A normal life

She goes home

My sister and I stayed up most of the night talking. About her studies mostly and life away from home. I did my best to keep my composure trying not to let anything slip and I did not. At least I don't think I did.

For the next two days, I tried by all means to avoid Anthonieos. I knew they didn't finish with the lock as it is a very intricate system. It has more latches than I can count, but at the end of the day, it is for their safety.

I walked the long way around to get to my pets. Around the quart yard through the maze garden. It might have taken a bit longer, but I got there eventually. And guess who stood there waiting for me. Freakin' awesome. All of that for nothing! Guess doing it for two days in a row would be pushing it. Well, at least I got my exercise in.

"Anthonieos, what are you doing here? I doubted that I would be seeing you today. To be honest I have been trying to avoid you since our encounter the day before yesterday. I feel so guilty. I should have been honest. I don't know why I wasn't. It's not like me to lie. I hate it when people lie and thus try not to do it myself."

Anthonieos: "I thought you called me Anthony now."

He says in a charming laughingly tone.

Anthonieos: "I realized you were avoiding me when I saw you completely avoiding the training yard and walking an alternative 2-kilometer route. Seems a bit unpractical if you ask me but I am not one to judge. It does seem like I might have been spying on you and I promise that it's not true in this instance. I cannot honestly admit that Drikust has not though. "

"There is nothing for you to feel sorry about."

"I can completely understand why you did what you did. If placed in a similar circumstance I might have done the same. You had no idea who the man entering your path was, if you would ever see him again, and most likely would not bother thinking about him again. I am but a driver, not anyone worth courting. Only after hearing who I was, you probably realize that you would in fact have to face me on a regular basis. If only from a distance."

"As I mentioned, there is no reason to avoid me.

If you would entertain the thought that maybe, we could by chance start over. "

"Not like in a cheesy romance novel. You know my name and I now know yours but maybe we could get to know each

other better. If only from an improved work ethical perspective."

"I would like that very much, if only for work ethics. And who knows maybe friendship. Thanks, Anthony."

Anthonieos: "You are welcome Cassy. While I go find one of my other friends, he King, or shall I say your father summons us for a briefing on our schedules once the study halls reopen and you return to class."

"Good luck and well, see you soon I guess."

There I go walking away again. Well, at least he is not mad at me. That is a good sign.

The long weekend has passed, and it is time to say goodbye to Nessy.

"I wish you could stay a little longer. I cannot believe this is our last day. When do you think you will be back?"

Nessy: "Who knows. I have just started writing a report about the dwarfs of Elvendale and as this is Elvendale I guess I am kind of stuck for a while."

"What? Why didn't you say anything? Do mom and dad know?"

Nessy: "Yes they do. I told them when I arrived."

"Then why did you only bring one suitcase? Where is all your stuff?"

Nessy: "The thing is sis. I am not going to be staying in the castle. I am will be staying in a dorm with some elf friends and well, a few dwarfs. The whole idea is to get to know them and their customs. I can't do that while living here but if all goes well I might perhaps be able to pop in more regularly"

"Okay, go now. I can't miss you till you leave and if I don't miss you, I can't look forward to your return."

Nessy: "You are so corny. Next time I want to meet those boys. I need some company. Dad never allowed me to date while living here. I think it is about time for me to make up for lost experiences. Mwah, see you soon."

"Deal. Mwah."

It has been about a week now since Nessy left. I have been spending quite a bit of time with the new guys in my life. As per the king's orders. I must get to know all my guards for me to feel safe around them. It feels like I am being set up though. Dad knows how I feel about Pieterre and it's almost like he placed these two guys in my life as a distraction.

I have not forgotten about him though. I do realize that I have been avoiding him.

He has been spending more and more time with dad. I don't think I have seen him on the training ground all week.

The beast, as they started calling him, the dragon that has been causing all the destruction, has also yet to make his return. I miss hearing his roar every time someone tries to get him to do something against his will. He is not a sit still, rollover kind of pup.

When he growled it literally felt like the ground was moving, sending small vibrations down your spine. For me, that was the best feeling in the world. For others, the feeling of pure terror.

I think about him often but as you know I am not allowed near him or any of his kind.

The enclosure where he is being kept is about a 5-minute drive from the castle doors, but walking is a bit far. If I push my luck maybe Nessy could perhaps take me past there when she comes to visit. I still need to introduce her to the guys, but I do fear that she will be breaking up the team by, as she would put it playfully, experimenting with one of them.

I have not mentioned anything to my dad or Pieterre about what I overheard that night. Honestly, I am still terribly upset knowing that both of them are keeping secrets that could change everything.

The last few nights I have been getting constant nightmares and my mom is now singing more to me than I think she ever has before. She keeps on asking me what my dreams are about, and I have to lie. I hate, utterly hate lying to her! I keep on telling her I had forgotten. How can I tell her the truth? How do I tell her that I have been dreaming about a brother slightly older than me? We are playing in the mud as Nessy and I always did when we were small. Flinging it at each other with a piece of reed.

As kids, we use to do this until someone got hurt and started crying. In my dream, however, my sister and I both started crying as unknown men came to take our brother away knowing we would never see him again. It would break Nessy, I know it will. Kind of how it is breaking me knowing that she still has contact with him yet never had the decency to introduce him to us.

I keep on wondering if it would really be a bad thing to just let it slip one day. I do need to talk to Nessy about this. If I do not do that before confronting them and she finds out that I knew about him and avoided telling her, that would make me just as bad as them.

This is going to be a long confusing weekend. I am tired just thinking about it.