Evil in the Garden
866 Words
The breeze in the garden had grown still, the laughter and chatter from the distant guests muffled behind the hedge walls. Only the soft murmur of the fountain remained, and the quiet tension between Xylenne and Sylvareaen.
Xylenne blinked, taken aback, then pointed to herself. "Me? Strange? I could say the same about you!" she snapped defensively, puffing her cheeks.
Sylvareaen tilted his head, his red eyes unreadable. "Why did you fake cry when Lady Varra held you?" he asked bluntly, genuine confusion in his tone.
Xylenne crossed her arms, looking away. "Because if I threatened her, I wouldn't look innocent, and then nobody would want to adopt me," she said matter-of-factly.
Sylvareaen blinked, frowning slightly. "That's... weird," he muttered. Then, after a pause, he added softly, "I've never had a sister before."
Xylenne froze, her irritation fading into surprise. "Will the Orthis family really adopt me?" she asked, her voice hopeful.
Sylvareaen looked down, fiddling with the hem of his uniform. "If I cry about it, they probably will. My mother always gets me what I want," he said confidently.
Xylenne's eye twitched. Spoiled much? she thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "There's going to be a court soon," she said quickly. "Your family has to show up, or else I'll be handed over to Lady Varra!"
Sylvareaen blinked in confusion. "I don't know much about court or anything like that," he admitted, scratching his head. "But I'll tell my mother later about it!"
I forgot he's still a child... Xylenne thought with a sigh. Of course he doesn't understand this kind of thing yet. Before she could say another word, a sharp voice sliced through the peaceful air. "There you are!" Lady Varra stormed into the hedge garden, her expression twisted with fury. Her expensive heels crunched against the gravel as she approached, her voice trembling with restrained rage. "You brat! Don't you dare say anything like that again in front of other people!" she hissed.
Xylenne's eyes narrowed, then, without thinking, she spat at Varra's heel. "A-ah!" Lady Varra gasped, stepping back in shock. "How disgusting! You filthy little brat!"
Xylenne grabbed Sylvareaen's wrist. "Come on!" she whispered harshly. Before he could respond, she yanked him, and the two ran between the hedges, the sound of their small shoes against the stones echoing faintly. "Get back here!" Varra's furious voice chased after them.
But before they could escape the maze of flowers, Varra's hand caught Xylenne's wrist roughly. "Where do you think you're going!?" Varra snapped, her grip tightening. "Let go of me!" Xylenne shouted, trying to pull free, but her small hands couldn't fight against the woman's strength.
Sylvareaen's crimson eyes widened, and then he acted. "Let her go!" he yelled, grabbing Xylenne's arm with one hand and tugging hard while glaring up at Varra. "Stay out of adult matters, you brat!" Varra snapped, pulling back. "No! You let her go!" Sylvareaen said louder this time, his voice trembling but fierce.
The standoff lasted only seconds before another voice rang out, smooth and cold as polished glass. "What's going on here?"
It was Lady Orthis. Her presence froze the moment instantly. Lady Varra immediately released Xylenne's wrist, her eyes wide as she turned with a nervous smile.
Xylenne and Sylvareaen stumbled backward, falling onto the grass with a soft thump. Sylvareaen scrambled to his feet, red-faced, brushing the dirt from his uniform while Xylenne stood up beside him, glaring daggers at Varra. "We were just playing a game!" Lady Varra said quickly, forcing a chuckle. "The children wanted to play, I couldn't possibly refuse. Kids being kids, you know how they are."
"You liar!" Sylvareaen shouted before Xylenne could speak. "Mother, she's lying! She grabbed Xylenne!" Lady Orthis blinked, clearly surprised by her son's outburst. "Sweetie?" she said softly. "I want Xylenne to be my sister!" Sylvareaen declared suddenly, voice rising with emotion. "I don't have a sister, I want one!"
Lady Orthis's eyes widened slightly in embarrassment at his boldness. She smiled politely toward Varra. "Darling, not here," she said gently to her son before turning back to Varra with a polite laugh. "Children do say the most unexpected things, don't they? My apologies, Lady Varra." With that, she took Sylvareaen's hand and began to walk off, though his red eyes flicked back toward Xylenne with quiet stubbornness.
From the other side of the garden, a familiar deep voice called out, "There you are, my little dove." Lord Winter approached, his expression equal parts relief and concern. "Grandfather!" Xylenne ran to him, and he lifted her easily into his arms. "Keep this vile woman away from me! I promise I'll be good!" Xylenne said, burying her face in his shoulder for dramatic effect. "A-ah..." Lord Winter sighed, offering a curt nod toward Lady Varra. "My apologies, Lady Varra. We'll... talk soon." He turned sharply, walking away with Xylenne in his arms.
Xylenne lifted her head slightly, her deep blue eyes narrowing. Lady Varra's polite smile twitched, her glare sharp as ice. Their gazes locked for a brief, silent moment, hatred disguised beneath civility. The garden shimmered with sunlight, but between them, the air was cold as winter.
- Writer
