The day started as normal as it can be.
The sun has just rise from the horizon when Athanasia or her current name now,Athy,wake up with the sight of her husband still sleeping soundly besides her.Lucas has his arms around her middle,snuggling for warmth due to the previous chilly night.She blearily searched for the clock on their nightstand.It's almost seven in the morning.The children will wake up soon.
As she attempted to exit the bed,a hand pushed her back onto the bed.Lucas's hand tighten around her waist.He buried his face into her hair and moaned softly,finding the scent of strawberry from her shampoo utterly addicting.Athanasia felt blush creeping to her face when his other hand started to roam shamelessly across her body.Straightening her resolve,the woman elbowed her husband's side.Hard.
"Seriously,woman.One of these days you'll break my ribs,"groaned Lucas as he rub his sides,now fully awake.He is confident that his side was bruised,absentmindedly healed it with magic.His wife simply smiled brightly at him,finally able to escape from his hold and exiting the bed in no time. "If I let you continue,the children will starve until noon.Emrys will try to cook again and I don't want to see our kitchen burst into flames.It was bad enough after last time."
She kissed Lucas's cheek as their usual morning routine before heading to the kitchen,leaving her husband alone to his devices.Lucas lay on the bed for a while,contemplating whether he should continue his sleep or join his wife.A moment later,he left the bed and simply arranged the pillows and used blanket effortlessly with magic.He should bother her at the kitchen for bruising his body earlier.
When the clock strikes eight,Arius and Emrys entered the kitchen with the latter coming in with a bed head.As they sat down on their respective chairs at the dining table,Attheia and Eva emerged from their rooms.Both of them obviously still half asleep.
Fifteen minutes later,everyone enjoyed their breakfast heartily,which consisted of eggs benedict and smoked sausages.Athanasia is satisfied when her children finished their breakfast(save for some vegetables for the girls),her culinary skills has improved much better than her first time stepping into the kitchen years ago.Both parents and the older boys sipped their coffees slowly while the girls chugged down their warm milk.
Lucas works as an unofficial wizard at the center spot of their village,more like an assistant wizard actually.It was quite a blow to his pride,as he was the Magician of the Black Tower,serving at the capital city of the empire for years before his long slumber.Well,it was a necessary sacrifice to lay low and keep his new family safe.
It doesn't mean he pull his punches when he was at home,though.
Arius and Emrys usually start their working hours from four in the evening till ten in the night.During the weekends,they mostly stick around in the bar helping until midnight as more customers mean more workers are needed.The pay is quite big,so they don't complain much.
In the morning,they help Athanasia with the chores around the house.Doing ordinary things a country boy should do.Collecting firewood in the nearby forest,hunting for some game for dinner or simply babysitting and teaching their two twin sisters.When Lucas at work,their mother encouraged them to not simply rely on magic and learn to do everything by themselves.Magic can easily fix everything in their life but Athanasia was concerned that relying too much on magic will make her children have no interest in many possibilities life can offer to them.
The children obliged and thus,taking on hobbies that can relate to their personalities.Arius has an interest in horse riding,often spending his free time at their neighbour's house.A man in his middle forties who has a similar interest and owned several horses at his wide backyard.Sometimes,his younger siblings tugged along with him.Emrys,on the other hand,has taken a liking to swords.Often training and sparring with Lucas and Arius outside.Attheia and Eva shared similar interest in embroidery and cooking.Both of them can be seen spending quality time with their mother practicing both of them.
Truly,a normal family with a normal life.
***
That night,Arius and Emrys work at the Lavina Bar again.Wiping the counter and arranging the alcoholic beverages on the shelf has been their routine since they started their job when they were 15 until the present day they were almost 18.
The owner,Mr.Cadoc,is a former soldier.He moved to Ormskirk a few months after its founding,making him one of the oldest people in the village.Already in his early sixties,he is the founder of the bar.The Lavina Bar is a tribute to his late wife,Lavina,who died when he was forty-five due to heart failure.They never had the chance to meet her as she died not long after their birth.She was said to be as beautiful as an angel during her life.
Mr.Cadoc himself is a quite handsome man.He is a tall man,almost two metres in height with muscle all in right places.He has ginger hair which is always slicked back with subtle stubble around his face.Despite the scar he gained on his jaw during the war,he has a kind face with a kinder personality.It is no wonder many young girls have a crush on him despite his old age.However,he remains faithful to his late wife.Never considering a new lover even with many beautiful ladies around him.
As Arius and Emrys wipe the glasses and restocking the beverages on the shelf before their opening,the said man easily sauntered to them from the entrance. "Hey,boys.Working hard again today?It's fine to take a break once in awhile,"worried the older man.
The two teenagers simply smiled kindly,enchanting their already handsome faces. "We're fine,uncle.It was fun working here so it didn't tire us that much,"assured Arius.The old man has done them a favor,accepting them to work even though they were just 15 when they started working.
"Afterall,the pay was huge.There was no way we could let go of this job,"teased Emrys while rubbing his index finger and thumbs together.It was true,though.Their pay was oddly high for a mere bartender.Even more as they were just kids.It has help them a number of times when their family needed money(as people saw them).Most of the time,it helps them to gain something they want without burdening their parents.
Mr. Cadoc laughed out loud, "I simply help with whatever I can do.Not to mention,you guys help attract a lot of customers ever since you both work here.Especially the girls.Have any thoughts about settling down yet?I heard your parents hit it off pretty young.I'm not surprised if they have a lot more children coming.Looking how smitten your parents are with each other," the man wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.
The twins laughed warily.If only the man knew how young Lucas was.They cannot deny the smitten part,though.Just this morning,they saw fresh red marks on their mother's nape.No doubt courtesy to their father.When the girls noticed it,Mrs.Glemt simply waved it off as mosquito bites.Mr.Glemt smirking all the way. "Settling down?I still need my mother to find my pants for me so maybe another ten years,"joked Arius while Emrys cheekily agreed with his statement.
The former soldier simply shook his head.If only these boys knew how many female customers have come just to capture a glance of them.Well,it keeps the business running so he won't complain. "Yes,enough of that then.Do you know about the Emperor is not in good health nowadays?,"asked Mr.Cadoc as he propped his chin on his hand.His eyes keeping his gaze on the youngsters.
"Yup." "We know." The twins answered nonchalantly,bored expressions on their faces.News about the Emperor or the Empire?It was none of their business,so they don't care.Boring.
The ginger hummed thoughtfully, "I heard the princess ordered a royal summon for magicians to come to the palace to treat him.She must have been pretty desperate."
Emrys frowned. "Don't they have royal magicians for that?" He shared a confused glance with his brother.
It is well known that the royal family has their own personal magicians.Those who worked exclusively at the Black Tower. The idiots who see themselves higher than anyone else save for the the royals,in their father's words.The twins refrained themselves from pointing out that Lucas was one of those idiots before.
Other than that,the news alarmed them quite a bit.If it is a royal summon,they would have no way to decline it.All magicians or magic users are required to register,regardless whether they work for the royals or not.It is can be said that Arius and Emrys indeed registered a few years ago.A registered magician have more hopes to get a decent job at the capital or more popular towns in the region.
They have no interest to work for the royal family but they do wish to gain more stable job in the future.Lucas has no interest in registering,as he is content to live without being bound by unnecessary rules.In his defence,he has registered despite a few hundreds years ago.So his registration is not valid anymore.
It was a common occurrence for the descendants of the royal family to be born with massive mana.Even though it has decreased considerably after Emperor Aeternitas's reign,the royalty's magic is still considered to be one of the most powerful in the continent.And Lucas suspected it has rise again in his children.
It went without saying that Athanasia was born with a huge amount of magic.In fact,it gave birth to a magical beast,Blackie,in order to keep the excess mana.The beast had been the reason for the two meeting each other in the past.Now,it can be seen napping the day away at their backyard.
Born between a princess with a huge amount of mana and the powerful Magician of Black Tower,it was inevitable that their children's mana is simply massive.The older twins wandered at the back of their home,where their and their sisters own respective magical beasts frolicked out of sight with each other.All of them simply love playing around with Blackie.Lucas stated that he doesn't need to go to the World Tree to replenish his mana as his wife and children's excess mana can sustain him the same amount of a fruit of the sacred tree.By that way,he can keep their mana from spiraling out of control and maintain his own.Killing two birds with one stone.
"Even the royal magicians cannot cure His Majesty,anymore.I heard that they can't even determined the cause.That's why the princess resorts to summon all the registered magicians in the empire," explained Mr.Cadoc while observing the two behind the counter.Both of them obviously nervous to the news.Arius's hands trembled while holding a glass and Emrys visibly becoming increasingly sweaty.
"It is said that all the registered magician's attendance is mandatory."
Damn.
"Those who refused to obey will be sentenced to a severe penalty."
Double damn.
"I think they said it probably can lead to a death sentence."
Shit.
***
Arius and Emrys continued to work with a gloomy and dark expressions through the night as if a heavy black cloud was hovering over them.Their solemn face startled their admirers as the two is known for their friendly manners but it also excited them.Gushing about 'a blank blonde prince' and 'a depressed handsome black wolf'.The twins ignored them,too absorbed with their thoughts.
The next morning,both of them was greeted with the crying face of their mother and their father's worried face when they woke up.His lips stretched into a thin line as he gazed at his older children.
On the table,two letters with the empire's royal seal was addressed to the both of them.
To honourable magician Sir Arius Glemt/Sir Emrys Glemt,
You are hereby summoned by the princess,Her Highness Jennette de Alger Obelia to the capital city of the Obelian Empire to give you a chance to cure His Majesty the Emperor,Claude de Alger Obelia,who in present is not in good health.
Please bear in mind that your presence is mandatory and no objections will be considered.A heavy punishment awaits you if the receiver of this letter failed to confirm his/her presence on the date we provided.
We look forward to your cooperation to bring glory to the empire once more.
Sincerely,
Princess Jennete de Alger Obelia
The brothers look at each other.Their thoughts once more synchronised.
Fuck.
***
Author's note:Happy Eid Mubarak everyone!I am very happy to see your thoughtful comments and votes to the story.I'm sorry that I cannot reply to every single one of your comments as I quite busy at the moment.
Another trivia for this chapter because I simply love hidden symbolism in stories:Cadoc means battle in Welsh.
The twins are going to the capital!What do you think will happen?Maybe they will kill Claude when they see him?LOL.Just share your thoughts below and don't forget to vote for this story.