Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 156: Grape Problems

Chapter 156: Grape Problems

"He has saved my life many times, even at times when I felt I never needed saving." Samantha softly began as she revealed everything that has happened within the past few months to Maurice. Turning her head to look at her brother who gave no emotions away, not even a response, she gently placed her hand atop his as they clenched on the windows edge, and only then did Maurice glance in her direction to meet her green eyes.

"You have every right to hate him, he made them take Father away from us but.... let’s not ignore the fact that he did what he did that night to save us. Yes, I know it didn’t turn out the way the three of us expected it, our lives didn’t get better after he made us flee but even if we stayed at the cottage with Father, we wouldn’t be here right now, talking like this." She explained to Maurice who averted his gaze back to the window, and she could see his cold walls faltering. Of course, it would take a lot of time for Maurice to actually see the truth the way it was, but she was also hoping that with time, he would realize that Ivan isn’t all that horrible as he pictured him to be.

Deep down, she really wanted to see the two of them get along– the same way Ivan’s Father and their Father got along while they were still alive, regardless of their differences.

"I...." He began, "he told me he was going to train me." Maurice admitted, lowering his gaze to the view of the courtyard. "He wants me to show up at the court of celestial Valor to join them in their daily practice. He says there’ll be a match held between the contesting warriors of GreenHollow, it’s an important event that every skilled warrior wouldn’t hesitate to grab, and if I win, he won’t only bless me with an honorable title but I get to be your right-hand man. By that I mean, I get to be your protector."

"An Event?" Samantha blinked in bewilderment, and Maurice took in her perplexity before breaking it down. "Oh yes, it hasn’t been made official yet so there’s a chance you haven’t heard about it, but I’ve seen the paperworks of the event. He showed it to me last night, and it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Right now, nothing matters more to me than your safety, and if I win, there’s a chance I can prove that we humans aren’t as weak as they claim us to be, I want to end that difference, just like Father."

"But Maurice..." Samantha grabbed his arm and turned him around so he could look at her. He was expecting her to be happy for the step he was about to take, but then he had forgotten how much of a worried kitten his elder sister can be. "You don’t have to do any of this, it could be dangerous and haven’t you always wanted to be a scholar? To travel around the world and make something meaningful out of it? Isn’t that why we pushed hard on your studies so you could get picked for that bursary?"

"None of that happened, did it?" He inquired softly, but his expression softened as he held both her hands, and he expressed. "You’ve made sacrifices for me, I appreciate them but now, it’s my turn to do the same. When I was alone, I kept wondering if you were fine, if you were still alive, but standing in front of you, I’m going to do whatever it takes to see you succeed. You’re my sister, and it’s normal for brothers to sacrifice a thing or two. Rather than discouraging me, I want your support."

His brown eyes held pure intentions, it was a look a brother would give their sister whenever they felt the need to pamper them, and Samantha could feel her heart swell that it was starting to bring tears in her eyes. She hated herself for always being pulled by her emotions, but she really couldn’t hold it in sometimes.

Her brother really has changed from what she remembered him to be.

"You’re grown up now, Father will be proud if he was still alive." Samantha managed to say while trying not to choke out tears. A small contented smile graced Maurice’s lips as he pulled her in for a brotherly hug, and Samantha couldn’t stop herself from sobbing into his warm embrace. They would both be each other’s strength from now on, and she was going to give him all the support she could possibly offer.

—-

Later in the day, Samantha had taken Maurice around the Palace, and it was quite different seeing the once deserted garden filled with flourishing vegetation. Even the trees no longer bore its nakedness as it had been beautifully covered by thick leaves.

"So this is what GreenHollow looked like once." Maurice mused, intrigue displaying in his brown eyes, and Samantha crouched before a growing plant and immediately used her magic to ripen the grapes that were yet to mature. Maurice’s gaze held awe as the grapes grew bigger and juicier, and when it was to the right size, Samantha plucked them and handed it to Maurice.

"Want some?"

"Yeah... sure." Receiving the grapes from Samantha, Maurice was a bit skeptical to taste them, but since his sister was watching him with anticipated eyes, he had to eat one of the grapes.

"Well?"

Maurice’s brown eyes twinkled, "tastes like Madame Ginevra’s grape pie she always makes on a Sunday." He commented, and Samantha’s eyes held the same excitement as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Do you still remember her?"

"No, but I remember her grape pies." He joked, and the sudden discussion about their neighbors back in the village had Samantha feeling a little homesick again. They had amazing neighbors if that was the case, and Madame Ginevra was one of them. Every Sunday she made grape pie and brought it to their cottage, a little treat, and other times she never failed to bring other mouthwatering desserts since she was a known-baker in their village. Whenever she wanted to try out something new, she and Maurice were honored with the chance to taste her amazing comestibles.

"Do you think we can ever go back there?" Maurice inquired, and Samantha just smiled without responding, merely because she had no idea how to respond to a question she hardly knew the answer to.

Looking elsewhere, Samantha caught a pair of Amber-brown doe eyes staring in her direction. Her eyebrows knitted until the adorable face came into view, and it turned out to be the little boy who had saved her with his scream. He nibbled at his pink bottom lip while shifting stares from the juicy grapes in Samantha’s hand to her face, and then the realization hit her, making Samantha smile amiably at him.

"Come, do you want some as well?" She beckoned him over, and Alain’s expression lit as he gingerly made his way to where Samantha crouched down. She offered him the ripened grapes, and a sweet smile painted his adorable expression as his small hand took the grapes from Samantha’s palm.

"And where did the little guy come from?" Maurice inquired, crouching down as well. Little Alain had placed the grapes between his teeth, and when he looked at Maurice, he intentionally squeezed the juice out, making some of it splatter at Maurice’s handsome face, and Samantha, who was stupefied by the little boy’s mischievous act, tried not to laugh out loud.

Maurice remained frozen, eyes closed, and he could hear the little boy giggling. "Damn it, children always bully me." He grimaced before wiping the juice away from his face, and Samantha lifted the little boy into her arms.

"That is mean." She softly said to Alain, "you shouldn’t do that to people. Okay?" She smiled regardless, unable to resist his cuteness. "What is your name?"

Rather than responding, Alain’s hands reached for the locks of her hair, staring at the color with innocence.

"He can’t speak?" Maurice’s eyebrows creased, but Samantha knew someone who could scream like that should also be capable of talking, or maybe he just doesn’t want to?

"Alain." Samantha heard another feminine voice call out what she predicted to be the little boy’s name, and in no time a beautiful woman emerged from the corner, a look of relief dawning on her expression upon sighting her son.

"Thank you for holding him, I was starting to wonder if I should tie him to a leech or something." Madeline joked as she reached her hands out to retrieve her son, and she bowed her head in greetings. "I hope he didn’t cause any troubles. He has been parading the Palace and I’m sure he must have stirred one commotion or the other."

"No, none at all." Samantha quickly assured the young woman.

"Actually, he sprayed grape juice into my eyes." Maurice reported, and Madeline immediately bowed her head in apology. "Please forgive his mischievous act, did you apologize?" Madeline turned her slightly glaring eyes at Alain who innocently glanced at Maurice before waving his hand apologetically.

"Sorry." He meekly apologized.

"I deeply apologize if he caused any more troubles, it’s a result of his Father’s trait." Madeline internally grimaced, already feeling exhausted until her son pointed at the grapes that were yet to ripen. With an inquisitive stare, Samantha watched as the young woman dropped her son to his feet, and then she squatted down to pluck a grape, but before her hands could touch it, a white glow danced on her dainty fingertips, and to Samantha’s awe, the grapes ripened before her eyes.

"Is it fine if I pluck them?"

"You have powers?" Samantha’s pupils dilated, but Madeline, who wasn’t sure if she could consider her reaction as a good or bad sign, stood up to her full height. "Yes, but since I saw everyone here possess their own abilities, I didn’t think it would be a problem revealing mine." Now that she had said it, Madeline wasn’t entirely sure if she had thought wrong.

"What are you?"

"I’m a Fae."