Wilwarin's face was pale, his searching look to his mothers mixed with disbelief, "What is this? This is not funny..." He then made his hands shake and let himself fall back, almost landing on the ground, but Ardon caught his waist and steadied him.

"What," Ardon wanted to ask, but then saw the box and what it contained. His eyes went wide as he looked horrified at the two women, the two women whose happy faces turned to confusion. They stepped in front of Wilwarin, Elanor shrieked and hugged Hwarwa.

Hwarwa looked at the mess in the box before her and frowned, but did not forget to calm Elanor in her arms with gentle movements on the back.

She bit her lip, looked to the side into her son's horrified eyes, "It was supposed to be a new dress, we had it tailored for you. It had lively little butterflies all around. Just who did this?"

Elanor looked up from between her wife's arms, "Whoever it was, we can conclude it was the same people who pushed our son off that cliff."

Wilwarin felt the hands of Ardon still on his hip, there was a slight heat coming off them, "Why do you think that mama?"

She bit her lip and pointed to the shell next to the dead deer's head, Wilwarin didn't notice it at all. He was focused on the blood dripping out of the deer's mouth and the unclean cut on its neck. There it was a white-blue shell, splattered with blood, lying between the deer's head and the piece of paper as if it belonged. As if to serve a warning.

Ardon confused looked at the shell and then at the elf he had in his hands, his hands seemed warmer than ever, maybe it was the waist he was holding. He looked at Elanor, "What do you mean? Someone pushed Will off a cliff? When?"

Wilwarin looked to the ground as he walked a bit to the front, slowly out of the hold from Ardon, "Today, just before we met actually. It's fine really, I only suffered a few scratches, but if it was more to the left I would've been... I would've been-" He bit his lip, seemingly struggling to get the words over his lips.

Ardon finished his sentence with a bit of fear in his eyes, "Dead, you would have been dead." He felt something deep inside, and endless emotions of sadness, it was accompanied by anger. A lot of anger, so much anger to be called fury and so much sadness to be called despair. He felt something talking within him, 'Can't be hurt...Must protect... Has to... live'

It was not the voice he normally heard on a rainy day, no it was something deeper, something that came from his soul. Setting his sight back to the three elves in front of him, Ardon took a deep breath and hugged Wilwarin from behind, "You must have been so scared."

Wilwarin was surprised by the sudden hug, he wasn't used to it. Yes, he had been hugged by his new mothers, but Ardon was... different. He couldn't even explain why, maybe it was those ice-blue eyes that seemed to tell too much of the past or the concern he could always see. Wilwarin felt a bit embarrassed by this hug and he felt his ears slightly warm up.

Hwarwa shook her head as she held the note in her hand and inspected the deer's head, "Something is odd, one thing is for sure though. This wasn't a forest elf like us, we are taught from birth that the animals of the forest deserve a clean death. So that their beauty can be preserved as they wander the forest as ghosts. This, however..." She says and points to the uneven cut at the neck, "It is clear that brutes have done this, I wouldn't be surprised if dark elves did that. Though they don't visit us in the dance season, too bright and sunny."

Ardon let go of Wilwarin, he felt the elf stiffen up, so he didn't want to make him more uncomfortable, "The merfolk use an uneven spear, maybe they could've done it? The motive could be money, ever since I arrived they've been trying to get their money's worth. Telling me that they are the top merchants and stuff. Maybe they were betting on Vulen and now they've probably lost a lot of money, with them losing their bets?"

Elanor shook her head and smiled at Ardon kindly, the fear in her eyes still visible, "No, the merfolk hate losing, but they also know that betting in general is a game of luck. And in the dancing competitions, maybe a game of bribe. Luckily most elves don't value the monetary things, we like to live in balance so the dance competitions will always be fair."

Wilwarin felt the truth in these words, but being reminded of the soul he felt when Vulen danced, little thought of doubt layered his mind, 'What if I won because my mama is a predecessor? The rule of children stepping into their parent's footsteps.'

Hwarwa put the horrid things back in the box, closed it, and heaved it up, "I'll bring it to the guard station for a moment be right back. How about you three try to lighten the mood with stories from the past, it'll get you away from the present." Her tone of voice sounded heavy, she cast a last comforting look at her son before stepping outside.

Elanor took a deep breath and walked to a wooden cabinet, it had runes carved on the wood. She opened it and a cold breeze brushed by Wilwarin and Ardon. When Elanor turned around she had a delicious cake in her hands. A strawberry cake, Wilwarin could see the slightly yellow cream on one of the layers, he hoped for pudding. He loved vanilla pudding, it was the only sweet thing that felt mellow, but not too sweet that he thought he had just eaten raw sugar.

A gleam appeared in his eyes, but his face and his mouth seemed still scared.

Ardon chuckled, "So cake is what can make you happy again? To be honest, after seeing so much blood I doubt I can eat much of anything right now."

Elanor looked confused at her son, he was clearly still horrified and scared, what did this man see? Wilwarin looked at Ardon, he bit his lips and tried to look as hurt as possible by that comment, after all, he was Wilwarin. Wilwarin had never been exposed to such cruelty as threatening and an almost murder.

To get that sensation back, Wilwarin tried to remember the first time he was almost killed,

'It was maybe ten or so years ago, Felix was just six or seven years old. He came from school, Felix walked into his room they had a school project. "What do your parents work as?" Curious he walked to his mother first, his father was probably drunk anyway. He didn't want to risk another beating. Walking around in the house, Felix searched in every room, but he couldn't find his mother. When he walked into the cream-colored living room he saw his father, he was drinking on the couch. He stepped back and hid behind the doorway, he had fear and terror written all over his face. His father took his clap phone and called someone, "Jim, is it done?"

Felix's father listened intensely, he watched as his father got angry. His father stood up and screamed into the phone, "What do you mean that fucker got away? You fucking cunt! Is it that hard ey?"

Felix was full of fear, he had never seen his father be that angry before. He shivered, he was so scared. His father paced the room, always coming dangerously close to the door, the door had he just looked to the right, he would spot Felix.

His father suddenly laughed, "Listen well, if you don't get me that guy's head by midnight, you won't be alive by tomorrow." He watched as his father closed his phone, Felix wanted to go back upstairs. Safety, but he should have taken his chance when his father was on the phone. Instead, he heard his father, his father wants to kill someone or rather have someone killed. Felix's hands were sweating, his pulse was quickening and his breath came short. He pushed down his urge to cry, he thought to himself, if his father was comfortable killing someone else. Then...

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His thoughts weren't over, his father walked in his direction. Felix couldn't move, he felt frozen, he knew what would await him, but his feet didn't want to work. His breath slowed until it halted, with eyes full of fear he looked up to his father.

A sense of danger hit him as he looked into his father's cold, angry eyes, "Did you hear?"

Panic, Felix set his eyes on the ground he didn't answer, he could feel cold sweat running down his back.

His breath sped up as he looked at his father, stuttering, "No, I- I just came down."

Felix bit his lips, as he prayed inside that he would believe it, his father smirked, "You did? Wonderful, your father is very angry you see? People your father works with are incompetent, it's such a blessing that you are here."

Felix knew these words were a foreword for beatings, he said those words often, his body already flinched just hearing that tone of voice. A fake concern, with sarcastic softness, "Your father needs you to calm down." He felt his father's hand grabbing his shoulder, then it came the pain.

An iron grip on his shoulder as he used his foot to kick him in the stomach. Felix groaned as he fell over, his father laughed low, "You little vermin of a liar!" His father raised his foot again stomping on the shoulder, kicking Felix's legs, arms. He picked his son by the shirt as he threw him against a wall. Felix lay still, he didn't speak except for noises of pain he just cried in silence. Hopeful that his mother would walk through the front door and see this, hopeful that his father realized that he beat his only son. The second hope died, when Felix felt two large hands slowly taking away his breath, Air. He needed Air, he tried to claw his father's hands away from his neck. He felt the dread of death as he tried with his whole being to get free. Scratching the hands, trying to scratch anything to get him free. He heard the door opening as he blacked out.

Felix woke up in the hospital, his mother was by his side brushing through his hair. She seemed to say something, but he couldn't hear it. Slowly fading away into unconsciousness.'

Back to the present, Wilwarin sat at the table where not even a second go a dead deer's head was. He looked at the cake and smiled shallowly, the only thing bringing him joy. Sweets.

Wilwarin looked at his mama and waited until she brought plates and forks. Not like he could help anyway, he didn't even know where the cutlery was. Wilwarin looked at Ardon, he looked a bit shocked, but he was still focused on him as if waiting for something. Wilwarin then remembered the question he asked, "Wouldn't you like to have something sweet after something so distasteful?"

Ardon nodded, "Indeed, but I can't say the strawberry is appetizing after a whole lot of red."

Wilwarin nodded, but his eyes still focused on the deliciousness that was a strawberry cake.

Elanor brought a few plates and cutlery, she then cut the cake and served the first piece to her son, "Congrats on winning. You worked so much on your dancing, I often feared you didn't want to eat or sleep anymore."

Wilwarin laughed, "It was all worth it, let us forget the unpleasant present and focus on the night." He pushed his fork into the cake took a piece, he waved it into the air, "Cheers!"

Wilwarin then ate the cake and felt like he was in heaven, the pudding cream melted on his tongue. The strawberries were fresh and crisp, it was a symphony of flavors.

Wilwarin enjoyed the cake, not noticing the loving look from Ardon. He smiled softly as he watched the elf eat. Elanor saw the look, she seemed to be reminded of her wife's look right after she won her first competition. 'Love is in the air', she thought to herself as she also ate a piece of her cake.

Finishing up, Wilwarin helped bring the dishes to the sink and the cake into the magically cooled wooden cabinet. Elanor smiled when she saw how much her son had grown, even helping with the dishes. He hugged his mama from the side, "I'll show him my room now."

Elanor smiled kindly, "Leave the door open please."

Wilwarin furrowed his brows and Ardon smirked, before forcing his face to be neutral again, "What do you?"

Elanor shook her head, "Just a precaution, you are both adults after all. This is your parent's house, if you want to do something-

Wilwarin interrupted her, "MAMA, I've not even known him for a day! What? What are you? Talking about?" With every question his ears grew a shade of red darker, Ardon smiled noticing that. Elanor just smiled as she walked out of the kitchen and to the couch, she took a book from the coffee table and began to read it.

Wilwarin looked at Ardon, who had a stupid grin on his face. He felt like he had seen that before, instantly annoyed he punched Ardon's arm and walked upstairs. Ardon chuckled lowly and followed the elf upstairs. Ardon noticed the doors and their uniqueness within, the flowers on the door of Wilwarin's parents, and the carefully carved butterfly on Wilwarin's door.

He watched the elf open the door, Ardon saw a wooden room full of soul and nature. Wilwarin sat on his bed and looked at Ardon, watching every reaction to the room.

Ardon smiled, "The doors, yours is clear but what do the flowers on your parent's door mean?"

Wilwarin looked through the slit of his open door, "I never asked."

Ardon nodded, but didn't really believe it. A couple as loving as he saw today would keep such a detail from their son? Unlikely.

Ardon ran his eyes over the bookshelf, over the half-opened closet, and over the rest. He didn't know why but he felt a dissonance, he saw the elf with all the expressions before him. He looked at the room, there was a disharmony. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it seemed wrong.

Wilwarin noticed his furrowed brows, "Something the matter?"

"No, it's just I felt that this room doesn't fit you," Ardon mumbled, looking like he watched the room again, but was really watching the elf's reaction. It did not disappoint, the face Wilwarin scrunched up a millisecond and his eyes widened for a nanosecond.

His lips thinned, before looking relaxed and laughing a bit, "I grew up in this room, what do you mean?"

Ardon shook his head smiling, he sat down next to Wilwarin, "I think a fairylight would make your room even more enchanting."

Wilwarin looked confused, and Ardon smiled even brighter, "For the cheap price of 5 silver coins, I'll give you some. Normally they would cost you 8 silver coins, but you're a friend."

Wilwairn laughed, "A merchant, through and through."

Ardon smiled cunningly and shrugged his shoulders, "What can I say? It comes with the job."

They smiled at each other and heard a weird clicking sound, right after it "KRAAAAA- KRAAAAA- KRAAAAA."

Surprised they looked toward the door, it came from downstairs, and then they heard Elanor's voice screaming upstairs, "Seems like your friend has to go now!"

Ardon nodded and sent a smirk to Wilwarin, "You heard her, I have to go now. See you soon?"

Wilwarin wanted to say no, but to his surprise, he nodded.

A winning smile brightened up Ardon's whole face, "See you soon then." He was out the door, but came back for just a second, "Just so you know, I don't want to be just your friend. For now, I am content with this situation, but I fell for you as soon as I saw you. Just so you can be prepared."

Wilwarin heard him laugh and say 'good bye' to his mama. Feeling overwhelmed by the things that happened today, he fell into the bed and looked at the ceiling. He saw little flurecent butterflies there, his eyes grew heavy and he fell asleep.

Wilwarin felt a kiss on his forhead and a blanket over his body, it seemed like his mothers cared for him greatly. He wished this world wouldn't end, if possible he wanted to be here forever.