Picnic (2)

"Theron, what you said earlier wasn't nice," Allyza began, her voice calm but firm. She looked at Theron with a mixture of concern and disappointment.

Theron knew what he did, but he still frowned as confusion flickered in his eyes.

 "What did I say, Mother? I just invited Elias to play with us." He uttered as if completely clueless about it.

Tyron placed a hand on Theron's shoulder as he smiled.

"It's not about what you said, Theron," Tyron explained. "It's about how you said it."

Theron's brow furrowed further as he tried to recall his words.

"But I just wanted Elias to know he's welcome with us. Isn't that a good thing?" he shrugged his shoulder and explained himself to his parents.

Allyza sighed softly, kneeling down to be at eye level with her son.

"It is a good thing, sweetheart. But the way you said it might have made Lord Caspian and Lady Serese feel like we were trying to take Elias away from them." She explained carefully.

'I know that, Mother. I mean it that way.' Theron thought as he slowly nodded as if understanding their words.

"Did my intention came wrong, Mother?" he asked, worry could be heard from the tone of his voice.

Allyza nodded. "You were too direct, my love Sometimes, it's better to be more careful with our words, especially around adults."

Taking a deep breath, Theron scratched the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, Mother." He apologized in a sincere tone even though he wasn't sorry at all.

Theron looked between his parents and sister, a fake realization slowly setting in. "I didn't mean to make them feel bad. I just wanted Elias to know that he can play with us..."

"We know that, and your heart was in the right place. But when dealing with situations like this, especially with other nobles, we need to be formal. It's important to respect their feelings while also expressing our own." Tyron smiled gently, ruffling Theron's hair.

"It's about being neutral, Theron. We want Elias to feel loved and supported, but we also need to show his relatives that we respect their time with him. That way, we can avoid unnecessary conflict." Allyza added as she stood up.

Allyza was happy, knowing that Theron already realized his mistake by now.

 "I'll try to be more careful next time, Mom, Dad." He smiled at them sweetly.

Charlize wrapped an arm around her brother's shoulders, giving him a big hug.

"Woah! You're learning brother! I'm so proud of you! You know, we all make mistakes, but Mom said that it's fine as long as we learn from it!" she exclaimed out loud.

Chuckling, Theron nodded. He hugged his sister back as he glanced over at his parents.

"I'll put that in mind, Sister." Theron uttered before chuckling lightly. He removed his hug on Charlize and suddenly ran.

"Catch me, Sister! Haha~!" He shouted out loud as he quickly ran.

"Y-You!" Charlize's eyes widened as she pointed at Theron. She just got tricked!

"I'm coming for you, brother!" She shouted back as she chased after him.

The two chased after each other, laughing and smiling out loud. Their cheerful interaction cut through the atmosphere, drawing the attention of those around them. Some of the kids shyly joined in, and the fun quickly grew larger.

Elias, who was with his auntie and uncle looked at his friends, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He wanted to join the fun but was shy to ask permission from his family.

Noticing the look on Elias face, Lord Caspian's smile faltered for a moment before he regained his composure.

"Elias, are you having fun with us?" He questioned, curious and worried at the same time.

Elias quickly diverted his eyes from Theron and Charlize and looked at his Uncle. He smiled and nodded "Yes, Uncle Caspian," he replied softly however his palms became sweaty.

"B-But… Can I play with them, Uncle?" he asked, looking down. He was scared to ask the question, worried that his family might take it wrong. 

Lady Serese's smile tightened, and she exchanged a quick, unreadable glance with her husband.

"Of course, Elias. You can spend time with your friends," she said, her voice sugary sweet.

"But remember to come back to us later, okay? We'll show you something. Don't tell it to your friends, okay?" she uttered with a hint of mysteriousness. A faint smile carved on her lips as she knowingly looked at Caspian afterward.

Elias's eyes lit up with excitement as he received permission to join his friends. He quickly stood up, giving a grateful smile to his uncle and aunt before dashing towards Theron and Charlize. He was so excited to play with them!

"Theron! Charlize!" Elias shouted as he ran towards them. His friends turned around, their faces lighting up with joy as they saw him approaching.

"Elias! Come join us!" Charlize called out, waving her hand enthusiastically.

As soon as Elias reached them, the three children burst into laughter. More children in the meadow joined, turning the small gathering into a large one.

'Ohh? I guess it's successful' Theron thought as Elias played with them. It was a plan that he initially thought, to disrupt Elias's time with his family. He knew that Elias wouldn't be able to resist playing with them.

Caspian and Lady Serese watched the children from a distance. Their expressions were a mix of frustration and determination.

"We need to be cautious, Serese," Lord Caspian murmured, keeping his eyes on Elias. "The Xion family is clever so is that child." He uttered in a monotonous voice as he pointed at Theron.

"We can't afford to make any mistakes."

Lady Serese nodded, her gaze following Elias as he laughed with his friends. "I know, Caspian. That's why we have to act quickly. Elias's attachment to them is growing stronger. If we don't do something soon, we might lose our chance."

"Let's carry our plan later then," Caspian answered, a subtle smirk appearing on his lips.

"Inform the maids already that the young master is coming home with us. Tell the family members to act as kind as possible. By today, Elias will be staying with us."