The next day, I woke up early and checked on May. After I made sure she was fine and breathing well, I smiled and stroked her hair before going out of the house for the first time for breakfast. I didn't expect it, but yesterday's conversation with Justin had really taken a toll on me. I finally had some motivation to get out of the house and roam around during the day.

Everyone was already awake, some eating breakfast and others starting their morning chores. I walked towards the long table in front of the woman's stone house, glancing at the food that was making my stomach rumble loudly.

A man spotted me and quickly leaned in to his wife and whispered something before turning to her friends who turned to their husbands and soon. A rapid silence fell throughout the hideout as everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I blinked.

Did I do something wrong?

A force suddenly hit me hard from behind, and I fell onto the ground.

"Ouch," I winced as I sat up.

A grinning face popped into my vision. A young girl sat on my lap with a mischievous smile on her lips. Her curly yellow hair swung from her shoulders as she looked up at me with green emerald eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at the girl. "Who are you?"

Her face immediately fell. Quickly, I racked my brain and realized who she was. "Ahhh! You're that girl from yesterday!"

"Felicity!" she said. "My name's Felicity!"

"Ohhhh, Felicity?" I nodded. "What a pretty name!"

She blushed. "Thank you, sister!"

"Sister?" I asked.

"She has a tendency to call other people older than her brother or sister."

A voice came from behind me, and Felicity suddenly squealed and dashed on to my lap. I looked over my shoulder to see Justin, Yuri, and Tristan.

"Miss!" Yuri sang, running at me with outstretched arms.

While Yuri hugged me around the neck, Felicity hid her face from Justin by using my hair to create a curtain between them.

"Ouch," I gasped. "Heavy."

The weight on my back suddenly disappeared. I glanced behind me to see Tristan holding Yuri up by the scruff of his cloak.

"You're going to scare her back into the house," Tristan said.

Yuri scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.

"Why is Felicity's face so red?" Justin asked her playfully, bending down behind me, his face tilted so that it seemed like he was trying to spot Felicity.

I stared at Justin. His demeanor was completely different. His eyes gazed warmly at the little girl as a gentle smile played at his lips. Felicity turned redder and squealed even louder.

"Ouch! My ears," I moaned.

"My, my. It's quite lively this morning."

I turned my head to see the woman standing in front of the stone house, smiling at us. Alarmed, I got up to greet the elder and had forgotten that Felicity was on my lap. She tumbled off my lap and rolled on to the ground.

"Ack! You okay, Felicity?" I asked hurriedly, rushing towards her.

She looked up at me and tears started to pool her eyes while she showed me a new scratch on her arm.

"Don't cry," I said comfortingly.

Her bottom lip started to quiver. "Look Felicity!" I said, desperately trying to distract her with something before she started crying. "Brother Justin is here now to help you!"

Justin gave me an alarmed look. I smile angelically back and mouthed my plea. Felicity immediately stopped crying and looked up with an expression of wonder.

Justin turned towards me as if I was supposed to give him instructions, but I just stared back at him, expecting him to do something. When he realized I wasn't going to tell him anything, he turned towards Felicity with a charming smile. "Let's seal this with a little kiss, and then can you go find Maida for her to treat it?"

I gaped at Justin's sudden change of attitude and ambience around this little girl. Felicity smiled and nodded. Justin brought her bruise to his lips and lightly pressed his lips against her arm. Felicity laughed in delight and turned red.

"I'm going to go get food now," Justin stood up, patting Felicity's head. "Go with Tristan and find Maida."

Justin walked off with Felicity staring dreamily at him. I waved a hand in front of Felicity, but she was too caught up in her trance to notice me. Tristan snorted, hovering over me. "Justin is such a player. Any girl falls for him." He paused then looked at me. "Well, except for you."

"I really don't see anything in that egoistic jerk who calls other people mean names," I said, narrowing my eyes.

Tristan looked like he was fighting back a smile. Yuri came running at us at full speed; he skidded just in time from barreling into us.

"Breakfast!"

He squatted down and held out to me a bowl. I took it gratefully from him and thank him. It looked like some sort of strange soup mixed with some kind of meat and other vegetables. I realized how hungry I was at that moment.

I hadn't eaten since we got here. I brought the bowl to my lips and hungrily ate it. It tasted so good I finished the bowl in just a few seconds.

"Wow," I said. "Who made this?"

"Elder," Yuri smiled.

"Is that what you guys call her?" I asked.

"Yep," Yuri cheered. "That old woman—"

Elder suddenly appeared behind Yuri. "You brat, did you just call me an old woman?"

"Wahh!" Yuri suddenly streaked off with the elder stomping after him, visible fumes of smoke coming out of her head.

"I'll bring her back to her house," Tristan said, picking Felicity princess style.

"Thanks," I said gratefully, stretching my numb legs.

"You should go make friends with some people around here," Tristan called from over his shoulder. "You'll need them."

"Why?" I asked.

But Tristan was already walking away, yelling at a group of kids he had almost tripped over. I picked myself off the ground and started towards the table where many people were sitting to eat breakfast but was soon crowded by a group of people. They examined me head to toe.

"Um," I awkwardly said. " Is there something you need?"

"Hmm," an old man walked around and grabbed my arm. "Such weak muscles!"

"Uhh..." my voice trailed off as I stared at the man in confusion.

"Tsk. Look, look. Such weak passion in your eyes," the man shook his head.

"Ramon!" an old woman came out of the group, waving her cane not noticing that she accidentally hit a man in the place where the sun doesn't shine.

"Stop that. You're making the poor girl feel uncomfortable," she chided, sidling up to Ramon before smiling at me. "Hello, dear. I'm so sorry for my husband's ill-mannered behaviour."

"Ah," I shook my head. "It's alright."

Ramon squinted his eyes at me. "Help out with some chores."

"Oh, okay!" I agreed.

Ramon raised an eyebrow at me before turning to his wife and saying, "At least she's not dead like she was a week ago."

Tilly glared at her husband before turning towards me and smiling kindly at me. "Why don't you help us guard the children instead?"

"Alright," I nodded.

"Careful," Ramon warned. "Those kids are demons! Demons!"

He hobbled off and almost got trampled by a group of kids screaming their heads off. "Watch where you're going, you brats!"

Tilly sighed and motioned me to follow her. The crowd was starting to disappear as the two of us walked in silence. We arrived in front of a farm; a sense of deja vu washed over me, as I tried to figure out where I had seen this farm. Before I could figure it out though, Tilly asked, "Young lady, do you know why your eyes are not purple?"

The question caught me off guard. "No, I don't. But do you?"

My eagerness faded as Tilly shook her head. "Strange, strange. Even your mom had them."

"You knew my mom too? How was she like?" I said, surprised at how desperate I sounded.

"Everyone knew her. She was a strong woman, all right," Tilly chuckled. "Those purple eyes of hers were the thing that really stuck out. Everyone here hated the royals with their cold purple eyes. But your mom's eyes had none of that evilness or unwelcoming eyes. She laughed through her pain and helped a lot around the campus."

A pang echoed in my chest. I wish I were like that. A woman who could smile through pain. Someone who didn't hurt others around her. Why didn't I realize Mom was hiding such pain throughout these years?

"Although," Tilly's voice interrupted my wishful thinking. "I have a feeling that you're going to be just as amazing as your mother."

I stared at her with wide eyes as she smiled at me with a kind, soft smile. The smile Mom used to give me. Burning tears started to fill my eyes.

"Oh my," Tilly said surprised.

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "Just thinking about my mom..."

Tilly's face softened. She reached a hand out and grabbed my hand comfortingly. "We'll be your family until you get your real one back."

I nodded silently. As we reached the farm, a scream ripped through the air. A pulse of fear coursed through me like a lightning bolt, and I feel my skin crawl.

"It's fine," Tilly said, chuckling. "That's probably one of the girls."

I breathed out in relief and put a hand over my thundering heart.

"We're here," Tilly announced.

I looked up and realized what had looked so familiar to me. It was Justin's farm. I leaned over the fence to see if Browny was at the stall, but the horse was gone.

"The kids usually stay in Justin's house," Tilly informed me. " All of them love him very much because he takes good care of them."

I frowned. Justin? Taking good care of kids? His demeaning and cold eyes flash inside my mind, and I shivered. Tilly noticed and laughed out loud. "Yes, it is hard to imagine him being soft, but he's able to relate and connect with them very well since he's an orphan. See, the rest of the kids here are orphans as well."

Her words hit me like a brick. Justin was an orphan? All the kids here were orphans? I felt my stomach flip and swallowed my dry throat.

Before I could feel anymore guilty with myself, Tilly and I reached the door. She turned to face me and opened the door before pushing me inside. " Good luck!" Tilly's smiling face was the last thing I saw before the door slammed in front of my face.

>-<  0o0 :)

Chapter 8 is up! A little bit of Justin's past revealed :)))

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