A Father's Sin

The Last Heir (Chapter Twelve)

I have been staying with Bevan and his mother his mother for three weeks and two days since the day I woke up. Two days ago Elizabeth moved me to" my own" quarters despite my protests. It had three separate rooms a dining area, a living room, two bathrooms and a drawing room. It was spacious enough to house a family of six comfortably.

A week ago was the day I took a walk with Bevan in the winter garden and saw Gemini in the night sky. That night he had also told me why he was like that; I remember feeling anger towards his ancestor who committed a sin so great it cursed his bloodline completely. Why were the gods so harsh in their judgment?

The same thing had happened to his father Evan Griffon Le Gris, he was too young to understand what had happened to his father then and he didn't see his father often as a child the only parent he knew was his mother. His father died at a very young age; at 25 years of age when Bevan was barely two years old.

The curse manifested when the Le Gris men come of age, it happened when they became men capable of taking up responsibilities. Elizabeth and Evan's marriage was arranged when they were adolescents, her poor parents were very willing to sell her to a very rich family without any questions. Bevan said his parent's marriage was loveless according to his mother, her first and only duty was to produce the next heir and take care of her household and she tried her best to do so.

They were wed when Evan was 22 years of age and Elizabeth 18 years of age, the curse manifested the year Evan turned 23 years of age when Elizabeth was pregnant with Bevan. Evan became consumed with finding a way to lift the curse he isolated himself more and more with each passing day, studying, trying any form of magic and the dark arts he could lay his hands on until he gave up and took his own life.

I had gotten answers but it just left me with more questions, at least now they were willing to give them to me. Since our walk the other day he was more open and answered most of my question patiently.

Although our conversations were very civil and interesting we didn't always agree with each other, his views on certain things I did not agree with; like his thoughts on the role of women in society and their place in a home.

His mother was right he was a very charming beautiful soul beneath all that fur, horns and claws. A he was very intelligent too he possessed a sharp mind that could catch almost anything. He fascinated me with his mind most of the time, other times I wanted to throw a really big book at his big head a really heavy book because of the frustration the rigid aspects of his mind brewed in me. With all he was underneath no woman stood a chance against his charm, pity he looked like that. I teased him with those words frequently.

We had both subconsciously adjusted our daily routine to fit each other in, he even started joining Elizabeth and I for dinner. We either took walks together or read together in the library sometimes he asked me to help him look for books on particular subjects and ask for my opinion on some topics. On some other days we had debates or spirited arguments and picked up where we left off the following day.

I was eager to meet him today for one of our spirited arguments, precisely to pick up from where we left of yesterday. It was another argument about the role of women, he had insinuated that it was the duty and place of a men to always protect women whether women understood the stakes or not men knew better.

It was brunch time; neither Elizabeth nor I cared much for that meal breakfast was very sufficient. I had had breakfast in the kitchen with Melinda in the kitchen and for once, I was the one that was talking too much and the topic of my discussion? Yes, it was solely Bevan Le Gris and how bullheaded he could be. So by brunch time I was matching towards the library ready with words to prove my point.

"What do you have against women being strong and being able to stand up for themselves?"

"Good Morning to you too Bell, I slept well I trust you did too, what with your high spirits this morning."

He replied drily whilst scribbling slowly into a large book on his study table in front of him. How he found anything on that table top was a miracle. He had taken to calling me Bell short for Bella as if Bella wasn't short enough already. I think he just enjoys the way I always roll my eyes at the sound of me being called "Bell" because even when I resist the eye rolling the effort of resisting is very visible on my face.

"I've been thinking you know."

"Really...? How wonderful."

"Why weren't you arranged to be married before it happened to you, like your father and the ones before him were?"

"It? You mean before I seized to be human?"

"You refused marriage because you were trying to protect her from a bleak life. Didn't you?"

"I am not without honor I cannot doom anyone to this kind of fate, no woman deserves that. If I care about any woman at all I should be able to protect her."

"What happens when she chooses to stay on your side of her own accord?"

"That is not her decision to make."

"What about your mother, was it not her that chose to stay?"

"They should not have done that to her."

"Despite the fact that she is a very strong woman you do realize she stayed because she loves you. And what about you family lineage, are you going to let it die out because of how you feel about how much responsibility a woman should be?"

"It is not about that at all, I refuse to burden another generation with this curse. The pride of my Fathers before me made them think they could break it what if the solution is ending it?"

"You cannot be serious, after what happened to your father it would kill your mother!"

"I don't mean it like that, I will not end my own life but hopefully I will die of old age. My mother and I came to an agreement I will not dabble in magic or any of the dark arts or try to take my own lifelike my father did and she will not arrange a marriage for me. We will keep finding other ways but no one will have to suffer this affliction ever again because the bloodline will end."

It bothered me deeply that he thought like that, like he had given up hope a long time ago. I had so much more to say to him but I let him win the argument this one time. I took the book I was presently reading from a shelf in the corner and sat in an arm chair opposite him. He had brought in to the study for me when I complained about the other chairs making my back hurt.

As I opened my book we fell into a comfortable silence, every now and then I would ask him questions on how he got by having a body like that and he would answer patiently. It turns out he did have numerous advantages with the body he possessed.

He was now a hundred times stronger than he was when he was human, his vision and his ears became sharper. He also run a lot faster than he could be, he could run for hours without tiring, all that freedom but he felt like a prisoner.

When his mother told him about his family's history it change his life completely, he didn't see the world the same way anymore and the world didn't see him the same way anymore either. He told me a funny story of when he changed and he was desperately tried to prove to people he was not a monster. He approached a village and the man that saw him first yelled "It's the devil himself!!!" He had tried to calm him down to no avail.

That was when he discovered he could run as fast as the speed of light. The man he had tried to speak to had rallied the villagers, before he knew what was happening they gathered and chased him with pitch forks and torches. He ran so fast it looked like he disappeared, the mob chasing him really thought he had vanished into thin air panicked and ran back to their village screaming "the gods protect us, it was really the devil!!!"

It was really admirable that he could laugh about it now but I know for certain it was not funny then; my heart went out to him. It has drawn close to evening and we were enjoying each other's company we were oblivious to the world but my stomach made me start to notice the world again. As I got up to leave my mind was still riddled with the words he told me about ending his bloodline. When I got to the door I stopped and turned around to face him, he was concentrating on the book before him. "Ending it all cannot be the only solution; we can find a better way. Let me help you find a way, I want to help you find a better way. Please..."