Morticia

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

I'm getting an ominous feeling...

I watched as the two brothers walked out of the garden. They were smiling and laughing, catching up together as it's been quite some time since Nevan last visited. I watched them as I sat alone in the garden feeling a growing sense of paranoia for some unknown reason... 

The Archduke told me earlier about the circumstances of their family and why Nevan became a Castellanos. He said that their mother came from the Castellanos family but their relations were kept secret for fear of the emperor using it to his advantage. The former duchess, having bore twins with different magic attributes due to their blood, was scared that the emperor would use her children for his greedy antics. So she sent Nevan, who inherited their mother's light attribute, to live in the Castellanos family and act as if Nevan wasn't part of the Steros duchy.

The Castellanos family frequently visits the Steros duchy on various excuses to let Nevan still communicate with his real parents while keeping their relations secret. This became Nevan's habit which is why he came unannounced today.

I have no qualms with that, though... 

I understand their situation and I have no problem with it. This ominous feeling, this sudden paranoia... It's caused by something different. Is it my gut feeling? My instinct? For some reason I kept feeling like I should flee and that I need to bring everyone in this duchy along... 

But why?

A few hours passed and I sat in my room together with the kids. They've spent a bit of their time with their uncle earlier and went straight hereafter. They told me about various things again just like how our daily afternoon teas go. The kids are as lively as ever. I struggled to keep my uneasiness from the kids though... I tried to keep myself busy with the kids to not mind this feeling but I failed. Again and again. An hour passed again and I decided to go to the Archduke's study where he and Nevan talked.

Is it just me or does it seem like I'm taking forever to reach my destination? That ominous feeling grew by the second and I unknowingly hurried my footsteps. I walked almost as if I was on the verge of running. Still, It felt like forever... At this point, I ran. I ran in a panic as I felt my unease growing...

Then I stopped.

I stopped running, abruptly, in a huge floor-to-roof window in the corridors of the duchy. Where you can see the view across the whole of Steros territory. At that point, as I slowly turned my head to look outside, I knew what caused this ominous feeling.

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"... Are you truly not going to tell me how the princess came to be here?" Nevan, my beloved twin brother, questioned me a little bit too inquisitively about the princess. "You've been avoiding and changing topics for the last few hours I've been constantly questioning you. What exactly is the reason she's  here?" I only smiled helplessly, refusing to answer his question

"Draegan, my dear brother, What got into your mind?! I'm sure you know how risky your decisions for the last few months have been! You know the emperor's been keeping you in check for years now! How could you disregard your safety as well as the kids?!" He bombarded me with questions seemingly frustrated. I only looked away. I cannot even explain why I let the princess stay... How can I explain it to my brother?

"Don't tell me you fell in love with the princess?!!! Otherwise, why would you do it? You're not usually like this!" Nevan loudly exclaimed and I smacked him as hard as I could. 

"Don't talk nonsense. It isn't like that." I glared at him to stop coming up with assumptions. He sighed frustratedly and I continued with the work I had "Besides, I don't know why I did that, alright? I can't explain it myself, how am I supposed to tell you the reason..?" 

Nevan stayed silent at what I said. He sighed again and sat down on the sofa in my study. "Argh! Whatever! I can't be bothered with the reason." He drank the tea prepared on the table in one gulp and refilled his cup. I know he's worried but I don't regret my decisions so far. 

"Don't worry too much, Nevan. We'll be fine. I don't think the emperor would rashly do anything." I said reassuring him. Nevan doesn't look too convinced though.

Just as he was about to resign in his seat and just as I convinced myself everything would work out just fine, the door busted open and a knight in a panic exclaimed.

"You're grace..!" He said wheezing from running from his post towards here. 

"An Army..! An Army is marching towards our territory..!"