Chapter3
Like watching a movie from the theater, Vera couldn't help but keep her eyes glued on the big screen that no one else could see but her. The show was called, 'Vera's Life,' and it featured a four-year-old her, seated on the big cream-colored sofa in their mansion back at California.
"What is the first lesson we're going to learn today?" Her tutor, a petite French woman, asked. "Do you have any idea, Vera?"
Vera's short legs swayed from the edge of the seat. Her father had told her the night before that she was going to learn something exciting for the first day, so she answered, "Being a baroness?"
"Wrong," someone chimed in. "It is not the tutor's job to tell you such things. It is mine."
Both Vera and the French lady glanced at the woman who entered the study. Tall, slim, most features dark except for the palest of skin, Vera's mother reached their side and gave Vera a quick peck on the forehead. "I changed my mind about today," she murmured. "We'll start you with more important things."
"Lady Ashborne," the tutor spoke. "If I may be so blunt. We agreed prior today that I will handle everything when it comes to the child's preparatory education."
"Yes, but not with this." Her mother's stare silenced the French. "Vera has familiarized herself with the alphabet since she was two. There are more important things to know right now."
"Like what, Milady?"
"Like the Price." Vera's mother tilted her head. Eyes getting darker now, it was as if a black hole was being sucked into the room with them. "Never trust a Price, Vera. That's your first lesson."
The screen featuring her life dimmed with static. At first, it was only a little, then bad enough to keep her mother's face from being recognizable. In a few seconds, Vera was no longer in the theater watching herself, but standing in front of Nyx; a Price. To make it worse, who she'd thought could be a potential friend was luring her with a key.
"I was wondering what this was for," Nyx said. "Now I know. It's for your notebook."
Vera sucked a breath between her teeth. The key was black— the same as her notebook. But it wasn't the color that revealed their connection. There was just something to it that said they belonged together, like Nyx and the smirk beginning to spread on her face.
"I'm right, aren't I?"
"About what?"
"About your notebook and my key." Nyx tried to step closer at that instance, but Vera had moved away.
Never trust a Price.
Before long, she found herself saying. "You never got to tell me what you're doing here when we got down from the bus. Say it now or I'm going to lose it. Are you stalking me? Who gave you that key?!"
Nyx must have heard the alarm in Vera's voice because she immediately dropped the necklace to raise both hands. Her expression now was all reconciliation. Her tone dripping with nothing but sincerity when she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." The muscles on her throat moved. "I'm here because I'm curious about the Price and Ashborne's and want to find out more."
"But why here?" Vera insisted. "Why now when I'm also at Luca?"
"I'm not sure. My father sent me."
"Your father?"
"Yes. And he gave me this key." Nyx lowered a hand long enough to tug the chain around her neck. The black key jiggled with it. "Listen. I didn't stalk you, followed you anywhere, or befriend you in the bus terminal with a hidden motive. My father sent me here, and I saw it as an opportunity to learn about our family's history. You can't imagine what it's like to be a Price, Vera. I had to know why I was raised to hate the Ashborne's. They wouldn't tell me anything."
Vera's heart seemed to stop. Nyx had sounded upset, pleading. But more than the genuineness of the woman's tone, or the confusion in her eyes, something about the explanation struck Vera to the core. Both of them were left in the dark by their families, left to figure out the truth.
"Okay," she finally spoke. "I'll take what you said at face value and assume that your father sent you here, coincidentally on the same day I came. But in exchange you have to give me your key."
Nyx's eyes narrowed before shaking her head. "You know I can't do that," she said.
"Why not?"
"For the same reason you can't just hand your notebook to me."
Vera understood it perfectly. They wanted to trust each other but couldn't. They didn't want to hate each other but couldn't totally too. And if they ever walk out, none of them would find out the truth— she wanted to scream.
"I may have a solution though," Nyx said, blue eyes meeting Vera's.
"And that is?"
"We should work together. Think about it. There's a key to the notebook. That means no Ashborne or Price are meant to do this alone."
"That, or your family stole the key from us."
"You could have also stolen the notebook from us."
Touche, Vera thought. But could the Ashborne's, her family, really do such a thing? Also, their lawyer said the notebook belonged to her mother. That means it was in their possession long enough to be passed down.
"Come on," Nyx urged. "What do you say? We don't have that much lead, and opening that notebook will be a huge step."
"Who said I don't have a lead?"
Nyx smirked. "We met in the bus station, remember? You were so lost. You looked as clueless as I was with everything."
"Hmm."
"Is that a yes?"
Vera blinked at a hopeful looking Nyx. What the American, or wherever the woman originated from said, was correct. Working together was going to make things easier, so what should she do?
"No," Vera said. "My answer is no."
Nyx had been following her for the past fifteen minutes. The woman's footsteps were silent, and she never made a sound, yet to Vera, Nyx might as well walk in front or beside her, what with every blow of the wind bringing the scent of almonds she'd noticed in the bus. As if that wasn't enough, the looming castle seemed to make Vera's leather notebook heavier on her hand.
Maybe I should work with her, she thought. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. The rational side of her brain was telling her to give in. Egging her to work with the Price.
Every single one of them is our enemy, her mother's voice would then remind her. It doesn't matter what the first name is. They're all the same.
God. This was one of the reasons why Vera found it hard to make friends. There was the constant debate of trusting someone, letting anyone in regardless of the surname. Aside from that, she had become afraid of receiving questions. Questions she couldn't seem to answer, even when it was about herself.
You're not American, are you, Vera? Where did your family come from then? Followed by; Why did you leave Luca if you had a castle there? What should we address you?
"Vera." Nyx's voice penetrated through her thoughts. "Vera?"
But Vera was hardly listening. She was still walking straight towards the castle's direction, focused on her own pathetic life.
"Vera." Nyx's voice was higher now, distressed. "Look where you're going. Vera."
She had about enough of the informality. Vera stopped at the last minute, swiveled around, and said, "Will you stop calling me that? I don't know what possessed me to let you use my first name in the bus station, but from now on, address me as everyone else does. Lady Ash— Woah!"
The ground under her feet had become unstable in a split-second. Vera tried to grab onto something, anything, but felt gravity pulling her heart, along with her whole body downward. She'd mistakenly stopped upon the top of a stone stairs.
Everything was confusing for a while, spinning. Vera had fallen so quickly it was a blur.
"Are you okay?"
Something groaned beneath her. No, not something. Someone.
"Are you okay?"
Vera and all her shaky limbs moved upwards. Glancing down, she saw Nyx, face contorted in pain, embracing her on the ground, protecting her, receiving the fall in her stead. The jagged knife of guilt made its way home.
"You—"
"What were you saying about your name again?" Nyx cut off.
"But you're hur—"
"You were saying something before you slipped."
Vera gave a small gasp. Nyx was going to dismiss the issue— was not about to embarrass or make her pay for the help. Was this the kind of person her family hated?
"Vera? Your name?"
Vera snapped out of her reverie. A question was being asked of her. "L-Lady Ashborne," she stammered. "People normally call me Lady Ashborne, not just Vera."
"Oh." Nyx winced but seemed to consider. "But isn't Lady Ashborne reserved for the baroness?"
"I am the baroness," Vera mumbled. "My mother is dead."
Silence permeated the air. Silence that was only broken by the strengthening howl of the wind. The ruffle of their clothes. Judging from Nyx's question, the woman knew some bits about Vera's family, just like Vera knew some bits about the Price; The Price's came from old money but not aristocratic like the Ashborne's. They migrated somewhere after both their families left Luca. They did not want anything to do with Vera's family— Those were her mother's recounts over the years.
"I'm sorry," Nyx murmured after some time. "About your mother."
"It's not just her," Vera answered. "Both my parents died in a car crash weeks ago."
She stood before the pity in Nyx's eyes reached her. She didn't need it from anyone, especially a Price.
"Are you good to stand too or should I help you up?" Vera offered as a form of dismissal. Thankfully, Nyx seemed to pick up on it.
"I'm good," the woman said. "Just give me time to rest."
The sun bore down on them while they sat there for some time, both unspeaking. The second day of spring was not that punishing, though the sunlight was warm enough on Vera's back.
Stealing a glance at Nyx, she saw that the woman was breathing much better than a while ago and had sat with her legs crossed. Nyx must have felt that she was looking because the woman turned to her and said, "Is there something on your mind, Vera? I meant, Lady Ashborne?"
The corner of Vera's mouth tugged upward despite her trying hard not to. Somehow it felt weird to hear Nyx address her with such formality. Even when she was so used to other people doing it before.
"You're smiling, Lady Ashborne. Did I do something right this time?"
Vera looked away. How badly she wanted to say yes, but her mother's teachings were beginning to crawl in her mind again.
Never trust a Price. You'll know why.
Vera sighed. This situation she was in was such a pain to deal with. If she thought about it hard enough, she shouldn't even have to suffer from it. They weren't her own. She could simply go to college like what normal people did, maybe even travel on a Caribbean cruise ship and never had to deal with the Price's.
Then again, would she be able to sleep at night knowing that a part of her history was somewhere in Luca waiting to be uncovered? Would she be able to dismiss what her mother had been telling her all these years? And what if she heard about a Price in one of her travels? Would she not be curious?
Vera began to crawl. The truth was this conundrum had hindered her in more ways than her mother could imagine. She wanted to solve it, because the sooner she learned what it was that made the Ashborne's hate the Price's, the faster she could move on with her life.
"Are you leaving me again, Lady Ashborne?"
Nyx's question made her pause. Vera had almost made it to the edge of the stone steps where they had fallen, but for once she wasn't thinking of slipping away.
Leaning forward a little, Vera grabbed the black notebook she'd accidentally let go of from the step, showed it to Nyx, and gave the woman what she hoped was a sincere look. "I'm not leaving again, but let's open this together."
The notebook had a small hole on the side that Vera had noticed before but had chosen to dismiss. What was the point of her mother giving her a notebook without a key? Then again, should she find this a surprise? Her mother had kept many secrets from her, especially when it came to the Price.
Placing the notebook between her and Nyx, Vera waited with bathed breath as the woman took the chain and began to unlatch it from her neck. The key was small, unassuming, but Vera found it deadlier than a sword as Nyx inserted it in the hole, as if she was the one being stabbed.
"There," Nyx murmured after turning the key. "I think it's opened."
Vera couldn't keep the shake from her fingers as she placed her hand over the hardbound. The notebook looked more of a magician's grimoire, really, but what did her family know of magic? They were high-borns, not enchanters.
With a flick of her hand, the cover was opened, then scrutinized. There was a scribbling on it. Vera and Nyx adjusted to give way to sunlight so they could read what it said.
Property of the Ashborne's and Price.
Both of them stared at each other at the same time. This development had not been expected.
"I get about stealing the key or the notebook," Vera said. "But this?"
Nyx shook her head. "So our families used to be friends or what?"
"I don't know."
It seemed that way to Vera though. Why else would they own a belonging together, no matter how small?
"Should we check the first page?" Nyx prompted. "I'm dying to see what's on it."
"Go ahead."
Vera sat back in silence while Nyx did the honor of turning the page. The paper was thick, yellowish with age. She had seen many of its likes during private tours to museums in Europe or Asia with her parents, but somehow this felt more personal. Like it had been made with her in mind.
"Can you see the writings?" Nyx murmured. "Should I read them for you?"
"No. We read them together."
There were notes on the first page. A script handwriting so slanted no one would bother at present time. But during those times, whatever time it was written, people were careful to make such beautiful calligraphy. Together, Vera and Nyx leaned forward to read them.
'Keep me close to your heart. We'll never be apart. In the castle, I reside. The first secret, I hide.'
Vera only realized that she was holding her breath when she took a lungful of it. The words didn't contain answers to her questions but more riddles to solve. How was this possible?
Beside her, Nyx began to laugh and shake her head. "I can't believe it," the woman murmured. "They're trolling us. They must have."
It felt like that to Vera too. It felt like their parents, their ancestors, and whoever belong to their clan were looking over their shoulders, laughing at them. But why go through all this? Why lock the notebook only to keep more secrets even when it was opened?
Vera glanced at Nyx again, but the Price was already looking. "Whatever happened between the Ashborne's and my family must have been bad," the woman confirmed. "Why else would they keep it hidden?"