FaDiNG

4: Away from Stone

It was the day of the funeral – a bright Friday, two days after the incident. Dressed in one of her only black dresses, or dresses at all, Alys gazed at her mother's gravestone.

"Freyja LeFay. A loving mother and friend."

She had been told by Gray that the ceremony was just for show - that her body would be preserved to be transported somewhere else, though she wasn't told where. It wasn't like she would've known the place, even if he had told her.

Alys strained her memory to back where she had first met Freyja. To be honest, she didn't remember too much of the event, but she remembered being a baffled young girl with no memory of her past, and being hugged by a loving Freyja. Alys was around five years old at the time and had had an amnesia, according to Freyja. How and where she was adopted, Alys had no clue, but she didn't care anyway, because Freyja was always her mother, no matter what blood ran in her veins.

But now they would have the same blood... Alys's mind conflicted over if she really should go with the plan or not. It felt wrong while it also felt right at the same time. She couldn't understand how being a Daeva was more precious than her mother, but at the same time she could. Her mind was splitting both ways.

Jolted out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder, she jumped, then turned towards Al looking back at her, a solemn look on his face. Alys gazed into his eyes and saw her own face reflected in them. Al reached his hand to her face and wiped a single tear away from her cheek, a tear that Alys had unknowingly shed. Alys weakly smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' and they continued the ceremony hand in hand.

Alys stood in a room together with Gray, the Bellen's, which include Al, and his father (they thought that it would've been best not to bring Al's two younger siblings, who were currently being looked after by their mother), and a man at a desk. The doors closed behind them, the man began to slowly read.

'... I will make this prompt...'

The man's words fazed in and out of Alys's hearing, her thoughts an empty space, until she heard her name.

'"I give Alys a present – this box",' he read, gesturing to a long wooden box in front of him, '"as well as whatever fortune I own. I give Gray Ironwood guardianship over Alys till she is of 18 years..."' The man continued on, but all Alys could do was stare at the box, then at Gray.

So he will be my guardian?

To be honest, Alys had no idea if she felt worried or relieved about it. She considered how her mother had called him to help and thought of it as natural for him to be her guardian, however, she was more curious as to what was inside the box.

The box was over a meter long and was probably as wide as her forearm. It was made out of a deep dark wood, and had a gleaming silver and red ribbon tying it closed, a perfect bow on top. It had hinges on one of the long sides, but no clasp to hold down the other side, just the ribbon.

Alys quietly stretched in the sun outside, all the formalities finished. It had been a long and tiring few days, and despite the sorrow welling up inside, she told herself not to cry.

Like mother – like daughter, huh?

Gray slowly walked up to her holding the wooden box from before by the handle. Telling her it was time, Alys looked up at her old home one last time. It wasn't much, but it was still her home. Alys smiled up at it, glad for the memories it held, then turned to leave.