There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.
~Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever
"The two of them shall be staying with us until we go down to Feïors Reach". Thomas said giving everyone orders on how to behave while the two men stayed with them.
"The only person to bother them shall be your brother under no circumstances should I see you bothering them understand Amara". Amara jumped at Thomas calling her out. Thomas could already see that Amara fancied Agustin Abarca. Aleria would do anything for her spoiled of a daughter to get what she wanted.
"Why call me out you did not say anything to Canary"! Amara shouted. "I did not say anything to Everleigh because Everleigh sticks to herself she's not going to go even if you ask her to". "Everleigh"? Aleria said. "You always call her Everleigh but never any of the other children by their nickname".
"Aleria, I'm not going to do this with you". Thomas said waving for Eddison to quickly come while they left the women in the room. It was quiet with both Aleria and Amara looking upset. Aleria was seething in her anger and couldn't stop herself from glaring at Canary who didn't spare her a glance.
"My mother has sent gifts for the bag would any of you like to come and see"? Realina said breaking the silence. Amara was going to say no but her mother held her back from going by grabbing her arm. She looked to her to understand why she had down this but the look in Aleria's face made her understand why. "No maybe I'll come by later and see". Amara said.
"Then Carrie". Realina said, holding out her hand. Canary took it and left the room. As soon as she left it wails were heard from the inside from Aleria. Canary could not understand how Aleria and her uncle Lumus were siblings.
They were totally different in their ways. With Aleria being the way that she was especially towards Canary and Lumus sweet and kind as he was. She had once asked her grandmother if Aleria was raised differently. Eldreana said no in fact Aleria was the first child so if anything the rules started with her. Neither were spoiled nor were neglected.
Aleria admitted this also herself that her parents provided them with the same things. Each went to the academy (which was uncommon in some cases). And though they could not learn the same things with Lumus being the heir Aleria was provided everything a girl could have and achieve. And she did achieve much.
So why did Aleria end up this way? Entitled,sometimes bitter and angry, green eyes looking here and there. No one could know but Aleria. "I shall not be going down to the capital with you guys this time I am due at any moment". Realina said, pulling the baby items out one by one.
Canary nodded in silence admiring the items Realina's mother had sent her. "I fear I won't be seeing you when everyone comes back to Whitehill then". Canary said.
"What do you mean?". Realina said her eyes and eyebrows turning and twitching with worry. "I shall be going with uncle Lumus back to Lyikar". "Lyikar"!? Realina yelled and she would've gotten up of if wasn't for her swollen belly.
"Shhh". Canary said looking around. "Only father and you know about it right now I shall tell Eddy later". "But Lyikar why"? "I miss my home". Canary answered. And the room filled with sadness and silence. With Canary looking at the window as she was looking at something.
Realina had always noticed that Canary would stare off into the distance in some sort of trance as she wasn't there but somewhere else. Now she had finally realized where Candy was. In Lyikar…Canary seemed to never leave it. "But this is your home-. Realina's voice cracked. "No my home is in Lyikar". Canary smiled.
"Then I shall be alone"! Realina said. "Throughout all these years we've only had each other, especially when Eddy is gone. What am I to do without you now"?! She sobbed. Canary rubbed Realina's hand and handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.
"I tried to get married and stay here I really did". "No one likes me". Canary shook her head. "No one likes to the point where I am sure if I profess my feelings to someone again I wouldn't be surprised if they said no". "Canary-". Realina said holding her hand.
"My grandfather left behind a will saying if I am not married by the age of Twentythree then I may take over the business and ruby mind with my uncle Lumus watching over me". "How badly I wanted to get married and have a love like theirs". Canary said.
"I cannot, so I will leave and go back home". Realina hugged Canary tightly as they both cried silently. Of Realina's heartbreak to be left alone in Whitehill and Canary's heartbreak of leaving Realina and not being able to get married herself.
She feared she would die alone and old without seeing love. And if she would die alone and old she would do it in Lyikar. Her home where she loved not in Grania where there's nothing but coldness.
"Let us finish looking at the items shall we. Canary said wiping the rest of Realina's tears.
Just as Thomas had said the girl managed to stay away from Shimon and Agustin oh seeing them at dinner. And when they did see the at dinner there was nothing short of the talking that was going on at the dinner table between Amara and Agustin. Amara mostly asked questions about Lyikar and Dëunor where The Abarcas resided. A wooden type area of Grania.
Filled with forest,hills, and meadows. All type of wolves and animals resided in Dëunor. Fitting for the Abarcas who had once lived in Sopour. "I don't understand your sister used to live in Lyikar so you two not talk about it"? Agustin said making the room go quiet. For no one knew that Aleria had forbidden Canary from talking about Lyikar in her presence.
And in her presence was mostly Amara. So Amara never heard about Lyikar from Canary. "Carrie doesn't talk about Lyikar that much". Amara laughed nervously. "Yeah you really have stopped talking about Lyikar as of lately". Eddison said, raising an eyebrow. "I only hear it in passing when you're speaking to father about it or when uncle Lumus is brought up".
"I have haven't I". Canary said. " I stopped talking about a lot of stuff that I like as of lately". Canary said taking a bite of her food. This too was because of Aleria. It was like Aleria wanted to snuff Canary's light out. Everything that had made Canary happy or made her who she was Aleria wanted to get rid of it.
Her drawings,her singing, the talking of Lyikar. All of it, Canary had seemingly stopped. "Please tell us what do you like"? Agustin said. "We've barely heard you talk the rest of the ladies have spoken". "Uhh well I like to sing and draw". Canary said.
"Sing? In Lyikarian I assume". Agustin smiled. "Ah yes I do". Canary said. "Surely you're not going to make her sing out loud to us". Amara jested. "No I wouldn't"? Agustin said looking confused at Amara's remark. "It was only a joke". Amara said nervously. "A poor one". Agustin said, taking a sip of his wine. The room grew awkward after this. With even Canary who was used to awkward silence asking to be dismissed. Along with Realina who seemed to lose her appetite.
"It seems everyone is done eating". Eddison said. "We shall take our leave also". All three of the men got up and left, leaving only Aleria and Thomas at the table in the awkward silence. Thomas wiped his mouth with his napkin and peeked over at Aleria who was cutting her steak. "Anything you want to say"? Aleria asked, looking up at him. "No none at all other than Canary will be leaving with your brother after the social season is over". "I know your Everleigh and daughter in law were talking in secret to each other yesterday". Aleria smirked.
"Talking in secret, are you sure you weren't spying on them"? Thomas said. "Spying"? Aleria scoffed. "Like I would stoop so low to do that". "I pretty sure one of the servants told me Realina was showing Canary the gifts her mother had bought for the baby so yes I believe you would stoop so low to spy". Thomas got up from the table and began to leave before stopping. "Assuming you have heard the conditions of Canary leaving from your spying I warn you not to try anything to prevent her from leaving". "Again do you truly believe I would stoop so low". "Yes I do if you tried it all those years back when we were younger you will try it again". Thomas said and left leaving Aleria in a more fouler state than she was already in.
Eddison,Shimon, and Agustin had excused themselves to drink and dine on snacks that the servants had brought up to Eddison's office or what he would really like to call mancave science his fathers office would be his when he took over the marquis title. He couldn't really call his office his office because he never did anything in this office.
"A new liquor". Agustin said, smelling a bottle of some brown liquor. "Yes, that one was shipped from Lyikar. I wanted to try it with Canary". Eddison said excitedly pouring them all drinks. It seemed Eddison was more happy about Canary trying the liquor than him drinking it himself. "It seems you're more interested in Lyikar these days, Auggy". Eddison asked. Agustin sighed and him and Shimon looked at each other. "What is it"? Eddison asked. "You wouldn't know because the king is on good terms with your family but he has ordered me and Shimon to find a solution or find a way to create a trade between Lyikar and Grania".
"What"?! Eddison said, handing Shimon and Agustin their drinks. "I ask you how much did it cost you to have that bottle of liquor shipped here from Lyikar". "Don't judge me but I could've bought two horses with this bottle of liquor". "Exactly three hundred gold, that's not even including the fees to get products delivered". Shimon sighed and laid his head back. "The king is sending us on impossible tasks one after another". "And we continue to show him we can complete whatever he hands us".
"Yes only this time Tearina is pregnant and due anytime soon". "I cannot travel all the way to Lyikar". "Agustin will be traveling alone this time". "Will you be okay doing that"? Eddison asked worriedly. "I should be fine". Agustin sighed. "Although there is a person that I've been trying to find that lives in Grania". "Some of their work is published around Lyikar but they are originally from Grania".
"What's their name"? Eddison asked. "They go by the name of Elcar". Agustin said. "Elcar huh"? Eddison said. "Never heard of that kind of name before it isn't Lyikarian or Granian". Agustin nodded agreeing with Eddison. "I shall keep looking then". Agustin said. They continued to talk and laugh together leaving the discussion of the kings and what he had put on Shimon and Agustin alone.
A glimmer of light appeared outside of Eddison's window in the dead of the night just by the garden. Only Agustin seemed to notice it and walked over to the window to see what it was. A girl clothed in a dusty blue gown and robe holding a lamp in her hand. Walking around the garden. Into and out of the maze like columns she appeared and disappeared over and over. "What is it"? Shimon asked. "A girl"? Agustin said hardly believing it himself.
"A girl"? Shimon said hurrying to the window. "Is it a servant or something? Why would they be outside in the dead of the night"? "Its my sister". Eddison suddenly said. "Just leave her be she won't cause harm to herself or anyone else". "Your sister"? "Which one"? Agustin said looking back out the window. "Canary". Eddison said, walking over to look out at her too. Canary had stopped at a marble beach sitting on it and then proceeding to get up and run away as if something had been chasing her. "What's wrong with her, is she mad"? Shimon asked. "No, she appears to be playing with something". Agustin said. Eddison nodded pointing at something black following Canary. It was two black kittens following Canary and playing with her cats. "My mother is allergic to cats and flowers so the only time Canary is allowed to play with both is on her own time but the kittens don't seem to want to come out until dark". "If she wants to spend time in the garden she has to wash after she comes in so nothing gets on mother". Agustin and Shimon nodded feeling pity for Canary who was outside playing in the dark. She looked like a mad woman.
"I'm surprised there aren't any rumors going around that your sister is a mad woman". Shimon said. "No our servants already know". Eddison said. "That just lets her be and sometimes gives her food to give to the kittens". Eddison watched her for a moment before returning back to his chair and sitting down. "Canary is the sister that's from Lyikar isn't she"? Agustin asked, sitting down next to Eddison.
"Yeah why"? "You think she would tell me how I can get the Lyikarians to start a trade with Grania"? Eddison shook his head no. "Canary rarely talks about Lyikar now like it pains her". Eddison looked sort of sad so Agustin didn't continue on with asking Eddiso about Canary. "Shes gone". Shimon said coming back to sit down. "She doesn't talk much either". Shimon said. "Though your other sister talks a lot. "Amara"? Eddison said. Agustin and Shimon both nodded. "This is the year she debuts. She and mother are probably already on the prowl to look for a husband and Auggy seems to be a candidate". "Me"! Agustin shouted. "Don't worry I will firmly tell my mother and sister you are not interested in marriage right now".
"No wonder she kept talking to me so much". "Someone wants to be duchess". Shimon joked. Agustin shook his head no. The last thing he needed was an obnoxious wife like Amara and a seemingly antisocial Canary. Though Canary seemed to have something that Agustin needed, all he had to do was talk to Canary to get what he wanted.
So he approached her dead in the morning when the servants were out tending the gardens and Canary was out watching them and reading her book. "Hello". He said. "Canary isn't it"? Canary jumped at the sight of him standing above her. For she did not hear his footsteps and none of the servants had acknowledged him. Probably because they were busy with their own work. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to frighten to you". Agustin said. "May I sit here"? He asked sitting there before Canary even gave her answer to him. This action however did make the servants stop doing their work and stare at the two.
"Don't mind us continue with your work". Agustin said smiling. His smile was kind of eerie to Canary and she stared at him in amazement. Not amazement from how handsome he was and he was really handsome to Canary. But amazement from him trying to mask how he truly felt about this conversation. It looked like he wanted to get this conversation over with that he didn't want to stay here too long.
She stared at Agustin wondering and thinking within herself which made Agustin even more uncomfortable and he cleared his throat to make her move back. "I'm sorry". Canary said. "I'm just confused on why you are trying to have a conversation with me when you clearly do not want to". She said. "You got that from me sitting next to you". Agustin said. Canary shook her head. "No, your expression clearly says you do not want to be here". Canary chuckled. "What is it that you want"? Canary asked. "Oh jumping right into it then I see". "I would like to hear more about Lyikar from you". Agustin asked. "Really"? Canary asked. "Yes or if its too much for you you don't have to". Agustin said. "No it's fine". Canary smiled. "I'm going back there after this social season". "Are you now". Agustin smiled. "So am I the first time I went I only went for two days. I wasn't able to stay for long so I hardly know anything about Lyikar".
"You would think your parents would tell you". Canary said. "Considering the Abarca's are originally from Sopour which is now Lyikar". Canary said, confused. "My parents are dead". Agustin said. "Oh". "Yeah they died before and after I was born". Canary nodded. "Well then I shall tell you then where should I start"?