Sitting around the servants table in the kitchen, several plates were pushed to the center. The only thing left on them, crumbs from the toasted bread that structured simple BLT's. Conversation buzzed amongst them, little Theo stealing the show for the most part.
The smell of apple cinnamon tarts being freshly baked clung to the air. Julia rose from the table, gathering the plates and walking them to the sink. Nemia instinctively stood, excusing herself from the table. Keeping her mother's diary on the table, well away from potential water damage.
"Julia, Nemia. No need to worry about the dishes, the maids will take care of it after we leave from here. There's truly no need." Dorian reached out, his hand circling Nemia's wrist softly.
Nemia frowned. "It's just a few dishes, we can take care of it. No need to add extra workloads where it's not needed." She tugged her wrist out of his light grasp. Stepping around the table to saddle in beside Julia at the sink. Casting a glance over her shoulder to Dorian. He sighed and glanced over to Lillian and Nemia turned her back to them.
Julia was running the water in the sink, the dishes not enough to worry about using the dishwasher installed. Humming softly to herself, Nemia working on organizing the plates, pan and silverware used.
A tug on Nemia's shirt caused her to look down and little Theo was standing there, his blue eyes doe-like. Wide and questioning. "Can I help Aunt Nemia?"
A smile blanketed Nemia's face. "Well of course." Grabbing a towel from the rack that hung between the stove and sink. Flipping it down to him softly. "Think you can dry them?"
He grinned happily and nodded his head fiercely. "I'll be the bestest dryer-er ever!"
Nemia laughed softly, leaning down and snagging him from the ground. Setting him up on the counter much like her adoptive dad did when she was about his age.
She winced inwardly at the thought, the grief from the memories still just as fresh. She quickly buried the pain, but not fast enough.
"Why do you look sad?" Theo asked softly, his bottom lip protruding out slightly.
She blinked and smiled softly, shaking her head. "Just a sad memory crossed my mind is all, no worries little one."
"Why did you think of something sad?" He asked curiously. She knew he was just trying to understand, but she wouldn't dare tell him the full truth.
"It's hard to explain, little Theo. But to answer, I remembered someone from my past that I miss terribly. Someone I'll never be able to see again." She danced around the explanation as best she could. Offering a soft smile, the pain of her past now hidden deep within herself.
"Oh..." Theo paused a moment, his finger tapping his chin in what seemed a deep thought for himself. "Did they join the stars like Mommy's mommy?"
A frown flickered over Nemia's expression. "Yeah, they joined the stars." My entire family... She finished the thought in her mind.
Dorian's arms was suddenly wrapping around her from behind, placing his lips to the top of her head.
At one point, something as simple as this display would've made her skin crawl. But instead, she leaned back into his embrace and could feel the tension in her shoulders immediately dispersed. A smile lifting the corners of her lips softly. This one, fully real. Not forced in any way.
As Dorian pulled his head up from being buried in Nemia's hair, his voice vibrated her through his chest. "I think I want to help with the dishes too.."
She twisted her neck up to look at him. "Now you want to help?" She questioned with a light laugh, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"I never said I didn't want to help." Dorian defended himself.
"No, you just wanted the maids to do it so we didn't have to." She mused softly, picking at him.
He chuckled. "Yeah, well... I'm the King, I'm not used to being asked to do them or having any form of guest offer."
His defense was reasonable to a degree, but she still felt it wasn't a respectable reason.
She could feel the frown burrowing into the top of her head as he caught her thought himself.
'I'm sorry.' she immediately shot the apology into his mind as her arms tightened a bit around his arms that encircled her waist.
His mind brushed across hers, letting her know the apology was accepted. Though he released her and stepped to the side. "So, what do you want me to do?"
Nemia's lips pursed. "You can pet them away after Theo here drys them." She shrugged, stepping over to the empty side of the sink.
A few minutes later, the last plate was being passed over to Theo. Just as he grabbed for it, Ajax came bursting through the kitchen with a book clutched in his hand.
His eyes wide as Nemia and all the others turned to look at him with their own confused expression.
"Mom! Why haven't you told us we are the direct descendants of the moon Goddess' first lycan creation?" He rushed the moment he crossed the threshold of the kitchen. Holding up the book home clutched in his hand.
The plate slipped, crashing and splintered into tiny fragments of glass the instant it hit the stone floors.
Lillians expression changed from alarm to a softness. "Well, we aren't direct lineage. The family name is. Well, the Volkov family name. Your nine times great grandfather was the first. About twelve thousand years ago. It is why we have a longer life span than most lycan though." She answered in earnest, unaffected by Ajax's irritated sigh at her answer.
"It's still history that worth being passed down." Ajax huffed. Crossing his arms awkwardly with the old book of their lineage tucked into the nook of his right arm.
Theo huffed himself then. "You made me break a plate!" He pointed at Ajax with his accusation.
Nemia put a hand on his and pushed it down softly. "Let's not point, I'm sure he didn't mean to make you drop it." She offered reason and gave Theo a bit of a sterned look.
He frowned a bit and Lillian cleared her throat, both of them glancing over to catch the stern, motherly look to Theo herself. "She's right, we don't point and blame. You know better than that Theo."
Theo's frown deepened for a moment, then glanced over to Ajax. "Sorry for pointing at you, big brother." He huffed softly.
Ajax waved it off. "No worries, little bro. I'm sorry if I made you drop it from running in here." He offered his own apology with a small smile.
Theo beamed then. "It's okay." He went to move but Nemia stopped him from getting down. "Dorian, set him down over there away from the broken glass, will you?" She pointed over towards Lillian in visual aid of where she said for Theo to be placed. Glancing down at her bare feet with glass surrounding them.
"How about I get your barefooted self out of the glass first." He offered, his hands reaching for her waist before she had a chance to respond.
Instead, she quickly smacked his hands away. "I'll be fine, tend to your nephew." She scolded, her hand resting on her hip.
He sighed, but complied. Lifting Theo from the counter and walking him over to Lillian. Theo giggled the whole time as Dorian made airplane sounds and took the long way around to Lillian.
Nemia watched with a smile for a moment, being pulled from the scene as Julia started sweeping the broken glass around Nemia's feet. "Just don't move." She mumbled softly.
"Why are both of you acting like I made of glass myself?" She mused with furrowed brows, glancing between Julia and Dorian. Grabbing the broom from Julia a moment later from the lack of response and started sweeping the floor around her.
She could feel small shards of glass bite into the pads of her bare feet but it was nothing more than a sting. As she walked around with the broom, her feet healed and pushed the shards out almost as fast as they entered.
Dorian shook his head softly and let out a small laugh. "You are so much more stubborn than I first imagined."
Nemia let out a light laugh of her own, smiling brightly while both hands gripped the broom handle. "I'm glad I could surpass your imagination."
"Whatever you imagine, do so tenfold and you may be closer to the truth." Julia added, giggling softly and took the broom back from Nemia to replace it back in the closet she has retrieved it from.
Nik and Milli strolled into the kitchen then, having caught up to Ajax. "The kid took off, don't be mad we lost him." Nik announced the minute he entered.
Milli stayed off to the back of him, not completely entering the fray.
Lillian laughed, swatting her hand in front of her. "I knew he'd find something in that library that'd make him coming running after me. Just so happened to be our lineage that got him."
"Well duh! It's a cool family fact, if anything." Ajax retorted, rolling his eyes.
Nemia laughed lightly, but was more focused on Milli's timidness now. Moving through the kitchen to get closer, she dropped her voice low though everyone in the room had heightened senses aside from Milli herself so it did no good to aid in privacy. "You okay, Milli?"
She nodded softly, her eyes darting around the room and then settling back on Milli. "I just, don't belong here." She mumbled softly.
Theo instantly ran over to her, hearing her mumble. "Yes you do!" He argued with her defiantly, obviously offended by what she had said.
Nemia placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back softly. "What he said. Unless you want to change-"
Milli quickly shook her head. "No, I want it. More than anything. I just feel very... Wrong being here, with your growing family."
Nemia's eyes softened and she tilted her head to the side a tad. "But you're part of this growing family too, don't forget that."
Milli's eyes widened slightly and a smile started to creep in. "Okay."
Theo pulled away from Nemia and grabbed Milli's hand. "Yeah! You can be Aunt Milli!"
"See, swore in by the most important family member there is. Only rivaled by Ajax, of course." She grinned, throwing a glance over her shoulder at Ajax who smiled warmly himself and nodded.
Milli's face brightened completely then and all her worries of not belonging seemed to wash away. "Okay." She said again, with more conviction this time. Beginning to believe in it.
"Now, all that aside." Nemia turned around to look at Dorian and Lillian who were standing next to Ajax. "Descendants of the Moon Goddess herself? That's news..." She mused, looking between them.
Ajax cleared his throat. "Aunt Nemia... Uncle Dorian... The two of you were most literally meant to be. It's written here." He pulled open the book to a dogeared page in the book. Offering it to them as Nemia closed in.
A quick glance over the page, Nemia gathered that it was talking of the Moon Goddess and the Sun God being two lovers of old. The two paths constantly crossing each other, binding the two together for eternity in momentary lapses. Talking of dusk and dawn, when the two worlds connect.
Further in the passage it talks of their creations that would be bound to one another by a bond stronger than any physical element there is. The mate bond. It wasn't just the moon Goddess' creation, but the sun God also had part in it as well.
At the end of the passage it talks of one of Her descendants and His vessel joining together, linked by the bond like no other could be.
Descendant and vessel... Check and check. She mused in thought, glancing up at Dorian. "So, I guess the moon Goddess was so picky with your mate because she was waiting on Solis' vessel."
"It would appear so..." Dorian blinked down at the open book and half laughed.