A Moment of Weakness// Sebastian Sallow

{Chapter 46}

Pierce Manor 2 years before the incident.

Rowan

I walk around the manor in quiet steps, trying my best not to wake any of the staff or Pierce's as I do my normal morning scan of the premises. Althea had spent all night creating a batch of potions for Andrew. Her fingers were nearly worn away after the number of heavy chemicals she was working with. It baffles me how easily she can get wrapped up in her work. Often times she chooses to look past the potential pain she can be inflicting on herself. Then again, sometimes I feel as if this job is only pain. In the few short months that Andrew has guided me, I feel as if there has only been a build of character inside myself. I see how he treats his kids, oftentimes dragging them by their hair while beating them down to "build character". I question why Eden chooses to defy his authority so often, there's something about her utter need to stomp on him that makes me see her as something other than a selfish Pierce.

"Hello my sweet boy," My mother says with a smile, moving away from one of the guest bedrooms as she carries a handful of dirtied sheets. I help her out, folding them with her as she winces.

"Still feeling sick?" I question, her head slowly nodding as she clutches her stomach only for a moment.

"I ate something bad I'm sure. Have you seen your father recently?" She questions, brushing a few curls away from my face as I gently place the sheets back in her arms.

"He's with Andrew, that's why I'm on the morning detail actually. I have to wake up the Pierce twins and get their training done before Andrew and Dad return. As far as I know, Evelyn is off spending Andrew's money in one of the local villages." I let out, my mom's nose slightly scrunching at the mention of Evelyn's name. Everyone knows just how vile the woman truly is.

"Figures she would be doing as much. Eden and her father went at it again last night... I saw him strike her multiple times, try and be gentle on the poor girl today," My mother says, keeping her hand on my arm as I look at her.

"Why do you have so much sympathy for her? She's a Pierce," I question watching as she scans my face with her bright eyes.

"There was a servant Andrew hired that was heckling some of the other female staff. He was making some poor choices in how he chose to treat women. One of the women confided in Eden about the issue expecting her to laugh in her face. Instead, the next day the man was "murdered" by an animal on his way into town for a run." My mom says, using air quotations as she mocks the story.

"You think Eden killed that man for a servant?" I question, her shoulders slowly shrugging.

"I think there is more to that girl than what meets the eye. Same with her brother. Sometimes we become the exact opposite of what our parents expect us to be... except you-" She says, placing her hand on my cheek, "I could not be more proud, or happy with the young man you are growing up to be" She says, placing her hand on my heart as she smiles. Her gold vine wedding band shines brightly.

"I'll see you at dinner," I say, kissing her on the top of her head before making my way past her.

***

I see Eden's door propped open slightly. Small rays of sunlight push past her curtains. I slolwy nudge the door open with my foot, trying my best to remain silent to avoid disrupting her too much. I keep my hands in my pockets, slolwy scanning the room with small moves of my head. Bloody gauze spills out of her trashcan by the bathroom. Her bed is an unmade mess. By the looks of it, she got little to no sleep at all.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Eden's voice questions, her body pulling from the bathroom as she scrunches her hair dry. Her face is bruised under both eyes. Her lip is cut and her hands roughened up. Shadows cast under her eyes due to her lack of sleep. This is the worst I've seen her after one of her interactions with Andrew.