NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”If you look at them at a glance, you would say that Ms. Kartar is Lady Serena’s daughter.”

The last sentence from Nicholas was enough to have everyone finally stop eating.

Lady Rosamonda looked at Perdita and Serena in suspicion while making sure she didn’t miss any detail. But her dark red eyes found no resemblance of Perdita to Serena. Likewise Lady Rosamonda, Prince Regan, Princess Sarah, Lady Bethany, and Mr. Gilberto turned to look at Nicholas to check if the young man had perhaps gone mad.

Unknown to Nicholas, the words he called mere words had unwrapped different emotions from so many people in the room.

Serena since the words were spoken, had clutched her cutlery tightly in her hands. Her green eyes suddenly had a piercing coldness in them that held the emotions that tried to surface.

Mr. Fredrick who sat beside her gave her a nudge on her leg, silently asking her to let go of the emotion that might turn everywhere cold. Even Leonard felt it from where he sat. As they were witches, feeling each other’s triggered emotion wasn’t hard for them to detect.

Like Serena, Perdita also held her fork and knife tightly in both hands. Her own green eyes emitted a dangerous flare that would consume anyone who looked into them.

Being reminded of her parents was a very delicate and sensitive topic for her and Marco. It has always been. And to be using another woman who was a witch as a referral to her dear mother could make her kill anyone for it.

Perdita felt her blood boil within her as if waiting to unleash it on this man who couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Even Marco was not left out of the number of people who wanted to murder the man immediately. The glare both he and Perdita sent him was not a subtle one, but one that should let the man know when to stop spouting rubbish, but the young oblivious to the disaster he was unleashing opened his mouth to speak again.

He said, ”Are you all quiet because what I said is true?” He let out a chuckle, ”Observe the both of them, you would notice it too. The picture is just there.” He proceeded to use his hands to emphasize what he was saying and turned to look at his father to ask for his opinion like he had been doing.

”Isn’t that right, Father?”

Mr. Gilberto felt the need to punch his son’s skull and punch some sense into it. They came here for a very important matter and Nicholas his son was trying to ruin it by blabbering the rubbish in his head.

Before Mr. Gilberto could respond to his son’s question, the King beat him to it.

”One more word from you, Mr. Nicholas, your tongue shall not belong to you.” Sthena’s deep voice boomed in the dining room. His eyes held a controlled anger that could make him not bother painting the walls red with Nicholas’s blood.

The open threat from the king wasss enough to shut the man up. Even at that, he didn’t know the appropriate thing to do next. It was only when Lady Bethany nudged his leg from under the table did he remember what he had to do.

Nicholas stood and bowed at the king, ”Forgive me, Your Majesty for speaking out of turn.”

”Pray it is not only your tongue that speaks out of turn next time,” Sthena spoke next, subtly hinting at the second meaning to his warning of staying away from Perdita. He noticed how the man’s eyes had filled with foolish thoughts in his head. But like he expected, the dumb man didn’t grab what he meant. He would leave him till he stepped out of line, then he would give his nails the satisfaction of inking them with his blood.

The breakfast continued in silence now the parrot had been ripped off its voice.

The glare sent across the table from the siblings earlier was now directed toward Perdita when Marco trying to cool off the angry veins trigging inside Perdita’s skin patted her right hand that had not released her stronghold on the poor knife.

The glare sent by Lady Bethany was followed by narrowed look as it was her turn to boil in anger for unknown reasons.

Luckily, the breakfast ended in silence except for the glared and heated gazes passed around the table.

Sthena stood up and was followed by Mr. Gilberto who quickly dabbed the napkin on his lips and the next to stand was his blabbermouth of a son, and others also stood from their respective seats.

Before Sthena could entirely leave the dining room, from the corner of his eyes he caught Mr. Fredrick walking up to Perdita, and he heard him say to her.

”Mind taking a stroll to view the castle with me, Lady Perdita?”

This was enough to tick Sthena off as he narrowed his eyes with his hand fisted in his trouser pocket before he finally walked out followed by Mr. Gilberto and Nicholas.

Perdita planned to refuse the request of Mr. Fredrick because one, she didn’t want to stay near these witches alone, and second reason was to tell Marco what happened in her room. She hadn’t forgotten the fright it gave her. To think fire came out of her finger. The thought itself made her shiver which Fredrick noticed.

”Lady Perdita?” Fredrick called bringing her back to reality.

”Uhm... I’m sorry for pacing out,” Perdita apologized a little embarrassed. She went on to say, ”I’m sorry, Mr. Fredrick but I can’t accompany you.” Just as she finished speaking she heard Lady Bethany ask Marco to escort her around which he agreed to.

Oh no. Bad timing. Perdita lamented.

Mr. Fredrick smiled, showing his well-aligned white teeth, ”It’s only a small stroll, My Lady. If you get tired on the way, we can always retire.”

Perdita pursed her lips in thought. She replied, ”Okay,” She agreed not because she was looking forward to the stroll but because she wanted to ask him some questions.

”Perfect,” Fredrick smiled, the smile this time was not the gentle one he showed her earlier. There was an unnerving feeling of him that slowly crept up her body she tried to brush away. It was the same feeling she had of them when she first set her eyes on them.

Something told her they were not there because of the King’s call to cure her brother. It was as if they were on a mission. But amidst all the cautious warning ringing alarming bells at the back of her head, she still followed him. The urge to know more than she did boosted her spirit to walk forward.