“όταν χτυπήσει ο κεραυνός, θυμήσου με”
**
Tonk…. Tock
It’s raining in Latila.
The raindrops splattered all over the windows, falling and colliding with other raindrops, before accelerating and hitting the ground, creating numerous pondles all along the now-muddy streets of the city. Light candles could be seen shining behind the curtains of many windows, some situated on a table, many more moving from one place to another, adding to that a gray color of gloomy weather, creating a city of ghost-like scenes right off the window.
The trees situated between the path to the palace are being tilted along the wind. Leaves are falling by the hundreds, landing on those small puddles of rainwater scattered all along the gravel-covered road. On the watch tower of Voyage Palace, a handful of lights could be seen moving from a distance. That’s the Border Guard units changing their shift, from one to another. One could tell from a distance.
Bang!*
A thunder struck right close to the balcony of the palace. The rain gets heavier and doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon. The wind becomes stronger and stronger, blowing away all the leaves on those bushes out of the balcony, leaving behind only those thin, lifeless branches.
“Ah…it's you…”
From a room inside the palace,where a fireplace is burning and filling the room with its warmth, Lily Sobieski Voyage-the only daughter of the Voyage family, or as people refer to: Archduchess of Voyage-watched through her right eye, as the Royal Servicers entered her residence from the front gate, along with her younger brother, who’s riding on his horse, soaked wet by the rainfall, after a failed attempt to find the prince.
“Fool…”
When Klein’s view gazes in her general direction, Lily closes the curtain and leaves to the other side of the room, where she sits down next to the fireplace and picks up her half-drinked tea cup from the table.
“Whatever….what’s the matter, Alice?”
Lily said and glared up at the door of the room. Just behind it, the maid named Alice was just about to knock on the door-“Uhmm…Your Grace, your father has just called you for the annual family meeting. You haven’t joined any lately-”
“Tell him that I won't give up my title as the Duchess of Voyage as long as I am alive. Do not waste my time any further.”
“Madame…”-Alice finally opens the door and steps in-”...father noted to you that:”You must know your place-”
“Quite bold of him saying so in my house, my birth parents’ house. I remember having said that clearly that I will not go, you are the one who must go if you don’t want your lifeline to be shortened.”
With a heavy and threatening tone from the person in the room, the maid steps back and closes the door. However, before leaving for good, Alice said into the keyhole:
“If you change your mind, please come to the meeting room on the third floor.”
Then, the hall went into silence.
Bang!*
Another thunder struck down.
“Haizz.”
Snap!* Frr*
Lily takes a deep breath, she stands up from her chair, picks up a piece of wood from the pile, snatches it into two halves utilizing the strength of her hands and throws it into the fire. The fire, fueled by dry wood, blew up with a white shade of orange, releasing a cloud of ashes and hot embers into the air, before it returned to its normal state. A warm feeling filled the rest of the room. A bit hot even, but Lily doesn’t bother changing it back either, she just leaves it there, going to the other side of the room, and sitting down on the armchair.
Knock! knock!*
Then, another knocking sound came from the door.
“Come in, brother”-said Lily-”If you want to complain that I didn’t help you to find Belisari, then please leave. Or I will kick you out of the room by myself”
“You’re aggressive and loud as always, Big Sis”
Klein Voyage, after changing his clothes with a new attire, steps inside the room and sits next to her-”I could hear your voice all the way from the hall. Father is there too, and I could say he’s not very comfortable with it. Here, catch”
Klein picks up an apple from Belisari’s bag and throws it at Lily, in which she catches it midair and puts it onto the table.
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“Heh, he better hear it loud and clear, consider that as a message to him. Anyhow, aren’t you and Belisari supposed to be at Latila Palace right now doing your work? Let me guess, he begged you to go out with him, and you lost his trace.”
“That’s exactly what happened.”
“And that’s Belisari’s”-Lily said while pointing at the apple bags Klein’s holding in his hand.
“I will pay him later, so this is mine for now. Also, don’t address his Highness with his first name like that”
He said, while holding an apple in his hand, spinning back and forth looking for the best place for the first bite. Meanwhile, his sister takes out an unopened cigarette box and puts one in her mouth, while striking a match into the side of the matchstick box and lit it up:
”New Milisilian cigarette, want to take a try?”-the Archduchess asked while her brother was taking bites on the apple.
“No thanks, it would ruin the apple’s taste. Besides, it does not even smell good.”
“Correct, it’s tasteless.”
Despite saying that, Lily still puffs out a cloud of smoke, seemingly enjoying it.
“But it is addictive…to release stress, one has many methods, this is mine, and I don’t see any downside to it.”
Klein shakes his head:
“Damn you chainsmoker, your mouth smells like burned herb at any time.”
“...so?”
“Big Sis, you’re the patriarch, yet is also truly the weirdest member of the entire House of Voyage. Why don’t you come out and seek a new hobby, rather than withering your lungs here inhaling literally smoke?”
Voyage is a long noble house in Latila, born and fought along with the Latila family since the dawn of civilization. All the way since, along with the House of Flemton, Voyage had held responsibility for being the military power of the state. If Flemton was the shield and spear of Latila, Voyage would be the sword and their banner, and now are both the sword, the spear, the banner and the shield. Under their command is half of the infantry, the navy and all cavalry and aerial units of Latila. Without any doubt, the loyalty and leading skill of the Voyagers is the only thing that keeps Latila still being an independent state until nowaday.
“I have a duty of living with my name and honor, brother. I have to take responsibility for this entire House of Voyage. Then I shall continue this tradition, by passing it down from my generation to another…”
“As if anyone would dare to be your husband to give you a child-”
*Bonk!*
“-sorry”
Receiving an apple into his forehead, Klein shouted it out like it actually hurt and quickly covered his head with both hands, while looking away somewhere else. Seeing that, Lily assemblies her hand into a fist:
“I know that didn't hurt my brother, or I must let you taste what actually hurt.”
“No I’m sorry Big Sis, don’t punch me.”
Klein removes his hands from his forehead, chuckling.
“Stop acting like a clown”-Lily releases her hand, her face clearly expressing a confused emotion -”I don’t remember you acting like this around His Highness Belisari nor anyone else, as if you only want to mess up with me. You know that if I die you will be the Archduke of Voyage. Hence, don’t act like that to stain mine nor my parent’s names. Also, I like cigarettes, is that a problem?”
“No no”
Klein turns back with an apple in his hand. However, his visual attention was not entirely on it, but on his sister, more specifically her face and her body, which had not been going unnoticed by Lily. She responds by puffing a cloud of smoke into his face:
*Cough cough*
“What’s up, Klein? Your look is not innocent…Don’t tell me you are attracted-”
*Cough*“No, you are mistaken, I have no such interest in an aggressive golem like you. But I gotta admit, you are beautiful, very beautiful. I am saying this as your brother, men and women fell for you alike if you actually want them to. Someone would gladly take you as his wife.”
“That kind of complement is no use to me.”
“Fine. Aye, do you want another apple?”
“Sure”
Lily said while throwing out the burned out cigarette out of the window. The room fell into silence again,only interfered by the cracking coming from the fireplace.
It is still raining outside. Rain water leaked through the windows, dropping on the frame, before vaping and mixing into the warmth of the room.
It’s turning cold, Klein reaches out and adjusts the fire. He silently watches, as the fire bursts out cracks of ember from it and burns the carpet a bit. It’s…peaceful here. Rarely returning to his home, Klein seemingly forgot the quiet, because of having Belisari all day long, even at night, Klein never had any personal space since he joined the army for so long.
Yet, despite Lily still sitting by his side, chewing the apple he has just given her on the table, and the noise of raindrops echoes around the room, it’s just like there is no sound here, he is all alone, lonely and peaceful in this room. Lily had fortified this room to be a place for her relaxation.
“Klein, are you loyal to Latila?”
Suddenly, it was the room owner herself who broke the silence:
“Why are you asking now?”
“I have the right to know, brother. Tell me.”
With a serious tone, Klein says:
“I am, I will protect this country with my life. Because I was given the responsibility to do it”
“I see”
The conversation ended with five sentences exchanged, but that was enough to make Lily feel her pressure lifted for a bit. She fixes the eyepatch over her left side eye, stretching her muscles all along the length of the chair. At least there’s still someone in this family she can entrust the army of this country with, Lily whispers to herself in mind.
“Well”-The archduchess places both hands on her hip-”It’s good to know that you are a reliable person. In time of war, trust is the most important factor out of all, I trust you and your army. Should I repay you by finding His Highness-”
“You are looking for me, eh?”
“Huh?”
Out of the sudden, a voice came from the other side of the door ,while both Lily and Klein were off their guard. Following that, the door opened, and a right hand of the prince of Latila came in, waving with them. And on the left hand, Belisari was carrying the hand of another person:
“I have one to introduce to you two.”