Chapter Sixteen

Entry:

I hate having no one to hug while I cry. I hate how highly I think of myself; how I am nothing. I hate how little I know; how much I pretend to know. I hate how this night, these emotions, will bleed into every other night until this feeling is forgotten. 

I love how you care for me. 

Phoenix

--

In all its glory, all its rumors and hopes and dreams, the Highlands stood bright. 

The whole family arrived at the Highlands via carriage, about a twenty-minute trip, which Phoenix spent admiring the gushing grasslands and sunny skies. Eventually, the carriage rolled to a stop and Greyson instructed the driver to wait until the visit was done. There were privileges for being personally employed by the King, as the family was learning.

Phoenix ducked her head to step out of the carriage, tolling her neck before finally facing the city before her. The Lowlands always added some utopia associated with the Highlands, some unattainable beauty, magic glow. 

Those were lies.

The Highlands were much cleaner, yes, but only because everything was built on a hill rather than in swamps. Most of the houses were just slightly bigger than at home, built with stone rather than wood. The homes sat on dry ground rather than stilts, but there was nothing remarkable about them. 

There was no magic. 

Three blocks stretching long hugged by homes and shops made up the town center. People walked and talked the same as Lowlanders, although they did have clothes that fit them and bathed bodies. People casually bought fresh food, had money for a decorative bouquet, and wore a care-free smile.

Not magic, just decent living.

Even grander than the Highlands was the view of the castle, a structure Phoenix recognized as the ideal Lowlanders should've been fantasizing about. Its stone glimmered in the brilliant sun. Among the hills it sat perched, a star gleaming in grass. 

Lucas was hand in hand with Cole as they followed Greyson to the town center. Cobblestone delicately laid down in a symmetric pattern resembling that of a shell sat sturdy under Phoenix's feet, with trails worn by walkers springing from the road in a frenzy of confusing paths. 

The center was a beehive that buzzed with workers and walkers. People strolled through shops, chatted in front of lamp posts, and sat down outside small bakeries while little kids ran around recklessly. 

Wait- little kids.

Where was Lucas?

Phenix looked behind her but didn't see him. She did a 180, frantically peering down paths and into shops. There's no way he got too far- 

"Bird?" a voice above her giggled.

Phoenix looked up and saw Lucas on Cole's shoulders, perfectly safe.

"Oh thank goodness," she sighed in relief.

"And you tell me I worry too much," Greyson remarked. 

Phoenix playfully rolled her eyes, cheeks flushing from the careless mistake. Before they could take a proper foot into the throng of the city, something caught Daisy's attention and she stopped her excited gait.

"What?" Phoenix asked her.

Phoenix moved next to Daisy and followed her focused gaze into a dress shop. Daisy promptly ran over to the window and smashed her face up to it, all the family a second behind her impulsiveness. 

"Take a step back, you're fogging up the glass," Cole dryly remarked, out of breath from catching up to her. 

"I'm going in," Daisy decided, "Bird, money." She stuck out her hand, eyes not leaving the shop window.

"Excuse me?" 

Before Phoenix knew it there was money in Daisy's hands. 

"Greyson!" Phoenix said. 

"What?" Greyson asked. "It's her first time in the Highlands, she should enjoy herself."

Daisy started counted the coins in her hand and her eyes sparkled, as wide and bright as any dress she could imagine buying. She flung herself into Greyson's arms in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Daisy squealed. She pried herself away from the window and sprinted into the store.

"Meet back here in an hour!" Phoenix shouted at her.

"Okay!" Daisy agreed while closing the door behind her. 

"You really didn't have to do that," Cole told Greyson.

Greyson merely shrugged, "I know." 

Cole let Lucas off his shoulders. "We can go to the park if you want, Lucas."

Lucas grabbed Greyson's and Cole's hands and, taking his play time extremely seriously, demanded, "Let's go." 

Phoenix smiled to herself as she followed her family past signs leading to a park. Cole and Greyson looked so natural together, Cole's taller silhouette dwarfing Greyson's medium build, with a perfect child in between them. 

It wasn't long ago that Phoenix was the other hand Lucas gripped, but now it was Cole and Greyson. Greyson truly was part of the family, wasn't he? 

The park was merely a large patch of open grass surrounded by sighing trees, with kids playing. As soon as they entered Lucas let go of Greyson's and Cole's hands and ran to play with the other kids. He had to be the most social out of the whole family.

Lucas was welcomed warmly by fellow kids, and he jumped right into their games, not a speck of hesitation in his excitement. 

Phoenix felt herself relax for the first time in a while. Even her shadows carried less weight, the noon sun enveloping them. 

Cole, Greyson, and Phoenix got their butts dirty by settling down underneath the shade of a great tree, nestling between its protruding roots and leaning back against the rough trunk. Close enough to keep an eye on Lucas but out of the way. 

  "I always thought the Highlands would be more spectacular," Cole said. "It's nicer here, but not perfect. Is this where all our Lowlander taxes go?"

"No, it's not," Greyson said. "Most of the money goes to the castle. The Highlands are self-sufficient."

"How?" Phoenix asked. 

"The royals and council invest in businesses here. And, once a year, there's a large celebration where all Highlanders can have an audience with the royals."

"Why don't they do that in the Lowlands?" Cole said.

"It's still relatively new. I think their goal is to have a sound establishment here and then move to the Lowlands."

"I still don't understand," Phoenix said. "Why can't the Highlanders see the Lowlands?"

"They can see it," Greyson shrugged.

She gave him a look of disbelief. 

"If they walk."

"But that's thirty miles!" she proclaimed.

"Yeah. It's a problem, but the royals want to keep power, and separating the people is a good way to do that. I agree, it's messed up."

"How do you know all of this?" Cole asked Greyson.

"My parents hired a private tutor when I was younger. They wanted me to be tamed, polite," Greyson's face gnarled into a scowl, "perfect investor so they taught me everything about our current economy, including the history."

"Is your house nearby?" Phoenix asked. 

Greyson's usual smile turned into a hideous look of disgust and hate. "I have no home here."

Cole and Phoenix exchanged a look. Their bodies shifted closer to Greyson, shoes digging up dirt and legs ruffling the sparse grass. 

Greyson sighed "All you two need to know is that I was sent off to the military by my parents for not being their spitting image. There's nothing waiting for me here."

Cole and Phoenix nodded and decided not to push the subject more.

As time passed, Cole played with some flowers on the ground and Greyson stared at the sky, both lost to their own thoughts. 

A song rode the breeze.

Phoenix smiled viscously when she realized. Then, deep frown lines carved her face as she concentrated on the game. Lucas sat in the center of a wide circle, and kids passed around a stick between each other behind their backs. A cheerful chant came from the young ones.

The words sounded like nothing more than muddy clouds, so Phoenix stood up and walked toward Lucas. It wasn't the same tune Isla sung, rather, it was the next verse. 

"Serva Serva sat on a stone

Sat with the Burning stone

Serva Serva you're not dead

No you've bled

Your head has just been thrown." 

At the end the kids started to giggle and looked expectingly at Lucas. Lucas pointed to a young girl with curly brown hair and freckles. She let out a scream of defeat and revealed that she did indeed have the stick, making Lucas smile as they traded places. The game began again. Phoenix made her way back under the tree, meeting a confused Cole and Greyson.

"What is it, Bird?" Greyson asked.

"That game Lucas is playing with the other kids, it's just like the one Isla told me about."

"Is this about your mission?" Cole pushed. 

As rapid as she could, Phoenix recounted the basics of her findings, reciting the first verse Isla taught her. 

Once Phoenix finished, she couldn't help but think Cole and Greyson were both beautiful when they pondered deeply. Cole's hair was raked thoroughly with fingers, loose, long strands delicately weaving across his pale features, splitting his forehead in two. Greyson's sighs were as heavy as the sag in his shoulders as he thought. 

"Both the Burning Stone and a Mr. Serva are mentioned in the nursery rhymes, so maybe the two are connected," Greyson said. 

"And perhaps there is a third part of the rhyme we haven't heard yet," Cole added. 

Phoenix sat back, her rough hands digging into the dirt behind her, as she soaked up all their brilliant theories.

"The overheard conversation was about a Stone, and the word 'burning' was never mentioned. Maybe the two are random," Greyson said. 

"Maybe, but it could just be different terminology for the same thing. The second rhyme mentions that Mr. Serva is still alive, just crazy. Maybe that's a clue?" Cole countered. 

"A clue?" Greyson accused. "This isn't some puzzle someone has built for us, it's just us trying to figure out who in the court is trying to kill the Queen."

"Well, clue or not it must be important if there are so many strings attached to this 'stone'. It can't be a coincidence that the Burning Stone keeps on popping up," Cole said.

"How do the kids get a hold of these rhymes?" Greyson finished.

The two stared at each other at this unanswerable question. 

"You two bounce ideas off of each other like you're married," Phoenix interrupted their bonding.

They both turned to her with a glare. Greyson's features seemed to say, 'that's not true, is it?' and Cole seemed to say 'shut up right now.'

"That's not a bad thing!" Phoenix elaborated, finding each reaction exceptionally humorous.

Cole sighed and continued his point, ignoring her off-topic observation. "How do the kids know these rhymes?"

"Well," Phoenix said, "you could just ask them."

"You can't just walk up to a bunch of kids having fun and interrogate them on where they learned-" Cole started.

But before he finished the sentence, Phoenix got back up and walked over to the circle of kids. 

"Hey guys!" she called as friendly as she could. She heard Cole curse behind her. 

Lucas just looked up to her and waited to see what she had to say. The other kids turned their heads and paused their singing. 

"That's a neat rhyme. Where'd you learn it?"

The kids paused for a second, unsure of what to do. Phoenix thought she had scared them silent until a small voice said, "A man taught us." It was the girl with the curly brown hair and freckles that Lucas guessed had the stick.

"Do you remember his name?" Phoenix asked.

"No," she sheepishly confessed. 

"It was an old man with really dirty boots! He said he was from the castle, and that he knew a fun game, and that we should play it!" added another child.

"Thank you," Phoenix smiled softly. 

As she walked away, Lucas continued to play the game, happy not to be stuck in the center anymore. Phoenix walked over to the tree, mumbling the second verse until she memorized it. An annoyed Cole and surprised Greyson greeted her.

"You could have at least let me finish my sentence," Cole grumbled out, arms crossed and fingers ticking up and down in irritation.

"You just went right up and asked," Greyson said.

Greyson's eyes were trained down to where Cole twirled a white daisy in his hands. Then, Greyson's eyes followed up Cole's arms, swinging over to Phoenix, who towered over their sitting figures. A distant look clouded his eyes.

"Old Man Roman taught them," Phoenix shrugged and answered them both.

"The guy who was talking with the Queen?" Cole asked.

"Yes."

Before they could continue, Lucas broke from the kids he was playing with and ran over to their shady spot under the trees. He carried a smile big enough to blind. 

"Lucas?" Phoenix asked.

"We should go," he answered, his eyes shifting to a large clock that sat at the entrance of the park.

"You're right, it's been an hour, we need to meet Daisy back at the shop," Greyson said.

Phoenix head bounced back in surprise when she realized that Lucas had been more careful than her to watch the time. Had it already been an hour? Lucas entwined his hand with Cole's by habit and the young boy skipped back the way they came, Cole struggling to keep up. 

Maybe she could feel that warmth too.

Phoenix brushed her hand against Greyson's, lacing their fingers comfortably, both of their eyes trained to the floor in uncertainty. She felt every wrinkle between his joints, every loose bit of flesh and hair that stood proud. She couldn't help the way her chest refused to calm down. She dropped her thumb to his wrist, and mouthed up to fifteen, soothing her nerves. When she got the courage to see his face, his gaze was staring at her thumb, confused at her habit. 

"Go ahead without me," he said, "I'll meet you in front of the shop after I buy something really quick." 

He abruptly let go of her hand and walked away with a long and determined stride to a store. What had caught his attention so suddenly? Was it because he didn't like holding hands? No, that couldn't be it, he wanted to buy something.

Cole, Lucas, and Phoenix approached the meeting spot, their legs tired from the continuous excursion. Daisy positively sparkled as she strolled out of the shop, two bags in her hands. 

From her waist up, her skin was draped in white lace that hugged her slim figure and extended into elegant quarter sleeves. Below the waist shot out a pastel peach with overlapping petals. A burst of bright colors glowed like a rainbow. Although the other women all wore dresses here, the quality of Daisy's dress made her stand out.

When Daisy spotted everyone, she gave a little spin and winked at Cole, "Pretty, right?"

"Beautiful," Cole matched her excited tone. 

"It's so shiny!" Lucas said as he went up to the dress to touch it, only to be swatted back by Daisy.

"No touching, you're dirty!" Daisy exclaimed. 

"I'm not dirty, I took a bath this morning!" Lucas countered. 

"You still can't touch it."

They continued to bicker as Cole watched over them, not interrupting but monitoring so things didn't get out of hand. Phoenix was distracted by the joy of her family, so when a hand grabbed her shoulder she instinctively and sloppily threw her elbow behind her. 

It connected with a solid stomach. 

"Shit!" came a grunt. 

Phoenix checked behind her to see who had grabbed her. She was greeted with a bent-over Greyson hugging his stomach with one hand, the other hand holding a wrapped box. 

"Greyson! I'm so sorry!" Phoenix's hands flew over her mouth in embarrassment.

"No worries, I'm fine," he said through a cough. Reaching out his hand, he gave her the wrapped box. "Take it."

Phoenix looked at it for a minute, confused as to what he wanted her to do with it, and decided to take it from him. She patiently held it while he regained his composure. Everyone stared at each other, unsure of what to make of the attack. After an eternity, Greyson finally regained his composure, and Phoenix stretched out her arm to give the box back to him.

"No, Bird, it's for you." 

"What? Really?"

Greyson smiled. "Don't look so surprised." 

A simple brown paper and string wrapped the box, hiding its contents. A present, for her? Her chest jumped as excitement buzzed throughout her body. A leather-bound book rested between sheets of tissue. When she opened it, each page was unmarked and ready to be written on. 

"A journal?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes. I figured that the family stresses you out a lot and that writing it all out would help you at the end of each day."

No one outside of her family had ever given anything. Was a mere 'thanks' enough to show her gratitude?  Screw it- she pulled Greyson in for a hug. 

After the hug she made a point to kiss him on the cheek and said, "I guess I owe you one now."

His mouth opened in shock, and his whole body froze in place. Phoenix couldn't help but offer him a wide smile. 

"Consider it payment for the training lessons," he replied distantly, putting a hand to where she had kissed him and glancing at the ground. 

Before they could continue the conversation, an arm wrapped around Greyson's shoulders, pulling him away.

"Let's have a little talk," Cole invited Greyson, leading him ahead of all of them as they walked back to the carriage. She looked at Daisy and Lucas, who stared right at her with a smile.

"If you marry Greyson, will he be my brother?" Lucas asked. 

"Marry?" Phoenix asked in astonishment.

"Yes he would be," Daisy answered. "He knows all the ins-and-outs of this castle, maybe he could introduce me to a cute guy! Good pick, Bird!"

"It's not like that," Phoenix tried to explain to them, but Daisy interrupted.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you are going to accept it, but you have feelings for him," Daisy teased. 

Phoenix tried to rebut her and spit out all the reasons why that was ridiculous, but her brain shut down and nothing came out. 

"That's what I thought," Daisy stated matter-of-factly. She took Lucas by the hand and walked a few meters ahead of Phoenix.

Phoenix recovered and followed behind them, thinking about what Daisy had said. With a blush blooming on her face and a squeeze of her new journal, she let out a heavy sigh. There was no point in denying it any longer.

Phoenix had fallen for Greyson the guard.

#

Despite his pleas, Lucas really did need a bath after playing in the park, so Daisy led him into the castle. Daisy winked at Phoenix with a gesture to Greyson as she stepped out of the carriage. Phoenix rolled her eyes and shoved Daisy forward. 

"What did you talk to Greyson about?" Phoenix asked Cole. 

"Nothing you need to worry about," he shut down.

"Greyson?"

"Sorry, Bird. Cole said I had to keep it private." 

"Fine. Just remember that I saw him first!" Phoenix pointed out to Cole.

Cole just raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "We both saw him at the same time. Besides, you can't call dibs on a person."

Phoenix couldn't think of anything clever to say to him, so she stuck her tongue out at him.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Real good come back, sis."

"At least I'm able to express emotions through body language, unlike you, you stone-cold statue!" she mocked.

"Would a statue be able to do this?" Cole jabbed Phoenix in the stomach. 

She looked him dead in the eyes. "Do you really want to pick a fight? I know where you're ticklish." 

"If you can reach me without being hit," Cole challenged.

Greyson stepped in between them. "Are you two fighting over me? Because if you are, I'd like to have a say in who I spend my time with."

"What you think doesn't matter," Cole and she snarkishly stated at the same time.

"Because I'd win the fight," Cole said.

"Maybe if I fought using only my left hand," Phoenix retorted. 

Regardless of the pestering, Cole and Phoenix relaxed out of their fighting positions, sensing Greyson's unease. 

"So, what are you doing until dinner?" Cole asked Greyson. "I have some more theories to run by you."

"He has to train," Phoenix butted in, "with me. And while we train, we'll discuss my theories."

They both waited for Greyson to decide. He must not be used to siblings fighting because pure horror crossed his face at their antics. 

"Why can't Cole run theories by us while we train?" Greyson squeaked out, still the people-pleaser.

"I talked to you in the morning, I guess that'll be enough. I'm going to do some research on Old Man Roman, you two enjoy your 'man time'," Phoenix gave in with a sigh. 

Cole beamed with a winning smile. 

"Are you sure?" Greyson asked. 

Phoenix gave him a reassuring smile. "Just be ready after dinner, I'm making training twice as difficult as it was going to be."

Greyson let out a groan while Cole laughed a little. Cole's hand naturally fell on Greyson's shoulder and led him into the castle. She followed far behind, giving them their space. See, she could share. 

At the Great Hall, instead of following the boys, she headed to the library. It was time to get serious about the investigative work.