Orange Blood (ON HOLD)

°CHAPTER EIGHTEEN°

“Your Father.”

Januya turned to her this time. Synis was dressed in all black and in her right hand was a feather. She shook the feather and it glowed golden, providing light. “Lord Kelen wasn’t only an excellent leader, he was also a talented artist. This used to be his drawing room.”

“What happened?” Januya forced her voice to sound less wobbly, “why is everything still here?”

Synis met her eye briefly before responding, “after the… Incident, your uncle ordered everything to be disposed. All of their things. I found this place a while ago. I think whoever was supposed to dispose these didn’t do it.”

Januya looked away. Why would her uncle want her father’s paintings disposed? The most they could’ve done was to hang these paintings somewhere, maybe a showroom, where nuliians would see them and remember him. Januya felt unhappy, then angry at the fact that they treated her father’s work like trash, then sad again.

“Everything here belongs to you now.” Synis told her, “Whoever hid all these probably left it for someone who wouldn’t want them disposed. Since you’re here, I think your father would want you to have them.”

Januya nodded with effort. Everything here was too precious to throw away. She would safely take them where they’ll be appreciated.

“What happened between you, me and Haji?” she asked again, locking eyes with Synis. Her eyes were green now.

Synis didn’t break the contact. She studied Januya, analyzing her face as if it were a complex mathematical problem. “I have an offer for you.” She finally said.

“An offer?” Januya brows squeezed. “What do you mean?”

“All I need are a few months of training from you, in exchange for information about your mother.”

“Explain training?” Januya asked again.

“I’ve seen the way you stare at the swords the guards hold with them. I’ve seen the interest you fail so terribly at hiding.”

Januya clenched her fists on each side. It was true, but also risky. She had seen sword fights in movies and they weren’t pretty.

“Training for what specifically?” she asked through gritted teeth.

“Have you ever thought of what you will do while staying here? Damie’s going to be great herbalist, how about you?”

Januya flinched slightly at what she said. Several times the thought crossed her mind but she ignored it because she was blank and had nothing. It wasn’t as if she had any talent or special hobbies she could work on.

“I’m still thinking about it.” she lied smoothly.

“That was just a polite way of telling me no.” Synis said with a toneless voice and Januya bit her inner cheek, satisfied with being silent.

“Okay then, I want you to have this.” Synis handed something to her. A sheathed dagger.

Januya’s eyes widened for the briefest moments. One part of her screamed at her to collect it, while the other, more rational part of her wondered why Synis was giving her a dagger.

“You never know when it will come in handy.” Synis shrugged. But Januya knew there had to be more to it.

“Handy?”

“Just take it,” she waved it closer to Januya, “you ask too many questions.”

It felt cold and not too foreign once it landed on her palm. She slowly unsheathed and studied the dagger with curiosity. A slender silver blade with a blue handle and a silver lining on the extreme of the handle. It was also light in weight. But, Januya decided that a sword would be better and more preferable for her –woah. She blinked. Where did such a thought come from?