“She’s small.” Finnian inspected me from head to toe. “And ugly.”
What?! What does he mean by ugly? I’ve seen myself in the mirror and know that I’m not ugly.
Blue laughed at Finnian’s comment.
“You should watch your mouth when you’re with the twins. They adore her very much.”
“Is that so?” Finnian raised his eyebrow as if not believing what Blue just said.
“Okay, I take it back. She’s not ugly, just different.”
His opinion immediately changed when the twins were mentioned, does that mean he respects the twins that much? He looks older than them though.
“She sure is. She’s not the typical red hair, red eyes, white-skinned imperial family member.”
“Maybe she’s not really one?”
“Again, you should watch your mouth when you get the chance to visit the palace.”
Finnian only shrugged and went inside, “It does not matter, because I only talk to the twins.”
Blue and I watched him as he went inside and waited for a moment.
I looked at Blue trying to ask her what should we do now.
“What are you two waiting for? Come in.”
Blue shrugged and went inside, leaving me.
"Hey!" I shouted at her.
"I thought you wanted to walk on your own?"
Oh right. I told her earlier that I wanted to walk on my own, but at least assist me or something.
"You're so weak." Finnian came back to the balcony with that blank expression of his.
He's been insulting me ever since I came here, but it’s nothing like how Nix insults me. Finnian has an expressionless face and I can feel that he would only say what he sees, without having any ill intentions.
So, does that mean I’m really ugly?
"I thought one-year-old babies can already walk on their own?" Finnian approached me. I can’t read his expressions, it’s as if I’m looking at myself in the mirror during my past life. Those eyes were devoid of life.
"Give her a break Finnian, she was born outside the capital or even the empire." I heard the bed sprang up and down. Is Blue playing on the bed?
"Hey, you'll break my bed. And what does it have to do with her still not walking and being weak?" He tilted his head as he continued to inspect me.
"Well, maybe she was born in an uncomfortable environment? They were found running away from something or someone, you know?"
"So what you're saying is that maybe the crown prince never had the chance to teach her how to walk because they were busy running away?"
"I'm saying that she might not have a mother to help her grow."
Blue sighed, "Maybe you still can’t understand how essential a mother is for a child's health and growth."
“No mother?” Finnian’s expression became a little soft as he looked at me with sympathy in his eyes.
“I also don’t have a mother. She died giving birth to me. Father hated me because of that.”
“I don’t know much about your relationship with your father but I do know that he knows that your mother would die. She was a normal noble not of the imperial bloodline. You’re too strong for her, her body could not stand it. Is your father ignorant? Everybody knows that. Why is he blaming you?”
Finnian only shrugged, “Is that how her mother could’ve died too?”
“She’s a different case, her father is a direct descendant. Both the mother and the baby wouldn’t have survived, but she’s here.”
Finnian offered me his hand.
“Here, let me help you. It’s too cold outside and your coat is too big for you.”
I took one step at a time as Finnian assisted me. He truly reminds me of myself, I felt bad about him having a rough relationship with his father because of his mother’s death.
We arrived inside the room and Blue, for some reason, had a big smile on her face as he watch Finnian assist me. I looked up at Finnian as he was looking down at me while holding my two hands.
“Careful Finnian, you might stumble upon something. You’re walking backward.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does, she would also fall if you fall over.”
“Oh?”
Blue walked over to the balcony to close the doors.
“I was right, you and FLizeria really are similar. Those expressionless faces of yours together with your empty eyes. What’s wrong with you two?” Blue laid back down on the bed.
I looked back up at Finnian and caressed his cheek. I know how it feels like to suffer at a young age.
His eyes widened in surprise, and his body became stiff.
“What is she doing?”
Blue burst out laughing while clutching her stomach.
“Don’t be too rigid, she’s just comforting you.”
“Comforting me? Why?”
“Oh, you guys are too cute. Children are so cute.”
“But Blue, aren’t you also a child?”
Blue stopped laughing and opened her mouth but no words came out.
“Child?” I asked Finnian.
“Blue, I believe, is still nine years old.”
“Hey! That’s not true. My mental age is the same as my mistress.”
“But, you were born nine years ago.”
“Excuse me, I was born ten years ago. My mistress is already twenty.”
“Still a child then.”
Blue continued to explain that she was no longer a child but Finnian ignored her.
“Can you stand up on your own?”
I put some weight on both of my legs and tried to balance myself.
“Okay, I’m going to let go now.”
Gently, Finnian let go of me and took a step back.
“Okay, walk towards me.”
“You’re not listening!!!” Blue threw a pillow towards us.
“Be quiet Blue, the maids will hear you.”
“Ugh, whatever.” Blue covered her face with another pillow. “Wake me up when we’re going back.”
The room became quiet with Blue fast asleep. I still can’t believe that her true personality is a playful child.
“Focus on me or you’ll trip.”
Finnian is stretching his arms in case I fall over.
“Okay, you’re doing well.”
He took another few steps back.
I’m getting the hang of this, it is no longer difficult to walk with these tiny legs of mine.
I reached Finnian’s arms and he embraced me.
“Good. Don’t be so weak. My sword instructor kept on telling me that weak people die first.”
“Let’s go by the window, the couch over there is comfortable and you can see the ocean too.”
He held my hand as he led me towards the windowsill where a pile of books was laid. I pointed at one particular book.
“Oh, this was my father’s first and last gift to me.”
He made me sit on his lap as he opened the book.
“Here, let’s read this.” He picked out a different book.
“It’s a storybook, but it contains the history of the Draconian Empire. Would you like me to read it to you?”
I nodded as I made myself comfortable.
“You can rest your head on my chest if you’ll feel sleepy.”
He then started to read. The book has pictures on it, the story started with a picture of a black dragon.
“A long time ago, before this empire was founded, Emperor Benedict came across a huge and majestic being. It has dark scales, sharp talons, and dark red eyes.”
The emperor in the picture book has typical red hair.
“But the majestic beast was on the verge of death, so he helped him. Treated his wounds until the beast became conscious.”
“When the beast woke up, it went on a rampage, injuring the emperor.”
Is this a children’s book? The pictures seemed too brutal. On the next page, the emperor loses one of his legs trying to run away from the havoc.
“When the beast noticed he was being treated, he calmed down. He saw that he had injured the man who helped him.”
“I am the great dragon, the beast told the emperor. Is it you who tended to my wounds?”
“Yes. The emperor answered. For taking care of me instead of taking my head, I express my utmost gratitude for your kindness and deeply sorry about your leg, the dragon answered.”
“Tell me, what is your name?”
“Benedict, the emperor answered. The great dragon looked at the emperor with gratitude and sympathy.”
“The same as your name, you shall be blessed. You, and all of those who had the same blood as you, will carry the will of the dragons within them.”
The pictures conveyed that the black dragon and the emperor became one and the siblings of the emperor gained the same blessing in their blood, but only the direct descendants of the emperor can call upon a dragon to be born in this world.
“Originally, the great dragon was black, but because of the blood of the emperor, he became red. The same color as blood and fire.”
“And for every generation, a red dragon will be born through the blood of the future emperor or empress of the empire.”
Oh, so the vinculum ceremony would be the basis of who will be the next emperor or empress of the empire.
Finnian closed the book, “Do you want to read another story?”
I looked up at him and nodded.
“Okay, just tell me if you’re sleepy.”
Finnian was actually a sweet child. I’m glad he did not close himself up towards other people despite the emptiness in his eyes. I don’t exactly know how his own father treated him, but I do know that the things he had been through, even at a young age, were not easy.
I noticed that there were bruises on his arms and wrist. I wondered if his father did that to him, if so, poor child. I also grew up being abused by the organization and although after some time I stopped feeling the pain, I can still remember how painful it was at first.
I snuggled closer to his chest as I felt my eyes closing.
Let me sleep for a few minutes, then we’ll go back to the palace.