Page 49 of A Simple Truth

Xentar loudly cackled, filling up the cozy room with his deep voice.

“Is that the story you tell people?!” he interrupted her. Then he turned to me, his face lit up with delight as he proceeded to give his own account. “No, it was like this. She was depressed out of her mind after her broken engagement, so Gideon dropped her ass off—” Lady De Villiar sent him a firm glance. He nodded apologetically but continued. “He left her in the Cursed Forest to fight off Glides with nothing but the little knives on that chain and said that if she was going to stay and wallow in the Numb, then at least be useful and clean up the forest. After five days, she came out all beaten up and bloody—”

“And raging pissed,” Zora commented.

“And alive,” Gideon added just loud enough for me to hear. Though I didn’t fail to notice a glance of appreciation exchanged between him and his cousin.

“He then told me that he was looking for a commander for his unit. Little did I know it was going to be a Rebel army.” She glared at him.

“I prefer the term Special Forces,” Gideon countered with a sly smile, swiveling the drink in his cup before taking a sip.

“Anyway, one day he just drops by for some tea and casually mentions that he is committing treason, oh, and storing a bunch of mages and supposed-to-be-dead rebels on the islands and plans to restore the True Order. So, naturally I had to join,” Zora finished the story.

“Zora has a terrible fear of missing out.” Xentar snorted.

“No, I don’t,” she protested.

“You really do,” Orest mumbled near her, earning a sharp elbow poke from her.

“So, wait, are you related to the Emperor too?” I asked her.

“No, my aunt Diamara, my mother’s younger sister, was the Emperor’s wife. So technically, we are not blood cousins per se, but we are family,” Zora explained. Gideon nodded in confirmation. I darted my eyes back to him. It must have beenthe lighting in the room, though I knew it wasn’t, but his features seemed less harsh and his eyes softened. I looked away, afraid that if I stared a bit longer, I might find something else I hadn’t noticed before.

“But yeah, my mother and aunt Diamara pretty much raised us together, so I’ve been the mature influence in his life ever since.”

“You are barely two years older than me.” Gideon quirked up his brow, though amusement lit his face.

“And yet, so much wiser. It’s truly a miracle.” She gave a cocky comment, and Gideon shook his head, smiling wide.

“What about you?” I turned to Orest.

“Oh, no interesting or exciting story with me, unfortunately.” He gave me a reserved half-smile. But before I could ask any more questions, Zora chattered.

“So, Rey-Rey, are you going to dance for us today?”

“I’d love to. I love dancing. Did you know that, Finn? If not, now you know. I am a very good dancer too. Maybe I can teach you sometime. There is a new dance I’ve been practicing, though it was more of my creation.” She pushed her plate away and rashly chugged the water in her cup. “Come, let’s go.” Aurelia excitedly pulled my hand getting up. “You have to see it.”

The guests leisurely ambled into an adjacent room. It was a bigger room, but just as cozy as the rest of the house. The furniture in the room was elegant, though simple. Large, olive couches faced a small, black, grand piano and an enormous, rounded rug covered most of the polished, wooden floor. Across the room, a few bookcases, tightly stacked with all manner of books, lined the walls. A couple of beautiful paintings by Lady De Villiar hung above the large fireplace adding the final touches.

“Mom?! Hurry up!” Aurelia yelled across the room until Lady De Villiar appeared a second later, sitting down on theround stool by the black piano. She adjusted her skirts, before turning a few pages of the thick music book. Aurelia had already impatiently taken a stance in the corner of the room.

“Which one are you going to do for us today, dear?” her father asked.

“Dance of the swan!” she confidently answered, eager to jump into ballet.

“My favorite!” he cheerfully proclaimed, and Aurelia gleamed at his words.

“Ready?” her mother asked, giving her a questioning nod. Aurelia gave her two thumbs up.

The black and white keys moved in fluid succession with the touch of Lady De Villiar’s long fingers; a beautiful melody filled the still air as Aurelia fell into a dance.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but my heart swelled with gratitude for the beauty of her moves. Each pirouette and each arm movement was striking, mesmerizing. She moved as though she were going to float away; her steps so light and airy, as if in the moment, she was an actual angel floating down from heaven. Her entire body matched each keystroke, each note, as if she were one with the music; as if it weren’t the piano that played the melody, but it poured out of her heart instead. A little shiver went through my body as she made her final steps and the music quieted.

It was breathtaking.

Aurelia theatrically curtsied as we all clapped.

“That was amazing, Aurelia!” I proclaimed as she twirled, taking a seat by her father.

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