Chapter 6: Easton Moves In

Meanwhile in the distance:

"ACHOO!" Easton sneezed, his loud exclamation echoing down the halls of the orphanage.

"You'll have to learn how to act with dignity and pride before you arrive at your father's manor tomorrow." The Matron tsked, "Don't disgrace yourself."

"Why should I bother?" Easton groaned, "Mother died last week and suddenly, a rich duke wants me to go to his estate?! Pfft… It's too much of a fairytale."

"Be grateful they decided to even keep you." Matron patronized, "And believe me, it won't be a fairytale. The duchess won't like you very much."

"Heh." Easton smirked, "I'll try my best not to die."

***

(Next day, Ivory's perspective.)

Father came home holding Easton's hand. This was just like what had happened in the otome game, my father brought home a child he conceived through an inn waitress. Easton was one year older than me, with his short strands of silky silver hair, each individual thread glistening brightly in the sunlight shining overhead as if they were glowing and creamy coloured skin, he would make any girl's heart skip a beat. In the otome game, my mother and I bullied him relentlessly and father stood in the corner, doing nothing. My other twin brother tolerated him but never accepted him. Easton spent most of his time holed up in his bedroom, practising magic, as such, he become one of the most powerful mages in the otome game. Unfortunately, I had harassed him past the lone one day, and he snapped, I was killed. This time, I was NOT making that mistake. He may only be six, but I had to forge a strong friendship between us.

"Hi Big Brother! Do you want to play with me?" I asked, beaming sunshine and flowers.

Easton blinked, clearly confused by my cheery approach.

"Let's go!" I chirped, dragging his hand with me.

Maybe Ivory would survive this time.

***

"And then you add desired amount of sugar…" I muttered, instructing Easton.

"Alright." He shrugged and dumped a large bowl of sugar.

"She said desired amount…" Luke commented dryly, "If you want to die from diabetes, I can just kill you right now."

"Harsh words!" Easton dramatically gasped, while casually dumping in another bowl of sugar.

"You know…" Luke smiled, "I'll give you a deal. I will kill you. No charge and free shipping."

I awkwardly continued pouring the ingredients in my bowl and smiled uncomfortably.

"HAHAHA!" Easton roared, "A tiny squirt like you will never kill me!"

Luke continued to smile, however an air of death and menace surrounded him.

"Let's put that theory to test." Luke smiled pleasantly, "Pass the butcher knife and stay still… please."

"This is why nobles are so weird." Easton sighed, rubbing his forehead, "You guys continue to smile even though you're obviously pissed."

"No." Luke smiled, tilting his head. "We have dignity and can't have unseemly emotions spoil our appearance, unlike you. Now, the butcher knife, please."

"Uh…" I interrupted, smiling weakly, "Let's continue without any bloodshed."

"Oh, come at me, buddy!" Easton jeered, "I'll kill you before you get any closer!"

"Yes." Luke nodded seriously, deep in thought, "I'll 'come at you' and kill you."

"Alright!" Easton cackled, tossing his head back, "Choose your weapon, squirt!"

"Alright." Luke smiled cheerfully while holding a butcher knife, "Any last words?"

"You guys are so childish…" Rei sighed, leaning on the doorframe.

"And you're a lazy cat!" Easton taunted, having an extremely offended expression.

"I'm a lazy cat who won't be killed by Young Master Luke." Rei smirked, "He's trained with swords for most of his life. Would you like me to arrange your funeral?"

"Someone!" I yelled, "Someone come and drag them apart!"

***

"Aww… you ruined the fun…" Rei sighed miserably, "I wanted to see them fight.��

"Someone was going to die." I quipped, brushing my hair, preparing for lunch.

"That makes it more exciting!" Rei grinned, clapping his hands together.

"You probably would've been forced to pick up the dead body and wipe the blood off the floor." I retorted.

"Worth it." Rei nodded seriously.

"Sadist." I shot back.

Rei smiled wickedly, "Thanks. You should go downstairs now; your mother is probably going to kill your half-brother."

***

Luke, Easton, Mother, and I sat around a dainty room while Father, worked in his study because he couldn't bear to look at Easton.

"You don't belong here." Mother mused, sipping her tea, "Your filthy blood is unlike us nobles."

"I have filthy blood?!" Easton roared, standing up abruptly, "I need to go wash myself! I'm sorry for smelling so bad!"

Easton sprinted towards the exit before Rei blocked him,

"Sit back down." Rei instructed, "Please. And please don't continue making a fool of yourself."

"Such a pity… Your mother must have an awful taste in names, Mother sighed with a vindictive tone, "She should have named you Flugrta."

"Flugrta?" Easton asked, sitting back down.

"It's a rude name is Ancient Language." Luke muttered nonchalantly, continuing to eat without looking up.

"Ancient Language? Whatever, I don't care." Easton shrugged, "By the way, I don't need to learn Ancient Language, it's boring."

Mother rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I'll excuse myself." She announced and exited.

"Don't get mad at Mother." Luke continued to stir his tea. "She can't take her anger out on Father, since he could divorce her. She'll get over it, eventually."

"Awww, are you trying to console me?" Easton cackled.

"Ew. No." Luke stared at Easton with dead eyes. "I still hate you."

"I like your twin sister better than you." Easton scooted closer to me.

"I'd advise you not to go to close to Lady Ivory, Easton." Rei smirked, "Young Master Luke will actually consider murdering you."

Our heads whipped towards Luke, who, glared at Easton with unrestrained fury and an aura of death and blood, oozed out of him.

"Why are you called me, 'Easton'?!" Easton whined, "Why not Young Master or something?"

Everyone stared at Easton with dead eyes and a heavy silence fell on the room.

"Do you think you act like a 'Young Master'?" Rei slowly asked, sarcasm seeping out of every word he uttered.

Everyone, except Easton, nodded seriously and crossed their arms.

"By the way, Young Master Luke." Rei began, "You have your 'enchanted sword' appointment in a few minutes. I advise you to hurry eating."

Enchanted sword. An enchanted sword was a magical sword that would help the user use magic and sword at the same time. As the owner grew, the sword would change in size and weight to help the owner use it better, and if anyone touched the sword without the owner's permission, a painful, burning sensation would go through the intruder's body. Every enchanted sword would be a specific colour, depending on the owner's personality and future.

"Very well. I'll go off then." Luke stood up and then turned to me, smiling genuinely, "Do you want to come too, Ivory?"

"I'm coming too!" Easton slung his arm over my shoulder.

"You've got five second to take your arm off her shoulder, before I beat you up." Luke smiled darkly, tilting his head.

***

Easton and I sat on the scarlet chairs as Luke waited patiently. Rei stifled a yawn behind us, as he leaned against the wall.

Someone knocked at the door. The butler opened the door and a middle-aged wizard with curly brown hair and green eyes entered.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lord Luke." The wizard greeted Luke, "I am the earth wizard who will be put in charge of presenting you, your sword."

"Thank you for coming all this way." Luke smiled expressionlessly.

"Please choose one of these stones." The wizard presented ten different black stones of sizes.

Some of the stones glittered, some with glossy and some were glowing, but none of them were the same.

"This one." Luke pointed towards a black rock.

The one he chose was opaque and glossed with blunt edges. It was the size of an adult's palm and looked incredibly sturdy.

"Your future is in this rock." The wizard informed as a silver light trickled out of his hand and surrounded the rock.

Suddenly the rock cracked and a smaller rock of sky blue and veins of gold, appeared from inside the black rock.

"And before you say anything." The wizard stated, "With due respect, I can't reveal your future, if I tell you, this rock with burst into flames and I will dissolve into ash."

"Then what's the point in looking in his future, if you aren't going to tell us?" Easton yawned.

"We must check if his future has anything that may cause evil and destruction to the kingdom." The wizard answered, "If he did, the law requires us to immediately kill them."

"How peaceful." Rei sighed.

The wizard's silver light trickled out of his palm once again, and the light enlarged the stone and stretched it into a sword.

"Please clasp the hilt of the sword, and it will change colour, depending on your potential and personality." The wizard informed.

Luke gripped the hilt, as all eyes were on him. The hilt faded through colours until it reached…