-Clay's Mother and Torture-

Anastasia woke up in a hospital. "You almost overdosed, ma'am. We almost lost you. But you have a visitor.", the doctor said. Clay barged into the room and hugged Anastasia tightly. She gasped. "I thought for sure I'd never see you again.", she whispered in his ear.

Clay flinched back in shock.

Flashback:

Clay's mother started to breathe heavily, panting, taring at the seams. "I thought for sure I'd never see you again.", she whispered in his ear. "But...this is going to be my last time to ever be able to. I'm just going to take a long nap. You probably won't see me for the rest of your life but, you don't want to wake me and make me upset, do you?". Clay started to cry.

Present day:

"Ah! Damn it...", he groaned then put his hand on his forehead.

"What?! What happened?! Did I hurt you?! Are you ok?!", Anastasia panicked. "I...No. I should be heading home now. I have errands to do...yeah...". Clay rushed out of the hospital faster than ever. That memory put a dent in his heart. His soul, forever scarred. He'll never forget the day his mother died.

Back at the mansion:

"It wasn't Darby's fault. The doctors said she just took too many within an hour. So one of you gremlins go find him and tell him that I'll pay him double every other day as an apology. Esma! I need to talk to you!".

Esma looked worried. "Yes, Master-",

"In. Private.".

They went into the dining room and sat at the long table. "You and Darby were kissing. I seen you two. I'm not blind, what has becometh of you?!", Clay stated.

"Well... I have been in love with him for the longest time and... I told him.", Esma lied.

"Go get me Adira before your career-a is gone-a.".

Adira entered the dining room and sat next to him. "Scandal!", she exclaimed.

"Whatever. Do you remember my mother? What was she ever like?", Clay questioned.

"I used to work for her an awful lot! She was one of the greatest ladies I've ever met. There was this one funny thing about her that set me off, though. At 3 in the morning she would brush her hair, mess it up, kiss the wall, then open the window. I wasn't very sure what she was doing.", Adira told Clay.

"Gah!", he exclaimed then put his hand on his chest. "What's happening?! Master?! Are you ok?!", she panicked.

"Memories keep striking me like arrows in the chest. Pain keeps hurricaning in like a tsunami. The ringing in my ear is quite like the one she had when she was passing. But I shouldn't cry about it. Life is too short to worry.". "True with that.".

Upstairs:

"Goddamn fucking shit!", Oliver shouted. Charlotte laughed.

"I beat you! Again! WAR isn't that hard, Oliver! Come on!", she teased.

"Stop being daddy's little suck up, twinkle toes.". She laughed even harder. "I win! I win again! For the millionth time, I win!", Charlotte boasted.

Oliver threw his playing cards loosely in the air as Charlotte spun around in her chair.

"Whoo!", she hooted, with her arms in the air, still spinning. She cracked her knuckles and said, "It sure is easy winning to you. How about chess? Bet you can't beat me at that either. But who knows?! You don't know until you try!", Charlotte encouraged.

"Nah, I'm done with you, princess.", Oliver sighed.

"Oh, you're no fun.", she whined. "Neither are you, sugar.".

"Hey, do you think Chilly Meadows is going to call off that war?", Charlotte asked. "Who?". "Chilly Meadows! You know! Our rival country!".

At Chilly Meadows:

The Cloud Nine mansion. There it stands. Cordelia: the queen, Dean: the king, Maddox: the chef, Emma: the maid, and Ryder: the prince all sat in the dining room; arguing.

"Dean, I have to! I need to! That stupid Twisted Hollows took all of our inheritance and used it for themselves! They think they're so wealthy with their training wheels. Wait till I take them off and they go crashing into a wall! A stone wall!", Cordelia told everyone.

Ryder pulled Cordelia's white hair and she stared into his black eyes with hers.

"What... The... Hell do you want?!", she screamed. He scampered away.

"Fine! We shall attack! If a little helpless boy could muggle our money away, he can fight his life away.", Dean said.

Back at Hickory Hill:

"No, I don't think they will. They're very competitive. Just because we're better than them doesn't mean we're... You know?! We're... We're... We're...", Oliver muttered with a loss for words.

"Aw! You're so cute when you struggle, Olly.", Charlotte teased.

"Shush. You don't help.".

"Bite me.", Charlotte giggled. "Well come here, sweetpea and maybe I will.", he whispered, picked her up, put her on the table, then kissed her. She laughed as she put her arms around his neck. Clay entered the room. They both turned their heads.

Oliver began to say, "Can't you see I'm trying to get some-",

"Darby is back. And would you two stop fooling around in the goddamn game room, it's not cute when I have to get Darby to clean this room almost every day.", Clay mumbled. They giggled.

"I apologized to Darby. He's coming in this room in a couple of minutes. Just warning you guys-",

There was a slamming on the front door. Everyone headed down to see a girl with light brown hair, almost a red color with light brown eyes and a plain gray dress that only tightens at the waist on.

"I am Auburn. I have come from Chilly Meadows. I would like to inform you guys that the battle will be tomorrow. So be prepared to have your castle raided. Cordelia and Dean's soldiers will take you guys out, put you on stakes, and torture you in front of the whole town. Be prepared to die.", Auburn remarked then slammed the front door.

"Fuck!", they all said.

"We need to flee, Clay!", Esma declared.

"No! We shall stay here. I have a plan so that they'll never hurt us again.".