Soiree

On the day of the soiree, Gracia as promised took her two daughters with her to attend it. Sitting in the carriage with her daughters and husband, heading there.

Little Aurelia places her hands on the window sill, her little hand carries the weight of her head. She watches the objects outside the carriage pass like magic.

"Aurelia dear," her mother called "leave the window, tsk look at your hair" Emily who has been called to accompany them so will keep an eye on the kids, especially Aurelia as she has the habit of wandering off, took hold of the little girl's hand.

She made her hair proper, getting rid of the errant hairs on her head. "Thank you." Emily smiled at her. Little Gaia just sat there watching without uttering a word.

When they got there, the coachman stepped down and opened the door for the family members. Senior Clifton was the first person to step down, he stretched his hand for his wife to take which she did, before taking his children's.

They could see other carriages which had arrived before them. The Payton's manor is grand, the building was painted white with no spec of dust or mud on it, like the rain which has been falling all this while in the city of Svarga hasn't touched it.

They head inside, and Gaia takes hold of her little sister's hand. Selene welcomed them when they stepped inside the manor.

"Lady Gracia you here, welcome, Senior Clifton I am happy you could make it." she bowed her head "hello girls." she smiled at the kids.

The Butler of the manor took their coat before directing them inside.

"Lady Gracia, it has been a while, how are you?" a woman asked, she has brown eyes, and her red hair was tied behind, supported by pins. She hugs Gracia, dropping a kiss on both sides of her cheek.

"Lady Anastasia it truly has been a while, I am good, and you?" Garcia smiled at Anastasia.

"I am fine. Senior Clifton" she bowed her head, and Clifton did the same. Gracia took her daughters to introduce them to the masses.

Gaia was distracted by the things happening in the soiree that she didn't notice when Aurelia had left her side, Emily was on an errand.

After the long and boring introduction, little Aurelia who doesn't like to be in the company of many people decided to stroll in the manor. Her little feet pitter-patter on the floor, she finally found something worth looking at, Payton's library.

Her little hand traced the huge book rack, she had a gentle smile on her little face. Picking a book, she sat on the cold wooden floor, her legs spread out.

She sat there, all by herself. Her legs wiggled from side to side. Little Aurelia, who was too engrossed in what she was reading, didn't notice the person standing behind her.

"What are you doing here?" her head whipped to where the voice came from, her brown eyes staring at the owner of the voice, it was a boy who looks like he is fourteen years old. His ink-black hair was tied to the back and his blue eyes stared at her with curiosity in them, the expression on his face was cold, too cold for a fourteen-year-old.

"I'm reading a book" came her obvious reply.

"I can see that, why are you here when everyone else is downstairs?" He walks to where she is sitting, taking a peek at the book in between the girl's legs. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth pulled up.

"And here I was going to congratulate you for knowing how to read at such a young age, looking at you I can tell you are three years old." The book Aurelia was busy reading was a picture book, a book with no words in them.

"I don't know how to read but my sister Gaia does, her governess taught her, mama said I will get a governess when I am older," she explained.

"What is your name?" he implores

"Aurelia, yours?" her brown eyes look at him with fascination.

"How old are you?" he asked just to be sure that she is three years old as he predicted.

"I am three but I'll be turning four soon." the boy's mouth twitched in wonderment.

"For three years old you sure do talk a lot, and your sentences are well constructed, that's nice." He crouches down to level their heights.

"What are you reading?" Aurelia noticed that he didn't tell her his name.

"I don't know, I'm just looking at the pictures, there are no words in them." the boy chuckled.

"Should I read you a book?" he asked, something he has never done before. Aurelia nods her head with a gentle smile on her lips.

The boy stood up from his crouching position and waltzed to the rack of books, his hand tracing the books, he finally stopped when he saw what was looking for.

He took a seat but not on the floor like Aurelia. "Are you just going to sit down there? come." he carried her and placed her in his lab before opening the book to read to her.

Downstairs, Lady Gracia who thought her daughters were playing with the other kids turns to look at them but strangely her youngest daughter is not there. Excusing herself, she went to meet her eldest daughter.

"Gaia, where is Aurelia?" Gracia asks her eldest daughter who was surprised to see that her little sister is not next to her as expected.

"She was just here, I thought she was sitting next to me." Emily who just finished the errand came back to learn that little Aurelia is nowhere to be found.

"Mom I know where she might be," she turned to look at Selene who was already staring at her.

Walking to the lady she asked, "Aunty do you have a library?" Selene gave a nod,

"Follow me." Gaia, Emily, Gracia, and Clifton follow the Lady to her library, when they got there, they were shocked to see a sleeping Aurelia cuddling in a boy's arms, and the boy was none other than.....