Skeletons in the Closet

It took Grace a long time to adjust to the amount of light in the room that the trio were led into.

"Come closer child." The frail old man resting in an arm chair motioned for her to approach. "You are William Melarin's child, are you not?"

"Yes sir." Grace knelt down by her godfather. Holy crap, she thought. Epeseed Cixiram really is my godfather.

"I understand that you have some questions about him that you wish to ask me." The old man adjusted himself in his seat.

"I do, sir."

"Why do you wish to ask me such questions? Why not ask him yourself?"

"One, because I have no idea where he is. He left my mother, siblings and I three years ago and we haven't had anything from him since."

"I see. And the other reason?" Epeseed asked.

"I believe that my mother and siblings deaths might have something to do with his disappearance."

"Juniper is dead?" Epeseed asked, a concerned expression dancing across his frail features. "I didn't know."

"As is Addalyn and Riker." Grace confirmed.

"Were they your siblings?" The old man asked. "I didn't get a chance to know their names."

"Where were you the night of the 6th of December?" Falael asked. Grace glared at him for barging into their conversation.

"I was here, in my own home." Epeseed turned to Falael. "And who might you two be?"

"Sir, this is Falael and Rinomve. They are helping me figure out what happened."

"Ah, a pair of enemies against the state is helping my goddaughter find peace. Interesting how life plays out."

"What do you mean, enemies against the state?" Graces asked.

"They haven't told you? Well then, it's not my place to say."

"Does the phrase The Grey Tears mean anything to you?" Rinomve asked, shifting uncomfortably. Grace redirected her attention back to Epeseed.

"It does." The old man shifted in his seat once again. "It is the name of the group that are the lackeys formerly employed by Queen Envano."

"Did my father ever mention being associated with them?"

"He did, once."

"Did he say why he was in league with them?" Falael pressed.

"Something about being in trouble with the queen after failing to help her conceive her own heir." Falael and Rinomve looked at each other, nervousness apparent in their faces.

"Which Queen?" Rinomve dared to ask.

"Queen Envano, of course."

"Did he know why she wanted an heir that was her own?" Grace asked, terrified of the answer.

"Something to do with her nephew being under the control of those who would wish to usurp her." This made Grace's blood run cold. Queen Envano really would use her own subjects to further her own agenda, and make them be the scapegoat when something didn't work the way she planned. She really was heartless, and she needed to be stopped.

"Did my father ever mention anything else in regards to this matter?" She asked, unsure as to whether she wanted to hear it.

"Only that he had to go into hiding, or Juniper would be killed." The old man took a deep breath. "Looks like that happened anyway."

"Indeed it did, and we intend on finding out why." Grace said as she straightened herself out. "Thank you for answering our questions."

"You are most welcome, my dearest." Epeseed smiled at her. "And if I could give you one last piece of advice." He motioned for her to lean closer. "The people you let become the closest to you are seldom who you think they are." He whispered in her ear.

Grace stood up. What did he mean by that? It was all too confusing.

"Well, thank you again for hosting us. I hope that I get the chance to have another conversation with you sometime soon." She said.

"It was lovely to meet you, my dear goddaughter. Definitely better than just seeing you through a window. Charles will show you out." Epeseed said, motioning for Charles to lead them out of the house.

"Well? What are we thinking?" Rinomve asked as they made their way to the house that Grace had called her home for so many years.

"How the hell did I not know that I had a godfather?" Grace asked, yelling so loud that she almost deafened both Rinomve and Falael as she let her pent up stress out. How could her parents keep such an important secret? Why? What had Epeseed Cixiram done that made him such a menace to her that her mother would willingly deny her a relationship with her godfather?

The house that she had spent so much time in as a child came into view. The sight of the house, lonely in the blanket of white that covered every single inch of its roof, devoid of life, looked so desolate that it made Grace sad.

If you could tell stories, she mentally asked the house, what stories would you tell?