The air in the smaller, more intimate dining room was less choked with dust and more with a simmering, unspoken tension. The clatter of cutlery was hushed, replaced by the occasional sigh of a servant carefully placing a dish. Elias sat at the polished oak table, munching on a roasted vegetable, his eyes seemingly fixed on his plate.
Beside him, Lady Elara smiled serenely. Across from him sat Ortis, already halfway through his meal, and next to him, Aina. Elias could feel her discreet gaze, cold and sharp, boring into him like tiny daggers. He maintained his innocent facade, subtly ignoring her, but inwardly, he was already plotting various fantastical scenarios where he might accidentally spill soup down her pristine maid's dress.
"Now, Ortis," Lady Elara began, her voice losing its previous soft tone, becoming edged with a rare sharpness.
"I must ask, where have you been? You didn't even write to me. Only sending occasional gifts. You couldn't be bothered to show your face during your own sister's pregnancy, or for your nephews first three years of life?" Her green eyes, so like his, narrowed.
Ortis paused, wiping his lips with a napkin. "Busy, Elara. Terribly busy, you know how it is." He offered a dismissive wave of his hand.
Lady Elara scoffed softly.
"Busy? It certainly doesn't look like that, dear brother."
Before Ortis could formulate another flimsy excuse, Aina, who had remained silent until now, spoke in her chillingly detached voice.
"Father was busy gambling in the Free Cities of Veridian, Aunt Elara. He almost lost our family estate there betting on a rigged Elemental duel. Then he spent several months chasing a rumored 'Flow-absorbing rock' in the northern mountains, which turned out to be ordinary granite. Among other 'time consuming' activities."
Her tone was flat, utterly devoid of emotion, yet devastatingly damning.
"Aina!" Ortis whined, a childish pout on his face, looking genuinely aggrieved.Aina simply ignored him, picking up a glass of water and taking a slow, deliberate sip, her eyes still holding that unreadable, distant quality. He then turned to look at his sister and chuckled nervously.
Lady Elara just looked at him judgmentally then sighed.
"Typical." She muttered.
"Anyway, my dear elder brother, it seems you've made quite the impression on my son." She gestured between herself and her brother. Indeed, both Lady Elara and Ortis possessed the same striking blonde hair—a pale, almost silvery hue—and identical, piercing green eyes. It was a testament to their family ties, a visual echo of the bloodline of Mellou.
Elias, however, was a curious blend. His own hair, while predominantly his mother's platinum blonde, was streaked with unexpected flakes and streaks of red with the tips of his hair a bright crimson, a clear inheritance from Lord Alaric's own fiery mane. And his eyes were even more unique: a mesmerizing mixture of amber from his father and emerald from his mother, seeming to shift and shimmer like a rare gem reflecting light. It was a distinctive look that marked him as singularly different, a living testament to the powerful union of two great houses.
"Your uncle is a formidable Flow user, Elias," Lady Elara continued, oblivious to the child's inner turmoil.
"And he will be a wonderful teacher."
"Wonderful, right…"Elias thought, taking another slow bite. His internal annoyance simmered. He was stuck here, with an explosive uncle and a cousin who hated him on sight.
" Jus when I thought this world couldn't become even more unbearable."
"Actually," Ortis spoke up.
" I won't be your teacher. You didn't display the talent that a person with Mellou bloodline ought to show but you are my nephew none the less. So I'll have Aina train you for a few days while we stay here and then we'll be off."
Elias facade broke and he looked at his uncle with a cold expression.
" Is this bastard actually looking down on me?" He thought.
" That wasn't a very nice thing to say." Lady Elara said, misinterpreting the look on her sons face.