Eden
The wheels from our wagon creak to a stop once we have arrived at the end of the gravel driveway. A large manor looms over us, casting dark shadows over our side of the house. The house's exterior is dark, but nothing like how Robin described it. I was prepared to stay in a haunted house, but this place isn't too bad. Robin helps Fox and me out of the wagon. I glance up briefly to see his face is blank. I can't imagine how hard this must be for him.
Arlo made friends with the driver on the way here. He leans against the door while saying his goodbyes to his new pal. While waiting, I move towards a nearby fountain and sit down. The water sounds calm my anxiety while I drag a shaking finger over the cool stone. This will be a hard trip for everyone. The scariest part about this plan is that it could go so wrong so easily. We don't have a proper outcome besides ruining Robin's father's organization. I quickly remind myself that I need to break out of the habit of calling him 'Robin's father' and instead refer to him as Mr. Kedron.
Our driver leaves the driveway. My nerves creep up my stomach. The realization of not having a driver to get us out of here is terrifying. Everyone else looks calm about the situation, so this might not be as bad as I think. This is just scary because I've never done anything brave like this before. I collect my bag once again when I regroup with the other three. After a few nervous giggles, Robin invites us into his home.
My body crashes into Robin's back as he stops quickly in the middle of the doorway. Arlo who was behind me luckily stops himself before crashing into me. Robin's arms go wide before his pace quickens. After rubbing my sore nose, my head lifts to see Robin embracing an older lady. I exchanged a concerned glance at Fox and Robin as the mysterious woman took a step back to fan away her tears. Robin looks equally as emotional.
"Is that his mother?" Arlo whispers in my ear. My shoulders scrunch in confusion and awkwardness. Do we walk around on our own? Or is Robin going to introduce us? Luckily, the second happened. It wouldn't even take me ten minutes to get lost in this house.
"Guys," Robin turns back to us with a wide, genuine, grin. His long arm is folded over the older woman's frame. "This is Amelia, one of the best workers around here. She makes the best chocolates." As we all stand together separate from the two, we exchange greetings. Amelia breaks the ice by giving us all tight hugs. After she squeezed Fox into a fit of laughter, she attacked me. I will admit, it was very comforting.
"Your hair is beautiful darling," Amelia compliments me, "The blonde brings out your watercolor blue eyes!" Tears started to well in my eyes. It's been a long day and being greeted like this is more than I could ever ask for.
Amelia's dress spins once she turns back to Robin. He stands proudly as the woman shows her adoration for his friends. She gives Robin one last quick hug and a pat on his chest before taking a step back to look at him.
"My! You look so polished, Robin," She notices and laughs in my direction. "He's a handsome young boy, isn't he? I'm glad he finally learned to brush his hair." Robin's mouth drops wide and gently moves Amelia's hand out of his hair.
"Not true," Fox retorts with a kind tone, "He still barely brushes his hair, this is a rare occasion I suppose." Arlo lets out a small laugh while he moves to lean against a wall. I stand by Fox with my hands tightly wrapped around my bag handle.
"You're a funny one, aren't you?" Amelia laughs with Fox while Robin rolls his eyes behind the two ladies. "This is a special occasion, however! In this case, I'll have some chocolates made soon."Amelia clasps her hands together and disappears down the hall.
Robin leads us up the staircase closest to the front door. The wood creaks as multiple shoes pound against it. A nearby painting caught my attention. Unlike the dark royal themes this house has, the pictures lining the wall are filled with the brightest colors.
"My mother painted those," Robin leans slightly towards my ear to whisper, like the fact was a secret. He continues, "She went on vacation often and she would paint them there." This special thing of Robin's touched my heart. Because of his father and how much he has taken over Robin's life, I don't hear much about his mother.
I hope the others are paying attention to our path because I already feel lost. Robin quietly names all the different types of rooms on the way to where we are staying. I'm still not sure if I'm okay with staying here. I mean, I did agree to come, but emotionally I don't think I can do this.
Around the corner, a man slumped over in an armchair comes into view. At the sound of us arriving, he jumps up into a tight posture. His hand frantically fixes his glasses before tucking them behind his back.
"Son of Kedron," The man coughs out as he nods his head in our direction. Before Robin can greet him back, the man continues, "I have been set to inform you about your scheduled dinner tomorrow night with your father. He's on his way back from his work trip and will arrive later tomorrow" My heart drops at the mention of Mr. Kedron. I know I was going to see him at one point, but tomorrow feels too soon.
"He states he can't wait to see you and your friends." The man emphasizes the last word. My stomach clenches as his mouth squiggles to an offsetting grin. His head dips low once more before leaving us alone.
"Well, we have a while to mentally prepare ourselves then," Arlo chirps happily as we get closer to our rooms. I appreciate his optimism.
Finally, we make it to the hallway with our rooms. I consider it a win that our rooms are all close together instead of scattered throughout the large house. The door closest to us is Robin's bedroom. Robin expresses how it's been a while since he's slept in this room. Quickly he changes the subject to point to Arlo's room that's across the hall from his.
"It's going to be weird not sharing a room with you," Arlo pats Robin's shoulder before opening his bedroom door and setting his bag on the bed.
"Don't make this weird," Robin shakes his head and shuffles down the rest of the hall. The room I'm staying in is on the left and Fox's is on the right. We're also separated. I don't know if I'm going to be comfortable alone.
We all take a minute to ourselves and settle into our rooms. My bedroom has the same design as everyone else's but it still is nice. The room felt warmer once I pulled back the curtains to let the cool light shine.
My bag goes onto a chair. I don't plan on putting my clothes in the drawers. If I ever need to escape, all my stuff will be in one place. My hairbrush is the one thing I take out of my bag to use. Sitting down at the provided vanity, I take out my updo hair and brush out my tangles. It's been a long day, I already feel more relieved without my tight hairstyle causing me a headache. I will have to focus on trying to get sleep tonight since the circles under my eyes are getting darker by the minute.
Fox knocks on my door and immediately lets herself in. I guess it didn't take her long to unpack either. She sits down on my neat bed and stares at my reflection through the vanity mirror.
"Would you like to stay in my room tonight? I know we're just across the hall but it feels weird staying here," Fox expresses her worries and I've never been so relieved.
"Yes, of course. I would love that." My nerves start to calm knowing that Fox will always be here for me.
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Robin's Song
FantasyRobin's Song is a dark, royal story featuring a troubled teen boy who has his hands tied with a dangerous organization run by his own Father. He is forced to go undercover to a school of royals as someone who doesn't have a drop of royal blood. Robi...
