Two Katanas [1] (Arcana Famiglia Story)

Papa passes out because 'he's stressed'

*Stellae's POV*

'Stellae!' I look up from my papers to see Nova standing at the doorway panting like mad. I scrunch my eyebrows together. 'Its Papa Stellae...' He says. I rise and run out of my office with Nova behind me.

It had been a two weeks since the church cleaning and let's just say I hate Libertá's guts. Everyone does actually as they found out about it everyone just turned away from him in disgust. He would always try and approach me but normally one of the guys would come and save me, and others would just scare him away with their glare. Nova....

We ran down the empty corridors at the speed of light. Nova was now catching up to me, I didn't wait for him to catch up. I ran and I ran and I ran, praying to God Papa was alright, but I feared the worst. My heart was pounding in my ears, I was panting but I still ran. We reached Papa's office and Libertá, Falicitá and Luca were just come down the hall as well butat a slower pace. Nova knocked open the door. I was the first to get in with Nova and Falicitá behind me. As I stood as far away from Libertá as possible.

Mama was kneeling in front of the bed that had Papa laying in it. Mama was holding Papa's hand. My heart clenched. Dante and Jolly were also in the room but they seemed extremely calm. It didn't ease my nerves though. Mama looked up at us all.

'He just fainted my children, he was overworking himself he will be fine' Mama said. Her works rang in my ears. I knew he didn't just faint, Papa was lying too still and he was dripping in sweat, he didn't faint, but he was awake and listening to our conversation.

'He fainted? I was told it was an emergency!' Nova says. I stood still the entire time looking from Papa to Mama. Mama saw my distress and grabbed my hand. I looked away from Papa to her. She startled me a little by the action.

'This is not the conversation to have when a man needs his rest' Mama says giving my hand a squeeze. We all nod at her statement. We all left one by one. Once everyone was out besides Dante, Jolly and Mama I turned to look at Papa.

'You may be able to fool the others Papa, but never me, you should learn how to fake sleep properly' and with that I left the room.

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      An hour or two later
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'What's wrong with Papa....' I kept mumbling to myself as I walked the afternoon halls aimlessly. I have been mumbling the same thing over and over again all day. What's wrong with Papa?....

I had finished my paperwork ages ago as I was stressed after Papa passed out and needed something to do. I tried to find Nova but with no luck as he would be the only one to calm my nerves. I sigh. That's when I heard a door click. I look up from the red carpeted floor to see Jolly leaving Papa's room with his cigar in his mouth and his iconic smirk on his face that just made me want to punch him. He must have notice someone glaring at him because he turned his head my way and saw me standing in the hallway. His smirk grew as he saw me, but he quickly turned on his heels and walked away. I followed him, we ended up at his lab. The lab I have dreaded to enter since I got here. I take a breath.

Knock Knock.

'Come in' Jolly says in his usual cool voice. I enter to only glare daggers at Jolly but realise Dante was also down here in Jolly's lab. I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion as I looked between the two.

'I presume you came to ask about Papa and what is wrong, correct Madam' Dante asks as he stares at the other end of the room, not daring to look at me.

'Correct' I say.

'Then take a seat Darling' Jolly says as he pulls out a chair. I walk over and take the seat a Jolly closes the door that I left open.

'Its a long story...' Dante starts.

I hold my head high.

'I have the time' I say. He looks at me once and then to Jolly.

He sighs.

'It was a long time ago.......when Regalo had no government or under no sort of rule for that matter, soldiers of England came to Regalo make it part of their empire. They killed off the whole Famiglia except for Papa and Jolly' He says. I sneak a peek at Jolly to see he is all tensed up in the corner of the room with his cigar in his mouth glaring at the ground. 'Mondo he......he made a deal with Twenty-first card; Il Mondo: The World and with that card he defeated the English and he then set up The Arcana Famiglia he made everyone feel safe he protected Regalo with his life and still does, but when you make a deal with the Taroco.....' He starts.

'You must be willing to give up something in exchange....' I finish.

Dante nods.

'Il Mondo: The World bears every other Taroco card that doesn't have a holder. And as you know the Taroco require energy or emotions to be used, so Mondo he....he-' Dante stutters.

'He cannot bear the weight of the remaining Taroco cards as they use up his energy' Jolly finishes. I catch on.

'So t-that m-means-' I gasp.

'Smart girl' Jolly says as he puffs out another cloud of smoke from his mouth. Dante glares at him.

'Yes, Madam....Papa is dieing.....' Dante finishes. I had my hands to my mouth.

'But there is a way to save him' Jolly says as he extinguishes his cigar. I jump out of my seat.

'Tell me!' I cried.

'Jolly no!' Dante shouts. Jolly just smirks.

'You have one other Taroco card Darling...' Jolly starts. My eyes widen as Dante sighs loudly and slumps back in his chair I defeat.

'No...' I shook my head. 'No I only have three Il-' I start.

'Il Bagatto, Il Diavolo Il Sole and La Ruota della Fortuna....' I widen my eyes at his words. 'The Wheel of Fortune, yes.....you see when Mama was pregnant on you Mondo fell very ill like he is today and Sumire used her Taroco card to save him but of course there was a consequence to it, she was sort of electrocuted in a way. Then Falicitá came in because she heard Sumire crying and somehow used The Wheel of Fortune to save Sumire....'

'But that means Falicitá has it! Not me!' I say stressed out because of this new information.

'You didnt let me finish.....when she used the card the mark appear on her back and normally when you get you mark or when you first, use it it's stays forever but Falicitá's didn't it slowly disappeared from her back we were all stunned at what had happened but then on your fifth birthday Nova had received a deadly cut to his chest by an enemy of the Famiglia, we all thought he was going to die that night but of course that's never the case, that night you snuck into his bedroom to see the young boy as you only saw him playing in the gardens with Falicitá before so you snuck into his bedroom to see he was asleep, though you saw the cut and somehow that triggered The Wheel of Fortune and it saved his life but you had the consequence you had to endure pain no one else could face' Jolly finishes.

I was already standing and staring at the table. I quietly sat down as I tried to take in all this information at once.

'So I can save him?' I ask as that was the only thing that could come out of my mouth.

They both nod and at that I give them a small curtsy and walk out silently as walked straight to where I needed to be......

There will always be a consequence....

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1388 words!

Hope you enjoyed and I also hope the back story made sense!