Bound by Deception

16.2 An Uncle's Warning

"Conservative my ass. Those old women want nothing more than to create housewives and mothers. To hell with that ideology. My niece will not be pandering after some foolish boy," Bhuv grumbled. "To answer your question, my dear, we Rouverians had procured some land out west, close to the largest military base in Grandville. There were indigenous tribes there, settled out by the Grandville authorities so that they did not mingle with their kind. We, on the other hand, accepted them and were friends with them. Our alliance upset the enemy government. This started the war between our two countries."

"I thought they wanted the land?"

"They did, but they also wanted to destroy our alliance, since the indigenous people were very strong and had mystical connections with the Gods." Bhuv scoffed. "They are idiotic people, Aria, and thank heavens you're being courted by one who is staunchly against them. If they wanted to have an alliance with the tribes, they should have welcomed them and their lifestyle. I tell you, it was quite a beautiful sight to behold. They were happy with the simplicity of their lives, and Grandville should have never interfered with that in the first place."

"Oh." Aria was tempted to ask about the massacre but decided against doing so. If she said too much, her uncle would get suspicious. After all, where would she be getting such detailed information from? Certainly not from the private academies that she'd gone to.

"I would like to join the army," Noah said. "Father, do you think I can become a Colonel? Or perhaps go into the navy as an Admiral?"

"If you are asking me to use my connections to help you climb up the ladder, your pleas are being met with deaf ears," Bhuv dryly answered. "Noah, if you want to go into the army, that's fine, but you must work for your place."

"Oh, darling!" Tamasa interrupted with a shriek. "Why would you want to go into such a dangerous occupation? Become a merchant or a man of the Prime Minister. Don't go fighting against those horrible brutes!"

"Mother, I'm not a baby anymore," Noah sighed. "I can take care of myself. I can't be the baby Lord Kumar forever. I want to become a leader in the army. I want to make a name for myself."

"Weren't you just running for your mommy when I tossed my fork at you?" Aria smirked. "What will happen when it's a sword instead of a fork? Or a bullet?"

"I'll be brave. I won't run," Noah asserted arrogantly

Aria's eyebrow lifted, silently accepting the challenge he unknowingly posed. She picked her fork up again, stirring her vegetables, then, when Noah was facing his mother, she tossed it, landing the three-pronged object at the center of Noah's untouched chicken perfectly. He screamed, jumped back, and this time, fell on the ground.

"You scream like a little girl," Aria grinned, the smile feeling a bit odd to her usually frowny lips. "Now imagine that it was a sword."

"Mother!"

"Aria, don't play with your food. It's not ladylike," Tamasa sighed. "And Noah, no, no military. Aria just proved that you'd die in base camp."

"Why!!" Noah crawled to his seat and began his whining campaign, begging and pleading with his mother like a needy child. Aria watched him argue; did he not know that it was impossible to win against a mother? It provided entertainment, though, and she wasn't complaining.

"Aria." Bhuv had taken Noah's spot, giving the boy easier access to vex his mother. "Tell me, did something happen on your outing with Edward?"

"What do you mean by that?" Aria asked. "Are you asking if he violated me because the answer is no?"

"I didn't expect that," Bhuv said plainly. "You're more than capable of fighting off an assailant. I was merely worried about your legs...did they fail you at all during your picnic?"

"Not whatsoever," she replied. "Edward was accepting of my condition, not that I would have let his dismay over my suggested weakness sway me from my mi-er, my feelings for him."

"And pray, tell me, what are those feelings?" Bhuv arched a concerned brow. "I respect Edward and his dedication to our country, but quite frankly, Aria, after some debate, I have come to an understanding that he may not be the best match for you."

"Is that so? Were you not supportive of my pursuing him? You seemed excited about the prospect of us together not so long ago."

"I did, I will not lie, but after some debate and some discussion with my fellow men, I realize that Edward is not the picture-perfect boy I thought he was." Bhuv's expression was marred by a dark shadow. "I can't explain it, but there's something about the way that boy speaks that rubs me the wrong way. I cannot say if it is his accent or his way of speaking - he has an arrogant little twist to his voice - but that boy spells trouble." He paused to sigh. "I understand, however, if you feel so deeply for him, and I will not try to dissuade you from being with him anymore. I just wanted to express my feelings to you and make sure that you are not blinded by his charismatic persona. My dear Aria," he tilted her head upward. "I want you to promise me that you will be careful with that boy. I will allow you to marry anyone else - no matter the social status - but please, if you can, not that boy."

Aria's heart swelled with his words and she gave her dear uncle one of her rare, genuine smiles - one that expressed the dimples of her soft cheeks and rounded her moon-shaped face.

"Uncle, I understand your worries," she began, putting a soft hand over his much larger one. "Frankly, I share the same concerns as you do, but I know the type of man that Edward is." A lying, cheating, betraying bastard, but one that I must seduce in order to protect you. "He is my childhood friend, Uncle. I love him, and unless he slights me, I want to continue this relationship." She saw his face fall, all the hope draining from his complexion, and quickly, she added. "But if I realize that it is useless to be with someone who comes to lack respect for me, I will leave him in a heartbeat. I promise you, Uncle."

Bhuv nodded. "I trust you, Aria. And it's because I trust you that I am letting you pursue your own suitors. Take a look at your brother." He gestured to Noah, who had ceased to fight with his mother and was now animatedly discussing his wedding plans with her. "The boy has no solid aspirations and is just as flighty as the one who birthed him. He can be deceived in a moment, but I know you cannot. You are much wiser than he is...which is why I am leaving the estate to you."

"Me?!" Aria struggled to lower her voice, but her face told it all, as every part of her expression was wide and circular, from her eyes to her lips. "But, the law says..."

"I don't give a damn about the law. I'm going to leave you my best lawyers and such. I am not allowing that foolish boy to destroy my property. Of course, he will get what he can from his mother, but it is you that I can see giving honor to our family name."

"Oh, Uncle!" Aria beamed. "I promise, I will do my very best to uphold our family legacy. I won't let you down!" But even as she said this, she wondered - and worried - if her life as an assassin, a blemish to her perfect image, would cause everything to come crashing down.

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Aria seems to be very close to her uncle! What do you think of their relationship? What do you think of the family relationship shown in this chapter?

VOTE/COMMENT/ENJOY :D