"Between a man and a woman there was always one person who was stronger than the other one. That doesn't mean the weaker one doesn't love the stronger."
― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones
The truth of the matter that happened between Decimis and Arley was beyond what Thomas had thought a simple dispute had ended their friendship. That was all? A simple dispute?
But what rang and stayed in Thomas head even more was what Decimis had to tell him. Thomas knew it had to do with the fire. But what Thomas didn't know and didn't believe is that he had something to do with it. He naively believed that Decimis knew who had done it but didn't want to say who.
For a matter of two reasons. They were dear to Decimis. And two he knew Thomas would avenge his daughter. But Thomas was wrong and naive as ever. Decimis I fact had to do with the fire and he didn't want to tell him he had done it all on the reason of Thomas avenging his daughter and losing his last friend.
And in this moment Decimis thanked Thomas for his naiveness. For he knew the moment Thomas will learn who was truly behind the great fire it wouldn't be Agustin and Shimon he would have to worry about. It would be Thomas. In that moment Decimis thought back on their younger years. Decimis who was naive just as Thomas was had now grown out of it. But Thomas remained in it.
Arley was the most mature of them all. But Agustin his son did not turn out that way instead he turned out to become Decimis and Decimis's own son had turned out to be like Arley. Eddison did not turn out to be like his father but instead he turned out to be like Thaddeus.
How odd it was to Decimis that Arley and his son had turned out to be completely different than their fathers and instead turned out to be like their banes. There was one reason behind this.
Agustin was raised and had grown up like Decimis without love from his father and mother because Agustin knew them not. Shimon, although Decimis's love had grown cold towards him. He still knew his fathers love which had stopped at the age of five.
This was one of the many reasons Decimis hated Agustin. One being he wasn't like his father and two Decimis saw his own self in Agustin and envied that Agustin was doing better than he ever could in the exact same situation. The only difference between him and Agustin is that Decimis knew when to throw a white flag in a losing battle. For Decimis knew this was a losing battle. But the question that most rang in this matter is why did it take a servant girl's death for him to say this was going too far? Why not stop at this battle when you saw the destruction the great fire caused? Why not stop when you saw that your envy was turning your sword against your own best friend whom you call a brother?
Why regret it now at a servant girl's death? The truth of the matter was Decimis was a coward although he did order the setting fire of the country side he was not the one who did but the fact that he ordered it haunted him and the stories of Canary's plagued him. It wasn't a quiet thing about what went on in the manor of House Longwood. How canary was put into a medically induced coma and how if the dosage of milk of the poppy or valerian root and other herbs mixed in to keep her asleep was missed. A horrific wailing was heard throughout the halls of longwood manor. For two months Canary was asleep due to the pain of her burns and for another two months she was healing from the wounds themselves.
Some of them disappeared but the burns on her arms,neck,and back would be there forever. She would forever be wearing long sleeve dresses and heck neck dresses or jewelry around her neck.
But Canary is just one of the many cases of burn victims from the fire. For some didn't make it out of the great fire alive and Decimis was left tormented by these thoughts but not enough to end the cold war with Shimon and Agustin. No he would not lose to them for a younger Decimis was not keen on murdering someone but the now older Decimis had given it a try.
But he now realized why the younger him swore never to murder anyone. Murdering someone takes something from you,it makes you not human. For what human could go to bed in peace knowing they killed someone? Only a monster. Decimis was no monster, maybe a little crooked but not a monster. "But perhaps maybe I am now". Decimis mumbled these words to himself and the rain began to pour down with Decimis's thoughts.
Rather gloomy it was in the palace but in the Longwood manor it was nothing but happiness. At least for some of the people there. Namely Canary,Shayan,Numa, Ede,Eamon, and Lumis. The rest (For obvious reasons with Letitia and Thaddeus) were still in that moment in the palace. Alexia had recognized Grace and sent men over secretly to see what had happened in the village only to be told that the village had been burnt down. Nothing was left was torn down buildings and the house where Grace was kept was the only thing standing, sending as a signal that someone had known what Alexia did.
Alexia was filled with dread for she knew sooner or later someone would expose the truth of what happened. She thought it to be the queen who knew of this matter. But in reality Ilaka did not know that it was Alexia who had locked Grace away. Agustin had kept this from her. However it was Thaddeus who burnt the village down leaving only the house that Grace was held hostage in standing. But Alexia wasn't the only one toiling over this matter. Thaddeus and Letitia were now worried and pulling at strings at what next move they would pull..What new evidence they would gathered they feared that Alexia would get away with it. That they would truly never get Canary back.
However Ede and Eamon who knew of the true identity were the calmest of them all concerning this matter. But they never strayed far from Canary's side…nor Numa's….and Canary from Shayan's side. Not an odd or rare pairing to those who knew of the friendship of Canary and Shayan. But rather odd it was for others who knew not of their friendship.
The five of them (Letitia making six) sat there in the shade of the huge oak tree that laid in the meadows of Longwood manor. For longwood manor was on the outskirts of the capital laid by fields,hills, and water. Beyond the garden laid meadow field and a lake where the longwoods and other nobles whose manor was close to that lake would take their boats. Letitia and Canary watched as the boys played a game of pall mall.
"How do you play this again?". Numa said, frowning at the mallet in his hand. "Quite simple". Ede said walking up to the ball on the grass. "Whoever strikes the ball through the arch using the fewest strokes wins". Ede said. "Although we have to agree on a number". Eamon said, frowning. "Two is too little". Letitia said, stopping Eamon's mischievous thoughts. "Only because you are new to the game will I say four strikes is too much". Eamon said. "But he is a man of battle, he's bound to be better at this game than us". Eamon groaned.
"Oh stop your whining Eamon". Ede said. "Ready"? Ede asked Numa and Shayan. They both nodded. "The first person to get three goals wins, you can also knock each other's balls out the way". Ede said.
The game of pall mall seemed to go on forever after that. With Ede winning the first round and by the second round Shayan had seemed to get the hang of it. Numa dropped out of the second round for he got the hang of the game also but it was too hot to be playing pall mall and he fancied his books rather than sports. The three continued to play while the other three watched and drank lemonade that slowly went down and was refilled during the game.
"When will this end"? Numa said. Canary shrugged wondering too when it would win for she promised Ede and Eamon she would watch them play. "Thank goodness Thaddeus isn't out here for the game would go on longer". Letitia giggled. "Ede and Shayan are tied". Canary said. But for some reason although she was supposed to be watching Ede and Eamon her eyes were glued on Shayan instead. For some odd reason during these weeks of Shayn staying at Longwood manor Canary would catch herself being captivated by Shayan's laughter or smile.
It was this small thing Shayan did that also gained Canary. He would sometimes mumble to himself thinking no one was watching and twirling and fidgeting with something in his hands. Canary thought it was cute. She thought his laughter and smile was also cute. But somewhere along the line Shayan's smile and laughter stopped being cute to Canary. For she found herself smitten with his laughter and smile. How he had a lisp when he spoke in Granian.
This began to frighten her when she found herself taken away with these things and soon enough she found herself mumbling,thinking,smiling how handsome. In this very moment..the moment Shayan shouted that he won and his smile was as bright as the sun Canary found herself smiling along with him in fact she was sure that her smile was brighter than his. Then it slowly faded away as she began to feel she was indeed falling in love with Shayan and in the feeling something in her crawled out as an animal who feels threatened or scared releases some form of thing Canary found herself doing the same thing.
For the fear of falling in love after the many times of her liking someone and the horror of story between her and Agustin began to haunt her. Her eyes grew wide and the terror was on her face. But only Letitia saw this expression for it flashed for a moment and went away. "Canary are you alright"? Letitia asked. "I-". Canary began but words failed her. Letitia thought she was sick and placed her hand on her forehead.
"I think the heat is getting to you". Letitia said, pulling Canary up. "Boys we will be heading inside I think the heat is getting to Canary"! Letitia shouted. "Is she okay"?! Shayan shouted. "She's fine just needs to cool down". Letitia said, leading Canary inside. But Canary knew this heat of love would not cool down and she was frightened.