’s a harsh and strict man, but he’s kind and I hate that someone is trying to exploit him like this. It’s not fair!”

Seeing the anger flicker in her eyes, Elias reached for his cell phone and sent a text to his brother asking for him to look into this Aston and his company as a favour to Asana and her family but he would keep an eye out for this guy and if he caused any more trouble for her family could help to protect them.

However, he didn’t want her to stress either and looked out to the snow-covered fields. He could see her grandmother’s figure going between a shed and the barn and her father tending to a horse, “We can deal with that guy when he gets here,” Tobias followed Elias gaze out the window with Charlotte noticing the determined flicker in his eye, “Go give him a tour of the place, if he’s interested.”

Already dressed for the outside, Asana wore a pleated white long-sleeved sweater with a black puffer jacket and grey scarf, “Would you like to come out to see the farm?” she asked and then turned to Charlotte, “But, aren’t you going into town soon to help with the ball preparations. I can help you?”

Charlotte shook her head, “No, no, you go on ahead,” she swallowed the last of her coffee, “However, if you don’t mind Elias, could you move your car? You parked behind me.”

“Oh, of course,” he would have to grab his keys from Asana’s room and smiled over to her, “If you don’t mind, I would love to see the farm. I want to know what those white shed things are.”

She laughed, “Have you never seen greenhouses before?”

“Those are greenhouses?” he felt silly in not realizing sooner.

“Grandad invested in them to shield his crops from the snow,” she reached for a thermos cup and reheated her coffee in the microwave, “After you move your car, I’ll show you. Bring a jacket and a good pair of boots,” she warned.

“Tobias, you can help us prep the town for the ball,” Charlotte volunteered him despite his protest expressed through his facial expression, “Come on, and Asana bring him into town for the festival.”

“Okay, Mom.”

Elias ran up to her room and grabbed his keys, tucking them into the pockets of his jeans. Around his neck, he wrapped a woolen grey knit-scarf around his neck and covered his body with a black cotton trench coat. His grey scarf filled the open collar but he tied the circular buttons to hug the coat to his body. He cut a clean and city-like look as the fabric accentuated his straight and fit posture. After moving his car, Asana waited for him outside, excited to finally show him her family’s farm and he found that he was rather excited too. He had never seen a proper farm before and it was a new side to Asana he would see.  

“Have you ever been on a quad bike?” she asked, “Grandad is probably down in the greenhouse right now, so he could tell you more about the plants than I could,” she pulled a set of keys from her pocket and guided him to the a two-person quad with two seats, a roof and a back tray that made it look more like a golf caddy than a farmer’s quad bike.

“Can this thing even go through the snow?” he asked.

“Yep,” Asana nodded, “Grandad and Dad usually forge a track with the tractor to make it easier to get down to the greenhouses and the cows up the back.”

Turning on the ignition, she put the quad in gear and gently drove away from the house. Smoothly, the engine purred meaning the vehicle was kept in running order. Strolling past the barn, Asana stopped to greet her grandmother a good morning and made eye contact with her father tending to her horse.

“Morning Nan,” she greeted her with a smile, “What’s going on with Estelle?”

“I’m not too sure but your grandfather woke your father up early to take a look at her,” she replied and looked to Elias, “Good morning Elias, hope you slept well?”

“Slept very peacefully,” he said happily, despite hearing Asana’s light snoring next to him. Of course, she wasn’t loud enough for her snores to rumble through her room, but he was cuddled close to her to hear her breath wheezing through her nostrils but rather than waking him up he settled into a slumber while hearing it. He decided not to mention it though, and instead compared the noisy city streets with the peacefulness of the country night, “I am used to hearing sirens or people through the city at night but out here it I find it very peaceful.”

“Since you’re here,” Edith wondered if he’d like a tour of the barn, “Come meet some of the animals in here,” she invited him and Asana turned off the ignition to the quad.

All his life he had pictured barns like they did in children’s books where they were bright red and dome shaped. It wasn’t close to the house but was still in eyesight of the colonial homestead but even closer to her grandparents’ little cottage but still at a distance where the stench wouldn’t disturb their living quarters. Made of smooth pine, the barn resembled an alpine cabin and close by were the compost bins, a winter chook pen and the horse stables and exercise ground they used when the fields returned to green and wildflowers.

Usually open to bring in fresh air for the animals, Edith had the doors closed and opened some large windows and turned on the circulation fan to keep up the supply of fresh oxygen while keeping the chickens warm from the icy cold. Holding hands with Asana, he analysed the design of large interior. Floors were wooden but dark steel frames scaled from floor to the high-scaled roof. Stretched across the left side of the barn was a fence wired with mesh to keep the chickens from escaping.

Covered in a warm layer of yellow-brown straw, he felt nervous entering the chook pen because of how sharp their beaks were, “I haven’t checked if they have laid eggs Asana, do you mind looking for me,” Edith asked, leaving her with Elias.

“Sure Nan,” Asana smiled, “Would you like to help?”

“…Sure,” he was nervous as their little heads bobbed back and forth as they walked around their feet, “…Um, they aren’t going to peck me, are they?”

She giggled as he nervously and carefully crept around the chickens of black, brown and white coloured feathers, “They might but it’s not intentional,” she assured him, “They tend to jump out of the way when you walk near them,” as she said, a brown feathered hen jumped out of her way as she held Elias’ hand leading him towards the back of the coop.

A cube of hand-made shelves covered the back wall. Separated into nine separate laying beds, shredded hay and paper made a comfortable bed for laying hens with a small ladder helping the chickens up to the higher beds. Four hens were resting in different beds and he became scared they were going to leap at him if he disturbed them, “How do I check to see if there are eggs?” he asked and followed Asana as she crouched down to inspect the lowest laying beds, though he looked behind him in case a chicken decided to peck him.

“Relax,” she giggled and thought he was adorable the way he was being cautious and gentle around the hens, “We don’t disturb hens which are resting just in case they are in the process of laying. There are no roosters in here so we don’t have to be concerned if any of these eggs have young.”

“So, I just search the beds without chickens for eggs concealed in the straw?”

“Exactly,” she nodded and proceeded to rummage through the straw to find any eggs, “You have to really look because some of the chickens like to cover the eggs in straw or they accidentally kick straw over them. You try it,” she encouraged him.

He rummaged through the laying bed next to the one she was inspecting and felt a hard shell under his fingertips, “There’s some in here,” he excitedly announced and collected three eggs out of the one bed. Unlike the eggs in the supermarket, the shell felt incredibly smooth and the pigmentation varied between white, deep brown and golden brown and varied in size with the white eggs being smaller than the brown ones, “Where do I put them?”

Asana stretched out her shirt to create a sling basket, “In here, and check the rest.”

He became comfortable around the chickens as he helped find eggs through the laying beds. Studying his expression, she couldn’t help but smile at the adorable excitement expressed through his violet eyes and face. It reminded her of a child looking for chocolate Easter eggs during a treasure hunt but this was a brand-new experience for him and she was happy to see him helping. Unknown to them, but they were being watched by Edith and Owen.

“She’s very happy Owen,” Edith tapped his arm as he eyed Elias evilly.

“…I still don’t like him,” Owen huffed but could see how happy she was with Elias.

“He’s even willing to help us out,” Edith acknowledged he was trying and didn’t complain.

“Children can collect eggs,” Owen didn’t buy it and helped his mother prepare the feed for the horses.

“You shouldn’t judge him just because he’s born into a wealthy family and he grew up in the city, that’s not his fault,” she lectured her son to be more welcoming of Elias for Asana’s sake, “If she has fallen for him we must respect her decision. You can’t tell her who to marry just because you have a problem with people from wealthy backgrounds.”

Owen sighed and looked up to his mother, “…I know that.”

“Then give him a chance,” she argued with him and looked over to the chook pen as Asana held one of the chickens in her arms and encouraged Elias to pet it gently, “After all, he came all the way out here to meet us and has been honest with us the moment he got here. A man wouldn’t do that if he didn’t love her.”

“Until her heart gets broken,” Owen muttered.

“Owen,” Edith stared at him naggingly, “For your daughter’s sake, get to know the boy before you judge him. Your grandfather never approved of me marrying your father but after spending some time with him, liked him and gave us his blessing.”

“…I will be keeping an eye on him but I don’t see myself liking him anytime soon.”

Edith rolled her eyes at her stubborn son, a trait she was sure he had picked up from his father. Having said what she wanted to say to him, she carried a small bucket over to the entrance of the chook pen and watched as Asana placed the brown feathered chicken in Elias’ arms.

“How do I hold her?” Elias panicked because the hen was very light that he worried the tightest squeeze would break its fragile body, “Is it supposed to be this light?” he wondered as he felt the weight of a chicken for the first time.

“Just relax,” she giggled as she instructed him and shaped his arms accordingly, “Cup one arm under her belly and keep a light but secure hold on her leg otherwise she will scratch you. With your other hand, you can gently pet her or lightly hold her chest so that she can relax.”

Gently, Elias felt the chicken’s soft brown feathers underneath his fingertips while Asana watched his face light up with the new experience. She had deposited the eggs they had collected into a laying bed and had just over a dozen. She heard footsteps approaching and looked to the entrance where her grandmother handed her a bucket for the eggs. Followed by her father, who needed Asana’s help tending to the horses.

“How many eggs did you manage to collect?”

“I got fourteen but there are some hens still laying,” she said, hoping there were more later when they came to check, “Elias even helped me change the straw in the beds.”

“I take it this is your first time on a farm?” Owen asked quite harshly.

Elias gently set the chicken back down, “…Y-Yes, sir. Though, I’m enjoying this.”

He looked at him unkindly and immediately moved his attention from Elias to Asana, “Asana, could I borrow you to help with the horses,” he wasn’t asking and she gave Elias a small smile.

“I’ll talk to him,” she kissed his cheek, “Could you give Nan a hand to feed the chickens?”

He nodded and Asana raced after her father out to the stables. She raced after him as he slipped through an open side door to the barn and past the room where they kept all their feeding stock during the winter so it wouldn’t get wet. Edith showing Elias how to mix together the feed for the chickens.

“What’s wrong with Estelle?” she asked her father as he monitored her closely.

“I’m not sure yet,” he answered shortly and finding it hard to look his daughter in the eye, “According to your grandfather said she looked bigger than usual so he asked me to give her an exam.”

“You think she might be pregnant?” Asana wondered.

Owen nodded and the atmosphere was tense between them as Asana assisted in giving her mare a pregnancy exam. She knew how to do it and learnt many things about veterinary medicine from her father. Her father was never usually short with his words towards her and they had a close bond since she was little that it was almost hurtful that he was in a bad mood because she brought Elias home.

“Dad, can I try doing the exam myself since she’s my horse?” she wondered if he would let her conduct the exam under his guidance, “Please?” she gave him those pleading eyes he found difficult to say no to.

“…Alright,” he kept Estelle comfortable inside the horse crush, “Do you know what ultrasound we need to be conducting?”

“An internal examination through the rectum,” she answered.

“Good,” Owen nodded, “It’s warm enough in here to conduct the examination.”

They were in a room with sufficient lighting and Owen had kept an eye on the temperature because he couldn’t conduct the test under the sunlight and in the cold and wet snow. He took all precautions necessary to ensure they could perform the exam and handed Asana the probe once he was satisfied Estelle was calm.

Elias could see through a window what they were doing but he was confused, “What are they doing to the horse?” he asked Edith and she followed his line of sight.

“Looks like an early pregnancy test on Asana’s mare.”

Owen gave Asana the right instructions to conduct the exam and watched her confidently follow his orders. Looking down at the screen, a clear image appeared on the screen with Estelle remaining relaxed as they examined her. Studying the image, Asana could see the embryo of the foal, “She’s pregnant,” she announced and showed her father the images.

“Looks like it,” Owen didn’t seem to happy, “Alright, that’s enough. You did good.”

“Thanks Dad,” she appreciated his compliment but he walked away from her.

As they tidied up the crush and attended to Estelle, beginning to plan around her pregnancy, Asana decided to speak to her father about Elias, “Dad, why don’t you like Elias?”

He sighed, “…Should I like him?”

“…I wish you would give him a chance.”

“Why?” he looked up at her, “So that he can hurt you and break your heart.”

“He’s not like that type of person,” she argued, “Dad, please, I really love him.”

He sighed but his trouble wasn’t Elias but the insecurity of losing his daughter to that high society lifestyle and forgetting her roots, “...You’re young Asana. Don’t use terms like ‘love’ loosely.”

“I’m not,” she gritted her teeth, “You don’t even know him enough to judge him.”

“I don’t need to know him to know that he’s the same as all the other rich city boys,” Owen said quietly but frustratingly at her persistence to convince him that Elias was the man she’s going to marry, “You are both from different backgrounds and on the paths towards different careers. Like your mother said last night, he’s a mistake.”

Feeling hurt, she didn’t imagine he would be this difficult to persuade. Biting down on her quivering lip and fighting her tears, she stared down at him as he cleaned Estelle’s feet, “…We will compromise,” she trembled, “…But why can’t you see past his name and background to give him a chance and get to know him before you judge him. He’s a smart and wonderful man who came all the way out here just to meet everyone for me.”

He looked up to Asana and saw the tears in her eyes, “…I have a lot of work to do,” he lead Estelle back to her stable. Estelle’s hooves clacked against the hard floor covering the sounds of Asana’s ragged breathing as she shed a few tears, feeling hurt by her father’s stubbornness. Seeing her rubbing away tears, Elias put a sack he was carrying for Edith down on the ground, “Excuse me,” he said and Edith watched him hug her as she cried a few tears.

“What did he say to you?” Elias asked.

“That’s the thing, he said nothing,” she said, “Dad and I have always been close but he won’t even look at me or talk to me.”

Edith overheard her and walked across to the stables where Fred was waiting for the news from Owen about Estelle’s condition. “She’s pregnant,” Owen announced, “Asana conducted the examination by herself too,” he smiled proudly.

“Why couldn’t you show her that proud smile?” Edith scolded him in her motherly tone of voice.

Owen sighed, “I’m not having this conversation Mother.”

“Well I am,” she slapped him on the back of the head for making Asana cry, “I don’t know what you said or did to her but the poor girl is in tears. You’ve never spoke to her the way you just did so go apologise before you make things worse.”

Edith angrily walked away and shot a glance across to Fred to talk to Owen. He felt guilty for making his daughter cry and let out a sigh, “…She’s my only daughter and I don’t want to see her get hurt,” he muttered, “Is it so wrong a father to protect his daughter?”

Fred shrugged, “I think what your mother is trying to say, Owen, is not to judge him before you get to know him. I know you have a strong opinion of the rich and wealthy but it wouldn’t hurt to give him a chance or risk damaging your relationship with your daughter.”

Despite her fight with her father, Asana continued to show Elias the rest of the farm. “Does your family sell all this in the markets?” he curiously asked as he watched some employees milk dairy cows in a separate barn to the chickens and horses. Lined up on a stand and facing the wall, machines extracted milk from utters.

“My family grow various fruits and vegetables and milk to the market. Wine, if you include my Uncle’s winery,” she explained, “We are one of the largest farms in the region and everything grown here is organic and the animals are well looked after. My Dad is also the region’s primary veterinarian too, so I suppose we are a vital component of the community which is why that business man is targeting them relentlessly.”

Holding hands, she lead him through the milking stations and explained how the machines work to extract milk to the cattle and how they raised them during the cold season when the paddocks of grass they graze is completely covered in a thick blanket of snow. After they finished, Asana drove them down to the greenhouses and let him eat a ripened strawberry to taste its sweet succulence, “That’s good,” he licked his lips.

After seeing Owen about the mare, Fred had returned to continue the irrigation processes of his greenhouses and watched as Asana showed Elias the plants and he took interest in their family operations. As Fred came closer, Elias asked a question, “So, the glass windows up there are cold resistant to protect them from the winter but help to filter photosynthesis to continue the growing process?”

“Correct,” Asana smiled at him, “Grandad invested a lot of money into these greenhouses but once winter is over and spring and summer return, he likes to go sow the fields the old-fashioned way.”

“Was his father a farmer too?” Elias asked.

“Many farming families around here follow after a long generation of farmers,” she answered happily but her smile was concealing the sadness of her fight with her father.

Elias felt guilty that his presence had created a rift between father and daughter, “…I’m sorry Asana,” he apologised after seeing her trying to mask her sadness.

“Why are you apologising to me?” she was confused and saw her grandfather spraying the plants in ear shot of their conversation, “This isn’t the part where you say my family’s too much and leave, is it?”

“Did it sound like that?” Elias didn’t intend on sounding like he was leaving, “I would never do that,” he assured her.

“Then, why are you apologising?”

He looked over at her grandfather who had his back turned as he tended to his crops and looked to Asana, “Because, my presence is causing arguments between you and your father. Whenever you spoke to your parents over the phone or told me stories about them, and being here, I can tell how close you all are. Makes me envious really.”

“Envious?”

“My relationship with my parents is…complicated…,” he compared their parents, “…Our fathers are very different. You’re close to yours and are following him because you idolise him. My father and I aren’t close but I’m entering law to get closer to him and fit into my name.”

“Are you apologising because you think you’re causing a rift between my father and me?”

“He loves you Asana,” Elias said.

“I know he does, but I still don’t get what you’re saying?” she was confused.

Elias had no intentions of leaving but traced the ring on her finger, “I’ve always said that I want to marry you under the blessings of both our parents. I don’t know how I am going to gain your father’s acceptance but I will try talking to him.”

“By…yourself?”

Elias would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous but he wasn’t about letting Asana go, “…He doesn’t like me because of my name and background but I want him to see beyond that so I will talk to him. Not today but after everything today has settled down.”

Turning around to spray water over the leaves of his crops, Fred watched Asana gently wrap her arms around him and gently kissed him, “Thank you, Elias,” she whispered, “You’re amazing to even be putting up with this.”

“If I didn’t stay I would be liar if I said I love you,” he wrapped his arms around her back and cuddled her back until his eyes met Fred’s as he watched their embrace, “…Sorry,” he apologised to Fred.

“Don’t mind me, just spraying my crops,” he didn’t want to interrupt them.

Asana pulled away from Elias and turned bright red as her grandfather cocked up a rare smirk. It was unusual for him to smile like that unless something truly moved him, “Um, did you want some help Grandad?”

He shook his head, “I’m fine but if you could turn on the trickle over there,” he pointed to a set of switches on a pole that controlled the irrigation supply, “Set it on two,” he asked and she did as he had instructed.

Asana continued to show Elias more of her family’s farm. Showing him some of her secret places in the woods and around the property using the quad bike, time was ticking away and the morning began to change to the early afternoon. Driving back to the house, Asana smiled at Elias happily, “Well, that’s my home,” she concluded her tour.

“Thank you for showing me,” he jumped out of the quad once she had parked the quad out of the snow and switched off the ignition, “Seriously, I really appreciate you showing me this side to you. I feel closer to you now than I did before.”

She happily jumped out of the driver seat of the quad and checked her phone for the time and at the same time Elias’ phone notified him that he received a text message. “Who’s that?” Asana asked as Elias’ lips curled into a victorious smile.

“My brother,” he replied and showed her the text message, “I had him check into this Bradley Aston and AgIndustries International but I have some very interesting news to tell your family.”

“What did he find?” she was desperately curious and tried to read over his shoulder.

Elias peeled his screen away from her eyes. “All will be revealed,” he teased.

“Come on,” she giggled, “Tell me,” she begged as they walked into the warm house.

Her father was inside the kitchen fixing himself a sandwich for lunch when he heard her laughter fill the room. “It’s a surprise,” Elias didn’t want to say as he saw an opportunity to genuinely help her family but also gain some level of acceptance from her father, “Put it this way, I’m going to make him sorry for ever disrespecting your family.”

She loved the fire in his eyes because it meant that whoever this guy thought he was, he was going to be taken down a notch by a man more powerful and intimidating than any threat made towards her uncle and grandfather, “I can’t wait to see what you’ll do, but are you sure you want to get involved?”

“Anyone who threatens and bullies my fiancée’s family have also threatened and bullied my fiancée,” Elias saw any attack on her family as an attack on her, “As your fiancée, I will not stand by and let someone dishonour you.”

Owen heard him make this promise and was conflicted. Entering the kitchen, Owen and Asana made eye contact with Asana stopping in the doorway. She turned to Elias, “…Maybe we should go into town. You should try my Mom’s bakery,” she began to push his body to leave but Elias stopped her.

They had not spoken since their earlier argument and could not stand to let a father and daughter be reunited after a long time only to fight. Elias gently pushed her back into the kitchen, “Talk to him,” he encouraged her as his eyes met Owen’s in the reflection of the window he was staring out of while he ate and looked over papers from a kitchen bench next to the sink.

Elias peeled away from sight and went into the living room where he attempted to make friends with her cat, Casper. An awkward silence came over the kitchen as Asana began making lunch for herself and Elias. Owen heeded the warnings his parents gave to him about damaging his relationship with her, and he didn’t want to lose her.

She had her back to him as she began to make two sandwiches. Was he blind to how quickly his daughter had transformed into a beautiful young woman? All he knew was he found it difficult to accept and harder to let her go. He felt the same way about his son, he usually spent years away from home travelling abroad on his many adventures but it hit home with Asana because she was his youngest child about to marrying into the second wealthiest family in the kingdom. He had strong opinions about the wealthy and the elite because of his several interactions with them throughout his career.

“…Estelle is quite healthy so I think she should be able to bring the foal to term without much complication,” he broke the ice by talking about the news of her horse being pregnant.

As he planned around Estelle’s pregnancy, a sudden thought hit him. If Asana was going to marry Elias it was highly likely they were going to have children of their own. He started to choke on his food at the thought of it and spat out his food.

Asana heard him choking and rushed to his side, “Are you okay, Dad?”

He nodded and signalled for a glass of water. Asana fetched him a glass. Desperately, he gulped down a large mouthful of water to push the food down his throat by lubricating and softening it. Once she was sure he was okay, she returned to making lunch.

“Asana,” Owen hated this tension between them but he created it by upsetting her, “…I want to apologise for how I spoke and behaved to you before,” he meant his apology and she turned around and leaned against the bench, finally they made eye contact.

“…Apology accepted,” she wanted to know why he did it though, “…Are you…disappointed in me, Dad?” her voice sounded sad.

His brown eyes widened and he hated that he made her think that way. Dropping his food and his papers, he wrapped her up in a hug to apologise, “Of course I don’t!” he couldn’t even bring himself to feel disappointed in his son or daughter, “I’m incredibly proud of you and your brother, what on earth possessed you to think that?”

“…Well,” she knew he never liked her studying in the city and bringing Elias home made it feel like she was mad at him, “You’ve never liked the idea of me going to school in the city and now that I’m engaged to Elias…it’s like you’ve been avoiding me since I came home. You barely spoke to me last night and you were short with me in the stables, even harsh with your words when you were guiding me through the ultrasound. I know you’re mad at me but…I don’t want us to fight.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not mad at you,” he assured her that was not the case and tightened his arms around her, “…I could never be mad at my little girl, not even if she’s a smart, bright and beautiful woman now. I hate this tension between us too.”

“…So, why?”

He sighed and thought being honest with her was the only way to resolve this, “I have an amazing son I barely see or hear from because he’s travelling the remotest places on earth but I’m glad he’s making something of himself. Then, I have my beautiful daughter who lives eight hours away in a dangerous city taking the first steps in following her dreams. As a father...I’m insecure that once my children spread their wings they’re never going to come back to visit their old man.”

“You’re scared you’re going to lose us?” she summarised and felt her heart melt as her father nodded his head to answer her question, “Dad!” throwing her arms around him, she couldn’t imagine her stubborn father being insecure and struggling to let them go, “I’m always going to be your little girl and I’m never going to forget my roots. Even when Elias and I marry, we’ll come home to visit. I couldn’t imagine never seeing you or Mom again.”

“I’m more worried that Elias’ world will change you,” he was scared he was sounding selfish, “I know you’re going to change but I don’t want you to. You’re my little Asana and all I want for you is to be happy and healthy but I don’t want to lose my little country bumpkin.”

“You won’t lose me, Dad,” she promised and smiled when she heard Elias trying to coax Casper to let him pet him, “…Elias won’t let that happen and he’s not your typical snobby rich boy. Please, Dad, I really, really love him and I want you to give him a chance. Talk to him alone, get to know him better. When I was showing him around the farm, he was helping out and enjoyed the experience of working on a farm. He’s even got information on that business man threatening and harassing Grandad and Uncle Lucas.”

Interested in what information he had, Owen turned towards the living room when he heard Elias verbally grimace with pain, he guessed Casper scratched him, “What type of information?” he seemed interested in whatever information Elias knew and considered, for his daughter, giving him a chance and try to know him better.

A relaxed atmosphere returned to their relationship as she answered his question, happily, “He won’t tell me but all he said was that he’s going to make that man sorry for harassing our family,” she wore a proud smile, “Elias is a sweet and intelligent man but mess with him or anyone he cares about…well, you’ll see,” she could tell Elias had something planned.

Emerging from the kitchen, Elias cradled his finger in his hand nursing a bleeding cat scratch he sustained trying to make friends with Asana’s cat while he waited for them to talk things over, “Sorry to interrupt but do you have plasters?” he showed her the wound, it was a nip of the claw but red blood poured out of his finger, “Your cat does not make friends easily,” his comment made her laugh as she fished the first aid kit from a draw in the kitchen.

Wearing a softer expression, Owen watched Asana as she applied antiseptic cream to his wound so it didn’t get infected and then covered it with a cream coloured plaster to stop the bleeding.

“Is Grandad coming to the festival?” Asana asked her father.

“We’re going to the dinner but why don’t you take Elias into town and have fun,” he finally smiled at Asana and extended the gesture to Elias too but was not ready to shake his hand. Owen was old-fashioned and believed a handshake represented respect and acceptance between two men. He hadn’t accepted Elias yet but promised to get to know him better before they left for the city.

“Shall we go get ready?” Asana asked Elias.

“Sure,” Elias nodded but then his stomach growled.

Asana laughed and remembered she was in the middle of making sandwiches for lunch, “After we eat then we can go get ready,” she spun around happily on her heels and Elias helped her finish their preparing their lunch.

Owen continued his work as he listened to their conversation and heard their laughter from where he stood in the kitchen. Maybe, he could make an exception with Elias but first he wanted to speak with him alone but not today as there had been enough drama on the Thanksgiving festival day.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

To Save Her (Rewritten)

Klaus/Asana

WARNING: VIOLENCE DEPICTED

Summary: Following off Klaus’ unhappy ending, he is distracted with thoughts of going to her home town and facing her but a dark wizard clan he is chasing takes Asana hostage. 

This is a rewritten version of the old TO SAVE HER story I had previously posted. 

I realised the problem with the old story likely occurred when I was having technical difficulties with Tumblr and my computer. To fix my computer I had to reset my computer to default settings which meant deleting everything off the drives, so I couldn’t go back to the original document I wrote. 

So, I rewrote the story so it is different to the old story.

“They escaped again,” a young agent with short brown hair entered the vacant warehouse where the security guard had tipped to the Ministry of the gang they were chasing but had fled the scene before they arrived, “Look for clues, I will inform…Klaus,” he dreaded, something about the man had been off lately making him grumpier than usual to deal with.

Boarding his broom, the agent had not travelled far out of the city where cooped up inside his office, Klaus lacked the motivation to work but he had to complete his tasks or face a long lecture by his boss, who also happened to be his long-serving father or the second-in-command, who happened to be his carefree older brother.

Grumpily, Klaus analysed a map sprawled out across his desk with pins marking the places the dark wizards he was hunting had been too. As he did, the young agent who had the job of informing Klaus of their failure to capture the wizards, nervously knocked on his open door, “Sir?” his voice was soft, his composure stifling at Klaus’ tall and gallant figure.

“What?” in contrast, Klaus’ voice was sharp and his eyes refused to meet the young agent’s.

“Sir…the dark wizards evaded us again,” he answered, swallowing a lump of his nerves as Klaus pierced his famous violet glare at him.

“Then why are you standing here telling me this when you should be gathering evidence or talking to witnesses?” Klaus grumbled, “Any small clue you can find will help us catch these murderers.”

“Yes, right away, sir,” the young agent made a move to leave the office.

However, Klaus called him back, “Oh also,” he spoke loud enough for the man, and those working just outside Klaus’ office to hear him, “If you need to communicate with me, do not leave the crime scene to simply tell to my face the wizards escaped again,” he warned.

“Yes, sorry sir,” quickly, the young man fled to the safety of the elevator doors.

Walking across the room, Klaus closed his door and retreated to the tanned-coloured office chair made of cushioning leather. His porcelain tea cup filled with his favourite brew of black tea had gone cold as he spent time trying to think in the minds of those he’s chasing to counteract their steps, but they were smart not to leave a recognisable track.

Wiping any place clean of their magical residue, they couldn’t turn up any names of interests and careful not to show their faces, they stuck to the paddocks and fields or blended with the crowds of people in the city to remain hidden. During attacks, they wore masks and used magic to disguise their voices to shield their identity while carrying out their mission, taking valuables and money on the way. They called themselves the Soul Takers Clan, radicals who believe in pure magic and violently murder or kidnap non-magic users or half-blood wizards to preach the value of pure magic.

Rubbing his hands down his face and then cupping his head between his hands, he peered down at a small photo in a silver frame on his desk. He was standing next to the girl who got away, wearing his Prefect’s uniform and forcing a smile while her brunette hair flowed gracefully around her face and she wore the merriest pink smile as Amelia took a photo marking the day where she should have become an official student.

“Hm, time flies,” his eyes fixated on her beautiful round eyes and the smile he fell in love with, only his heart twitched in agony at the memory of her abandoning him as he waited for her to return to his office, three years had passed since that day, “Why didn’t you just come back to the office? We could have worked something out,” he whispered the same question he had been asking for the last three years as she ran away.

He wondered if she knew how much it had hurt him that she had run away like that or how every day he longed to see her again? Being a certified wizard and not wishing to find employment at the academy which now reminded him of his only love, he joined the Ministry, using his knowledge in dark magic to combat it under the authority of his father, though occasionally assisting wizard knights in combat training.

On the tenth floor of the extravagant building, he shared an office with his older brother but he was in a meeting long with his father and a few other members of the Ministry, unhappy these criminals have not yet been captured and his team had no suspects to question. It was like the Ministry to resolve these problematic issues quickly, especially when the media hounded around the investigation like dogs fighting over a juicy bone, wanting the same piece of meat as the others.

His mind shouldn’t be spacing out over a girl who had broken his heart three years ago, but her running away was the first time he had felt severe heart-break and it made him an even more difficult person, that infamous violet stare and brutal tongue plunging intimidation into the eyes of those who stood before him. Though, Klaus could never forget how she stood up to him, how she had broken through his walls and touched his heart, the flaming love he felt for her still burning as bright as it did in those thirteen days he knew her, like an eternal flame with no way to extinguish it, love was not emotion easily switched off.

Turning his gaze to the her the photo immortalising her young face, he wondered how much she must have changed and wondered if she had met someone new in the three years they had not seen each other. She’s an attractive girl who has likely matured into her beauty, and with the kindest and gentlest soul and infectious smile, any man would be a fool not to fall in love with her. Then, he glanced at the flip calendar beside the framed photo with the number ‘23’ circled with a red pen.

“I will see you soon, Bunnyhead,” he muttered in the silent room with no other sound but the noises of working employees muffled by the walls and door separating him from his colleagues and the ticking clock on the adjacent wall by his brother’s desk.

Turning his gaze to the calendar on his desk, he had a date marked in red pen. ‘23’ was circle but the date was three weeks away. It would mark the day he began his holidays and the day he would find the courage to travel to her mountainside home and fulfil his promise of chasing after her. “I will see you soon, Bunnyhead,” he whispered to the picture on his desk. The circled date marking the day he would use his holidays to finally get the answers to his one question, “Why didn’t you just come back to the office, we could have worked something out?” he sighed, reclining back in his chair as he refocused his brain on the case, he would be going nowhere until these criminals were caught.

Inhaling a deep breath, the smell of tea clouded the air around him, and his thoughts drifted back to the first cup of tea he shared with her, the fragrance of black tea transformed into the aromatic scent of Assam. They learnt more about each other in that office, these days occupied by his younger brother. Another twist of pain caused agony to his heart as these memories, as vivid like it happened only days ago, tormented him, but why did he have to think about it now when he should be concentrating on the case at hand.

“Concentrate Klaus,” he encouraged himself to think about the case, it needed to be his top priority, but it was hard to concentrate knowing in three weeks he would come face-to-face with the girl he loved, and perhaps his behaviour stemmed from some anxiety he refused to show. Again, he found himself thinking of all the possible scenarios that would play out when he shows up on her door step.

His lips tugged into a grin as he imagined the cute look on her face, not noticing his door flinging open and two men walked through his office. They were both tall, but one had golden locks and a youthful face and the other had blonde hair which had started to grey in his older years. The older gentleman had an authoritative stride and the other kept his posture straight and his steps were fast.

“How do they expect us to fight an enemy who keep themselves concealed?” the younger one had a slight temper as he crowed angrily and walked over to the kettle to boil water to brew a cup of coffee, his voice clear and smooth in his youth.

“I have been working on a magical tool to help us in this case,” the older man looked to Klaus, raising an eyebrow at the weird grin he was wearing, and back to the younger man boiling water in the kettle, his voice deeper and stern, “Is your brother broken?” he suddenly asked, waving his hand in front of Klaus to grab his attention.

Grabbing a ball of rubber bands tied together from his desk, the younger man threw it lightly at Klaus and it landed on the top of his head, “Ouch!” it snapped Klaus from his daze sharply and he growled at the younger man but older than him by a few years, “What are you a child, Julius?!”

“Listen when our father is speaking to you,” Julius refuted him.

“May I ask why you are grinning like a fool, son?” the older man in the room was Walter Goldstein, Klaus’ father, boss and a long-serving field wizard in the Ministry, where he held a chief position, though with two sons under his command he always remained their father first and their superior second.

Klaus stared up at him and answered, “…Just thinking…about someone,” he averted his gaze with a slight pink tinge in his cheeks, too embarrassed to admit he was daydreaming about a girl.

“You mean, that girl who stoned your heart?” Julius questioned, an amused smile curling across the man’s face, certainly more aloof in character than his two brothers.

It was a weird question to ask since Klaus had not once mentioned Asana to his eldest brothers or his parents, only Elias knew because he was there, and he made Elias swear not to mention anything to the rest of the family because he did not want to give them the ammunition to tease him, Julius, especially, would never let him live it down.

“I’m going to kill him,” Klaus muttered knowing Elias must have said something, not sure who he told first for it to have spread to everyone in his family.

Walter chuckled, “Now, do not resort to violence Klaus. Elias was only concerned for your emotional and mental health that he felt necessary for us to know why you have been a giant, grumpy pain in the rear more than usual,” his father told him the truth, “Why do you feel the need to keep these things from your mother and I?”

“I am a grown man, I don’t need my parents to hold my hand,” Klaus’ words were harsh in response, “Also, it’s my personal business,” his eyes twitched with agitation and his face went from a pink-tinge to a darker shade of red.

“She must be some kind of woman for you to be hung up on her for three years,” Julius commented, “Love’s a bitch, it hurts, but never thought you would fall this hard for anybody. Even after she abandoned you and broke your heart.”

“Language, Julius,” Walter said as his son brewed a cup of coffee.

Klaus shrugged, “I love her, and I always will.”

Walter’s life experience was far greater than his young sons’ and remembered his first heart break at the hands of an ex-girlfriend, a year before he met their mother, and was believer in true love, despite his stern and realist personality.

“To be young and in love,” he smirked and rambled, “A feeling felt in many ways and can happen at any moment, possibly when you least expect it. It can be a cruel torture and pure bliss, it can bring down the toughest men and women and it can also become your greatest strength in the face of adversaries. It can’t be persuaded not even by magic and, depending if it is true, when lost, can guide the way.”

Klaus and Julius traded a glance, their father saying something their mother would say, but they never knew he was quite the philosopher when it came to matters of the heart, “Since when do you believe in true love?” Klaus suddenly asked.

“Because, my true love has stayed by my side through sadness and happiness, blessed my life with three handsome and smart sons and is always waiting up for me to greet me when I return home from this depressing job,” he smiled down at his son, “Now, back to the case at hand,” his wrinkled hand disappeared into his pocket.

“That’s right, you said you made a magic tool to help us catch these criminals, right?” Julius remembered his father saying so before Klaus’ issues had them going off track, and carrying his cup of coffee, he leaned against his brother’s desk.

“Correct, I had Elias do some research for me,” Walter pulled out a crystal and placed it on the desk, “Simply, he researched the elements the tool we invented to collect magical residue in high volumes and research a way for that same tool to collect smaller amounts of magical residue.”

Klaus pinched his eyebrows together, “How is this going to help us? I mean, they wipe the scene clear of any residue.”

“Not true, magical residue will linger if you have used it until the air dissipates it,” Walter argued, and it was a textbook fact that a wizard’s energy lingered where they had last used it until it wears off naturally, “Knowing this rule, Elias used a stronger and larger crystal and fused it with the Tears of Undine and a person’s magical residue to create a persona mirror which could reveal where they are in the kingdom.”

Julius inspected the crystal his father had removed from his pocket, “Is this it?”

“No, Elias is bringing the finished product here in person.”

“So, how did he manage to make a tool to collect residue and to be able to find criminals far away?” Klaus was interested because this could be his little brother’s mark on the magical tool making world, a sense of proudness overwhelmed him.

“Relentless research is what I am hearing from Headmaster Randolph and a lot of trial and errors,” Walter explained, “He’s been working on this project for a while now and we might be the first people to use it.”

Julius smiled proudly, “He’s come a long way,” he commented and echoed Klaus’ thoughts, “If his invention is successful, this might be his first big magic tool he’s made.”

“I might have some competition after all,” no one was prouder than Walter, “Let’s hope his invention helps us.”

“For it to work, won’t you need to find some residue?” Klaus wondered.

“Already have a sample inside the crystal. I went to the most recent crime scene and collected what I could before it vanished.”

“What if this residue does not belong to any of the thieves we are looking for?” Julius asked.

“It might give us a witness at least, depending if they are on the Ministry’s list.”

“How long until Elias arrives here?”

“I believe he’s on the train here now.”

Looking at the map, they worked together to get inside the minds of the people they were chasing, not foreseeing how personal taking down these villainous radicals would become, especially to Klaus.

“You can’t go back to the warehouse,” a man with short brown hair met with the radicals on the outskirts of the city among the shrubbery, where their meeting wouldn’t be seen by several eyes, “I don’t know where you will go because you Klaus Goldstein on your trail, and he’s good at tracking.”

“Klaus Goldstein, huh?” the man he was speaking to wore a mask and his voice was changed using a potion to conceal his identity from the agent, “He’s becoming quite the problem. I suppose I should be thanking you for leading them astray with your false sightings but what is it you want from us? We murder people and you are helping us.”

Scratching the back of his head, where he had neatly shaved his brown hair from his neck, the same agent who had met with Klaus earlier had an agenda all his own, “Because…I need you to kill someone,” the agent replied and the masked man’s eyes widened.

“We have a political plan here, we aren’t assassins.”

As far as the agent was concerned the group of radicals owed him for risking his own flesh in helping them evade Klaus’ hands, “I could just tell Klaus where you are and he will deploy the knights and many other powerful wizards to stop you. If that’s not enough, I also know where your main hideout is, you should be careful where you speak about your business, in the woods anyone could hear you.”

“You have guts threatening me young man.”

The young man frowned and gave him a glare, “It’s not an empty threat either, besides, after all the innocent lives you have taken, why should this life be any different.”

“Can’t argue with that,” the leader of the radicals clicked his tongue, “Who is it you want to kill?”

Pulling out a photograph, there was a face of a young girl on the front, “Her,” she was stunningly gorgeous and the leader of the radicals raised his eyebrows.

“She’s a gorgeous thing, why would you want to waste such a beauty?”

“Because, Klaus Goldstein killed my brother and it’s time he lost someone important to him,” the young agent said, “Her name is Asana Way, she’s the only wizard in her village of Reitz. I want to make him fall to his knees and understand the pain of losing someone so important you can’t bring them back no matter how hard you wish.”

“This is perfect,” an idea sparked in his twisted mind and the agent paid him with a pocketful of golden coins, “Does it matter how we do it?”

“No, I don’t care so long as she dies and I can witness Klaus suffering everyday as I do for my brother. This is, call it a deposit, do the job right and I will pay you handsomely.”

That’s where they departed ways and the leader looked down at the picture in his hands. She was stunning and cheerful but with her ties to Klaus, a common enemy between himself and the young agent, she would be the perfect target to force Klaus into retreating. He wouldn’t kill her, not yet.

“Gents, pack your things,” he called out to his large gang, “We are going to the town of Reitz to pay a visit to Klaus Goldstein’s woman. When we get there, no harm is to come to this one, we will use her to control the Goldstein but the rest of her village and their magicless people can burn.”

Darkness fell across the kingdom as the clan moved from the outskirts of the city and ascended into the moonlit sky to advance onto the small village hidden in the valleys of the mountains in the deep countryside.

Small streams of hot air flowed off mashed potato and meatloaf on her plate. With small bites, she caught up on the day's news from the morning paper. It felt strange to be reading the morning paper at night, but she had a busy morning doing her rounds around the farms.

As it has been for a week, the front page covered the Soul Takers Clan and their latest attack on an innocent village. In Reitz, people were worried the murderous radicals would storm their tiny mountainside village, turning their lush green meadows red with their blood.

However, they expected Asana's presence would be enough to protect them from attack. ‘They're after non-wizards and half wizards’ they would whisper, but Asana was one person and unaware of their power. While she was no longer a clumsy wizard, she was not the most powerful either or knew how to fight that well, her speciality were taming animals and creatures and medicine.

As she read about the recent attack, her heart ached for those poor people who suffered, especially the children caught in the tragedy. “I hope the Ministry finds them soon,” she sighed.

Reading further down the article a recent picture of Klaus was published, he was the leading officer in pursuit of the Soul Takers Clan but the article about him was not positive. The reporter painted him in a negative light because the complexity of the case meant he had no suspects in custody or any leads to catch the criminals.

“Klaus Goldstein has studied dark magic, how do we know he's not aiding these radicals on their mission for a pure magic world?” the question at the end of the article made her angry, and she threw the paper to the floor.

“Rubbish!” she announced passionately to no one, “He would never align himself with dark wizards! They have no idea who he is!” suddenly, she lost her appetite at the thought of the one man she ever truly loved and those sharp pains in her heart brought tears to her eyes once again.

Like Klaus' heart, her heart ached with regret and loneliness as the accusations made against him caused her to relive those thirteen days she had fallen for him, and in the three years, without speaking to him, her unconditional love for him had not faded.

Back then, she was naive and had convinced herself she was not worthy to stand at his side. Her failure ignited a strong insecurity within her, and she ran away, afraid her failings as a wizardess would hinder his bright future. She left the academy, without a note or a personal goodbye, and returned to her cosy cottage where she continued to train hard to become a stronger wizardess, so one day she could face him as someone worthy of him.

She ordered every reputable text book on magic, even offensive magic, and practised day and night, sometimes without eating or sleeping, until she crammed the fundamentals of magic into her head. Every time she got a spell wrong, she could hear his beautiful voice scolding her, driving her motivation to become better.

Naturally, neighbours worried about her but they let her be but, in hindsight, those restless days was her working through her own heartbreak and the guilt she harboured knowing she had hurt him. Those restless days was her desperation to become a better wizardess for him, though after three years she'd understand if he never took her back and it was likely some other woman stood at his side.

She looked across at a jar of money on a dustless chestnut shelf nearby the kitchen. Her veterinary clinic was keeping her busy and bringing in a stable income that when she opened she had been saving to travel to the city to see him again. She had more than enough but she would have no idea what to say to him or even if he wanted to see her. Also, the thought of seeing another woman at his side made her heart ache.

“Stay safe Klaus,” she whispered into the air, knowing how stressed he must be and the danger he must be facing in pursuit of these radicals, “Maybe...I can come see you after the case is resolved,” she said out loud, like he would somehow hear her voice.

She sighed and her dinner had gone cold, not that she was hungry now. Washing her plate in the sink, her body began feeling tired from her busy day at the clinic though she had enough energy for a quick shower. As the water rained down on her body though, she felt heavier with tiredness and started to feel uneasy. She hadn’t realised it yet, but it was a sign she was going to be in for a sleepless night.

Wrapping a towel around her body, she dried herself off in her bedroom and changed into a satin nightdress with thin straps keeping the garment on her body. As she changed, her vision began to blur and her body felt like it was being pinned down by a weight she didn’t have the strength to move or speak, “What’s happening to me?” She asked and started to see Klaus’ face.

Collapsing onto the bed, she fell asleep and strong visions plagued her mind where her subconscious senses were consumed with the pain of being tortured and the smell of fire and blood in the distance fragranced the air: she could see masked men tormenting her and torturing her and could hear the cries of her village in the distance. She tossed and turned violently and her body became drenched with a sweat conjured by her nightmare. The only familiar face she saw, and the one she wanted to see the most in that moment, was Klaus’.

“Klaus!” bolting upright, she screamed his name into the silent and dark house, her breathing hard and shallow and her nightdress and sheets dampened by the layer of cold sweat covering her body. With no one to hear her, she held her blankets close and checked the time, it was one in the morning, but her scream had travelled further than she thought.

Miles away in the city, the Goldstein residence was shrouded in darkness as the family caught some solid hours of sleep. Klaus, Julius and Walter were exhausted after their eventful day chasing these dark wizards and fighting off the media, and Elias had returned home later than expected after the train ran late, but he would show them his magic tool invention in the morning.

As they slept, Klaus tossed and turned violently too, the silk sheets on his bed twisting with his movements and coming out from underneath the mattress where they sheet was tucked.

It was as though his mind had been connected to hers, but he couldn’t see any visions, he just heard screaming and he could smell fire and blood with a terrible and painful feeling in the pit of his stomach eating at him. Then, he heard it, “Klaus!” he shot upright with a cold sweat glistening across his brow in the moonlight which shined into his room, her voice rippling through his head.

“Asana!” he shouted her name as he sat up with an explosion of wind magic emitting from his body. He had unleashed an uncontrolled primitive wind spell just by calling her name, flipping the tables in his chambers over and any unweighted papers flying across the floor.

Next to his chambers, Julius and Elaine were abruptly awoken when they heard the loud crash of his furniture and Klaus panicked scream. Without thinking, Julius leapt from his bed with Elaine right behind him as they hurried to his chambers, “Klaus?”

Barging into his brother’s room, Julius turned on the lights and found his tables flipped onto their sides, papers strewn across the ground and Klaus staring into thin air with his violet eyes as wide as saucers. “Klaus?” Julius approached him.

“Is he okay?” Elaine kept her distance but her voice was gentle with worry for a man she accepted as a brother, though they were the same age.

Sweat stung his eyes as it dropped from his forehead and Julius noticed the wet patches of sweat in his white night-shirt. Klaus felt his heart racing as his breathing was rapid, but he couldn’t shake the terror he was feeling, after all he’d recognise her voice anywhere. He didn’t know why, but he could feel her fear and it was connected to the Soul Takers Clan.

Leaping out of bed, he raced to the library where they had been working on trying to calculate the Clan’s next target. “Klaus?” Julius raced after him, worried since his brother was clearly bothered by something, which was unlike him.

Turning on the lights to the library, the same map they had been working with at the Ministry was pinned to a chip-board wall. Every village and every town in the boundaries of the kingdom were named, with different coloured lines marking large rivers to slim creeks and streams, railroads and back roads to major highways.

Red pins marked the towns which had been attacked whereas the blue pins marked the places where the Ministry had received calls they had seen the criminals. Klaus knew their mission was to cleanse the world of non-magic people and half-wizards, pathing the way for a pure race of wizards.

Tracing his finger along the map in line with the red pins, he realised he had missed an obvious pattern, “How could I miss this?” he cursed at himself for not being able to focus his attention on the case, lately his mind had been thinking about the date he would come face-to-face with her again.

Jittering around the room, Klaus paced around with agitation in his steps, “Klaus?” Julius came to stand by his side and gripped his shoulders, “Hey, pull yourself together and tell me what happened?”

While Julius dealt with his brother, Elaine had intercepted Walter at Klaus’ chamber doors and pointed him to the library, along with Elias too. He didn’t know how to explain it but he heard her, “Let me go,” Klaus shrugged him away, “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

“Her?” Julius was confused and heard footsteps coming through the door, “What do you mean you won’t let anything happen to her? You are not making any sense.”

“Listen! They are following the Illgatto Mountains!” he pointed at the red pins and made his brother realise the pattern they had missed, “They are attacking towns and villages within and at the bases of the mountains because this is where they are more likely to encounter entire populations of non-magic users or half-wizards, a city is too complex.”

As he pointed it out, Julius and Walter realised the pattern as he explained it, “How could I be so stupid to miss something so obvious! Now, she’s in danger, I can feel it!”

“What are you talking about?” Julius didn’t know who he was talking about, “Calm down.”

“How can I?” his violet pupils were filled with pain, anger and sheer panic, “She screamed, I heard her and I can’t do anything to save her!”

“Who are you talking about?”

Elias answered Julius question, “There’s only one girl he would ever get this worked up about. But, how did you hear Asana from here when she lives in Reitz?”

“I don’t know,” Klaus snarled, “All I know is I was sleeping and all I could hear was screaming and the smell of fire and blood then Asana calling my name. That’s when I woke up with a terrible feeling and knew this clan was connected to her.”

Julius analysed the map and found where the blue pins conflicted with Klaus’ focus on the red pins, “Hey Dad, now that Klaus mentions it, the calculations don’t make sense. It took our agents six hours to be notified of the attack and arrive on the scene but then an half an hour later they were spotted six hundred and thirty-five miles from the scene.”

“That would be impossible by car and if they flew they would have expensed a lot of magical energy with little time to wipe the scene clean of their residue,” Elias agreed.

“Someone has deliberately thrown us off the trail,” Walter confirmed, “Can’t believe they blinded us like that!”

Tracing the base line of the mountains, the last city they had attacked was the major centre of Wile City, “The last city they attacked was Wile City, so if they are attacking villages and towns along the Illgatto Mountain Range then the next town in the firing line is…Reitz,” Julius remembered Elias had mentioned the village’s name.

“What if we are too late?” a shiver ran down Klaus’ spine, “Why else would I have heard her?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Klaus,” Walter put his hand on his son’s shoulder, “Does she by chance possess an ability to see into the future? Time magic, perchance?”

Even though Klaus had not seen her for years, he remembered every detail about the adventure they had gone through to stop Azusa from sacrificing her pure heart to the darkness and recalled her rare magical gifts.

“…She can use an ability called Foresight. Why does that matter?”

“Because, only a strong and powerful wizard with an ability to use to use high-level foresight and time magic can communicate with people far away through dreams. It takes a lot of concentration but if they focus on that person’s face, it’s possible, perhaps unaware, she communicated to you. Though, it takes amazing power to also share whatever she was seeing,” he explained, “Even if you didn’t see anything but she connected her mind and soul with yours, she must be exceptionally gifted.”

He hadn’t seen her for three years and couldn’t confidently say if she had become any more powerful since she left him. “…What are you saying?”

“She gave us time, but probably not a lot of it,” Walter said, “Deploy wizard knights to the town of Reitz immediately,” he ordered Julius to gather the knights, “Have them use the Transporter.”

“I want to go to!” Klaus demanded his brother not leave without him, “I need to save her!”

With the speed of a vanishing winged-rabbit, Julius and Klaus dressed quickly and left for the Ministry, Klaus using his communicator to call an urgent deployment meeting and to be at the Ministry building in twenty minutes sharp. Walter powerless to stop Klaus from leaving, “I could be wrong too…,” he sighed, he was only hypothesising with an eighty-five percent certainty they had time to counter the Clan.

“Dad, once it comes to Asana, nothing else matters,” Elias whispered, “Say, hold on to that crystal, we might need to use it before too long.”

“If we use it now we can tell how far way they are from attacking the town,” Walter argued.

“There must be another reason why he connected to Asana like that,” he felt something was strange, “Foresight often comes when whatever will happen directly involves the wizard. Sure, her town is one thing, but that’s not powerful enough to connect to Klaus, right?”

His question made Walter think and Elias had a good point, “Listen, while you are here, and I hate to ask this of you, but could you investigate whoever threw us off the trail?”

“Of course, but don’t use the crystal yet.”

“Elias, I don’t even know how to use it yet,” Walter had only heard the theory of his son’s invention but was yet to see a demonstration, “Go now, I will give you my key to the Ministry, and be careful.”

Since she couldn’t sleep, not without those nightmares consuming her mind, she tried to piece together what they could mean, unaware she had already called Klaus’ help. With no thoughts coming to her mind, she decided to bake some chocolate muffins in her kitchen to take her mind off her stress.

“What does all this mean?” she asked as she stirred the butter and sugar together, “Okay, next are the eggs and milk followed by the flour and cocoa,” she didn’t need a recipe since these were popular in the town and people ordered batches of her baked goods, though this batch would be for her.

As she stirred the ingredients together, the house completely silent with the town as her neighbours slept through these early hours of the morning, she didn’t count on an intruder opening her door without so much as a sound.

Though, she did see a shadowed figure move across her front window from where she stood in the kitchen of the open planned house. The knob on her front door rattled as whoever was on the other side checked to see if it was locked. Her heart jumped with fear and she dropped her mixing bowl to run to her bedroom to grab her wand but she was stopped by the intruder who had walked silently through her back door.

She was at the receiving end of a magic wand but she attempted to retreat backwards, hoping to escape the other way. However, a gloved hand quickly covered her mouth and the other man, holding the wand at her, bound her hands and feet together with an unbreakable chain bind. As they tightened, the sharp edges stabbed into her skin and she cried out with painful muffled screams.

“Don’t try to move too much or fight back,” the man grabbing her warned her, his voice had no emotion or feeling, but it was cold as his disgusting breath ghosted up her neck, “Those binds have sealed your magic and any resistance will only make the binds more painful.”

She could feel her own terrified breathing huffing through her nose onto the gloved hand covering her mouth because she had no idea what they were going to do to her or why. The metal spikes stabbing into her ankles and wrists forming tears in her eyes as the pain shot through her body. There was no point in screaming out to her neighbours because there was no way they could fight two dark wizards.

“Is this the one?” suddenly, she heard another man’s voice in the store room by the back door, followed by heavy boots padding along the tiles of her kitchen. He walked up to her and stroked her chin, neck and shoulders.

“It’s her boss,” the one who had bounded her hands and feet and kept his wand pointed at her produced a photo to the man who stood before her, uninvitingly stroking his gloved finger across her exposed flesh since she had not changed out of her nightdress.

Taking the photo, the man held it up against her, “This must be a younger photo of you, my you look more beautiful now then you do in this photo,” he chuckled, “Burn the village and kill anyone who is not a pure wizard. This one is coming with us.”

Hearing those orders, her eyes widened and she screamed, pointlessly, into the hand which kept her silent, and tried to kick and punch her way out of the binds concealing her magic. “I warned you,” the man holding her flicked his wand and the metal spikes slowly deepened, the unbearable pain made her scream loudly.

“Let’s go,” the man hoisted her up over her shoulder.

“Put me down!” she yelled as the man removed his hand from her mouth and as she heard screaming from her neighbours and smelt smoke, “No! Don’t do this!” she begged.

“But, I must,” the man the other two had called boss said, “You though, you are pure,” he said and yanked her from the man, “You help burn this village to the ground and then return to base.”

His grab was not gentle as he squeezed her tightly to prevent her escape as he mounted his broom. “Get any clever ideas and I will drop you,” he threatened and ascended to the skies, giving her a bird’s eye view of her village going up in smoke and some of her neighbours being killed.

“No!” she screamed and was powerless to stop them, tears fell from her eyes in a torrent, “You monster!” she punched the man in the back and he grabbed a fistful of her hair and held her.

“You don’t listen, do you,” he said, watching her legs kick as he dangled her in the air, “Now, I am supposed to kill you but I have other plans for you. Klaus Goldstein, he cares about you and he’s my enemy, which makes you the perfect tool to get to him.”

Her body trembled with fear but she didn’t want to hold onto this man, she hated him. “Klaus…will never chose me over everything else,” she declared and cried as her village burned in the distance, “You’re a monster, he will stop you.”

“Well then, shall we put him to the test?” he chuckled and flew faster through the air to reach their base. It didn’t take long for him to reach an abandoned barn and farmstead in the middle of a brown field of grass nor for his crew to join him.

Made of wood, the abandoned barn had several holes in its roof and the straw scattering the floor felt like a bunch of sharp sticks across a forest floor. Being bare footed and dressed in a thin nightdress, she felt cold and the ends of the straw stabbed at her feet, she could feel bruises forming.

The metal spikes stabbing through her wrists and ankles to conceal her powers throbbed painfully. She felt scared as the masked men of the infamous Clan surrounded her and laughed but she refused to meet their gaze. But, the boss of this clan clenched her chin between his fingers tightly, hurting her, “Ah!” she winched in pain.

“I suppose we should let Klaus know we have you,” he smiled and her gaze turned to a man holding a visual recording magic tool, “What to do though?” his smile was sadistic as was his threats.

Klaus and Julius gave instructions to the wizard knights and accompanied them to the village by using the Transporter, a magic tool which teleported people to far places without having to expense to much magical energy. Joining them was Walter.

“Elias will investigate whoever deliberately threw us off the trail,” he informed them as he arrived at the office.

“Alright, we need to prepare ourselves for a fight,” Klaus explained, “We believe they are attacking villages and towns within and at the base of the Illgatto Mountain Range.”

“Our priority is to protect the civilians and make sure they are not caught in the cross-fire,” Julius added, “You have permission to use whatever is necessary to stop these criminals. We will use the Transporter to get there faster.”

“Are there any questions before we discuss the strategy?” Klaus asked.

No one asked a question and Klaus proceeded to explain the plan of attack. Separating his agents and knights, Klaus’ strategy was an impromptu one and as he finished an owl flew through the office, dropping a package on the fire escape outside the window.

Walter collected it as Klaus finalised his strategy and Julius set the coordinates on the dial of the Transporter so they could, hopefully, intercept the Clan before they attacked, but Klaus felt uneasy that bad feeling still stirring in his stomach.

Collecting the package, Walter saw no address on it, only ‘KLAUS GOLDSTEIN’ written in a bright red substance. He took the package back to Klaus, worry settling in his heart as he handed the package to him, “Your name is written in blood,” he had been a wizard long enough to know what blood looked like, even on a sheet of paper.

“…Blood…,” he felt his heart sink and held his wand. Unsure of what to expect, he cast a spell over the package to analyse it. There was no threat to his own safety, but he was too afraid to open the package.

Julius turned to Vincent, “You lead your knights and the agents, report what you see. We will join you soon,” he gave his orders and Vincent nodded affirmatively and lead his knights and the agents through the portal.

“Do you think it’s from them?” Elias wondered.

“…I think so,” Julius answered him and waited patiently for Klaus to open the package.

“Dad, give me the crystal,” Elias held out his hand and Walter pulled the crystal from his pocket. He had brought the sealed wooden chest with him and prepared to use it to find the owner of the magic, hoping his father had collected the residue of the one of the criminals, if not, he could easily jump through the portal and collect another sample.

From the blood on the package, he could feel it belonged to her. With no more hesitation, he unsealed the back and reached into the pouch of the yellow only for his fingers to meet with a thick and warm wet substance. Bringing his fingers out of the pocket, he found the tips of his white flesh were covered in blood with strands of brown hair trapped within the sticky blood.

He felt like being sick and felt faint since he recognised her beautiful soft brown hair anywhere. With his hand holding the end of the envelope, he felt something hard inside the packaging but he was scared to know what could be waiting for him, anger burning in his heart.

At the bottom of the envelope was an amber disc from a magical recording device and a letter, the corners of the white paper also dyed in the stains of blood. “I don’t like where this is going,” Julius muttered.

“Are you sure you want to watch this?” Walter asked and looked behind him at Elias. His son concentrated his magical energy to transfer the residue between the mirror and a map he had created for his three-piece invention, and it was working.

Klaus had no clue what was waiting for him on the visual but he had to play it, he knew they had Asana and they had no idea what a huge mistake they had made. Enchanting the amber disc, it floated up in the air and a clear visual was produced.

“Klaus Goldstein!” a man’s voice was disguised with magic and his face was masked, “I think I have someone quite special to you,” the visual turned to Asana, she had blood running from her wrists and ankles where they were bound with metal chains, blood ran from her shoulders down her arms and there were bruises, gashes and lacerations across her face and abdomen. If Klaus was not angry before, he was now.

“Sorry, she’s not looking the best,” the man mocked him, “However, if you want to save her there is something you can do about it,” he moved to pick Asana up off her feet by grabbing her small neck with one hand and lifting her high enough that her feet were moved off the ground.

Holding her in a headlock, he dug his wand into her neck while tightening his grip around her neck, stealing her ability to breath. Sounds of her choking and gasping for air had Klaus’ blood boiling as he remembered the shape of the man’s darkened eyes in the face of the camera, “Stop investigating us or this pretty little thing will never take another breath.”

That’s where the communication ended and Klaus’ eyes had turned dark too. It was a look his brothers and father had never seen him wear. Elias had finished his spell and the map revealed the location of one of the men and saw he was in a barn watching the man trying to feed Asana with bread, but she refused, spitting in his face.

“Found them,” Elias smiled, “They are at an old barn and farmstead in the mountains. He’s watching that guy trying to feed her.”

In a low growl and gripping his wand, Klaus’ smirk was terrifying, “What are the coordinates?” his voice was dark and it made Elias flinch in fear.

“…F-Fifteen…miles west of Reitz,” he handed Julius the numbers to set the Transporter to take him straight to where Asana was being held against her will.

“We will come with you,” Walter said, referring to Julius and Elias, “There’s no way you can handle that many on your own.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Dad.”

With the Transporter set, Julius sent a message to Vincent to inform him where they were going and required assistance when they were free, sending him the coordinates in a magic note as they arrived at the old barn.

Klaus could hear her screaming and he was ready to storm the building to save her but his father brought him back down, “I know you want to save her, but you will be dead before you reach that door. Open your eyes and pay attention!” he slapped his son across the head.

She screamed again, only this time it was louder than before. Before his father and brothers could stop him, Klaus sprinted towards the warehouse. “Klaus!” Walter called him back but his son didn’t listen, firing magic towards those who attempted to intercept him, “Good grief!” Walter, Julius and Elias had no choice but to run after him, providing him cover.

“She must be something,” Julius commented.

Bursting through the warehouse doors, Klaus withdraw a magical staff full of wind magic and knocked several men opposing him on their backs. He was driven and when he reached the man piercing a hot wire into her open wounds, he quickly brought him to the ground, with his brothers and father surrounding the other men. Straddling over the man’s waist, Klaus didn’t hold back on making sure he knew how angry he was, magic flying from the wands of Walter, Julius and Elias, clearly stronger wizards then their enemies. Asana couldn’t believe he had come to his rescue, “Klaus…,” happiness overflowed from her heart.

“Asana!” rushing to her side was Elias, he unshackled the chains around her wrists and ankles, “Can you walk?”

She nodded and he helped her up but she fell right back down, “Ow!” she was in too much pain to stand and felt pathetic as usual. Suddenly, another group of wizards burst through the barn and they were dressed in white.

“Vincent, take them into custody,” Walter ordered.

The Clan did not try to fight and surrendered to the Ministry. Prying Klaus off the leader, Julius encouraged Klaus to go to Asana, where Elias was healing her wounds but she was in tears.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Elias tried to comfort her but her tears wouldn’t stop.

Suddenly, she felt her body leave the ground and into a familiar pair of arms. She had no reason to be afraid of these arms, especially after her ordeal, they cradled her gently and warmed her body. His scent of tea of books filled her nostrils as she buried her head into his chest, her tears not for her suffering but those in her village.

“…Please…tell me…,” she sniffed, “…some of them…are alive.”

“…I’m not sure,” Klaus replied as he carried her out of the old barn, “I am glad I came to rescue you. Seems like you have become stronger since the last time I saw you.”

She cried harder, “…I’m not strong…I couldn’t protect my village.”

“That’s not true,” Klaus sat down with her, “…I’m going to heal you now.”

Withdrawing his wand, he calmly chanted a wind healing spell to treat her wounds followed by a water healing spell. Unlike a moment ago, he was completely calm and relaxed knowing she was safely in his arms. “You led us to these criminals, you should be proud.”

Outside, the sun had started to rise over the mountains in the east and a light breeze had a chilly bite making her body shiver. “Oh, here,” Klaus took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, and things became awkward, “…This was not the way I wanted us to reunite.”

“…Neither did I,” still shaken, she didn’t understand how or why Klaus managed to find her, “…H-How…did I lead you here? I didn’t reach out to you?” she asked, wrapping his jacket around her shoulders tighter.

“…Do you remember having a foresight dream and you called out to me?”

She was stunned he knew that, “...I only had that dream a few hours ago. I could see fire and smell blood and these men attacking and torturing me, then all I saw was you. So, I shouted your name…and…,” she pieced together her dream, still in shock.

“Take it easy,” he hugged her as her body began to tremble, “Well, did you know those who possess a natural ability of foresight or time magic have the potential to communicate to another person through their dreams. I don’t think you meant it but you connected to me, I couldn’t see anything but I heard you and smelt fire and blood to, that’s how we managed to get here quickly.”

“…I…did that?”

“Your stronger than the last time I saw you,” he took in the details of her face up close. As a band of soft yellow sunlight rose higher into the sky, welcoming in the brand-new day, etching the light across her face, he found she was not the teenage girl he had met three years ago but a beautiful woman grown into her features and had become a stronger wizardess.  

“…But…I saw them,” she began crying and remembering how useless she was in stopping those wizards destroying her childhood village and murdering the people who became her family, “I was powerless to stop them… I couldn’t protect them, even if I am stronger,” her voice strained as she cried.

Her body fell forward as she collapsed onto her knees but Klaus held her close and let her cry, her tears wetting the fabric of his shirt as the pain of losing those she cared about taking an enormous toll on her heart as nearby those dark wizards were being dragged out of the barn, one-by-one.

Handcuffed, Klaus gave them foul looks as Elias kicked the leader, roughly, “Hey you,” Elias grabbed his attention and pulled down his mask to reveal his identity.

Julius came to his brother’s side and recognised the man, “Figured you might have been behind this, Benedict. My, haven’t you come a long way since our school years.”

“You know him?” Elias questioned his brother.

“Benedict and I were rivals at school,” Julius explained, “We were never friends but during our final year, when I was offered a position at the Ministry over him, he accused the Ministry of being bias towards pure blood wizards over half-wizards.”

Benedict rolled his eyes, “Of course, no one could ever match up to the perfect first-born son of Walter Goldstein. Not only in your veins do you carry the blood of a Goldstein, but your mother’s family are a formidable wizardry family too. I see you met Daddy’s expectations.”

Julius shook his head, “No, I met my own expectations and didn’t let the darkness consume my soul out of pure pettiness over something as trivial as being a pure-blood or half-blood wizard. The Ministry offered you a position in the Knights but you refused.”

“A knight?” he laughed and spat at the unit, “The famous Wizard Knights are nothing more than puppets, deployed to the front lines to protect pure blood wizards like you. I simply did want the Ministry wants, a world full of pure-blood wizards.”

“If that’s the case, then why will you be facing the death penalty for dark crimes against the kingdom in the name of genocide?” Julius refuted, “Whereas I will return home to my wife, make love to her and take on another dark wizard tomorrow.”

Julius knew Elias had been interrogating this Benedict to retrieve information regarding the mole inside the Ministry, the one who had supplied misleading and false tip-offs in a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice. But, the dark wizard laughed.

“You are going down for countless first degree murders using dark magic,” Elias reasoned with him, “Why go down covering for another man’s mistakes when you don’t have to?”

“Maybe, I want to be nice,” Benedict replied and looked over Elias shoulder at the young agent with brown hair, he was shifting uncomfortably as Benedict was pounced on by two Goldstein brothers. Benedict chuckled as the young wizard who had paid him stretched his collar, feeling like he was choking with fear.

Julius followed his eyeline and found the brown-haired wizard turning bright red. Meeting his gaze, the young wizard took his chances and attempted to flee but other agents around him quickly arrested him, “Hurry up and get these criminals out of here,” Julius ordered and they began transporting the criminals back to the headquarters.

Walter kept his distance as he watched Klaus comforting the girl and Elias joined him, “Dad, about the magical tool I made. How do I go about submitting it to the Ministry?”

“Say, you are around the girl’s age and you seem to know her well,” his father was not interested in discussing his magic tool just yet, “I assume you met at the academy?”

“We were in the same class but she was failed to enrol in the academy,” Elias answered and heard Julius approaching to join them, “She was Klaus’ buddy.”

Walter had been speaking to Vincent, receiving a verbal report on the state of the village, “Vincent has told me half of the buildings in her village were burnt to the ground and ten people died. However, most of the villagers survived and she saved them through contacting Klaus in her dreams. She is quite…interesting.”

With thoughts running through his mind, Elias added some extra information, “This is the first time I have seen her since she was at the Academy, but I know she has her moments where she displays amazing powers in dire situations. She seems much stronger now than in those days.”

Crying herself to exhaustion, she passed out from sleep and had a request to ask Elias and carried her in his arms as he approached him, “I need you to do a favour for me?”

“Sure.”

“Go help her village get back on their feet,” unlike his cold-stone voice before, his tone was calm and his gaze soft as he peered down at her face, “Call for medical supplies to treat the wounded, whatever needs to happen to get them on their feet.”

Elias didn't seem any trouble with such a request, “I will gladly help but is she going to be okay?”

“She will be okay,” he smiled at her, “She may have grown up and became a stronger wizard but nothing's really changed. After what's happened here, she just needs to rest in hospital. She's in shock.”

Mounting his broom, Klaus cradled her gently in his arms and kept her warm, the same care as a mother cradling her infant. Brushing her fringe from her eyes, he was reminded of the day she fell asleep in his office and how adorably her cheeks puffed up when she slept.

It was like the three years they hadn't seen each other never occurred, and the love he felt for her overflowed from his heart. Though, once she rested he knew they would need to talk and he wanted those answers, but even if she decided not to pursue a relationship with him, Klaus knew he'd never love another person as he loves her. Thirteen days was all it had taken for her to steal his heart.

A nurse brought Klaus a newspaper as he requested, “Thank you,” Klaus appreciated the favour as he waited by her bed in a private room he had secured for her to rest and allow the magical medicine to completely heal her wounds.

Before he had even unfolded the newspaper, there was a gentle knock at the door. There in the doorway stood his father with a small smile stretching across his face, “She's asleep?”

“Yes, so I will ask you to be as quiet as possible so not to wake her,” Klaus grew defensive, seeing the teasing thoughts crossing his father's mind, “Why are you here?”

“Relax, I have no intentions of teasing you...yet,” his father promised, “Can't guarantee Julius will be as considerate but I was hoping she would be awake because I have news about her village.”

“Are they okay?”

Walter shook his head somewhere between a yes and a no, “...It could have been worse but she saved most of her village with her communication with you. However, where there is loss of life through murder, no one should say it could have been worse.”

Starting to wake up from her exhausted sleep, she turned her head and her limps moved under the blankets of the hospital bed. A wall of midday sunlight streamed through the large square windows, bathing her face as she stirred.

In Walter's hands, he carried a bag of clothes Elias had grabbed from her wardrobe as he checked her property. Thankfully, a protection barrier around the home prevented it being set on fire. Walking deeper into the room, he set the bag on a nearby table.

Her pink eyes fluttered open and she felt a warm hand covering hers, “K-Klaus...,” she recognised his warmth, even asleep, she could feel him next to her. As she stirred, Walter decided to leave the room and give the two a moment alone but he stayed hidden behind the wall so he could listen in.

“Dad, why are you eavesdropping?” Julius asked him.

They drove to the hospital together to speak with the victims of the attack on Reitz and where Elias had transported them to receive the best medical care as per Klaus’ orders. He knew his brother would not be happy if they received anything less than the best care.

“I am not eavesdropping,” Walter stood against the wall, “I am being considerate and giving them space,” of course, Julius saw straight through him.

“Honestly, you can be as nosy as Mother,” Julius chortled, “We have enough statements from the victims of the attack on Reitz, we just need hers to build a case. Though, heaven knows why we are giving them a fair trial when they are guilty.”

Glancing behind his shoulder into the private room, Klaus was patiently waiting for her to wake from her slumber and could reply to Julius implied comment they should be executed without hesitation, “Julius, we are not villainous murderers as they are and the trial serves as a platform to show potential dark wizards and remind the public that justice will be done, fairly and in the name of the law.”

“Yeah, I dare you to say that to Klaus after they nearly killed her.”

Julius glanced into the room and back at his father, watching Klaus bestow the back of her hand with a soft, gentlemanly kiss, “Are you honestly waiting to grab her statement or intent on eavesdropping on your son?”

“Can’t I do both?” he shrugged, “How often do I get to see your brother this besotted?”

Not paying his father and brother any mind, Klaus concentrated on her as she woke up and gently clasped her hand between his, “I’m here, Asana,” he whispered, kissing the back of her delicate and slender hands, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

His words brought a smile to her face as she peered at him through the slightest crack of her opened eyes, slowly widened and coming to her senses as the sleepiness wore off, “Klaus?”

“Shh, don’t strain yourself,” after seeing on the amber disc what she had been through, his voice and grasp of her hand remained as gentle and warm as possible and he didn’t want her to rush, “Take your time to gather your thoughts.”

The man she was seeing in front of her was someone she wanted for such a long time and the tears threatening to fall from her eyes were conjured from her guilt she harboured from hurting him and the love she desperately and unconditionally felt for him, “…I’ve wanted to see you for so long,” she whispered, a single tear drop falling from her left eye.

Klaus brought his thumb to her face and wiped away her tear, “Don’t cry…,” he gently kissed her eyelid, “You have cried too much already and I hate seeing you cry.”

His gentle kiss only produced more tears as she waited so long to feel the warmth from his lips again, “Klaus…,” she felt her heart pounding within her chest as she peered up into his violet eyes and her pulse raced as she felt his hand squeeze hers, “…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she desperately apologised, “I’m so, so sorry…I hurt you.”

Klaus supposed it was time to ask the question he had wanted to ask for the last three years and brought his fingers together to flick her on the forehead, “Considering I like the answer you will give me as to why you ran away, I might forgive you.”

She didn’t know how to tell him and, even with the love she had for him, she didn’t deserve his, and would rather he hate her, “…I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Klaus…I hurt you in the cruellest way all because I was a stupid idiot. I would rather you hate me and I suffer alone, knowing you will find another woman who would never hurt you.”

“Do you think an answer like that is going to be enough?” he didn’t accept her excuse, “Tell me the truth, now,” with one hand, he grasped her wrist gently, preventing her escape, and with the other he wiped away her tears with his familiar stare penetrating her teary pink eyes.

She couldn’t bring herself to explain as her eyes were taking in every detail of Klaus, inches separating them, “If you had just come back like I told you to, we could have sorted something out. You broke us apart for three years when we didn’t need to breakup,” his words were harsh but in their proximity, she sensed his pain, the pain she had caused him, more tears flowed from her eyes but Klaus wiped them away, “We could have stayed this close, if you only came back.”

It was hard to breathe with him so close to her and her heart was hurting as he growled his harsh but true words, “…Klaus…”

“I don’t want to hear you say anything but the truth,” positing his index finger under her jaw and his thumb on her chin, he raised her face so their gazes met, “Look me in the eye and tell me why? Why did you leave?”

His hold on her did not hurt but she saw tears in his eyes too and resolved herself to tell him the truth, “…I…,” she didn’t know how to put her feelings into words and felt her guilt and pain torment her heart, “…I wasn’t worthy…,” it was hard to speak as she cried.

She needed a moment to work through her pain to tell him, “…After everything you did for me…I failed you,” tears fell from her eyes as she looked him in the eyes and told him why she left, “…I wasn’t worthy to stand by your side…I wasn’t strong enough to stand with you…,” she tasted the saltiness of her own tears as a waterfall streamed down her face, “If you had to deal with me…teaching me magic…I would only h-hinder your future…so I left.”

“What stupid reason is that?!” he growled at her, “I don’t care about how good you are at magic, that doesn’t matter to me. I thought you understood that! I thought I made myself clear! You didn’t need to leave! You didn’t need to break us up if you just came back to the office!”

She remembered how she fell to the floor of her home as she arrived home from the academy and cried until she passed out there, “I know…I’m s-sorry…,” her words faded as her tears fell harder as his pain churned out some harsh and angry words at her but she endured it, she deserved it.

Klaus let her go and stepped away from her with the room falling silent, except for her sobbing. Instantly, he regretted yelling at her and could feel her tears crashing around him as he let his emotions out, especially after what she had been through with those dark wizards this was stress she didn’t need.

“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Klaus,” she pleaded through her hard crying, “I…I didn’t mean to hurt you…I didn’t mean…” her sentence was cut short through her tears.

He didn’t mean to make her cry and stepped closer to her again, “Hey,” his voice was gentle again as he pulled her close to him and circled his arms around her to stop her from crying, “Asana…,” he whispered her name and held her tightly, “Hey come on, I didn’t mean to make you cry this much.”

“I’m…I’m an idiot...,” she found her voice again, “…I deserve it…I’m always screwing up…I just…wanted to make you happy.”

“Well, I’m not…not without you,” he took her face in his hands to wipe the water stains off her cheeks, her cheeks as red as her swollen eyes, “Do you think I fall in love easily? I don’t know what you did to me in those thirteen days but there has not been a day that went by where I didn’t think about you or what you were doing. In hindsight, I should have come after you.”

Wrapping her hand around his, her tears settled down, “…I never stopped thinking about you either,” she had opened the clinic to produce a flow of income to be able to buy textbooks to study and eventually, to face Klaus again, “…I was saving to come see you in three weeks…I wanted to tell you the truth, no matter the cost.”

It was like their minds were linked, Klaus had circled the day he would come see her and the thought was amusing, “…What a coincidence, I banked up enough holidays and was coming to see you in three weeks too.”

His admission surprised her, “…R-Really…I thought you’d never wanted to see me again…I was even convinced you were probably married to another woman and forgot all about me.”

“…I thought you would have moved on from me too,” he confessed and sat next to her, “You are the sweetest and gentlest person I ever met, so I figured you would be snatched up pretty quickly. Any man would be a fool not to see what a beautiful, strong and kind woman you are.”

Asana shook her head, “…The only man I could ever love…is you,” she admitted her unconditional feelings for him, “When I arrived home, I probably spent a good month just eating ice-cream and chocolate, doing nothing but sleeping and moping around, before I started buying every textbook to become a better wizard. Each time I got a spell wrong, I heard your voice, scolding me.”

“Is that how you remember me, is it?” he chuckled.

“…My biggest regret for the last three years…was not going back to your office,” she averted her gaze, “The only person I still speak to is Amelia and she was the one who told me how depressed you were after I left. I heard you cooped yourself up in your office, you wouldn’t even allow Elias to enter.”

“Like I am going to let my little brother see me like that,” Klaus rolled his eyes and sighed, holding her hand, “However, it is true. I tried to fathom why you left and figured you were just embarrassed. After I told you I love you, you left and I never heard from you again, for three years, until last night when I heard you through my dreams. It hurt.”

Finally, she brought her face up to his, and rested her head on his shoulder, “I never wanted to hurt you, that was the last thing I wanted to do. I thought…I was doing the best thing for you by leaving, that way you could succeed without having me holding you back. I just…,” tears threatened to fall again.

“I know you would never intentionally hurt someone, Asana,” Klaus raised her face up to look at him, “…But…I’m not happy. Working at the Ministry is…depressing and I have nothing or no one to go home to. I honestly don’t know how Dad and Julius do it. They face dark wizards each day but are happy when they go home to their wives.”

“…I’m not happy either,” Asana hated cooking large meals for herself and having only animals and customers keep her company, with the occasional coffee date with a few of her friends in the village, but she was always somewhere in the village tending to animals as the only reputable veterinarian in her village, “I run my own vet clinic for creatures and animals, but I never have any time to meet with friends and nights is always cooking large meals for one person. Each night, looking at my shelf of savings trying to find the courage to board a train and come find you. I don’t really speak to anyone else from the academy but Amelia. I was sure everyone hated me for leaving you like that, so I have been living with this guilt for three years, unhappily.”

Wedging his fingers between hers, he squeezed her hand, “Our lives I think are missing the same thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m missing my buddy and you are missing yours,” he remembered how happy he was when they were together at the academy, and started laughing.

His laughter confused her, “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m pathetic,” he laughed, “I knew you for thirteen days but since I met you I haven’t been able to function properly. Just what is it you did to me for me to become so obsessed with you?”

As always, he made a valid point, because she had been acting the same way and laughed, “Well, I could ask you the same question,” violet eyes met her pink eyes, pulling their faces towards each other.

It was not the way they had planned to be reunited but when their lips finally touched, it soothed all the pain and loneliness which had been plaguing their hearts. It started out as a light kiss but it deepened and slowly became heated, “I love you Klaus,” she confessed in a gap before his lips crashed over the top of hers again.

“I love you too, Asana,” he accepted her once again and he always would because he loved her, unconditionally. As their lips parted away, Klaus rested his forehead against hers, “We’ll finish up all this dark wizard stuff, then me and you are going to be alone somewhere to talk.”

She nodded, still holding his hand and squeezing it, “…I want to earn your love again, Klaus and your trust and your forgiveness,” she admitted to him, “I will do whatever it takes to let you know how much I love you, and always have since the day I met you.”

“Good,” he smirked, “I wasn’t going to forgive you without punishing you first and I’m never letting you go again, not even if you beg me.”

“I don’t want to leave your side ever again,” she kissed him, “I will continue to grow as a wizard but I want to be by your side this time.”

“That’s what you should have done from the start,” he flicked her forehead again, “Bunnyhead.”

That familiar nickname, the name only Klaus could call her, set her heart on fire again and she jumped into his arms, “Oh, Klaus!” she threw her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, kissing his lips sending her sincerest feelings through a deep kiss.

Outside the room, Walter and Julius decided the best course of action was to leave and let the two rekindle their flames of love. Leaving the private room, Walter concealed all the windows in the room to give them privacy.

Several months after the attack on her village, the town had been rebuilt and she had explained what happened to her townspeople on the fateful night. She didn’t lie to them, saying there were too many for her to handle alone and they had captured her in the early hours of the morning when she hadn’t expected to be attacked at that moment. By her side, Klaus helped her explain how she used her foresight and time magic to communicate with him and lead him to the village to intercept the wizards.

They apologised for expecting too much of her trying the terrifying time and not understanding that even though she was magical, she was not invincible enough to take on a group of wizards by herself. A ceremony was held for the ten people who had been killed in the chaos with a statue unveiled to forever remember their names.

“So, Asana,” a girlfriend of hers from off one of the farms tugged at her dress sleeve, “Who is that?” she pointed to Klaus, he stood tall and gallantly as he spoke to some old men from her village, a smile crossing her face, “Why have you been hiding him from us?”

They had been working through their pain from the past three years slowly, making sure their second-chance was not rushed to the point it would crumble. However, the love they felt for each other was stronger than any magic in the existence, not even a group of dark wizards could break.

“Klaus, Klaus Goldstein,” she answered her friend and with the proudest smile, added, “My best friend, soul mate and the only man I will ever love.”

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Wolf Eye

Elias/Yukiya - Bromance

Requested by: @ravenvampiress

Summary: Students for a while, Elias and Yukiya search the forest for a rare flower which blooms under the moonlight. A dire situation ends in Yukiya revealing a secret he kept hidden from his best friend.

Warning: Route spoilers.

A bright veil of silver light removed the usual pitch blackness of the night, allowing a person to see the outlines of the silhouetted trees decorating the academy in grounds in vast numbers, including the forest which surrounds the ancient castle.

“Where are we going again?” Yukiya wanted to fall asleep but Elias enlisted his help to find a plant which blooms under the light of the full moon.

With a map in hand and lantern in the other, his powerful sticking out of his pocket, Elias was prepared to leave the room. “I have received permission to source a flower we will need for our assignment, have you already forgotten?”

“No, but I didn't think you were serious.”

“How long have you known me for, Yukiya?” Elias shook his head, teasing his disappointment, “I never joke about studies, now get your shoes on. The plant we need is easier to locate and harvest under the light of the full moon.”

Ever since Asana came into his life and she taught him to accept the part of him he feared, he rarely became ill and with her kiss no longer transformed into a fearsome beast, and even when he did transform, he was no longer a senseless beast. He could talk and act on his own will despite his deadly appearance.

“Full moon?” peering outside, he refrained from staring directly at the large moon, “...How could I have forgotten about it?” he muttered, his chestnut brown boot grasped in his hands.

“What are you waiting for?” of course, his best friend knew nothing about his transformation and the wolf beside Yukiya chuckled as he was caught in a difficult position, “We only have a certain time allowance so we must make the most of it.”

“Could we get Asana to come with us?” Yukiya did not make his worried thoughts known to Elias as he calmly asked an important question, “...She's good at tracking plants where you aren't.”

“I can track a plant,” Elias mumbled.

“Yesterday when we were looking for the Panda Flower you walked straight passed it, then stared at it wondering where it could be,” he made an example of yesterday’s venture into the forest.

“...I...forgot what it looked like.”

“Even with the picture in your hand?”

He tried his hardest to deny Yukiya's point but sighed in defeat, “Shut up.”

Grinning, Yukiya tied the laces of his boots, “Hence, Asana should come with us.”

“Why?”

“She's a country girl, and knows her way around a forest to find flowers,” Yukiya pleaded his case, “And, two pairs of eyes are better than one,” he suggested, not considering Elias' poor tracking skills.

“What does being a country person have to do with finding a flower? Besides, Asana's not in our group project and we would be waking her up. I wouldn't feel comfortable being rude.”

“I wouldn't feel comfortable you waking her either since she's my girlfriend,” Yukiya answered him, “But, her assistance is necessary because you can't tell flowers apart.”

“Well, according to this instruction, there should be no need for her to come with us so we shouldn't have to disturb her,” Elias had copied the page of the flower they need from a book with instructions on how to find it, “It has a distinctive grey colour with a golden centre and grows at the bases of old trees under the rays of moonlight, simple enough.”

Yukiya really wanted her to join there outing but before he could protest, Elias was out of the room. Of course, students at the academy understand the dangers of the forests surrounding the academy and students with a high aptitude of magic, the prefect and the Professors were permitted to enter, students, though, with special permission by the Headmaster.

In their last three years of school, and when Elias and Asana were announced as the next Prefects, he had permission to enter the dangerous forest, but Yukiya had to chase after him before he entered the woods alone, “Don't just walk away, Elias!” Yukiya finished tying his shoes and grabbed his jacket and wrote a quick message to Asana via magic note.

“You're coming, let's go,” Yukiya instructed his grey wolf to join the excursion.

“You'll change, doesn't matter if I come with you,” walking ahead of Yukiya, the seemingly permanent grumpy wolf muttered, “Only that girl can maintain your human form.”

Locking their dorm door, Yukiya refuted his familiar, “I know.”

“Did you think you could get close to another person without them knowing your secret?” the wolf continued as they rushed to catch up to Elias, excitedly rushing to find this rare flower, “You should know, the truth never stays buried, not when you change each month into a six-hundred-pound wolf-beast.”

“Look, Asana will come,” Yukiya assured his wolf and had to be careful to not step into the full light and stay concealed in the shadows as he followed Elias, calling out to him, “Hey, slow down!”

“Oh sorry,” Elias slowed his pace and turned around to see the wolf following Yukiya, “Good idea to bring him along,” he praised, barely seeing Yukiya's blue hair in the pitch-black shadows.

With the way shadows cast long shadows of buildings in the brightness of the sun, the bright shine of the moon stretched black shadows across the pavement in the greyness of the night. Elias swearing, he could see the wolf smirking with a sinister amusement as he looked back at his behaviour.

Several times Elias shot Yukiya a weird glare but didn't say anything, until they reached the forest path on the northern hills and he became increasingly paranoid, looking back over his shoulder and remaining close to the trees.

“I know you are not afraid of the dark,” Elias suddenly called out to him, popping up behind him as he went from shadow to shadow whenever Elias had his back turned, like a spy following a target, “However, it is more dangerous lingering around shrubs and trees, who knows what will launch at you. Did you even grab your wand before you left the dorm?”

“Of course, I-!” patting around his body, he realised in his rush he had not grabbed his wand before left to catch up to Elias, “...I don't have my wand.”

“How could you leave without making sure you had it?” Elias scolded him, like any brother would to another, and that was a perfect way to summarise their relationship after all these years of friendship.

However, Yukiya's secret, he feared would spell the end of their friendship, but he could never predict how Elias would react to his other form and because of his recklessness everything they had was at risk.

“Listen, I know this looks weird but I don't like the moonlight, okay. I don't have a problem with the darkness,” Yukiya's excuse was partially true but he kept looking down the track to see if Asana was catching up to them.

“You don't like the moonlight but prefer to hug dangerously close to shrubs and trees where anything could jump out and attack you? What kind of weird logic is that?” being Elias, he had several questions and thought hard for the answers, “I swear I have seen you in the moonlight before though, now that I think about it.”

He was caught between stepping into the moonlight, revealing his other and terrifying form or waiting and stalling until Asana arrived, if she received his urgent message. Elias' sharp mind and instinctive brain could not be fooled easily but Yukiya was lost as for what to do, his friend's rambling turning into a lecture of Yukiya's habits.

“...Yes, I'm sure I have seen you walking in the moonlight before so why are you suddenly afraid of it?” There was hope his question was rhetorical as his shoulders shrugged, “Well, whatever your deal is won't change anything but it's no good hugging the trees otherwise you will be made an easy target for a hungry werewolf.”

Leaves crunched under Elias' leather boots as he continued their late-night excursion and his answer left Yukiya amused, “A werewolf, right,” Yukiya turned to watch his best friend's figure delve deeper into the forest with his wand glowing to produce a flaming light to guide the path.

“We better keep going,” Elias returned to the point of their late-night adventure, “According to a map, there's plenty of old trees in the south-west fraction of the forest. Maybe we can start there to find this plant.”

He needed to stall Elias, ‘Asana where are you?’ Yukiya was now begging for her to arrive on the scene but heard Elias moving farther away. “Elias!” Yukiya called out to him as his figure disappeared behind a wall of large shrubs “Don't just walk away!”

Consumed by his pursuit for the flower they needed for their assignment and aware of the limit they were given to find it, Elias had not the time to dawdle around.  Using his light, the map would lead him down a small stream with a small yet steep incline to hike.

“Elias, wait up!” Yukiya ran after him as he pulled further and further away in his mission to find the flower, but it was like him to get everything done quickly and efficiently, within the boundaries of the rules, and with the promise of a good result. Though, Yukiya couldn't blame him for thinking his weariness of the moonlight were just some game, he had no clue about his other form.

As Yukiya raced after him, his body was exposed to more direct moonlight and he felt his body reacting as it began to transform, “No, Asana where are you?” he looked behind him and in other directions to try smell her or to see her figure moving in the darkness, but it was only his wolf following wearing a smug look on his face.

“I would ask you to find her but I doubt you'll do it,” Yukiya spoke to him, a sweat beginning to form across his brow as fought trying to change.

“Why would I?” the wolf chuckled, “Things are only getting interest-,” suddenly the wolf stopped speaking and gnarled his teeth, bellowing a growl from his throat and his fur bristling from head to tail, “Find your friend.”

In the distance, he heard Elias shout and sprinted his way, “Elias!” Yukiya shouted out to him and heard another cry from his best friend nearby. Following his scent and the noise of his cry, Yukiya found him on the ground, clutching at his shoulder, the fabric of his jacket and shirt ripped down to his skin and covered in blood from the large scratch which had torn his flesh.

“Yukiya,” he tried to get up but a shot of tremendous pain pulled him back down, but he wanted to protect Yukiya from getting hurt.

Though, Yukiya could already sense the presence of werewolves around them. His wolf had defeated the one he sensed by them and circled around the two boys to protect them, ready to bite any of them which came forward, “You need to change if you have any hope of surviving this, same with your friend,” whatever smugness that was present before in the wolf had now disappeared, this time he was serious.

“You have to get out of here,” Elias begged Yukiya, “You don't have your wand and I think my other arm is broken,” Elias had been dragged along the ground when he fell as one creature shredded his bicep, his nail marks imprinted in the ground and his wand fallen from his hand.

Yukiya noticed it was broken, “Yours is broken,” he realised now, the wolf had insisted he change because as the situation stood, all three of them would die at the hands of these creatures, stronger under the full moon than any other night.

“Change now!” the wolf urged him to change as he used his hind legs to leap off the ground as a werewolf came forward to attack them. His shallow growl prompting the other werewolves to come charging.

He had no choice but to reveal his other identity to Elias. The similarities between the night he was given this curse and saving his family resembling the current problem now, Elias knew nothing about his transformation and there was every chance he would no longer want to be friends and might even report him to the Ministry.

Please, don’t hate me, is all he could beg for silently, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect us,” Yukiya promised, “Just…be prepared for what you’ll see,” he sighed, and stepped into the direct moonlight, taking off his eyepatch and looking up at the moon.

“How are you going to protect us without a wand?” Elias asked, Yukiya’s back to him as a magic circle surrounded his body and the mark of his contract glowed, “Yukiya?” Elias watched as his best friend was surrounded by a wall of magic, it seemed to hurt him.

“Don’t!” Yukiya warned him away, “Just stay behind me, alright!”

He felt his muscles contracting dispositioning his stance and making him fall forward to his knees. “What’s happening?” Elias tried to talk to him, unware of Yukiya’s body was transforming and could see the werewolves watching, earnestly, but Yukiya’s wolf growled at Elias to keep his distance from the magic circle, “You’re his familiar, why aren’t you helping him?”

A veil of light blinded Elias and he turned his head away, only to see a creature with fur as shiny and black as a panther’s coat. Those piercing eyes as gold as the sun but as terrifying like the orbs of his wolf familiar and horns with ends as sharp as a dagger’s tip. “Yukiya?” Elias could hardly believe what he was seeing, his human body had turned into a body of a beast.

“…I didn’t want you to see me like this ever, but I will protect us,” he spoke and swatted his large paws, with razor sharp claws, at the crowd of hungry werewolves and roared ferociously and fearsomely.

One or two tried to challenge him but Yukiya had no trouble in defending himself against the creatures, his body larger than those creatures born of the darkness. Elias, though, couldn’t move, he was frozen with both shock and the pain travelling through his arms. “No wonder why he has a wolf for a familiar,” he remarked, looking at the grey coat of the wolf standing in front of him, assisting Yukiya in protecting him. Though, Elias was not afraid as he watched Yukiya fend off the werewolves using nothing but his paws and his loud roar to make them retreat.

Once the werewolves knew they were no match for Yukiya in his beast form, they retreated into the depths of the deep forest, likely heading for the East Forest where it was darker than any other part. As Yukiya watched them leave, he was torn between running away from Elias and staying but in this state, he could not return to his human size to treat his wounds.

“If you are thinking about running away, don’t,” it was like Elias read his mind and made up his mind, he tried to stand but couldn’t, realising his feet, ankles and legs were scratched up too, a horrible pain shooting from his foot too.

Yukiya turned around and laid down in front of him, “I can’t leave you here or they might come back,” that was one undeniable fact, “Climb on, I can carry you back to the academy and call for Asana. I can’t do anything until the sun comes up and I return to my original form.”

“So, you are a human?”

Yukiya nodded, “…I never wanted you to see me like this. Asana understanding me is one thing but you…,” he couldn’t finish his sentence.

Everything about his weird behaviour began to make sense as Elias and Yukiya sat their silently but he didn’t know which question to begin with. All he knew was that he had no reason to fear him and was not angry Yukiya had never mentioned this before, “I understand,” Elias finally responded, “Were you afraid of how I would react?”

Yukiya nodded, surprised as to how calmly Elias was reacting to all of this, “You are calm about this?”

“I have many question but I am unsure which one I should start with?” Elias unconsciously reached out and touched his horns then his fur, but he was calm, “You are literally a magical creature, how?”

There was no lie Yukiya needed to hide behind and decided to come clean, his best friend deserved to know the truth, “A contract with the wolf,” he admitted, glancing to the creature who had moved to guard the area, “…I was not born with magic like yourself or Asana, he gave me magic.”

“Why would you need magic?”

Yukiya realised he would need to start at the very beginning if Elias was going to understand why he looked like a monster, “My past, my present, Asana’s hard work and powerful magic are all connected. Though, if I am going to have you understand I need to tell you everything from the start.”

Before he started to speak, he heard footsteps running in the distance but it was coming closer towards them. Looking over at his familiar, the wolf did not raise his bristles as Yukiya could see a shadow in the distance. Of course, their senses were more sensitive than a human’s as Elias heard the crunching of leaves and the hurrying footsteps minutes after they had heard it, “What’s that? Are those wolves back?”

“Don’t worry,” Yukiya calmed him, “That scent belongs to Asana, I can feel her magic too.”

Admittedly, she was a stronger and smarter wizardess now than when she had first enrolled into the academy. She had matured into a serious student and decided to studier harder than anyone else to the point she rivals Elias’ magic and Luca’s, and alongside the Goldstein, would be announced as the next Prefect. Those whoever duelled against her, smartly forfeited but they feared her extraordinary power.

“Yukiya!” when she spotted him in his creature form, she ran to be at his side, throwing her arms around him for a tightening hug, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” softly, he nuzzled her, but Elias’ wounds needed tending too, “…We were ambushed by a pack of werewolves, Elias is injured. Could you heal him?”

As if not even noticing Elias because her worry for Yukiya had blinded her, she turned a shade of red, the embarrassment of gushing over him apparent in her expression, but quickly, she was stunned, “…You transformed in front of him?” having once asked him if he was ever going to explain his creature form to Elias, he said he wouldn’t ever unless he had to.

“…We were surrounded, I had no other choice but to change if we were going to live,” he explained, “I had —,” she put a finger to his snout, “Asana?”

“You don’t need to explain, I was just surprised that’s all,” she slithered away from him to crawl across to Elias, his posture relaxed but his mind burning with several questions, “You’re awfully relaxed about this but I’m sure there are many questions you want to ask. If he chooses to explain, I must first heal you.”

“…I am sure he was about to before you interrupted,” Elias stated the factual truth, “…You aren’t afraid of him in this form either,” he showed her his wounds since he had become incapable of using his magic.

“He’s Yukiya, not matter what shape or form he’s in, and I love him all the same,” her smile was tender as she looked over her shoulder at him and gripped her wand in her hand while gently examining the extent of Elias’ injuries.

She was right, but that’s exactly why he felt relaxed. Even though his human body was now a magnificent creature, he was still Yukiya mind, spirit and soul. But, he needed an explanation to understand how he had come to end up within this terrifying body.

“Heal all wounds,” Asana chanted, envisioning all of Elias’ cuts, gashes and bruises, even the pain of his broken foot and arm, and sending a warm wave of fused water and wind to envelope his entire body.

Suddenly, all those injuries he had sustained vanished, including his broken bones, confirming Asana’s brand of magic was one-of-a-kind and incredible, “Thanks Asana,” Elias gratefully bowed to her in appreciation, his body rejuvenated like he had never been mauled, “Now, explain this to me. You said before you were not born with magic and made a contract with the wolf to obtain it, why?”

Asana moved back over to Yukiya and gave him a comforting squeeze of his paw to encourage him, “It’s your choice if you want to tell him, I’ll change you back to normal if you rather tell him that way?”

“No, I want to tell him like this,” Yukiya decided to stay within his warm fur and looked to his best friend, “Only a handful of people know about my secret, can I trust you won’t tell your father or brothers or anyone at the Ministry?”

“I understand this is top-secret Yukiya, otherwise you would have told me from the beginning,” Elias folded his arms across his chest like he was disappointed, now that he had calmed down.

Yukiya could hear it in his tone, “It’s not that I didn’t trust you with the truth Elias, it’s for the same reasons I tried to reject Asana. I care about you, you are a dear friend to me, and you were the first person at this academy to treat me as an equal, you weren’t afraid of me. As our relationship deepened, I consider you a brother to me, and I couldn’t gauge how you would respond if you ever found out. I…didn’t want to lose you.”

“Luca knows?”

Yukiya nodded, “As does the Headmaster and Asana, now you. I suppose my family kind of know.”

“You said your past, present and Asana’s seriousness about magic is all connected to your creature form?”

“I acquired magic to save my family and my village but like I said, for you to understand, I’ll explain from the start,” Yukiya took a deep breath, “My life changed when I was twelve years old,” Asana squeezed his paw again for encouragement and Elias gave him his undivided attention as he found to courage to tell his story for the second time his entire life.

“My family were poor but we were very close. While my father was away working, my mother and I, being the eldest of seven, were left to run the house and look after my siblings. Though, the day that changed our lives forever, started out as normally as any other day for us. My mother had asked me to go into town to get some cheese, and I remember my little sister wanted to tag along, but it was late and told her to stay home. However, the moment I left was the moment I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it.”

“It took me longer than I had expected for me to return home with the cheese my mother wanted, the skies faintly glowed in the afternoon sun. But, the closer I came to my village the more I sensed something was terribly wrong so I hurried home. As I was coming into the village I could smell burning straw and blood in the air, so I ran into the village to witness my neighbours feeling from their homes with intense flames billowing out of windows and rooves, everyone was in a state of panic. I rushed to my house.”

Yukiya paused to collect his thoughts while Elias waited for him to continue, his heart aching for his friend as he retold his torturing past. Asana, held his paw, knowing every detail about his story to comfort him, “What happened?” Elias softly prompted him to continue, telling Yukiya he was paying attention.

“I remember the feeling of the shiver which ran down my spine as I entered my home and watched a gang of men ransacking my home for anything valuable. The terrifying faces on my siblings’ faces and my mother begging for me to run. The men then started to laugh, asking which one of us they should kill first.”

“They were evil. Sharpening their knives, some headed for me and others headed for my family. I was powerless as I begged for them to stop but they only laughed, mocked my futile attempts to stop them from hurting my family. I remember my sister screaming and my mother begging me to flee, but I was frozen with fear, and to this day I can still feel how my body trembled. Even if I abandoned them to die, I would never forgive myself, and what would I say to my father?”

“They would suffer because I couldn’t do anything to protect them. What I needed more than anything was power, some strength to do that, but I was powerless, useless. Then in those moments of despair something strange happened, my world turned dark and I couldn’t see a thing, not even my own body.”

Yukiya looked over at the wolf and their yellow eyes met, “In that darkness, I honestly thought I was dead but I didn’t feel like I was dead. In my confusion, an ashen wolf appeared,” his gaze fell back to Elias and he felt Asana still at his side, “I knew from the moment I met him he was no ordinary wolf and then, as he stared at me, he asked me ‘Do you want power?’”

“He told me he could give me the power I desired in that moment. ‘Power?’ I questioned and he replied with few words, ‘Power of magic’. ‘Magic…’, I was confused, you see I was not born with magic like you or Asana were, it was given to me by him,” Yukiya watched as Elias turned to meet the wolf’s gaze and gave his attention back to Yukiya.

Hearing his dejected voice, Elias grew sympathetic for his friend and felt guilty that he never realised the pain he harboured in silence but respected his strength, “You accepted a contract, didn’t you?” Elias asked.

Yukiya nodded, “In my confusion, he said I could make a contract with him. ‘What contract?’ I asked and he said he would give me the power, the magic, I needed in exchange for my soul. I didn’t understand but he added that he would stay by my side and nourish my soul. I didn’t really want to, ‘Why would I let you do that?’ I asked.”

“Of course, my current predicament gave him the perfect opportunity to entice me into the contract. He asked, simply, if I wanted to save my family and my village because as the way it stands, I along with my family and my village would die, but if I made the contract they would be saved. What other choice did I have? Let them die or take the chance to save them?”

He paused, thinking of his next words carefully, and Elias’ eyes softened, “Yukiya…,” he had no words to say other than the sadness he felt in his heart for his best friend.

Yukiya continued to tell his story, “So, I agreed to the contract,” he confirmed what Elias already knew, “You saw my left eye, right?”

“I did,” Elias nodded, “It had some kind of strange marking where your pupil should be.”

“As I agreed to the contract, it felt like my left eye was lit on fire, the burning pain was unbearable, but my pupil was replaced with a symbol, confirming our contract. As I cradled my eye, he then presented me with a magical wand and he encouraged for to take it, so with my free hand I did, and suddenly I became a wizard. I don’t remember what happened next but my family and the village were saved and the raiders vanished. I was no longer useless and saved them, just like I wanted.”

Elias looked at him with a pained expression, “So, why do you turn into a magical creature, was it part of your sacrifice to make your contract?”

Asana nodded slightly, and Yukiya did too, “I was so naïve back then and desperate when I made that contract, not fully understanding what making a contract meant or at least what it meant to make a sacrifice. It would eventually lead to me never being able to see my family again.”

“Did they not accept you?” Elias wondered.

“I honestly don’t know and I don’t want to know,” Yukiya turned his head away, “But, on the night of the next full moon, soon after the raiders had left the village and my father had returned home from work, my body felt like it was dying. It was burning with a hot fever, like it was melting me from the inside out, then I felt like I was being torn apart but it was all part of my transformation, that’s what you see now – I turned into a monster.”

Yukiya thought back to the terrified faces of his family that it still hurt his heart and made him never return to his home, “Inside my home, I turned into this beast and I remember my mother rushing my siblings from my house, my father bewildered into believing this beast consumed me, his son. Back then, I couldn’t speak, and when I tried to answer him, ‘It’s me,’ I told him but only roars echoed through the house. My sister was terrified of me, and she wore a look on her face I can never erase from my mind, her words to this day sting my heart because to her I was no longer her favourite big brother, but I was a terrifying beast.”

“I don’t know if they accepted me or ever will, but remembering how scared they were of me, I couldn’t do anything but run away, and not knowing how they would receive me now, I will never go back. I promised that to myself when I saw how scared they were and the wolf explained the terms of my sacrifice to me.”

“When I met him again, he was waiting for me. I asked him why did he do this to me but he answered this is what I chose. Angered and unaware of how contracts worked, I demanded the contract be terminated immediately but he said he couldn’t and that this is my sacrifice to obtain power, when my left eye meets the light of the full moon, I will, for the rest of my life, will become a magical creature, for the rest of my life I will live with a “curse-like” contract. That is why I never denied or retaliated when students would say I was cursed, I already believed I was.”

With each admission of his explanation, Elias’ heart sank with sadness for his best friend. He remembered when he tried to compare his own suffering to Yukiya’s, and agreed he was a fool now that this was being explained. “Let me get this straight, so all those times you fell feverishly sick around the full moon, you were changing into your creature form?”

“That’s right,” Yukiya confirmed his question, “However, I will answer why I don’t get sick soon, there’s more you need to know first.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“My family and my village were terrified of me and I lived in fear of this curse within me, and each time I transformed into this creature I was losing myself. I left the village for good and have not seen my family since, I was more dangerous to them than those raiders were.”

“Though, I sought salvation when I heard about this academy and applied to become a student here. I heard about the story of the Three Mages and how they were among the most powerful wizards in the world, and came here hoping they could break my cursed contract for me, obviously, they couldn’t break it either since contracts are unbreakable. However, Headmaster Randolph said if I become better at magic I might be able to control myself when I change, so I stayed to learn magic.”

Elias wondered if it had worked, “Did learning magic work to help you control it?”

Yukiya shook his head, “No, I was terrified of using magic because of the darkness my magic was born from. I feared it and in the end kept losing myself more to the point where I had lost my mind whenever I changed. That’s why, you probably felt it knowing your senses, my magic had a negative energy whenever I demonstrated it or it hurt me, because I was fighting it.”

Elias nodded as if it all made sense now, “I did realise, I suppose I should have asked you that way you would never had to go through this alone all those years ago,” he felt like he had let his best friend down, “I was right there, why did you never turn to me for help?”

“If the Mages couldn’t do anything, what could you have done?” Yukiya questioned sharply but his gaze softened, “Elias, I never wanted to get anybody involved, especially those I had come to care about, like you. When you resented the people saying I was cursed and treated me like a normal person, I felt completely human, that’s why your friendship had become important to me.”

“Don’t worry, you weren’t the only person he pushed away,” Asana butted in, “Yukiya never rejected my feelings because he didn’t feel the same, he was afraid of how I would respond to this form or that he’d hurt me.”

He was shocked, “Seriously?”

“It’s true,” Yukiya chuckled, “She’s stubborn but she also saved me.”

Elias suddenly became confused as he absorbed all this information, “Wait a moment, you said you became mindless in this form and you couldn’t speak, so how are you doing it now? Is it because you became a stronger and better wizard?”

“No,” Yukiya nudged his nose against Asana’s cheek, it was a gentle poke, “Asana saved me. Do you remember how Luca tried to lure me into the Tower of Sorrow because I could hear the song which puts the Chimera to sleep?”

Elias remembered that day very clearly since he was inside his brother’s office receiving a stern talking to after Klaus found him pinned to the detention chamber wall, when Professor Schuyler barged in, holding Luca by the scruff of the neck, and demanding Klaus put him in the detention chamber while he checked on the Tower while the Headmaster was assisting Yukiya and Asana.

Though, all he knew was just what Yukiya asked him, Luca tried to lure him to the Tower by force but Asana stopped him with a powerful primitive spell, “I remember Luca saying he was stopped by Asana’s primitive spell and he tried to force you to take him to the tower, but that’s all I know.”

Yukiya filled in some necessary information, “See, there’s this song which puts the Chimera, who guards the Tower of Sorrow, to sleep but only those with taming abilities can hear its song, well used to hear it, I’m sure the Headmaster put some barrier over it now. Luca was desperate to enter the tower, I don’t know why and I don’t care, but that night was also the night of the blood moon eclipse, meaning my fever was much worse than normal. Somehow, he knew about my secret and he threatened to tell Asana and you the truth, but I didn’t want either of you to know or get involved, unless I took him to the tower.”

“What was special about this song?”

“It wasn’t just a lullaby for the Chimera, it was also a path to the tower through the East Forest,” Yukiya answered, “Luca couldn’t hear it, but I could that’s why he needed me to take him there. While I was sick in the detention chamber, Asana nursed me, brewing me medicine and wiping away my sweat, she was gentle and at the same time I wanted her to leave I wanted her to stay by my side.”

“She discovered I was missing from my cell and the winged-rabbit helped her to find me being carried by Luca as I guided him to the tower. That’s when he figured out she could also hear the song too, and dropped me on the spot for her because she was a weaker wizard back then, so she was an easier target for Luca.”

Elias’ eyes were scolding the troublemaker’s name, “Was he that desperate?”

“Yeah,” Yukiya nodded, “I don’t know why he was desperate but he wasn’t stopping and didn’t care who got in his way, he would destroy them. When he was forcing Asana to show him the way and throwing her into danger, I was consumed with anger because I had realised how much I loved her. Taking off my eyepatch, I revealed myself to the moonlight and changed to protect her.”

“I was really no match for Luca’s magic but I had more strength then he did. We fought and I was injured badly but the Headmaster came to our aid, demanding Luca set Asana free. Mindless and injured, I ran away, and Luca was left to deal with him and had no choice but to let Asana go.”

Elias chuckled, “Did he truly think he was a match for the Headmaster?”

“He was desperate, I assume he had his own reasons for doing what he did,” Asana remarked, “But, he quickly gave up. A smart wizard knows when to walk away from a fight they can’t handle.”

“I would have to agree,” Elias nodded, “He is no match for my brother let alone the Headmaster. What was the boy thinking?”

Yukiya returned to his story, “With the Professors left to deal with Luca, Asana chased after me but she told me she wasn’t afraid and I was me no matter what shape I take.”

“I still mean it,” Asana butted in and told this part to Elias since Yukiya didn’t remember the finer details, “I knew he was injured and needed attention. Luca had pierced his hide with light arrows but when I found him hiding in the bushes, he had not come to his senses and lashed out, even at me. Transferring my power to the winged-rabbit, he used unbreakable light chains to hold him in place while I tried to get closer to him. I was not afraid of him, I only felt my love for him and what I would do to help him, no matter the cost.”

Elias stood their stunned, “So, that day in the corridor when you said you loved him, you meant every word of it?”

“Who confesses to loving someone if they don’t?” Asana cocked her head to the side in confusion at his question, “I only ever say it if I mean it, and my feelings, my love for him have not changed since those days. If anything, I love him more than I did back then.”

Yukiya felt embarrassed as she confessed her feelings of love for him and could see her cheeks were bathed in a shade of bright red. “The more she spoke to me, the more I came to my senses and realised she accepted me for what I am. Then, the Headmaster showed up. As he healed my wounds, he gave me the power to speak and to find myself, that’s why I can talk to you now and not try to kill you.”

Elias’ eyebrows raised in surprise at his blunt words, “So, if you were a mindless creature, I would be dead, is that what you are saying?”

“Asana has a scar on her back from when she hugged me that night, so yeah, I probably would have if I were mindless,” Yukiya admitted but he his voice was calm, “I suppose you can thank the Headmaster for gifting my creature form with self-control and speech.”

“Y-Yeah…,” Elias voice jittered, “I suppose so. So, how is it Asana saved you if the Headmaster gave you these powers to control yourself and to speak?”

Yukiya’s heart overflowed with his unconditional love for her, the woman who sacrificed something of her own to free him, “Asana…changed my life, Elias, and there’s nothing I can ever do, other than giving her my unconditional love, to repay her. In a way, she freed me from my contract, from my curse.”

Elias was stunned and demanded to know how, “What?! How?! I thought contracts were unbreakable?”

“Relax, as you can see his contract isn’t broken,” Asana chuckled at Elias’ adorable reaction.

“Headmaster Randolph back then noticed her potential to become a great tamer of creatures, probably underestimating her overall power of unlimited magic, as we see it today, but Asana used that ability to do something about mine.”

“You truly have come a long way from the clumsy wizardess back in th0se days,” Elias couldn’t deny she had become a different wizardess since the day she had arrived, “There’s no more frogs raining in class, so there’s a bonus.”

“Hey!” Asana pouted her lips and her cheeks puffed at him, “…Ugh! Schuyler never lets me hear the end of it and neither does anyone else.”

“That’s because no one has ever made it rain frogs before,” Yukiya commented.

“First times for everything are the most memorable,” Elias added onto Yukiya’s sentence.

Now, she crossed her arms and averted her gaze, “Quit teasing me.”

Sharing a laugh, Yukiya nuzzled her again but Elias returned to where the conversation had trailed off, “Anyway, what did Asana do about your contract?”

“She made an0ther contract,” Yukiya answered.

Each main point of this story was surprising Elias, “…But, that would mean making her own sacrifice, right?”

“As with every contract, you must sacrifice something in equal or greater value for whatever it is you wish to obtain, the bigger the request the greater the sacrifice will be,” Yukiya nodded, “I begged her not to make aa contract, fearing she would end up like me but ignoring my pleas, she went through with it.”

“Her contract was made with the Elder Winged Rabbit. He is incredibly powerful and has lived a long life to the point where he is recognised as a dignified creature rather than a common winged-rabbit. We met him during a day off when we sat in the valley of flowers where they are usually found. He took a liking to Asana almost immediately and helped her to find me in the chamber and in the forest when I ran off.”

“Headmaster Randolph really negotiated the contract between the two, the silly rabbit simply wanted her hair for his tail to form a contract powerful enough to change mine, but it wasn’t enough. In fact, he was the one who suggested she make the contract with the winged-rabbit because her love and care for me coupled with her taming abilities would be powerful enough to change mine.”

“He suggested for Asana to possess the power to control me in my transformed state and return me to my primary human form under her authority she could never leave my side, so it’s a good thing we love each other because we are bound together for the rest of our lives.”

Elias couldn’t believe she went that far and understood why Yukiya desperately wanted her to come with them while they searched for the flower they needed, “Oh, so that’s why you were desperate for her to come out here with us and why you were trying to avoid the moonlight?”

Yukiya nodded, “In my rush to chase after you, knowing I couldn’t let you come in here alone when werewolves would be at their full power too, I sent her a magic note before I left the dorm to meet us in the forest at the gate to the northern valley trail.”

Covering his mouth, he felt like a total jerk, “…I’m so sorry, Yukiya! I didn’t know!” Elias apologised to him.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know,” Yukiya didn’t blame him, “How could you have known if I never had told you? Don’t worry about it but I’m just glad I could save your life from those creatures and we aren’t dead. Werewolves are at their full power under the full moon, so you couldn’t defeat them alone. Even if I had my wand, it wouldn’t have been enough to save us and wolf.”

Elias glanced over his shoulder at the grey wolf who gave Yukiya his contract, “With what you just told me, I don’t know how to feel about him. I mean, he saved you and your family but also put you through tremendous pain too.”

“Don’t worry, I felt conflicted too, but…,” Yukiya looked at Asana and then his best friend, “I suffered a lot but I also gained a lot too, and my family and village are alive and safe. I have made a new life with new friends and found Asana too. What I have lost is nothing compared to what I have also gained. Besides, he may have an attitude but he’s not a bad guy.”

“It took him a long time to think that way about me,” Asana heard the wolf mutter as he came to sit at her feet, “Those werewolves have gone deeper into the woods, we should be safe now.”

Elias didn’t her him but seeing Asana and Yukiya look at him, the creature must have said something to them, “Did…he say something?”

“Just that the werewolves have gone deeper into the woods, probably over in the East now where it’s the darkest,” Asana relayed to Elias, giving the creature a pet on the head, “My honest opinion about why this wolf chose Yukiya, because I think he’s lonely.”

Yukiya waited for an answer from his familiar but the wolf’s golden eyes rolled and he snarled at her, “…Shut up,” then he walked away, concealing himself in the dark shadows of the bush.

“He’s quite shy,” Asana chuckled, “After all, creatures aren’t too different from animals and like all canines they chose their owners.”

Elias suddenly remembered the dog he used to own with Klaus, “Yeah, no kidding,” and he had some more questions he needed answers to about Yukiya’s condition, “So, are you content with who you are now? I noticed you don’t get sick like you used to.”

“Honestly, I think I used to become sick because I was fighting the magic inside of me but Asana helped me overcome my fear and I’m no longer afraid. My curse, my past, my present, everything has made me who I am, and when I think about it in hindsight, I’m not sorry for making the contract. My family are alive, that’s all that matters to me and I have a wonderful girlfriend and a good best friend who accept me as I am. When I use magic, it doesn’t hurt anymore nor does it feel dark because I learnt to control it.”

Elias had a new respect for Yukiya, “Your strength is commendable, Yukiya, yours too, Asana,” he praised them for the bravery in such a difficult time, “But, what will happen if you stop loving each other?”

“That’ll never happen,” Asana quickly responded to his question but quickly covered her mouth too, “I…mean…you never know how these things will—.”

“We will never stop loving each other,” Yukiya interrupted her poor attempt at a cover-up, “We also aren’t going to let this form of mine keep us from getting the most out of life either. One day, we plan on getting married and having kids with good jobs.”

“And, seeing your family again,” Asana added.

“That’s a discussion for another time,” Yukiya refuted.

Elias was happy for them and didn’t judge him for a moment now that he knew the details of Yukiya’s contract. He chuckled, “You’re an idiot,” he scolded Yukiya.

“What? Why?” Yukiya couldn’t believe he just called him an ‘idiot’, “I had my reasons for not telling you.”

“I understand,” Elias got that part, “Though, how could you think I would run off and tell the Ministry about your contract and you turning into a magical creature. What kind of person do you think I am?”

“You’re not…mad at me?”

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Elias had no reason to be, “I understand why you didn’t tell me, Yukiya. Though, after hearing your story, I can’t be mad at you. You did what you had to do to protect your family and village. If you had said you accepted the contract just because you wanted magic out of selfishness, I would be mad at you, but you are the kind-hearted and gentle-spirited person who would commit to such a selfless act to protect the innocent. There’s no shame in that, in fact that’s what I like about you the most, your kind heart and gentle spirit, now I respect you more.”

“Elias…”

It was such a touching sight to see Elias and Yukiya bonding like this, with Asana stepping out of the way to give them a moment. Stepping closer, again, to Yukiya, Elias stroked his fur and horns, “Though, you really do look terrifying. I mean anyone bumping to you in the middle of the night like this would probably run away in fear.”

“Did you have to add that?” Yukiya growled at him.

“Just stating the facts,” Elias returned, “Hey, promise me that you’ll never be afraid to tell me anything from now on?”

“…But…,” Yukiya trusted him, he did, “I don’t want to drag you into anything unnecessary, Elias.”

“Yukiya, how much have we already gone through together? Usually, I would stay out of people’s issues but not those I care about, and I care about you like you are one of my brothers. Asana is the same too,” his eyes were filled with sincerity as was the tone of his soft voice, “Promise me. No, let’s make a pact that we can rely on each other when the going gets tough, alright?”

Yukiya couldn’t argue with him and agreed to make this non-magical and un-sacrificial promise, a contract between brothers but in his current form, they couldn’t shake on it, “Um, I would shake your hand but I might end up scratching you instead.”

“So, you said Asana has the power to change you back to a human, right?” Elis glanced over at her, “…How exactly does she do that?”

Yukiya glanced over at her and she turned bright red, “I know Elias is here…but could you change me back now?” he requested to be turned back into a human and saw she had found his eyepatch that he had thrown nearby on the ground when he changed.

She approached him, “I change him with a transfiguration spell,” she answered Elias’ question and focused her attention on Yukiya, “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” she turned a shade of red knowing Elias was watching, “Forgive us, Elias, but I need to kiss him to change him back.”

“…So, it’s a transfiguration spell through the power of a kiss,” he spoke out loud, understanding what it would take for her to change him. When she leaned in, he quickly felt awkward and spun around giving them privacy but his face glowing red.

Pressing her lips to his nose, she concentrated her magical energy to convert him back into a human. Where she had felt his nose, she now felt those familiar, well-shaped lips of his kissing her back, “What took you so long to get here?” he wondered what kept her waiting.

“Ah, um…I was in the bath.”

Yukiya turned red at the thought, “…The bath.”

“Yeah, Amelia came running in with the message that you needed me to meet you at the northern valley forest gate urgently. Realising it was the night of the full moon and I remember Elias saying he had to come out here for a flower for an assignment I dressed as quickly as I could, had to bypass the dorm mother and find you. It was only when I heard your roar that I raced up here, having to fight a few werewolves along the way.”

“…You defeated them on your own?” Yukiya was shocked.

Asana shrugged, “…Only used a primitive spell to warn them away.”

“Can I turn around now?” Elias butted in.

“Oh, yeah,” Yukiya gave him permission.

Searching around the area, the truth of Yukiya being a magical creature had become more believable as the large beast and his thick layer of jet black fur had disappeared and Yukiya appeared as a normal human man, just as he was before Elias witnessed him transform. Attaching the eyepatch across his left eye, Yukiya also felt better now that Asana had changed him and there was no chance he would change for the remainder of the full moon’s presence in the sky this month.

“You are back to normal,” Elias had to touch his hair to make sure this was really his best friend, “It’s hard to believe that you turn into that creature when you look like a man again.”

He continuously stroked his blue hair as if confirming he was a man until he was satisfied, “Elias,” Yukiya stopped his hand from moving, “It’s not weird you petting me in my creature form, but it looks weird when you’re petting me in my human form.”

Elias face reddened with embarrassment, “Sorry, just had to confirm it was you again.”

“This is my original form.”

“…So, when Asana changes you back to normal, do you stay like this until the full moon wanes or does she need to kiss you every night until it disappears?”

“I pour enough energy to keep him human through the course of the full moon period, unless it is a special moon, like an eclipse, but he should be able to walk under the moonlight without getting sick or turning into his creature form,” Asana explained to Elias.

A small silence ensued between them as the information was absorbed by Elias. Yukiya wondering if this truly bothered him, “Elias, are you sure you’re okay? I mean, I understand if no longer want to be friends or if you want to not share room with me anymore.”

“No, I’m okay,” Elias smiled, “There’s just a lot of information I need to process but I am happy that you can control this side of you and you have truly an amazing partner in Asana to support you through this but remember I am also an ally too.”

“Yeah, sure,” Yukiya held out his hand for a shake, “It’s not a pact unless you shake on it.”

Elias didn’t hesitate to seal the vow of their pact with a firm and trained grip of Yukiya’s cold hand, “Right.” In that promise, and with Elias’ acceptance, their bond deepened.

“Ahem,” Asana warranted their attention, “Don’t you have a flower to find? What is it you’re looking for?”

“Ironically, the Wolf’s Eye flower,” Elias went to find his page and map of the flower but it was all shredded, “Oh, how are we supposed to find it now?”

Yukiya and Asana laughed, “Such a city boy,” Yukiya commented.

“It grows by the bases of old trees under the moonlight,” Asana knew the flower too, “Your best chance is to find a tree aged between two-thousand to five-thousand years old.”

“How am I supposed to know the age of a tree, Asana?” Elias retorted, looking at her with dissatisfaction.

“This is the Panda Flower all over again,” Yukiya commented on the earlier conversation where he teased Elias’ poor forest tracking skills, “Flowers this rare are not easily found with printed instructions on a piece of paper. You need to know what you’re looking for in the forest.”

Elis sighed, “I told you…I simply forgot what it looked like,” he was defiant to accept he had poor tracking skills when it came to plants since his mother usually had a garden full of rare plants or his father could easily obtain necessary materials. By the way, you left one question unanswered in your story?”

“What’s that?”

“Why did Asana suddenly decide to become a hard-working wizardess anyway?”

Asana remembered Headmaster Randolph saying there is always discoveries being made in the world of magic, “One day, I want to discover how to dissolve magical contracts so one day I can completely free Yukiya from his. I might not ever find the answer, but I am going to try and open a path to make it possible one day. Which means I need to work hard and apply for a job in the Ministry in the Magical Creatures Department so I can find that answer.”

“Well, being announced as a Prefect will certainly help you in your application,” Elias advised and thought her goal was an ambitious one but respected her at the same time, “I can only offer you the best of luck in pursuit of those answers, Asana.”

“Thanks,” Asana gripped onto Yukiya’s hand, “So, do you need help finding this flower of yours?”

“We can manage,” Yukiya gave her hand a kiss, “Sorry for dragging you away from your bath, I’m sure you were preparing for bed.”

“It’s fine, I will always come to your side,” Asana smiled at him with the same precious pink stare she only let him see, “Anyway, I’m out of bed now and I don’t think Elias will be able to help you find it.”

“Hey, I heard that!”

Yukiya and Asana laughed, “She’s right though, we can get this done quicker and we already lost so much time with those werewolves and me explaining my other form to you, and we do have a time certain which we need to be back to the dorms.”

“Alright, fine, she can help us,” Elias agreed and prompted them to move, “So, how do you find an old tree?”

Yukiya held Asana’s hand and helped her over the stream Elias had come to meet with the werewolves, “Thanks,” she jumped over the stream and landed in his arms.

“Oh, by the way the Wolf Eye grows at the base of a Royess tree and those trees in this forest are between three and half thousand years old and five thousand years old,” Yukiya explained to Elias, “They grow close to banks of rivers and streams but they are further in the forest,” he pointed in the direction they needed to be travelling with the free hand which did not hold her delicate and smooth hands, “Are you cold?” he asked her as they moved in that direction.

“No, I’m fine,” she stuck close to his body heat though and watched Elias walked a little ahead of them to give them some room, “He’s okay, right? With everything he learnt just now?”

Yukiya smiled, “He’s a rare kind of friend but he’s okay,” he glanced down at her, “He’s giving us some room. He carries himself as a strict person but he’s a good guy at heart.”

“You really trust him, don’t you?”

He nodded, “I trust him as much as I trust you.”

“Should I be jealous?”

“Of Elias?”

“Sounds like you two have a romance of your own?” she teased him.

“A romance? What are you talking about?”

“A bromance.”

Yukiya knew the term and couldn’t deny it, “Well, we have been friends since the day I arrived here and we’ve been through a lot together since then. So, I can’t deny it but calling it a romance is a little weird and you being jealous of it isn’t necessary.”

He stopped walking for a moment, the wolf joining Elias up ahead to protect him as he watched to see where he was, then turned to Asana, “After all, there are some things I can’t do with Elias that I can do with you,” he leaned in closer and his lips touch hers, “I love you, Asana.”

“I love you to, Yukiya,” the kiss they shared was sweet.

Elias sighed when he turned, at the base of a tree with its trunk illuminated by moonlight, around to see them sharing a kiss and at the same time blushed, “Ahem! Are you two looking for a flower or intend on…kissing…each other?” he interrupted them.

Yukiya and Asana erupted into laughter but Elias didn’t understand what they were laughing at and grew a little cross at them, “What are you laughing at?”

“Sometimes you should look at your feet,” Yukiya laughed.

Looking down at the base of the tree’s white bottle trunk, a stream of moonlight glowed along the bark in a smooth straight line. Growing in the vines of the hearth at the base was a grey flower with six wound pedals without a single split in the anatomy of the open bulb. From the tip of the petal to the yellow centre were golden strips which sparkled under the light.

“Is…this the flower?” he wondered, picking it up between his fingers.

“That’s the flower,” Yukiya chuckled, holding Asana close to him to keep her warm, “We only need one for the potion, right?”

“Yes, but we’ll take two in case we mess up,” Elias insisted on taking two of the rare flowers and discovered three flowers grew on the one vine. Casting a spell over the flowers to keep them fresh, he gently bagged the flowers to keep them intact.

They had found what they had come to find and Asana wondered if Elias was truly okay as he walked ahead of them as they began to leave the forest, “He’s okay, right?”

“He’s not bothered by it, he’s just doing what he came here to do,” Yukiya assured her and gave her hand a squeeze because he knew Elias had learnt about his secret but thought nothing of it, it was just another thing he had come to know about his best friend, “I’ll walk you back to the dorm.”

“Thanks.”

As they reached the northern valley forest gate at the academy, Yukiya had been talking to Elias making sure he was alright with what he had learnt tonight while Asana walked with the wolf but they didn’t speak to each other.

“Hey, I’m going to take Asana back to her dorm, I will meet see you back in the room.”

Watching them leave the trail, Elias fought a smile as he felt happy the two of them were happy with the paths they chose. Elias promising to keep Yukiya’s secret and take it to his grave, even if they had a falling out, which was unlikely, he would never reveal Yukiya’s secret to another person.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Uninvited Part 2: Finally Sisters

Klaus/Asana

Requested: Anon

Summary: A week after Elaine’s birthday, Klaus asks Asana to join his family to the King’s Ball. Thieves intrude on the palace to steal an item owned by the King but Asana is injured protecting Elaine. After which, Elaine finally accepts her as Klaus’ partner. 

A week since her trouble with Elaine, Asana and Amelia sat on the ground with textbooks and notepads laid open as they studied into the night, though the topic of conversation was not about magic.

“So, that’s why you came back here crying?” Amelia put her finger to her lip as if the pieces of the puzzle were coming together as Asana told her what happened between her and Elaine.

“Sorry for making you worry,” she apologised.

“Well, I was worried Klaus had said or done something,” she remembered getting mad at him when he came after her, but a big grin stretched across her face and sparkling eyes peered back at Asana.

She had the terrifying twinkle in her eyes, like she was about to tease her, “What...?” her own head tilting suspiciously of whatever thought was crossing Amelia’s mind.

“Klaus came after you, that’s so romantic!” she squealed, like a fan, “He loves you so much, Asana! I hope I find love like yours one day.”

Turning red with embarrassment she lowered her head to hide it, pretending to study.

“Aww, don’t shy away,” Amelia cupped her friend’s cheeks in her hands, “He came after you and took you back to his home. He’s saying to her that you are there to stay. Don’t you see it.”

She did, but she didn’t want to be that girl, “I know but...,” she struggled to find the right words to describe how she felt, “I feel like an outsider compared to her and his family. Elaine’s family has known his since he was a little boy and they barely know me...I don’t want to be that girl who moves in and tears the family apart because the sister doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to put Klaus through that stress. Do you know what I mean?”

Amelia nodded, “I get it. You don’t want your presence to create problems.”

“Exactly,” she was glad Amelia understood what she was saying, “Elaine isn’t wrong either. I...didn’t grow up in Klaus’ world and I don’t want to embarrass him and his family because of my lack of power and etiquette.”

Amelia laughed at her ridiculous statement, “It hasn’t bothered him yet.”

Asana shook her head, “I know he doesn’t care but I want his family to like me and that includes Elaine,” she looked down, “Sometimes, when I am around his family, I feel like we are playing the role of Cinderella and Price Charming for their entertainment.”

“It is natural you feel that way,” she sincerely stated and mentioned her behaviour since she came back, “Is that the reason why you are pushing yourself so hard in magic training?”

It was half true but not completely the reason for her sudden change in attitude towards her magic, “Well, it’s maybe half the reason but not the entire reason,” she corrected, “It’s true I want to be good enough to be worthy of standing by his side but I want to be good enough to work with creatures someday too.”

Slightly convinced by her answer, Amelia let it slide but reprimanded her to not push too hard, “Just don’t push yourself too hard, alright.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

“Good,” Amelia smiled across to her and returned to the family problem, “So, how are you going to win Elaine’s affection?”

Asana had a simple plan, “I am not going to run away from her anymore but when she bites, I am simply going to ignore it or answer her kindly. I will take a more proactive role, let her know me and she might change how she feels about me.”

“Good plan,” Amelia agreed.

They fell into a momentary silence and made progress on their assignments until Amelia had a light bulb idea which could help Asana, “Have you considered taking etiquette classes?”

“Etiquette classes?” she repeated, confused.

“Yeah, so they are these classes in town which teach girls who to carry themselves properly at fancy events and things.”

She was already interested in taking these classes and need more information, “Like, dancing and using the right fork to eat a salad?”

Amelia nodded, “A girl in my class took a class because she was entering the Miss Wizardess pageant and wanted to learn to speak like a high class lady. Apparently, they even teach you how to set your cutlery on a plate to speak to the waiters. Like, if you set your knife and fork together but horizontally across the plate it means the meal was excellent.”

Asana wondered if Amelia had already had lessons, “Did you have a lesson?”

“Maybe...,” she winked, “I’m willing to go with you to help you.”

“We should do it next field trip?” convinced to take lessons, Asana suggested their next day outing to take lessons but she would keep it a secret from Klaus and his family.

“It’s a date,” they shared a joint laugh.

Eventually, their assignments had progressed considerably and Amelia prepared herself for bed. Leaving for the bathroom, Asana packed away her books by simply stacking them on top of her desk.

Grabbing her wand from the brown wooden surface of her desk, she stood on the balcony to practice her magic. For several minutes, she familiarised herself with the basics Klaus had taught her and tried something a little complex tonight.

Keeping the vision in mind and her body relaxed, she created a perfectly round  water bubble and maintained its control over the ledge of the balcony, “Wow, I can hold it longer,” she counted the several minutes she kept the bubble floating in the air.

Unaware of Klaus’ presence below, she lost her mind in a trance with her eyes watching the way the water flowed to maintain a perfect spherical shape, “I see you are improving,” he praised her, snapping her concentration.

Startled, at the same time, she lost control over the water and it rained on him, drenching him from head to toe in cold water. Hand covering her mouth in shock, she quickly apologised, “Oops, sorry Klaus, I didn’t realise you were there.”

He shook the dripping water off his hand, “And right after I praised you,” he teased, but he didn’t seem mad at all.

“You aren’t mad?”

Leaping off the ground, he flew up to the balcony, “Why would I be mad?”

“Because, you’re wet,” she felt his wet hair with her fingers and it took her breath away how gorgeously handsome he could look drenched in water, the droplets on his face shining like small diamonds reflecting in the light spilling from her room. “Let me grab you a towel.”

In a matter of seconds, she returned with a fluffy towel in hand and rubbed his body down, “I could have used magic but this is nice too,” he teased, with her unaware her actions was stirring his desire to have her.

Her cheeks grew red and she backed away, “Sorry...I didn’t mean to...I just don’t want you to catch a cold,” she shyly blushed, averting her gaze from his sultry stare and how attractive he had become although he was still quite damp from the water.

“What is it you are truly thinking?” he teased, seeing her cheeks aflame from her embarrassing thoughts of him, “Be honest with me now,” lifting her face towards him by his fingers, their eyes connected.

“...Do I have to say it?” it was embarrassing enough to think it let alone to admit her thoughts to the man she was thinking about.

“Say it,” he prompted.

It took a moment for her to recompose herself but with a deep inhale of oxygen she had found the courage rise within her, though the embarrassment lingered in her response, “Well...I thought you looked...handsome drenched in water,” her gaze turned to the buttons on his vest.

He chuckled, “You really are adorable, Asana,” he planted his lips firmly on top of hers.

His wet clothes pressed against hers sending a chill, mixed with the warmth from his kiss, through her body. Their kiss lasted several minutes until Klaus broke away. The loss of his lips on hers suddenly made her feel lonely but there had to be a point to why he had strayed towards the girl’s dorm rather than the boys on the opposite side of the gardens.

Of course, her curious gaze didn’t go unnoticed by Klaus. Stroking the skin of her cheek, he sighed, “As cute as you are,” his tone conveyed his worry and he looked her straight in the eyes, “Your recent behaviour is beginning to worry me.”

“What do you mean?” she gazed up at him through her long lashes.

“My brother and Professor Schuyler have both raised their concerns with me over how hard you are pushing yourself in class since we returned from Elaine’s birthday celebrations,” he drew the dots and she connected the lines to his reference.

She had only had this conversation with Amelia moments ago, but she didn’t want to bother Klaus with her emotions, especially when he would only say he doesn’t care what his family thinks of her. Biting her on her lip, though, she struggled not to tell him the truth.

“While I am proud your magic along with your grades are improving, I don’t want you achieving them while pushing past your limits to the point of exhaustion,” he lectured, “If this is about Elaine, forget what she said.”

She sighed and turned her back on him to find the courage to openly speak to him about how she felt. After a moment to regather her mind, she turned her body to face his with some distance between them, “This isn’t just about her, Klaus. It’s about me, about us.”

He didn’t follow her, “I don’t understand.”

“When I applied to this academy I had no clear path to my future. I wanted to see what I could do as a wizardess once my skills were honed, and I now know my future involves medicine treating creatures and humans, if it’s possible. Unlike everyone else, I have to work extra hard for the years I never learnt to master the basics of magic.”

“Reason two,” she continued, “It hurts when people tell me my magic won’t amount to anything because it’s hopeless, they never understand, nor try to, I didn’t have the proper training. Including Elaine, she and even people in my village laugh at me when I say I am going to become a wizard worthy to call herself a wizardess. I’m tired of being a joke, Klaus, and I want to prove to those people that I’m not hopeless.”

“Lastly, us,” at this point, her desperate explanation brought her to the edge of tears, “I want to be someone worthy of you. I know you didn’t fall for me because of magic, but every time I run into trouble you are there to help me, even if it’s my own fault that I ended up in trouble. We are a team, but you are always in front of me, protecting me, but I want to protect you to, I want to protect us.”

“Asana…,” her desperation to become a capable wizard, surprised him, but seeing the tears moisturising her eyes prompted him to gentle cradle her.

Accepting his embrace, she buried her face into his chest, “Elaine…made me painfully aware of how far apart we are,” she looked up at him, “I know you say for not to worry about what she or your family think of me, but it’s important to me that they accept me…I don’t want to embarrass you or them, and I don’t want to be alienated from them either.”

Calmly, he wrapped his strong arms around her as if he understood her lonely heart, “I understand,” he whispered but repeated Amelia’s scolding from a moment ago, “Please don’t push yourself too hard.”

“You eerily sound like Amelia right now, we just had the same conversation,” she giggled and gazed up into his eyes, “I promise you, I will not push myself too hard.”

“Good, because I don’t care how powerful you are, that’s not why I fell in love with you,” he pressed a light kiss to her lips, “As for my family, don’t do it to impress them either. Look what happened to Elias when they expected too much from him. He’s developed a strict interest in magic just to impress our father, he’s become isolated too. I don’t want that happening to you.”

“It won’t, Klaus,” she promised, “Before I came here the path to my future was unclear but it’s not now. Call it an epiphany, but Elaine helped me realised where my future lies. I want to be a tamer of magical creatures and, some day, I want…to bear your name…but I want to contribute to our future instead of letting you lead the way for us,” shyly she turned away, “You helped me to that path too, not just her. But, I don’t want me and her to be at odds forever, so I am going to get close to her. Maybe the more she knows me, the more accepting of me she will be.”

Admiration, is all he could feel through her honesty and strength to persevere again, this time for them and him. Naturally, a smile stretched across his face and he collected her in his arms again. “How can I let you escape when you speak like that?” he pressed his lips against hers, “I am happy to hear you say that,” he kissed her again.

“…I want us to be happy, Klaus,” she accepted his kisses and returned her own, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” bumping their foreheads together, he had one more thing to ask her, “Come to the King’s Ball as my date this weekend?”

The unexpected invitation made her eyes widen with surprise, “King’s Ball?” she wasn’t familiar with the event, “What is that?”

“Just as the name says, a ball,” he smiled, “The King hosts a ball every year to honour his constituents. He also uses it to meet with several political representatives and important people to discuss the country’s future. He invites their families too, so if we go it won’t be a problem.”

“…Are you sure you want me there?”

“Of course, otherwise I might be forced to dance with other girls.”

The thought of other girls standing close to him and touching him made her quickly reply to his question, “I’ll go with you,” she said, “So, this weekend, huh? Can you let me find a dress?”

“Of course,” he had no disagreement, “Be sure to dress to the nines.”

“I will,” she smiled back at him, “Elaine will be there, won’t she?”

“Naturally,” Klaus nodded, “Don’t worry. She’s not foolish enough to cause a scene at the King’s Ball. Besides, you will be by my side the whole time.”

From inside her bedroom, she heard the door open and Amelia stepped inside the room now dressed and ready for bed. Klaus glanced up at the wall clock inside their room, the time indicated it was twenty minutes to midnight. He gave her a deep kiss, “It’s getting late, you should rest and I will see you tomorrow.”

They shared another sweet kiss, “Okay,” she agreed to his suggestion, “I love you, goodnight Klaus.”

“Goodnight, sweet dreams Bunnyhead,” he gave her a final kiss and flew off the balcony.

Riding through the dark sky on his broom, his figure grew smaller and smaller. Her heart pounded but she felt the relief of the tension leaving her body now she had shared with Klaus how she felt. He wasn’t angry rather he understood and she could confidently say she had his support. Smiling to herself, she touched her lips where he had last touched her, “I have an amazing boyfriend,” she muttered into the wind, glancing up to where she last saw him on his broom.

“I need to find the perfect dress for this ball,” for him, she decided she would dress to the nines in the best dress she could find.

Opening the window to her bedroom, she pulled the curtains across to block out the bright moon. Amelia was burying herself underneath her blankets but her eyes sparkling waited to hear why her best friend wore the biggest smile. “You are so cute,” she laughed, “Your boyfriend visits you and you are gushing through that smile.”

Asana laughed too, “Well, I do consider myself lucky to have him for a boyfriend,” she slipped in between her blankets, “I told him how I felt.”

“And, what did he say?”

“I think he’s going to support me, he didn’t say so directly, but I felt it through his gentleness,” she tossed onto her side to face Amelia, “Hey, we can go into town in the afternoons, right?”

Amelia yawned, “Yeah…why?”

“Klaus asked me to be his date for the King’s Ball,” she smiled, “I need to buy the perfect dress for it.”

“Is this your first ball?”

She had to think for a moment, “No, but this is my first time going to a ball hosted by the royal family. Klaus’ father is an honorary knight to His Majesty and I don’t want to go looking like I dressed in a rag. I want to look my best but I’m doing it for Klaus.”

“Are you asking for my help?”

“Well, all my other friends are guys and this is something my best girlfriend can help me with,” her eyes pleaded with Amelia to say yes.

Amelia giggled, “Of course, anything for your love Asana!”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Amelia confirmed they would go into town tomorrow, “There’s a boutique with all kinds of fashionable dresses.”

“Great,” she smiled brightly, “Then, we better rest for our energy.”

She would find the perfect dress for the event but no one could predict the terror waiting to be unleashed at the party, but it would bring Elaine and Asana much closer.

Finally, the weekend came.

As the hours ticked over into the Saturday’s evening, it was time to dress for the King’s grand party. Suits and dresses were dried cleaned for the occasion and were hanging underneath covers waiting to be worn. For the ladies, however, a professional stylist had been hired to have their makeup and hair professionally applied.

“Ma’am,” she turned her head to Mary, “Shall I style the gentlemen too?”

“Only their hair, please.”

Asana turned to Klaus and giggled, “Looks like you are not getting out of this either.”

An overwhelming, strong scent of shampoo and conditioner filled her nostrils as Mary was the first person to have her hair and makeup professionally applied. “I must go dress,” Klaus gave her a quick kiss on the lips and left the room to fix his tuxedo to his body.

Walter, Julius and Elias had already vacated the scene, like criminals evading police, leaving Mary, Elaine and Asana alone in the same room. Tension between Asana and Elaine, thick, with sparks able to fly at any moment.

“So,” Elaine sighed, displeased, “You think you can just enter the King’s ball?”

Asana was not going to bite back and simply ignored her tantrum.

“Elaine,” Mary admonished her from the salon chair, “She is invited and I expect you to be cordial towards her.”

“Tsk,” she whipped her head around in reluctance, “How can you accept this relationship? It does not matter how many events she is dolled up to attend under our name, she will always be a country maiden, with no elegant grace or proper sophistication, but a bundle of mistakes forever embarrassing the Goldstein name. Like tonight, prepare for her blunders.”

“Elaine, hush!” Mary admonished her more firmly, “If you do not have a pleasant thing to say, keep quiet. I will not have a repeat of what occurred during your birthday dinner. If it helps you, keep away from her during the ball.”

Elaine fell quiet and Asana did not dare to speak. Silence allowed the stylist to work quicker.

Next, Elaine was ready to have her golden locks toiled and curled into an elegant hairstyle, her hair taking longer than Mary’s but would be quicker than Asana’s. Her long brown tresses were straightened and treated to shine underneath the bright lights of the salon and eventually the enormous ball room. In a half-up bouffant, her fringe resembled a cliff with her front locks pinned to the crown of her head. In a high tail, the remaining tresses were curled and fell down her back like a thick waterfall of chocolate. Her makeup was kept natural with a matte foundation, bold black lashes and a slight smoky eye, making her eyes pop and sparkle.

“Wow,” looking at her reflection in the mirror, she felt like a completely different person with her makeup and hair presenting a mature young woman.

“You seriously look beautiful,” the stylist complimented, “Ever thought about modelling?”

“Me, a model?” she had to laugh, “Never,” she was sure Klaus would never let her be one either.

“You could be a supermodel,” the stylist complimented. “Enjoy the ball.”

“Thank you, I love my look,” she slid off the seat and darting up the stairs to Klaus’ chambers to change.

Dry cleaned and hanging off the door of the closet, she could hear Klaus’ movement inside his bathroom, or so she hoped it was him, “Klaus, why are you not downstairs?” she asked.

“I can brush my own hair,” his voice was muffled behind the door and wall between them.

“Okay, don’t come out until I say,” she needed to change but didn’t want Klaus to see her until she was finished dressing for the night, “I’m getting changed and I want to surprise you.”

Her request made him smile, “Does it matter because I know you are going to look great.”

“You don’t know that, I could look horrible,” she teased.

“I doubt it.”

Unzipping the cover hiding her royal blue dress underneath, she slipped off her robe and was careful not to mess up her hair. There was a zip on either side to help her figure slip into the mermaid-silhouette gown. This dress was sexy yet elegant with a thin plunging front v-shaped neckline and rhinestone triple criss-cross back to expose her slender and smooth back. She fixed silver dangling earrings to her ears along with a silver clutch and silver t-strap pumps clad in rhinestones.

“You can come out now,” she announced, checking her look in the mirror.

The mermaid silhouette of the gown gave it a slight train but the design fitted her body romantically with the colour complementing her complexion, tanned for the occasion. When Klaus re-entered his bedroom, his violet eyes, like a pair of magnets, fell upon her splendour with his body standing still for a moment before he gravitated towards her. Catching his vision the most was her exposed back.

Raising her head to the mirror, she smiled seeing his figure behind her, himself dressed like a handsome prince with his golden locks brushed and styled elegantly. She captured his eyes looking her up and down, and she was curious to know his thoughts, “Well, does my look pass?”

His cheeks had a slight pinkish tinge, encouraged by her princess-like beauty and sexy elegance. Ghosting his hands up her sides, her body stiffened from the unexpected contact but she enjoyed how his warm skin felt against her bare skin. Through the silky blue fabric, he felt how the dress hugged her figure and how it shined on her creamy flesh. His heart pounded, possibly, as fast as her own.

“Klaus…,” she whispered his name as his sensual touch were like electric shocks to her skin.

His large hands spread across the plane of her back then he lowered his head to bestow a princely kiss to her body and again at the nape of her neck, “How am I supposed to let you go looking this stunning? People might start to think you are a Princess of the royal family.”

Through the mirror, his gaze fell on the v-shaped neckline where part of her cleavage was visible but not inappropriately. However, it was enough to stir his desire, his fingers playing with thin line between her chest. Like his own desire was stirring, she was finding it hard to concentrate as her heart pounded inside her chest and her mind went fuzzy, “I…I take it you like it.”

“’Like’ is not the word I would use,” burying his face next to her neck to inhale her perfume scent, “I really don’t want other guys to see you looking this stunning.”

“Are you forgetting,” she melted into his arms and turning her head to look up at him, “You’re the one who told me to dress the nines,” she gave him a teasing smirk.

He chuckled, “So I did,” he remembered the night on the balcony of her dorm room and stared at her reflection in the mirror, “It is strange how mature you can look.”

“Hey, that’s mean.”

“How so?”

“Because you are saying that I always look childish.”

He smiled, “Well, sometimes you can be but that’s what’s adorable about you.”

She could tell by his tone he was playing around with her and allowed him to pepper her neckline with sweet kisses, “Hmm,” she hummed to the good feeling, “As much as this does feel good, we should get going.”

“I would rather lock you up so no other man can see you,” he kissed her again, “But, I can’t do that. However, you can promise me one thing,” he peppered her neck with kisses again.

“What can I promise you?” she smiled, squeezing her hands against his arm to cuddle closer to him.

She could feel his breath on her neck, “Tonight, do not leave my side.”

“I won’t,” she promised and sealed his lips with her own, “But, that’s not a promise just for tonight. I will stay by your side forever because I love you, Klaus.”

Careful not to smudge her lipstick, he returned her gentle kiss, “How much do you plan on teasing me tonight?” her adorable vow became imprinted on his heart but his self-control not to take her was fading, “I love you too.”

His body pulled away from hers to regain his control, “My lady,” he offered her his arm.

Looping her arm with his, she accepted his escort, “Certainly.”

Because of her etiquette classes, her steps in heels were expert and her posture was straight.

Downstairs, everyone was already waiting for Klaus and Asana to join the party. Mary, Elaine and Asana were jewels and the men were handsomely dressed in their tuxedos and their hair neatly brushed. Klaus escorted her down the stairs and eyes fell on the young couple.

“My heavens, Asana,” Mary gazed at her affectionately, “I dare say my sons have found two diamond ladies to share their lives with.”

“Yes, all three of you look stunning,” Walter chimed in but his compliment followed a very firm order towards Asana and Elaine, “Now, I understand you have had your differences but this is a ball hosted by the royal family and I will not accept any excuses for improper behaviour under the representation of our name. Am I understood?” His grumpy tone reflected his struggle on his current case at the Ministry but he sounded like a father admonishing his daughters.  

“Yes,” Elaine’s reluctance was muttered through her clenched teeth, “Though, I dare say she will embarrass the family name anyway.”

Asana ignored her insult then agreed to Walter’s conditions, “Considering I have no ill feelings towards Elaine, I promise we will not cause a scene sir.”

“Good, now let’s leave.”

On his cue, the next destination was the royal ball.

Extravagant green and colourful gardens and fountains surrounded the marble white palace, for tonight only, couples attending the grand ball could rest and catch fresh air through the winding cobble paths of the gardens at night.  

However, first, the family had to greet the King to announce their arrival to His Majesty’s party. As the patriarch of the family, Walter escorted Mary followed by Julius and Elaine, Klaus and Asana and, lastly, Elias.

He accepted their attendance since the Goldstein family were among his favourite prestigious families of his kingdom. Of course, they invented magic tools and continue the legacy of making magical items. As he scanned the family with admirable eyes, his aging gaze fell upon the newest face of the party.

“Walter,” he was curious, “Do my eyes deceive me or has another one of your sons attracted an incredible beauty of my kingdom?”

Walter followed his gaze to see him staring upon Asana, “Yes, Your Majesty,” he encouraged Asana forward, “Allow me to introduce you to Ms Asana Way of the village of Reitz and my sons’, Klaus’, fiancé.”

Appropriately, she curtsied before the King as she was taught in her short but helpful etiquette classes Amelia attended with her. She waited for the King to address her, “Exquisite manners and, as usual, the men and ladies of your family do look handsome and beautiful.”

“That they do, Your Majesty,” Walter agreed whole-heartedly.

“Enjoy the ball,” the King permitted their entrance to his ballroom.

Through a heavy set of white double doors, trimmed with golden embellishments, butlers bowed as they entered the massive hall. Immediately catching Asana’s eyes was the ancient Romanesque styling of the room.

Corinthian columns were built into the marble white and golden walls decorated with expensive fresco paintings and sculptures. The other eye-capturing feature were the large and dangling crystal and candle chandeliers hanging from the golden square design ceiling. It was a brand-new world she stepped into, by far the fanciest building she had ever witnessed.

Iron gate doors welcomed in a refreshing breeze from the gardens and provided another path down to the grand gardens, though, through the spacious stone and marble patio, its path twisting around the chateau palace. Dangling from the ceiling of the outdoor patio was another crystal chandelier, like it combined several chandeliers into one large light. Already, couples took advantage of the opportunity to explore the King’s gardens.

“This is a really beautiful place,” she commented, tuning to Klaus still attached to her arm.

“Of course, it is, otherwise it should not pass for the King’s ball room,” he replied.

Palace staff were dressed presently and roamed the room with silver trays of sparkling wines and canapes of bite-sized foods for guests to snack on. As a waiter passed Klaus, he grabbed two flutes of champagne from the tray and offered Asana the second drink.

“Oh, thank you,” she accepted it and took a small sip, “I am not quite used to the taste of wine yet but this does taste really good.”

“That’s because this wine has been fermented to perfection,” he began to give her a lecture on the processes that make a perfect wine.

A conversation which lasted several minutes but from a distance Elaine, dancing alongside Julius, disapproved of her luring Klaus off into his own world. Her look of disgust towards her did not go unnoticed by her perceptive husband, he chuckled, “Unless the wine does not satisfy you, I can guess that sour look on your face is directed to Asana,” he snapped her conversation, “What do you have against her?”

“Why do you approve of her?”

“Because,” Julius had noticed his brother’s change, “Everyone has their internal battles, Klaus is no different, even if he does pretend nothing troubles him. Growing up, expected to live up to the Goldstein name had a tremendous emotional effect on my brothers, and as they realised how brutal our world can be, they became bitter and colder. Especially after the incident involving Klaus’ friends, he buried much emotion inside himself. In his own darkness, she has become the light which shines brightest.”

“Her lack of magical talent, yet, does not bother your parents?”

Julius shook his head, “Because, she’s not powerless,” he said, spinning them around to the tune of the dance, “She’s afraid of her own magic, I imagine if I have figured that out so has my father. Furthermore, she lost her parents at an early age and was never taught the fundamental basics of magic. Though, under Klaus’ guidance, she has improved from the first time we met her.”

She sighed, “Well, I suppose if you are that desperate to learn magic, free tuition from a Goldstein is sure the way to fast-track magical education.”

Julius chuckled at her poor attempt of an insult towards Asana, “Darling, I would normally support your opinions, however, if you do have a strong reason to object her love for my brother, say so, but otherwise, I beg you, please do not ruin this for him? If not for my brother, do it for me, for the man you fell in love with and married?”

“My objection is I believe she is using your brother because the money is attractive and she is doing an outstanding job by having you all fall for her pure and gentle girl charms. She should win the best actress award.”

“Those are baseless accusations,” he refuted her claims, “For now, I would like to put this silly conversation behind us and enjoy our night together. Would you like to take a stroll through the royal garden?”

Elaine did not hesitate to agree and looped her arm around his.

Soon, time flew by as couples danced to the beautiful melody played by the orchestra. Colourful dresses shined beneath the lights with handsomely dressed gentlemen, of various ages, leading their ladies in dance or groups of friends chatting in their splendid dresses with shining wineglasses within their grasps.

Klaus held out his hand to Asana, “Care for another dance, my lady?” he had good amount of alcohol in his bloodstream which loosened him up a little.

With his hand extended, she accepted his offer, “I would love to,” she rose from the chair and felt a little wobbly upon her feet since she had the same amount to drink as he did.

He held her by the waist and twirled her onto the dancefloor and came up next to Julius and Elaine, dancing to the upbeat tempo of the classical tune filling the ballroom. However, as they began to dance, the four windows, opened by the palace staff for the evening, lining the wall overlooking the extravagant gardens all shattered with a loud noise.

In a swift and reflexive motion, Klaus and Julius protected Asana and Elaine from the flying shards of glass, everyone, like them, had fallen to the ground. “What was that?” Elaine flustered, asked.

Suddenly the room filled with a dark mist.

“Asana stay close to Elaine, get under a table,” Klaus turned to Julius, “Find Dad.”

“Way ahead of you.”

“Julius!” worriedly, Elaine reached out to him.

Likewise, Asana reached out to Klaus. He kissed her, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

“But...!” she wanted to help.

“Please, stay here where you will be safe.”

He hurried away before she could protest and chased after his brother. Many wizards serving in the Ministry were at the party but mostly drunk and unable to speak clear incantations. The Royal Magic Knights then stormed into the ballroom to assist the wizards already using light magic to disperse the black mist.

It had a strange scent and Asana jumped to wrap a cloth around Elaine’s mouth. “What do you think you are doing?!” she shrieked from her unexpected actions.

“Don’t breathe in the black mist, I think it’s toxic magic gas.”

She noticed men scaling the wall of the palace wearing protective masks. Across the hall, bodies laid across the ground, though they had only been knocked out from the toxic gas. She spotted Klaus fighting nearby and not to far from his father and brothers.

“They need something to vanquish the black mist,” Elaine panicked, her voice muffled through the cloth tied around her mouth until she noticed Asana had not protected herself, “Asana, did you not say the mist is toxic.”

“I did, but Klaus’ talisman is shielding me,” she pointed to her necklace.

“Oh,” she noticed it was shining.

“Is this a robbery?” she turned to what was happening throughout the ballroom.

“Quite foolish to storm the palace,” Elaine commented.

Asana silently agreed and withdrew her own wand, she had tucked away in her clutch. In her head, she pictured a bright light to force the mist to dissipate and flicked her wand, “Lumen Aura!” from the tip of her wand, she brought forth a warm wind of light to quickly clear the room and help the wizards to see who they were fighting.

The men covered head to toe in black wearing masks were not impressed by the spell, and echoed their displeasure in a loud groan. “Find the King and take the jewel!” one ordered. More dark clothed men stormed the palace.

“Asana...,” Elaine expressed her surprise by the strength of her power.

“What’s the jewel they are after?” she wondered.

“I don’t know.”

Suddenly, a dark clothed man came hurtling towards the table ready to crush the two, hiding underneath but Asana quickly pushed Elaine to safety, becoming caught underneath the man and the shattered glass table, a shard of glass piercing her skin and destroying her dress.

Under the man’s crushing weight and having a shard of glass pierced through her skin, she moaned distressingly. “Elaine?” Julius saw it and rushed over to them, “Are you alright?”

Her selfless bravery had Elaine stunned still but she pointed to Asana trapped underneath the rubble, “She cast that light to dissipate the mist,” she eventually found her voice, “And covered my mouth to protect me...I...she pushed me to safety...”

Springing to move the rubble off her, he could see blood soaked through her dress where the small shard of glass had sliced and remained stuck in her skin, “Mother!” Julius called for her expertise in healing magic.

“Julius...they said something about the King’s Jewel,” she worded through her clenched teeth, “...This might be a diversion.”

Without delay, Mary crawled to his side and examined her wound. “You go.”

He quickly turned to Elaine, “Hey, don’t space out. Help Mother attend to those injured alright?” she quickly nodded.

Suddenly, a group of wizards stampeded through the palace to find the King before the dark wizards had a chance to reach him. Klaus and Elias remained in the ballroom to fight those trying to create the diversion, of course they were not alone to fight the intruders fooled into staying in the ballroom.

Glancing across to Klaus, the feeling of the man’s weight on the cold glass piercing into her skin had not disappeared. Mary comforted her but another person needed her attention, “Elaine, watch over Asana for a moment.”

“Why can’t you heal her with magic?”

“Her wound is too deep to heal using magic,” she moved away from Elaine.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes from the pain but she only squirmed in response to the agony shooting through her body. Her eyes, stayed focused on Klaus with a desperation to help him, “Klaus...,” she murmured his name.

Elaine heard her murmuring his name and after she had saved her life, twice in the same night, her opinion of Asana began to change. Suddenly, Elaine heard a commotion coming from a backroom of the ballroom, then several Ministry agents had the intruders in cuffs.

This unexpected robbery on the palace was finally coming to an end. Looking up, Mary returned to tend to Asana’s wound, “She needs to go to emergency,” she confirmed, “There are three others in a similar condition but most have been healed with magic.”

“Is help on the way?”

“Yes, the ambulance will be here soon.”

“Maybe...I have been wrong about her,” Elaine confessed.

When she looked up, she could see Klaus stomping over. Without a word, he carefully swept her into his arms. “Klaus!” Mary tried to call him back but he had already created a distance and disappeared into the night.

Next, Julius came over to ensure Elaine was okay but she felt emotional from the entire ordeal. He comforted her as Walter came rushing over to his family, “Where is Klaus and Asana?” he noticed they were not present.

“Asana was injured protecting Elaine,” Mary informed him, “Klaus, I can only assume, took her to emergency.”

Chilly air tickled her skin but it unusually took her mind away from the pain. “Klaus?” her gaze admired his handsomeness from where she laid, securely within his arms.

“You’re an idiot for throwing yourself into danger like that,” he harshly hissed his words.

However, she smiled. Better than anyone, she knew his harsh words never matched the gentle way he held her or how he sprung into immediate action to get her help rather than wait for the ambulance to arrive, “I don’t...regret saving her.”

“I know, but don’t ever do that again,” his face twisted with pain, “It’s...not good for my emotional health to worry like this,” gently, he flew towards the emergency ward, holding her in his arms.

Immediately, she was seen to and her wounds and scratches were treated to by the doctor. “You are lucky the wound was not any deeper,” he said, “But, you will be just fine.”

“That’s a relief,” Klaus felt a weight leave his shoulders.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Asana laughed, “At least, not life threatening bad.”

Chuckling to himself, the doctor removed himself from the room to leave them alone and to tend to other patients. Sitting by her side, Klaus roughly flicked her forehead, “Ow, why did you do that for?!” she protested, rubbing the middle of her head where his touch lingered.

“You don’t understand, do you?”

“Understand, what?” she tilted her head at him.

Without an answer, he gently pulled her towards him and embraced her warmly and tightly. Though, without his words, she knew by the way he held her, he was worried about her. Naturally, her hands came around his body to return his embrace, “I’m sorry I worried you, Klaus. I…just acted on reflex.”

“I know,” he whispered in her ear, “I wish you would stop throwing yourself into danger though, even if it is protecting other people. At the same time, your selflessness is part of the reason why I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Klaus,” she confessed, following by a moment of silence.

Time felt like it froze as they held each other, “Hey,” she broke the silence, “I actually used a complicated spell and it worked.”

“You mean that wind of light magic?” he guessed she was talking about her magic, “It certainly felt like your magic.”

She pulled her head out of where she had it buried within his chest, wrapping her nose around his scent, and glanced up to him, “Like I said, I don’t want to be protected by you. I want to be powerful enough to stand by your side and fight together as a team, as one.”

The edges of his lips tugged into a smile and his large hands cupped the sides of her face, “You are…,” he leaned in, planting his lips over hers, without finishing his sentence.

They shared a sweet but deep kiss, exchanging it for several minutes until a knock on the door to her hospital room forced them to pull away. Raising her head, her eyes counted a few heads waiting to see her, Elaine was the first person in the doorway.

Hesitantly, she found it hard to speak but Julius nudged her in the back to make peace.

Before Elaine could speak, Asana was relieved to see she escaped unharmed, “I’m glad you aren’t hurt anywhere,” she declared, her voice sincere.

“Yes, but you are stupid for throwing yourself in to danger for me,” Elaine admonished her and an awkward but familiar tension returned to the room, “However,” she broke the silence, negotiating with her stubbornness and pride to apologise and thank Asana for saving her life twice, “Thanks to your quick thinking, you saved me twice. For that, thank you but why did you do it, even after how horribly I have treated you since we first met?”

Asana shrugged because her actions were on reflex, “What type of a person would I be if I stood there and did nothing?” she returned Elaine’s question with another, “Besides, you are part of Klaus’ family. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you, and I know Klaus considers you his sister. If something happened to you and I did nothing, I would feel horrible.”

“…!” shocked by her response, Elaine turned her gaze to Klaus.

“See, she’s not as bad as you think she is, Elaine. Give her a chance,” he pleaded.

Before she could reply, Walter stepped into the room, “I consulted with the doctor, it is relief to know you are not seriously injured Asana.”

“Oh, just a few scratches and some bruising, nothing to severe,” she waved off her injuries like they were no big ordeal.

“You lost an incredible amount of blood from the shard of glass stabbing into your skin,” behind Walter, Mary expressed her astonishment, “I dare say loss of blood is a severe injury.”

“Oh hey, your hunch about the intruders being a diversion was right on the mark too,” Julius added, “There were three wizards trying to steal the King’s Jewel but trying to keep us wizards preoccupied with the intruders in the ballroom.”

“Yes, they tried to fool us into believing it was a high-scale heist of the wealthy’s possessions,” Walter chuckled at their stupidity, “Ridiculous but you must admire their courageous desperation.”

“They have been arrested and are waiting to be charged with conspiracy and treason, among other charges too.”

She was curious to know what the King’s Jewel is and why those men were so desperate to obtain it but it was highly unlikely they would tell her, “Well, so long as everyone and the Jewel is safe.”

Walter’s expression turned serious for a moment, “That spell you used to clear the mist, where did you learn to pull off a controlled primitive spell with that amount of power?”

She was confused and looked to Klaus, “…I…just knew I had to get rid of the mist,” she answered.

“I have had several conversations with Klaus regarding your magic, and have consulted Randolph on many occasions, but I want to see what you are capable of myself,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I want to train you myself so I can gauge how powerful you truly are,” he said, “You are exceptionally gifted in various high-level magic with potential in other areas of high-level magic, it is wise for those around you to help nurture your powers so you can grow into a good wizard.”

Hearing this, Elaine was stunned, “Are you saying she has the potential to be one of the greatest wizards alive?”

“I’m saying she may be a wizard that comes around once in a million years,” he admitted, “A wizard with unlimited potential.”

“…I could have that kind of potential?”

“I am unsure but I want to assess your abilities myself,” Walter said, “There are a rare number of wizards who can perform controlled primitive spells, though you are the only the second wizard I have met who can pull off that kind of power.”

She turned to Klaus for his smart advice and he registered her terrified eyes. Clasping a hand over hers, he spoke gently, “Dad is a smart man and he can teach you more than I am able to,” he admitted, “After all, everything I have learnt about magic, I learnt from him. I won’t be too far away either.”

“A-Alright,” she accepted his offer to teach her magic.

“Excellent,” he approved of her wise choice, “I do not wish to hinder your education at the academy but I will require you home one weekend each month for magic practice.”

She had to re-think his words just now, ‘home’ was the word which stood out the most to her. Without waiting to hear her reply, Walter left the room to organise her training schedule but her mind was still stuck on him calling the Goldstein residence her home. “Home,” she muttered and turned to Klaus, “He said, home.”

“Why is that a big deal?” he chuckled, “We will be married someday.”

It was a promised future overheard by his family and Elaine, though she would admit several months later, accepted her addition to the family. Especially with her brutal training with Walter, their relationship gradually grew stronger, almost like sisters who would sometimes fight and other times be kind to each other and stand by each other.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Magical Creatures and Books Part 2: Unexpected End

Klaus/Asana

Requested: Anon.

Summary: This is the final part to this story. After several days of investigations, Asana is the final piece to Edric’s plans. However, Walter keeps his promise of protecting her and his unborn grandchild. 

Several days had passed since Klaus and Asana agreed to assist the Ministry but the end of their jobs was in sight. A blended fragrance of flowers scented the fresh air of the forest around her but she struggled to achieve a peaceful sleep.

They were camping themselves, though in the complete cover of the dark night to watch a group of people moving about around a nearby makeshift shelter. Using magical binoculars, the three of the them watched from a long distance and Asana made a mental list of the creatures she was sighting, all trapped in cages or boxes full of parts. It disgusted her.

“Dad,” Julius nudged him quietly, “To your ten o’clock,” he gave him instructions on where to look.

“Edric and Jeanine,” Walter muttered their names.

With the magical binoculars, Walter could take photographs with a silent click of the shutter. It was a perfect tool to use to collect evidence and over the course of the several days that had passed, they had collected enough to see Edric and Jeanine go to prison for a long time.

While they scanned the two wanted criminals, she used her pair of magical binoculars to photograph the caged animals. “Seems there are other people around the tent,” Julius commented beside her, “Four women?”

“Don’t move a muscle,” she advised them, “Those are Kitsunes. Powerful ones.”

“I thought they are rare and high-end creatures, unable to be tamed,” he reflected on his lectures.

“They are rare,” Asana corrected, “However, while they can’t be tamed like we do with familiars, if you take their life force, sometimes called a Kitsune Ball, you can command them. This is part of the reason why they are rare creatures, because wizards often use them to do bad jobs and they have no choice but to comply.”

“In other words, they end up killed,” Walter commented.

“Exactly, but only by severing their main tail will you succeed in killing them,” she didn’t want this situation to harm those creatures, innocently, dragged into this mess, “Try not letting this situation going to that extreme.”

“Can’t promise anything, Asana,” Walter remarked, “Though, harming these creatures is something we don’t want to do,” his feelings were sincere towards the creatures too.

Standing by, wizards belonging to the illustrious Knights were waiting their orders to move in on the criminals. However, getting around the four Kitsunes had become quiet the problem. Mulling over their next move, they kept watch on the wanted criminals and continued to collect evidence.

Edric moved inside the tent to the cages and witnessed him taking the life of a creature before them. Turning her head, it troubled her to witness a brutal crime. Walter took the incriminating photographs and thought disgustedly of the man who was once appointed to care for these creatures. He sensed Asana was troubled since he could hear her tears. “We won’t let him get away.”

“Uh-huh,” she cried in sympathy for the creatures trapped inside their nightmare.

Bravely, she turned her head to the tent across the forest and noticed one Kitsune had returned to its fox-form, baring its seven tails. “Seven tails, so she’s quite young,” she muttered, and watched the rest transform too, “One has five tails, another has nine with a golden coat and another is nine with a…oh god…white coat.”

Walter and Julius traded glances, “What does that mean?”

“The more tails they have and the colour of their coats is a good indication to their age, wisdom and power. Those two with the nine-tails will give the most grief but the one with the white fur is called a yako or nogitsune, they are generally malicious in nature. The other three, are Inari.”

She had an idea in her mind but she promised Klaus she would not be reckless, and her idea would be considered reckless. “Sorry Klaus,” she had to break this promise but she was confident this would work.

With her magic, she froze time and communicated with the Kitsune, “I know you can hear me, come to me and talk to me. I want to help you,” she knew the Kitsune would be able to hear her, “You are born of the Inari foxes, you believe in world prosperity, please come to me. Allow me to help you.”

Time returned to normal, and the nine-tailed Kitsune she connected to, began running towards her location. “Come, please,” she begged of it, and it came sprinting.

“What are you doing?” Walter asked her.

“She’s Inari, I want to talk to her.”

Within a second, the Kitsune pounced through the bushes they had been hiding behind with its eyes glowing as it became ready to attack. “I intend you no harm,” as she was trained, she bowed to the spiritual creature and offered a meaty meal from their nearby food supply, “See, I don’t wish to harm you.”

Without hesitation, the Kitsune ate the food and bowed back to Asana.

In its language, Asana gained its trust, “My name is Asana Goldstein and I am assisting the Ministry to save all those creatures from the horrible fate awaiting them. Tell me, do you wish to see their magic harvested by dark wizards, then will be used to bring harm to the world?”

“No,” it replied, “However, I can’t escape being under control by this…man.”

“If you help us, we can help you retrieve your life force ball again and you can be free from his command.”

“I can’t.”

“You came here on your own will, didn’t you?”

The creature stared back at her with desperation in her eyes and because the Kitsune was a high-level creature, Walter and Julius could understand the conversation being shared between them. Its answers were short but even in her tone, the creature was begging to be free from the curse it was under to support dark magic and going against its natural benevolence.

The Kitsune waved all her tails into the air as she sat at Asana’s feet, “That woman, smartly diverted us so that man could steal our life which did not belong to him. Seven long months have passed, my children and I are forced to answer his commands.”

“What about the nogitsune?” she wondered.

“Another innocent creature brought into this world of murder but he’s not as kind as I but I know he does not want to answer to this man’s commands for a second longer,” the majestic fox circled Asana but she was smart enough to keep her back hidden from her, “You are with child.”

“What?”

“You are with child, did you not know?” it asked, with an ability to express human emotion.

Asana remained silent towards the Kitsune but she nodded, “…I-I had a feeling,” with it confirmed by a creature, she was beginning to lose her track of thought, “Hey, enough of that!” she realised the creature was being playful with her, “You know you can trust me so please let me help you regain control of your freedom. I don’t want to see you harmed.”

“Once we retrieve our life force, that man will not live another day,” she warned.

Walter heard the threat but was confused but Asana soon replied, “I know it is within your nature to harm those who stole your freedom if you obtain your life force again when he had not willingly returned it. However, that is his own fault for making foolish life choices. I will guarantee the Ministry will not harm you for doing what is in your nature.”

“You are well educated on our species and our nature.”

“I…am a tamer as well as a veterinarian and researcher to magical creatures,” she answered, building on the trust already forged, “My goal is to replenish our country’s forests with creatures disappearing rapidly from our world and teach humans to co-exist with animals and creatures alike. We can’t allow them to sell these creatures to dark wizards to support dark magic, it will damage the world.”

Convinced by the girl, the Kitsune turned to face the makeshift area once again, “Very well, I will not attack nor will my children,” it promised to help their takedown, “What would you have us do?”

“Ensure the Kitsunes do not attack us, even if you are asked to, disobey.”

“I will try,” it replied and disappearing into the dark night again. It’s light glow acting as a sort of beacon to the other Kitsunes to not attack her.

Now, they waited and organised how they were going to attack the wizards and bring the creatures to safety. Added to those objectives, was promising to help those ancient foxes to find their life force balls which had to be on his person for him to command the creatures to help his unforgiveable cruelty.

Moving closer to the makeshift tent, they began to hear conversation between Edric and Jeanine. “How long is that boat delayed for?” she wondered.

“Would you stop stressing?” Edric insisted, “We paid off that ranger and as soon as the boat comes we will flee the country, where the Ministry can’t touch us. Think of the money and the life we can begin for ourselves.”

They shared a kiss and Jeanine asked one last question, “What will you do about her? Is the revenge necessary?”

Edric chuckled, “Is it necessary,” he laughed harder, “Yes, it is.”

“Why, she’s a Goldstein,” Jeanine warned, “You bring her harm, the whole family will come after you like a pack of wolves.”

Hearing the threats, Walter turned to Julius, “Protect your sister,” was a silent messaged conveyed through his angered eyes. In reply, Julius nodded and stepped in front of her protectively, becoming a human shield to protect who he considered to be his little sister.

Walter signalled to the rest of the agents including the knights to surround them before they could leave. “Hold it!” wands pointed at the criminals in all directions, “Don’t move a muscle.”

Edric started to laugh, “Walter Goldstein, could have timed it any better. We were just talking about you,” he held all four Kitsune life force balls within his hands, ready to give his commands, “I command you to go find Asana Goldstein and kill her.”

“What do you have against my daughter?” Walter demanded answers.

He laughed at the name, “That little brat,” his laugh was sinister, “She is important to our client’s success dead or alive, it doesn’t matter, it’s her body that does matter. As for me, if it weren’t for her stupid investigation I could have had all this done sooner. My client burned down my home and has made me life a living hell these last seven months, all because of her mucking up my plans!”

Behind Asana, it was the nogitsune who obeyed Edric’s command. Like a real fox, his movement was silent and suddenly she had the heavy beast biting at her skin. Julius was helpless to stop it as it dragged her struggling body to Edric’s feet. “I asked you to kill her, fox, why are you bringing her to me?”

“Do it yourself,” it answered.

Blood covered the lower parts of her legs and next to her shoulder but she was suddenly faced with wand at point blank range being held by Jeanine. An unbearable pain shot through her body from where the Nogitsune had torn her flesh to open bloody wounds. It all happened so quickly, her arms were bound by a magic rope to seal her powers and her hair was forcefully pulled.

It was hard to stand with her legs wrecked with pain but Jeanine held her light body and dug the point of her wand into her neck. “Let her go!” Walter shouted, his buttons pressed to bring out his fury, “I will not be held responsible for tearing you apart if you even think of harming her!”

“As I said Walter, she’s the missing piece of our puzzle,” Edric’s laugh was twisted, “She’s important to our client’s experiment but it’s her magic which is important not whether she’s alive or dead. It would be less of a hassle to extract her magic now than to carry her weight on board the boat.”

“Release her, now!” Walter was growing impatient but could see Julius waiting to pounce from behind.

“What will you do? Shot Jeanine, you will hurt your precious daughter,” Edric patronised the old man.

However, it was a terrible mistake. Not that he wanted anything to harm her, he knew Klaus would never forgive him if anything happened to his wife and unborn child. As a father himself, he could not imagine his life without Mary and his sons, and now, his precious daughters and unborn grandchild.

Edric laughed at the old man, but Walter squared his eyes onto Edric holding the life force balls belonging to the fearsome foxes, waiting for their opportunity. It was Asana’s words when she was talking to the creature which flashed through his mind, ‘It’s his own fault for making foolish choices’, she was right and, whether it was permissible, his daughter and unborn child’s life were at risk.

“Sagitta Lumen!” he had envisioned several arrows he would be unable to dodge and sent the flying towards Edric while Julius unhanded Jeanine’s wand at Asana’s throat.

With no time to run or to move, Edric dropped the life force balls and the foxes ran to their opportunity to retrieve what rightfully belonged to them. “No! Oh no!” he realised his mistake instantly as the foxes growled in his direction.

“Edric!”

Julius jumped on Jeanine, turning her onto her stomach and binding her hands behind her back to cuff them together, sealing her magic. He turned to a nearby knight, “Get her out of here,” he hissed, “I pray you never see daylight for a long time,” he whispered into her ear.

Unconsciously, Asana had fallen to the ground, “Asana,” Walter tried to wake her but her eyes would not budge. He remained calm and checked to feel her pulse still beating against her skin, “Julius, take her to the hospital, please,” and turned to nearby wizards, “Get a truck here and have these creatures delivered to the animal hospital in the city.”

“Yes, sir,” the all nodded.

“You?” he pointed towards two wizard knights, “Once the foxes are finished with him, body bag him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you going to check on her?” one of his own asked.

“No, I need to file the report,” his answer stunned his young agent, “My son has an incredibly strong woman for a wife, I do not need to doubt her recovery. She will pull through,” even though he said so, his thoughts worried over the condition on his unborn grandchild, the stress of this ordeal unhealthy for a newly pregnant woman.

Climbing onto his broom, he flew into the dark sky, using his wand as a torch to light his way through the blackness of night. Julius was not far ahead of him, but his next stop was to check in on Klaus and tell him she was in hospital. He could only prepare for the natural anger which will be born from his anxiety.

It was a considerable distance to the headquarters where he had used his magic to find his son, and entered the building. “Still working I see,” he was proud to see his son filing paperwork.

“We caught him,” Klaus said, “It was a long interrogation but he finally admitted to everything.”

“Give me the summary.”

“Well, turns out the ancient textbooks were stolen and sold throughout the kingdom because of the considerable price dark wizards were willing to pay for them. The professor killed was murdered because he threatened to tell Elias about the books being stolen, he assisted in the theft.”

“Why would a professor of his calibre throw away his reputation like this?” Walter shook his head.

“Power,” Klaus replied, going by his brother’s translations, “Elias translated the books to reveal they were a series. The twelve topics relating to specific dark magical crimes, like how to obtain ultimate magical power. The professor was interested in purchasing that particular book and we searched his office, he wanted power.”

“Well, excellent work,” he hesitated to say it but Klaus had to know, “We wrapped up our job too.”

“Oh, yeah, I wondered why you were here. How’s Asana?”

His son wasn’t looking up at him so he didn’t noticed Walter scratching his cheek. Quietly, he could no longer delay telling him the truth, “…There was an incident, believe me when I say it blindsided your brother and I.”

“What happened?!” he demanded, leaping from his chair and fixing his jacket to his shoulders.

“Edric, wanted to take her for his client’s magical experiment but all he wanted was her magic,” Walter explained, “He ordered a magical creature under his command to kill her but it only attacked her. Edric took her hostage, or rather his accomplice did.”

He called out across the room, “Elias, finish the paperwork!” he didn’t wait for a reply nor did he truly care about the work he had to finish, all he was worried about was Asana. Walter left the office with his son, catching Elias’ gaze as he followed Klaus from the building.

Not far from the headquarters of the Ministry, Julius stayed with Asana in the hospital. Wrapped inside the blue hospital blankets, she remained asleep but her injuries were being treated to and they ran tests to ensure the bite had not affected her magic. Several minutes passed as he sat there, watching over her and reading a magazine though his job would soon be over.

Heavy footsteps were padding down the hallway with a wind blowing the back of his hair as it was flown open, “Be quiet, she’s sleeping,” Julius admonished his brother’s loud noises.

Running to the other side of the bed, Klaus gently put his hand over her chest to feel her heart beating while being careful not to wake her up. “How is she?” he turned to his brother, “How could this happen?”

“She’s fine, she’s sleeping it off,” Julius answered him calmly, his own eyes dropping with exhaustion, “The doctors are running tests to make sure the bites and scratches are not affecting her internal organs or her magic.”

“She said she could handle creatures,” Klaus mumbled.

“Don’t blame the creature, Klaus,” Julius insisted, “Edric stole the life force balls of four Kitsunes and ordered one to kill her but she had spoken to one earlier to beg it not to harm her. The Kitsune had only attack her leaving scratches and some open wounds, and antidote is helping to clear the bacteria from internal infection. Other than a few scratches, she will be fine.”

“I thought you said she would be safe,” he turned to his father.

“As I said, they blind-sided us Klaus,” he answered, “Your brother was even shielding her once we knew he wanted to hurt her.”

“When I get my hands on him…,” he hissed through his teeth.

As married men themselves, they understood why he was angry but the relief was knowing Edric would never bring harm to her or magical creatures ever again and his accomplice would spend a substantial number of years in prison with an inability to use her powers.

Walter would tell him, “…You won’t have to. He got what he bargained for when the Kitsunes…retrieved their life force balls back. Did you know—now I didn’t know this, in fact I learnt something from Asana through this investigation—if you steal the life force ball from a Kitsune you assume command of it but if it retrieves its ball without it being sincerely returned by that person who stole it, they will devour you.”

“Where are you going with this?” Klaus was confused.

Hearing his eyes and feeling his warmth next to her, she caught most of what Walter had said and answered Klaus’ confused question for her, “A Kitsune will kill the person who steals their life force, if retrieved by force that is,” her voice was dry as was her throat.

All three turned to her but she smiled up at him, “Hey,” her hand reached out to hold his.

At that same time, the doctor tending to her entered the room, “Ah, I see you are awake,” he glanced from Julius to the two unfamiliar faces in the room. He leaned over to Julius, and through his glasses looked him in the eye, “Your wife will be fine,” he said.

“What?” Julius was confused, “Oh she’s not my wife, she’s my sister-in-law,” he pointed across to Klaus, “He’s the husband.”

“Oh, my mistake,” he had a kind and zestful personality to match, “Your test results came back Mrs Goldstein, and you and your baby will be just fine. I would like to run a few more test just to make sure—.”

“What…did you just say?” Klaus interrupted him and turned to Asana, “…Are you…are we…?”

Her happiness was extended through her beaming smile that she rested a hand over her abdomen, “That’s fantastic news, right?” her hand wrapped around his she gently allowed to rest over their unborn child, “Our baby is going to be okay. Are you happy?” she smiled up at him.

“…,” he became speechless.

She was worried he didn’t like the idea of them being parents, “…T-This isn’t how…I wanted to tell you but…at least we know why I have been feeling sick.”

“You knew?” he glared at her, “Why would you be reckless and accept a dangerous job? You promised me you wouldn’t be reckless.”

“But…I wasn’t sure then…,” she shrunk a little, “I’m sorry.”

“Geez,” he hugged her in a tight yet gentle embrace, “You’re a mother now, you can’t be reckless,” he whispered into her ear, “Okay.”

Wrapping her arms around him, she found it hard not to want to cry. She fought them back though, “I promise.” Losing herself to his gentle embrace, their hands rested over their unborn child with smiles stretched across both their faces, “…You’re going to be a father, Klaus. Are you happy?”

“Happy?” he questioned the use of the word, “I am having a child with the woman I love. Happy is not the right word. I am more than just happy but I don’t know how to describe it.”

Over the course of a few weeks, her injuries healed and she was free to return home with only a baby bump to nurture and to grow. Nine months later, she gave birth to their identical twin sons.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Princess Alexandria Part 2: To Protect Our Future

I would like to thank you all for your patience and I hope this was worth the wait. Of course, there will be a few more parts to this story yet to come and hopefully they will not take as long to write. 

A number of unavoidable reasons interrupted my writing progress - including work and the flooding in my area has hindered the progress of my writing. But, I said I have a gift for you and today I deliver. 

The coming stories will be the next chapter of GedUni and some one shots too. Hopefully, I will have these posted sooner than later and not leave you all hanging for a long period of time. 

Warnings: NSFW after Walter and Julius and it turns back to Klaus and Asana. 

Warmth from the fire kept the snow’s cold air from freezing their bodies inside the home. Mary and Elaine were reading in the chambers and Elias was catching up on his magic theory ahead of returning to school in the coming weeks. Two weeks had passed since Klaus arrived home with Asana to introduce his future wife to the rest of the family.

To Walter and Julius her arrival was a fortunate encounter as they reread the forensic and DNA reports from the bones and the possible link between Asana and Alexandria. “She was the key to this case all along,” he mumbled hiding his truest thoughts on the matter, though not unnoticed by Julius.

“A copy was sent to King Harold?” Julius wondered.

“Yes,” Walter nodded, but soon fell to silence. “Though, I have heard a response from him.”

“And?” curious to the King’s reaction, Julius urged for a response and poured himself a fresh mug of coffee to help get him through the mountains of research he would have to find regarding the Princess’ alias name and character – Alexia May.

“He…is interested in meeting Ms Way but wants to toast to his Aunt finally being found,” Walter revealed, this grand ball not in any way a secret from the public, “A story was published on our King and King Harold agreeing to host the ball in the coming months on the date in which her Highness should have been crowned Queen.”

“That’s soon,” Julius said, turning his attention to the table calendar, “Why that’s a week from now.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Nothing published about Asana?”

“No,” Walter had been grateful that her relationship to the Princess remained a classified secret and secretly thanked the King and his team for their silent discretion.

“Does Asana know?” Julius asked, his likeness to her raising his father’s head to gaze at his expression to see the fondness for her in his eyes.

Walter chuckled, “…This is the second time you have called her by her first name. Do you approve of her this much?”

Naturally, a big brother-like smile curled across his face, “Where is Klaus ever going to find a caring and nice girl like her in his life-time?” he jokingly quizzed his father, and added to the jab, “Though, I can’t understand what it is a good and pure girl like her even sees in Klaus. He’s not the most approachable man in the world, and he has a great talent of scaring girls away.”

Walter gave a troubled smile in reply.

The usually expressionless wizard giving subtle hints of his troubled thoughts that someone who knew him well, like Julius, would pick up but would not be made clear to any stranger who hardly knew him. “What is it?” Julius asked, tired of guessing what his father was thinking.

Walter couldn’t tell him what troubled him, only this case had taken a complicated turn and the road ahead is likely to be a rough one, “This case…I should never have taken it if I knew it was going to become this complicated.” he sighed.

“You mean, you didn’t stop to think why a one-hundred-year-old case was classified from the start?” the question that had been bothering Julius the most slipped out of his mouth before he could stop and think about it, “Seems…odd.”

His son’s question was not what was complicated since he already knew why it was classified but never thought the danger of the case would become personal. Walter opted not to tell him but instead changed Julius job in this decisive action, “Listen, I will have Elias research the life of Alexia May, since he doesn’t seem too busy, but I want you to focus on this case,” he handed his son a folder.

It felt weird to Julius, “…Murders of investigators?” his eyebrows rose in confusion, “Isn’t this more a police job than an investigator to the Ministry?” He read some tabs sticking out from the folder with notes and names written in his father’s handwriting, “Lady Meredith? You mean, the King’s cousin?”

No longer able to hide, Walter revealed a small excerpt of the truth of this mission, “…The very same, she’s also a candidate for Rhymer’s crown but she’s suspected of murdering previous investigators trying to solve the mystery of Alexandria’s disappearance. Whoever did the murders or organised them, are preventing some truth from being revealed. The way I see it, they already know the truth about Alexandria but we are ahead of them of finding another potential candidate to take the crown.”

“Asana?”

“The Rhymer bloodline is thin and the potential for appropriate candidates are rare. In recent years, many of the other candidates disappeared but there remains Asana. If Lady Meredith is the mastermind behind these murders, it won’t be long before she realises she is positioned against Asana for the crown.”

“Wait, one second,” Julius knew Asana had no knowledge of any of this, “Are you suggesting Asana’s life is in danger over a position she doesn’t have any idea she’s in? No ever said she would ascend to the throne!”

“Why else would the King want to find any living descendants of the Princess?” Walter logically argued his debate and added, “Lust for power is a vicious game, especially when it is royalty involved. Whoever is willing to commit murder to secure their ownership of that crown will do anything, even to an innocent and unknowingly, even unwilling, rival, like Asana.”

Julius blinked in disbelief and felt a displeasure of not being aware of the entire truth about this case, “If you knew this, why did you accept such a dangerous job?” his eyes cutting into his father’s.

“I had no idea when I accept the job that it would turn as complicated as affecting my own family,” he assured his son, his tone defensive, “My priority has changed from learning about Alexia May to protecting Ms Way and Klaus from immediate harm. However, this needs to be done smartly and with finesse. We do this wrong, the results may be catastrophic for the entire kingdom too.”

“This is taking such a sudden turn, you should have told me this sooner!” Julius, rarely a man to question his father’s actions, had scowled his expression to convey his unhappiness and indignant emotions across to him, “You have to tell Klaus.”

Walter had never told him that their true objective, the entire time, was to find an heir and find a murderer, but had been withholding the information because of the fragile nature of the case and strict instructions to keep the sensitive details only to himself, even from his team. An order he, now, chose to disobey.

“Listen, be discreet about this investigation,” he warned his son, “When I accepted the case, I was under strict instruction to keep the classified mission to myself, even from my team, and pursue it myself, but now the safety of my own family is jeopardised I am choosing to disobey these orders.”

Walter, having ignored Julius’ frustrations, delivered his firm instructions but his eyes begged for trust and cooperation from his son. Staying silent, Julius could only trust his father and decided to take the case to his chambers where he could research in peace and leave his father to organise a strategy, “…Fine, but you need to tell Klaus.”

Walter thought better of it, “…If the urgency to protect Asana is required I will then tell him the truth until then, he is doing what he always does. Stays by her side and protects her, therefore he is already doing his job.”

“…Are you sure?” Julius didn’t want to doubt his father but his heart was telling him to tell his little brother the truth.

Walter glared up at him, “What of the reason for your doubt?”

“Well, if it was Elaine in danger, I would want to know who is threatening her,” he replied and added, “Also, I would know who I am protecting her against and can gauge how dangerous they could be to my wife’s life. Would you not do the same if it was Mom?”

“This is not a normal case, Julius,” Walter reminded him, “We are dealing with the Rhymer royal family and our actions have consequences for both our nations. Let me ask you, can I trust your brother will keep his emotions in check and maintain a level head?”

Julius understood his father’s point of view but he also knew his own brother, “Dad, if you tell him the truth now and explain everything to him in a calmer environment he will keep a straight head. But, if something happens to her and he’s angry, to expect him to even listen to you. Seeing those two in these short weeks, even you know, he loves her. He announced his feelings about her very clearly when he faked being engaged to her, it was his statement.”

Walter chuckled, “He certainly is captivated by her,” his expression relaxed and his mind ticked with thoughts on how to approach this situation and realised Julius had a valid point about telling Klaus the truth, “Perhaps you might be right Julius. I have much to think over.”

“Alright, I trust you to make the best decisions Dad,” Julius said and made his way to the office door, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Alone in his office, Walter opened the blinds to watch the white snow fall from the grey clouds blanketing the indigo sky behind it. The falling flakes replenishing the snow-covered garden relaxed his brain to rationally find the best approach to this case, calculating the risks and challenges presented in the case. Firstly, he remembered the meeting with the King’s chief advisor and what the young man had told him that day he accepted the mission, never foretelling it would directly his own family and an innocent girl who had no idea what she was being dragged into through no fault of her own.

“Sir, Alan would like to see you in his office,” one of his intern agents had knocked shyly on the door and relayed the message onto him, her voice trying to sound confident.

Walter held an office as the head of the Dark Magic and Homicide Crimes division of the Ministry and managed many teams and their assignments, along with his own team and missions too. He made magic tools to assist the Ministry across all areas of magic but that day he was not in the greatest of moods.

While arresting, a criminal wanted for minor dark magic offences, a young agent’s magic damaged the home of a single mother and an innocent bystander. Because of that, he had constant interruptions preventing him from working his own cases and continue his progress on a magic tool he had been brainstorming.

Now, the head boss of the Ministry requested him to his office. Standing by the door, the young brunette girl waited for his answer so she could relay it back to the chief assistant to the chief boss, “Sir?”

“I am on my way,” he sighed, “Also, when I come back have that young man in my office.”

“Yes Sir.”

Several times, Walter had been presented by the parliamentary minister overlooking the work of the Ministry to take the position of Chief Boss, but each time he declined because he enjoyed and found it more rewarding to join his team when taking on tough assignments. His experience and knowledge he could impart to the younger generation. The current Chief Boss, Alan, happened to be a dear friend.

Frequently, Alan only summoned Walter to share a friendly drink and conversation. Though, he could never gauge, each time, if he wanted to have a serious conversation about work or to simply relax and engage in a friendly conversation. Today, he said to himself in his head, was not a day for a drink and conversation about their families and children. He had a full plate of work he doubted would be finished by dinner.

Reluctantly, he pressed the button and waited for the elevator and listened to the work going on behind him. Another man stepped to his side but did not look to him in case there was some trouble that warranted his attention. Together, the men stepped into the elevator but Walter was not near the buttons, “Top floor,” grumpily, he demanded the button to be pressed and without a hint of hesitation the man pushed the button to his own floor and Walter’s.

“Chief boss, huh?” he hoped to ignite conversation.

Walter remained silent, checking the time on his wrist watch, “Lunch time,” he sighed, hoping this was not going to be a waste of his time.

The elevator travelled to the top of the sky-high building overlooking the city in the foreground and the ocean in the background with the blue and white clouds hanging above, gifting the people of the city with a stunning day.

His shoes tapped across the tiles of the office foyer towards the desk of the Chief Assistant. The young man at the front desk ignored Walter as he stepped to the desk, “Ahem,” Walter cleared his throat and the young man looked up at him through his curling strands of his blonde fringe, hanging at eyeline.

“Oh, Sir Goldstein!” he panicked.

Jumping from his chair, the young man gave two loud knocks to the heavy wooden double doors, “Sir Klein, Sir Goldstein is here,” he politely informed the man behind the door.

“Yes, send him in Eric,” a deep but crisp voice laughed from behind the door.

The man, named Eric, escorted Walter through the door, “Is there anything I get for you Sir Goldstein?” the young man courteously asked.

“No,” Walter curtly answered, closing the door behind his back.

Immediately, his aged and sharp violet eyes squared onto a young man with dark short hair standing by the armchair he had made himself comfortable in while awaiting his presence to Alan’s office. “Are you inviting more people to have drinks with you, Alan?” Walter joked, shaking his friend’s hand and turning to the younger man in the room.

No older than his eldest son, the man appeared well-presented in a designer tailored suit fitting his body elegantly. He stood tall and with a good posture, he appeared in good health and presented himself clean-shaven. Accepting the handshake, the young man spoke first, his voice confident, clean and eloquent, “Osias Elwood, it is a pleasure to meet you Sir Walter Goldstein.”

Alan chimed now chimed in, “Mister Osias Elwood, Walter Goldstein is a dear friend of mine with the hell of a record when it comes to cracking the toughest of cases. I assure he will do this case and find the answers your King needs.”

Looking at him and listening to Alan’s comment, it made sense the young man had come from the palace but what confused Walter is why he was here meeting with him, “For what business does an employee from the royal palace have at the Ministry and with me?” he phrased his question charmingly.

No need for Alan to speak on Osias’ behalf, the young man began to speak but it was unnecessary heroic praise buttering Walter up to whatever this man wanted, or rather what the King wanted, “Sir, allow me to say it is an honour to meet one of Gedonelune’s finest wizards,” his speech had a trained charisma and sophisticated charm Walter admired, “I do apologise for interrupting your work today but I am here on behalf of King Harold of the Rhymer Kingdom.”

His admission surprised Walter since he was an employee of a foreign kingdom, also a magical land, with their own organisation for maintaining order and justice in the magical world.

Alan watched the meeting proceed and Walter glanced across to him, attempting to gauge what he had been summoned to, “It is not often we receive visits from an employee of an allied kingdom?” Walter quizzed, still glancing across at Alan to fill him in, he didn’t like beating around the bush.

“No, sir, I imagine you don’t,” Osias chuckled slightly.

A small silence cueing the young man to explain his presence, “However, I am here on a formal request by His Majesty King Harold. Recently, my King has embarked on another quest to unlock the truth his ancestral Aunt’s mysterious disappearance one hundred years ago, but previous investigations have resulted in investigators never returning or turning up deceased without a shred of information regarding the legendary Princess,” he said.

“Recent events within the blood line of the royal family has made him…paranoid. Heirs have gone missing through strange circumstances. He believes someone is behind these attacks and can’t trust his own magical organisation to conduct the investigations. With permission by your King and government, we have approved a request for Gedonelune’s Ministry to investigate in good faith to our allegiance and the promise of a cooperative successor in the future.”

Walter stared at the man dubiously and had become slightly confused about what the young man was asking for him to investigate exactly, “It sounds as though there are three separate investigations I am being asked to do here. Simplify it for me, what does the King wish to know?”

“Anything you can tell him about the disappearance and life of Princess Alexandria, he has come to understand remains possibly hers had been dug up in the countryside of this country. Especially, any news on if she has living descendants,” that was the first objective of this case.

“To find an heir?”

Osias nodded in confirmation of his sharp mind, “Yes, and to quench his curiosity over what happened to her after the siege. His Majesty is a family man and considers himself a father-like figure to his people, and wishes to, before he abdicates his crown, solve this riddle as a parting gift to his family and his country.”

“Alright, but old bones are not my division,” Walter shot a glare over to Alan, “Next is to find a murderer.”

“…Yes,” Osias nodded again, his confident tone not fading but his expression pained, “Many relatives of the King have suddenly disappeared without a trace. No one has uncovered any evidence but he is sure that someone is behind these attacks?”

“He seems quite positive,” Walter said, “Why does he believe someone is behind the attacks?”

Osias didn’t turn away from the older man as he carefully chose how to answer Walter’s question, “The royal family’s blood line is thin since many were killed during the siege but also because of a recent war. Those close to the King know he is about to abdicate but he knows his only potential heir, Lady Meredith, is a cunning and devious woman who has…plans for our country, bad plans. He knows because a loyal servant to the King overheard her speaking to an agent of our Magic Council. He is of the belief that she has something do to with these killings.”

“And of the investigators too?”

Osias was not certain, “I apologise, that remains unclear to me,” he said, “However, I what I can tell you, of my knowledge about their disappearance. My liege hired three previous investigators, wizards in archaeology and research, to explore the legend of Princess Alexandria, with access to the royal palace and all, to find what happened to her and if she has any living relatives in the per chance she ran away, and to report their findings. One went missing and turned up dead weeks later and the other two were found dead by villagers in a town they had been lead to by their investigations.”

“So, that is my second and third objective,” Walter inhaled a deep breath.

Alan understood Walter apprehension to take the case but he chimed in with a comment that could convince him to take on the case, “Walter, you are a good friend of mine and the King is quite fond of you and your family too. He personally recommended you to his long-distant cousin and I agreed.”

“I am flattered, truly,” Walter scratched the back of his head. “I—.”

“King Harold would have requested to meet you himself, but we are operating under strict classified instructions,” Osias said, “He figured a famous and talented wizard, like yourself, would be too noticeable to go missing and too powerful not to put up a good fight. Please understand the fragile nature of the case,” his urgency and warnings convinced Walter not to accept the case.

“You don’t have much experience in negotiation, do you?” he rhetorically quizzed.

Osias pushed a folder into Walter’s arms for him to look over if he’s interested in taking the mission, “This is the evidence we have gathered on Lady Meredith and other potential suspects,” he informed, and added, “Also, primary attempts to find the Princess the day she disappeared,” his voice bouncing with excitement that he would accept the case.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, kid,” Walter chuckled at the kid’s energy. “Is there any evidence of magical interference with the deceased members of the royal family and the investigators?”

“There is a coroner report included in the file but a short answer to your question – yes.”

Silenced ensued between the three but a dark cloud formed above Walter’s head as he questioned taking on the case. He turned to Alan and back to Osias, “Young man, I am an experienced wizard and I am the Chief of Dark Crimes and Homicide Division of the Ministry. I am not about to accept a job with danger written all over it without doing it my own way, with my own people and with a guarantee from both Kings that my findings or my conduct will not cause differences between our nations.”

Osias pulled a contract from his briefcase, “I was hoping you would say that,” he said and held the single sheet out to Walter, “King Harold is not going to interfere with how you decide to approach this case. After all, he is a kind-hearted man asking a favour of his cousin’s agents and feels terrible for the families of those three investigators who lost their lives trying to solve the mystery surrounding her disappearance.”

Holding out the contract and a pen, Osias hoped he would consent to this case being confidential. Walter, however, did not like the idea of being restricted and sworn to secrecy woven by magic, “I refuse to sign your contract based on it being ridiculous,” Walter read through the contents, “A magically sworn contract whereby I do not tell the classified secrets of this case to another person. How am I supposed to interview persons of interest without providing details of the case?”

“Um…,” Osias realised he had an excellent point.

“What about my team?”

“Team?”

“You don’t expect a busy man like myself to conduct a dangerous mission alone and without back up in case I land in trouble?” Walter argued, “This is a fundamental rule in survival on missions I impart onto all my young agents. No matter how harmless or dangerous the case may be, check in with your location via their tracker devices or through word of mouth to a family member, colleague or anyone who might be able to find them when they land in trouble.”

“I see.”

Walter shook his head and chuckled, “No way. If I am to do a case this dangerous where my life or that of my team, or god forbid we find a living relative of the Princess, who’s life will be in danger from this Lady Meredith you suspect of murdering off her rivals, then I expect to have full control over how it is handled. I understand the King is paranoid, but what will I gain from betraying my own King’s cousin? For certain, I am not about to risk the lives of myself and my team, or an innocent life, because of a foreign squabble over a crown, a lust for ultimate political power. Understand?” He spoke sternly and straight forward.

“I believe King Harold will agree to those terms,” Osias had no objections and withdrew the contract from the table and handed Walter a personal letter from the King to verify and thank Walter for taking the mission on board, “I hope you will now accept the job,” he smiled handing him the letter.

A part of him still doubted about accepting the job but he did accept it. “If this is all, I wish to return to my office. I have a young agent who needs scolding.”

“Again, thank you for helping our kingdom and good luck with the case.”

He had accepted a mission without the knowledge the case would be closer to his heart that he could not foresee. Watching the snow falling from the sky, he couldn’t predict how things were about to turn out and he decided Julius was right. Klaus should know the details so he can best protect Asana while he put all his resources into eliminating the threat to the lives of his family.

Turning his chair around, he sent a magic note to Klaus room to request his presence in his office where he would tell him the truth of the nature of the case. After he had sent the message to his son and waited for him to come hither, he continued to brainstorm the best strategy. In his collection of papers, he reviewed what he knew about Lady Meredith and decided he needed a close eye to watch her movements, not jumping to the conclusion she could be the only person behind these murders.

Inside his chambers, Klaus had pulled the sofa in front of the fireplace and snuggled up with Asana, embracing the warmth around him. His strong arms held her close to his own warmth, her light and delicate body wrapped elegantly inside the cotton fabric of her lavender negligee. Her head rested on his shoulder, occupying the space between his neck and shoulder with his fingers gently stroking her skin. Pink eyes drifted between being awake and falling asleep while he quietly read a novel.

“…This is nice,” she admitted, further cuddling into his warm body with her body fitting his perfectly, “It’s almost like…my body was made for you,” she wiggled her body to squeeze closer to him.

“You are like a cat,” he commented, unable to fight the smile forming across his face.

Shifting his body slightly to allow her to seek the comfort she wanted, his arm tightened around her waist to hold her close too. “You can go to sleep if you’re tired,” he turned his head to reach his lips over to kiss her forehead.

“…You’re very warm and comfortable and secure…it’s hard to stay awake,” she mumbled and let out a big yawn, “…I love you, Klaus.”

He chuckled, “I love you too.”

“…What are you reading?” she was already half-asleep.

“I am reading a fantasy novel,” he answered, his voice sexily whispering into her ear, “It’s about a wizard who falls in love with a fairy but the fairy King forbids the relationship. The wizard decides to make a deal with the King to trade his human life to become a fairy, sacrificing his heart.”

“…Hm, sounds romantic,” she murmured.

“Romantic?” Klaus didn’t agree, “It’s rather…morbid. He dies.”

“…But dying for the person you love can be considered melodramatic romance,” she mumbled, her breath tickling his neck as she spoke.

He couldn’t agree with her, “Would you want me to die for you to prove my love?”

“…No, of course not, I love you and I want to grow old with you.”

“Really, you want to grow old with me?” he smiled, knowing she was the most honest her half-sleeping state, “Will you still love me when I am aa grumpy old man?”

She fluttered her eyes open to gaze at his side-long profile, “Of course I will,” she planted a kiss the side of his jaw, “But, will you love me when I’m a little old lady?”

His eyes could no longer concentrate on the words in the story. Closing the book and discarding it to the coffee table, he shifted his body to readjust her position over the top of him. Gently cupping her face inside the palm of his large hand, he smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Pulling away, keeping his lips close to hers, he replied to her question, “I will never stop loving you,” in his mind, he could vividly see their perfect future but his heart worried if their dream of living together would be allowed to happen, “I can see you baking cookies for our grandchildren.”

She giggled, her imagination seeing their future together too, “I have to take care of my family,” she said and leaned to meet his lips in a deeper kiss. “It would make me the happiest woman in the world to be by your side for the rest of our lives and raising our family together, Klaus.”

“Asana…”

Her words pushed his buttons that he coaxed her legs forward to straddle around his body. His large hand cupped around her neck to slip his tongue pass her lips to passionately kiss her. Within her chest, her heart pounded and her mind started to lose all sense as his hands and lips ignited her senses and spread waves of pleasure through her body, “Klaus…,” she whispered his name as he pulled her up into a sitting position and he rose his body to begin peeling her negligee from her body.

His lips strayed from her lips to trail a line of open-mouthed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. Pulling her gown up over her head, her bare breasts were exposed to him and her creamy skin was warm and bathed in the glow of the flames from the fire next to them. What started out sweet bubbled into a passionate moment.

In the movement, he felt her hands crawl underneath his shirt and he allowed her to strip the long-sleeved shirt from his body. Their lips coming together again to seek each other’s taste. He could feel her hands cupping around his face and her fingers brushing through his golden hair. Securing her body in the strength and comfort of his arms, he raised his hips so she could feel his growing erection underneath her, his lips descending her neck again and her sweet and soft moans fuelling him on and filling the room.

Suddenly, she felt her body beginning to tip backwards onto the couch beneath her. A never-ending wave of pleasure rolled through her body as Klaus’ body came to hover above hers. Either side of his waist, her legs straddled around him as she became drunk on his love. Before she had time to think, his lips came back to hers as he repositioned himself above her.

Completely covered by his body, he paid close attention to the way she accepted his love. Her hands feeling up and down his trained and broad body. Eventually, her hands went further down to the band of his pyjama bottoms. However, he grabbed her hand and kissed the palm, “Not yet,” he said, extending his kisses down her arm and across to her breast.

She felt his tongue swirl around the pink bud of her breast nipple and his fingers dance their way underneath the band of her underwear. Unable to think straight, her appreciative moans filled the room as he slipped his fingers in between her legs, “Klaus!” Eyes closed, she accepted every touch, his fingers thrusting gently in and out of her body to prolong the feeling, “Ah, Klaus,” her breathing hitched and she could feel her core stirring with an unbearable pleasure driving her towards her orgasm.

Unlatching his lips from her hardened breast, his planted open-mouthed kisses down her slender stomach plane. Her hands latched onto the armrest behind her as her body squirmed underneath his electrifying touch. Pulling back, he ripped open her laced underwear and brought her leg up over his shoulder until it eventually came to wrap around his neck. She was dripping wet and he smiled at hearing her breathing hitch before he made contact.

“You know what I’m going to do?”

“Yes…,” she waited for his touch and peered into his violet eyes. “…Do it,” she wanted him to continue.

“Demanding me, are you?” he smirked.

“…Please, Klaus,” she begged.

“Anything you want, my love.”

She watched his head disappear between her legs and whimpered as he drove his lips and tongue right into her wet centre, her back arching in response to his intense touch. “Klaus,” she moaned his name, feeling her body ready to fall apart. “Klaus…I’m close…,” she warned him but it only spurred him to continue, moving to suck on the bud between her legs. That’s all it took for her orgasm to rip through her body.

He swallowed her juices without hesitation and hovered over her body again to seal her lips in a passionate kiss. “Klaus,” her sweet voice reaching his ears as he pressed against her body and kissed across her shoulder blade, “I need you,” she begged him, not yet satisfied and with her own hands and feet, pulled his pants and underwear down to free his erection, “Please.”

As he was about to push into her, the magic note his father had sent floated underneath his door and floated down onto the sofa where he pushed his hard length into her body to her appreciative moans. He noticed the magic note there but he ignored it for the moment. Pulling back out, he pushed into her again, keeping the pace and the hardness consistent. “Shall we take this to the bed,” he suggested.

She nodded to his suggestion and feeling her body being lifted into his arms, keeping their kiss connected. Slipping between the blankets, they sunk into their love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. The hours creeping towards the early morning.

Still awake, Walter had already asked Elias to conduct research into Alexia May. However, he had not yet heard a response from Klaus, and like his son, he didn’t like to be ignored or kept waiting. With Elias agreeing to help his father with this minor job, Walter turned to Klaus’ chambers and banged loudly on the door, “Klaus?”

Asana slept through Walter’s loud knocking but squirmed and tossed over to cuddle into his arms. Klaus, tired, ignored him and gave a half-hearted effort to wake up but fell asleep again. “Klaus, open up the door, for goodness sake,” Walter grumpily urged him.

Again, he ignored his father with a groan.

Sick and tired of being ignored, Walter opened the door to the sight of them sleeping naked. Inhaling a sharp breath, he walked over to Klaus and gently flicked his forehead so he would wake up while shielding his eyes to block out Asana’s figure. “Wake up!”

“A decent person would see that we are sleeping which is normal for this hour of the night,” Klaus grumbled and fluttered his eyelids to open, “It better be important.”

“I think you will find it is,” Walter assured him, “Now, get dressed and be in my office in ten minutes,” he ordered and marched from his chambers back to his office.

The movement of Klaus’ body from underneath her caused her to wake up, “…Who was that?” she mumbled, squinting her eyes from being woken up.

Klaus kissed her lips and forehead, “It was Dad. He needs to talk to me about something,” he leaned in to kiss her again and raised the sheets to cover her body, “I won’t be long. Go to sleep.”

He only grabbed a pair of a long pants to cover his naked body and headed down the cold hall to his father’s warm office, one side of his golden hair sticking up. Knocking on the door, he didn’t need to introduce himself and let himself in, “What is it? It’s nearly one in the morning.”

“I sent you a message, did you not receive it?” Walter turned his gaze up at him.

“I did but I was…engaged with other activities.”

Walter rolled his eyes at his son’s satisfied smirk, “Yes, so I realised when I had to fetch you myself,” he said, and felt a need to ask a concerned question as a father, “Please tell me that you are wearing protection?”

Klaus chuckled, “Is it a bit too late to have that talk with me, Dad?”

“Klaus, I used to be a boy too and when I wasn’t careful your brother happened. It can happen to even the most prepared and logical men,” Walter replied, “Boys can lose all their senses when it comes to attractive girls.”

“Well, she will be the mother of your grandchildren someday,” Klaus stated, “Though if this is all you want to talk to me about then I am going to pretend I didn’t hear it and return to my girlfriend,” he walked towards the door.

Walter stopped him before he left his office, “I am not done with you!” his father annoyingly glared at him, “Sit down,” he pointed across his desk to an armchair, “There is something I need to discuss with you and it concerns Ms Way.”

Eyebrows raised, Klaus did as his father asked but instead went to the stove to pour himself a cup of tea to help wake his mind, “I assume this concerns the Princess Alexandria case?”

“Yes,” Walter nodded, his chair creaking as he leaned forward in his chair, his expression turning serious.

“This seems serious,” Klaus commented.

“You may not like what I am about to tell you but the only reason why I am telling you is because I trust your brother’s judgement about you,” Walter said, and paused, “Now, I will tell you this, Asana’s life may be put in danger because of her direct relation to the Princess.”

Walter’s tone told Klaus that he was not joking and his sudden need to see him was not out of annoyance but priority. “Alright,” Klaus prompted him to continue.

Not a detail was spared from Walter’s explanation of the case but carefully he watched his son’s violet eyes burning with anger and desperation, “Dad, let me help you with this case,” he urged.

Walter shook his head, “You are already helping by staying by her side and keeping her safe.”

“But—.”

In his attempt to protest, Walter raised his hand, “Klaus. You do understand why I have told you this information, don’t you?”

He sighed, “…Yes. To keep my temper in check because of the fragile nature of the case.”

“Exactly,” Walter nodded, “Elias is doing the lesser work of researching the life of Alexia May which allows me to use all my resources to find whoever is behind the murders of these investigators and the members of the royal family. My top priority is to eliminate the target on her back by arresting whoever is eliminating their rivals for the crown.”

He agreed with his father’s decision but wasn’t fond of this entire situation, “I agree with your decision as the best course of action to protect her,” Klaus nodded but his eyes narrowed with indignation he conveyed across to his face, “However...,” he warned, “I am not going to care about international politics if harm comes to her before you find the person responsible for these threats. As for King Harold, he should look elsewhere for an heir since I am not willing to give her up. Call it selfish, but she means more to me than my own life.”

“I understand how you feel Klaus,” Walter acknowledged his son’s feelings, “You have made it quite clear how you feel about the girl and I am trying to do everything I can do to ensure she is not picked apart by the vultures in this vicious circle and to prevent the two of you from being torn apart.”

He appreciated his father’s concern but he had a lot of information to process. Averting his gaze, the flicker of the flames suddenly became interesting as he made sense of the information his father had revealed to him. “Klaus,” Walter could see his anxiety through his eyes too, “I will do everything I can to stop this.”

“…She can’t be forced to take the crown, can she?”

“No, I will make sure her voice is heard,” Walter guaranteed, “Consider myself her representative in this situation. After coming to know her over these couple weeks, I have grown a likeness to her myself and I accept her as the woman you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with.”

Klaus had not expected his father to quickly accept their relationship but was grateful his father had come to accept their relationship nonetheless, “Thank you.” Standing to his feet, Klaus had plenty of information to process and right now wanted to return to Asana, “I must return to my chambers now.”

His bare feet quietly padded along the carpet of Walter’s office but his father did not challenge his right to leave. Walter watched him leave until he closed the door behind his back to let out a sigh. He hoped Klaus would keep his emotions in check through this case.

The meeting with his father had carried on longer than he had anticipated. Glancing up at an antique and stylish clock decorating the wall of the hallway he strolled down, the hands pointed at quarter to two in the morning. With what he knew now, Klaus doubted he would get any sleep.

Quietly, he pushed open his chamber doors and slipped inside, gently closing the door behind him to not wake Asana. From across the room, he stared at her sleeping through the morning. From their earlier passion filled love making, she remained naked underneath the blankets. He restocked the fire since he would be awake for a little while longer and slipped in beside her and gazed at her beauty while she softly snored through her sleep.

Slipping in between the sheets beside her, he tossed his body onto his side, gazing at her adorable sleeping face with his violet eyes captivated by her beauty, “You really are beautiful,” he whispered, gently moving her fringe across her flawless skin to keep it from her eyes. Silently, he made a vow in his heart and soul that not a person would bring harm to her or force her into anything without her consent, “I will always protect, just as I always have,” he sealed that promise with a gentle kiss on her lips, “I love you.”

“…Klaus?”

“Hush, go back to sleep,” he whispered, and cuddled her close to him.

“…Are you only getting back from your father’s office?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about that,” he kissed the top of her forehead, “Get some rest.”

Snuggling into his warm body, she found her way back to sleep, “…I love you too Klaus,” she had heard his confession of love and returned the confession too.

“I know,” he smiled.

Though, his mind and heart raced with anxiety regarding their future together but he had to trust his father and his brother. Each time he looked down at her sleeping face, he couldn’t fathom the reason why anyone would want to harm her and grew tired of her being innocently dragged into danger. His father requested him think and react rationally, but how could he do that when the life of the woman he loves and their future together is threatened by the Kingdom of Rhymer.

He had an idea.

Without the knowledge of her own life being in danger, Asana had awakened around eight in the morning but the house remained quiet with only a few servants tending to their tasks. The marble hallways were shrouded in silence and the servant staff made little noise at the risk of waking up the tired residents.

Too scared to wander around the palace-like home, she turned right to go towards the home’s large library. Klaus had shown her to the room on a tour of the home and his parents had invited her to any books that took her interest to read at any time. On her way, the library door opened wide before she could put her fingers to the handle.

Remerging from the library was a head of recognisable locks, “Oh, Elias! Good morning,” she had come under the assumption everyone was still asleep, “Sleep well?”

“Good morning, Asana,” Elias stepped to the house to allow her entry into the library, “I did. You?”

“Like a log,” she smiled, remembering what had happened the night before in the comfort of Klaus’ arms, “It was a very warm night.”

He sighed, “I take it you snuck into my brother’s chambers again?”

“Hey, you make it sound like I done something rude,” she frowned at him.

Though, his perceptive eyes had caught the sight of his brother’s mark on the side of her exposed neck in the open neckline of her cotton robes. His cheeks turned a shade of pink, “Anyone could make that correct guess,” he said.

“Huh?” she didn’t understand.

“Your neck,” Elias pointed, “…T-there’s a mark.”

“What?!”

In the decorative hall, a mirror hung on the wall and she checked out the sizeable bruise gracing the side of her neck in a very visible spot. In fact, she had two small marks on the other side of her neck too. “Ah, Klaus!” she sighed and felt embarrassed that Elias had seen them.

“You should be thankful my parents like you,” Elias stated.

She couldn’t face him, not when the evidence of her night spent with Klaus was marked on her neck. Suddenly, she had no interest to read a book but rather she wanted to find a way to cover up these marks before she even saw his parents. “Um, I have to go,” she quickly turned around back to Klaus’ chambers.

Opening his closet, the maids had stored her clean clothes in with Klaus’. Fishing a knitted turtle neck tunic from her collection of clothes, she made her way across the room to the bathroom. Though, before she could even make the door, a pair of strong arms came around her waist and picked her up, “Klaus!” she giggled.

“Who said you could leave the bed?”

He twirled her body around and playfully threw her back onto the bed, “I didn’t want to wake you,” she giggled and turned her body to have her back to the bed, “You came to back to bed late.”

Her vision was filled by the closeness of Klaus’ face, “Where did you go before?”

“I went to the library but I ran into Elias,” she said, remembering why she had returned, “Because a certain someone left marks across my neck last night and I didn’t notice how visible they were until Elias pointed it out.”

“You are mine, everyone should know you belong to me.”

“My very heart and soul belong to you, Klaus, and no one can take you away from me,” she smiled, “Now, let me up so I can get dressed.”

Though, Klaus couldn’t let her go, not yet, her words reminding him that he needed to talk to her. Instead of ruining this good moment, he had a more relaxing way of speaking to her without stressing her out, “Listen, I need to talk to you about something important, something private. Why don’t we have a shower together?”

Her cheeks became flushed.

“Why are you blushing?”

“…Well, because you suggested we have a shower together.”

“So,” Klaus loved this adorable side to her, “I saw everything last night. What difference does this make?”

He was right, as usual. Last night, she was exposed across the sofa and it didn’t bother her that the flames exposed her naked flesh to Klaus. “…But…we were caught in the moment and made love.”

“You don’t want to then?”

She didn’t say she didn’t want to, “I never said I didn’t want to,” she said.

“Come on, Bunnyhead,” he teased, “We have showered together before.”

The more he convinced her to have a warm shower with him, the more it appealed to her. She thought a warm shower to begin the day would be an excellent way to wake her up along with a delicious breakfast to follow, “Alright.”

Moving off her body, he lead her by the hand into the bathroom and ran the warm shower first before they stripped down to their naked skins and stepped into the warm sprinkling water.

Steam fogged the glass barrier encasing the water streaming around them. Smearing scented body wash onto his hand, he began to massage the soap to exfoliate her creamy skin and Asana was curious about what he wanted to talk about, “What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?” she prompted the conversation to begin.

He continued to wash her back as he began to speak, “If you plan to go anywhere, even in the house, I want you to take myself, one of my brothers or my father with you,” he calmly spoke but his tone was a warning to her.

His warning prompted her to turn around, “Why? Has something happened?”

“My father has received the results from the DNA test he had done to determine if you are a distant relative of the Princess, and it turns out Alexia May and Princess Alexandria are positively the same person,” he informed, “This case he is doing is much more dangerous than he had told us before. But, I understand the fewer people who know he’s doing this case, the less people will come to harm.”

“Harm?” his words surprised her, “Klaus, am I in danger?”

Klaus knew he was crossing a line by telling her the truth but he didn’t want her facing danger without knowing the truth, “The bloodline of Rhymer’s royal family is quite diminished and the candidates to claim the crown are disappearing, my father believes through the foul play of a rival who wants to secure the crown without drawing attention to themselves. This is the primary reason why King Harold wanted to find Princess Alexandria, so he could find direct relatives who are alive.”

She realised he was talking about her, “Me!” her finger pointed to herself.

He confirmed her assumptions with a nod. The warm shower suddenly felt cold as she tried to process this information, her eyes widening and her mind and heart beginning to send panicked anxiety through her body, “…But…I don’t want to be a royal! No one ever asked me if I wanted this!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Klaus wrapped his arms around her to relax her mind.

“How can I?” She panicked, “Someone wants me dead over a job I don’t even want.”

“Hey, no one is going to kill you!” he strongly stated and held her close to him, “My father and Julius are putting all their resources into finding the person responsible. He doesn’t believe this person yet knows about you but he’s not taking any chances by gambling with your life, so he wants me to protect you always, until the threat has been dealt with. Well, I always protect you but I am not going to lose you, not even to a royal family.”

“Klaus…”

“I love you, Asana, and I want us to grow old together like we’ve promised each other.”

“I want that too but what if I can’t say no?”

“Of course, you can,” Klaus stroked his finger gently across her cheek and kissed her wet lips, “I have a plan and Dad is working on his own. Do whatever I ask of you and you will be safe.”

“Okay, what do you want me to do?”

Klaus peered deeply into her eyes and smiled, “Marry me?”

She fell silent in her shock.

“If we marry, we can stay together,” Klaus said.

“…Are you serious?”

“I’m very serious,” Klaus answered.

It was not how she imagined being asked to marry him. “But—.” She pictured him getting down on one knee surrounded by a romantic scene and asking her to become his wife and then they would plan a beautiful wedding and marry, their love shared and witnessed by those close to them.

Klaus took her hand into his own and kissed the back of them, “Once this is over, we can divorce or have a proper wedding. Whatever we choose, but if we marry now they will have terrible trouble trying to tear us apart. Consider it, insurance.”

“…It seems so sudden, though, what will your father say?”

“I don’t care what they say,” Klaus said, his lips inches from hers, “I love you and I am not about to risk losing you. Besides, consider it practice for when you really do become my wife.”

His lips sealed hers in a passionate kiss, his tongue penetrating beyond her pink and wet lips. It sounded dramatic but it would send a strong message to King Harold about her reluctance to take on the responsibilities of the crown, a job she would have never imagine herself in. She also hoped her faux marriage would expand the time limit for Walter and Julius.

“…Okay,” she agreed, “I will marry you Klaus. But this is the second time you have faked proposed to me, so the next one better be the real one,” she warned.

He chuckled at her humorous warning and kissed her again, “After breakfast we’ll go into the city and organise everything,” he said, kissing her lips again.

“Wait, we are getting married today?”

“The Princess’ Ball is in a week and that’s where King Harold will meet with you,” Klaus said, “Our marriage needs to look legit and we can make it work since we are already in love and plan to marry someday.”

“…This sounds insane,” she laughed, “But, whatever it takes to secure what we have.”

“When our real wedding comes, it will be a proper wedding with our family and friends,” he sealed that promise with another kiss, “Now, don’t mention anything I have told you to my father. He didn’t want me to tell you since this case is incredibly fragile.”

She trusted his judgment and returned a sweet kiss on his lips, “I trust you,” she whispered and smiled up at him. “Now, turn around and let me wash you,” she changed the pace of the conversation and turned him around to wash his broad and masculine back.

“It’s not often I get to see this side of you,” she giggled and groped his buttocks.

“Don’t push it,” a smile broke out across his lips.

“It’s a cute butt.”

“Did you just call my butt cute?”

Her giggling echoed through the bathroom, “So what if I did? It’s a cute bum.”

“That’s it,” he turned around and turned off the shower.

She giggled as his eyes pinned her down, “Klaus…play nice,” she tried to back away from him.

“I was going to leave consummation for later but not now,” he pushed her up against the wall of the shower and pinned her hands above her head, clashing his lips against hers.

He then turned her around, “Your butt is the cutest,” he smirked.

Soon enough she stopped giggling and her moans began echoing through the room.

Dressing warmly for the day ahead, they held hands on their way down to breakfast with the engagement ring Klaus had given to her to trick his parents back on her finger. The smell of chocolate waffles and hot coffee drifted through the kitchen of the house. With only Mary, Elaine and Elias.

“Good morning Klaus and Ms Way,” Mary greeted them both with a warm smile, “Forgive Walter and Julius’ absence they went to the Ministry early for important work.”

“Brother, will you please close the book at the table?” Elaine politely asked Elias.

“Sorry,” Elias apologised.

“Elias, just because you are an adult now does not mean you can disobey the ‘no books at the table’ rule,” his mother scolded, “Put it away and eat your breakfast.”

“I’m not a little boy Mom.”

“Then you should know better,” she argued.

Elias grumbled and closed the book with an audible slam.

Klaus and Asana took two vacant seats that were next to each other at the breakfast table. A maid setting two plates of waffles in front of them followed by a fresh cup of tea. Elaine smiled across the table, “You know Asana, you have such a pretty face,” she commented.

“Um…thank you,” she cut an edge of her waffle and was ready to bring it to her mouth.

“It will be your second ball in a matter of weeks, are you excited?”

“…Well, hopefully I won’t be a nervous wreck like last time.”

During the Christmas holidays, Klaus’ family attended the King’s Christmas Ball and used the function to invite the wealthy families of his kingdom to donate money to support those in need during the festive months. Of course, the event was a grand party with artistic plates of canapés and shining colours of elegant gowns sparkling under the crystal chandeliers of the ancient and opulent ballroom.

“I was a stuttering mess to every person who spoke to me,” she giggled.

Elaine laughed, “Yes, I remember dancing with Julius near the two of you and you tripped on the train of your dress.”

“Do not think too much about it, dear,” Mary laughed, remembering her first ball when she was a little girl.

“My first ball, I was eight years old. My parents were quite the philanthropists, and had hosted a gala auction to raise money for research into motor neurone disease, a disease which unfortunately claimed the life of my grandmother a year before that we held that fundraiser. I remember they had these enormous ice sculptures for decoration and my sister and I thought it would be a good time to play. Our mother warned us not to run around the ball room, but we were kids and refused to listen, until my sister pushed me and one of the ice sculptures was knocked over.”

Mary laughed at the fondness of the memory, “Of course, I can laugh about it now but at the time no one thought it was funny. I never forget the look on my father’s face and the embarrassment on my mother’s. After that, my sister and I were grounded for quite some time but we were well-behaved at the next ball,” she covered her hand over Asana’s, giving her a gentle smile, “There is no need to feel nervous at these events.”

“While that’s true, I have a feeling the Princess’ Ball is going to be a slightly different affair.”

“Well, if this is to celebrate the life of an ancestor, you should be dressed up to the nines,” Elaine insisted, her mind ticking away.

Klaus knew his sister well enough to see the bright smile she wore was hiding the enjoyment of dressing up his girlfriend, “Your dolls must have been terrified of you when you were little,” he jabbed.

“They looked beautiful!” Elaine smiled but quickly ignored him, “I propose we go shopping for dresses. I know the ball is a week away but we need to find the perfect dress for a Princess.”

“But…I’m not a princess,” Asana said, and taking a bite of her chocolate covered waffles into her mouth, “Wouldn’t it be rude to out-dress the royal family?”

“I don’t believe it’s rude to look beautiful,” Mary commented and looked Asana up and down, “Besides, you have such a beautiful face. Don’t hide it.”

“Not to mention, your complexion really goes with any colour dress,” Elaine added.

Flashbacks to the information Klaus had revealed to her began to flood through her mind. “…Are we going to the Ball?” she turned around to him, thinking if her life was in danger a ball was the last place she should be attending.

“It would be a bad sign if we didn’t go,” he answered, “I will come with you and Elaine to go shopping.”

“What?!” without any knowledge of Asana’s predicament, Elaine screeched with displeasure at his invitation, “But…I plan to dress her up like a Princess to knock the breath out of you.”

He chuckled, “My dear sister, she’s never looked like a Princess to me.”

“Klaus! That’s mea—.”

Before she could protest Klaus cut her off, “Let me finish,” he calmly begged her, “She has always and forever will be my Queen. So, if you plan to dress her up, make sure she looks like a Queen.”

“Klaus…,” embarrassment spread across her cheeks but she failed to keep her happiness contained, “…Actually, today for dress shopping is not good. I will be spending the day with Klaus. We are going on a date.”

“Oh really?” Elaine, having a similar personality to Amelia, smirked and wanted juicy details like a nosy big sister, “I sure hope my brother will be a proper gentleman but I must admit it is so strange to see him being friendly with a woman.”

Mary giggled, “Very rare. Oh, there are plenty of stories to tell you about girls having crushes on my Klaus only to be heartbroken—.”

“Let me guess, he’s beautiful too look at but they felt intimidated once he opened his mouth?” she smiled up at him, “Sorry.”

“I didn’t scare you away.”

“Would you want to? You know you love me,” she leaned over and naturally planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, “I love you too.”

It was such a natural act but it stunned Klaus since she had boldly kissed him in front of his family, his cheeks turning a shade of red. Elias struggled to contain his amusement but Mary and Elaine were averting their faces to laugh at him. “Oh, Klaus. She sure has you hooked,” Elaine laughed.

“My, it has been a long time since I have since you blush like this,” his mother laughed at him too, imprinting the sight into her memory.

Klaus cut a glare across to Asana, conveying a message to never to that again without warning, “Hurry up and finish your breakfast. We have places to be and no time to waste by sitting here,” he grumpily prompted her to continue eating her food.

“So, where is my son taking you on this date?”

“Ice skating down at the rink,” of course, she was lying.

Klaus added, “She’s never been ice skating so this is either going to be a great day.”

“Oh, please don’t break your ankle before the Ball,” Mary stressed.

“I’ll try not to,” like a pair of actors, Klaus and Asana’s true plan had not been detected.

However, it would be a good enough of a cover to go to the courthouse and legally marry. It was a secret but because Klaus felt his father would attempt to stop him from taking a radical step. However, it was something else entirely to Klaus, it was security to protect Asana from being dragged into a situation she had no control over.

“Well, have fun and look after her,” she warned him with a warm motherly tone.

“You don’t need to tell me to take care of my girlfriend, Mother.”

“Tomorrow, we will find you the perfect dress,” Elaine insisted.

“Of course!” Asana assured her it was a date set and polished off the final piece of her breakfast, clearing the plate to expose the golden edges of its expensive design, “Thank you for the delicious breakfast.”

Of course, Klaus had already finished and had been waiting on Asana to finish her meal. “Shall we?” he reached out his hand for hers and she happily took hold of it.

“Yes, let’s go.”

For a marriage they had planned so suddenly, even if it was fake to them was real in the eyes of the law, she felt excited. Unsure if the cause was the phony marriage to Klaus or the statement they were making. Klaus helped Asana into her coat and left the house.

“Remember, do not wander off alone,” he reminded her, “Stay close to my side.”

Tying the buttons down her chest and fixing the sash belt around her waist, she turned around to him, “The safest place is always by your side, Klaus,” she flipped her hair out from behind the coat giving him a sweet smile, “We are doing the right thing, aren’t we?”

“I believe so,” Klaus kissed the back of her hand, “I know it’s sudden but this gives us a bit of security and sends a strong message to the King. Unless, being a member of the royal family is something you want to do? Whatever you do, I want it to be on your decision.”

She already knew the answer, “…I want to grow old with you. Wherever we are or whatever we are doing, I want to be with you. My future, no, our future, is what we build it to be, as one,” she took his hand, “Marry me?”

“I already was going to,” he kissed her lips and pulled away again, “Let’s go.”

“Should we get rings?”

They stepped outside and opted to walk to the city with the snow to thick and slippery to drive on. “Watch your step,” he guided her down the slippery marble steps of the front door, “There’s a jewellery store in the centre of the city, shall we go there?”

“For fake wedding rings?”

“Why not?”

“Because, it would make sense if they were our real wedding rings.”

“We have to make it look real.”

“Okay, but let’s buy the cheap ones not the expensive ones.”

Several minutes of silence fell between them since what they were doing felt crazy but it was a necessary step in their game to own a little bit of control through this unbelievable situation. “This whole thing feels crazy,” she couldn’t help but speak her truest thoughts, “The more I think about it though, the more I know we are doing the right thing. But, doesn’t this say that we don’t trust your Dad?”

“Not necessarily,” Klaus shook his head, “My father is a smart man but right now his priority is focused on capturing a potential killer using magic by means of eliminating rivals and threats to their right to power. His attention is not focused on King Harold asking you to take the crown and leave everything behind. I know it seems dramatic, but I feel this is necessary.”

“You mean, if I take the crown he can’t force me to unmarry you and we can stay together?” Asana guessed, “But, I have no intentions of taking the crown and would rather we try and find a person who can?”

“Like who? The Rhymer line is thin.”

“Right, it’s thin, so there has to be someone who is more suitable to claim the throne,” she peered up at him, “If I refuse and the crown goes to someone less deserving of the crown, I would feel terrible and it could create a diplomatic problem for Gedonelune. It’s something we can do to prevent a political disaster. And, if there is no one left, perhaps this will be a historic point in history. Royal bloodlines change all the time.”

“Right, so are you ready for this?”

“So ready,” she squeezed his hand intertwined with hers.

In a last-minute decision, they had changed their minds and had decided to elope at the church rather than going to the courthouse to sign their marriage certificate. The minister witnessed their marriage and wished their marriage to be long. Their simple golden rings shined underneath the soft glow of the sun as it began creeping through the cracks of the snow clouds above.

“Wow,” was the only thing she could say.

“In a weird way, this feels…,” he couldn’t quite figure out the right word to say.

“Right?” Asana finished off his sentence.

“Yeah. It feels right.”

Several minutes of silence ensued between them as they gazed at their rings and each other’s rings. “So, how does it feel to be Mrs Klaus Goldstein?”

Sitting on a park bench across from a fancy hotel, overlooking the frozen city river, hearing her new and legal name sent a shiver down her spine. However, it wasn’t caused by the cold or the type of shiver to fear but it was a pleasurable shiver. Hearing it made her feel happy and bubbly inside. “Say it again,” she requested, turning her head to look at him.

“Mrs Klaus Goldstein?”

“Yes, but use my name.”

He smiled and chuckled, “Mrs Asana Goldstein.”

“I quite like hearing my name like that,” her smile widened as far as it could go.

“I like it too, suits you,” his smiled mirrored hers but his only widened at the way her beauty shined through her eyes and pink lips as she smiled down at the ring around her finger.

“I know it is not real but I’m happy you would go this far just to protect our future.”

“You think this isn’t real?” Klaus teased, “I have a certificate here that says it is.”

She giggled, “Well, it is real legally but when we are truly ready to get married we will have a proper wedding to share with our family and friends.”

Of course, he’d give her the wedding she deserved. Bringing her ringed hand to his lips, he kissed the spot where the ring sat across her finger, “I promise, you will have the wedding you deserve, Asana. Like I said before we came here, it will be very soon.”

“Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife.”

“You already are,” this time his lips planted a sweet kiss upon her smiling lips.

The world around them became a blur as their lips remained engaged in their sweet kiss for several minutes. Pulling away at the same time, they gently touched their foreheads together right as the snow began to fall over the city once again. “So,” his warm breath brushed her lips, “What shall we do now, my wife?”

From the corner of his violent eyes, he spotted the enticing entrance of the rich and luxurious inner-city hotel behind them and across from the esplanade built beside the frozen river. Her eyes followed his line of sight to the red quarter-round awning below the large golden signage on top of the building.

“Chateau Royale,” she read the name of the building, feeling both embarrassed and happy of the feelings stirring inside of her, “So long as we order room service afterwards.”

He laughed, “Always thinking about food,” he pushed himself off the bench.

Holding out his hands, he helped her to her feet and took hold of her hand. Being the middle of the holidays, Klaus and Asana were lucky to grab the last key to a hotel room – a penthouse suite as large as Klaus’ chambers at the Goldstein residence. Within those silk sheets, their fake marriage had become very real.

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Misunderstanding

Elias/Asana

Requested: Anon

Summary: Helping his cousin, who is an author, in secrecy, he turns down a date with Asana only for her to see him with another woman. 

He was behaving weirdly.  

Each day after school, he left the classroom before I could have the chance to speak to him. I started to feeling lonely, and I wanted to support him if he was busy or if he had some problem.  

Packing my books up for the day, I glanced over at Elias' desk and he was quickly stuffing his books in his bag. Before he could leave, I decided to go over to his desk.  

"Hey," I greeted him, hoping whatever he had been running off too didn't need his attention today.

Giving me his soft smile and gaze, he acknowledged my existence, "Good evening, how did you do on the test?" We just finished our last lecture of the day with Professor Merkulova and received our scores from our recent exam.  

Proudly, I, for once, helped contribute to our steady grades by scoring an A- on the last test, and felt like celebrating the good result. Smiling brightly I showed him the red-marked grade on my exam, happy to see his smile spread across his face, "Congratulations, I'm proud of you."

"I know, I actually contributed to our grades for once," it felt a weight had been lifted off my chest but I would have to keep this up for the good feeling to continue, but I still want to celebrate.  

I could think of nobody better than my buddy and perfect boyfriend. "In celebration," I started with my cheeks starting to feel hot from the embarrassment of the question I am about to ask, "I want to celebrate with you. Would you like to go on an after-school date to town?"  

Thinking of no reason he'd say no since he's not racing off today, I had high hopes he'd say yes. But, really, I think the grade's just an excuse because I really want to spend time with him, and have my Elias to myself.  

"Ah...," he averted his gaze and hesitated to answer me. "...I have to go, sorry," quickly snatching up his bags stuffed with his school books, he walked away.  

...Huh?  

Stunned by his sudden departure, I didn't quite know how to feel about him fleeing my side. I don't want to pry, but is there an important reason why he can't be with me right now? Have...have I done something?

Suddenly, I had a flashback to a movie I was watching the other night with Amelia in the common room. With a large bowl of buttered popcorn being shared between us, the movie was about a married couple who fell out of love and the husband having an affair with another woman for more than four years.  

They divorced, she took the kids and the house and he re-married with the woman he had cheated on his wife with. Suddenly, she returned because she was dying from illness. During her last months, he rediscovered why he had fallen in love with her in the first place, and regretted having broken her heart all those years ago.  

The emotions portrayed in that movie moved Amelia and I to the point of tears but it inspired conversation between us about love and the cruelty of falling out of love with somebody. Thinking about that film and how Elias is behaving right now, I started to feel insecure about us.  

What if...he doesn’t love me anymore?

No way. Shaking my head from even asking myself that insane question, I convinced myself there was no way Elias would ever cheat on me or fall out of love for me. Calming my worried heart, I retreated back to my room alone again.  

While walking back to my room, admiring the blue sky, I felt...empty. He's normally beside me but for the last few days he hasn't been by my side. Lost in my thoughts, the world around me became non-existent and my body became infected with this sickening insecurity.  

"Asana!"  

Who was that? Elias?  

I turned my head behind me to see not my boyfriend but Amelia running up to me. Her feet slamming onto the brick paths through the bright botanical gardens. "Amelia?"

"Are you free right now?" She wore a huge smile across her face.  

Well, if being rejected to go on a date with my boyfriend is considered being free, than I suppose I am, "...Yeah," thinking about it like that, I hung my head low, sadly looking a flowering weed coming up through the cracks in the pavement.  

"What's wrong?"  

Is my sadness that obvious even to Amelia? But, maybe she could shed some light on why Elias has been avoiding spending time with me. "...Well...I'm worried about my relationship with Elias. He rejected to go on a date with me after-school today but he didn't say why. He said he had to go and walked away. He's been avoiding me for a few days now."

"Seriously?" Her cheery smile faded and dropped in stun of what I had told her, "...Well, maybe he has a good reason and he can't say anything."

"Do you think he's in trouble?"

"Well, he loves you," she based his behaviour on the faith of our love alone. "I'm sure he'll talk to you soon. Cheer up," she encouraged me to smile, an idea springing to mind, "Hey! Let's go shopping. It'll help you to relax."

She's a really good friend, and with nothing else planned for my afternoon than lying on my bed, I agreed to her invitation with a firm nod, "Let's go!"  

Looping our arms together, we headed towards town to look at dresses.  

We went to a favourite store of ours. A cute boutique across from a popular café that housed all the latest fashionable dresses. Going to the window, I was drawn to a mature golden embellished romper. Picking up the dress cross jumpsuit. I noticed it has quite a plunging V-neck and Elias would never let me wear this in public.  

Glancing out of the clear window, my body shielded by the shade of being indoors, my eyes caught his figure sitting at one of the café's outdoor tables. Sitting next to him is a gorgeous blonde woman with silky smooth legs and a body like a supermodel. Even with her eyes covered by shades, I could tell she had a pretty face. Who is she?

I watched on holding the dress in my hands with a painful feeling pulling at my heart. They are laughing and he's staring right into her eyes too. Amelia tried to distract me but I assume she followed my gaze because she stopped and stood next to me watching on too.  

This is why...he's been avoiding me? Maybe it's innocent? As I think that, I watch them stand up together and they hug and he kissed her cheek. She waved at him as she left the vicinity. At this point, I think my heart has stopped beating and my mind's malfunctioned. I feel...hurt.  

"...Asana, you okay?" Amelia, who had been watching on with me, has come to the same conclusion and in the softest voice, with her arm around my back, she's comforting me.  

Feeling embarrassed, my attempt to put the dress back on the rack failed. Flustered and overwhelmed with these hurt and sad feelings, the dress fell to the clean, shiny tiles of the floor below. Without another word, I left the store. I...want to be alone.  

That night, I didn't come down for dinner and Amelia didn't attempt to talk to me if I didn't feel like speaking. Instead, I covered my head with my blanket and quietly released my pain through my tears. Every time I come up with a plausible explanation, I couldn't deny that my boyfriend has been avoiding me and rejected a date with me to spend it with another girl.

All night, I stayed awake crying and thinking about what I saw. My boyfriend with another girl. My boyfriend doesn't love me anymore and he's with someone else. She looked elegant and his type of girl. My boyfriend loves another girl...soon, he'll be my ex-boyfriend because he loves another girl. Elias, my ex-boyfriend...thinking he would break up with me, my tear ducts were replenished with new tears.  

_ _ _

Not getting any sleep, not even a wink of it, I went to school with dark circles underneath my reddened eyes. Unmotivated, I packed my school bag and headed to school without breakfast. Clenching my arms around my stomach, I knew I probably looked depressed to those walking around me.  

At the gate, I noticed Elias was waiting for me.  

Stopping in my tracks, my heart squeezed with pain at the sight of him. My legs began to shake underneath me, I was too scared to move closer to him because he might end our relationship and I don't want us to end. Desperate to avoid him, I huddle behind a large group of girls and successfully sneaked passed him, avoiding detection.  

Hurriedly, I ran up the lane to class. Alone, but my heart bleeding from this wound. This is pointless, we're in the same class so I'm going to have to get through the rest of my school life with him nearby.  

When I made it to the classroom, I had no desire to learn today. I'm tired and this pain in my chest is not disappearing, along with my urge to cry. My bag under my feet, I flop over the desk as the classroom filled up with students, my eyes letting a single tear run down my face onto the wooden surface of the desk.  

Yukiya taking his regular seat by the window bent over to view my face, "Asana, you okay?" He noticed, huh?  

To avoid his question, I covered my face with my arm to signal I don't want to talk about it.  

Then, I felt the presence of another person behind me, "If you already came to class you could have told me. I was waiting forever at the gate for you."

Elias.

I can't face him right now and ignore him, my face hidden by my arms. "...Asana?" he doesn't seem to understand or he does, as he calls my name softly with hints of guilt woven through his tone. "As—," interrupted by Prefect Klaus entering the room, he retreated back to his seat.  

She avoided meeting me this morning and now she won't even look at me. Did my rejection to her invitation for a date yesterday upset her this much? Retreating to my seat, I lacked concentration in class because not once did she raise her face or look at me. Though, when I think about my behaviour over the last several, I realise I have ignored her while helping my cousin, Cecilia, with a book she wants to have published.  

As soon as the day ends, I go to Asana. Before I can reach her, we make eye contact. My face dropped with worry when I see heavy bags under her eyes and what has me worried more is seeing her eyes swollen and red. Has she been crying? Sensing my worried face, she grabs her bag, giving me a look and leaves. "Hold up. Asana!" I give chase but by the time I have made the corridor, she has disappeared into the sea of blue cloaks.  

Just then, Yukiya stands beside me, "When I came in she was crying. I asked for what was wrong but she ignored me. What's wrong with her?" He's just as worried as I am, and hearing his account maybe I have hurt her more than I have realised.  

"I wish I knew the answer to that question too," I replied to him.  

I am supposed to meet with my cousin again this afternoon, but I decide to postpone today's meeting because I am too concerned about my girlfriend to concentrate on anything else right now.  

However, my efforts to find her go in vain. Did she go home already? If so, I'll try speaking to her again tomorrow. However, tomorrow and the next day she evades me.  

Three days have passed since I discovered Elias with that beautiful blonde woman. It's Friday afternoon, and I'm still hurting. My heart feels like it has been shattered and my body has been drained of energy.  

Girls in the dorm have told me that he's been searching for me because he wants to speak to me. However, I have been avoiding him because I don't think my heart can handle the confirmation that he's had enough of me.

I have a feeling though, the girls want me to talk to him, because I have devoured all the ice-cream in the freezer to sooth my aching. But, it hurts. I never thought Elias, the gentleman, would cheat on his girlfriend, however, I think what hurts most is my naïve thinking a man like him would ever be interested in a common girl like me.  

It was always going to end like this. I regret ever becoming so attached to him. Despite knowing this was never going to work out, I can't prepare myself to hear him say that this is over and he's fallen for someone else.

In a self-study lesson, supervised by Professor Schuyler, my head remains on the desk, my body listless. The chair beside me pulled back, and someone is sitting beside me. This warmth, is familiar. Elias is next to me.  

"Why are you avoiding me?" In my ear he's whispered to me to not disturb the rest of the class while they try to study.  

Is he pretending like I don't know?  

"Listen. I know I haven't paid much attention to you recently and I'm sorry I rejected your invitation to go on a date with you. But, there's a reason why I have acting that way."

Why is he breaking up with me in the middle of class? How could he be this cruel? Is being his gentleman appearance all an act? If I wasn't hurt enough, I felt angry that he was doing this to me now, and in class of all places.

I can't hear this, not here, "I...I can't do this," I'll probably get in trouble for this but I pack up my books and run from the classroom. I can hear Professor Schuyler yelling at me to return and all eyes from the rest of the students are focused on me as I leave.  

"Asana!" I can hear Elias coming after me, and behind him Professor Schuyler demanding us to return to the classroom.  

We ignore him, and I try to evade Elias but I'm not as quick as him to escape before he catches me by the wrist. "Stop, stop, stop," his grip is gentle and his voice is filled with worry as I try to fight my way from him.  

"...Don't break up with me like this," I cried, my tears overflowing and running down my cheeks.  

"What are you talking about? Why would I be breaking up with you?"

How can he not know, is he playing dumb with me?

Piercing my violet gaze into her crying rose eyes, I cup her face with my two hands, I don't understand why she would even say that. Does she think I don't love her anymore because I haven't been spending time with her?  

Absurd! My eyes glared at her from my conclusion as to why she's been acting like this.  

I want her to calm down but that's not happening, "How can you stand in front of me and pretend you don't know what you're doing? I know you struggle with being honest...but can't you be honest with me now?!" Before I could even register it, she yelled at me.

"What!" Overwhelmed with shock, I had no idea what she's talking about, "What are you talking about, Asana?"

"I saw you! I saw you with another girl in town the other day. After you rejected to go on a date with me, I went shopping with Amelia. I saw you at the café with a beautiful blonde woman. You hugged her and kissed her, Elias! Is she the reason why you've been running off every day after class? Did...did you reject going on a date with me because you had plans with her? If you're going to pursue another relationship than end this! Don't...don't be cruel to me."

She's...crying. But, I understand the confusion.  

True. I didn't tell her what I was doing and suddenly seeing me with another woman after I have rejected going on a date with her and have ignored her the week. I realise how she's suddenly misread the situation. "I'm sorry, come here," still cupping her face between my hands, I softly pull her forward to hug her, "Easy, Asana. Please, calm down and let me explain."  

Fighting to escape my embrace on her, she ends up giving up and emptying her tears in my chest. It's my fault that she's feeling hurt like this. Stroking her hair to calm her down and kissing the top of her head, I'm repeatedly apologising to her for the hurtful misunderstanding I have caused. I never meant to keep it a secret, by my cousin didn't want others to know about our meetings because she feared details of her book would be leaked to the public.

Telling her isn't going to be enough. At this rate, she's not going to believe me that the woman she saw me with is my cousin, Cecilia. "Once you have calmed down, I want to take you to meet someone otherwise you aren't going to believe me if I simply tell you."

Pulling her head away from my chest, she tilted her head in confusion. I could tell she was wondering why I would take her to meet a woman she thinks I have been having relations with behind her back, "...W-what do you mean?"

Gazing into her eyes, I had no reason to hide the truth. "Last week, I received a letter," I reached into my bag and pulled out the letter I had stashed neatly away in my bag, "from my cousin, Cecilia, she's an author. Asked by the Ministry and a publisher, she has been asked to pen a book on my father, like a biography. She's asked me to help her edit the book and make sure the facts are correct by reading it before it goes to print."  

She fell silent and read the letter I had held open for her to read it.

"That's why I have been busy and running off into town. She's staying at the hotel in town while I read her manuscript. She's been conducting interviews with some old school friends of my father and Professors who used to teach my father to add to the biography. So, I have been editing and correcting other facts, adding my own personal account of my father from not only my perspective as a son, but also Klaus'."

I paused for a moment, internally regretting not telling her sooner, "I regret not telling you sooner. I can understand why you would have come to that conclusion if I never told you anything and you have never met Cecilia before. I was caught up in the book that I...neglected you. I'm so sorry this confusion has hurt you."

Holding her hand, I go to Klaus and ask a favour of him. To open the gate to the academy and let me go into town with Asana to meet with Cecilia. After begging him, he hesitantly agreed to my request. Before he opened the gate, he turned to me, "You do realise you owe me for doing this?"

"I'm indebted to you, Klaus," I don't care what he'd make me do, all I care about is proving to Asana that I am not being unfaithful, and as if I ever would be! I have never looked at another woman, and I am not inclined to either.  

"I will cover you if Headmaster Randolph and Professor Schuyler begin to ask questions but...don't wander. Speak to Cecilia and come straight back!" His frightening glare made me squirm, I still remember the punishment we coped for staying past in the academy past midnight when she was trying to catch my present she had accidentally brought to life using magic.  

"We will be back in twenty minutes."

He was satisfied with the time limit and opened the gate, "Hurry up."

Holding her hand, I guided Asana quickly to the hotel room, not so fancy as my cousin is used to in the larger cities, but cosy enough to keep her expensive taste satisfied. Knocking on her room door, she answered quickly.

Elias had his brother open the gate for us but I has already half believing him because of the letter he had showed me, but he was determined to prove to me that he wasn't being unfaithful. Now, I feel guilty about not trusting him more.  

Twenty minutes, he said to his brother, would be enough time for us to meet the woman I saw him with and who he says is his cousin. Through the centre of the town, not far from the city's train station, we enter the lobby of the most expensive hotel in town.

It had glass doors and a red and white Indian-themed carpet through the lobby  with fake plants and furniture decorating the space nicely. Past the reception desks, no one challenged us he guided me up a flight of stairs on a thick stairwell close to the walls in another room away from the polished lobby.  

Going to the end of the hallway on the second floor, mirroring the design of the lobby below, though not as flashy as downstairs, Elias stopped at room 23. The '23' number plated in gold. He loudly knocked twice on the white wooden door, accessible by the tenant with a card key.  

"Cecilia, it's Elias."

After his brief identification, the door quickly opened. Standing in the threshold of the doorway was the beautiful blonde woman I saw Elias with the other day at the café. I knew it, she's gorgeous.  

Her bleach blonde hair isn't like the trademark gold locks of the Goldsteins but her eyes were the shade of lavender, like Elias' mother's eyes.

She wore a sleek but elegant black dress, the jersey fabric hugging her slender and fit body nicely, exposing her olive tanned arms and legs, like she had been bathing under the sun on the beach of some tropical island. This...is his cousin, she's much more mature than Elias but still quite young.  

"Sorry to bother you, Cecilia," Elias apologised, "But, I wanted to introduce you to Asana."

Suddenly, she squealed with glee, "This is her. My gosh, your mother did say she was a pretty girl and I can see she was not exaggerating at all," she pulled me into an awkward hug and kissed either side of my cheek, her Italian accented voice rolling off her tongue like a Roman Princess, "Buongiorno! I'm Elias' cousin, Cecilia."

"...You're really...his cousin?"

"Zia Mary is my Aunt," she confirmed, and glancing between us, "Oh cousin, shame on you. Did you not tell her I was coming to town to see you? What about dinner on the weekend with you and Klaus, I would imagine you would invite your beautiful girlfriend to join us."

I'm so ashamed with myself!  

"...I've been trying to ask her but she's been avoiding me because she saw us the other day having lunch, and I had not said anything about you being in town, so she assumed I was cheating on her."

"Do you blame her?" She slapped him on the arm, and patted my shoulder in sympathy, "I apologise for the misunderstanding, Ms Way. I know I said for him to meet me alone because lately I have had reporters begging me for an exclusive sneak peek inside of this biography I am doing for Zio Walter, but I had no clue he'd take it this literally. You are an idiot for making her worry, poor girl."

No, he’s not the idiot, I am for doubting him.  

“If I saw my husband with a strange woman and he behaved oddly, I would jump to a similar conclusion too,” she laughed and started to lecture him on being more honest with me.

His face, ablaze from the embarrassment. “Well...I promised Klaus we would return to the academy in twenty minutes. But, we will see you this weekend for dinner. And, I promise I will be more honest with my girlfriend from now on...I admit I made a mistake by not telling her the truth leading to this misunderstanding.”

Cecilia kissed both of us as we said our farewell, with promises to meet again for dinner. She seems really nice too, but his whole family are kind people.  

Holding her hand, we hurried back to the academy but I noticed she hasn’t said a word since we returned. She won’t even look in my direction as I wait for my brother to open the gate again.

I hope she’s still not thinking that I have been cheating on her. Giving her hand I’m holding a tight but gentle squeeze, I turn to her, “You still aren’t thinking I’m cheating on you, are you?” I carefully ask her.

Finally, she looked at me but she was still looked miserable, “...No...I feel horrible for mistrusting you like that...,” she replied and looked away again, moving to sit on a nearby rock until my brother arrived at the gate.

By her dropped shoulders, I could tell she felt bad about getting the wrong idea. "...Hey," I knelt in front of her and gently took her hands in mine, "Look at me," she still wouldn't though, so I gently cupped her face and have her look at, stroking my thumb across her cheek, "Asana...forgive me, I am the fool here. I should have told you from the start and should have been honest with you from the beginning," my apology is sincere.  

Curling her hand around my arm, my hand still holding her cheek, our foreheads touch. After a moment to think, her smile returned to her face, "...We've both been quite foolish, haven't we?" She whispered.

"...Yeah, we have been."

Once I realised and understood this misunderstanding, a wave of guilt rolled through my body. I can't believe I accused him of cheating on me, I was quiet the whole way back to the gate where we wait for Klaus to open the gate to let us back inside the academy.  

His gentle and smooth hands lovingly rest on my cheeks and his forehead is bumped against mine. We acknowledge we've both been quite foolish, but for me it isn't enough. I'm feeling so horrible about accusing my beautiful and perfect boyfriend of cheating on me.  

Moving my face, our foreheads are still touching, I bring my nose to gently bump against his, lining my lips up with his. I...I want to kiss him, I need to tell him I love with more than just my words, "...Elias?" I call out to him, our warm breaths twisting in the small space between our lips.

"...Yeah?"  

"I'm sorry I doubted you...I love you so much the thought of you not loving me anymore...is painful," I admitted, brushing my lips across his, and tears starting to fall from my eyes again.

"Don't cry," his whispered words sooth me and I feel his warm thumb stroke my cheek. Lightly, he presses a kiss to my lips. Though it's a light kiss, it is enough to have my heart pounding, "...I could never love any girl the way I love you...Y-you are quite precious to me...," his arms move away from my face and snake around my back.  

Likewise, my arms snake around him to as we tightly embrace. Our warmth sending away any doubt, sadness and depression this down has brought to our relationship. Both our hearts beat in a harmonious tune and our red cheeks tells how embarrassed we both are from this avoidable misunderstanding.  

With my face buried in the crook of his neck, I breath in his scent. I'm so happy he's in my arms and not anyone else's, "...After dinner with your cousin, can we...spend some time together...alone?" I shyly ask him again.

"Yeah, of course," I can feel his lips curl into smile against my neck.  

We stay like this until, "Ahem! Are you two done cuddling?"  

Lifting my head, I turned around to see my brother smirking at us. He brings his eyes to mine, and by one look I know he's laughing at me and likely has a sadistic job for me waiting as payment.  

Moving away from Asana, I stand to my feet and reach out my hand for her to hold. Normally, I would be too shy to do this in front of others, especially, my brother, but I hurt her and made her worry therefore I must make sure she knows I would never do anything so cruel to her.  

Gladly, she takes my hand.  

At the weekend, as promised, we dine with my cousin and Klaus too at a popular restaurant in Gedonelune City. Embarrassingly, Cecilia and Klaus decided they would tell Asana of old memories between us, resulting in my sheer red face so hot it could light candles.  

However, it laid to rest the misunderstanding between Asana and me. Though, I learnt the hard way not to keep secrets from my girlfriend that could lead to similar events in the future. Still, if any girl is to hear about embarrassing private family stories, it's her.  

After dinner, I invited her to a walk through the city's park. Lit up through the cyan coloured lanterns and the moon above, we held hands and we continued talking about family stories, this time our more embarrassing stories. That conversation led to one about a future where we'd have our own family.  

Not wishing to part ways for the night, we booked a room for the night. She wanted to watch a romantic film, but after this week's episode I suggested we watch a tasteful comedy film instead. Though, what happened after that is a secret between Asana and me.  

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Raiders Revenge

Yukiya/Asana

Requested by: @gundam-starlight

Warnings: Violence depicted, recommended for mature readers.

Summary: Seeking a pure maiden to take them to the waters of Blue Paradise, the raiders who threatened to kill Yukiya’s family all those years ago return to find her with him. They seek revenge for the injuries he caused.

In the body of his new beast form, the contract burnt into his eye, his large paws fought back at the raiders threatening his family with death. His body was larger but with his sharp talons, he made his permanent mark on the murderous gang.  

"Leave!" He yelled in his mind, but only a loud roar sounded from his mouth and his heavy breathing exhausted grunts from his animal-like nose, "I said, leave!" He yelled louder which translated into a louder roar.  

He could feel the thick wetness of blood on the bottom of his paw as he chased the raiders from his home and eventually his village. He returned to his home when he was positive those raiders were not going to come back to continue stealing from his family and neighbours, people already living in poverty who could not spare another cent.  

Confronted by their fearful gazes, more frightened of him then they were of the raiders, he felt a stone dropping from his chest to the pit of stomach. "Don't be scared of me," he said, but because of his new beast form, he let out a roar. His little siblings cowered into his mother's arms and his father warned him away. That was how he had run away.  

For those raiders, though, their injuries shot unbearable pains through their bodies. Going to an underground doctor, he managed to heal part of their wounds but without proper medical equipment, their wounds would leave them with nasty scars and permanent ailments.  

"We can't risk going to the hospital," the leader of the group, Orhan, with a large scratch running from the middle of his chest down the expanse of his right arm to his hand, cried, "The Ministry would have us by the necks!"  

"I'm sorry, this is all I can do with what I have with me," the doctor apologised, but had a thought, "Unless....unless, you get one of those dark wizard cults you work for to help you out somehow. But, they aren't going to be impressed you have nothing to give them from your latest raid."

"They'd tear us apart worse than that beast did!" Orhan frustratingly yelled at the doctor's ridiculous suggestion. He sighed, indignantly, and stormed away from the doctor's underground clinic. He was on the run from the law after he used his position to illegally experiment on patients.  

Gathering his men, only five of them willing to follow him after tonight's event, healed as best as they could be from the doctor, they took rest at an underground pub and drowned the pain with alcohol. "That beast was a boy, right?" One asked.

"Yeah, he was."

"His mother yelled his name, 'Yukiya', that's the brat's name."

They all discussed the night's events, Orhan still angry. "I'm going to track that brat, and I'll kill him. If we're gonna go up against him, knowing what he can do, we're gonna have to be cured, our bodies have to fit and healthy. We'll find someone or a spell that can cure us and we'll track that brat down."

"What about those wizards we're supposed to get money for?"  

Orhan laughed at the question, he didn't think it was important, "Forget 'em. Look at us, look at what they put us through just so they can exploit us for money so they can do their crimes. And for what? A percentage of what we steal. Nah, I've had enough of 'em," he angrily slammed his pint onto the table, "We steal, we steal for ourselves from now on!"  

He walked around the table they were sitting at and returned back to his seat, a thought suddenly popping into his head, "I know what we're gonna need. There's a place that can cure us, but we'll need a pure maiden and light magic."

"None of us got light magic, boss."

"Not you dim-wit," Orhan threw a handful of peanuts at his idiot follower, "Nah, we're looking for a pure maiden who practices light magic. It'll be a needle in the haystack, but there's got to be one somewhere. She can take us to Blue Paradise."

"Blue Paradise? Isn't that just a legend?"

"Legends have to start from some kind of truth," Orhan replied. "Listen, we can't go to a hospital otherwise the Ministry will nab us and if we're too exposed we're gonna draw attention to ourselves. You think those do-gooders care about us, huh? They'll use us to get information about the dark wizards we've worked for, and if that happens, if one of us squeaks those dark wizards are gonna come after us."  

Present Time

My leg started to hurt in the middle of History of Wizardry. Headmaster Randolph looked in my direction as my face started to cringe in response to the pain shooting from my wound up and shocking my entire nerves system. Yukiya, beside me, leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, "Are you okay?"

I silently nodded back and whispered back to him, "I'm fine." Headmaster Randolph's voice in the background blurred in the distraction of my discomfort. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I refocused on the lecture.  

"...the waters of this mysterious spring is said to heal any person suffering from any incurable disease, permanent disfigurement or chronic pains and ailments, even reversing things like blindness or paralysis. Naturally, the spirits protecting the legendary Blue Paradise spring, as it has come to be named in several parts of the world, have shrouded the forest, it lives deep within, in a magic to trick those that enter it, much like our own East Forest protecting the Tower of Sorrow."

He paced around the classroom to make eye contact with all his students as he lectured them about an interesting tale in the magical world. "The forest is not only cloaked in magic designed to lure people away from the blue water, but is swarming with deadly creatures assigned to protect the spring. That's not all. According to the legend, those who do make it to the water, if they are not pure maidens of light magic they will die with by a single droplet of the water," he glanced at me again as he spoke, "Only pure maidens of light magic are able to ask the spirits for permission to use the water either for themselves or for others so long as their intentions are pure and good."

He turned his back on the classroom and reached for a piece of white chalk. "Now, I will tell you about the wizard who is supposedly to have gone to the spring, used its blue water to cure his onset of cancer and lived to tell the tale. Currently, she is the only wizard to have ever used its water and survived the treacherous forest and her book on Blue Paradise is the only knowledge we have on the mysterious spring. Of course, the Ministry have been looking for it for many years but every explorer they have sent have never returned and remain missing, presumed dead."

Well, at least I'm never going to that spring anyway. But, why did he look at me? Is he worried about my injured leg or something? It was the only logical answer I could come up with. Feeling Yukiya next to me, I had nothing to worry about if I started feeling any bad pains, in the possibility my stitches reopened. Headmaster wrote words of the blackboard and everyone was taking notes on the subject, we did this for the remainder of the lesson with our homework being to read the book on Blue Paradise.  

At the signal of the bell, students became invigorated with fresh energy because it was Friday evening and they would be allowed into the city. I turned to Yukiya, and in the commotion had to whisper into his ear, "I want to spend the weekend with you," I boldly stated.  

He turned to me with a soft smile on his face, "Do you want to go into town?"

I nodded, happy that he read my mind, "I was thinking we could camp at our spot on the beach?" I suggested, nothing really thought out but I just want to be with him.

"Can you do that with the wound on your leg?" He asked, gently bringing my right leg around so that he could inspect the wound on the outer-side of leg, below the knee and across the back of my calf, "It's slowly healing."

"It'll take time to heal, Yukiya. It only happened last week."

Last week, I had stumbled upon an injured unicorn that I could hear crying out in the forest, possibly because of my tamer's magic. It had been caught in a magic net where its powers were blocked and couldn't escape.  

Trying to escape the net, the unicorn injured its leg. While trying to help the creature, I ended up befriending it and the entire academy, including the Ministry, were shocked because a human befriending a unicorn had never happened before. While helping the unicorn to regain its magic power and strength, a former Ministry agent turned dark set upon me and the unicorn a pack of bewitched werewolves.  

Yukiya had found me right on time, and used his beast form to help warn away the pack while I set up a barrier to protect the injured unicorn. Of course, his beast form protected his true body from receiving any injuries as the wolf pack attacked him. Though, I was not completely unscathed. I received a nasty scratch on my leg from one of them that got too close but the unicorn reared onto its hind legs to protect me and Yukiya finished off the wolf. Watching them fight, I felt useless.  

It wasn't on purpose, but I used a spell, Headmaster Randolph told me, is only achieved by pure maidens of light magic. It was a continuous wave of primitive white light magic, pure light magic. Come to think of it, maybe that's why he was staring at me just now. That wave of magic warned away the werewolves and it gave enough time for the Professors and Prefect Klaus to save us.  

They all saw me use the spell, along with some Ministry agents who were called in as back up from the Headmaster – thankfully not seeing Yukiya before they came to our rescue. Somehow, my unbelievable spell was leaked to the media too, and I became an instant wizard celebrity - which I hated – but Headmaster used his charismatic smile and reliable words to put a stop to all the speculation. I don't know how he did it, but I'm certainly grateful.  

"Asana," I heard Headmaster's footsteps approaching us and he stood in front of the empty seats. From our desk to where he stood, there was another row between us.  

"Yes sir?"

"I noticed in class you were in discomfort."

"Oh, it happens from time to time, but the Doctor said the cream might sting as it works to heal the scars too."

He nodded, acknowledging my words, "This morning, I received news from the Ministry about the unicorn you rescued. He is making a full recovery and will be released back into the wild very soon. Seems like you made an impression on the unicorn."

That's great news! My mind bounced around in excitement and happiness at the news of the unicorn's fast recovery and that he'll be released to his home very soon. "I wish I could jump up and down on the spot in excitement of the good news. I'm glad he's going to be okay."

He laughed at my innocent happiness but that soon faded. Behind his back, in his arms, he had the day's paper and had me read the front page, "I apologise. I have done my best to stop the media from reporting on what happened with the unicorn and the werewolves, but it seems as though they published it as front page news this morning."

"What!" I snatched up the paper, and Yukiya read the article with me.  

In bolded and large letters was the headline 'Pure Maiden Shines Her Light'. They didn't reveal my name but there was a coloured picture of me in my uniform on the page. The article revealed what I had done for the unicorn and how I managed to use an impossible spell so effortlessly and naturally to save it from bewitched werewolves.

"I do not wish to stop you from enjoying a weekend together but be mindful of reporters lingering around you and...people who might want to take advantage of what you can do," Headmaster wisely advised us and then left the room.  

Glancing back down at the newspaper, I felt uneasy about my picture being in the newspaper. "Can we still go into town?" I turned to Yukiya, seeking his opinion for how we could spend our weekend together without drawing unwanted attention to ourselves.

"Of course we can, we'll just have to be careful," he assured me.  

Satisfied with his answer, we packed up our books and held hands while we left the main building and prepared to head into town tonight. Not knowing what the weekend had in store for us.

Not having the right treatment to heal their wounds, they wore their scars painfully. One of them had trouble with his sight and in a few years he would be completely blind. Another couldn't walk correctly on his left leg due to the nerve damage caused by the creature's talons. Orhan lost the mobility of his right arm but his anger and desperation for revenge on that boy still burned as brightly as it did that night he gave them these injuries.  

However, they still had to steal money from people to help them get by day-to-day. Their clothes, they stole from those better off but it never took long for their clothes to be worn out or ripped from the forest paths they stuck to in order to avoid being detected by the Ministry or dark wizard cults that would be looking for them.  

They had grown older in the time that had passed, and grew unattractive. Skin stained with dirt and beards and hair full of knots presented their decaying bodies. In their quest for finding that boy who did this to them, and to find the legendary spring that could cure their disgusting figures, they had sacrificed the comfortable living arrangements those dark wizards used to able to provide for them.

"Hey boss, check this out!" One of the healthier men had rushed back from the nearby town as they marched forward onto Gedonelune City.  

Handing him a newspaper, the front page headline caught his attention, "'Pure Maiden Shines Her Light'," he read the headline out loud and stopped in his tracks and turned to his comrade who had handed him the newspaper, "How much truth is there to this story?"  

"Well, speaking to some people around the town, she supposedly saved a unicorn by using the primitive wave of light," he explained, and looked around the group who were confused, except for Orhan who knew what this meant, "She's the pure maiden we've been searchin' for, boss. That spell I mention just now, can only be done by pure maidens who are naturally gifted with light magic. She might be the only one in the world," he tapped on the photo, "And, we know what she looks like and this City we're headed to...neighbours the academy she attends."

If he were the type of guy to hug another person, Orhan would. After all these years hope bubbled up inside of him and he stared at her picture, analysing every fine detail. "She's a pretty lil' thing too," he commented, and passed the paper around, "All of you, analyse her every detail. This city is where we're headed next and if we see her this is what we'll do," he gathered them around and revealed his plan.

Talking clearly so they could all hear, "We have to get her alone, and tonight I'll brew us a potion to change our looks so we aren't detected by any agents. One of us, I nominate myself, will pretend we're hurt and ask her for help. Once she examines me, put a bag over her head and I'll attach this cuff at the same time. We'll have her and keep her for as long as it takes until we find Blue Paradise and kill that beast that did this to us."

Cheering the plan with a shout, they agreed to the plan. "How we gonna find her?"

"We'll keep watching the streets," Orhan answered, "We're thieves, we're used to being sneaky, right."

Not far in the distance, they could hear the busy noises of the city and decided it was best to camp in these woods for the night. Straying a little from the path, Orhan found a small clearing to set up their camp. Straight away he began to work on making that potion that could change their appearances if they needed to. While he was doing that, the others were rehearsing how to sound distressed and how to be believable.

"The day has come," Orhan whispered to himself.  

For tonight, I packed in a bag a blanket and a few pillows in one bag and in my wicker basket I made some tasty sandwiches and snacks for us to eat. Underneath my clothes, I wore my bikini hoping to go for a dip in the ocean.  

"Don't forget your medication," Amelia threw my bag of medication for my wound into the bag I had packed with a blanket and pillows.  

In the excitement of what the weekend would bring, I almost forgot about the medication I had to take for my wound to heal. I had to apply an antiseptic and healing ointment and take a course of antibiotics to prevent infections and to battle any residing black magic within my system, "Thanks Amelia, I almost forgot those."

Smiling at her, she had a mischievous glint in her eye and a devilish smile curled across her face, I know that look. "It sounds very romantic. Alone with your lover on a secret spot on the beach with the starry sky above. I'm jealous."

"Well, I feel bad about everything I've put him through and I just want to relax and be alone with him," I shrugged, not intending for the night to be romantic but I suppose it could be taken as having a romantic weekend together.  

"Yeah, but just be careful alright. Don't want to strain that wound," she winked at me.

Tilting my head, I stared at her confused by what she meant, "What do you—," as I was going to ask, it suddenly hit me what she meant, "Amelia! Geez," she meant it that way, and I sighed to the sound of her laughing at me.  

"I'll help you carry your stuff to the door," she insisted, and before I could even protest grabbed the basket of food I had prepared for our weekend.  

Throwing the bag around my shoulder, I grabbed onto the railing of the staircase to climb down and slowly made my way to the front to meet Yukiya at the gate. Amelia was already with him, but she looked pretty awkward since they rarely ever talked. However, today they were talking, I can't hear what they are saying, but I hope she's not teasing him about tonight like she did to me in our room.  

"Are you ready to go?"  

"Yeah, let's go."

"Bye Amelia, and thanks for carrying this down for me," I turned to her and waved her goodbye.

"Have a fun weekend, I look forward to hearing every detail!" She called back to me.

Yukiya carried the basket in one hand so he could hold mine with his free hand. Together, we walked out of the gates in a blissful silence and smiling at each other like we were little teenagers going on an adventure. "You packed your medication, right?" He suddenly asked.

"Yeah, of course," I replied, "Though, I almost forgot them because I'm too excited about this weekend and spending it with you. But, Amelia threw it in the bag on my back."

"Is it safe for you to go swimming in the ocean with the wound on your leg?"

"If I keep it dressed it should be fine. I sent a note to the nurse before I left," I had enough time between parting ways with Yukiya and packing to send a magic note to the nurse at the infirmary and she replied in good time.  

"It's been a while since we went to our spot on the beach," he changed the topic of conversation and, in the orange sunlight painting our path, he smiled.  

I wonder if he's as excited as I am to go camp at our spot on the beach, "I still remember the first day we found that spot. Neither of us had ever heard the ocean in our lives, never felt the water," I started laughing because I remember him taking a gulp of water into his mouth, unaware it was salt water.

"What? Are you laughing because I drank saltwater?"  

I nodded, "I still remember the look on your face," in my mind, the memory of that day was as vivid as a freshly painted portrait. "It was adorable."

He started laughing too as he looked back on that day too, "Yeah...it didn't taste nice at all. Lesson learnt the hard way," that memory is a favourite of ours, and I could tell he's excited about going back to our spot.

"I'm excited about this weekend," I admitted.

"Me too."

We talked about various topics and sometimes walked in a nice silence as we walked to our spot on the beach.  

When we came to a small stretch of bushland — overgrown vegetation that covered this hidden part of the beach — Yukiya crouched down in front of me, "Climb on," he said, but I was hesitant. I didn't want to burden him by having to carry me. "I don't want you to battle your way through the bushland and I can see better."

Realising he didn't want my wound to be hurt by battling through the vegetation in the dark, I didn't want to worry him if I said no, and threw my arms and legs around him, and held on as he rose to stand again. I know he was being careful and caring about my safety, but it made my heart pound and a surge of my deep love for him swept through my body like a wave. I rested my head on his back and could hear his own heart pounding away in his chest, "Yukiya...," I whispered, nuzzling my head to stay close to his heartbeat.

"You okay?"  

"Yeah...I just...I love you, Yukiya," those words came from deep in my heart that I had to tell him how I felt, like I couldn't contain it any longer.

I heard his heart rate speed up when I told him how I felt but as quick as it pounded, his heart beat relaxed, "I...love you too, Asana," he replied, his feet brushing through thick palm leaves lying low from the smaller palm trees, only still growing.  

Ducking my head as branches from the taller trees threatened to cause impact on my head, it didn't take much longer for us to reach the white sandy shore of the beach. Compared to the city and that little bit of bushland we had to battle through, where it was dark, the sky on the beach was beautiful.  

The sun had sunk into the ocean but it's beautiful golden-orange glow stretched across the very bottom of the sky. A streak of blended orange and purple, ascended to a thick band of light violet. Again, a thin band of blended violet and dark indigo separated the dark indigo sky that would eventually consume the entire sky with the silver stars shimmering right across the sky. "Wow," I couldn't help but comment at the breath-taking view before my eyes.

"It's beautiful here at night," Yukiya agreed, and I squeezed him into an embrace since I was still riding on his back.  

"Nature is the best and most beautiful show in this world."

We both grew up in the country and were used to seeing stunning sunsets disappear behind the mountains and the land. But, there was something special about seeing this sunset as it fell behind the sea. Looking across the ocean, the sun shined through the white water as the waves crashed onto the shore, and the colour of blue across the sea transformed, like it reflected the sky above.  

Together we stood there, admiring the view before us. I'm so happy we did this.  

"Hey, what were your sunsets like back in your hometown?" I asked him. I knew he grew up in the country, but wasn't sure if it was like mine. "I remember the sunsets in Reitz. The sun would fall behind the huge mountains but you could still see its glow, especially in summer, like now."

"We don't have huge mountains...well, they were far in the distance. My hometown had plenty of hills and valleys. Summer sunsets were the best, and I used to take my sister to see it sometimes," he paused for a moment, and turned his head to try to look at me, "I can't exactly describe it. The sun flooded over the hills and the farmland...but it's way better to see it than to describe it. I should take you their someday."

"I would love that," I replied, and as we turned to look back at the sunset it disappeared completely.  

Setting me down gently on my feet, he searched around for a good spot to set up. From the bushland behind us, the land sloped slightly as it descended down to the sea. It wasn't as sandy and it wasn't wet either, and the slope gave us a perfect view of the sea and stars. We spread our blanket on a nice clearing where the shade of the tree, we estimated, would reach when the sun rose in the morning.  

Spreading out the pillows, our bed for the night was set. I pulled out a smaller blanket from the bag that would keep us warm. While I continued to furnish our bed for the night, Yukiya didn't wander too far away as he collected sticks and rocks to build our campfire. It didn't take long for our site to be set up.  

After eating dinner and having desert, we cuddled each other while staring out at the sea. Despite all our pillows, I ended up using his arm as one and rested my body along his. "This was a good idea," I'm so happy we did this, because we never get a chance to be this close.  

His arms curled around my body and he pulled me closer to him, and then brought the blanket up over our bodies. Our faces were so close his hair tickled my cheek and I could feel his warm breath, escaping his mouth, on my skin. My hands had no place to go but around his body too. Resting one hand on his chest, I couldn't pass up the chance to take in his features and moved the hair from his eyes. It felt so natural to touch him like this.  

We didn't say anything to each other, just smiling as we took in the warmth of each other and analysed each other's faces, our hands touching each other's bodies just to feel our skins, despite our bodies being hugged together. "...You're a beautiful man, Yukiya," I whispered the truth, he is very handsome and his kind and gentle personality made him even more beautiful.  

"Thanks, you're more beautiful though," he returned the compliment.  

Looking up at him, our noses bumped gently in the darkness with only the light from the fire painting our skin in a dim-orange glow but enough for us to make out each other's features. I wriggled closer to him and at the same time our lips came sweetly touched. We cuddled and kissed until the exhaustion of the day finally caught up to us and we fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms, under the cover of the blanket and blessed by the nature around us.

Scattered across the city, the raiders responsible for destroying Yukiya's hometown were roaming around various parts of the city in the hope they would spot the girl they had planned to kidnap. They memorised what they had to do, not like this was their first time kidnapping a person.

Between a noisy fruit shop and a quiet bookstore, they found an alleyway that had corridors behind the businesses. It would be easy to capture her and then disappear since the maze led out to a quiet lane.  

Beside him, Orhan waited with the cuff in his pocket and waited for his men to give the signal. Making it a rule to stay in eye view of each other at all times, one would be able to race back to Orhan and warn him that they found her and he could get into position along with the others too.  

He could feel how close they were to obtaining a necessary, if not the key, object of their mission. Creepily, he smiled, and could feel how close he was to being freed from his injuries and moving on to take revenge on the beast who had left him scarred and his friends disfigured too.  

Throughout the city, they roamed around the city, making sure not to draw attention to themselves, as they snuck around to seek out this girl who they would keep until their journey was complete.  

_ _ _

"Yukiya...I made breakfast," between Yukiya and I, he's the one who sleeps the most in the mornings but he's as stubborn as I am when trying to wake him up, "Yukiya...," I poked his cheek but he only stirred in his sleep.  

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me on top of him and wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace. "Asana...," he mumbled my name in his half-asleep state.  

"Yukiya, wake up!" I nudged him but he only tightened his embrace on me further.  

That's it, I have one trick that might wake him up. He does it to me. Somehow managing to fight his tight embrace, I was able to get into a position where I could kiss him on the lips. However, unlike with me, where I would wake up, he wanted more and I felt his tongue slide past my lips and then our bodies rolled and he was on top of me.  

"Oh! Please tell me you're awake," the position we were in was very risqué, but he felt like he was in control of himself as his lips travelled from my lips to my neck in a very hot but smooth motion, "Oh, Yukiya...," is he asleep still or is he awake, because at this rate, I'm not going to be able to stop him.  

His lips travelled to my ear and I heard him whisper, "I'm awake," he assured me. Breakfast ended up being forgotten as we spent the morning together, making sweet love on the beach.  

Since breakfast was abandoned, Yukiya suggested we had into town and find something to eat there. "I didn't hurt your leg, did I?" He suddenly asked, as he carried me across the vegetation as he left our campsite, and since no one knew of our spot, our things would be safe.

"No, I'm fine," which was true, he was very careful not to put any pressure on my wounded leg during our morning love.  

He put me down as soon as we crossed the bushland and we held hands as we walked towards the café in town to buy something for breakfast, "Oh, hey. Do you want to eat in the park?" I asked him, thinking the pond would be a perfect place to have a breakfast date.

"Okay," he agreed.  

Wide, white stone paths were busier than usual today and that was because of a festival happening in the city's park. The popular café had no table to spare and the line was long. It almost filed out of the door, but they were quick to serve their customers.  

Couples walked hand-in-hand, children excitedly skipped ahead of their parents and groups of friends shared jokes and chatted about pointless things in the excitement of Saturday's dawn and the event down the road. Rides and stalls mapped across the usually vacant field.  

In one way, the busy streets were a good cover for Orhan's group because they could sneak around unnoticed and blend in with the crowd as they searched for the girl. It would also be easier to take her since she would be unheard on the account of the loud chatter and footsteps of the crowd.

They just had to wait.

In an alleyway, across from the city's popular café, one of Orhan's men stayed hidden in the shadows of the buildings while he kept observing the crowds for any girl that looked like the one they were after. It felt like he had been standing in the alleyway for hours, but he would be keep watch on the crowds likely for a few days or months maybe until they found the girl, but storming the academy would be way too risky since powerful wizards would stop them.

Not too far away, he could see another friend of his. He looked in his direction and they made eye contact, both of them shaking their heads that they had no positive matches. He returned his attention to the crowds and glanced over at the café, his hunger unleashing a starving monster inside the pit of his stomach. Jealously eyeing off those who could afford the tasty and sweet treats, a couple popped into view.

He didn't pay much attention to the boy, but the girl looked exactly like the girl in the newspaper article. The dark chestnut shading of her hair to the rose coloured eyes and plump lips. It all matched, it was her, he was certain. He sent a signal to his friend across the way, and he used the alleyways to trace his way back to Orhan.

News travelled fast across the group, and everyone knew where they had to be. Three kept a watchful eye on her and waited for an opportunity where she would be alone. Orhan and two others waited in the alleyway for her arrival. This kidnapping would be quite easy, if everything went to plan, since they had done this many times before.

After getting some food from the café, they watched her walk hand-in-hand with the boy she was seen with. Not realising, he was that boy years ago who had given them their permanent scars.  

I hadn't realised there was an event on this weekend.  

When we approached the park, the vacant soccer fields we were used to was packed with people browsing stalls, going on rides and taking a seat at the stage where musical entertainment was being played between plays.  

"Ms Way?" I suddenly heard my name, and turned around.

A reporter took my picture and started asking me many questions like my opinion was important. Then, he turned to Yukiya beside me and took his photo too. "Tell us, how are you feeling after you used that spell?" He asked, "How did you pull it off?" He bombarded us with questions that I stayed silent.  

"Asana, let's go," Yukiya grabbed my hand and we quickly walked away from the nosy reporter. "I think we should go somewhere else."

"Agreed," anything to get away from that nosy man.  

We managed to get away from that reporter and followed the path around the pond, the festival behind us sinking far behind us. We walked around for a while, and found a nice shady tree a fair distance away from the festival but we could still hear it in the background.

"Are you alright?" He asked.  

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"  

"Yeah, I'm fine. I had no idea there was a festival on this weekend," he said.

"Yeah, me neither," I looked over my shoulder at the festival, "What's the festival about?"

"No idea, but heaps of people from school are here," he commented and opened the box with their breakfast muffins neatly packed inside. "I'm hungry though."

"Me too, and they look so tasty."  

I reached for a banana muffin and took a bite while Yukiya ate his cinnamon and apple muffin. However, as quickly as we had started to eat, Yukiya abruptly stopped and started behaving strangely. "Yukiya? What's wrong?"

"...No way," he looked shocked by something, "We have to go."

Suddenly, he picked me up and started to run with me in his arms. "Yukiya? What's going on?"

Behind him, I saw a strange man coming towards us. He had scars along his body.  

"Go tell Orhan we have ran into trouble," his voice was deep and intimidating.  

As we tried to escape, a few more men surrounded us and then we were trapped. One man had an eye, a shade of white like clouds, and the other was beginning to change into the same colour. Another man used a walking stick and it appeared as though he had no use of his leg at all. Each of them had some nasty injury. However, I recognised the claw marks and connected the dots with why Yukiya was acting strangely.

"Hey, it's that boy!" They recognised Yukiya.  

"...I thought they smelt familiar," he muttered.

Withdrawing their wands, they attacked Yukiya immediately. "Yukiya!" However, he had quickly withdrew his own and shielded us from their attacks. I kept my head tucked into Yukiya's neck in fear, "Who are they?" I asked him.

"They're those bandits who invaded my hometown when I was a kid."

I noticed his shield was starting to be overpowered by the strength of their combined magic. "What did you idiots do?!" A bearded man yelled at them. "Why didn't you stick to the plan!"  

"Because, he's that kid who did this to us!"  

Is he their leader? I held tightly onto Yukiya in fear. "Boss, I know we weren't after him...but he's here!"  

"Wait, you weren't after me?" Surprised, Yukiya faced the water of the pond and put me down onto my feet. Holding his wand, he shielded me from the people who want to kidnap me. "As if I would let you touch her!"  

They called the man who yelled at them, Boss, so he must be the leader. He seemed level-headed but Yukiya's defiant eyes agitated him. "Look at what you did to us, boy! Give us the girl, or we'll hurt ya real bad!"  

"You raided my village and burnt down the homes of the people who lived there! You killed anyone who didn't hand over their money to you, and you tried to kill my family too! I'm not sorry for the ugly mugs you are now! I'm not going to let you harm her too!" Yukiya spoke with an anger I had never heard before.

While him and the leader of this gang exchanged words, I could see the others readying their wands to unleash an attack on Yukiya. I reached into my pocket and gathered my own, but we were outnumbered and I wasn't confident that my magic would be able to defend Yukiya.  

To protect him, I jumped in front of him, "If you want to kill him, you have to go through me too. I'll be useless to you if I'm dead as well!" I hugged Yukiya close to me making sure they had no openings to kill him without going through me.  

"Asana...," he was surprised I'd go so far to keep him safe.  

"Lower your wands!" The leader ordered, "We need her."

On command, each one lowered their wands but I refused to part ways with Yukiya. I fear the moment I step away from him, they'll hurt him. The leader grew frustrated with the situation, "Why! Why do you have to be his girlfriend? Take 'em both."

Yukiya raised his wand and I did too, but they were knocked from our hands.  

This is it, we're going to be kidnapped. I clung to Yukiya, but they were trying to pull me away from him. I held onto him and he held on to me. I looked up at him, and pure anger spread across his face. Suddenly, he had two wands next to his throat since we refused to separate.  

"Let go of him or we'll end him," the guy with his eyes turning white threatened.  

"...Let go," Yukiya told me.

No! Don't tell me to do that!  

Sadness and fear overwhelmed me. These men, hate Yukiya and want revenge on him, so if I don't let him go and if I do they're going to kill him. "Asana...let me go," he said to me again.  

"But...I can't, they're going to kill you," I started to cry.  

I knew he wouldn't unleash his beast form here and I couldn't rely on my magic when I wanted to. That wave of light magic is something that happened on a whim, a lucky whim. I felt Yukiya's hands pull my arms away from him, and he turned to the group of men, "Do what you want with me, but let her go."

The leader, they called Boss, started to laugh, "She's got a job to do first," He said, attaching some kind of a cuff around my wrist. I felt my magic draining from me.  

"What did you put on me!? I'm not going to help you, not if you harm him!"  

"Fine, we'll take him with us too."

He walked over to Yukiya and attached a cuff to his wrist too. It was similar to mine, and when I tried to use my magic, nothing happened. I looked to Yukiya and he looked at me, and suddenly were hands were tied by a binding light of magic.  

Poking us in the back with their wands, they told us to move, "You scream, we'll kill him, understand girly?"  

"If I can't see him with my own two eyes at all times, I won't help you, understand?" I spoke my conditions just like he spoke his, knowing that he clearly needed my magic to help him.  

"Don't push it," he pulled my hair really hard that I cried at the pain of the pull.  

I could feel the wound in my leg started to ache and pains shoot through my body. We were walking further and further away from the city, and the whole time Yukiya wouldn't look at me once. "We'll get out of this," I whispered to him as we walked next to each other, my face covered in sweat.

"This is...my fault."

"No it's not!" I admonished him for thinking that way, "They said at the start they were after me."

"Yeah, after they heal Asana, they're going to kill me. I...don't want you to watch them do that."  

"I'm not going to help them if all they want is for you to die."

"They'll kill me either way. It doesn't matter if it's for hatred or revenge, they'll be happy with whatever option," he passionately replied, as though his fate was sealed, "And with this stupid cuff on my wrist I can't use my magic to protect us! Please, do as they say."

"No! I love you, and I'm not going to help them if they plan to kill you," I felt a tear in around my calf where the wound would be stitched and loud hiss from the pain, "They can tear my break my limbs if they want to, but if they hurt you, I'm not going to help them."

The guy poked my back with his wand, "It'll be out pleasure to torture you until you agree to help us," he threatened, "You ain't the first person we've tortured to get our own way."

He pushed me to keep moving, the pain in my leg had caused me to slow down. Yukiya growled at him for pushing me as he did but the man only hit him hard in the face, "Yukiya!" Worried, I yelled his name but he kept his stance despite being punched very hard in the face.  

"Don't touch her! Hit me as much as you want to, but don't lay a finger on her!"  

We were moving further and further away from the city but because of Yukiya standing up for me and their hatred for him, they started to continuously hit him. Without his magic, he was defenceless and I began to cry from their cruelness. "Stop it!" I demanded, and tried to leap to protect him but I was held from behind. One of the guys restrained me, and I collapsed to the ground in tears while begging them to stop, "Leave him alone!"

"You did say so long as you saw him, you'll help us," the leader guy said.

With tears pouring from my face and being helpless to stop them from hurting him, I gave him a black look, "I only said that so you don't kill him! We need my powers to help you, well I refuse to help you if you hurt him!"  

The leader crouched down in front of me. Roughly, he grabbed my jaw and looked deep into my eyes, "Look at what he did to us you idiot girl! You think we'd let him live? You clearly know what lurks underneath his skin, his true form."

"His human body is his true form! And he wouldn't be that way had you never tried to murder his family and burnt his hometown to the ground!" I hissed at him, my pink eyes turning dark as I was overcome with anger, a mood I was ever rarely in, "But I mean it! You kill him, I won't do anything for you! If you kill after we've found Blue Paradise and I've helped cure you, I will turn to the spirits and tell them to kill you too!"  

"You'd die to sweetheart!"

"Life's not worth living if I don't have by my side! You can do your worst to me, just don't hurt him!" These words I meant. My world and my life revolves around Yukiya and the life we are going to build. "Lay another finger on him and I'm not going to help you!"

"I have been nice enough not to use a potion on you to make you do as you're told."

He held a vial in his hand and it was filled with some dark purple mixture. He uncapped the lid, and forced the content down my throat. Suddenly, I didn't feel like I had any control over my mind and this man in front of me gave me orders. The real me was caged and I all I could see was a black oasis surrounding me. "Where am I? Yukiya! No, Yukiya! Let me out of here!" I screamed, trying to free myself from this cage I was in.  

My body felt heavy but I watched him force her to drink a potion. "Asana! Leave her alone!" I could feel blood in my mouth and those men backing began to back away. Watching him with my Asana filled me with anger I had never felt before but I couldn't move my body because how they had beaten it.  

Glaring at him with pure hatred, they all laughed at my pathetic state. If it wasn't enough they almost took my family from me and my hometown too, along with friends they had killed that night, they are enjoying torturing my precious girlfriend too. I can't remember the last time I felt this furious, "I was wrong to let you leave with your lives...," my beast form growled in the pit of my stomach.

They all laughed, knowing the cuff around my wrist blocked me from using my magic. I looked up to Asana, but my bubbly and sweet girlfriend was trapped somewhere inside of her, and she had an evil glint in her eye, "Asana...this isn't you," I tried to speak to her inside, but nothing registered.

"Hey baby," the leader put his arm around her shoulder like he was her boyfriend, which angered me further, "See that guy, use your magic on him."  

Her magic? Suddenly, I had a thought in my head. If that potion he used was dark magic, her natural light magic would take over. He's clearly clueless about how light magic does work. Those who possess it as naturally as she does are immune to dark magic, Headmaster Randolph told us that.  

"Asana! Listen to me, if you can hear me, fight the dark magic he forced into you!"  

"Shut up!" With the back of her hand, still under the influence of whatever potion he had drugged her with, she slapped it across my face. I didn't mind, since I was not going to stop in trying to get her to come to her senses, "Who are you?"

"Asana, you know me! I'm Yukiya, the man you love. Please, look in your heart!"

Somewhere deep within my mind, I could hear Yukiya calling out to me. I don't know what's happening but I can hear him calling to me. "Yukiya! Are you okay!"  

It must be working because I can see she's clutching at her head, and I'm not ignoring the blood trickling from her wound either. They've pushed her too hard. "Asana, come back to me. Listen to my voice, and come back to me."

"That's enough out of you!" One of the guys used his magic to gag my mouth so I couldn't say anything anymore. "Hey boss, now she's under the influence of your potion you gonna make her kill him for us?"

Hearing him say that, I cringed. If they did that, I'd hate to know what would happen to her. She'd never forgive herself, even if she was under the influence of magic. However, I wasn't resigning my faith in her light magic. She's got the power to overcome whatever he's forced on her.  

"That would be pretty cruel," the leader of this gang smiled, and he whispered something in her ear and pointed down to me. Giving her a wand, he raised her hands so the wand was pointed at me.  

I can't hear him anymore, where did he go? Did...did they do something? Consumed by these bad thoughts, I desperately wanted to get to him and concentrated on Yukiya's voice begging me to come back to him. I felt the world around me starting to shake and the black oasis I was surrounded by turned white, blinding me. "Yukiya! I'm coming! Please, don't be hurt!"  

I know this isn't her pointing a wand at me but the leader was getting annoyed that she wasn't doing anything. She stood still looking at me, and then just as I had hoped, her light magic reclaimed her body. She's fighting from the inside, like I knew she would be. I couldn't call out to her but I was happy she heard me.  

Deep inside of me, I challenged all my power I could muster. From this build up, I was sure I was going to explode, but as my vision came back to me, a powerful gust of wind erupted from my body. The force of the wind flung those guys into the air, some landed on their backs on the ground and some were flung into the trees. Yukiya having kept his head and body down, like he knew what was about to happen.  

I was holding a wand and seized the opportunity to free his wrist from the cuff and untie the bindings keeping him restrained. His body was bloodied and beaten, so I healed him as best as I could. "...What happened to me?" I asked him, drawing a complete blank and not even knowing how a wand ended up in my hand.

"Worry about that later," he said and held his wand in his hands.  

However, just as he was about to unleash a magic attack on those men, a net, created by magic, came from behind us and captured those raiders at once. This magic...it felt familiar? "Elias?" I wondered, it felt like him.  

We turned around and saw Prefect Klaus, Elias and an older man, who looked similar to them. Wait, I know that man, he's with the ministry. "Julius, Klaus, Elias!" Man, I'm so happy to see them, but how did they know we were here?

With those raiders being arrested, I turned to Yukiya. Checking him over, I was happy he wasn't severely injured and I threw my arms around him. From everything we had just been through, I couldn't shake them attacking him from my mind, "I'm so glad you're safe," I cried, burying my head into his chest.  

He held me as I cried and planted a soft kiss on my forehead, "I'm alright. I'm here," his voice was so soft that it soothed my shocked nerves, "I'm not going anywhere. But, you saved us."

"Only because you saved me," I cried, "...I heard you...begging me to come back to you. So, I followed your voice," it was the honest truth and I looked up to him.  

He wiped away my tears with his thumb. "Ahem," but we were soon interrupted by Elias, "Are you two okay?"

Holding Asana close to me, Elias rushed over to us with a concerned look in his eye. I'm so grateful to have someone like him as a friend, because he really saved me from doing something unthinkable to those guys in my moment of pure rage, "...Yeah," I quietly replied, not about to tell him what I nearly did before he showed up with his brothers, "...Just shocked...and sore."  

Asana had managed to heal some of my wounds but not all of them. Still, I'm curious to know how Elias managed to find us. "How did you know we were here?" I asked him.  

"I'm sorry that I took forever but tracking down my brothers took some time," he apologised firstly, but continued, "I was at the festival in the park browsing some books. I noticed you two were being followed by these guys, and then when I watched them taking you away I ran to go find my brothers. I'm just glad you both are safe."

"Yeah, thank you Elias."

"Thanks," Asana thanked him too, "And, thanks to your brothers too."

I watched as Klaus and Julius investigated the scene. It was Klaus who turned to us, "I think it will be best for you two to return to the academy. Don't think about going anywhere because I will have questions for you to answer."

We knew this already but I didn't want my weekend with Asana to come to a halt just because of this incident. Well, she was put in danger because of me again and that made me feel a ton times worse than I already do now.  

On our return to the academy, we went to the infirmary first, and on the way I had told her what she did under the influence of that potion. When we were alone, I couldn't help but feel responsible for what had occurred today and I refused to look her in the eye. Staring at the painting on the wall, I felt a familiar warmth cover my hand. Her touch is the only touch that made me feel warm. I wanted to refuse her hand, but couldn't.

"...I'm sorry, Asana."

"Why are you apologising?"

"...Our weekend was ruined because of me, and more than anything I put you in danger...again."

Suddenly, she stood in front of me while I sat on the bed where the nurse had been treating my wounds with magic. "Don't you dare blame this on yourself, Yukiya," she sharply said, and cupped my face with her hands.

"Asana...," it shocked me how bold she was being.

"You...you didn't ask for this to happen and you aren't responsible for the actions of other people," she started kissing my face, letting her love cure these horrible feelings I was having, "Listen to me. I love you, Yukiya Reizen and I meant what I said to those bandits. I would rather die than live a life without you because you are my life, my light, just like I am to you. One day, we're going to get married, we're going to have a family and, when we're old, we're going to be surrounded by the family we've built together," she kissed my lips, and pulled away again.

"That means...Yukiya, no one's problems in this relationship are their own. We will face every tear and every challenge as one. We will share every smile and every laugh together. It doesn't matter if that's between us or if others want to get between us, because our love is stronger than any kind of magic, our love will always find a way. One day, I'm going to legally take your name, Yukiya, but how I feel...my heart is already yours, and we're already one."

She spoke with passionate sincerity that I couldn't tell if my heart was about to explode. Cupping the back of her head in my hands, I pulled her closer to me and pressed my lips against hers, pouring all my love into it. Those words, and how she said them, eliminated any negative thought from my mind and I stopped blaming myself for what happened.  

"Hey, it's the holidays soon, right?" Gently, I rested my forehead and nose on hers.

"Yeah," she answered, and I could feel her breath on my lips since they were so close.

"I...I want to go home with you."

"Okay. I was going to ask you if you wanted to come home with me," we shared another sweet kiss, "I'm glad you're coming home with me."

After what had happened with those raiders, we spoke to Klaus about what happened from our side of the story, and Headmaster Randolph helped to keep my condition a secret from the Ministry.  

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Maiden of Light

Vincent/Asana

Requested: Anon

Summary: A cult of dark wizards have succeeded in making the ancient Death Cloud spell with only pure light magic able to counter the blackest of magics - death magic. Asana uncovers the extend of her magical powers.

Warning: A little bit of NSFW (not at full detail) at the start and death. Reader discretion advised, recommended for 18+ readers. 

"Why did you choose this route so early in the morning?"  

"Because, it leads to our secret spot," her hair pulled into twin braids falling over her shoulder, she shot past Vincent with a burst of newly found energy up the steep running trail through the mountains.

Tall, shady trees acted as a canopy, providing a natural cover of shade with soft rays of morning sunlight peeking through the gaps of the leaves. Flowers, tall grass and rocks encroached onto the forgotten path, fallen leaves and twigs covering patches of the plain brown dirt of the trail.

"Also, a wager. First person to the top of the staircase, cooks dinner tonight," she challenged, her feet cushioned by the gel inserts of her running shoes as she sprinted past Vincent for the head start.  

Her hair bounced as she sprinted away, a smile curling across Vincent's face. "It's adorable that you think you could win that challenge," he called out to her with her figure disappearing to the right, "I hope you have something delicious in mind."

Because they were Wizard Knights, they kept their bodies fit and healthy with a jog most mornings. Asana heard his response muffled through the thick trunk of the tree she had disappeared behind, turning right to go up the stairs over the hill. The wooden forest stairs faded and camouflaged into the natural scenery and guided them on a trail over the hill and down to a secluded bay of the beach. The azure waters and white sandy trapped by the hilly forest which surrounded it.  

They had been married for five years, and worked as Wizard Knights. Vincent promoted to Vice Palladian and Asana ranked as a lieutenant, and second-in-command, of Anna's squad, their friend taking Vincent's former position as a Squad Leader, otherwise a sergeant. Because of their jobs, they decided to move to a quiet town not too far from the city and was built next to the country sea-side town with a scenic mountain range.  

Already a few paces ahead of her husband, she could hear his heavy footsteps catching up to her. However, she knew no matter how much of a lead she had on him, it was inevitable he would catch up to her and overtake her. Her healthy body had the stamina to go long and her tiny feet had the endurance to keep up with Vincent, but she did not quite have the long stride like he did to beat him. Though, in desperate effort to have the night off from cooking dinner, she pumped her legs faster, hearing the crunch of dried leaves and snapping twigs underneath her feet.  

Laughing at her cute dash to reach the top as he closed in on her, he joked, "Do I get to request what I want for dinner too?" Blowing and flipping his head to move a strand of his long crimson hair that had stuck to his sweaty skin.  

"No, no, no," she giggled, seeing his handsomely broad and muscular figure bypass her and raced to the top of the hill, not a far distance away.  

Wearing a grey singlet, a patch of sweat dampened the cloth where the droplets trickled down the centre of his chest, taking on a V-shape, and he wore red shorts. Golden light from the sunrise exposed his arms and legs, his skin glowed and the droplets of sweat sparkled like diamonds. Every curve of his biceps and leg muscles were visible, reminding her of kind-hearted and charming, beautifully strong man she married.  

"Come on slow poke," teasingly, he encouraged her to hurry up, not realising she had become captivated by thoughts about him. Good but...dirty thoughts. Waiting on her gave him a reprieve from running, and he checked her out from his height advantage.

She sure had matured into her beauty, the girl he fell in love with was now a woman. At times keeping that childish charm he loved, but bolder in her displays of affection. For exercise, she wore a flimsy black singlet, made of a breathable fabric that absorbed her sweat, but underneath she wore a purple exercise bra with a mesh V-neck, which up close, gave him an attractive view to the sides of her cleavage.  

As she made it to the top, her gaze fixated on her husband, her feet tripped up the stairs. "Whoa!" Where she expected to land hard on the ground, she never felt the impact but felt his strong arms around her. "Even if you are a lieutenant of the wizard knights, you're still as clumsy as ever," his charming smile had her blushing.  

"...B-be nice to your wife," she muttered, looking away.  

"Pft...hahahaha," her response and reaction he found hilarious, "Aren't we too far in our marriage to be getting shy, babe." Having caught her, he kept his strong arms around her in an embrace.  

She giggled at his playfulness, "Are you going to let me go?"  

"I saved you, I think I earnt a kiss."

"You already got dinner out of me, and your sweat is all over me," her smile, in his eyes, shined as brightly as the morning sun flooding through the forest.  

He pulled her closer, tightening his embrace around her, his hot lips very close to hers, "I'm curious, you were looking at me like that. What were you thinking?"

Embarrassed to admit his handsome body had turned her on, she blushed and averted her gaze, "...W-well...it wasn't anything bad," she felt dirty having worded it like that, because what she had been thinking are thoughts one would never share out loud.  

"Hmm," he hummed in thought with his golden eyes giving her a suspicious glance, "...I wonder, what it would take for you to tell me?" He had a shine in his eyes that made her back pedal a little bit, a smile curling across her face as he stepped closer, like a tiger ready to devour his meal.

"Darling?" She wondered what he was up to, looking at him mischievously and curiously.  

Her movement stopped when she felt the rough texture of the bark on the tree behind her. In one strong lift, he had her wrap her legs around his waist and sandwiched between the tree and him. With her legs securely wrapped him, he pinned her hands above her head and at the same time pressed his lips against hers. The force of his passionate kiss, surprised her, but she loved the electrifying wave it sent through her body.  

Easily, his tongue slipped between her lips and she happily accepted him. His kiss was fast, raw, rough and passionate, and he kept up the pace until she needed air back in her lungs. When he pulled away, their heavy breathing filled the still forest air, and he whispered in her ear, "Now I know what you were thinking. I'll make dinner tonight but in return...I want you."

His lips tickled her ear, and as he pulled away she found it hard not to pull him back. He chuckled, the sight of her dreamy eyes unable to peel away from his body, "You're cute as heck, you know," he kissed the tip of her nose, setting her feet back on the ground.

Walking ahead of her, she was unaware that she had been holding onto her breath but could finally allow oxygen back into her lungs again and to regain her composure and train of thought.  "...That's no fair, using your good looks like that."

Her delayed reaction made him smile and he chuckled, "I would be a lousy husband if I didn't know how to turn you on."

"But, here. On the running trail."

"Hey, you were the one having the thoughts," he laughed, holding out his hand for her to take, "Now, we have two choices here. Go to the beach...or go back home," he purred in her ear with the home option, "We can have morning and evening adult time."

He suggested two good options, but she wanted him. Over the last two months, they have barely seen each other and last night when he came home, he was too tired. That kiss, awakened their desire, and the choice was obvious, "Take me home."

Bursting their front door open and closing it just as quickly, Vincent had her in his strong arms very quickly with her back against the wall. They needed to work through their desperation, and peeling each other's clothes off quickly was necessary. Twin moans filled their home: their dream home, ready to expand their family when the time was right. Somehow, they ended up on the floor of their bedroom trying to find their way to their bed.

Curling into the bed after they had made love, they laid on their sides facing each other and silently stared into each other's eyes. Smiling, Asana played with his crimson hair, pushing the locks back as he drifted between staying awake and falling asleep. "What do you want for breakfast?"  

He started laughing, "Always thinking with your stomach. I thought this is where you say you love me."

She laughed in reply, "Of course! Food is yummy!" She enthused, not ashamed of her love for food, "And, I do love you, but I told you so many times just then that I do."

"But, you haven't answer my question," she smiled, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll whip us up something yummy."

Suddenly, she felt her body being dragged closer to his, "I want another dose of you," he said, bringing his hand up her thigh and cupping her buttock in his hand and squeezing it, and bringing her leg up over his. His lowered his head to her neck, trailing kisses up her neckline to her jaw then onto her lips. This time, he wanted to take his time to feel her.  

She giggled, "You can't have me for breakfast, I'm not food," though she wasn't saying no as she arched her body feeling his wet tongue across her breasts.  

"...But, I want...to taste you more," he teased, his hunger for her not satisfied.

"Oh, Vincent," she moaned, his ministrations to her body made her feel good.

In the middle of their passionate love making, as their bodies moved together in rhythm in their morning intimacy, they were interrupted by the ringing of their doorbell. "Who comes here at seven in the morning?" Vincent wondered, glancing at the clock and choosing to ignore the person at the door, he'd rather stay in bed with his wife.  

"It's Anna!" A familiar voice called from the front door, "I know you're in there, Vincent, Asana! There's an emergency situation!"

"Can I make love to my wife, first?"  

"No! This is urgent!" Anna replied, "Also, as Asana's commanding officer, I order her to open this door!"

"As the Vice Palladian, I overrule that order!"  

"Vincent! This is important!" She reverted to yelling at him, since she knew the situation was desperate and their help was greatly needed, "I understand how hard the two of you have worked, and if this wasn't urgent, I wouldn't be here! Listen, I can brief you on the train, be packed and ready to leave in thirty minutes."

Angrily, Anna's heeled boot tapped on the small stone-marble porch of their new home, her footsteps echoing through the home. Vincent, paused, but then resumed making love to Asana. However, as much as Asana wanted to continue, she knew too that Anna seemed angry and on edge than usual.  

"Vincent," putting her hands on the smooth planes of his pictorial muscles, she stop him from kissing her, "...Anna rarely gets that angry. Clearly, something's up," she noticed, and brushed her hand through his red hair, untied and falling to the length of his shoulders, as he liked it.  

He kissed the palm of her hand and trailed his lips down to her shoulder, neck and, lastly, cheek, "I know...it's not like her to be that on edge. Something's going down," part of him wanted to leap off the bed and pack for whatever mission they were needed on and the other part of him desperately wished to stay in bed all day so he could make love to Asana, their intimacy impossible from the countless missions they've had to go on over the last few months.  

She understood too, and it sounded nice to be in his arms all day but duty again called, "...We waited this long, we can wait a little more. Besides, we finished our first round."

"Yeah, but that was to work through the desperation. Now, we are making love and it's nice to feel you again. I haven't been able to have you for months now because of work."

"I know, but we can put in for some holidays and we can go somewhere where it is just you and me," the plan sounded nice, but Asana wondered if it was possible.  

Her words though, cheered him up. Reluctantly, he removed himself from her and rolled off the bed to find their uniforms to wear. Even though she had been the one to stop their love making, the loss of him made her sad too. Laying naked, underneath the sheets with her breasts exposed, she glanced over to Vincent as we pulled their uniforms from their closet, off their hangers.  

Finding her motivation, she rolled off the bed finding a fresh pair of panties and bra to cover her naked body. "What do you think this is about?" She wondered, dressing her body in her Wizard Knight uniform, hers different to Vincent's, "Could it be that dark wizard cult the ministry were keeping their eyes on?"

"Maybe, but whenever the Palladian wants all his best wizards on one job, you know it's not going to be a walk in the park type of job," he was confident that whatever was urgent to have the Palladian ordering all of them to one job, and Anna's unusual tone, it was not going to be a quick job, rather it would be dangerous.  

Their uniforms on, with the only major differences being their insignias and Vincent's golden aiguillette attached from his left lapel, draping over his arm like knitted linked chains, and with the other end attached to his left breast pocket. His insignia had the image of the King's crown, ranking him as the Vice Palladian, but she wore nothing as powerful as he did. All she had was her insignia, the king's floral emblem on the King's crest, and a single strip pointing upwards, ranking her as a Squad Lieutenant. For this mission, they packed lightly, taking two separate bags in case they had to be separated.  

She started to get an ill feeling about whatever it was they were headed for, "I don't feel so good," she mentioned, while she waited for him to lock their front door and they could travel together to the train station where Anna would be waiting for them.  

"You're not getting sick, are you?" Wrapping an arm around her waist, he hugged her close to him and pressed her forehead against his cheek to feel her temperature, "You don't feel hot."

"No, nothing feverish. Just, got a really bad feeling and I feel...uneasy."

"If this is pure dark magic we're heading for, you're going to be useless in the fight. If that's the case here, I want you to stay close to me, don't follow Anna's orders but follow mine instead. That's an order," he used his powerful rank to overrule Anna's decisions.  

Possessing many rare magical abilities, Asana is unaware that as a pure maiden, she knew she was a light wizard at heart, but she has yet to discover the natural source of powerful light magic that resides deep within her magical veins. Headmaster Randolph and Professor Schuyler had known her ability while they trained her, and enlisted the help of the Princess of the Elves, Saella, to train her rare gifts. Because of this, whenever she was fronted with pure black magic, it made her incredibly weak and ill – vomiting, disorientated balance and vision, fainting, severe sweating and feverish symptoms, lack of energy and short of breath, these all hindered her ability to use her magic efficiently during battle. With Vincent's life in her hands too, she had to choose her battles meticulously.

Travelling by train, Vincent escorted Asana to the private car, trailing behind the passenger cars at the very end of the steam train. Wrought iron railings and steps offered them protection to the only door to the cabin, the tinted windows were covered by curtains.

Opening inwards, the steel door needed quite the push to open, Asana using half of her strength just to keep it open for Vincent to follow in after her. Thankfully, his stronger hand effortlessly kept the door open as he pushed through their light bags and closed the door behind him.

"That was quicker than I expected, I am assuming Asana had common sense to stop your activities," Anna commented, checking the time on her watch.  

Small lights screwed into the red-painted steel walls painted the room with in a yellow incandescent glow, the light shining in the teal leather sofa in the medium-sized car used only by Wizard Knights in their travels, since they could not be seated with passengers when they needed to discuss top secret information.  

To the right of the only door, Anna was sitting at a vanity desk in front of a large mirror, reflecting her annoyed expression as she analysed the case notes to explain the urgent crisis for Asana and Vincent, her body trembling with the fear, anger and anxiety this emergency stirred within her usually thick-skinned and unaffected demeanour.  

"You seem tense," Asana noticed, so did Vincent.  

Behind her stool, there were two wooden armchairs, cushioned with either a red and white French or Indian printed cotton fabric. They were comfortable though, but their comfort was the farthest issue from their minds. Vincent's usually cool face disappeared, along with Asana's, since whatever it is they were about to face had disturbed Anna.  

"Tell us everything," Vincent calmly ordered her.

Listening attentively, Asana and Vincent's eyes were both locked on Anna. She gathered the file she was reading and handed it over to Vincent, "Okay. Do you two remember the dark wizard cult Klaus Goldstein's team of ministry agents were after?"

"Yeah, they were investigating ingredients being cultivated for a potion used in dark magic alchemy and potions. Why, did they find something?" Asana affirmed they were aware of the case because the Palladian had put units on standby in case their back up was required.

"Well, they did find them...but...," Anna trailed off, deeply shaken but the ministry's discovery, "They followed a small group of those dark wizards back to a hideout on an offshore island, not far from the mainland. However, those investigators dropped dead on the spot."

"Seriously? Were they murdered?" Vincent asked.

Anna shook her head, "I don't think the dark wizards knew they were hanging around, but Klaus and his brother and father went to investigate, and noticed the area was shrouded and contaminated by black magic. They went to a nearby town, under the shield of masks, and all the towns people were dead."

"Black magic poisoning?" Asana guessed.

"Yes, but on the island where the hideout is, is a cloud of death magic they are threatening to unleash on our country. They are feeding it so it disperses into the air. Klaus has boxed the cloud in a barrier, but for the moment it is a temporary solution. It is pure black magic, and a few agents have already died too from falling ill from the poisoning."

Squeezing her fists into balls, Asana began to worry what would happen to her if she went near the pure black magic, and if the poisonous gas the cloud is spreading would kill her. Vincent reached over, and covered her fists with his hands. "...Todd was one of the first agents on the scene, he was killed," Anna admitted.

Glancing at each other, Anna suddenly erupted into tears for her loss. They had double-dated often, and Todd had just proposed marriage to Anna and they had a three-year-old son together. Asana quickly forgot about her worries, and held their friend tightly, allowing her tears to drench the navy lapels of her jacket turning them a shade of a blackened-blue, and the white fabric, grey. "How am I supposed to tell Clay that his father isn't coming home?"

His best friend cried like he had never seen, but the sight reminded him of when his own father was killed on the job. Had his mother cried like this when she was tasked with telling him and his siblings that his father was never coming home again? Anger boiled in his blood at the dark wizards who stole a father away from his son and the woman who loved him, "You tell Clay that his father was a hero, who died protecting him and our country," Vincent advised her.

Two hours into their journey, Asana cradled Anna until the restless woman fell asleep in her arms. Her breathing even, Asana smoothed the hair bothering her swollen and reddened eyes, "Vincent," she softly whispered up at him and he looked up at her through his eyelashes, "She's asleep. Could you carry her to the bed?"

He had been reading the case file over and over, brainstorming the various strategic options and figuring out the consequences, and also what these dark wizards intend to achieve, that question the least of his worries but, importantly, needed to be answered. His anger about Todd being killed and leaving a little boy fatherless and his best friend a broken-hearted widow drove his determination, but gently he did take care in putting her to bed.  

Pulling the blankets over Anna, Vincent re-joined Asana, who was looking at the pictures taken by the investigators and skimming over the written notes. "I think you should sit out on this case, Asana. Those killed by the black magic, were either like you or their masks weren't fitted correctly."

"I'd say it would be the latter," she said, and felt sick at the sight of the dead townspeople in the photos. With the file in her hands, Vincent scooped up her body to have her sitting on his lap as he sat down in the armchair. "These poor people probably had no clue a dark magic cult were operating so close to them."

"Yeah," he agreed, shifting his body to make it easy for him to read through the file too, "That island has been deserted for centuries. I know there's an old temple there from the old blueprints, the ministry has them. I'd say that's where their hideout is."

"But, a cloud full of toxic black magic? Sounds so stupid yet terrifying."

"That's why I think you should go back home and wait for me to come home," Vincent's anxiety fuelled by the uncertainty of her safety as a pure maiden and light wizard, and that he knew how ill, weak, and ultimately defenceless she became in the face of pure dark magic, "I'm going to be too worried about you."

His worry over her safety filled her heart with warmth, but she refused to go anywhere, "I'm not going to abandon my duty, Vincent. If they succeed in dispersing the cloud across the country, neither one of us will survive. Remember our contract, if either one of us dies, so does the other, and if that is where this case is headed then I'd rather be by your side then to be a day away from you."

"Failure won't be option here," Vincent assured her, but her words made him happy, "Though, if we can't stop it, I'd rather be by your side too. I hope Anna is going to be okay though."

He glanced over at his friend sleeping in on the single bed down the back of the car, and Asana followed his worried expression too. They had been best friends since they were young, but she felt like she had known Anna for a lifetime too since they get along like sisters. "She has us, so she's not alone, and neither is Clay," she glanced up at Vincent, "It reminded you...didn't it? Of your Dad and Mom?"

"...Yeah. I've seen this before. That's why I want to catch these guys and force them to understand what they have done," his golden eyes, like the flames of a fire, burned with anger.

It made her angry too, but his anger was born from the similarities it drew with his past. Shifting her body, gently and cautious not to crush him, one arm disappeared in the gap between his body and chair to cuddle him. With the other arm, she wrapped it around his stomach with her hand holding his for comfort. Her face buried into his chest under his chin, and where her ears picked up the sound of his beating heart thumping underneath his skin. "I love you," she whispered.

Her actions didn't match her calm words, he was confused if she was scared about the case or if she was worried about him and this was her attempt to calm him down and cheer him up. He wasn't sure, but he kissed the top of her hair, smoothing down her hair with his hand and trailing it down to rest on her waist, "I love you too," he whispered back.

The file remained open in front of them, with a page of photographs detailing the extent of the damage created by this cloud of accumulated dark magic, bringing instant death to anything that inhaled its deadly odour, vegetation and animals also not being spared. Hundreds of fish littered the wavering water of the beach, some washed onto the sandy shore; lifeless ravens, with their feathery wings being puppeteered by the oceanic breeze, littered the grounds of the withered forests and parks, along with a variety of other animals and humans too.

Timber panels nailed together to form homes, had faded, chipped and some were broken into pieces, the village becoming a desolated and derelict wasteland, like it had been abandoned years ago during the tougher pioneering days, despite being lively and colourful with life twelve hours ago. The eroded timber didn't make any sense to Asana and Vincent.

"I thought this cloud destroyed living things?" She questioned, "So, why are the homes destroyed too?"  

"Not just that, the town's central fountain is made of stone has crumbled."

"It doesn't make any sense why a cloud designed to destroy life is destroying inanimate objects."

"Yeah," he agreed, both of them plunging into deep thought about what could have caused inanimate objects to decay.  

He barely managed to turn the page without banging his arm into her body, but the next page had a larger photo on the left side and two medium sized images on the right, detailing what had happened to the townspeople. The largest picture, emotionally powerful.  

A mother hugged her three children to protect them from the onslaught of this cloud of death: a child about the age of ten, a toddler no more than three years old, and a newly born infant were dead along with their mother. How she held them, their scared little faces, revealed to Asana and Vincent the horrible fear they must have felt in their last moments of life, the innocent lives of the children murderously cut short. This cloud had petrified their bodies, wrinkled the skin, like the souls inside the shell of the skin and skeleton were separated from the their bodies. Seeing it and analysing it, became too much for her kind-heart that tears welled in her eyes and she turned away burying her head into Vincent's chest.  

"Are you okay?" He rested the file on his knees.  

He tightened the embrace of his arm already hugged around her waist and brought the arm across so that his hand could cup her cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears she had shed for that family she didn't know but had face a cruel demise, "Who...who would do something so cruel to innocent people?" She cried, her watery tears dripping onto his thumb as he wiped them away.  

His lips kissed the top of her head while he cuddled her in comfort, the image stirring his own emotional sorrow for that family and growing his anxiety about Asana heading towards this cloud, "...Hey," he whispered, "...We'll stop this. The good guys always win."

His joke made her smile but it didn't make her laugh. An eerie silence fell over the train with their destination at least another ten hours away, and that's on the magic express train. After a short while, her sympathetic tears for that family and her fear about what they were facing had exhausted her, and she had fallen asleep on his lap where he warmly cuddled her.  

"Should get some rest," he concluded, having read the file from back to front and writing down strategic moves against this cloud.  

Anna had the bed but the sofa was wide and comfortable enough to fit two people. Carrying Asana, he gently laid her down on the sofa and used the throw over the top of the cushions as a blanket to kept each other covered in their slumber. He laid his body next to hers but embraced her closely so that he wouldn't fall off the lounge; her head rested on his forearm like a pillow with his other arm keeping her protected in his embrace.  

Tomorrow, they will face this cloud first and deal with the wizards later, but the uncertain results of their efforts could end up either saving or destroying the kingdom and the millions of people taking up residency within the prospering country.

While sleeping, Asana's ability to use foresight acted up. Visions of a desolated world, where a town she had been staying in had vanished creating an oasis of sand, like a desert. Dark clouds stretched as far as the eye could see and not a living soul in sight. Next to her feet, her dead body lied covered in the sand of the desert and next to her was Vincent. Both their skins dried and wrinkled, like their souls had been sucked from their bodies.  

Drinking a cup of coffee, Anna peeled the curtains on the train so she could peer out at the sunrise. The beauty of the yellow sun rising through the pink fluffy clouds made her mad. Not too far now, the train would stop where the Wizard Knights had barricaded any persons of the public from going any further.  

This town they were about to pull to a stop in was the next town in the firing line to be eradicated from the earth, along with the residents if they could not contain this monstrosity of a cloud. "Hey," she heard a soft voice behind her, and felt Asana's hand on her shoulder, gesturing her comfort, "I'm so sorry about Todd, but are you sure you're up to this Anna? Clay can't lose you too."

"You should be worried about yourself, Asana," her tone conveyed her worry for Asana,, since she also knew pure dark magic, like what they were about to face, made Asana ill and weak, to the brink of being unable to fight, "Something happens to you and Vincent, it would be too much pain. I already lost my husband, I don't want to lose my best friends."

Asana couldn't reply if they were going to be fine, since she could feel the pressure of the dark magic from their current distance, her fair skin paler than usual. Instead, she gazed out at the beautiful sunrise, watching two birds fly towards a tree, "It's a beautiful morning. The colour almost reminds me of Vincent's hair," her comparison made Anna laugh.

"How? It's pink not red."

"Really? I reckon it is a shade of crimson pink, you know between pink and red. Like a hygrocybe punicea."

"I have no clue what that even means," Anna shook her head, Asana's bizarre perception and mind making her laugh and smile, "But, whatever you are saying is making me laugh. So, thank you."

The train car they had been riding in had a small bathroom, and Vincent emerged from behind the steel sliding door, shirtless. "Good morning ladies," he walked up to Asana, giving her a kiss on the cheek with her handing him a warm cup of coffee, "Thanks," he grabbed the cup took an immediate sip to wake his body up.

"By the way, curiously, what is that thing whatever you just said?" Anna asked, referring to Asana's comment before. "What was it a hydrocyber gunciea?"

"That is way off," Asana laughed, "You mean a hygrocybe punicea. It is called a Crimson or Scarlet Waxy Cap, it’s a fungi. A mushroom, with reddish colour and yellow stalk. The colour of the sunrise reminded me of it."

"You're comparing a sunrise to a mushroom?"  

"When you see it, you'll understand. They don't grow around here, but they used to grow in the mountains near my hometown of Retiz. My mother used to use them in cooking," as she explained the mushroom to Anna, she felt Vincent's arms holding her and his head resting on his shoulder, "What time did you go to sleep?"

"I stayed up thinking of strategies for this death cloud," he said, feeling the speed of the train slowing down, "This is the kind of situation where we need to be confident in the strategy we use otherwise we will make the situation worse."

"We have to watch that we don't overstimulate the magic and spells used to create the cloud," Anna added.

"Or watch that we don't disperse it. I have a feeling by dispersing the cloud, like those dark wizards want to, it will act like weather clouds, rolling across to different parts of the country unleashing its deadly spell over the living and inanimate," Asana figured.

The train completely came to a stop and pulled up alongside another passenger train be boarded by evacuating residents. Having heard what this cloud has done to their neighbouring town, mothers, herding their children onto the train, were escaping to somewhere far safer. "Come along children, we must leave this town. If the ministry can't contain that black magic, disaster will strike," they overheard one mother rushing her children onto the train.  

Coming off the train, Asana instantly started to feel sick as they fixed their masks over their faces to prevent the odour from killing them as they headed to the contaminated zone via their brooms. Behind the mountain, the calm pink skies they were seeing was shrouded in an eerie shade of pitch darkness.  

"You should ride with me," Vincent suggested, seeing her body growing weak from the potency of the dark magic.  

"I'll be fine," she stubbornly argued and was ready to board her own broom.

Grabbing and pulling her hand towards him, Vincent was not taking chances, "Now is not a time to be stubbornly reckless. Can't you see I'm worried about you going into this battle. I know what dark magic does to you, and you're already feeling sick. As your Vice Palladian, you staying by my side is an order, and as your husband, I vowed to protect you from danger. I'm a man of my word, so get on my broom."

He wasn't wrong, and she knew that if anyone could see her body behaving differently, even if she looked somewhat healthy as she does now, Vincent would certainly pick up on it. "Alright...you're right," she gave in, and sat in front of him with his arms protecting her as the ascended into the sky towards the mountains where they could feel and see the dark energy coming from.  

As they approached closer to the destination, Asana's body had become incredibly weakened. Her stomach turned in knots and she had already thrown up three times. Her eyes were spinning, causing her vision to blur. A headache pounded away in her head and it felt light, like it would fall off. Her breathing, short.  

"Is she getting sick?" Anna asked, flying beside them and watching Asana struggling to fight the illness the dark magic inflicted upon her.  

"Yeah, I'm worried," Vincent replied, "She's never fallen this sick this quick. At least we know it is pure, pure black magic."

"I think you should fly back and let her help with the evacuation of the next town."

"She would never forgive me if I did that," Vincent replied, respecting his wife's wish to fight but being torn by the option to turn around and have her wait in the town they had just come from.

Sweat formed across her brow as she leaned onto Vincent for support. On landing, she had completely collapsed into his arms, unable to walk from her disorientated balance and debilitating feverish symptoms coming off the dark magic. Makeshift tents had been set up in the same village they had seen completely ruined by the dark magic with every wizard fitted with a tight mask to keep the dark magic from killing them.  

The recovery unit from the ministry were working to bag bodies while a wizardry unit were working to help Klaus stabilise his magic barrier designed to contain the dark magic from spreading any further. Up close, the deathly cloud was terrifying like it had been conjured from the depths of hell by the way the obsidian gas circulated like an angry storm ready, roaring and ready to unleash destruction wherever it decides to make landfall.

"...Pure...death...magic," Asana could barely speak, her usual soft and feminine voice changed to a dry, rough tone.  

"What was that?"

"...It's not just...dark magic...that's death magic...the worst of all black magic."

"She's right," suddenly, a familiar voice they knew all too well spoke from behind them. Turning their bodies around, the dignified voice, perfect tall posture and golden-blonde hair and amethyst eyes belonged to Klaus, and standing behind him was his father and two brothers, "This is not ordinary, everyday black magic. The spell you see it – Death Cloud, ripped from the pages of death magic textbooks."

Seeing her poor state, Walter's attention was directed at her, "...Does she always get this way when faced with pure black magic?" He wondered, having heard much about the wizard the ministry often talks about with her rare but many naturally gifted magical talents, "...Asana Knight? Formerly, Asana Way?"

"Yes, sir. She's not usually like this. In fact, she used to be in Elias' classes back in the academy days."

Elias nodded, "Yes, she has never been healthy when faced with pure black magic. Even speaking about it briefly in Professor Schuyler's class once, she threw up."

Staring at her, rubbing his fingers along his chin, he knew this was the wizard everyone talked about. Vincent, not able to read his expression turned to Klaus, for answers and the look being read by his their long-time friend, "Father has heard much about Ms Knight, but has never had the opportunity to extend an invitation to meet her. Her natural abilities...intrigue him...as a wizard."

"My wife is pretty amazing, but she's not at her best right now."

"She's already quite famous for her rare and natural magic powers, whom Headmaster Randolph has greatly informed me in detail, but I can see now her other powers are only beginning to awaken. We could use that right about now. Anyway, come this way, you all need to be briefed on the new information."

Barely able to stand, her eyes started drifting in and out of consciousness, their voices only a deep and low noise where she couldn't understand the words they were saying. Vincent knew she was only sick, because if she suddenly started to become deathly ill, he'd feel it too. He had been holding her up this whole time by having his arm holding his waist and her arm over his shoulder, that when she completely fainted, it stunned him.  

"Asana! Babe, can you hear me?" He tried to wake her up but she wasn't coming around. Scooping her into his arms, he followed the Goldstein patriarch into a tent where the Palladian and other high ranking agents and knights were strategizing the best course of action.  

"There is a bed over there she can rest on," Walter pointed to a bed, he clearly slept in, with his bags beside the bed and several mattresses on the floor possibly being the beds of his three sons, "She will not be too useful to us if she's out cold like that," he said to the other men.  

"What are you talking about? Her light magic?" Vincent assumed.  

They all nodded, "Yes, but even if she does come around we have no clue when that will be," the Palladian explained, making room for Vincent to join the discussion, "Light magic beats dark magic but with the amount of wizards we have here, it is not going to be enough."

"We also run the risk of overstimulating the cloud with light magic, and Lieutenant Knight is the only wizard here with the right training to use such power. Not only this, but Grand Mage Randolph and Conrad Schuyler, along with Princess Saella, know her light magic is the most powerful among the humans in the world."

Walter's words just now shocked Vincent, "...Is she that powerful?"

He nodded, "When I was tasked by Randolph to train her, he told me that she is a special kind of wizard. She is capable of high-level magic without even exerting too much stamina, and these are abilities some of us dare hope to dream of having, but she has all of them. Once every five thousand years do you come across a wizard, like her, who is capable of unlimited power. In other words, her powers are still growing, she hasn't even tipped the edge of her potential."

Looking over his shoulder, she still remained unconscious. Even if she was extremely powerful, she is a pure maiden, the maiden of light magic but before all of that, she is his wife. Seeing the worry plastered all across his face, the Palladian, offered a ridiculous solution, "If she won't wake up, is there a way we could sacrifice her light magic."

"Sacrifice any part of my wife, you'll regret it," Vincent's golden glare took on a threatening and challenging stance towards his superior, though he didn't care. "She maybe a maiden of light magic to you, but that is my wife."

"Vincent, I understand how you feel about it but if we can't control this and she is our only salvation, better her than the rest of the world," he forwarded a reasonable case but Vincent dismissed it.

"She's a person, not a sacrificial lamb! You will not do anything to her without her permission, or so help me, you will go with her."

"Watch your tongue, Vincent!" The Palladian's low, stern voice, warned him, "You maybe one rank below me but I still can throw you in the brink."

With that insensitive warning, Vincent's mood soured and a disrespectful feeling developed for the man he respected. Offering up his wife, the woman he loved more than anything, who made a life-changing contract without a moment of thought for his life to continue, who gave him all the happiest in the world, and his boss, his mentor, was dishing her up like food to a giant monster. It angered him, fuelling their argument.  

"I'll never stand still or stay silent when you're offering my wife on a whim hoping that kind of a strategy would work. She may not mean a thing to you, but she means everything to me!"  

"I'm thinking in the best interest of this country, I am doing my job! If it works, our kingdom will prosper for centuries to come!"  

"What happens when the next threat to our country occurs and you need a source of light magic to stop it? What are you going to do, huh?" Vincent countered his desperate solution with long-term logic, "You sacrifice her, you won't have her power to stop anything like this from happening in the future."

"If we don't stop this cloud now, there will be no future to worry about!" Palladian shouted, the volumes of their voices rising that others could hear outside.  

Anna shook her head, "If she dies, so does he," she muttered, Klaus and Elias knowing about the contract as well, but the Palladian and their father unaware of the contract.

"But he loves her, not even I agree with sacrificing her to that cloud," Klaus took Vincent's side.

Walter and the other officers in the tent were split in opinion, Walter taking Vincent's side along with two others but the other three outnumbering Vincent by agreeing with the Palladian.  

Vincent took a protective stance in front of her, warning them away, "What if this was your wife, huh? Would you offer her up as bait, not even sure if this would even work. Give her a chance to wake up first!"  

"We don't have the luxury of time, Vincent. We have no idea how long Klaus' barrier is going to hold against the vortex out there!"  

"Then hurry up and find another solution, sacrificing my wife is out of the question!"  

From her condition, she could hear the argument happening around her.  

"Gentlemen, let's calm down," Walter suggested, standing between the two men, "Klaus is briefing Anna now on the situation, but Vincent allow me to fill you in and see what you can come up with."

"Alright," he agreed to that but not moving an inch away from Asana.  

"With the tests we have conducted we know this to the spell Death Cloud, it is a powerful and ancient spell created and written by the infamous dark magic Bronwen Cult. A name meaning dark and pure, they invented this spell by combining time magic with a potion and sacrificial magic. It involves the ancient 'tempus mortem' spell and combining that with the 'nigrum cor' potion."

She heard all of that, her consciousness beginning to return, but her body still weak from the black magic looming in the skies, "The time travelling death spell with the blackened heart potion," she murmured.

"Asana? Babe, you're worrying me," Vincent kissed the back of her hand through the fabric of the gloves she wore as part of her uniform and protecting her skin from the black magic which threatened.  

Slowly, she sat up, hanging her feet down from the makeshift bed Vincent had laid her on. Still wobbly, she walked over to the group of men, listening as Walter filled Vincent in, "How are you feeding in light magic right now?" She asked.

As she asked that question, outside a roaring thunder crackled in the sky and shaking the earth under their feet. Outside, Klaus could see his barrier starting to break from the force of the magic, but the block was starting to aggravate the cloud, making the magic unstable. The light magic being fed to the cloud was beginning to tear the fluffy dark mist, like it was cotton candy.

"That's not good," Elias commented.

"Damn it! Why is it becoming unstable?" Klaus grumbled, watching his magic being defeated by a cloud made him angry, "I hate this cloud!"  

"Now is not the time to be jealous of a cloud," Anna admonished him but she had no clue how to stop what was happening and worried for the future.

From the crack in the barrier, speeding bullets of dark magic from the cloud began to fall to the ground, making craters in the earth where it landed and people dodging the deadly attacks by jumping out of the way. Screams echoed  across the sea and through to the mountains behind them.  

Racing outside, the highest ranking officials watched the chaos unfolding and began using light shields to defend themselves, with the others around them following suit. Regathering whatever strength she had, she knew a spell Saella had taught her and would be extremely useful in this situation, but she needed a heart of pure light magic to cast it. "I'm going to try something," she turned to Vincent, "Saella taught me a light song, and I don't know if it will work but I have to try it. Tell everyone to feed their light magic into one point to the centre of the cloud. Have them use the spell, lux caeli followed by pluvia. It's an easy spell to summon a raining light, make sure it focuses on the central point of the vortex."

He nodded, "Be careful and don't get too close to it," he warned, having grabbed her arm before she walked towards it and giving her a quick kiss, "Be safe."

"I'll try, just believe in me for this to work."

"I always do," he smiled, letting her go and spreading her order around to every agent and knight working to defeat this monster of dark magic, "Alright! Listen up, focus your light magic to one point, the centre of the cloud!" He repeated the incantation she wanted them to use, and they all heard him.  

Asana walked directly in front of the swirling cloud, the black magic making her worse than before. She stood on grassless land, where the dark magic had completely killed any form of life that existed underneath its shade.  

She could feel the light magic from the others around her weaving into the central point of the cloud, and it worked like a needle and thread to stitch the parts of the cloud back together. However, she couldn't stand in this spot for too long as the dark magic would quickly work its way in to contaminate her too, like it had the grounds around her.  

"Okay," she closed her eyes and focused, "Remember the basics, I need wind and light magic to work together," she mumbled, and looked up at Klaus' barrier, "I need to use that barrier to my advantage here. If I combine my primitive magic with light magic, it should work."

She strategized out loud what she needed to do, and knew this spell would drain her energy to the point she would likely pass out. She had never cast a spell to this scale before, but she hoped it would work. "Here I go," she concentrated on what she needed to, a swirling wind picking up around her body, blowing her hair wildly.  

Once she felt the wind, she began to sing, concentrating on several different things at once and hoping for this to work, "Caeli desuper mihi lucem vincere ventus lux in tenebris. Ventus Inter Aquilonem et Turbo!" She sang, and with each repeat her voice grew louder and more passionate. This light, she summoned, was no ordinary light, but was the light from the heavens combining with the raining light magic summoned by the other wizards to rain onto the cloud from above, infusing it with a primitive wind tornado as big as the death cloud before them.

Her power greatly overpowered the dark magic with a powerful gust of wind, knocking over the makeshift tents, their hats and crumbling the stone and wood of the desolated and decayed ruins of the town around them, even the waves of the sea becoming violent. The light, blinding those around her.  

A golden tornado of light-wind quickly blackened. The Death Cloud dyeing the yellow light with its colour, the light and dark battling within the swirling vortex. She kept up her concentration, the strain on her body from using this much energy becoming unbearable and exhausting. Anna could see Vincent worrying, but she held him back. "She's doing a great job, let her do this!" She yelled at him to be heard over the roaring noise of the light and dark winds, and Asana's painful screams.  

Feeling the last of the dark energy being completely absorbed by her magic, she used the last ounce of her powers to vanquish the evil from the sky, "Debellaturus!" She yelled, delivering the final blow and vanquishing the darkness by having her pure light magic devour it and letting it dissipate into the blue skies again.  

Those pink clouds she had seen with Anna were gone, and she caught a glimpse of a clear blue, cloudless skies, bringing out the beauty of the world before her, before tiredness consumed her and she fainted again.

"Asana!" Running to her, Vincent's knees went sliding along the sand, kicking up dust around him, as he caught her body in time before she landed hard on the ground. "Asana? Darling, say something, please tell me you're okay?" He knew she wasn't dead, otherwise he would be too, but he never wanted to see her in such a state like this.  

He loved her bubbly energy, but he loved her very much for unlocking her hidden powers and using it to save the kingdom. Her eyes fluttered opened, and through a small crack of her open eyes, Vincent's handsome, but worried face, blocked out the bright sunshine, making her smile. She though in that moment, her sunlight is him. Squeezing his hand, she felt her muscles ache but she had to say something, "...I'm okay," she managed.

Gently, he hugged her close. He could feel the tense muscles all over her body, "You did an amazing job, and saved all of us and the kingdom. Get some sleep and recover your energy, okay," his caring voice was so sweet, the way he gently held her made her feel warm and loved.

"Vincent," and she was going to tell him, "...I love how caring you are of me. To feel this warmth you give me, to hear those words, I would go through one hundred times worse pain than what I am feeling right now to make sure I always feel you close to me."

"You just like to make me worry, don't you?" He lowered his head, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head, "Shut up and get some sleep already."

She laughed but it didn't last for long as she lost the fight to stay awake. Her eyes closing shut. Scooping her body into his arms, he carried her back to the base where the camp was in shambles with some tents uplifted from the wind she created.  

Walter glanced at the Palladian, "If you have something to say Walter, say it."

With Walter's arms folded and smiling fondly at Vincent and Asana, a boss who approved of her method, he took the Palladian's advice to speak freely, "Not only do you owe them an apology and a few months' vacation, but I think you should look into promoting her too. She has knowledge and powers unlike any other wizard in the world, and I have met quite a few of them, she's special and rare. Don't jump to conclusions like you did before."

"When I want advice from a ministry agent, I will ask for it!" He grumpily stated, storming away from his own embarrassment about jumping to the desperate solution of sacrificing her to the Death Cloud.  

"Is it possible had you all agreed to offer her as a sacrifice to a cloud, she would have been contaminated by the dark magic and turned dark herself?" Elias wondered, the question puzzling him and curious to know what a dark-ridden Asana could be capable of doing.  

Anna and Klaus read between the lines of his curious question. "After what I have witnessed, I don't ever want her turning dark. She'd be...difficult to stop, especially with that stubborn side of her," Anna commented.

"Agreed," Klaus seconded it.  

Walter turned to the group of wizards gathered, "Alright, listen here! The recovery team, my team and Klaus' will remain here to investigate the town and this section of the land, I wanted submitted reports on my desk within one week of the conclusion of our time here. Wizard Unit K84 and K85 you will go with Julius' team across to that island and encounter the dark wizards, bringing them in dead or alive if you have to. Let's get to work."

Anna's unit was not listed in the teams which needed to stay, and ordered them to return home along with the other dismissed teams from the investigation. Although they won, she felt like she lost the most with Todd, a victim of this heinous crime, and turned to Julius Goldstein, "Make them pay, Julius. Todd was under you."

"Oh, I intend to," he replied. "You don't want to join?"

She shook her head, "I need to go home and tell my son."

He nodded, "I apologise for what has happened."

"It's part of our job, but that doesn't make it any less harder to bare," she answered, but looked up the path where Vincent boarded his broom with Asana in his arms, "But, I still have my family to help me through. Just, make sure they pay for what they have done here, not just for my Todd but for all the innocent people they murdered here."

Dressing out of their uniforms, wizard knights and agents decided to celebrate their victory at a tavern in the neighbouring town, shouting ever resident with a drink to get wasted on. Vincent and Asana, with Anna, were on their way home. Anna lived in the capital, not far from the slice of paradise Vincent and Asana had moved to. Taking the private car, Vincent had laid Asana in the bed, "She's going to be alright?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, that spell has just taken it out of her. As they say, more difficult the spell is the more energy you need to put in it to make it work," he replied, "Coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks," understandably, her cheery and bubbly nature had not returned as she was a widow grief-stricken by Todd's death, "...I'm going to take Clay home to visit my parents. They have never met him, and they are complaining I don't go see them often."

"That's good, they've probably missed you like crazy."

"Yeah," she saw the cup of coffee land in front of her, "Are you and Asana ever going to have children? You've been married, what...five years or something like that?"

He shrugged, the question catching him off guard, "...Uhm...I...we've never really discussed it...or we have but never decided anything."

"You'd make a great father and I don't know why, but I can see Asana growing old and being the grandmother who would write a cookbook and bake cookies for the grandkids. You'd be the crazy Grandpa."

He sighed, "Do you ever stop teasing me?"

"Of course not, you're like a brother to me and you will be treat as one."

"...I've never thought about it, then again...I never thought I'd fall in love either. I know she wants children."

"She's saved your life twice now, compromise would you. Put a baby in her...when she's ready, and when you are. That sounded so wrong then, didn't it?"

"It did, it truly did."

[asunafairywizardessheart]

Gedonelune College: Goldstein Love Triangle Chapter 2: Stormy Weather

Genre: Romantic Drama

Rating: M

Read: Prologue, Ch1

Since Saturday, she had seen or spoken to Elias or Klaus, but she wanted to see them. Her desperation to see Elias stemmed from not feeling happy about the way they had left things on Saturday. Though, intimidating and as frustrating as he was to talk to, she secretly enjoyed Klaus' teasing.  

Gathered in the kitchen, residents of the dorms used the shared kitchen to fix themselves hearty and energising breakfasts ahead of the first day of lectures. Sitting outside, Joel, Vincent and Azusa were indecisive about what they wanted to eat and used the waiting time to use the kitchen to come up with something they all could share.  

"I could make something," Vincent suggested.

"If you made something, we all will starve until lunch time," Azusa replied.  

"I agree," Joel concurred, watching the bustling kitchen until it was free.  

Arched windows, with their curtains opened, spilled sunlight into the French styled shared kitchen. Wooden stools with comfortable cushion tops lined the front counter and were occupied with groups of friends watching others cook or hanging out while eating their breakfast.  

Baby blue painted counters, cupboards and drawers with white marble handles and tops lined the walls on the back wall, making room for the large oven, microwaves, utensils. There are three large refrigerators and a deep freezer neatly arranged in the spacious kitchen with plenty of tables and chairs for those dining in, even a courtyard leading to a relaxing garden.  

"Invite Asana down here?" Vincent nudged Joel in the arm.  

"You invite her, you have her number too and we added her in the chat yesterday," Joel replied, rolling his eyes, "Even though you were hitting on her all day yesterday when we were showing her around the city."

As they were talking, Yukiya entered the busy kitchen and dropped his shoulders as he saw how cluttered the kitchen. Sighing, he spotted the guys occupying an outdoor table with soft cushioned chairs, "This is crazy in here," he mentioned, sitting down at the table.  

"It is the first day of the semester, are you surprised?" Elias now popped up from behind them, neither of them having seen or heard him having come into the kitchen.

"Where did pop out from?" Vincent wondered, and making room for him to sit with them at the table but Joel paying him no attention as he waited for his time to make his breakfast.  

Scrapping along the stone pavement, Elias pulled his seat back and clinked his plate of gourmet eggs benedict on a bed of toast, spinach and smoked salmon, and a mug of fresh hot coffee, "I came down early to make breakfast, and just finished. How did you not see me?"

"I thought that was someone else," Azusa agreed he had not seen Elias in the kitchen, "But, we did come down with the herd for breakfast."

"I'm deciding whether or not to ditch this and go get breakfast from some fast food place," Vincent pondered, and looked down at Elias breakfast, "Or, I could steal the rich boy's food?"

"Touch my food, and I will ban you from entering the kitchen entirely," Elias threatened, holding his fork and knife as intimidating weapons.  

"Shouldn't he have a ban on using the kitchen anyways? I worry he will burn the dorm if he mans a stove top," Joel remarked, earning a nudge from Vincent.  

Having dark circles around his eyes, Yukiya realised he had not come to bed last night and wondered if he had been awake all this time, "Have you even slept, Elias?"

He shook his head though, "No," and took a short sip of his coffee, "I have a lot of things on my mind, and I have to make progress on my research into the Mongolian hieroglyphs found at an excavation site, our archaeological team, from the college, found it," he explained.

"Yeah, you told me about that, but still you need to sleep better," Yukiya said, concerned, "Oh, by the way, I don't know if you know yet but your brother tried to call you last night."

"Klaus?" Elias raised his eyebrows in surprise, "What did he want?"

"Not Klaus," Yukiya shook his head, but couldn't remember the name, "...The other one...I forgot his name."

"Julius called me. Did he say anything?"  

"Only to have you call him back if you have the chance," Yukiya passed on the message, and caught in time Elias rolling his eyes, "...I take it you aren't going to call him back?"

Cutting a corner of his toast and piling it with a bite sized chunk of egg, salmon and spinach, he shoved it in his mouth and shook his head, "I'm too busy to chase up pointless phone calls. If it is important enough he'll ring back," he said coldly.  

Vincent, though, kept nudging Joel to call Asana down for breakfast, "Hey, isn't Asana like your sister. You should be kinder to your sister and invite her down for breakfast."

"Sister?" Turning his head to their conversation, Elias looked at them perplexed, "...Is she your sister? I thought you said you two grew up together, that you were just close," his words churned out rapidly, and his eyebrows squeezed together in irritation of the subject.

Shaking his head, not paying attention to his physical reactions, Joel answered, "We're not really siblings, but...Asana lost her parents in a car accident when she was nine years old so I convinced my parents to adopt her into our family because she had no one to go to and she would have been thrown into the foster care system. I didn't want her to lose her home or be forced to move away. My parents are her godparents anyway, so we think of each other as a brother and sister."

As they were talking, Asana entered the kitchen wearing the dress she had treated herself to on Saturday while exploring the city. Though it had long sleeves reaching the elbows, the sheer fabric kept her arms conditioned in a breeze. Styling her hair in a half up, half down bouffant, the chocolate waterfall of hair down her back curled elegantly for the day, the white cotton-chiffon dress, with small neatly tailored pleats from the scoop next to the floral designed skirt, hugged her figure elegantly and flattering.  

"Speaking of," Joel saw her head into the crowded kitchen, "Asana! Make me something!" He called out to her but she poked out her tongue at him.

"Cook it yourself!" She called back to him, not caring that her volume was heard by the others around her.  

Seeing the guys were waiting, she rolled her eyes and pulled out food labelled as hers. Eggs, cream and feta cheese and fresh chives, and pulled out five small ovenproof bowls. "What is she making?" Vincent wondered.

"She's making us breakfast, thank goodness. Glad she can handle crowds," Joel sighed.

"You all could have made something by now if you went over there," Elias muttered, while taking his time to finish his gourmet breakfast and coffee.  

Cracking two eggs each into the five bowls, she filled the bowls with light cream, a good amount of feta cheese and seasoned it with fresh chives, salt and pepper. On a tray, she stuck them in the oven, and a few girls sitting on the stools asked her what she was making, "Baked eggs with feta cheese and chives. It's quite delicious and easy to make," she smiled, as they watched her pull pieces of rye bread from her collection and toasted one piece for the five bowls.  

Within twenty minutes of baking and toasting bread, she was done, and brought the tray out to them, "The five of you owe me," she said, setting the plated bowls of baked eggs and toast in front of Joel, Vincent, Yukiya, Azusa and herself.  

"You are a champion Asana," Vincent smiled, graciously accepting the offering of a healthy cooked breakfast, "And full of goodness too."

Sitting across from Elias, they made slight eye contact but the tension lingered between them with what happened on Saturday making flashbacks through each other's memories, "...Good morning, Elias," she awkwardly greeted him so not to appear rude or seem like a problem was apparent between them to the others.

"...Morning," he replied, not peeling his eyes from her. She could feel his eyes on her, and became reluctant to eat with his eyes watching her from across the table, "...What is that?" He asked, looking at the food in front of her.

"...Just baked eggs with feta and chives and rye bread toasted," she replied, awkwardly again and looked around the table, "Sorry, I should have checked to see if any of you had any diet needs," as she said that, the four of them were chomping down the food like it was a sweet dish.

Vincent smiled, "This is so good! You're a natural, Asana."

"Maybe she can teach you how to cook something?" Joel suggested.  

"You want me alone in a kitchen with her, Joel? Well, now that I have the brother's permission, how about we make it a date Asana," Vincent teased, smearing a slice of toast into the egg.  

Hearing his flirting teasing, Elias' eyes sharpened with a glare, and turned to Vincent, "Not only is it not appropriate to have Asana be your Mom and cook you food, but it is inappropriate to flirt with her. There are clubs around the college, if you are desperate to learn how to cook join the cooking club," his criticism of Vincent came off harsher than he had expected, and all eyes around the table stared back at him.  

His outburst surprised himself, and with an empty plate and mug, he used the dirty dishes as an excuse to remove himself from the table. Yukiya followed his body language and looked across to Asana who was watching him walk away.  

"What's his problem?" Vincent wondered, and looked across to Asana, "Hey, what's up with you two? I know you two have been awkward around each other since Friday."

"Not to mention how you spoke about him and his brother when you dined with Randy and me," Azusa added, "Everything okay?"

Unsure how to respond to their serious but concerned questions, she shot a glance up at Joel, who looked back at her with worried eyes, "...It's nothing," she quickly polished off the rest of her breakfast and cleaned her dishes in the sink of the kitchen.  

Handbag in hand, and full of textbooks with her tablet, purse and phone, she went after Elias, not too far down the road. Desperate to talk to him about Saturday, she also wanted to know what that was about in the kitchen. "Elias!" She made it as far as outside on the side path near the dorm building, and called out to him.

She half expected him to ignore her, but he turned around and waited for her to catch up to him. Above their heads, the sun had disappeared behind clouds lingering in the morning skies, a thunderstorm later in the evening had been forecasted this morning on the weather news. With the cloud cover, a slight breeze swirled through the college, swaying her hair softly.  

Standing in front of him, she suddenly lost all thought as to what to say, "...I...," losing her thoughts, she simply stared up into his eyes and her heart pounded as he waited for her to say something, "...I...wanted to wish you a good day," awkwardly, she came up with something to hide her embarrassment.  

"...Are you ready for classes?" He asked, trying to relax the tension between them.  

"Yes...though, I am a little nervous but excited," she replied, moving her flying her out of her face, "...I don't know if you go to lectures, so I don't know if I should ask if you're prepared or not."

"I do classes, but I don't have as many or I often have my professor send me lecture notes. I mostly do my tutorials at nights though," he pointed up the road towards the academy, "I actually need to go to the library for some books for my research."

"Right, you study languages. What language are you working on?" She genuinely was curious, not having the chance to talk to him properly since their awkwardness on her first couple of days living in the dorms.  

With the tension relaxing between them, they walked closely together and at a comfortable pace to have a proper and calm conversation. Though, from the distance, anyone would think they are close considering how closely they walked together and the way (they didn't realise) they looked at each other. Watching them with jealous brown eyes, Rose stood still in shock for the scene she is forced to witness.

Turning to one of her sisters, she angrily punctuated her words, "Who. Is. That. Girl?" She asked, and pulled her phone from her pocket and began to take photos, "Send that photo to every pledging dork wanting to get into our sorority. Make it their next task, identifying this woman with my Elias."

Marching forward, she kept her eyes on them, not hearing there conversation as they walked towards the college's main building, and the sea of students swarming around college grounds provided Rose's cover.  

"Right now, I am working on deciphering ancient Mongolian hieroglyphics found at an excavation site near the Chinese border."

"Is it going well?"  

He sighed, and couldn't lie, "...To be totally truthful, I am lacking in my progress because...of everything going on. My parents, Rose and...you."

Stunned to here that she was giving him grief, she stopped walking to look up at him, "Me?" She needed more than answers.  

"...I have been thinking about what happened on Friday and Saturday," he answered, his face turning red from embarrassment, "...I owe you an apology for how I have been behaving towards you," he looked down at the healing bruise he had left on her wrist, not realising it had been there before.

Following his gaze, she covered the mark with her hand, "...I bruise easily, it's a condition I've had since I was a kid. I may have only known you a few days, but I know you aren't that kind of guy."

"...D-did I scare you?"  

Asana shook her head, "I was startled back I wasn't scared. But, if you are apologising for what happened Saturday, then I'm sorry for my behaviour too. I should have moved away from the door."

"You tried to," Elias reminded her, "So, you have nothing to apologise for. I...was just...angry at my parents for trying to force me into a marriage I don't care for. But, that's no excuse for how I treated you. So, I deeply apologise for my actions and I hope you can forgive me."

He stared deeply into her eyes, conveying his sincerity. She had seen his features up close during their awkward moment in his office on Friday night, and each time it is his clear crystal-violet eyes drew her in. She smiled, and averted her gaze to her feet to regather her composure, and looked back up at him, "There is nothing to forgive you for, I understand that you were just stressed and frustrated, and I was just there."

He chuckled quietly to himself, breathing in the fresh air around them, feeling content now they had removed part of the elephant from the room, "...So, veterinary science, huh? I don't know much about science and medicine but I know that's a hard subject to master."

"Well, thankfully, I am pre-trained and I have experience," she let out a smile.

"Is that so?" He looked back at her, catching the glimpse of her positive and natural pink smile, those lips he saw up close in his office, appeared glossier and softer than it had under the light in his office, but his eyes skimmed all of her features, "...What made you decide you want to be a vet?"

She trailed off slightly but regathered her confidence quickly, and felt proud to admit her influence, "...My father," she answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry...I didn’t mean to make you remember bad memories," Elias quickly apologised, and received a curious glance from Asana, that he, again, quickly explained, "Joel...mentioned this morning you lost your parents when you were young."

Nodding, she figured that's where he had heard it from, and continued her story, "...My father was a biologist and the local vet. Joel and I grew up in a countryside in the mountains not far from here, and my father travelled around the region tending mostly to farming animals and wildlife living in the area. He loved animals, and he wanted to do everything in his power to help them, whether injured, lost, abandoned or facing extinction. He'd string my mother and I along on his jobs, sometimes even when he had to travel overseas, and I'd help him with his research. 'Wildlife Bingo' he called it, he would give me a card, often of the animals he was trying to find, and he would tell me all about them, I loved every lesson."

"...So, you were close to him?"

"Yeah, and my Mom too. They were very positive and happy people, forever smiling and going out of their way to help others. My mother owned a café restaurant, next to my Dad's vet clinic, and she would always give free food to people who were struggling by giving them hampers. Every week, she would put away some item into that hamper, and then she'd give it away. They were not just my parents, but my best friends too. I never felt unloved."

Her relationship with her parents was nothing like the kind he had with his parents, "They sound like wonderful parents," and looked away sadly, "If only they were all so...caring about their children," he muttered, and found her staring at him, "It must have been horrible when you lost them?"

"...Yeah. It's funny, how one day your life can be perfect with a happy and smiling family giving you the happiest childhood, and then in the blink of an eye it's all gone," that day was tattooed in her memory, and she couldn't erase it, holding back her mournful tears, she explained what happened.

"...Thursday nights, I went to gymnastics. Before my mother had me, she was a gymnast and nearly went to the Olympics to represent our country. We would always watch the gymnasts on TV, and admired the grace of it all. When I was nine years old, I had a competition in the neighbouring town. On their way to watch me, a drunken driver veered onto their side of the road...c-colliding with them...h-h-head on," she began to quiver, Elias listening, "All three died, including the drunk driver, died. I remember waiting for them, and then Joel and his parents came to the hall I was competing in, and pulled me out of the competition and told me they had died."

"Joel's parents took me in, and treated me like a daughter but...I lashed out at everyone around me because all I wanted was my parents. I miss them, but I cope," fearing she was simply rambling, she looked away embarrassed, "...Sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Immediately shaking his head, he replied, "No, you aren't. I simply wish I could understand but I don't, but I think you are a very strong person if you can speak so bravely about it."

"Oh...t-thanks...but, you know, it happened a long time ago. I could continue to be depressed about it or I can make my parents proud up there, while they are watching me. I even tried getting into gymnastics a few years after their accident, and won a gold medal at the junior Olympics in gymnastics."  

"If that's the case, why not apply for a scholarship?"  

"Well...I quit. But, that's another story altogether," she scratched the back of her head nervously, and they resumed walking towards the main building, when Asana returned his question, "What about you, though? I am slightly familiar with your family and what they do, they are kind of celebrities in a way, they are all lawyers or work for the National Ministry as federal agents, or are politicians. What is it about languages that caught your interest?"

He nodded his head, "Yeah, you and I come from completely different environments, that's for sure," he acknowledged and thought about his answer carefully, "...Growing up, my family dealt with many people of different cultures and ethnicities, so I was interested in the contrasting differences between the different languages. More over, the various ways we communicate like through art, music, dance, text, speech, and our bodies. So, I began studying various languages, and found that this field of study can be useful in making historical discoveries to uncovering leads in major crimes, criminal and civil cases...," suddenly he stopped talking and started to laugh.

Asana didn't understand, "What's so funny?" She smiled, seeing the new side of him even if he was being sarcastic about his laugh.  

"...My story is no where near heartfelt as yours," he realised how boring his interest sounded to hers, and how different they truly were in regards to family, "...My parents...are not like yours though. Like you said, a bunch of famous, high-class lawyers, federal agents and politicians. They live in a world I don't think I was ever meant for."

"What do you mean?"

"My parents like to use me and my brothers for connections or to make themselves look good. When I had announced my plans to my parents, they did not approve and tried to change my major. All my life, they groomed me to follow a path into being a lawyer, but that's not what I wanted to do, and boldly studied culture and language. They don't believe I can make a comfortable living out of it, so I compromised by taking a minor in international law. Constantly, they are arranging for me to go on blind dates with daughters of people they are trying to deal with, and Rose is using that to her advantage by getting them to agree that a marriage between me and her would improve Dad's position at work. Her father is the deputy minister of the National Ministry, in other words he deals with Ministerial matters in congress, somewhere my father wants to end up."

Like he had felt bad for her and envious that she grew up in a loving environment, she could see the pain and loneliness in her eyes, "Why do they care about their titles? Titles are just names, that in the end mean nothing," she voiced her belief, "...So, that's why you and your father were fighting because you refuse to marry her?"

Elias chuckled, and looked at her from a side glance, "There's more to it than that. My parents don't trust the decisions I make regarding intimate partners. I went to a lavish private school with the Queen's niece, and we dated for a long time, we were very serious and often thought about marriage. Of course, my parents were fine with this, until...I discovered she had been sleeping with my brother behind my back for three months, and I caught them red-handed during my birthday celebrations."

"Klaus...did that?" Her eyes widened in shock of his news.  

"No, I have another brother, and he's the eldest, Julius," Elias corrected, and continued on with his story, "My brother was dating at the time, now married to, the daughter of an influential businessman, and she's the corporate heir of her father's company. The news that he had an affair with my girlfriend made instant headlines, and created a huge scandal and strained the relationships between our family, the royal family and my sister-in-law's family. My parents, though, blamed me for the mess."

Narrowing her eyes in anger, she clenched her fists until the knuckles on her hands turned a brief shade of white, "That's absurd! Why blame you when you had nothing to do with their actions?"

Elias nodded, "Yeah, Klaus and Julius defended me but my parents continued to blame me. Saying, had I never involved myself with a member of the royal family this mess wouldn't have occurred. That incident alone is enough to convince me that I can't trust my parents to make my decisions nor do they care about my feelings. I loved her, but the unfaithfulness was not what hurt the most. It was my brother's betrayal of trust, and I rarely talk to him these days, and my parents betrayal of compassion, caring and understanding. I have come to the point where I am determined to prove to them I am not an embarrassment to my family's name."

She never understood how his family could treat him that way, and spun around to look at him, "You shouldn't have to prove anything to them!" She blurted out, passionately, nearby people turning to look at her. Quickly, she covered her mouth and her face turned red from embarrassment.

His face twisted in surprise at her sudden outburst, absorbing her kind and passionate opinion, "...That's just...how things are in the world I grew up in."  

"Doesn't mean you should just accept that kind of treatment like it's natural, Elias," she narrowed her gaze, passionately conveying her message across, "It doesn't matter what your title is, the only title they should be proud of is being called Mom and Dad from their sons, and being proud, not because their children please their expectations, but to have children in their lives. Their job should be supporting you and ensuring your happiness, and not for their own motives. I don't get how they can treat you that way, it's not right."

"They do love me...they just don't understand me," Elias assured her.

"I understand they love you, but should make an effort to understand you and what interests make you happy, Elias," she pointed out, and put a hand on his shoulder, "It is sad to hear that you must prove to them that your career path is worthy of the family's name. Elias, don't immerse yourself in your career just to honour your name, do it for you because you want to. Do it for yourself."

Behind a hedge near a path lantern, Rose growled through her gritted teeth as she watched Asana lay her hand upon his shoulder. Their proximity and now that touch would convince anyone they were a couple. Raising her phone, Rose continued to take photographs of their close body language, "Who does she think she is?"

Silence ensued between Elias and Asana. Her words struck a chord within him, her rose-coloured eyes filled with an intensity he had never seen before. Feelings he couldn't understand bubbled to the surface, and at the loss of her hand on his shoulder he felt...lonely. "...You are much stronger than I am, Asana, I admire that," he honestly said, "Thank you, and I hope we can get along off on a better note this time."

He started to walked away, and managed a few steps forward as she called out to him again, "Hey, I want to be your friend Elias, and with that friendship I want to support you through this. Don't push away people who only want to be there for you. You are a good person."

Social skills lacked him, but he softly smiled at her and nodded in acknowledgment. With a face burning with embarrassment, he cutely walked away in the direction of the library to pick up some books he had ordered. She thought it was an adorable sight, and watched his back disappear further down the path, before she wandered off in another direction with a sign on the luscious green grass that pointed toward the main, castle-like, building Amelia had shown her on her first day.  

A beautiful lawn separated the two paths, and Elias turned his head to watch her elegant figure, gracefully dressed, disappear down the path until a large garden blocked her figure. He didn't even realise the small tree, planted on the side of the path, he was about to walk into, or that Klaus was coming up behind him.  

With his eyes not concentrating on the path in front of him, he had strayed not feeling the grassy earth under his booted feet, and ended up with a face full of leaves and an angry bee, pollinating the flowers, ready to sting him in defence. Unable to contain his laughter, Klaus swatted the bee away, "That was priceless."

"Shut up," Elias dusted off the leaves and the dirt that had fallen onto his clothes, "...Who put a tree there anyway?"

"It's been there for a while, probably even before you applied to come here," Klaus replied, smiling, "What has your attention so much that you walked into a tree?"

Elias looked around to see if she was watching, but thankfully, she didn't have to witness his most uncool moment. "...Um, just thinking about my research, I guess," he lied, averting his gaze and cheeks turning pink.

Klaus' lips teased into a devilish smirk, "You are terrible at lying. Though, did you think you could hide from me, Elias? I'm your brother."  

"Does not mean I am going to talk to you," Elias replied, continuing to walk on the right path and distracting his mind from his thoughts about Asana and her wise advice a moment ago.  

"Did you, by chance, read the morning paper?" Klaus asked, carrying the large newspaper under his arm while juggling his teaching materials. Clothed in a suit, he cut a dashing figure.

Remembering the events from yesterday, he had ditched his cell phone and unhooked his office phone since reporters from the city's paper were harassing him for a comment about his engagement to Rose, and guessed, from Klaus' question, they ran the story without his comment, "Let me guess, I am getting married to Rose?"

"Yes, seems like Rose, her parents and ours are really forcing you into this," Klaus commented, unfolding the paper in his grasp, "It even made the front page news."

"If arranged celebrity marriages makes the front page news than I worry about the state of truth telling and factual news stories," Elias commented.

"I see you give me a comment but not the news," Klaus remarked, skimming the short article with a continued story on the third page, "Though, technology is amazing. I have never seen you and Rose in a photograph but here's you two hugging with an engagement ring on her finger."

He glanced at the photo, and looked up to Klaus, "...She's persistent, got to give her that," he sighed, "If you were me, what would you do to stop this from happening?"

"Not give in and be smart about putting an end to this," he recommended.  

A brief silence fell between them but Klaus' ringing phone broke the comfortable silence, "Julius?" He answered the phone, and Elias rolled his eyes at the mention of his brother's name, "You want Elias? Yeah, he's next to me," Klaus handed his cell phone over to Elias, nudging him to take it.  

Snatching the shining silver smartphone, Elias brought the earpiece up to his ear, "What?" His greeting was short and cold, "I'm busy, so unless this is an emergency I have nothing to talk about with you."

"I suppose that's as close to a 'hello' as I am going to get," Julius awkwardly joked and chuckled at his brother's curt response, "However, I do know you are not busy now, you just are ignoring me. Though, I'm curious, what if this had been an emergency, would you still ignore me?"

"Suppose it were a life-and-death type of emergency, why would you call me and not the appropriate authorities? More over, you are an agent with the National Ministry, if you can't handle an emergency yourself I would question your ability to work as an agent," he logically countered, "Seeing this is not an emergency, start talking or I'm hanging up."

"Wow...," Julius reacted to Elias' dryness towards him, and felt  "Don't hang up. I need your help."

"My help? Ask Klaus for help?"

"I would but Klaus doesn't understand language like you do and the Ministry has no language expert, hence why they consult you on a regular basis," he replied.

"Yeah, and I'm sure Father has nothing to do with that," Elias sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes in the process, "What is it you need help with?" He returned back to the topic his brother had called for in the first place.  

"There is a case I am leading, but the group we are looking for use some kind of a...code, to communicate. We need someone with an understanding of languages to help us. That's why I called you," he explained without giving too much over the phone, "It's also the reason I want to invite you to lunch later. I can go over the case in more detail if you want to help us."

Clicking his tongue, and humming in thought, Elias knew the kinds of cases his brother worked on usually meant dealing with evil and corrupt members of society that could cause nationwide damage, "...Fine, but you come to me and you are paying."

"Seriously?"

"Do you want my help or not?"

"Well, yes...but extorting a free lunch from me?" Protesting the pain of having to drive from the city to the suburb the college was located in, Julius sighed at his brother's demands.  

Elias heard the reluctance in his voice, "Fine, you don't need my help. Have fun trying to figure it all out on you-."

"Wait. Fine, I will buy you lunch," Julius interrupted him, and agreed to his terms on the condition that he truly needed Elias' help and he was in no position to pass up the opportunity of spending time with him either, "Where do you want to meet?"

Elias thought for a moment, and a devilish smirk graced his features, "Oscar's," he replied, "I'm in the mood for lobster, and he has the freshest lobster in the city and he's not located too far from the college. Quarter past noon."

In front of him, Klaus tilted his head in confusion but found it amusing Elias managed to extort an expensive lunch from their eldest brother, and taking advantage of their awkward relationship to achieve it. Though, he knew Julius is willing to do anything to earn Elias' trust and respect back after his costly mistake.

"...You are expensive, brother," Julius protested, and groaned, "Fine. I'm going to book a table. But, what if you can't help me with my investigation?"

"Well, considering asking for my expert opinion on a coded language is definition of consulting me, I would like to think of buying me a juicy lobster for lunch is perfect payment for my time. Unless, the Ministry is going to start paying me for the many free consultations they have managed from me?"  

"Must you talk so formally with me, I'm your brother?" Julius missed the point of Elias' statement, or rather ignored it.

Detecting a hint of sadness in his voice, Elias handed the phone back to Klaus, "We're done talking," he said sourly, and stomped away toward the library, muttering under his breath, "A true brother wouldn't have done what you did," it was loud enough for Klaus to hear.

Raising his phone to his ear, Klaus spoke to Julius on the other end of the line, "Do I get lobster?" Klaus asked.  

"...No, trust me I'm only agreeing to it...because I can't really afford to be picky in spending time with Elias. He never wants to see me, not like he used to," sadness consumed his usually happy voice, and had traces of guilt and regret.

"Do you blame him Julius? You did sleep with his girlfriend for three months behind his back, and lied to his face when he questioned you about your feelings towards her, and I think he blames you for Mom and Dad blaming him."  

Falling silent, Julius could not deny his crime, with the only sounds Klaus could hear in the background were the roar of engines and tyres scarping across the roads from wherever Julius had been calling from, "...Well, I should go. Bye," he said an awkward farewell, and all Klaus could hear on the other end were annoying beeping noises indicating he had disconnected the call.  

He glanced down the open outdoor corridors to worriedly watch Elias back descend farther down the shaded path and disappear behind a corner on his way to the library. Letting the subject go for now, Klaus walked the opposite direction to the main building where is office was located.

She had memorised the map in her head this morning before leaving her room, yet the complexity and grandeur of the main building had blocked her memory. Standing in at the main staircase, she watched students going up and down the grand staircase.  

"How is I managed to get lost again?" She wondered, trying to refocus on finding where she was meant to be, and turned towards the large clock sitting on the wall by the notice board, "At this rate, I'm going to be late," she panicked.  

Rose had followed her from the moment she had seen her being close with Elias, and caught up with her in the crowd of students coming in and out of the reception area, idling by the noticeboard and going up and down the stairs. "Are you lost?" She asked, her angelic-like voice catching Asana and looking behind her right.  

"Oh no, I am...admiring the architecture of the building," she replied, mindful not to provoke Rose, despite unknowing she had already done that. She averted her gaze from Rose's deep brown eyes, and began looking around.  

Using the opportunity to see her up close, Rose looked her up and down, until Asana looked back at her, "Is there a problem here?" Asana asked, pretending not to know who she was.

Her friends giggled behind Rose's back, laughing at Asana's ignorance, "Do you pretend to feign ignorance or do you truly have no clue who I am or how...horrible I can make your life?" Her angelic face stayed but the words she spoke were mean.

"Is that...a threat?"

"Are you dense?" She snapped, "Of course it is, because I saw you getting close to my fiancé, Elias," she pulled out her phone to prove she had the evidence, "Listen, I am not the girl you want to cross and because I am reasonable, I'll let this slide but a commoner like you has no place getting close to someone like Elias."

The sudden threat caught Asana off guard, but she was not afraid of Rose or her two loyal followers. Easily, she could tell they were only friends with her so they had somewhere to stay during their college years. Glancing back at them, the two girls she had seen with Rose when she vandalised Mrs Daniels' boutique, smirked back at her, and moved her narrowing eyes back to Rose.

"...I have to go to class now," she replied, and began to walk away.

Pursing her lips together in agitation, Rose stepped in front of her, "I believe you do not comprehend the situation you are in, here, whatever your name is. When I speak to you, you listen until I am finished."

Asana was biting her tongue, thinking if she retaliated to Rose's threatening stance it would create problems for Elias. Returning to his air-conditioned office, Klaus could see the tense shoulders and glares between the two, and broke up the confrontation, "Miss Mason, you have no business with this young woman," he said, protecting Asana to make her way up the staircase, "Go before you are late. Professor Schuyler does not like late starters in his classes."

"Yes, thank you Professor," turning to Klaus, she gave him a thankful look but made sure she looked Rose in the eye to make sure the socialite understood she would not be easily intimidated by her teenage drama, "Goodbye, Miss Mason," she curtly said.

Rose watched her back ascend the staircase, and took another winding staircase up to the third floor of the main building. Once she was out of sight, she shot a glare to Klaus, "How dare you ev-."

"Be quiet!", Klaus shot her a scarier glare and nearly pressed his nose against hers as he looked her dead in the eye, "Do not even think about talking back at me, Rose. Do not forget, you are a student and if you continue on with your pathetic schoolgirl dramatics I will shut down that sorority house of yours and have you kicked out of this school for the improper use of your father's scholarship trust. Using your father's money to upgrade the mirror in your bedroom, a 25,000Lune upgrade, is illegal, since that is not what the money had been intended for, and I am positive neither the Chancellor or your father would be too impressed."

Unable to deny the truth, she crossed her arms at Klaus. Narrowed eyes venting her anger she dared not to express in front of Klaus, who was more cunning than she ever could be. Unhappily defeated, she sharply turned on her heel, her brown hair slashing the air as she turned, and stomped away like a child throwing a tantrum, and not disconnecting her brown-eyed glare at Klaus, "Soon, I will be your sister, Klaus," she smirked.

"Keep dreaming," he turned his back on her, and pushed the glass doors of his air conditioned office leaving her to angrily mutter and stomp on her own.  

His office was located in a private room inside the faculty staff room. A large room where other professors earned their own privacy with the help of cotton covered cubicles. Walking down the hall between the office like staff room, he heard the phone ringing in the distance and approached his assistant's desk, "Any messages?" He asked her.

"Only two sir. I put the messages on your desk," she replied, not turning her eyes off the computer screen in front of her.  

"How's my schedule? Do I have anything happening at lunch?"

His assistant, paid with money from his own pocket rather than from the public office or the college he worked for, turned out a black-leather diary from the side of her desk and double checked his timetable for the day, but properly organised for the month ahead, "You have a private meeting with your mother," she answered.

"Cancel it," Klaus ordered, not giving her an explanation and walked into his office. He would deal with her questions later, but he wanted to do some personal research, and would defend his brother against this pressure into marriage if he had to. For now, though, he had a 10am lecture he had to prepare for, though not before sending a private message to Asana to sleuth out what Rose had said to her, both out of concern for her and to gather intelligence in the secret case he was building against Rose.

In her pocket, her phone acknowledged the message Klaus sent had been retrieved but she was already five minutes late to her first class, that she ignored the message and couldn't find the time to admire the classic architecture of the old castle now being used as a college.  

Grey stone ceilings decorated in an elaborate fresco design arching slightly leading to large square leaded windows to her right. To her left, the classrooms were separated by thick pillars and heavy brown doors, with only the original plain stone walls attaching to the roof above. Everything but the doors were old, and she was curiously interested in the history of the old castle and who had roamed these halls long before students infiltrated them. History a subject that did interest her, and she made a mental note to satisfy her curiosity later.

"Lecture Room 3A...lecture room 3A...," next to each door were room numbers along with the subject's code and the Professor in charge of the lecture, she kept mumbling to herself the room she needed, like they were lyrics to a repetitive chorus.

Along the corridor, the classrooms were large lecture rooms. She had watched plenty of college-themed movies, and curiously wondered if the lecture rooms were anything like they were in the movies. Rows and rows of one-cushioned seats fitted at a L-shape desk, a mean professor standing in the centre of the room upon a stage walking around his podium and in front of a large whiteboard or blackboard.  

"Asana," a voice called out to her from her left while skimming the multiple rooms, venturing further and further down the sunlit corridor, the sea of modern-clothed students contradicting the age of the building. Looking to her left, she found Yukiya coming up from behind her.  

"Yukiya, good morning."

"Good morning," he replied, his double-strapped backpack dangling off his shoulder, "Why didn't you wait this morning? I ran into Amelia and she told me that your first class is with me."

"Sorry, I took off after Elias left after he had said his outburst at Vincent...I needed to talk to him," she looked down the hallway, "...Do you know where we have to be?"

"Yeah, it's just down there towards the middle," he directed, and Asana looked down where he pointed and back at him with curious questions, "...I looked around when I got here, shall we?"

"Ah, that makes sense," she smiled, and they began to walk together towards the classroom. "Did you like your breakfast?" She asked, hoping what she had made them this morning filled up their hungry stomachs.

With a straight face, he nodded, "It was nice of you to have cooked for all of us," he added, "...Feel bad about it actually."  

Ever since she had met Yukiya, she could never read the emotions he felt since they were never expressed through his facial features. His blue hair matched his blue-brown eyes and his flawless skin, but his lips always seemed to frown in a straight line, even when he spoke. At first, she was intimidated and thought herself annoying if she spoke to him but became surprised by his kindness and his considerateness.  

Though, he felt bad about having her made them breakfast, she laughed it off, catching the sight of him scratching his eyebrow, "It's fine, really. We're friends, and I could tell by Joel's look on his face he was over waiting for the kitchen to be free. But, he has a piano recital at 11am, he couldn't afford to wait that long. So, it wasn't a bother."

They came to a stop halfway down the window covered corridor, and suddenly her interest in the castle's history distracted her from the first class she would take in her journey to become a vet.  

She envisioned how lively the castle must have been in a time long ago. Women and men roaming these halls, perhaps a man in his golden inlayed doublet having come from a fencing lesson and gazing beyond his gardens on a clear day, or an important woman, dressed in vibrant colours, accentuating gold in her robe a l'anglaise, leading her group of waiting ladies, those servants dressed in long thin fabric dresses, colourless and with some corset-laced vest.  

"Let's find a seat," Yukiya suggested, pulling Asana from her day-dreaming visions of feet that have stepped through these halls throughout its history.  

Pushing the door open, and being only familiar with each other as two new student's taking this class, they found two vacant seats by a window and in the middle of the room. Their spot put them directly under the flow of the air conditioner and cooled them as temperatures started to peak as the sun came to the middle of the sky, and they were not too far to see the whiteboard or too far on an angle to struggle to see the professor.  

Students taking the classroom had gathered and had their desks loaded with their textbooks and notebook computers, with an outlet on each desk square, of the long bench, separated by the walkways going to the same door, to charge electronics during note-taking lectures. And, just like in the movies, the seats were tiered like a cinema giving a perfect view of the screen, in this case the screen being the slightly risen stage, podium and whiteboard, the only difference was there was also an antique desk beside the podium.  

Beside her, she watched Yukiya pull out his learning books and notepad from his bag and then stared out of the window as people filled in seats and chairs around them. Nervously, she did the same, and the excitement she had this morning dissipated evermore, her anxious voice sending her thoughts that she's in the wrong class, and every blunder she had so far, Klaus or Elias would normally see it. She wondered if she was sitting in the wrong lecture room as she slowly set up her learning station by neatly aligning her textbook and pens, and plugging in her cable for her tablet and attaching the keyboard to begin learning.

Looking down at the time, it was right on 10am, and that's when the door to the side of the Professor's podium swung open with force that startled her and made her jump in her seat. Dressed in funeral black, from the tips of his hair down to the leather-covered toes, the middle-aged man had surprisingly had smooth skin and high cheekbones, but he wore a stern and unapproachable expression.

"Quiet. Welcome to BIO231 Introduction to the Animal Body. I am Professor Conrad Schuyler, and I will be lecturing some more of your units later in the semester and through the years you will be here studying to become vets, animal researchers or wildlife protectors. Though, be warned, like if you were studying for a degree in human medicine, working with animals is as important as the lives of our own kind, therefore, degrees will not be easily obtained here. I will accept nothing more than your hard work. If you slack off, it will reflect in your grades as there is no easy road to obtain a degree at this college. Now, shall we begin."

"As the name of this unit suggests, this is the an introduction unit to the several years you will spend within these walls on track towards your career goals. There will be theory and practice, in both lab and lecture room, and by the end of this unit you will have a fundamental understanding of the basic cell cycle, tissue and cell organisation, genetic inheritance and sexual reproduction within animals. You will gain the required knowledge of the major organs and body, the diversity of animals deriving from both natural selection and evolution. This will lead to looking into evolutionary ecology, such as how animals relate to each other, and how evolution has impacted on species among animal groups," he explained, his clear and curt voice, though not monotonous, kept the students quiet and their youthful eyes fixed upon the man in front of the podium. "Let's begin with understanding the processes of cells and cell and tissue organisation in animals. Take our your textbooks and turn to chapter 1. Read through to Chapter 2 has homework, and answer the end of chapter questions," he instructed, and everyone made notes.

"Think of the process of cellular functions as essence of life. From accumulated research from the very beginning of cell study, cell theory suggests the units and characteristics of life arise from pre-existing cells. Thus, learning about the formations and processes of cells and their functions in the animal body will be an ever repeating circle during your studies, and once you enter your careers. That is, you can't understand the function of say an animal's muscular system and how they function without first understanding the processes in which the cells were formed, same applies to other imperative systems, including the endocrine system and the plasma membrane and the organisation of cells into tissues and the correlation to the animals structure. To understand cell formation and process to structure and function is to tell if you all have what it takes to help the animal's on our earth from diseases and illnesses, or to increase numbers where populations are decreasing to the point of extinction." Though he had a harsh face and an unapproachable figure, he had knowledge and is experienced in the world of animals and understanding their science.  

After two hours of learning about the art of cell formations and processes relating to animal function and structure, the lecture ended and students filed out of the room, some refreshed with new energy and others dragging their feet like sleep walking zombies that had just been awoken from the long lecture. Asana and Yukiya were on opposing sides, she felt assured she could do this and graduate to her degree and appreciated the expert lecture but Yukiya consistently yawned, and slowly dragged along behind her.

"What are going to do now?" Asana turned her head, and asked Yukiya.

"Going for a walk along the river. There's a spot I found, not many people know about it," he said, followed by a yawn to awaken his body to move after the long lecture, but they waited for the crowd of students to thin out before leaving, "I also want to take some photos too."

"I remember you saying that you take photographs of nature. Do you think you could show me what you have one day?" She asked, genuinely curious about the diverse range of birds and other animals that lived in this green city.  

"Sure, why don't you come by my room later and I can show you what I have on my computer."

"That would be great," excited to see the photos, she worried Elias might be annoyed, "...Oh, what about Elias?"

"I thought you two were on good terms?" Yukiya looked at her, tilting his head in confusion by the choice of her words.

She knew they were, but she didn't want to push her luck with him either, "I am, but...I don't want to inconvenience him," she replied, not wishing to be rude to Elias when they had just decided to restart their relationship.

They joined the back of the line and would be the last few people to leave the cool lecture room. Yukiya replied to her as they walked up the thin steps of the path between the desks to the exiting door, "Elias won't mind if you are looking at the photos, and there's a high chance he'll be in his office doing his research."

Surprisingly, the lecture room's walls were quite soundproof since the loud chatter from the outside corridor rebounded off the walls and clashed in a chaotic noise. Not surprised, there would be many more lectures going on at this time of the day, and being the first day of the new semester, it felt like the halls of high school all over again. "Alright, I will text you before I come over."

"Sure," he agreed to those terms, "Did Joel and Vincent add you to our group chat?"

"Yes, Joel hijacked my phone yesterday and set up everything. Like, I have only been here a few days now, but feels like I've known Amelia and everyone for a lifetime just because we've all clicked so well."

"Yeah, everyone was like that with me too," Yukiya added, "Not many people wanted to be roommates with Elias because of the family he's from. So, I got paired up with him, apparently, Luca used to be his roommate before he moved into the frat house."

From how Luca spoke about Elias on Saturday when she had met Amelia and Luca leaving as she returned from her exploring adventure, he understood Elias but they seemed to argue a lot, and Elias was never keen on seeing him inside the dormitory. "So, they grew up together but don't like each other?" She thought out loud.

"Who, Elias and Luca?" Yukiya commented, not too interested in the status of their relationship to care, and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not really interested."

Eventually, they weaved between the people to snake their way down the main staircase to reach the foyer of the main building, talking about various topics and sometimes enjoying the quiet silence. "I'm going to go out for lunch. Will you be at the tutorial later?" She asked, pulling out her smartphone and earmarking the 2pm class located in the purple conference room in the library.

"Probably not, it's just a recap of everything we just heard in there," coming to a stop at the junction of the footpath, going right leading through the school grounds down to the tree-shaded Riverwalk, surrounded by cool and vibrant gardens for wildlife and insects to flourish by the water, and to the left, leading back towards the dorms and other areas of the large grounds and business district of the suburb and public transportation, "Anyway, see you later."

"Bye," he walked away.  

Unlike before, the cloud cover had worsened and the sun struggled to shine through the thickening build-up. There was supposed to be a thunderstorm this morning, but it had not yet struck even when they were inside the lecture room. Light drizzle had wet the footpath, but nothing heavier had hit. Further out in the distance, she noticed the darker blue skies, the temperature of the breeze bringing a cooler relief from the muggy conditions.  

Her elegant beige-coloured pumps tapped along the concrete, making her appear taller and complimented her graceful and elegant dress-style. Crowds of students gathered around her, only rarely seeing one person walking alone, as people formed lunch groups. She wanted a quiet place to review her lecture, and understand the requirements of her first class for the semester and be ready for tomorrow's other unit she is scheduled to start tomorrow too.  

Without a clear destination in mind, she headed for the busy Winifred Strip where various shops were located and had a variety of take-away fast food outlets, sushi bars and trading restaurants behind the strip near the entrance of one of the smaller malls open around the city. "Ah, I know, I will try that cute little French café on the corner," she thought to herself out loud, and hurried to there with hunger driving her.

"That wraps up the lecture. Be sure to read Daley's reading on the Greek political system and Pullman's reading titled 'Laws We Learnt from the Latins,' and answer the posted questions on the intranet. These are part of your grades," Klaus raised his voice to the students scrambling away from their seats, positive neither of them heard his voice in the shuffling noises.

Sighing, he watched his bored students leave the room while packing his bag with his materials, noting to drop it off in his office. He was supposed to meet with his mother for lunch for some private meeting but he didn't feel like attending and had his assistant cancel it. He was sure her meeting had something to do with her trying to convince him to convince Elias to go ahead with this arranged marriage. Because of that, he had a free lunch.  

He still had Elias' research book, marked with coloured sticky-paper arrows to direct him to the chapters he had to photocopy for his students to read in this unit regarding the history of political systems and legal structures. A pointless unit, he thought, but necessary for their basic understanding of the industry these students were wishing for a career into, but looking around his classroom half of the faces were students forced into this career by their parents, assuming 5% are here because they want to be.

Pulling out his smartphone, he didn't have another lecture until 2:30 in the afternoon, his alarm already set, warning him thirty minutes beforehand of the time he had to do another lecture. "Lunch time," he said, and used the side door to make his exit from the lecture room and keeping the room clear for the next class to be using the space.

Before putting his phone back into his pocket, it started to ring in his hand. He didn't recognise the number, and wondered if it was a client from his work outside of teaching, he had to answer it just in case, "This is Klaus Goldstein," his elegant and clear voice confidently and professionally greeted the other person on the end of the line.

"Mr Goldstein, thank you for answering my call. This Dorothy Cloud from the Socialite Daily Tabloid, and I was hoping I could get a statement from you regarding your brother's recent engagement to Rose Mason, announced this morning in the city's newspaper and said to officially be confirmed by the Mason and Goldstein patriarchs' at the Mid-Year Goldstein Charity Ball event," the lady on the other end of the line had a pleasant voice wavering between sweet and feminine tones, easily he could tell she was quite young, maybe early twenties.  

"No comment," Klaus replied, understanding that she was only doing her job but also realising a tabloid reporter's passion is to stick their nose in places where it does not belong, "Do you have nothing better to do with your life than interfering with other peoples' lives?" He asked.

"...Um...," she didn't quite know how to respond to the sudden question, "...Rose Mason is giving us an exclusive interview later in the day. I have been trying to get a hold of your brother but he refuses to answer his phone. I was hoping you could give me your angle on the situation."

"Say that I do, are you going to report the facts and not skew them in anyway?" Klaus questioned, and immediately answered his own question, "Even if you say that you will report my words fairly, your editor will only skew them so the tabloid sells, right? If you wish to have my angle, it's this, my brother and I are extremely busy people with work to do and do not have the luxury of time to waste on pointless and pathetic tabloid magazines. Do not call this number again," with those last words, he hung up the phone, leaving the reporter to do as she wished with his answers.

After dumping his bag inside the security of his office, he grabbed his wallet from the locked top draw of his desk and secured it inside his pocket along with his phone to head out for lunch.  

In her short tour around the strip with Amelia, Asana remembered her saying the café was popular with students because the café was elegant but cute and was a hub for students to work and study. Crossing the road was an effort since Monday was the busiest time of the week, but as soon as she approached the café, the classic outdoor furniture and plants caught her eyes.

Dark chocolate-coloured chairs and tables blended well with the polished glass windows and yellow lights weaved among the green garlands decorating the awnings of the buildings and merging with the plant centrepieces on the tables. On a board outside the shop, the specials of the day were advertised and the delicious smell of freshly baked pastry and bread and the aroma of coffee beans aggravated hungry stomachs and lured them into the classy café.

A bell chimed as she pushed open the dark-chocolate-coated door with a polished glass plane pinned with an 'open' sign. A few customers were waiting for their orders in their chosen seats inside and outside, others used the long benches seated on cushioned stools to use the power outlets and charging hubs for their laptops and phones – most of them students with the one professor among them, and each person keeping to themselves.  

The dark brown exterior with wooden furniture was replaced with beautiful white chocolate painted walls, a dark chocolate marble floor and creamy-beige cushioned chairs with a comfortable back were seated next to circular tables covered in white cloths and fixed with salt and pepper shakers, a menu of the café's meals and drinks, and a flowery centrepiece. Each table evenly spaced around the floor of the room.  

Weaving between empty chairs, the counter greeted customers to the store with many baked goods on display in the clear glass cabinets and cookies within jars on top of the counter for sale. A vintage cash register was between the two cabinets with swinging white saloon-styled doors leading to the kitchen, and waiters leaving another set of swinging doors from the side of the kitchen to avoid collisions with workers going through the doors behind the register.

"Hi there, what can I get you today?" A cheery red-haired girl, dressed in a black uniform and brown apron, greeted Asana.  

"Um, a vanilla latte with chocolate sprinkles and the spinach and cheese soufflé please," she ordered and looked down at the creamy delicious brulee cake topped with strawberries dusted in powdered sugar, "Oh, and a slice of that crème brulee cake, please. Eat in."

The girl wrote down her order and gave her a number, and punched numbers in the cash register, "Eleven fifty," she asked for the payment price with Asana paying with cash, "That will not be too long, please take a seat anywhere you like," she said, and took the order to the kitchen.

Asana looked around the comfortable café, cooled by the air conditioner flowing soft air through the U-shaped café. To her left and behind the kitchen, one side of the wall was lined with a bookshelf full of magazines, novels and study topics for customers to enjoy while waiting, with classic music on low volume to provide relaxation to dining customers.

At the very end of the room, she found an empty booth tucked inside a small alcove. She sat on the furthest white-cushioned seat where she could view the length of the shop, just seeing a side of the counter until the wall obstructed her view, and to her right a tinted window provided a view of the world outside going by. She could see the curve of the pavement, and since the café was on a corner, it provided her with a view of the line of shops across the road, where she could survey the busy Monday streets.  

Adjacently, she could see the fence of the college and a portion of the dorm's rooftop. Running engines and tyres slashing the gravel roads as they drove past became like a music of the busy city life she found herself in, and she didn't mind because being here meant she was ever closer to obtaining her degree, one that would lead her onto a good career path. Placing her handbag next to her, on the window side, she dragged out her textbooks and tablet to begin her homework that had been set.  

They had been informed of the readings they would have to complete to answer the questions in class, there would be three on the intranet, two in the dossier of readings they were provided for the unit and the first two chapters of their textbook, 'Understanding What's Underneath Animals,' written by six authors. "Better begin," she said, and was prepared to take down notes after she had finished reading. Also bookmarked were newly published research papers relating to the veterinary field that she wanted to read.

Immersing herself in her readings, the noise of the café and the streets blurred into the background, with only hearing the waitress setting her order next to her and away from her reading materials. Looking up from her tablet, she smiled at the waitress, "Thank you," she said, and teared open two sachets of sugar packets on the table to stir into her latte, while concentrating on her readings.

She didn't even hear the bell chiming as a familiar blonde-haired man entered the store, "Mr. Goldstein, welcome," the waitress greeted him as a regular customer, "The usual today sir? Mushroom soup with black coffee?"  

"Yes, in my usual booth," he added, and paid with more than enough cash, "Keep the change," he said, ignoring anymore questions from the waitress.  

"Um...," she tried to explain that his usual booth was occupied by a young woman, but he moved away before she could warn him, and raced his order into the kitchen, worried that he might be angry seeing her in the booth he usually sat at.  

Walking around the corner, his glare softened at the sight of her tresses of long brown tresses glowing under the yellow light dangling from the ceiling, and her concentrated face focused on the screen in front of her and her delicate milky-smooth skinned hands writing notes. "A dedicated student I see," he muttered under his breath, and walked closer and watching as she brought a scoop of her soufflé to her soft pink lips.  

His boots barely made a noise on the marble floor, not that she would be alert to the sounds, as he came to sit across from her. Looking down and writing her notes, she noticed the dark-coloured fabric and the smell of tea and cinnamon overwhelming the scent of her vanilla latte and food in front of her. She felt eyes on her, and started to feel uncomfortable by the presence of a stranger. Hopefully, she thought, if she kept her eyes down and focused, the person, definitely a man she sensed, would go away.

"Are you really going to pretend that I am not here in the hope that if you ignore me I will go away?" Klaus' harsh voice reached her ears while she continued to write notes.  

Realising it was Klaus who was sitting across from her, she stopped writing and, slowly, looked up at him through her lashes, "...Sorry," she couldn't say anything else but to apologise for being rude to Klaus, and was reminded of earlier when he had managed to scare Rose away, "Well, I suppose I should also express my gratitude for earlier. Thank you."

Curiously, he tilted his head, "For what?" Though as soon as he asked, he remembered Rose giving Asana a hard time in the lobby of the main stairwell inside the castle, "Are you referring to Rose and yourself exchanging words in the lobby? Honestly, I refused to see her face this morning, I did not do it for you."

His macho refusal of her words of thanks, made her round eyes narrow into a square once more as she glared at him from across the booth they had silently agreed to share, "Why is it you struggle to accept words of gratitude? I wonder if it is because you struggle to agree with your emotions?"  

Unsure how to respond to her straightforward and pure response, a smirk graced his godlike face and just as his food arrived at his table and the waitress, timing it right, broke the flow of conversation, "Your coffee, Professor, and your soup will not be too far away. Are you dining at this table and is there anything else I can get you?"

"So many questions," he sighed, annoyed but answered them in one response, "Yes, I will be dining here in my usual booth as I said. Also, a refill with whatever beverage Miss Way was drinking, I will pay for it as I leave," he requested, seeing as she had finished her cup.  

"That's really not necessary," Asana interrupted, stubbornly refusing the free drink, "I can't allow you to buy me a vanilla latte. Those are 3.40 a small cup."

Klaus smirked, "Who do you think I am? I think I can afford small pocket change like 3.40, and I insist otherwise what other reason will I use to enjoy your company?" The waitress decided to go along with whatever Klaus had instructed her to do, and walked away with her empty cup to refill it.  

Cutting her crème brulee cake with her fork, she stuffed the forkful in her mouth. Klaus watched her, and their eyes connected as she slowly withdrew the fork from her mouth, making sure the cream-filled centre of the cake was lapped up off the fork, her face flushed in red from him having watched her and a bashful smile spreading across her face. Her heart skipping a beat as he studied her.  

"Why are you staring?" She giggled, covering her mouth while she chewed and quietly swallowed the portion in her mouth.

"This café is one of my favourite places to buy cakes. Ms Caroline, the owner, makes these fresh daily, and makes well-balanced meals too. Though, I quite enjoy the privacy and simplicity of this little corner booth. No one knows I come here," he explained, and turned around a book she had been taking notes from to view it himself.

From reviewing her readings, she had ended up opening several books to organise her notes into categorised sections, and she was reviewing the parts of the animal cell with appropriate references from her textbook, assigned readings and accumulated research papers she had sourced on the internet library function available to students of the college.  

"Your mushroom soup, Professor," the same waitress from before returned with a warm brew of mushroom soup, the white smooth liquid looked more like a carbonara with a fresh parsley leaf floating in the middle of the enamel white bowl, "And, a fresh vanilla latte, Miss."

With the book he had turned around, he started to flip through the pages of a subject he had little to no knowledge about and ended up on a chapter with a graphic and vivid picture of a blood-covered organ, "Goodness," he slammed the book shut and felt squeamish in the pit of his stomach, "I don't know what that was but I don't ever wish to see it again," he muttered.

She peeked at the page he had stumbled upon, and started to giggle, "So, the strong Professor Klaus Goldstein is squeamish at the sight of a dog's heart, huh?" She couldn't explain why, but she felt her heart thumping loudly, thinking the sight of him averting his gaze and feeling squeamish from the image an adorable sight.  

"What are you laughing at?" He glared across at her from the table but she couldn't fight the smile that found its way on her face.

"...Oh, nothing," she smiled.  

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes and found the courage to eat again, "If you aren't giggling or smiling at anything, stop it. It's creepy and annoying," his voice was as harsh as usual, but having not heard him all day yesterday she was happy to see him.  

"I will forgive your harsh tongue on the account that not only did you save me from falling down the stairs on Saturday but for saving me from Rose this morning and buying me a coffee just now."

"Honestly, I had a few options in ways to spend my lunch break. Either have it alone here, be forced to go to lunch with my mother or intrude on my brothers having a meeting and keeping the peace while trying to coax a free lobster from my older brother, but of all the three having it here with you is the least stressful option."

She tilted her head and didn't know if that was a compliment on her good company or not, but also questioned how a lunch by himself would be stressful, "How would a lunch by yourself be stressful?"

"Well, I would not be left alone to my thoughts now that I have you for a good distraction, and my family...well that's...not really a cool conversation topic right now," Klaus cut himself off from saying anything embarrassing, unadvised that she knew enough already for him to discuss it.  

Though she knew, she didn't want to focus on that right now and wanted to focus more on Klaus in front of her. Naturally smiling, she comfortably drank down a mouthful of her delicious latte, the yummy vanilla washing over her taste buds and going down her throat. "Well, if I'm glad I can provide you with a peaceful lunch. Especially, being a professor, I'm sure your morning has been quite busy."

"Mondays are always the busiest, especially right after a short holiday," he replied, swallowing a good spoonful of his soup down, "Let's see. I had a tutorial at nine and a lecture at ten-thirty. After my lunch break, I have two telephone conferences and at two-thirty I have a political lecture to give. Tomorrow, will be no less busy since I have court."

"Court?"

"You don't honestly think I am just a professor, do you?" He laughed at her innocence, "I enjoy teaching more, but I am also a defence lawyer too. I can't be experienced to teach without having tasted the industry myself."

"...But you're so young and already accomplished?"

"I graduated from college early," he concluded, smiling back at her and looking at her through his blonde lashes.  

She didn't expect anything less from him, "That hardly surprises me, you know."

"Is that so?" The way he looked at her through his lashes with that handsome smirk on his face, made her look away with embarrassment as her heart pounded in her chest, "Just what do you think of me, Miss Way?"

"That depends...," she gave it some thought, and replied, "How would you like me to think of you?" She held her hands warmly around the cup and leaned back on the cushioning back rest of the chair.  

Her question surprised him, but he was really curious to know what she really did think of him, now, without a proper understanding of his personality, "Well, depends on how on mark your first impressions of me are?"

"It's hard to believe that you would care what I do think about you, but if you want an answer to satisfy you then I would say...," she thought carefully about the right way to word how he impressed her, "Shall we start with the good points. There is no denying that you are a smart and independent man, many women would compare your good looks to a Greek god but I don't think you are the narcissistic kind to care too much about that."

"Handsome? Never heard someone openly use that word to describe me," Klaus commented, but he still wasn't hearing what she thought of him, "But...I want to know what you think of me? Your impressions of me," inside, he couldn't understand why he needed to ask such a question because he had never cared so much about what others think of him, but he wanted to know how she felt about him.  

"My impressions? I do agree with the universal points that you are smart, independent and handsome," she smiled and leaned forward to rest her arms on the table in front of her, "But, you can be mean, rude and intimidating. Just now, that girl was too nervous to serve you, what did you do to her?"

He turned his head to peer at the girl waiting on another customer who had sat nearby the booth they were seated at, and recognised her immediately, "Oh, the girl with the red hair. Samantha Dayton, a law student of mine, might have made her cry during a meeting I had with her about failing her class. But, ever since she has been more attentive and receiving good grades."

"See, harsh and intimidating," Asana guessed correctly, "You're probably wondering why your sharp glare and wicked tongue doesn't scare me?"

"Not really, but you are the first girl that has not run away crying because of how I am. That part is intriguing," Klaus answered, taking another spoonful of his soup into his mouth. "Though, you can be to innocent and naïve. You are too kind for your own good and you should watch that others don't take advantage of that sweetness."

She laughed at his advice, and he gave her a perplexed look in return, "You don't need to worry about me, Professor. I am a big girl and I can look after myself," and she could too, because she owns a black belt in mixed martial arts, "Question is, do I have to watch you?"  

Meaning it as a joke, Klaus didn't catch the gist of the joke, "Why would you need to be careful of me? I have no reason to take advantage of you. Still, you should be careful, you decided to ignore me when I sat down here, what if it wasn't me and some perverted creep?"

"If it weren't you, he would have a hot latte thrown in his face and understand how I can take care of myself," she smiled, assuring him she had her guards up at all times.  

Pulling her books back towards her, she resumed taking notes while talking with Klaus, and reopened to the first pages she had open to begin with. "It is disgusting to open those images again? Please wait until I leave."

Although his words were harsh, she couldn't fight the smile spreading on her lips, "First, I was sitting here before you sat down without an invitation. Secondly, I am a veterinary student, blood and the insides of animals is the formation of my chosen career path. Lastly, my purpose coming here was to have lunch while I reviewed my material. So, suck it up or move elsewhere."

Her straightforward response had his grin widen, and an unknown but satisfying feeling bubble within his heart. Never had someone been brave to talk back to him like she did, and he felt like he had a challenger in her. "You are quite brave to talk to me like that," he said, smirking, and genuine curiosity to know more about her led him to ask more questions, "So, veterinary science, huh? What do you plan to do with your degree?"

"My degree?" The question caught her quite off guard, but she knew her determination was simple, to save animals, "Well, I plan to graduate with a degree in veterinary science and applied medicine, and I am also doing a minor in wildlife ecology so my focus is not only on domesticated animals but all animals. After that, I will proceed onto my doctorate in animal biology and veterinary medicine to save animals from extinction from diseases and illnesses, and to understand their behaviours better so that we can help them."

"To save animals, in summary," Klaus concluded, respecting her determination, "How do your parents feel about you becoming a veterinarian?" Having dealt with law and political students, pushed into those careers by their parents, and somewhat following the same career path for the sake of his parents, his question felt logical to him.

From the little information Elias had told her this morning about his parents trying to control the career path he should follow, she gazed into Klaus' eyes and could see the naturalness of that question, but he was unaware of her parents' passing, "...Well, I hope they would be very proud. My father was a veterinarian and biologist, and owned his own clinic while researching and documenting populations of animals that lived in the area I grew up in. I grew up in the country mountainside, so I was surrounded by animals growing up. My mother, she loved animals too, she had a kind heart, and I remember her helping my father sometimes look after patients that needed twenty-hour hour care. So, I hope I'm making them proud."

Hearing the past tense in her answer, he tilted his head in confusion, "...I'm sorry, I'm confused, are your parents...no longer of this world?"

"No, they died in a car accident when I was nine years old," she honestly replied.

"Oh, I apologise, I had no idea," realising the nature of the question he had asked, he apologised fearing it might have caused her grief, but carefully continued, "...They seemed like warm people. Do you ever regret following in your father's footsteps?"

"No. Though, to me, working around animals is...natural, like it feels right. People always assume I am doing in memory of my father, which is not entirely false, but it's not the total reason. I chose this path all on my own because I love animals and when I look back on it, I followed my father around while he was working because I respected his hard work to save animals. I couldn't see myself doing anything else, and I am continuing his work while doing my own," she explained, a smile born from pure happiness curling across her beautiful face.

Having explained her true feelings on the subject twice in one day, she remembered what she had mentioned to Elias about her dream of going to the Olympics to compete as a gymnast. She realised, now, having to explain her career path once again, she could comfortably put that dream to bed because this is what she truly wanted to do with her life, with or without fulfilling her Olympic dream, fuelled by her mother's near-chance before her. "Yes, I am happy with what I wish to do."

"What were you thinking about just now?" Reading her thoughtful face, he was curious to understand the thoughts going through her mind, "I'm sure having lost your parents at a young age must bring back many sad memories?"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about that," she quietly answered, "Before my mother met my father and had me, before she owned her own café, she was a gymnast and just missed out on an opportunity to compete at the Olympics. I was thinking about it, when I was training for the chance to go compete in the Olympics one day, but I just had an epiphany. I explained it to Elias earlier today, but now, I'm happy if I never get that chance because my studies toward becoming a veterinarian makes me happy. That's all," she explained to him.  

"Talking about...doesn't make you sad?"  

She shook her head, "I do get sad sometimes, but my mother always taught me to push through every day with a smile and not to waste each day since no day is ever the same. I could mope around forever and insult them or I can continue to live each day to the fullest like I know they would want me to."

Listening to her response, he figured out two things. One, she was very fond of her parents and had a relationship with them he couldn't dream of having with his own. He loved and respected his parents, and they loved him, but they had their own plans for their children. They had a different understanding of bonding and being close to their children compared to Asana's parents. Second, how incredibly heart-breaking it must have been for her to lose them at a young age and the admiration he felt towards her courage.  

"Of course, I say that now but growing up I did lash out at those around me while I was trying to make sense of my emotions, so I'm not going to say I was strong all the time."

He didn't think any less of her tenacity as she admitted how she handled the emotions as a young girl, and shook his head, "I would question you if you didn't. It must have been overwhelming to experience such a huge loss at a young age. How did you get by?"

"My childhood friend, Joel and his parents. They adopted me, raised me like I was their daughter and gave me a home and handled the inheritance I received from my parents. They are good and honest people, and they became my family. I have no other true family to speak of, since I never met my grandparents and my parents were only children. I'm very grateful towards them, otherwise I would have been thrown around in the foster system and not had a sheltered teenage life," she explained, "I sold my mother's café to a nice lady in town and the same with my father's clinic which gave me a bit more money to get by, and the lady who took over my mother's café gave me a job as a manager. So, I didn't struggle much, and I have saved money to work towards getting my degrees and doctorate."

"Did you have to give up on gymnastics to pay your way?" Klaus asked, interested in her life up until now, and happy that she was giving him honest answers and being strong about it, like the emotional trauma of her past was a scar she was proud to have overcome. His admiration and respect for her grew.

Memories of the day she was told about her parents came flooding back to her like it had only happened yesterday, like it had when she explained it to Elias, "...I was at a gymnastics competition when they were involved in the accident. I remember my friend's parents coming to get me, and they told me privately in a corner what had happened. I stopped competing for a long time, and then when I went to high school they had a gymnastics program and I decided to get involved in it again a few years later and won gold at the junior Olympics. But...I stopped for another reason entirely, that's a story all on its own."

Her hesitance to tell him why she gave it up raised a desperate urge to know, but he decided not to press her on the subject since she was not comfortable talking about it, but he wondered if her epiphany she had just now, she would end up regretting, "You don't believe you will regret giving up on the Olympic dream?" He asked instead, treading the water lightly with that general question.  

She hadn't really thought about it, but sometimes the spark of desire tried to wedge itself back into her heart, "...I do enjoy gymnastics...but I don't think I can give you an answer to that question. The future is uncertain, and lives are never perfect. We make do with what we have, and while we are young gain more as we live. If I can become a good veterinarian and researcher to save animals, and get married and have a family of my own, someday, I know I would look back on my life and be proud of it. What does being a potential Olympic Gold Medallist or, simply, an Olympian mean? A right to boast how athletically gifted you are, a title that wins you admiration? I don't want that, I want to be admired for my veterinary work or just being...Asana."

Seeing this new side to her, he suddenly found himself captivated by her. Sure, she could be clumsy and has a charming innocence and childish side to her, but he realised she's a woman who's known emotional hardship and it has made her wiser too. "...Well, my impression of you just changed, Bunnyhead," he complimented, "I thought you were just childish and naïve, with a clumsy flaw, but I realise you're smart, strong, independent, with a calmness around you, despite the emotional hardship you have had to endure."

"...I will ignore the insults, but t-thank you if that was a compliment," red painted her cheeks with the embarrassment that came from being complimented by Klaus, her heart thumping as he directed his soft violet gaze at her.  

Coming from his lunch meeting with his brother, Elias accepted the job his brother needed help with and savoured the taste of the lobster on his tongue. Lugging a folder underneath his arm with the contents of Julius' case, he was careful not to drop any papers while walking down the street, with a slight hill. He was leading to the corner where the Winifred Strip met the street he was on and looked up at the wrong time.  

Through the slightly tinted window, he made out the vivid blonde locks of his brother and the brown tresses of Asana. His attentive and soft violet eyes stared back at Asana, who broke out in a smile. Elias' eyes surveyed the situation in front of him, and he suddenly started to feel as though history was about to repeat itself. Anyone watching those two, right now, smiling and gazing at each other would think they were close. His figure, unnoticed by those two, his eyes winced in anger and he stormed off.  

"How could she? And after everything I told her this morning!" He grumbled to himself, his jealousy over them having lunch making him furious and his failure to understand why he was jealous about this situation-Asana was not his girlfriend and he convinced himself several times he had no feelings towards her, therefore she would be free to have an intimate relationship with Klaus if that's what they both wanted-but he didn't like it.  

Finishing his small bowl of soup and his coffee, he wiped his lips with the provided napkin on the table. He checked the time, and it was close quarter to one, "It was a compliment," he reacted to her bashful reply, while gathering his things ready to leave the café, "And, thank you for being pleasant lunch time company."

"Thank you for buying me a latte, and listening to me too," she returned the gratitude as he stood to his feet.  

Fixing up his tie on his suit, he gave her a charming smile that had her heart pounding in her chest. Bashfully, she smiled back at him, "Don't work too hard, Klaus," she smiled back at him, while trying to calm her racing heart but that handsome smile of his wasn't making it easy.  

She watched his back all the way to the counter to pay for the latte he shouted for her, and until he had completely disappeared from view, merging with the colourful sea of clothes worn by pedestrians walking on the sidewalk. Once he was gone, she could breathe, not realising she had held in her breath for this long.  

"First, my heart goes crazy about Elias and now it is going mad about Klaus too. Why does it race like this around just those two?" She questioned in her mind, and it became cluttered with thoughts about those two that she could no longer concentrate on the work in front of her.  

Daydreaming, she stared mindlessly out of the window, watching the cars drive past and the people walk by, the city teeming with life. Everyone with a different story, going about their day in different ways, some are workers out at lunch, students exploring the city, parents shopping with their young children. Clashing plates brought her from her daze.  

Not nervous anymore now that Klaus was gone, she confidently picked up his dirty dishes and cleaned the spot he had occupied. Her name was...Samantha...she remembered, but she didn't ask about her encounter with Klaus as his student, and returned to try to make sense of her own feelings. Her facial muscles twisted and pulled in her deep thought, until she heard Samantha let out a small scream and the plates she had gathered dropped to the floor, shattering like a mirror on the ground.  

Before she could register anything, a shadow towered over her and the palm of a hand slammed down on the table in front of her. She glanced down at Samantha to see if she was okay, and then glanced up to see Rose's deep brown eyes glared back at her with the air around her grown thin with tension. "I hope you enjoyed your lunch with Klaus Goldstein, but I will warn you again since he interrupted us this morning. Stay away from that family!" She hissed, "So help me, if you do not dare to listen, I will make your life here a living hell."

Asana sighed, "Is that all you want to say?" She hoped that was all Rose wanted to say, and remained unnerved by the other girl's threatening demeanour, "It is not you who decides who I get close to. My relationship with the Goldstein brothers is none of your concern."

Those is the café were silent, and those close enough to hear Asana's response dropped their jaws, including Rose and her friends. "H-how dare you speak to me like this! A commoner such as yourself needs to know her place, and it is not hanging around like a common tart around the rich and wealthy, with a powerful influence beyond your dreams."

"A common tart, huh? Are you so shallow that all you see is their monetary worth? Your pathological need for money and attention is pathetic and I'm glad those two men are wise to your tactics, I wish I could say the same thing about their parents. You may be able to bully others around here, but your tricks will not work on me Rose," Asana picked up her books and tablet and shoved them into her bag, "Now, if you don't mind but these lovely diners are trying to eat their lunch in peace. Order something, or leave," she made sure to bump Rose's shoulder on her way by and forced her way between the gate her friends held up, and helped Samantha onto her feet.  

"Are you alright?" Asana asked her.

"Yes, thank you."  

She went to the counter and the owner of the café came out to the front on Asana's request, "Would I be able to grab two chocolate macadamia cookies to go, please?"

"Yes," Ms Caroline, with her greying-burgundy straight-wire hair tied into a neat bun and dressed in the café's uniform, had wrinkling olive skin but she was nice had still had the accent of her French-origin. While she tended to retrieving the cookies Asana had ordered, Rose and her friends filed from the café, angrily swinging the door open and giving dagger-looks back at Asana. "You must be brave to stand up to that troublesome trio," Ms Caroline commented.

Handing over the cookies, Ms Caroline accepted the cash from Asana's hands, and listened to her reply, "I hope I didn't cause you any trouble, and I really hope your waitress is alright, but I refuse to allow girls like Rose Mason to walk over me," she said, and accepted the change back from Ms Caroline.

Dispensing the change into the coin compartment of her purse, she saw from the corner of her eye the advertised job taped on the counter. "Job available to college students for a manager's position," she read out loud, and Ms Caroline saw her interest in the job.

"Are you interested in the job?"

"Yes, I used to manage a café back home," Asana said, and dug around her bag to find her printed resumes she had filed into clear protection sleeves in the hope of finding time to find a job during the week, "I have my resume on me if you'd like to take it, attached is a copy of my schedule this semester."

Ms Caroline accepted the resume and asked her a few questions there while she had Asana in front of her, "In this job, you will be required to make cakes, cookies, coffees and everything we serve on the menu, and I take pride in serving fresh meals to my customers. Are you up to that task?"

"Yes, Ms Caroline," Asana smiled, "At the café I managed in my home town, much like this one, the owner took pride in bringing customers warm and fresh delicious meals, and we were often busy but we managed to make every customer happy with our fresh meals. Also, on a personal note, I enjoy baking and cooking so I will be more than enthusiastic to do the job."

"An excellent answer," Ms Caroline approved of the response, and liking what she saw on the girl's resume, "And, how are you with the money side of the job? As a manager you will be tasked with ordering stock each Tuesday, counting money if you are working on closing times and dealing with complaints too."

"All fine with me," Asana answered, having done it before, "With a brief explanation on how you like to order stock and how the computing system works for counting and banking money, I will understand how to do it. After all, I handled cash floats and counting money and ordering stock at the former café I used to manage. As for dealing with customer complaints, I will do so in the most appropriate and effective manner."  

"Good," Ms Caroline could see she was experienced in this field, and decided to offer her the chance to obtain the job in a formal trail for the position, "I like you, and I like that you have had experience. I want to invite you to do a two day trial this weekend, and bring along a batch of your homemade sweets so I can judge your cooking skills for myself."  

"I will do that," Asana smiled, "Since you are trialling my sweets, is there any allergies I should know of?"

Impressed by the question, it showed Ms Caroline she had an awareness for people's dietary requirements where the other candidates who had applied for the position lacked, "...No nuts. I am highly allergic to nuts," she said, "I am fine touching them but I can't eat them."

"Great, thank you for letting me know. I will be here Saturday, what time would you prefer I arrive?"

"We open at 9:30am but I would like to meet with you at 8:30 to properly run you through our computer system, our products and to sample your cooking. Please be here by that time."

"I will be, and thank you for the delicious food," Asana thanked her, and left the café, hopeful she was in for the chance to get the job. It was up her alley, and would give her a good income for the time she would be at school, if even the job didn't last the six years of college life.  

Instead of making on flavour, Asana decided to do some research and headed to the library, remembering to take her tutorial at two in the afternoon, to find different recipes to create a platter of sweets she could do, and present it to her potential boss.  

As she stepped outside and onto the street, the rain that had been waiting to fall all day began to water the roads, the heat from the roads blending to give off a pleasant smell as the rain drops soaked the city. She had no choice but to