2 PROLOGUE 2: FAZIAN BASTETE

When she turned twelve, her mother came to visit her for the first time. It was in the middle of the night, and Almathea was getting ready for bed.

Thanks to the light in the room, she had immediately recognized the woman who had given birth to her. No. It could be said that she had seen almost a carbon copy of herself. The face her mother had almost exactly resembled the face Almathea saw every day in the mirror. They had the same high cheekbones, the same boxy smile, the same pale blue hair, and red eyes.

On seeing her mother, Almathea immediately felt like crying. She was almost hesitant, suppressing the urge to jump into her mother's arms. After all, it had been nearly a decade since she had seen the woman.

The carbon copy of Almathea took a seat on the narrow bed in which Almathea slept in.

They stayed there in silence for a few minutes, as Almathea studied this stranger who sat before her. She cleared her throat, "Thea…" The words she wanted to speak out got lodged in her throat.

Almathea let the tears drop down her cheeks. She could not count the number of times she had repeated her mother's nickname for her in her head over and over, in an attempt not to forget her mother.

Hearing her mother call her as such, Almathea jumped directly into her mother's arms. She was just but a child after all. "Mother."

Maore smiled down at her daughter, hugging her as tightly as she could.

"Thea. How have you been all this time? Mother missed you very much."

Almathea could not speak, as she had sunk her face into her mother's neck. She nodded faintly.

"Is Lady Defina good to you?"

Almathea nodded, hugging her mother's neck tightly. She was wearing a large shirt that fell to her ankles like a nightgown. So when she hugged her mother, it rose to her knees.

"I am sorry I could not come and see you all this time. I am a bad mother."

Almathea shook her head and spoke in a muffled voice, "Do not leave me again mother." Despite the fact that the voice was muffled, Maore nodded.

"Mother will never leave you, okay? You should be a good girl, understand?"

Almathea nodded, refusing to let go of her mother, afraid that her mother would leave her once more if she let go.

Maore patted her daughter's head. "Have you been learning how to read?"

Suddenly, Almathea became excited. She jumped out of her mother's arms and picked up a book that was on the small table she used to read.

The book had the title, 'THE BOY AND THE HAT'. Almathea showed the book to her mother. "Mother this is the book Lady Defina left this evening. Can mother read it to me?"

Maore gave her daughter a smile and patted her head. She had sneaked out of her room in order to see her daughter. This opportunity to read to her could definitely not go to waste.

She scooched over, giving Almathea space to sink herself into the covers. Almathea hugged her mother's arm, looking over it so that she could see the small colorful pictures that were drawn on it.

Maore pulled her in closer, "There once was a boy who lived with his father," she began, in a small voice.

By the time she was halfway through the book, Almathea was snoring softly.

Maore stood slowly and tucked in Almathea. She kissed her on the forehead and left the room, almost as if she had never been there.

.

It was another two years before Almathea saw her mother again. Just like the previous time, her mother came in the middle of the night. Her blue hair had been shorn to her shoulders and there were prominent eye bags underneath her eyes.

Despite this, she still gave her daughter a warm smile.

By this time, Almathea was already fourteen seasons. Despite not being as wise about the ongoings of the world, she was still a child. Seeing her mother, she hugged her. This time, however, she did not jump onto the woman.

She hugged her softly before leading her to her small bed. Maore perched herself onto the bed, and patted her daughter's head, "How has my Thea been."

Thea allowed her mother to pat her head, and closed her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips.

She wanted to say that she had missed her mother. So much that she wanted to see her mother every day and never be separated from her. However, she remembered the last time she had thrown a tantrum, she had not seen her mother for over five years. So she gave her mother a small smile, "Lady Defina taught me how to embroider." She stood at the foot of her bed and bent, removing a small box from the dark depths underneath the bed.

She handed the box to her mother, "I embroidered a pouch for mother, father, and brother."

Maore smiled softly, "Thea is so thoughtful." She patted her daughter's head. From the box, she took out three small pouches. They were a dark blue color and had been embroidered using red and yellow thread.

The embroidery was clumsy and there were small mistakes. Each pouch had been embroidered with the characters that read 'mother', 'father', and 'brother'. Maore smiled and hugged the pouch with her name to her chest.

"Mother will always carry this with her. Did Thea learn anything else?"

Almathea paused and thought over that question for a second. "I learned how to play the harp from Lady Defina as well. Mother, Lady Defina said I am good enough to compete with the highest ladies of the highest families."

Maore patted her daughter's hair once more, "Of course, my Thea is the best."

Almathea's heart soared at the praise. "Does mother want me to play for her?"

Maore thought this over before shaking her head, "Mother will come so that Thea can play for her another time."

In the slightly lit room, Maore spotted the book that was on Almathea's bedside table. The title was so big that she was still able to read it. 'THE BOY AND THE HAT.'

It was the book she had read to Almathea all two years before.

Almathea noticed her mother's gaze and smiled, "Will mother read for me again?"

She picked the book and opened it on the exact page that Maore had stopped reading at the previous time and handed it to her.

Maore smiled softly and they sat in the position they had sat in the previous time Maore had read to her.

This time, Almathea was only able to stay awake until nearly the end. When Maore realized that her daughter had fallen asleep, she patted her head and fixed her position to sleep correctly.

Then she finished reading the book. Never had she seen this book, nor had she heard a story like it. She was almost tempted to take it with her, however, she placed it back on the bedside table. She kissed Almathea's forehead before leaving the room as silently as she had come.

Once she had left, Almathea's eyes opened. She hoped her mother would come again so that they could finish reading the book together.

It was another two and a half years before Almathea saw her mother again. This time, her mother came to her during the middle of the day. It was in the middle of the rainy season. With her was a tall boy.

He towered over Maore's simple five foot three, standing at a whole six foot five.

He had a deep frown etched on his face.

Almathea was obviously not used to speaking to anyone. It had also been a whole two years and a half since she had seen her mother. The only person she spoke to was Lady Defina who took care of her. Even then, it could not really be counted as conversation since they spoke barely five full sentences to each other.

Lady Defina had a difficult time with the speed at which Almathea went through books. Almathea would only need a few days to finish a whole batch of books Lady Defina brought from the Manor's library.

However, since she had already taught Almathea all that she already knew, which were the basics of everything she would need to learn. From arithmetic to basic reading and basic writing. From there, Almathea practically taught herself. All Lady Defina had to do was bring her books and she would quickly go through it all.

Therefore, when these two people came into Almathea's room, they found her poring through a large book. Maore gave one glance at the contents of the book and immediately realized that it was all written in Latin.

She hid her shocked expression and gave Almathea the usual smile she did, "Thea. Did Lady Defina teach you how to read Latin?"

Almathea stood and curtsied at the waist as Lady Defina had taught her a lady should. She then shook her head, "I taught it to myself."

Maore took a seat on the bed which suddenly seemed very small, "Oh? Thea is so smart. What else has Thea learned?"

Almathea was no longer that bubbly child who would chatter on and on about what she had been taught. Instead, she took out a small colored book from underneath her bed.

She opened the page where she had placed a bookmark.

"Mother did not finish reading me this book."

As such, she had completely ignored the boy who had come in with Maore. Feeling dejected upon being so blatantly ignored, the boy cleared his throat. When she looked up, she had a blank look on her face, completely devoid of any emotion. It was almost as if she was asking him why he was still present yet it was time for her and her mother to bond. Did he not know that it was possible she would not see her mother for another two to five years?

Maore gave them her usual small smile, "Thea sweetie, this is your brother, Fazian. Quickly, say hello."

Thea gave the intruding boy a blank look but still complied with her mother's request. She gave him a small bow at the waist. "Hello."

The tall boy smiled at finally being spoken to. He gave her a bow as well but did not speak.

As such, Almathea ignored him and turned to her mother. "Will mother read Thea the ending of this story before she leaves?"

Maore smiled, ready to tell Thea that she could not stay for long to prevent them from being discovered.

Almathea did not wait for her to speak. She swept all the books that were on the bed directly onto the floor. She then snuggled herself into the covers and patted at the space that was left, indicating that her mother should join her.

Maore gave her a small doting smile, "Thea darling, it is not bedtime."

Almathea gave her a blank look, "I am sleepy"

Maore smiled, "You are now sixteen Thea, you should not be acting like this anymore."

Almathea looked up from her spot in the bed, her eyes glistening. Maore shook her head and consented, "Come on, scooch over for your brother."

Almathea's eyes landed on the tall boy who stood at the door. She gave a small sigh in her heart. She wanted to spend this time with her mother. She was tempted to tell her that she would not move for him. On giving it another thought, it was possible that Maore would refuse to read the story if she threw a tantrum.

She moved over in the small bed and gave him space to join her. Almathea cried in her heart. If he sat on the bed, there would be no space for Maore to sit. That meant she could not cuddle up with her mother as she had done during the previous times.

Fazian took the space Almathea had left which was closer to the wall. He lay down, trying to fit his tall frame onto the bed. It was a struggle, however, they managed to fit into the bed together when they cuddled up to each other.

Almathea felt her heart ready to break. Why was she cuddling together with this strange boy instead of her mother? She felt tempted to kick him out of the bed.

She endured it and looked up at her mother with her clear eyes, "Mother, read."

Maore took the small chair that was in the room and sat. Instead of beginning where she had left off the previous time, she began from the beginning.

.

S/T:

Almathea: You should leave this place. You are unwelcome

Fazian: ... I am your brother

Almathea: ... So what?