Defiance

The old man Bernard stood up and stretched his body, his right hand was flexing habitually as if exercising.

His thumb, index and middle fingers kept bending and straightening and then his thumb pressed against the two fingers in an up and down motion.

It was as if he was missing something in his hand that was very small and thin but he habitually kept that part of his hand and fingers active and in the best condition to use it.

His eyes stopped looking towards the stars and looked at the approaching figures, his body became relaxed but deep within his eyes showed his displeasure towards them.

The group finally got close enough to Bernard, the young lady Celeste spoke up first. "So you are the one from the family. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Celeste Estrella the daughter of the head of the main line. Can you introduce yourself."

The tone she spoke was friendly as if speaking to someone close but there was still a hint of authority and arrogance within her voice as she spoke towards the old man as if it was a natural thing to speak down to him.

Even though he was an elder who held the same family name in the end he was an exile and did not possess the main families authority or bloodline so the young lady who grew up within the main family naturally spoke down to him.

She did not have much information on him but there were records within the family about the main and branch family members and who had been exiled.

With the information available it was easy to get a rough idea who he was from the his current age and the information on who had been exiled within the past one hundred years along with the old mans estimated time of exile or their individual talents.

Bernard sighed upon hearing her words and looked as she stood behind her guards with caution. "Bernard.. just Bernard. What brings the princess of the Estrella family all this way exactly?"

Celeste smiled happily. "So you know of me."

Bernard sighed appearing helpless. "It's really no big deal for me to know of you. Your tone of voice as you spoke to me just now suggests you are someone with high status within the family. Also to be escorted by so many guards suggests you are a highly valued member of the family and very few within the main line can command such a force or borrow them for such a small task like tracking me down, that is assuming you have yet to reveal your true purpose for coming here to that person then that narrows it down to the family heads daughter or an elders grandchild. Although I don't exactly hear the details of the family since I am in exile, i would have to be hidden under a rock not to be able to hear about the young lady of the Estrella family. It's rumoured you are wilful and act without regard for others but you still have the family heads support so… what have you come here for?"

Celeste frowned upon listening to his somewhat rude analysis. "I will forgive your disrespect this one time but I will remind you to not do it again."

The guards who surrounded Celeste also revealed their dissatisfaction openly towards Bernard but then turned around to smile fawningly to her and praise in a soft tone. "Young miss is so kind to forgive that old man. Just say the word young miss and we will gladly teach him a lesson."

Bernard rolled his eyes. "So, why has the young miss of the Estrella family graced this old man with her presence?"

Celeste smiled towards Bernard once more and spoke up again with an arrogant tone of voice. "I noticed that you do not have much time left and how your stat suddenly became noticeable after being concealed once more. So tell me, how did you do it? How did you live for so long after becoming exiled by the family and taking on the punishment?"

Bernard looked at the group of guards and then back at Celeste again with a look of pity. "You know something child? I guess the family never taught you that when you need something from someone you either have to pay a price or you have to treat that person with sincerity. I guess it's so natural for you as someone from the main family to casually ask me to give up my knowledge and life's work. After all… back then was the same too. When I was young I showed great talents within the family but in the end the main line still chose to exile me back then. Why do you think that was?"

Celeste frowned but replied in a calm manner as if used to speaking the words. "Isn't it natural for one person to sacrifice themselves for the families future prosperity and survival?"

Bernard shook his head. "If that was true then why have none of the main family ever been the ones to sacrifice themselves but the branch families and other promising talents born out of wedlock? Don't make excuses, you guys in the main family just wish to hold your position even over the branch families, if even a single person appears within the branch family with enough potential to contend with the main family they will be chosen as a sacrifice. I was the same because like others I had the talents to become noticed by the family at a young age but of course I still received the taunts about my status not being enough. In the end I was forced by the main family as they threatened me with my families lives to go out and take up the role as a sacrificial pawn. You great families talk about order and the sacrifices you make in order to maintain the peace within the lands but really… you aren't sacrificing a damned thing. To you the main line of the family is most important and anyone else is just a pawn so you can hold your power, wealth and influence. You want my inheritance and knowledge on how I survived? What a joke! Since the day the main family threw me out like a filthy dog I have struggled alone to survive and yet you left me to that life as if it was a natural thing for me to go through those struggles. The day you cut ties with me and the other exiles was the day we also abandoned the family in our hearts, so don't expect us to greet you with respect even if you are the main family heads daughter. Leave this place and go back to your luxurious castle little girl."