➳ Camille

War. I should have known. My dreams were going to come true. I took a bite of salad and took a deep breath.

I looked up to find Anemone on the verge of tears. William was looking down, hands folded solemnly.

"I need to tell you both something," I said, getting William's attention, but not Anemone's. I didn't wait for her. "I have been having dreams. Dreams of war." I took a breath and continued. "I can't escape them. Every night I see war, flames, rage, and fury."

"I have too," William breathed. His eyes were wide with disbelief. Sobs broke from Anemone.

"I've had visions!" she cried. "Will, I've told you almost everything, but I left something out..."

"Yes?" I pressed. William looked just as focused.

Anemone took a breathy gulp of air. "The war will happen, as you both know by now... However, it will not just be Grand Olea taking back Fort Elysium... Everyone will be involved," Anemone said with sobs in between almost every word.

"Anemone, breathe," I said. "How do you know?"

"I saw it in visions. You know I'm a psychic elf," Anemone said after another breath. She bite her lip to ease her sobs. I quickly realized she had an issue with controlling her emotions. I gazed at her shaking figure with sympathetic eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just..." Anemone shook her head back and forth with her head dipped down in despair. "Father will be called back." Anemone's sobbed returned with full force.

"Your dad?" I asked. I knew Anemone's mom ran a highly successful publishing company, but I didn't know what her dad did.

"He is a major general. He is higher than everyone besides the council," William explained with his voice hinting at deep pride in his father's rank. "The only drawback is that if there is war, he will be the first to be called in."

Anemone abruptly stood up and rushed away. Her makeup was smudged and her dress was dotted by tear stains. I had never thought she could get so upset.

I stood up to follow her, when William lightly touched the top of my hand. I whipped my head back to meet his green eyes.

"Give her some space," he said softly. "Talk with me."

I nodded and sat down. I trusted that he knew what was best for his sister. They seemed to care for each other deeply, after all.

We talked long into the night, though I could barely remember the conversation in the morning. William had been kind, his tone of voice always soft. I remembered thinking Anemone was lucky to have such a caring brother.

I quickly got ready for the morning. I wore a casual baby blue dress and some flats. I scanned my bookshelf while I waited for an invitation to breakfast.

My invitation didn't come. Instead, a tray was left at my door. I had a feeling Anemone was still upset. I had no idea what William was doing.

I sat down on my bed with the tray of food and a book I found. I ended up finishing the book and never leaving my room.

At around noon, my eyes drifted shut, still tired from last night.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I awoke to a soft knocking at my door. I slowly got up to answer the door and standing there was William.

"Sorry. I guess I was taking a nap. I'm still tired from yesterday."

"So was I, but I still made you breakfast. Did you like it?" William asked.

"Oh! That was you. Sorry, I didn't realize... It was wonderful."

William smiled. "Thank you. I put a special ingredient in to make the sausages taste extra succulent."

I almost threw up in my mouth. "William, what did you put in there?"

William smiled. "Farm-fresh meat. Straight from our small farm."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh... yeah. That makes sense." I cursed myself for being so dirty minded. William would never do that.

"You've been in your room all day, so I came to offer a tour of the house," William said. "I know you came to spend time with Anemone, but she's a bit out of it..."

"That sounds nice," I said. "Let me just put on my shoes."

"Wonderful. I'll wait outside," William said with a smile. I smiled in return as he closed the door. I slipped on my shoes and looked around for a jacket. William's jacket from last night was hung over my dresser. I decided to slip it on. I'd return it after our tour.

I opened the door and followed William down the spiral stairs and outside. I briefly looked at the snowy landscape, the thin layer of snow covering the grounds and frost frozen to the trees, but my eyes focused on his gloves most of the time. I had forgotten to ask about it last night. The curiosity was burning inside me.

"What would you like to see first? The greenhouse? The farm? The pool? The second house? We probably can't go to the office."

"I'd like to see the greenhouse." I decided to wait until we arrived to bring up the ring. Though I badly wanted him to either confirm or deny my suspicions, I resolved that I could wait.

We walked through the snow with little conversation until we finally arrived at the greenhouse. It was shaped like a pyramid with a sloping roof. The glass was clear, but it appeared foggy because of the cold.

When William opened the door, I was greeted by a soft burst of warmth. It wasn't as warm as the house, but it was warmer than outside. The greenhouse was covered with many different types of plants; some that I haven't seen before.

After taking in the lush greenhouse, I turned to William.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you wear those gloves?" I asked, rolling back and forth on my toes with my hands behind my back.

He didn't respond. Instead, he turned to me with a sad expression.

"It's cold," he said after many moments of silence.

"And the ring?" I was getting a bit impatient at this point, if I was being honest with myself. Why couldn't he just tell me?

"Oh... the ring. Well, I guess I should tell you. No point in lying." He chuckled awkwardly. When I didn't laugh, he continued. "The rings show how many partners you've taken to your bed."

"What?" I asked, a little more than a bit shocked. William had not seemed like that type of person. "You're seventeen right?"

"Sixteen," he said. "But I was fourteen then. Gosh, I was stupid."

"What happened?"

"She wanted it. She threatened me and... I gave in. I regret it every day." William sighed. "I try to hide it, with my gloves on, but it isn't fair to lie."

"Who is she?" When he didn't answer, I backpedaled. "Nevermind. So, what is this type of plant?" I asked, pointing to a plant with purple vines.

"They're veao vines. Little pink fruits grow on it during spring. Anemone likes to eat them. They're her favorite."

I nodded. I was sorry for being nosey, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I followed WIlliam around the greenhouse.

William showed me every single plant. He knew mostly everything about them. I even tried some raw winter roots. I thought they tasted better steamed, like I'd get in Cerevaux. We walked around the greenhouse until we ended back at the veao vines near the entrance.

"Could we see the pool next?"

"Yes, we just have to be back home for dinner. Tonight we will dine as a family." William opened the doors and I was greeted with cold air once again. I shivered as I drew the jacket tighter.

"On second thought... could I see that farm?"

William chuckled. "Don't worry about the cold. The pool is indoors. We actually have three different pools."

"Oh," was all that I could think to say.

William smiled and took my hand to lead me outside. I slipped my hand out of his. He had a girlfriend, and because of that, I felt odd about holding his hand. His hands were freezing cold anyhow. Even if they had broken up, I still didn't feel comfortable holding his hand like a lover would do. I barely knew him. He was a friend at the most.

William's blush was fierce as we began to walk. As we walked past the house, I noticed that there was another car parked amongst the others. It was jet black and it's tires were lifted so that it was far higher than everything around it. On both sides of the car was a crest with three different symbols.

"The council," William muttered. His cute blush quickly disappeared and his face turned deadly serious. "My apologies, I have to leave. I don't wish to cut this short, but I need to see what's going on," he said quickly.

I nodded, slightly confused. I watched silently as he quickly raced inside. After moments of standing numbly outside, I opened the double doors and walked straight to my room.

Looking out of my window, I soon saw the black car drive away. Looking closer, I saw a familiar face...

Anemone's dad.