Fracture (Chronicles of Discord, #1)

Fracture - Chapter 4

Kai returned home looking for Rem only to find that he had not yet arrived. Before he could go in search of his wayward charge however his mother's cheery voice hailed him from the gallery above the hall.

Rae Uel Ne Sen was surprisingly young, her rich brown curls clustered riotously around her shoulders in a silken tangle that no amount of combing could tame. Freckles dusted her nose and dimples adorned smooth pink cheeks adding to her aura of youthfulness.

Kai stilled and waited as his mother descended the stairs two at a time, her dress hitched up alarmingly over one arm.

"What happened?" she asked, finally gaining the stone floor of the hallway and letting her crushed skirts go.

Kai straightened from his bow at her words.

"What do you mean?"

Lady Sen heaved an impatient sigh.

"You're as bad as your father. What happened at the Headmen's gathering? Hyun Jae returned home and shut himself in his study, rather rude when you consider he banned me from ever entering on the grounds that I was too distracting years ago. Rem was supposed to be here for lunch but I haven't seen him and you know how unlike him it is to miss a meal, though goodness only knows where he puts all that food." Rae blew a curl out of her eyes. "So what is going on?"

Kai shook his head doubtfully.

"Perhaps you should ask father."

Rae Uel Ne Sen looked unimpressed and reaching up caught her son by the ear.

"I will suffer your father keeping me in the dark Kai, but you are greatly mistaken if you think I will allow my son to censor the information I receive. The servants know what's going on before I do most of the time!"

"It was only that another transmission was received today."

Rae Uel Ne Sen released him, her face taking on a troubled expression of worry.

"I thought that might be the case; poor Rem, so that's why he has not returned."

Even though she spoke of Rem her eyes were on Kai, sympathy bleeding from their depths. It wasn't only Rem that was hurt by those transmissions but Kai foolishly refused to admit to his hurt and would not accept sympathy.

Rae sighed, now she knew why Hyun Jae had retired into his study on his return home after absently kissing her in greeting. The transmissions hurt him too, he hated having no power to protect Kai and Rem from the unpleasantness they unleashed.

"Your father wishes to see you in his study," Rae attempted to smile cheerfully and patted her son's arm lightly before turning and crossing the hall.

Kai watched as she listlessly wandered out of the French doors that led into the garden, her expression had taken on an unfocused glaze and her gait was uncharacteristically slow. He shook his head wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have told her after all.

He paused briefly to knock on the study door before he entered the hallowed realm. To him that room symbolised the power and dignity of the House of Sen, their strength and their duty. He had always found that the weight of his responsibility hung at its heaviest when confined within its walls.

"Father?"

Hyun Jae Uel Ne Sen looked up from the open book he'd been pretending to read for the last half an hour. His son closed the door and moved further into the room sitting down in the chair across from him wearing an expression of unrelenting calm. Hyun Jae turn the page of his book and tried to read the first few lines but the words blurred before his eyes.