Chapter 2 - Earliest of encounters

A butler receives us at the entrance.

The ‘castle’ is very much the same as ours, though, not as big. Still whomever says it’s small is either blind or of higher nobility. Heck who cares about nobility this days, it’s astonishing to see how that political system endures the ages.

Maids take my father’s and my mother’s coat and guide us towards the stairs on the center of the well decorated hall.

There are some landscape paintings on the walls left and right. The stairs are spot-on dead center traveling upwards onto the second floor. A dark blue carpet with golden borders covers the steps of the stair.

It’s different than my house, where the carpet is black with silvery borders. But hey we are not in my home so no point describing it.

I’m being carried by my father but I want to enter walking on my own two feet. Let my little cousin see me walking on my own and surprise aunty and uncle.

I start making funny noises and moving my legs, father understands and puts me down while saying it’s ok to mother.

I look at mother and stomp my small feets on the ground like a small odd march, and she laughs. Seeing that I can’t help but smile and raise up my hand.

That seems to surprise her, her brow rose a little, she tilt her head and grabbed my hand.

The maid informs of our arrival.

“Lord Mark Regenald Decebal the second, Lady Leanore Elaine Decebal and their daughter Lady Gatriel Decebal are here”

Aha! so you noticed eh? Yes my name is Gatriel, it has always been Gatriel, and it will always be Gatriel. It seems to be some odd twist of the ‘returnage’, our names never seem to vary ever, it is the same for all of us, always always the same names.

Each and every time I’m born my parents “feel the need” to call me Gatriel, my last name varies every time, but my first name is without mistake, Gatriel.

“Let them in, thank you”

My uncle’s deep voice informs the maid from inside the room, and she opens the doors for us.

We walk side by side towards the big bed where aunt lies with the baby, uncle stands up to receive us. And as soon as he does a loud alarm went off in the room.

“Waaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaa waaaaaa”

Woah! That kid sure knows how to cry, those are some lungs she got there, good for you aunty, uncle, you got a healthy child.

“Waaaaaaa wa wa wa waaaaaaaaaaaaaa wa waaaaaaa wawa waaaaaaa”

My aunt and uncle are startled, it seems they haven't seen her cry like that.

Uncle Clay explained later that she didn't cry much, ‘well not like your Gat that didn’t cry at all, but she doesn't cry that much normally’, and aunty is trying to calm the baby without any effect whatsoever, she just doesn’t stop crying her lungs out.

Father laughs and tells him ‘that is the sign of a healthy child Clay be happy’ and then jokes about how he was worried saying ‘Maybe my Gat wasn’t healthy enough you know, I have never heard her cry like that haha’.

I pouted a little (gotta play the part you know), puffed my cheeks, and stomped my right little feet on the floor crossing my little arms and called to him ‘papa’ *hmph* with my ‘angry face’ (well if it is even possible to put an angry face haha).

My father and uncle seeing that burst into laughter, seems my attitude was more cute than anything else, not quite what I wanted.

Mother walks with me towards the bed and what I saw there was just amazing, the little girl was looking straight at me, crying her lungs out, as if she was not crying senselessly but instead trying to speak.

Or rather she was speaking to me, but heck I’ve never seen her before you know? She was just born a week ago.

She is indeed cute, black hair, black eyes, uh? hmmmm, white skin, deep gaze, hmmmm, wait a minute…

No it can’t be, we’ve never been direct family before and we should not be able to “sense” others yet.

I look into her eyes and tilt my head, her hands are waving wildly towards me, her little lungs are still being filled and emptied with ridiculously loud cries.

My aunt’s face shows confusion and she is frozen in bed, probably has been frozen in place since the the baby started crying her heart out.

“Mama, mama, up”

I said and raised my arms towards Lea, she smiled and lifted me into the bed, the little girl is wildly flailing her little arms stretched towards me.

She cries and cries and flails her little limbs crazily (it’s actually quite cute seeing this spectacle), my aunt seems to have realized that she wanted to come to me and brought her close to me

“Seems Ali recognizes her cousin, isn’t that amazing? so incredibly lovable and cute, isn't she beautiful Gat? Your new little cousin!”

Says my aunt smiling(such a beautiful woman indeed). I just nodded and smiled warmly.

I got close to the baby and looked at her, there is no doubt in my mind, not just that she stopped crying as soon as we came in contact, it’s those eyes that are looking straight into mine, I know that look, that strong gaze can only belong to her.

As I pat her head I smirked, couldn't help it you know, it's my turn to be the eldest haha, at my smirk the baby cried loudly as if complaining for about four seconds and stopped.

My aunt tried to grab her but Ali didn't let go of my dress, so mother helped to get her to let her tiny hands go. My aunt then put ali on her uncovered breast and that was it, she couldn't help herself and started to eat.

Shortly after Ali fell asleep and so did I while my the adults were talking, laughing and celebrating.

It's been six months since that loudly annoying night so I’m two years old now and having found Ali, with blood ties at that, I spend as much time with her as I can.

My father and uncle have guards together(well they belong to the same knight squad), so when there is a guard, we go to auntys home, and when there is not, they come to ours, well not just aunt and uncle, but their friends too.

And since now there are two children on this side, the Knight’s kids come too, most of them are older than, the younger is 4 years old, the eldest is 6.

They are a bit conceited but well that's normal, they are starting to develop their personality, and being the sons of the knights of The Pegasus, the Knight squadron lead by my father (such a rare custom to name the squadrons), they have already started learning the ways of the sword.

In the barbecues done here at the castle I spend my time reading books with Ali whenever possible, she's too small yet to talk, but it's not far off, I’m certain in about two to four more months she'll start saying mama and papa just like I did.

The boys are annoying, disciplined when training yes, but annoying when not, they like to play knights saving the princess, and try incessantly to bring us into their play, no matter how much I tell them that we don’t want to they just keep trying.

“Drop that book and come on Gat, let's play knights and bandits”

“Would you be so kind as to not call me Gat please? We are not close enough for you to call me so familiarly. Thank you young lord William, young lord Slate, young lord Armon”

The adults seem to have heard me and their eyes went round, mouths totally agape while the kids got angry. I’m really well educated and speak sometimes (if not most of the time) as if I were a lot older than I look (it’s not like they know anything really about how long I’ve been alive).

Armon, the eldest boy started walking towards where Ali and I were sitting, holding his small even funny wooden sword, his face was showing his discontent openly. He refers to me as bookworm when he think I can’t hear.

“What's the deal with you ‘Gat’ haven't your respected lord father taught you to respect your elders? Ah”

While holding his wooden sword posed on his shoulder, as if telling me that he would hit me if my father wasn't here.

I couldn't help but snort, it’s time to play the defenseless girly card.

“Waaaa waaaaa papa papa Armon is bullying me, papa papa im afraid hes going to hit me with his sword”

Hows that you ass! Quickly go away will you? You are annoying, a n n o y i n g!. I looked at him and showed him an evil smile, then looked back at the adults and continued to cry until Armon’s dad showed up followed by my father, both whom scolded him harshly.

Lord Knight Klauss is a strong knight that reports to the Lions(Like uncle Clay) short dark brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and as most Knights muscled body!

Armon’s dad went as far as to slap him on the face so hard that he fell down on his bottoms.

“But lord father”

Armon tried to complain, but his father stopped him right there and then, my father was standing right behind Lord Knight Klauss, Armon’s dad, looking at him with such fierce eyes that I thought for a second ‘Shit I overdid it’.

“Firstly, a man would never wave a sword in front a lady.

Second, she told you not to call her ‘Gat’ and you went and called her by the very name she told her not to, and then you go and dishonor his father.

Such a disappointment for me to see that behaviour, and you wish to be a knight?

Aren't you the oldest here?”

That was one heck of a reprimand, yes I went a bit overboard here, I think I should interfere here, it’s not like I wanted to humiliate him.

I just got a bit mad at his attitude that’s all. But if I go out of my way and say something, it could also trample over both father and son’s pride.

Oh well it’s my responsibility so let's just say something.

“Lord Knight Klauss, *sob* I was too rash *sob* and ill mannered *sob*, don’t punish him too hard, *sob* I was at fault too *sob*”

My father showed a smile at my words, and Lord Knight Klaus's brow rose in surprise, nodding extended a hand to his son and let him go with just that.

After thanking me and forcing the kid to say sorry they both their separate ways, kid to kids, adults to adults.

And I kept reading in a low voice the book to Ali who was showing a somewhat amused smile(if even possible at her current age) on her incredibly cute face.

Thanks for reading my fiction! I hope to get your comments and help from now and in future issues.

Give and Take you know undefined, you help me, I help you! isn't that the main reason why most of us gather here in RRL? to learn from each otner?

Cheers.