Soren stood by Cyrus's bed as Elias gently touched the vile of cure to Cyrus's lips. The crimson swirled inside the vile. Cyrus's Adam's apple bobbed as he drank it.
Soren visibly relaxed as he started to see some colour return to Cyrus's face. Elias stood up and handed the empty glass vile to Soren.
"Alright," Elias said, "I'm starting to see some improvement in Cyrus's health."
Soren let out a puff of breath in relief, "right, thank you so much, Master Elias."
"It's no issue," Elias smiled, long white hair flowing behind him like a cape, "I'm happy to help."
"Let's go check on the kids," Elias walked towards the door, "did they drink the cure?"
"Yes," Siren nodded his head, "They did and I made sure they had as much drink as necessary."
"Good." Elias opened the door as Soren followed him outside, "did you drink it?"
Soren nodded his head again, "I did."
"Good."
Soren paused at the doorway looking back at Cyrus laying peacefully on the bed. The covers pulled up to his chest. Some of the colour had returned to his face.
"When will he wake up?" Soren turned to Elias.
"Soon."
Soren nodded after a last glance at Cyrus's peaceful sleeping form he turned away and closed the door with a gentle click.
Cyrus stirred in his sleep as the footsteps got further away. His chest heaved with each breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some years back…
"Come on troublemakers, we are going to run some errands," Arianna picked up her coat as soft blonde hair fell onto her forehead, her eyes a glittering purple as she waited by the door. She is fourteen but has the maturity of a sixteenth year old. "Matron Nell is ill today to go out to the nearby village."
Soren giggled as he ran towards Arianna, small hands clutching her skirt, "Sister Ari!!!" He giggled loudly.
"There you are." Arianna picked the eight year old boy up, "where's Cyrus?"
Soren playfully pointed at the blonde boy with mismatched eyes approaching. There was no smile on his face. He only beamed when he saw Arianna and Soren. He is six years of age but his eyes looked stoic as if he was a thirty year old uncle instead of a little kid.
"And there is troublemaker number two." Arianna chuckled as she set Soren down, "now let's keep those stubby little feet moving." Arianna winked.
"Okay!" Both kids said in unison.
The three of them began walking. The village isn't far but it's some good mile walk from the orphanage to the village that includes walking through the trails of the forest path.
Cyrus huffed, "Sister Ari, I'm tired." His speed began slowing as his tiny feet still pattered on the ground.
Arianna chuckled and picked Cyrus up. "Alright then. Big sister will carry you."
"Tired already? I still have energy and I could walk a thousand miles without big sister carrying me!" Soren said enthusiastically.
Cyrus grumbled, "you talk too much."
"Cute." Arianna grinned as she patted Soren's head.
Soren giggled while Cyrus grumbled. He looked at Arianna with big eyes, "I'm cute too, right sister."
"Of course you are."
They all walked until a village came into view. The village was bustling with people and animals alike. Kids playing tags, running around.
"Sister," Soren looked up at Arianna while Cyrus was still in her arms, "why are we in a village?"
"We just need to buy a few groceries for the orphanage."
Soren tilted his head, "wouldn't that be hard carrying all of that back?"
Arianna chuckled, "no silly." She glanced at the child, "we are gonna tell them what we need and they will send a wagon with all our stuff straight to the orphanage."
"Ooh." Soren looked at the older girl with eyes that were filled with awe, "That's so cool."
"I know." Arianna replied.
They came across a vendor, "since we are already here," she put Cyrus down beside and looked at the two kids, "do you both want candy apples?"
Soren's eyes lit up, "yeah!" he shot his arms upwards.
Cyrus nodded his head with a smile.
"Alright." Arianna bought candy apples and handed them to both kids. Soren and Cyrus happily took the apples and chewed on the sweet caramelised apples.
"Now you both can go play. While I finish the job. But don't go too far. Okay?"
"Okay!" Both kids enthusiastically replied.
Arianna continued her job which was just placing orders on things by the Matron's command.
Soren and Cyrus had finished their sweet apple. Soren felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned back and following Soren's movement Cyrus did too.
A girl with short brunette hair tied into pigtails and black eyes, about his age smiled at Soren, "Hi," she said, practically beaming at the two pretty boys, "I'm Meera, nice to meet you."
"Oh!" Soren smiled, "it's really nice to meet you, I'm Soren."
"Yeah," Cyrus tried hard not to roll his eyes, "nice to meet you. My name's Cyrus"
Meera tilted her head slightly, "I don't think I have seen you both in the village before…" she stepped closer, "are you new here"
"No, we just arrived with our big sister," Soren said with a bright smile on his face.
"Oh, I see." the girl giggled. "Well I have taken a liking to you and your friend. You both are so pretty."
Cyrus pointed to himself, "me?" Then he pointed at Soren, "his friend?" Cyrus shook his head, "never happening."
Soren didn't look offended by Cyrus's words, instead he laughed.
"Oh…?" Meera smiled brighter, "well you two are still pretty."
"Thank you." Soren looked at her.
"Will you both marry me?" The little girl asked innocently.
"…" Soren tried to find words but his eight year old brain malfunctioned.
"…" Cyrus looked thirty years older after hearing that.
"What kind of question is that?" Cyrus asked, "we are not gonna marry you, you are too young."
The little girl's eyes teared up, "so mean!!!" She ran away crying.
Soren tried to stop her, "hey wait-" then he looked back at Cyrus, "couldn't you be a little bit nicer?"
Cyrus huffed, "if you care so much then go after her like a princess on a white horse." He turned away from Soren.
"Uh…" Soren looked back as the girl's figure disappeared. "I feel so bad… should I go check on her?"
"Go wherever you want, I don't care." Cyrus huffed with annoyance.
"But sister will be angry if I leave you alone." Soren closed his arms over his chest.
"Hmph." Cyrus looked away and didn't answer Soren anymore.
"Alright I will be right back. I will just go check on her. You don't move." Soren was about to go.m when he saw the girl return. He felt relieved when he was about to go and find the girl to apologize when he saw that the girl had brought a grown up with her.
"Are they the kids who bullied you?" The grown up asked. She is a lady. With long black hair in a braid. She recognised Soren and Cyrus as they had come here with Arianna multiple times.
The girl quietly nodded her head, "yes nanny, they are the one."
The nanny looked at Soren, "how dare you bully a lady. She is the one and only precious daughter of the chairman" the nanny scoffed as Soren went wide eyed, "you, an orphanage brat dares to bully our kind little lady?!"
Soren swallowed lump in his throat, "we didn't, we- "
Before Soren could finish his sentence Cyrus stepped in front of him, "shouldn't you ask your little lady that she wanted to marry us and couldn't take rejection and ran away like a coward."
A crowd formed around them. They gasped as they watched the scene unfolding in front of them.
"You-" The nanny felt her anger rise, "our little miss would never ask orphan brats for marriage." She looked at Meera behind her then back at Soren and Cyrus, "even if she did, she is only six. You two brats could have been good with her and look after her, she is small and fragile."
"Why should we?" Cyrus counters.
"Cyrus-" Soren tries to stop Cyrus.
"I'm also six." Cyrus huffed, "but you don't see me crying all over the place."
The nanny felt her anger rise, "you back-talking brat, I will send you to your dead mother's womb!!!" The name raised hand over their head and the hand was about to connect with Cyrus's cheeks Arianna stepped between them. A crisp sound of skin connecting with skin echoed through the market. The passersby who had stopped to watch the whole thing gasped.
Arianna didn't flinch or scream. She just looked at the nanny dead into her eyes. Little Meera even was shocked as if she did expect her nanny to raise her hand.
"Sis…?" Cyrus tried to call out.
Arianna ignored him and kept her gaze on the Nanny.
Soren was shocked and gave a look to Cyrus.
"W-Why did you come in the middle of it you-" The nanny tried to scold Arianna but her cold expression contrast to her usually happy expression caught her off guard.
"Because they are my little brothers." Arianna replied, her voice deadly calm, "I don't know what my brothers have done to deserve your cruel words and for you to raise your hand against them," she let out a breath, "haven't you avenged whatever my brothers have done-"
The nanny cuts her off, "They bullied my little miss-"
"If that's so then you have taken that out in me by striking my cheek, haven't you?" Arianna cut the nanny off. She smiled, "or do you want to take something more from us?"
The nanny looked around the crowd as if that would save her from the humiliation. The crowd's whiskies got slightly louder.
"They are just kids…"
"Can't she forgive them…"
"Why is a nanny handling it, should it be the safeguards or the chairman himself?"
"One slap is enough, how much punishment is she gonna give to those three."
The nanny's face turned red with embarrassment, "come on miss." She abruptly picked up Meera who yelped as she suddenly got picked up. The nanny ran away.
Arianna still didn't look at Soren or Cyrus just watched the Nanny's disappearing figure.
"Look what you have done?!" Soren said to Cyrus angrily, "you made sis Arianna get slapped by that crazy lady!"
Cyrus's face was twisted with genuine guilt, "I didn't mean to-"
Soren's voice raised slightly "Well you did-" but Soren's scolding got cut off by Arianna.
"Hey, hey," her gentle voice returned, "I'm alright."
"But-" Cyrus tried to say something but Arianna cut him off.
"Shh." She shook her head, "it's alright. My work is done here."
"Are you not mad at us?" Soren asked innocently.
Arianna smiled softly as the crowd dispersed, "no," she grinned, "I know you two more than anyone else and I know that my little brothers are completely innocent."
Soren smiled and the anger towards Cyrus earlier was gone.
Cyrus also smiled and felt relieved.
"Let's go home?" Arianna tilted her head to the side ignoring the red mark on her cheek.
Both of the kids nodded and grabbed either of her fingers as they walked towards the setting sun happily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soren sighed and looked towards Cyrus's door. He walked toward the door and opened it. The moonlight filtered through the window. Cyrus was awake, seemingly healed. He is shirtless and the deep purple mark on his chest is gone. He looks healthy, he looks ethereal as the moonlight reflected on his pale skin.
Soren's breath caught in his throat as he swallowed. He had seen Cyrus without a shirt before but never when he is sitting on a bed like that while the moonlight makes him look more beautiful.
"Cyrus?" Soren stepped closer to Cyrus.
Cyrus looked at Soren and mouthed the words, "Let go home?"