Ashley woke up to the best sleep she's had in a while. She sat up on her bed and looked around her room, a smile slowly winding its way across her face. She stretched her arms far in front of her and forced her self out of the soft, king sized heaven to get ready for breakfast. She walked to the bathroom and pushed open the glass door that lead inside.

The interior was a nice, mahogany themed room with a plain, white toilet and a silver shower head with jets in place in the walls withing the cubicle. She noted the towel casually placed on the sink edge that still had the wrapping paper intact and decieded to use it since she hadn't unpacked her suitcase yet. 

Thirty minutes later, she was done getting dressed and was grabbing her phone. She dialed her parent's number and pressed her phone to her ear. Ashley walked out while she talked to her mother over the phone, thanking her for making this trip possible. She grabbed her keys and made sure to lock her door. Curious, she snuck a glance at Reece's room only to find him standing in the middle of it half-dressed.

He snickered at her when he caught her confused stare and shrugged before he started rushing around to pull his blue shirt over his head. Ashley pursed her lips and contemplated whether to wait for him or not. 

She sighed and ended her call, leaning on the pillar in front of his room. Her phone suddenly rang in her hand and she grimaced when Casey's name appeared, knowing she was about to get a mouth full for being late. As she put her phone to her ear, Alessio's door swung open and the man himself walked out, looking like he would rather be dead than walk outside in the sun. She scoffed at his messy look, unintentionally gaining his attention.

"What's up, Case?" Ashley asked over the phone, shrugging at Alessio who cocked an eyebrow her way and started approaching her in big, calculated yet non-threatening steps.

She frowned, watching him grow closer.

"Bitch, I told you eight in the morning not nine. We're about to starve to death." Casey scolded.

"Uh—." Ashley stuttered as Alessio now stood in front of her, an anxious look in his eyes as he stared at her phone, "—you know, just talk to your boyfriend. He looks like he has something to say."

Alessio's eyes doubled in size as he aggressively shook his head and hands in front of her, causing her to chuckle and dump her phone on his chest, to which he subconsciously held in place.

"Have fun." She sung, glad that she wasn't the one dealing with a hungry, annoyed Casey.

She walked over to Reece's room and leaned on the door frame, crossing her arms and watching him comb out his tough, dark hair, "Any day now, princess." She teased, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Reece snickered and walked towards her whilst still combing his mane, "Well, good morning to you too." He greeted, and grabbed his keys, phone and wallet before reaching her. 

Ashley straightened up and turned away from him, knowing he had something up his sleeve. She hadn't even had her breakfast yet. It was too early to start playing games. She yawned and walked past Alessio, who shoot her a tormented look her way to which she  happily ignored with a tight, apologetic smile. Reece sent him a confused look and Ashley watched as Alessio's eyes gleamed with something sinister.

"Oh, you want to talk to him?" He paused, "—here you go man." He finished then shoved Ashley's phone on his chest, just as she had him and fast walked towards her.

"What?"Reece asked as he watched him and slowly lifted his phone to her ear, "—hello—?" He suddenly cringed and pulled the phone away from his ear, letting Casey's shrill voice echo around them.

"Just hurry the fuck up before I eat you all alive! I swear to god when these idiots get here—!"

🔱🔱🔱

Eros walked into the room and immediately loosened his collar. His day had just begun back home, but he already wished it to be over. He sat on the dining room chair farthest from the door and leaned back on his seat; gazing up at the ceiling with his right arm at his side and his left on the table. As he absentmindedly took it in, a woman crossed his mind yet again.

He found himself wondering whether she would ever want to be part of his life; whether she would accept to be. He sighed and slowly lowered his gaze to look across him, having heard his footsteps a few second ago.

Mika sat across him, at the very end of the unusually long table. He sat with his fingers intertwined and his elbows propped up on the table, gazing intensely at Eros, who cocked an eyebrow at him. Mika was in his formal attire, of which Eros was not accustomed to. You would think that after staying with him and learning from him all these years, he would be used to it, but Mika never fails to make it look like it was his first time. 

"You've been good thus far." Mika commented, leaning back on his seat as a maid came in with a cart filled with plates, cups and cutlery in front of her.

Silently—and awkwardly for her—the two watched her set the table and place the food in front of them. One of the guard, specifically the one standing at the bottom left of the room—or to Eros' left—approached the plate on his side and pulled the lid open. Eros let out a sigh and sent him a nod, to which he returned, then watched as a female guard did the same for Mika. 

"I should think otherwise." Eros commented, reaching for his cutlery and digging in after Mika. 

He had never been a fan of burnt toast, or burnt anything really. He was glad they all remembered his preferences despite the fact that he hadn't been back in years. He made a note to thank the cooks before anything else.

Mika chuckled, "Come now, you merely forgot a person's name. Sure, it is important, but not so much so that you slack about it. Quite frankly, I do not think the lady took it to heart."

Eros looked up at him then from beneath his lashes and shook his head, "You believe so?"

Mika's grin only widened as he nodded, "I know so. Lady Frezier is an easygoing woman. She understands that it has been a while for you."

"Sorry I'm late." A new voice said as they walked in to the room.

Mika turned towards her and shook her head, "No need, though we did start without you. I assumed you would want us to?" He said as he watched her approach the table and take a seat at the middle left side.

Eros said nothing and quietly ate his breakfast and let them be; not that he had anything to say either. Mrs. Rosefield had been staying with Mika since that day in his office. Though, anyone could tell that she was yet to get used to the place.

With Mika around, however, he was sure she would feel right at home in no time. He scoffed at his hypothesis, knowing there was surely something to come about for these two. It made him glad, that they would both get to experience it and live a little.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Huxley." She said, her voice confident, but her hands fidgeting on the edge of the table.

Eros looked at her, then at a clueless Mika as he went about eating his breakfast. He knew his uncle was trying to put up a facade that he couldn't care less if she was here or not, however, he had only touched his food once since they sat down and now, he was eating like a hungry wolf; the only thing amiss was the possessive growling.

He blinked in disbelief before looking back at Mrs. Rosefield, only to have her eyes met his instead. She lowered them at the collection of items in front of her then looked back at him helplessly. 

Eros lowered his eyes and touched the medallion dinner fork he was yet to use for his egg, and gazed at the dinner knife on the left side of his plate, before he looked back at her to catch her nod and watch her grab the same ones from her setting. He leaned back and took his tea cup between his thumb and pointer finger, then brought it to his lips as he diverted his gaze to an unusually quiet Mika. He was still yet to look up from his meal. Eros gazed back at the cup in his hand.

He remembered how infatuated he was with the cups' design when he was a child. They were a soft, almost grey colour on the outside with a nice, golden rim at the top, middle, bottom of the outside and handle, and the inside was matte black with a golden phoenix circled around a single side of the cup. The plates as well had the same design, only that the rim was around the edge, and of course, the phoenix was larger.

"You know of Lady Frezier well?" Eros asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Mika lifted his eyes then and cocked an eyebrow at him but answered him nevertheless, "I know of her husband. I have only met her on occasion, though I must say, the two are quiet smitten with each other. They are all they talk about."

"I see." Eros said, then finally got down to his eggs and bacon, "—for what it is worth, I think she would let you move on." 

Mika erupted into a coughing fit, choking on his food as he pounded his chest to recollect himself. Eros finished up the rest of his breakfast, knowing the weight of what he had just said. They both knew it had nothing to do with Lady Frezier or her husband, but it needed to be said by him. He knew Mika well, well enough to know that he was the type of man to hold on to the past, because he was like that himself. By the time Mika was finally able to say something, Eros was finished with his breakfast and was tightening his collar as it had been before, trying his best to conceal the permanent ink beneath it.

"I will not." Mika stubbornly said, putting his fork down as well and buttoning up his loose cuffs, "—she died and took my heart along with her, Eros. I cannot love another."

Eros sighed and looked at Mrs. Rosefield, who awkwardly eat in silence, before he turned to Mika, "You say that now, but I see differently." He then stood up first, "—excuse me." He said and tucked his chair back into place behind the table, before he left the dining room, wanting to give them their space. 

He walked down the beautiful halls, a wave of nostalgia hitting him as he did. He took in every painting, every pattern, every pillar, window, door, every light as if it was his first and last day here even if it wasn't. He would be an every day visitor from now on. He could feel the difference from when he used to sully these halls when he was a child and now.

He could see his younger self slacking towards him, a hoodie over his face and a hunch on his shoulders. He could see his lonely self slowly grow confident, more talkative as he walked closer towards him. 

His shoulders pulled back eventually, and his hoodie no longer covered his pain stricken face. He watched himself grow up; craving to be a greater man the Gregor. But just as fast as he grew, he watched his teenage self crumble yet again; the hunch raising back on his shoulders.

He became caught up in Gregor's dark world and was forced into a role he had no choice but to hold. He watched his face melt away and be replaced by a blank, expressionless mask.

He watched himself become the mess that he was today and grimaced. Eros knew that he had potential to be something more, but with the trap Gregor had set for him, one slip up and he could very well not get a chance to live up to it.

He sighed and clenched his jaw as he approached the servant's quarters, needing to thank them, and to meet one particular employee that he had been so fond of as a child. He nodded at a cleaning maid that was stiffly standing on the side of the hallway, sneaking nervous and intrigued gazes at him as he approached.

She seemed surprised by the acknowledgement and suddenly pulled the ends of her black and gold apron, crossed her left shin over her right and dropped into a small, subtle, elegant curtsy. Eros frowned but did nothing more and walked past her, meeting more of them along the way, all of whom did the same thing. Once at the door, he pushed it open to reveal the chaotic scene in front of him.

The cooks were running around making an array of food. Some were kneading dough, others were sautéing vegetables, baking, cleaning, feeding the fireplace, there was so much going on, that Eros almost closed the door back up in hope of not intruding on them at their best. 

He would have, if he hadn't spotted her. A smile suddenly graced his features once he spotted her arched over the oven and about to pull out whatever was inside. The noise and commotion slowly came to a stand still as they noticed his presence one after another. Eros watched her realise the silence with a frown on her face,  as she pulled out bread from the oven by the tray and placed it on the isle behind her.

She took off her mittens and turned around to look at what brought about the silence with hard, creased brows. He could not see anyone else except for her. As soon as she met his soft, smiling eyes, her own brown ones widened in disbelief.

"My god! Is it really you?" She asked in disbelief as she closed up the remaining distance between them and embraced him.

Eros' smile only widened as he wrapped his arms around her tiny, fragile frame, afraid that she would crumble if he held on too tightly, "It has been a while, Ms. Kamau." He said as they pulled apart.

She looked away from him and wiped her eyes before lifting her gaze back at him. Eros looked at her. She was still as fierce looking and as beautiful as ever, though she had gotten older.

She was a tall, dark skinned woman with beautiful black hair that was pulled up into a small, elegant ponytail. Her hair had a few lines of grey in them, and her face had some inevitable wrinkles that come with age, but her eyes looked younger than ever, and she still smelt like freshly baked bread.

"What took you so long to visit, you ungrateful child!" She scolded, grabbing the cloth resting on her shoulder and hitting him square on his chest with it.

Eros scoffed and opened the door for her as a silent signal that he wished to not have an audience while they talked. Ms. Kamau walked out the kitchen but not before shouting out an order for everyone to get back to work.

"So, tell me, son. Where the heavens have you been?" She asked as they walked to the right and down the hallway towards the garden. 

"In school, Samantha. I have been in Grudgeford all through primary to university." He explained as he offered her his elbow to link with.

Samantha wrapped her own right elbow around his and placed her left arm on his bicep, momentarily caught off guard by the muscles that bunched up underneath his black and gold coat.

"Are you—um—are you still studying?" She asked, looking ahead of him as they made another turn and the light from outside came to view.

"Yes, but not for long." He explained, "—what of you? Did you ever marry that baker you were always raving about?" He asked with a smile playing on his lips.

Samantha smacked his arm and scowled at him, "We agreed to never speak of that phase, you mongrel."

Eros let out a single, soft and breathy chuckle, "We did not. You simply demanded my silence. It was never mutual."

She gasped, "You—!"

Eros' grin widened and he let out a short string of chuckles before he recollected himself once they walked outside and gave the back of her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze with his free right hand, "I will speak of it no more."

"Good." She paused, "—but yes. I did marry him." She confessed.

"Did you?" Eros said in disbelief, "—after all he put you through?"

She nodded as she sent a smile at the workers gathering vegetables, fruits, flowers and watering the plants and watched in amusement as they bowed and curtsied when Eros walked past them. She scoffed at the displeasure that graced his face whenever they did; feeling like she was back to the good old days and sharing a stroll with him.

"He is a good man now. That I am certain."

Eros frowned, "I must meet him then." He said, then lowered his gaze towards her, "—you deserve only the best, my Lady."

"You haven't changed a bit." She commented, shaking her head with a smile on her lips.

"Speaking of love."

Eros looked away from her and tightened his jaw, knowing what was coming.

"What have you? Is there anyone you fancy? A love interest perhaps?" She asked eagerly, silently hoping there was something.

Eros sighed and stopped on the daisy field besides him. He reached down and picked one out that pleased him. He then gave it to Samantha and watched her narrow her eyes skeptically at him; before she took it.

"Though I am flattered you remembered I like daisies," she paused as she put it on her left chest pocket like she would before, "—I also know you are trying to evade the question." She pursed her lips.

Eros only watched her and said nothing. She held his gaze, her eyes dancing between his grey ones that seemed to have lost the light they once had; silently breaking her heart. She relaxed her shoulders and let out a sigh. She knew then that he really did not wish to talk about it.

"Very well then. You can tell me when you are ready. Though I do expect good news one of these days." She said with a genuine smile on her face.

"I had missed you. I am sorry I never visited." Eros confessed, his eyes not on her, but on the view in front of him, past the daisy, past the empty field ahead used for target practice or outdoor events, and at the walls that kept everything in.

"You ought to have." She scolded and pinched his ear, causing him to cringe in pain at the sudden sting, "—visit more. We will always be ready to serve you, Eros. This is your home."

Eros looked at her then, his eyes searching hers despite his leaned state as she still kept his ear captive. He nodded at her and she let go. He rubbed his ear and lead her further into the garden and towards the swings in front of a tall, nicely leveled hedge that seemed to go on forever.

"For what it is worth, you grew up into a fine young man." She said, taking a seat on one of the swings as he did the other; his large frame barely fitting on the seat.

Eros crunched up his nose, but dared not say anything.

"Wait until word gets around of your return. The ladies will go mad when they learn how manly you have become. Why, if I was still of age again, I would most definitely gone for—."

Eros watched her ramble on and on about him, his future—as well as her own—and listened to every word she said. This woman had been a major help to him when he was little. She had taken it upon herself to teach him to be confident when no one else could.

She would be there when Mika could not, she became the mother he needed and prevented him from descending into madness, and for that, he would give her the world.

Because she deserved it and so much more.

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