Three days passed when I woke up from the coma that kept me in bed and spent the rest of the month recovering in my room according to my mother's request. I probably should have been happy to skip the lessons, but I was too embarrassed by my escape to the forest and went through many interrogations the next few days, answering my parents' questions, the butler's questions and the rest of the people taking care of me. Each time I recounted what had happened they seemed distraught and continued to be astonished that Bera and I had made it back safely from such a dangerous place for two ten year old girls. The red-haired girl who had stayed by my side watching over me since that day made me feel like I had a great friend. I felt very grateful to Bera and my parents for letting her stay at the mansion even after I woke up.
-Little lady, your father wants to see you in his study later," says the butler with a kind smile.
-Yes, I remember.
-We were all very worried about you, but you know your father," confesses the butler with a sigh, knowing that my father did not leave the possibility of negotiating.
I nodded with a smile and then looked at Bera who was sitting next to the bed. The reddish haired girl was impeccable and wore clothes that had no dirt on them making her smile appear brighter, although she lacked weight gain she was a very pretty girl. I knew all the daughters of the important families and I could tell that Bera was just as beautiful, her kind and carefree personality made people like her. Within a week she had earned the appreciation of the servants and my parents were very grateful to her for helping me get home safely.
-Are you going to see your father? asked the red-haired girl curiously.
-Yes," I answered as the maids smiled knowingly seeing that we were getting along quite well.
-Little lady, I'll leave for now -says the butler before leaving the room with a smile.
The maids helped me get dressed, I felt embarrassed that Bera could see the purple spots on my skin, but she seemed so excited to see the dresses and bracelets that she didn't pay attention to me at any time. I sheepishly asked the maids not to pick up my hair so that the spots on my skin would not show. They sighed, but kept their promise not to. Bera was even happier than I was to see me wearing a dress she thought was pretty.
I took the hand of the girl who accompanied me and smiled at her as we walked through the mansion moving between the corridors on our way to visit my father's study. The servants watching us waved happy to see that I finally had a friend and I didn't try to hide to avoid the girl's gaze. My mother who was sitting in the living room smiled softly when she saw me with Bera and invited us to have tea in the garden, the red-haired girl accepted immediately happy to be able to eat cookies and sweets, but I had to go to the studio. My mother quickly sent me off with a smile. The guards greeted me and let me into the study. My father seemed to have just recently returned from abroad because I noticed that he still did not take off his cloak with the emblem on it as he mumbled something reading the documents in his hand attentively.
-Sir, the little lady is here," said Teo who was in front of the desk announcing my arrival.
-Father," I said waving as I lowered my head to greet him. I crossed the room to the nearby seat.
My heart filled again with insecurity at the thought of father telling me what my punishment was. But my surprise was that my father sent the butler outside and smiled at me, putting the papers aside. He asked me to leave the study and we walked down the lonely hallway that few people in the mansion could access. I knew it was the way to the ancestral hall when he opened the hidden mechanism, we walked down the stairs and through several doors into a very neat and candlelit hallway.
-My dear, I wanted to talk to you about something important," said father seriously, but calmly.
Although my father was silent as we walked down the hallway before the ancestral hall, I could tell he was watching me out of the corner of his eye waiting for me to say something. I looked at the portraits of the previous heads of the family hanging on the walls of the place and hesitated a little before looking at him.
-Why are we here? -I asked confused and a little curious.
-My little girl, you know we care about you, don't you? -asked my father unhurriedly and something I couldn't understand as he looked at me.
-Yes," I answered with a pang of guilt in my chest.
My father nods and smiles, I felt his hand stroking my head gently in a gesture to calm my thoughts. I knew from his contemplative gaze over the ancestral hall that his response would not be punishment. I heard my father's voice after a few seconds, his hand moving away from my head to point to the center of the hall where the dawn sword was located, a weapon that was inherited to each chief as a symbol of strength and wisdom.
-What is the story of The Dawn Sword? -asked my father with a soft smile that made his eyes smaller and gave you a smile.
I looked at the place my father pointed out and contemplated the magnificent sword with precious details covering it, since its creation it was a sign of power and only an equally strong person could be its companion in battle. It was the heirloom and the most valuable piece to our family that was under the safekeeping of our family members, but ironically no one was allowed to use it since my great grandfather died. Its story was known to everyone in the empire and told especially in our family to every child.
It is said that The Alba Sword was found by my great-grandfather in the Forest of Penumbra, he was too young and spent a lot of time there looking for treasures to help his family who was very poor. The sword Alba was one of those treasures and helped him in his perilous return home, but he met with the destruction of his village upon his return. The King of the Beasts was trying to invade the empire with his army and my great-grandfather made the decision to fight them. The emperor recognized him as a hero and gave him the title of duke -relate looking at The Alba Sword with admiration. It was a story I liked to read in the library on my afternoons off.
-Do you want to know what your grandfather told me when he was appointed head of the family? -asked my father with a melancholic smile, but his voice was soft as if he was about to tell me a secret.
I didn't know if it was right to ask him directly or if I should keep silent as the etiquette teacher suggested in the lessons. Curiosity made me nod my head and I heard my father's laughter as he saw my face full of conflicting thoughts. He spoke again with a tired sigh, but touching the cold edge of the sword that was carefully placed so that anyone could look at it.
-You deserve to have this position because you are strong and you have proven it, but you have a long way to go. You must make sure you make the right decisions and prevent our family from falling," my father said solemnly and seriously.
I looked at him in confusion as I didn't understand why he was suddenly mentioning grandfather and the words he said long ago. My father knelt down to my level and hugged me gently. Before sighing and speaking in a muffled voice.
-Larissa, you can't hide forever. Your mother and I want you to be strong on your own and be able to face the future with courage," my father whispers with concern and affection.
I was surprised that my father was the one to say those words instead of my mother. I guessed that my running away into the woods at night made him feel guilty and he decided to talk to me. I knew what he meant by hiding and how little courage I had to face children my age or the stares of adults. It was hard to pretend I didn't feel them on me every time they whispered words about my appearance because of the curse.
-I will try, father," I answered sincerely, trying to ease his feelings.
My father smiled in relief and stroked my hair before asking me to accompany him back to his study. The ride back was silent, each of us in our own thoughts. He opened the door to let me in and I saw him take a seat in front of his desk looking through his papers and I was silent wondering if I should ask about my old request or wait to hear from him.
-I remember you asked me to help Bera," said my father with a smile before showing me some sheets of paper.
My eyes widened in surprise and I smiled not being able to believe that my father actually considered the request I made to help Bera, I took the sheets and looked at the Aura test results that belonged to Bera, His score was an A which left me speechless. That meant that Bera was a rare talent to find and had a chance to develop as a warrior in the future.
-Bera is a very talented girl," added my father seeing my reaction and gestured for the butler to hand him other documents, "I have requested information about Bera only as a protocol, but it is a fact that we will be able to adopt her soon.