House Ravenhan

[Norien's Point of View]

"Norien, my dear daughter, why don't you help me with your brother's clothes? He cannot match his mantle with anything and he is to be wed in two weeks!" my mother, Lady Odelia Ravenhan, exclaimed. I nod my head and follow her across the lively lit hallways, each wall filled with paintings depicting our family legacy. Tales of brave men, my mother would always say, brave men with might and wits.

"How wonderful are our ancestors, Norien?" my mother asked in awe, letting out a long breath.

For a moment, I gave no reply. They are in no way close to wonderful, I wanted to say, they are far from it. "Whatever you say, mother..." I told her, "...I don't care much as long as you don't ramble on about them... it tires me, really-"

"You miss a great piece of our history, you know?" she asks, stopping and giving me a glare. "Many heroes have fought in the name of the raven-"

"And brought glory to our house's nest- yes, yes. I know..." I told her, my voice taking on an annoyed tone as she continued to stride along the well-lit hall with the essence of honeycomb lingering in the air. I told her, "You've told me plenty enough already."

My mother squinted her eyes and smirked, stopping. "You used to be interested in them when you were a child... what ever happened to your little curiosity?" she asked, turning around and raising her hand to her chin in thought. "You admired them so much you vowed to be as loyal as Noreul and as fierce and cunning as Nostan-"

"When I was six!" I corrected, moving past her swiftly, trying to make my way to my brother's chambers. I could almost reach it, until mother came and stopped me, rushing in front me and raising her finger to my face. I always hated that.

"Your father, Nosos, wouldn't be so pleased with this attitude of yours-"

"They're nothing more than men who can't stand without leaning on anything..." I told her, crossing my arms and closing the fan I held in my right hand. "You admire incompetent men... no wonder the south has deteriorated-"

"Norien!" she scolded, hitting my hand which I took back. "You will not speak of this anymore- do you understand?"

I gave her nothing but a cold stare. "Yes... mother dear." I replied in a mocking tone.

She scoffed, shaking her head in disappointment. "Are girls your age always so full of... angst?" she asked as she walked away, passing me by my right. "Do help your brother! He is to be wed to King Orastor's daughter, remember? Go get him dressed before supper!" she ordered as she swiftly exited the hallway.

Of course, how could I forget?

Immediately, I hear the sounds of pounding boots, followed by a loud thud as if my brother had given himself a taste of the wooden floor. Slowly, his shadow rose again, and he rushed to the doorway to see nobody but me.

"S-sister! I need your help..." my brother exclaimed, hopping in one leg towards me, his undergarments revealed, pants left hanging at his ankles.

I cover my eyes swiftly using my fan. "Pants, brother." I reply, trying to hold in my laugh.

Noran looks down, ashamed. He pulls his grand yellow leggings up until it reached his waist. "Sorry, Norien. L-look, I need your choice on this..." he says as he struggles to walk towards his closet.

"Seriously, brother? You're the heir to our father and you can't even dress yourself up?" I asked in a mocking tone.

He pulls out two mantles, the first having a red and white checker pattern, decorated nicely with rubies. The second one on the other hand had a more complex design featuring blue, black, and white lining decorated with gold knitting. I put my finger to the tip of my lips, and pretend to think. "The right one suits you best, brother... the dark blue of the sky and the black of the raven... it suits you as a Ravenhan." I said to him.

He leaps in pure joy like a child. "I cannot thank you enough! I assure you- you will be gifted with the best meal at the feast with the king. Wish me luck, sister... meeting the bride isn't much of a stress, but the father!? I-I'd rather be dead! T-thanks again, Norien!" He closes the door swiftly with a loud BANG, which disturbs some of the maids working in the hallway, who stare at me with disapproving looks.

Is this really what has become of our house? A grown-up man who can't even match a mantle with his pants? I can't imagine the looks of our ancestors looking down on us right at this moment... then again, they never really seemed the type to be independent in the first place.

All of them were puppets anyway. Nostan was a puppet of the southern lords who urged him to poison the king. Noreul was a puppet of his family. Noraian, who legends say pledged his fealty to the Ballisters by blood, is controlled by- none other than -the king himself.

The fact was... our house could not rule on its own. It always needed something- or rather someone -to lead them. Without the Ballisters, where would we be? Without the lords of House Levarion and Heraion... how would the Mad King not die?

Then, there was... my father.

"Norien!" my father exclaimed as he swiftly came to me, his black, long hair trailing him as his belly bounced when he ran.

"Father... what now?" I ask.

"Is your brother ready?" he asks, sweating nervously, fidgeting his hands and touching his golden ring.

"He should be. But please, next time show him how to take care of himself or the guests will make fools of my brother."

"What do you mean?" my father asks, his brows knitted and his eyes tweaking.

I pause, cross my arms, look him and the eyes and say-- "Noran is twenty and five years old and he's the heir to your lordhood yet he can't even dress himself accordingly! He won't be able to survive any longer on his own than the other men in this wretched house- I can guarantee that."

My father pauses shortly, his eyes blank, and probably his mind, too. Finally, he speaks. "What happened to you? What has happened to my girl that was once so fond of our family? You would curse your ancestors? You would discredit the works of these noble souls? Look at them!" he says, pointing towards the nearest portrait.

I scoffed, giving him a mocking stare. "I have nothing against the Ballisters... in fact, I thank them- but this..." I reply, my feet shuffling towards the painting of Noraian Ravenhan, "...this is embarrassing! Our house has has always been a puppet whether that is in ruling a castle or in plain living!" I exclaim loudly.

For a moment, my father watches in outrage. He drew a deep breath. "You are ungrateful!" my father exclaims, pointing at me. "You should be more like your brother, mature and industrious-"

"Mature!? You call my brother mature when he can't even change clothes without my help? You admire your family's wretched history, but can't you see most of it is about the other houses! You admire the legacy of others wishing it was your own!" I retorted, laughing at him, mocking his very belief.

He looks at me with disgust and outrage. He points his hand at me and exclaims, "I do not know what is wrong with you, young lady..." he began, his finger shaking, "...move to your quarters! You are not to attend the feast unless ordered to as to not embarrass our family!"

You are the only embarrassment here, I wished to add. Thankfully, I didn't.

I argued no further, and leave my father's presence. I wander the halls, which are filled with decorated walls, lanterns, the occasional maid sweeping up the floor, and the scent of beeswax from the candles my mother lights. No matter how foolish and naive my mother is, she does know how to make a house smell like home.

I find my quarters. As I enter the room through the white wooden doors, I am greeted with a small round table and my right-hand side. My bed looked soft as usual, with its white covers inviting me for a soft nap. The one window to my room lets in sunlight, but not too much, and my closet is open, revealing my wardrobe, filled with dresses.

"Brother never would've had this kind of room, he's never tidy" I say to myself.

I lay on my bed, flat on my back. My father's words echo in my head, but I decide to block them out. I wonder what the Ballister king is going to be like... I have never seen him before. I heard he has his son to accompany him, perhaps he might have better attitude than my brother.

I close my eyes to sleep, until a knock on the door disturbs my peaceful time laying down. It was my brother... great.

"What do you want, Noran?" I ask.

"I'm sorry, sister... that's all I wanted to say..." he replied.

I rise up from my bed and look him in the eyes. "Sorry for what?"

"For always being on your tail. Something about what you said to me earlier had me thinking about myself... you know, changing me for the better..." he replied.

"It's..." I think about my words carefully; as much as I despise my brother, I still love him as one. "...fine. Just, try to be more... mature, please. You're about to be wed to a beautiful woman. Imagine what she'll say when she realizes you can't even dress up right." I say to him.

He chuckles for a bit and takes something from his pocket and tosses it to me.

"What's this?" I ask.

"Something to compensate for your time, sister."

I open the small box, careful not to make a mess. As I opened it, my eyes widen with shock. Two earrings, each one having a small diamond hanging off of each one. "Where did you- How-"

"I bought it with my own money yesterday. I thought I'd thank you for all this time..." he explained with a warm smile. "I promise I will become a better person someday, Norien. Who knows, maybe I'll have a painting like one of our ancestors hung up on our hallway?" he says with a chuckle. He greets me farewell and closes the door.

I wouldn't wish that on you, brother.

I admire the earrings, looking at their every detail. Perhaps this family is not doomed after all. One thing is for sure, Noran is maturing- finally. I may not have the most distinguished and manly brother in the world, but at least I can teach him to be one.

I still despise our ancestors for their actions, but as I look at Noraian's great depiction hanging in the hallway and my brother walking down the halls, I see things from a new perspective...

Maybe it is time for a change in this family... starting with me and my brother. From now on, our family will no longer be dependent on other houses when it comes to ruling their kingdom... I vow on it.

Of course, we will still be loyal to the Ballisters and the Strix as allies; however, we shall no longer be puppets controlled by them, but merely friends and brothers- and sisters, of course -at blood... because if there is one thing that I am sure of, it is that a Ravenhan never forgets to give what he receives.

As for my father and mother, the only thing I can do is hope that they will one day see their errors and change their minds on our ancestors and our family's awful habits of dependency... and foolishness, but that is for another day. Perhaps when the family changes, so will they... and the raven will fly above all as a competitor in both strength and wits...

As the words of House Ravenhan say... Wisdom is Power.