The Count stopped eating making his knife and fork hang mid air over his half eaten food and said in an angry voice. "What did you say?"
At that moment the room went cold. The servants stopped moving making the clacking of the glasses and shifting of the dishes on the sliver trolley stop. My brothers also stopped eating and look up at me across the large table.
I look at them back then turned and looked at the Count in defiance with one eyebrow rise.
" You heard me, there's no need for me to repeat myself."
"Miss I think you may still be feeling sick. I think Elizabeth should take you back to your room-"
I slowly turned and look up at Bex as he cut his word short. Seeing my glaring made him shut he mouth bowed his head then take a step back. Looking closely at him,he had a shin of sweat on his forehead. ' Good boy. But dear old Bex this is just the beginning for you.'
I turned back and face my father to look at him in his eyes matching his intensity and I said calmly.
"Lizzy my maid and Brandon the knight will be leaving with me. I will be packing my thing and moving out of this place" I said as I waved my hand in mark disgusted.
A person sneering sounded in the room. Landon. "And where do you think you will be living. You have no status, no husband, no wealth and no friend all you know is us in this walls. So what are you going to do. Live poor and sell fruit." He laughed. My dear idiot brother Landon. The eldest and the most slow minded dim wit that the in the house of Dox. I roll my eyes and look at the Count again but this time the Count face has changed. ' Yes dear Count you know me. You know that I'm not the kind of person that just speaks out of turn.' I small smile starts to creep up on my face and on the corner of my eye I can see Bex faces change and him also caught on.
" Shut your mouth Landon!" The Count shouted as he glared at Landon then turned his rage back to me.
" And you ungrateful insect of a child. I clothed you, feed you and educate you to be a somewhat of a suitable noble woman in this society. You should be on your knees kissing my feet and thanking me for-"
" For what! Beating me for something I had no control over. Yes I know that you blame me for mother death but as a father who never for one day comforted me and showed me an ounce of love. What did you expect me to do sit in silents in a small little corner and not exist."
"YES!" He said in a venomous voice " You are nothing without this family so you just keep silent in you little corner as you say and be quiet and don't you dare speak to me about Lily you know nothing of the pain she suffered under you."
'Same words different setting' I thought as I smiled to myself. I looked at my brothers. Landon leaning back on his chair with a smug smile on his face and Ajax head down and never saying anything. That's when a thought come to me. I have never seen Ajax face. Compare to the Count with his hard cold blue eyes, old wrinkled face and grey hair and Landon with his long aristocratic nose that look down on everyone, blond hair and also have the same blue eyes as the Count. Basically a punch-able face but Ajax the only thing I know is that he has the same raven black hair as I do. I can't remember his eyes. Putting that a side I turn back to face the Count still giving me an ice cold glare think that I will squirm in to my set in fear. 'Well his got that wrong. I will never be her again.'
" Well then that was a great speech sir but I didn't come here to listen to your sad story of 'Its everyone fault and I'm never the problem.' I came her to give you this." I took out the piece of paper from my pocket from overall baby blue dress that I hated and will be the last time I ever wear. I put the paper next to his plate and in a instant his eyes widen and his face went pale.
AJAX (POV)
Fear:a basic, intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat, involving an immediate alarm reaction that mobilizes the organism by triggering a set of physiological changes.
Something I though I would never see on my father's face.
Count Lewis Matthew Dox is the head of the of the House of Dox of the House Wind and Water to the world he is a force to be reckoned with. If anyone could tell you about him they would say 'He is the kind of man who would do anything and crush anyone to get want he wants.' But what I see is grandiose sense of self-importance, fixation on fantasies of success or power, excessive need for admiration, sense of entitlement, belief that he is "special" or superior, exploitative in relationships, envious or believing others are envious of him. Basic narcissistic trait.
Then there is my eldest brother Landon Cornelius Dox. Next in line to the Count and he is … an idiot. He is the kind of person who would not know the difference between blue and blew. That is what I'm related to. (Deep sigh and mentally rolling my eyes.)
Then there is me, Ajax Luther Dox. Second son of the Count spare heir as they say and I am the timid quiet one who never says anything or does anything out of line for it's not in my nature. Yes my nature…
Father has always believed that a person should never show outsiders who they really are for if they knew who they were they could use what they know about you and destroy you and everything you love. That has been installed in me all of this 25 years I have lived with my true nature and it isn't something that people would like to see I know my mother saw who I really was and she hated me and it's understandable. I never knew where I got it from but it was there and I love it.
Then there is my beloved little sister Seraphina. Do you know what her name means?. The Burning ones or Shining Snake. That is what it means a perfect name for an imperfect woman. Between Landon and my father they may almost look the same except Landon is the younger version of my father who has that sharp aristocratic nose and high cheek bones, tanned skin, average jaw line that has been passed down from the blood line of House Dox and those cold blue eyes while me and Sera can be mistaken as twins. Both of us have black raven hair, high cheek bone, button nose and pale moonlight skin but there is one thing that makes use different and that is our eyes. While I have ocean blue green eyes Sera eyes…while her eyes change from time to time. One time when she was 2 year old her and one of the maids was playing with her and her eyes were green with spikes of blue, then when she was 8 year old and father had just finished punishing her at that point her eyes were forest green with no blue in sight. Even though she wasn't crying her green eyes showed all the pain she was carrying and now as I sit across the table looking at my fathers pale expression over the folded up piece of paper that was placed between them her eyes. Yes that the colour they were violet. My beloved sister, my Sera, my Little Flame has awoken. Joy to the Holy one who is witnessing this for this is the day of Count Lewis Matthew Dox downfall. Joy for this Violet eyes will set this violent men into ash and I will be right there with her.
"Are you going to open it or should I?" Little Flame spoke as a sinister smile creep on her face.
"Where did you get that?" He choked out.
"Does it matter where I got. I have it now and I'm using it so you could either read the letter and see what mother said about you or you could just deny it for the rest of you life and live in the lie that I killed her and everything is my fault."
"it is your fault!" He spat out in rage once again .
Father has lost his composure with he face gone red like tomatoes and clinching on the corner of the white cloth table. While Little Flame is just leaning back on her chair and staring at him with a cold expression with her violet blue eyes. I smile as I look at the events happening in front of me.
"Mother? What do you mean mother's letter. She didn't leave you a letter. She left you with nothing cause you killed her" Landon said as he as he added his useless comment.
I mean really can he not see the damn letter on the table written in mothers hand written right there. Clearly Little Flame had found something that should have never been found and is using said found thing to free herself from this narcissistic man who blames everyone and the world for problems he has made himself.
" WILL SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING I AS THE NEXT COUNT MUST KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT THIS THING-"
" I would chose your next words carefully there Landon for if you say the wrong thing right now your title will be the last thing you will have to worry about. Now shut your month and let the big people talk." I said in a detached cold voice as I turned to face Landon. He listened as I expected and he sat back in his set and shut his mouth like a scared little schoolboy. As I turned back I found Little Flame looking at me in shock. While that is my fault I never have spoken to my beloved sister in her life so her seeing me paying attention to what was happening put he off balance but just for a moment. She slowly turned back to face father and said.
"Well since this is taking long I will just say this one more time. I am leaving this house and I will take Lizzy and Brandon the Knight with me. I will not be taking anything with me for it is more yours than mine but I will be taking all of mother belongings and if you start arguing with me about that you will lose for the letter right there" she said pointing with her eyes to the letter on the table. "That states that I have a legal right over everything that belongs to her including jewellery, painting, dowry payment and investment she has made in the House of Dox"
I raised my eyebrows at the last statement for what information I gathered about my father and mother relationship is that. Yes my father did love my mother but also at that time the house of Dox was suffering with financial difficulties that only could be solved through marriage of a higher class and wealth and that was my mother. I didn't know mother separated the money.
" What do you mean take your mother assets they belong to House Dox! You can't touch those." Father scoffed as he leaned back in he chair too.
"If you have opened and read the letter you would see what mother said." She said in an amused voice. Fathers expression drop and quickly lean forward then grabbed the letter on the table and opened it and his face turned to death.
'Wow that's a new look' I thought. Then Little Flame slow pulled out of her chair and stood.
"I'm glad you see now. I will be going back to the room to prepare for my journey." She said in a cold voice. Then she turned to face us across the table and looked at me.
' Her eyes they blue now' I thought as I smiled up at her. She froze and quickly checked herself and said "Thank you for having me brothers" and she walked out.