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There was only two rooms in the Aeneas tower, and the other one was occupied. Fern and Logan has to sleep beside each other for the rest of the days they will be staying here. Just by having the though of that, Logan was feeling an irritation of being in a single room with Fern.
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The room was four corner, having a wooden floor that every steps make a sound like it was going to break and they'll fall of beneath the tower. The only source of light is from the two lamps above the side table of the bed and the other one was on the small shelf near the entrance of the room.
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"His Majesty can sleep on the bed. I can sleep anywhere." Fern said, thinking that Logan would swear an oath for her to disappear when they sleep on the same soft bed.
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"Yeah. I bet so too." Logan sarcastically said.
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Fern didn't say anything and just take a pillow that's on the bed. The other two pillows was for his Majesty to use. Felicitously, there was a divan at the side of the wooden closet near the window. Fern can sleep there. Her body is comfortable anywhere that's soft on her back.
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Fern laid her body on the divan and hugged the pillow instead of putting it in her head. For her, it's more comfortable.
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She closed her eyes. She has no energy to babble and blurt things she know in the emperor like she always does everytime. For now, she's regaining an energy and saving up the words for tomorrow. Today has been a long day, and her mind was occupied from the thought of worries that she needs to keep up with herself.
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Just like that, she fell asleep. Her back was the only sight Logan can see from the bed he was pacing out.
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It's unusual that she's not babbling things like crazy and just sleep on like that. He thought.
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It's not that Logan minded that. At first, he really doesn't care whenever Fern babbled and he became used to it and he's babbling back because he want to defend his opinions in her statements. But now, he felt disoriented.
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He shake his head and rubbed his forehead and throw himself at the bed, not far from was Fern's back figure sleeping on the divan.
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He closed his eyes, hoping that he would fall asleep, but that doesn't work. He became irritated and glared at the ceiling. An hour and half had passed. His surrounding was quiet. He was tired, but his mind can't let him shut off.
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Then he heard something like a moan or grunt and he sat down from laying. When he looked to the direction of the sound, he saw Fern cradling herself like a baby and hugging herself. Her right ankle fall on top of her left ankle making the scene appears as if she was cold.
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Logan found himself uncomfortable from the sight and clicked his tongue. He took off the blanket from the bed and put it over her body. He heard her grunted a moan that seemed to be a relief and comfort. And then he was stunned, hesitating whether to withdrew it back or not. But it was already there.
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Logan's jaw clenched as he can't thing of anything and just said to himself, I must be crazy. He snorted and rubbed his temple. Just right he goes back and throw himself on the bed, his eyes gradually closed and his body and mind rest...as he dreamt of something the past owned that was supposed to be forgotten.
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☁︎☁︎☁︎
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It was fourteen years ago.
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Logan and his grandfather, the emperor, was inside the carriage to take their journey to the Marquess' place. Logan didn't know what's the news the emperor was going to tell him, and why not here right now? But the emperor just smiled.
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"You'll know when we get there. Patience of the sanity, Logan." The emperor smiled.
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Logan just stared at his grandfather's eyes with his flickering eyes filled with curiousness and frustration.
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Is it important? A surprise for him, but why on the Marquess' place?
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"I will never understand," Logan exclaimed. "I will never understand what is it that grandfather the emperor is planning or what's on his mind. You always confused me by your words and I ended up taking everything as a puzzle that I needed to solve."
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The emperor pointed the tip of his finger on Logan's forehead. "What the news that's waiting for you there isn't a puzzle to be solve. It's different. You'll understand the path I laid for you."
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Logan said, "I don't want the path grandfather laid on me."
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With his answer, the emperor smiled. "Then this time, a guide beside you when you laid your own path."
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He still can't understand. Until they came in the Marquess' place.
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The carriage stop by the gate as both of them got out the carriage from the help of the knight. Logan's eyes paced through the residence of the Marquess in front of him.
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A big house, meadows in the both side that seemed to be a garden filled with flower bushes. There's a fountain in the middle of the garden in the right side. The place was beautiful, he won't deny. As they were walking towards the lane of the big house' door, it opened and revealed the people who lived there.
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Logan's eyes narrowed as he examine them. There was an old man that seemed to be the same age as his grandfather, it must be the Marquess, whom he knows is his (the emperor's) companion. The other two show signs of being a couple at the other side. A young lady and a man, beside each other and they were smiling.
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"Your majesty, we're glad to have you here, we already prepared everything for a day of your stay," The marquess' voice was hoarse, his old age was seeming to be showing signs.
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The emperor smiled. "I'm please, Marquess!" And then he laughed. The two couple's gaze landed on Logan.
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"He's...he's his royal highness, your majesty?" The lady asked.
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Emperor Lincoln nod his head and said with pleased expression, "He is,"
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"Oh," The lady expressed, she sighed with amusement.
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The Marquess and the couple bowed their head, "I greet his royal highness,"
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Emperor Lincoln waved his hands at them, signifying that they doesn't need to. "Now, shan't we?" The marquess invited them inside.
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"Hmm," The emperor nodded.
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Logan followed along with the emperor inside, his eyes was pacing through the living room of the third floor as they head there. Logan stopped as he spotted a painting that was being displayed at the middle of the living room attached to the wall. His mind has forgotten to followed them in the other room where they invited them to have a tea, but Logan doesn't care.
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The painting was a family portrait. There were five people in it, he recognized the other three. The Marquess and the couple, who greeted him a while ago. The Marquess was holding unto the other old woman that seemed to be his wife. But Logan didn't see her. The last one was a young girl in the middle of the couple, seemed to be younger than Logan.
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It must be their child, he thought. But where is she?
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"Your highness?" Logan recognize a voice from behind and turn around. It was the lady of the house, and she was smiling.
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Logan's mouth was shut, just staring.
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"Uhm," The lady's gaze paced through the familiar room before it came back in his'. "You're looking around???"
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Logan nod his head slightly. The lady's lip slowly curved. "Then...I'll tell his Majesty,"
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Logan nodded. The lady turn around. Logan turned his head again. He walks towards the open window and look outside. His heart almost jumped out of his body when he saw someone sitting at the tree branch just two meters away of the outside window.
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The young girl must have heard something rustled by the window and look for it, only to see a young boy about a few years older than her. That young girl blinked. Logan lost words to speak.
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He then realize that it was the young girl on the portrait sitting at the middle of the couple.
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Why...is she here??? How can she climbed that tree???
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The young girl waved her small hands and beamed for him. "Hi!"
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Logan just stared at her, failed to find words he could reply.
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The young girl has a light ash blonde hair and it was wavy. Her eyes were green as jade and her skin was fair like she this place seemed to be a cold place for her to live. She seemed to be a cheerful and energetic.
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The young girl must have thought that he was not intending to reply and said, "Uhm, my name is Fern. Why are you here in our house? Uhm, I live there, there inside, I'm just here to play..."
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That's when Logan replied. "Logan."
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"Your name?"
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"..."
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"That's a handsome name!"
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Logan reddened and his eyes fell on the windowsill before coming back to her again. That's when she repeated blabbering, "Uhm, do you know how to climb a tree? We can play here, we can play the leaves. And look, the horizon! The sunrise in the horizon is amazing. I'm always here to see it rise and set! Look! You can peak by the window!"
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Logan did as she told and look at the horizon.
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And it's true. The horizon was mesmerizing. It's a breath-taking view from here.
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Logan gaze back again at her, only to see that she was smiling at him as her eyes flickered with tenderness. Logan breathe, and asked, "How old are you?"
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"I'm ten years old already. What about you, Logan?"
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"Twelve. I'm older."
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Fern nodded, processing it in her head. The next moment, she said, "I don't really mind. Are you here in our house to play with me? Did grandfather told you to be my playmate? It's been a long time since I had someone to play along with. Mother always pushed my playmates away because she said I always has to just study. Father does it too, he's like mother. But when grandfather is here, he let me play outside. Just like now, he let me play and said to just came back before lunch. But i play alone right now, I can't find other kids. Maybe they're sleeping or eating or playing with other playmates."
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"..."
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"Logan, can you climb a tree?"
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"No."
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"Oh, then you just stay there at the window. You'll fall off here, you can't be with me."
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"..."
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"Wait a minute, I'll climb down. I'll play with you inside so you won't get sad in there."
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She's talking like her mouth would never get tired.
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He saw her climb down the tree carefully, her hand gripping the trunks and branches from time to time. Logan felt a relief when she reached the bottom safely.
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Then he saw her running to get inside the house. A few moments later, he heard steps rushing to get here in the upstairs. That's when he saw her sillouhette clearly.
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She's just a little short in his height.
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"Logan!" Fern shouted, rushing towards him. "Logan, you're taller than me!"
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"...Yeah."
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With that, Logan seen and heard her laugh for the first time. It's all a music to his ears. His young heart thumped for couple of times. He felt dazzled and lost.
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That was a moment of delight before everything turned upside down. Before he's gone to hate all about her. Before he knew the news about the both of them that he loathed to be tied in.
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☁︎☁︎☁︎
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Fern slowly opened her eyes. She saw a wooden ceiling as she unhurriedly got up from the divan she slept in. She stopped for a moment when she realized one thing.
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A blanket covered in her body.
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She quickly gape at the direction of the bed where the emperor was sleeping in. He's sleeping peacefully...with no blanket.
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"Did he..."
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No, it was impossible. Fern thought. Maybe I took this and didn't notice because I'm so tired and fell asleep right through. She rubbed her temple and got up from the divan. She put the blanket on him and slow down her steps to got outside for him not to wake up.
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In the Aeneas' tower living room's chesterfield, he saw Caspian sitting and talking to a bird that's on his finger.
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She snort-laughed. Caspian turned his head when he heard it.
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"Your majesty! The sun hasn't rise yet!"
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"I know, I'm just used in waking up before it." Fern laughed and sat to the opposite chesterfield. She gazed at the bird that's also looking at her now. "Hello, green bird! You and my eyes has the same color! Hahahaha!" She waved.q
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Caspian's lips curved. The green little bird's tiny eyes glistened at Fern.
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"Oh, he likes you, your majesty!"
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"Ha? Oh! He's a he?!"
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Caspian laughed. Fern's still at the state of astonishment. "He likes me!" She repeated with a small laugh. "Come here, little bird!"
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The bird made a sound 'twit' before dropping his little feet at Fern's fair pointing finger.
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LOGAN woke up from the sound of laughter coming outside the room. He slowly opened and eyes and took a moment to realize everything that he and Fern went through. His eyes glistened in rage as he gaze at the ceiling the moment he heard another laughter.
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He snorted and rose from he was laying. He put his coat on and head his way out of the door, leaving a loud *bam* sound, which made Caspian and Fern flinched. The green little bird flew away through the open window.
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Fern's eyes widened as her sight caught Logan's eyes flickering with rage. "Your Majesty???"
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Logan clicked his tongue. "Aren't you two being too loud?"
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"..."
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Just then they both realized what the emperor said was true. Caspian felt shamed while Fern just stand up and replied with a smile and said, "Were sorry to wake you up, your majesty..."
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Logan has gone silent and hide his clenching fists. "We have to get everything ready in the next fifteen minutes. Move."
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Caspian and Fern looked at each other before panickingly proceeding to take off with Logan.
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OUTSIDE the Aeneas tower, the birds were singing. All the animals that surrounds the tower has gone into the other place inside the forest.
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Caspian was a little disappointed he didn't saw the big bear he always gave a bucket of fish (that was from the Reloia Lake in the north of the Aeneas Tower). He only saw the remaining Iguana in a twig of the tree that has left.
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Logan silently look up the bright sky while keeping a straight face. While Fern, recovering from tripping going downstairs a while ago, glimpse at him as she beamed.
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"Well, aren't the sky dazzling, your majesty?"
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"The empress thought so too, huh." He said as if she was mocking her.
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Fern grinned. "I always thought so, your majesty."
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Logan gazed at her. "Then you must also thought of not making any trouble this day, empress. Don't be so youthful you'll forgot the chaos that will come,"
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Fern never forgot that thing.
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"I'm perfectly aware of everything," She kept smiling, keeping a positive vibe.
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Logan's eyes raised, then he smirked. "Really?" He sarcastically chuckled, mocking her, as he kneeled on one knee and slightly lifted the hem of her dress. Fern's eyes widened, astonished by what he did, but when she noticed the jade anklet she owned on the emperor's hands, she was left stunned.
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Logan placed the jade anklet back on her ankle.
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When she tripped a while ago while going down the Aeneas Tower, it pop off. The emperor took it when it fell.
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Fern, having to realize it, left speechless. Logan straightened up and said, "Looks like you're imperfectly aware of everything, empress."
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