The Garden Of Lions

As time passed, Gray kept on reading about the selection in the better part of the day while awakening his abilities during the night. Soon the day they were to go to the Leonhard mansion arrived. They both picked by the families deputy butler, a man who was in his mid-forty's, and were taken by a carriage which came for them. The family mansion was in an estate that was southern region of the kingdom. The estate was known as the [Garden of Lions]. With cherry blossom trees that grew on the sides of the path leading, it was a sight to behold as one entered the estate. Gray who was being held by his mother was speechless at the sight of the cherry blossom trees. Especially now that the cherry blossom flowers had started to bloom. The sight of Grays being spellbound made the butler chuckle. This surprises Gray making him turn to look at the butler who was sited opposite from where he and his mother was.

"What could be so funny Victor?" Lily asks on seeing Victor chuckle.

Victor Andre of the Andre is the younger brother of the Andre family patriarch. A person who was regarded as a great swordsman of the Andre family. And despite being of noble blood and a skilled warrior he choose to serve another noble family after my grandfather saved his family and he pledged to serve the Leonhard family for as long as he can. This lead to an argument between him and the family elders who didn't like the idea of a member of a high noble family serving another noble family, especially one where the members have enlightened abilities. However the patriarch saw this as a way to strengthen their relations with enlightened families which many pure mage or non- enlightened families didn't have. With this Victor became the family's deputy butler.

"Its just that the young master is showing the same mesmerized facial expression just like you did when you first came to the mansion." The Victor as he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. Lily is surprised on hearing this and she smiles as she remembers the time she was brought by both Victor and Julian to the mansion and just like that day cherry blossom had bloomed. She remembers as when she was so captivated by beautiful scenery of the flowers being blown by the light breeze and as the sun shone brightly. She also remembers as Julian laughed and the butler chuckling.

"It was a beautiful day just like this one." She says and light breeze blows the flowers which were falling to the ground.

"I heard the young master had turned two years old." The butler says looking at Lily.

"Yes." Lily responds with a weary smile.

"Hmm!" the butler looks at Lily in curiosity.

"The patriarch told me that you were hesitant on allowing your son the young master to participate in the selection." The butler says looking at her keenly.

"Yes…it is just that I fear he will go down the same path his father did. "Lily says while shaking.

"My dear I will tell you this that the main household under the current patriarch will not allow such a thing to ever happen again. Even if it means making an enemy out of the whole empire, it will not allow the only son of the late patriarch to be harmed. Nor him or his family." The butler says with an air of confidence in him.

"Thank you Victor for your kind words." Lily says with less doubt in her heart that her son will not die like his father.

"It's nothing specially but you must let your son grow. That is the only way he will survive in this world." Victor says.

"Yes, that's the only way and I promise that I will grow strong enough to protect my family and the clan." Gray self-talks.

"We have arrived!" Victor announces as the Leonhard family mansion comes to view.

The carriage stops and the door is opened. Lady Lily who is holding Gray is lead out by the butler.

"Welcome to the Leonhard mansions, my lady." The butler says bowing.

"So this is the Leonhard family mansion. It looks so grand, almost like a palace." Gray self-talks as he admires the infrastructure that was before him.

"You have finally arrived." A familiar voice says.

Lily and the butler turn to look who it could be. Walking towards them was the patriarch, Lord Raul Leonhard.

"We greet the family patriarch" the two say in unison and bow slightly as the patriarch, Lord Raul approaches them.

"You don't have to be so formal Lily. After all we are family." The patriarch says looking at Lily.

"As you wish your lordship." Lily says bowing slightly again.

"Yes. Thank you Victor for bringing Lily and my nephew over to the mansion." Lord Raul says now addressing the butler, Victor.

"It is my pleasure and an honor to be able to serve the former patriarchs family." Victor says as he bows his upper body.

"If that's the case could you allow me to be with my sister-in-law and my nephew?" the patriarch says.

"Very well, please excuse me then my lord, my lady." Victor says as he bows slightly to both Lady Lily and Lord Raul afterwards he walks away.

"I hope you didn't have any problems as you travelled here?" The patriarch asks Lily who was watching as the butler walked away. Hearing this she changes her concentration and looks at the patriarch.

"Thank you for your concern but we didn't have any problems on our way here." Lily responds to the patriarch's question.

"Let's walk to the garden, my wife has been waiting for you and insisted on having tea with you the moment you arrived here. I tried to convince hear to at least let you rest the moment you arrived but you know very well how she is." The patriarch says.

"There is no problem about it patriarch." Lily says with a giggle.

"If you say so." The patriarch says as the two walk side by side to the garden.

"How are twins doing? The patriarch asks.

"They are doing well. Thanks to the great support the main household has given us." Lily says

"That's good to hear." The patriarch says while looking forwards as they walk. 

"And how is my nephew doing?" the patriarch asks looking at Gray who looked startled by the patriarchs question.

"He has been doing well." Lily responds

"Am glad to hear that." The patriarch says in voice of ease.

"But he has been causing trouble lately." Lily says.

"Causing trouble??" the patriarch is confused by Lily's statement.

"Yes, he has." Lily respond with an air of dismay in her words.

"What could he have done to make you so worried?" the patriarch says showing concern of what his nephew might have done to make his sister-in-law so worried.

"As for starters…" she starts of slowly

"He has been sneak in the night into his father study and staying their all night! Do you know how worried I get when I find out he is all alone in that room! What if someone were to sneak in the house found him and killed!" She then starts to talk rapidly. The patriarch smiles and chuckles.

"What is so funny? Do you think am joking!" she says with a serious voice.

"No, I didn't mean that you were joking, it is just that you are worrying yourself too much Lily. Nothing will happen to your son, I promise you in the Leonhard family's name." lord Raul says and reassures her.

"We have arrived." The patriarch says as they enter in a garden with well-trimmed grass, flowers of different colors planted all round and a statue of a lion, in the middle that is gazing at an empty space.

"It looks beautiful, just as I remember it used to be." Lily says. She gives the patriarch her child to hold on to him. She continues to walk and goes to where red roses were plated and she feels them as she remembers of when her husband brought her here and gave her a red roses from the garden.

"You finally arrived!" a famine voice says. Lady Lily turns around to see a woman in her mid-twenties and wearing a beautiful red dress runs towards her and a servant following behind her. The woman jumps and hugs Lily.

"Roxanna!" Lily says in surprise.

"Am glad you arrived safely." The woman says with relief.

"Am happy to see you too." Lily says reassuredly.

"Enough with the sad talk, where is my nephew I really want to see him." She says after pulling herself from Lily. She turns and see Gray who is being held by the patriarch and rushes over to hold him. She snatches him from her husband's grip and she holds him in her hand.

"He is soo~ cute." She says ecstatically while holding Gray close to her face while Gray shows signs of discomfort.

"My lady don't you think you…" the servant is cut off by Lily.

"There is no problem. I know how much she has been wanting to see my son, especially from her letters, Glinder [Glinder Orwen]. So you don't have to worry." Lily says with a smile.

"Yes, that's right Glinder. Don't you know for how long I have been wanting to see my nephew." Lady Roxanna says in a loud voice.

"I am fully aware my lady. But are you aware that your dear nephew is not breathing." Glinder says with sigh then her mood changes and she becomes serious.

Roxanna looks at her nephew who looked like he blackout.

"Nooo!" she screams in panic. Lily looks concerned.

"I will be taking my leave then." The patriarch says changing Lilys focus of concentration to him.

"Where are you going?" Lily asks the patriarch as Roxanna and Glinder frantically try to make Gray regain his consciousness.

"I have to go meet up with the elders so that we may discuss about the selection." The patriarch says.

"Very well." Lily says and she curtseys.

"I hope you will enjoy your stay." The patriarch says and then he leaves.

"I know we will." She says still curtseying.

She then raises her head and turns to lady Roxanna and Glinder who are trying all there best to make Gray regain his consciousness.

"I am glad you came Lily. I would have been very saddened if you didn't." Roxanna says while holding a tea cup.

"Of course I had to come." Lily responds as a maid is serving them tea.

"And am so sorry about your son. I never meant…" Roxanna is cut off when Lily raises her hand to stop apologizing.

"There is no problem. My son is tougher than you think. But I think its best if he goes and stays with his cousin, wouldn't you agree." Lily says with a smile

"Yes, of course." Roxanna responds guiltily.

Gray is carried by one of the maids into one of the rooms. Gray is placed in crib, still unconscious. The maid closes the door to the room and Gray starts to walk up.

"Where am I?" Gray self-talks as he opens his eyes. He looks around and sees that he is in one of the Leonhard member's room. He rolls over and goes on all four and his eyes meet with that of another child the same age as him. Gray who never expected this is startled and falls on his back. The child crawls on top off Gray and looks at him with great curiosity. Gray looks very alarmed and shocked.

"Lily can I ask you something?" Roxanna asks Lily with concern.

"You can ask me anything." Lily says with a smile as she takes a sip of the tea.

"Do you know the color of my daughter's hair?" Roxanna asks in a serious voice.

"No I don't. But do tell me." She says looking confused.

"Her hair is dark." She says making Lily to be shocked.