...72...
GIDEON 🙂‍↔️
Kaela—she was like a mother to her.
She had lost both her mother and her father just after she was born.
Her grandfather and Kaela had raised her togetherness ever since then.
But, it was always Kaela who was there.
She and Kaela have lived in this isolated valley for as long as she had known with her grandfather visiting less often as she grew older.
When she was six, he had begun to teach her the ways of the Silver Clans.
He had made her read books, memorize laws and learn their secret fighting skills.
Before she was twelve, she was able to floor Kaela with three expert moves.
Kaela had been happy at the feat while she had been totally surprised.
Never in a million years did she think she would ever best her teacher.
She had been congratulated continuously and given a rather sumptuous meal that night.
She had initially thought Kaela had gone easy on her on purpose.
But, as she advanced, she really began to believe that she was good enough to floor the hardened warrior.
Her grandfather had equally congratulated her when he had arrived and presented her a beautiful silver spear.
She had been thrilled.
Kaela had congratulated her and taught her to use the beautiful weapon.
Almost all of the available time of her life had mostly been spent with Kaela.
If she wasn't doing anything, they would sit around a fire and chit chat like sisters or fight over pillows at night time.
She would miss her, greatly.
She was used to her grandfather appearing once in a while in her life.
But Kaela—she was different.
Kaela was a constant in her life.
"But I will miss her," she protested after regaining her composure.
She saw Kaela smile broadly with a certain sadness glinting in her eyes.
"Now now child," Kaela told her, "you shouldn't worry about me."
But she couldn't help it.
"I have done my part and I am no longer needed by you. Now you must proceed without me for it is the course of your life."
She swallowed.
"But I am used to being in your presence," she pointed out with shiny eyes.
It was taking everything in her to keep holding back the tears in them.
"My presence shall never leave you child. I shall watch over you from anywhere, no matter what."
She ran to embrace Kaela on impulse and finally began to cry.
The tears gushed out of her eyes and rushed down her cheeks without permission.
There was nothing she could do about the salt water now except to let it out.
"Don't cry Sisi," she comforted her, patting her hair. "I promise it will all be good."
But Sisi only sobbed harder.
It was painful and almost unbearable to imagine a life without Kaela.
"When does she leave my Lord?" she heard Kaela ask her grandfather.
"In four days time," was his reply.
She spun around to look at him.
"Four days?" She groused, tears still flowing down her high cheek bones.
He nodded.
Another bout of tears had hit her at the realization that there was no time.
Even farewell would be short.
And so it was that four days later she journeyed with Mooge to the Bane Manor in Country C, bidding Kaela bye tearfully.
She was almost unwillingly to part with the woman who had her own longing.
She watched as Kaela hardened her own heart in order to send her off.
She decided not to make it harder for her beloved teacher and went along.
The journey took them about six days by horse-riding night and day.
There only stopped to eat and sleep for about two hours each day.
They arrived at the Bane Manor roughly three hours after entering Country C.
A beautiful woman received them and she seemed well acquainted with Mooge.
Sis watched the warrior and the woman interact with a scrunched up nose.
She wondered if this was Mooge's secret girlfriend here in Country C.
He always told her if his escapades in different countries and how he wouldn't get married because he kept women in all the places he had visited.
And by the way the woman had her hand on his elbow, they looked suspiciously close, too close for friends—likely lovers.
"Are we going to stand out here all day?" She finally asked them.
They turned to look at her.
"I am so sorry darling," the woman said to her with a beguiling smile.
Sisi let out a dry scoffed, unimpressed by the smile or the woman.
"Catching up with this barrel here always takes a great deal of time."
"Well, we don't have all day you knows?" She pressed on with a frown.
The corner of Mooge's lips lifted into a smirk as he stared at her.
"Someone is impatient."
She hissed.
"Tell me you wouldn't be if it were you who was whisked away into the unknown?"
Mooge laughed.
"Come on," he said as the woman led them towards a group of warriors.
She assigned a warrior to lead them both to the master's private quarters.
They followed him there, not before Mooge drew her to him and kissed her.
She had laughed shyly while Sisi had rolled her eyes at them in disgust.
Bedroom activities should be private.
They soon arrived at the master's private quarters where they were received by butler.
He greeted them warmly and took them straight to the master's study.
"My Lord, your guests have arrived," he relayed while standing outside the closed mahogany door with both of them.
Sisi had become slightly nervous, her hand getting clammy as they waited.
She was about to see her new father and wondered how exactly he would be.
Curiousity began to plant thoughts in her head but she pushed them away.
It would only make her anxious.
"Let them in," a deep baritone finally called out from inside the study.
The butler nodded and opened the door, politely holding it for them to step in.
Mooge went in first.
She followed behind him.
The door shut behind them.
"Your Highness," Mooge curtsied.
That was when her eyes fell on her grandfather, sitting there.
She hadn't been expecting to see him here.
Why hadn't he just followed her and Mooge if he was also travelling here?
"Grandfather!" she exclaimed going into his arms or practically falling into him.
He caught her.
"You're here," she said more to assure herself than to accuse him.
"Yes Sisi, I am."
Her grinned widened.
"I am glad."
"She's spirited."
The unknown voice made her turn.
And that was when she realized that her grandfather was not alone in the room.
There were two other men.
The voice belonged to the younger man sitting with her grandfather.
He was pouring himself some tea, his eyes trained on the cup afore him.
She tilted her head.
He raised the cup to his lips slowly with the grace of a lady and sipped his tea.
"Spirited?" she asked.
That was when he met her eyes.
His eyes were black, deep and soulful like the expanse of the sea at night.
Also, he was undoubtedly handsome.
He had long ebony hair raised into a half dutt with luscious lips.
There was something about him that instantly intrigued her.
And she couldn't pin point it.
"Yes, spirited," he repeated, lowering his tea cup and holding her gaze as he did so.
She swallowed softly.
He kept his tea cup on the table glancing to it briefly and then he met her gaze again.
Something that resembled electricity went through her as his melanous eyes met her green eyes once more.
Before her eyes, his black eyes started to shift colour, to pure silver.
The shift was slow, causing something to spark to life inside of her.
She felt something stir deep inside of her stomach—hot, almost scalding.
Whatever ignited nearly set her ablaze by the time to shift was complete.
He was now staring back at her with eyes that were completely silver.
Blood started to roar in her eyes.
Fear slowly began to consume her as she began to softly back away from him.
She was not scared of him.
Rather she was scared of what she was feeling at that point in time.
He broke into a smile that made him ten times more handsome.
The most perfect set of teeth was flashing at her in the most beautiful smile.
Her brain couldn't wrap itself around everything that was going on.
She couldn't comprehend it.
His gaze bore into her without moving, his iris as still as a frozen lake.
She moved farther from him.
But, he reached out with a speed that shocked her and touched her.
His hands wrapped around her right wrist and caused her to freeze involuntarily.
Her gaze rounded.
Fire ignited and travelled through her from the contact, making her gasp.
Who was this man?
What was he doing to her?
Was this magic?
She met his eyes once more.
"The green of your eyes reminds me of grass in its prime," he mused.
She swallowed.
His voice caused tingles to travel down the length of her spine in waves.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to comprehend everything happening.
When she opened them again, he was still staring at her with a smile.
But his eyes had shifted.
They were no longer silver, now nigrescent.
"I mean you no harm," he said to her.
She nodded.
"Off course you don't," she told him.
He blinked.
"If you did, you wouldn't be seated here," she pointed out to him.
He nodded, letting go of her hand.
"You are right," he murmured. "I wouldn't be seated here if I did."
Her grandfather laughed.
Laughter came from another voice in the room and she turned to the voice.
There was another man—older than the one with the melanous eyes but obviously younger than her grandfather—seated just opposite her.
He had brown hair streak with chunks of white, the perfect definition of salt and pepper hair.
His laughter was soothing to hear, and something about him brought her peace.
And suddenly, she wished that she had a father just like Lynn Bane.
Warm and Peaceful.
"You look at the child like you plan to steal her," her grandfather said.
She turned to see that he was talking to the other man, the younger one.
His eyes were still planted on her.
"I wouldn't mind," he mused.
The intensity of his gaze burned into her skin and caused her face to flush.
"As long as she doesn't put her spear in me while I am at it," he added.
Her brows lifted.
He knew she fought with a spear?
She had never met him before.
That meant only one thing.
Someone had been telling him stories.
And as her eyes darted between him and her laughing grandfather, she knee exactly who the culprit was.
Which means her grandfather spent a great deal of time with this young man.
Why did he talk about her with him when her identity was supposed to be a secret?
Was he her new father?
Something about that though instantly fell wrong in so many ways to her.
His hands wrapping around her right wrist jolted her out of her train of thoughts.
Her eyes met his.
"What?" She mouthed.
He stared at her hair which she had painstakingly wrapped into a huge bun.
He reached for the bun with that speed, the one he had used before.
The scarf she had used to knot the bun in place came if before she could react.
Her eyes widened as the mass of red came tumbling down, to her waist and past.
"You!" she snapped.
Anger coiled in her guts.
"It took me ages to put that up!"
But when his lips curved into a smirk, the rest of the words died down in her throat.
There was something about him that took her attention fully.
Mayhap the curve of his lips which she found to be bewitching.
Or was it the glint in his eyes?
There was just something that she could not quite lay her hands on.
"It's far better down I assure you."
He fingered a strand softly.
She blinked repeatedly as the retort she had meant to put forth vanished from her head.
Sensations—warm and lovely—swiftly went through her, an effect of his touch.
"It'll be very beautiful short."
She quirked a brow at him.
"Would it?"
He nodded.
She mentally noted his advice.
"Tell me your name."
He had retracted his hands now and leaned back to bring his cup to his lips.
When he lowered them, she noticed that his luscious lips were wet with tea.
It looked inviting.
A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized what she was thinking that moment.
She swallowed.
"Tell me yours first," she returned.
She swa his eyes twinkle with amusement.
"Gideon," he said.
He took another sip of his tea, his eyes never leaving hers over the cup.
"Gideon," she repeated the name, tasting it on her lips. "What does it mean?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"Hewer."
She nodded, thinking.
Was this name befitting of a man like this?
He looked... Powerful?
Handsome, yes.
"So?" he asked, bringing her out of her new train of thoughts.
She returned her gaze to him.
"Sisi," she said.
He shook his head.
"Cassiopeia," he told her.
She wasn't surprised that he knew.
Afterall, he was here, drinking tea with her grandfather before her arrival.
He must know her identity.
"Yes."
"Leave the child," her grandfather suddenly said. "She would not vanish."
"I know that," he said.
He smiled at her.
"She has no idea what she is though," he continued to say as if she were not sitting in the room with them.
Her grandfather spoke.
"She doesn't. She's not—"
"—of age," Gideon completed before resuming with sipping his tea.
The cup was almost empty now.
Her grandfather nodded.
Gideon lowered his cup to the table to pour himself a fresh cup of tea.
She watched them all.
Which exactly was her grandfather's adopted brother here?
The younger or the older of the men?
She couldn't tell.
But she wished it was the older.
Meanwhile, something deep down was drawing her towards the younger.
She turned and gave her grandfather a questioning look.
"Shall I reside with Gideon?" she asked him, hoping it were so and at the same time hoping it were not so.
She instantly felt Gideon's gaze on her.
She turned around and found him staring at her with a small smirk on his face.
That unusual current of electricity swiftly passed through her once more as she stared at his nigrescent eyes.
They were rich and deep, magnetizing, morassing, ensnaring even.
She found herself searching through their depths, getting lost in that ebullience until her grandfather's voice broke her concentration.
"No Sisi."
She turned to him.
"You shall be residing here with my adopted brother, Lynn Bane," he said, using his eyes to indicate the older man.
She broke into a smile.
Something like butterflies started to dance in her belly at the news.
This man with the salt and pepper hair and that delightful laughter would be her guardian.
What more could she wish for after being taken away from Kaela suddenly?
"Father."
She bowed respectfully to him.
Lynn instantly sat up in his seat, smiling at her in acknowledgement her.
He seemed rather pleased at the way she had chosen to address him.
She turned to her grandfather.
"What about my identity?"
Her voice sounded worried.
"Here," Lynn Bane began, "you are to be my newly adopted daughter Kiella Bane," Lynn began to explain to her.
"Kiella?" she asked.
She didn't like the sound of that name.
There was nothing wrong with her original camouflage name to begin with.
She could keep using that.
"What about Sisi?" she asked her grandfather. "No one will discover my identity with the name Sisi."
"To be on a safer side you—"
"—No grandfather," she interrupted.
The old man sighed.
He knew am arguement was on the way.
"I want to be called Sisi."
"But darling—"
She made a tsk sound, interrupting her grandfather who gave up.
"I like it. I am used to it. Not Kiella. What does it even mean anyway?"
There was a small silence.
Then her adopted father spoke.
"Kiella means pure," he answered her.
She thought quickly.
Kiella.
It was a nice name nonetheless.
"What about Sisikiel?"
It was Gideon.
They all looked at him.
She had almost forgotten he was there.
"Sisikiel," he repeated.
He brought his cup to his lips and slowly sipped his tea.
He was drinking a lot.
She wondered what on earth was in that tea as he lowered his cup to the table.
"That way, everyone can call you Sisi and Kiella," he continued to say.
It actually made sense, his suggestion.
"Everyone wins," he pointed out.
"Sisikiel?" she mused.
Her eyes lit up with delight.
"I like it," she purred.
"Sisikiel it is," her adopted father supported her decision with a smile.
She turned to her grandfather.
"Can I?"
Her grandfather nodded in agreement.
"Sisikiel Bane."
Her brows lifted as she turned.
"I'll take up your name?" she asked.
Her adopted father nodded.
He made to speak, to explain things to her, but her grandfather beat him to it.
"Yes," her grandfather said.
"You are to be Sisikiel Bane till the time is right for your identity to be known."
She squinted her eyes.
She was already sixteen.
Would that time ever come?
She hoped so.
"I shall visit you often. You must never call me grandfather in the open."
She gasped, her gaze rounding.
"I can't?"
He nodded.
"I am from henceforth the Silver King to you, unless we are alone," he ordered.
Her chest constricted.
She understood that it may reveal her identity and that's why he was doing this.
But, it was still painful.
She nodded.
"Lynn shall become your adopted father. You are the second Bane Miss."
The news brightened her up.
"You have another daughter?"
Her adopted father nodded.
"Yes," he answered her. "You'll like her."
She noticed he had now joined Gideon in the tea sipping contest
"I pray so," she said. "Father," she added after a second thought.
He smiled at her, all teeth.
Suddenly, she felt a pang in her head and her body started to sway backwards.
Heat bubbled in her as Gideon reached out and grabbed her with that speed.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"What is it?"
"I am tired," she voiced out.
"You should be, after that long journey," he added softly.
His eyes darted to the other men in the room.
"Stop engaging the child and allow her rest, shall you?" He asked.
There was something about his voice that made her feel it was an order.
"Yes, yes," her grandfather muttered.
Her eyes narrowed.
Had her grandfather just agreed?
He didn't think Gideon was disrespecting him by telling him what to do?
The Silver King?
Who on earth was Gideon?
"I'll have her taken to her room," her adopted father announced.
He turned away.
"Gunther!" he called.
"Sir," a voice answered outside the room.
"Come in," he ordered.
Mooge took a step aside as the door to the study instantly opened.
Gunther came in.
He paid obeisance to all present.
Sisi noticed that he was the butler who'd brought them here earlier.
"This is my newly adopted daughter Sisikiel Bane," he explained to him.
Gunther nodded with a smile.
"Make introductions after you have seen her to her quarters," he told him.
"Yes my lord," Gunther answered.
"She would need to rest after the long journey to get here," he added.
"Yes my lord. I would have the maids prepare a bath and a feast."
"Very good," Lynn agreed.
He turned to Sisi.
"Go with Gunther. He would show you to your chambers," he told her.
She nodded.
Then she tuned to her grandfather.
"Gran—"
The words died in her mouth when she suddenly recalled his earlier order.
"Erm... Silver King..."
She stopped, raising her hands to scratch her hair because it was awkward.
Her grand father laughed.
"Gunther is trust worthy," he told her.
Her face beamed.
She instantly engulfed him in a hug, taking himself completely unaware.
"Farewell grandfather. I shall do exceedingly good here," she promised him.
She pulled back to look at him.
He was smiling.
She noted the sad look in his eyes.
He would miss her, like she would him.
"I am sure you would."
"Come with me Miss," Gunther told her.
She began to follow him.
But, she halted at the door and turned to look at Gideon.
His eyes was in her.
She made to speak, to tell him goodbye.
But her tongue instantly went heavy cause of the intensity of his gaze.
She started to turn away.
"Sisikiel."
She halted.
"Your hair, it will really be much better when it's short," he reminded her, before putting that