With eyes that burned like fire, but with depths as deep as the ocean with a soul pure and upright.

Joshua Wilson was the kind of man who always stood for what was right, kind, hardworking, honest and noble. With sunkissed skin and hair that reminded one of wheat laden fields, a classically handsome fellow with a bright and free smile that made others smile along with him.

He was the quintessential knight. 

Filling those he met with confidence and trust in his actions and words.

…

Facing the ceiling he grimaced at the description of the guy.

He really did like the guy, decent, kind, and with just enough personality to not annoy him by being only nice… plus the art the author had made for him was something to gawk over. Now though as he remembers meeting the guy… he shuddered.

The kid is cute, adorable even, but even if he is the body of a fifteen year old, his mind is still that of a twenty-five year old.

He looks like a baby.

“This is really gonna screw up my ability to fuck isn’t it… you know what new rule no fucking or dating til at least twenty, that way I’ll be financially independent and I won’t have to sneak in someone to the manor in order to get jiggity. Hell yeah!”

He raised a fist to the sky in determination, ‘This just gives me another reason to make sure the store succeeds…’

He curled up and went to sleep.

.

.

.

“Hello again! Young master Aster Rosewood, may I walk next to you?”

With puppy dog eyes the boy looked to him, and Aster nearly frowned at the height difference before managing to nod indifferently, Belle looked to the boy curiously asking questions with her eyes that Aster could hardly answer.

“Greetings I am Belle del Tania, personal maid to my young master, may you be blessed with bountiful days.”

Curtsying, the boy greeted her with a bow and murmured traditional greeting.

“Is there anything I can help you with Sir Wilson?”

The blonde nearly stumbled at Asters words, “Sorry, sorry, I apologize for my clumsiness, I’m still not used to being called sir… oh and no young master, there is- I mean, I didn’t come here in search of a favor I simply wished to walk alongside another person… The day is rather breathtaking.”

The blonde felt his cheeks warm, and Aster looked at him with sharp eyes, “Ah, I see. Then I am glad to be joined by someone who even my brother deems worthy of teaching.”

The blonde teen rubbed the back of his neck, face turning even redder, “I thank you for the flattery, but I am far from reaching the worth Master Tiberius see’s in me…”

A hand patted his shoulder, he turned to Aster and the boy’s eyes seemed to pierce him, “Don’t underestimate yourself, it's just as much poison as arrogance. You’ll reach your worth, and beyond that Sir Wilson, if nothing else trust Elder brothers teachings.”

‘Seriously kid, take it from a reader you’ll be great…’

Joshua felt his breath stutter at the other warm expression, still very much a blank stone face, his words wise and kind, yet realistic were different from anybody else's.

“I-”

The blonde tripped and nearly fell face first into the ground if Belle hadn’t steadied him, “Are you alright Sir Wilson?”

“I THINK I AM BEING CALLED!”

The blonde felt his face burn as he turned and started to run, only calling out a goodbye over his shoulder as dust kicked up in his haste to leave.

Aster blinked blankly, “Kids awkward as hell…”

Belle nodded in agreement, “Yes… and very energetic, but he seems like a decent person.”

He nodded as they continued on their walk, “He is. He’s a good guy who tends to do the right things so keep that in mind when dealing with him.”

Belle straightened up and nodded, memorizing the information, “Of course young master, this one will remember your words.”

“You really need to drop the fancy wording when it’s just us, I’m fine with you being relaxed.”

“What words is this one’s master speaking of?”

He frowned and she grinned at him cheekily.

“Idiot.”

“Scary face.”

.

.

.

He knew this would happen, but he didn’t think it would be quite as dramatic as it is.

“YOU!”

Stalking toward him leaving craters in her wake Thalia’s hair which she had been growing out, likely accidentally, as she had been locked in her wing for the better part of three months. Stefan followed along behind her with his ever blank face and dull eyes, “Thalia… is there something wrong?”

She waved a hand and Belle was brought to her knees, Stefan moved to her and Aster, well Aster was really regretting not picking up some kind of tricks as he stood up and moved to her as well. He was frozen once again, but this time he made no effort to conceal his expression, his head and face being the only things he could move.

He bared his teeth at the dull eyed man who stood over his friend.

“Let. Her. Go.”

He flinched and Aster felt a bone-deep kind of satisfaction at it, “Oh please, Stefan take that starling girl away, I need to speak with my brother… alone.”

Bowing deeply, “Certainly my mistress.”

He murmured something and Belle disappeared into a slate blue jewel as the man walked away Aster struggled against his bonds.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HER!?!! ANSWER ME!!!”

A slap echoed the alcove, standing before him his younger sister with an annoyed face, “Calm down and don’t panic you idiot! Besides, if she's hurt you can just get another, heck I’ll give you one of mine, at least mine have actual power and class.”

Aster whose face was still turned from her in surprise snapped to her, his eyes seemed to glow with his rage and he didn’t even have to bare his teeth to show his utter disgust and fury. Tahlia barely reacted other than the widening of her eyes, “Thalia Rosewood if he hurts her nothing in this goddamn world would stop me from ripping you to pieces.”

“You wouldn’t, father would never-”

“I care very little what the old man thinks or how he would make me pay, Thalia I tell you this in the simple good faith that you would not harm another… if Belle del Tania is hurt in any shape or form, I will find a way to rip out the magic that resides within you in the most painful way possible.”

Thalia felt her mouth dry, gone was the rage and the fury was cold, he didn’t say it as a threat he said it as a fact, still she refused to be cowed, “As if I would allow such waste in harming your precious starling. Even holding her like that is a waste by my standards.”

Aster stared at her for a second.

She looked at him with irritating haughtiness and he sighed, “Thalia what do you want, in what way, shape or form have I bothered you?”

She drew her shoulders back, “You know what’s bothering me! You’d have to!”

He looked at her blankly, and she stomped her foot, pulling from her pocket a stack of papers that she threw in his face, “This you moron, you incompetent fool! This thing! This has confounded my staff for months!”

He looked at it dispassionately, “What.”

“You know damn well what it is! It was hidden in your study under lock and key beneath your floorboards! What is it! It’s important! It has to be! What are you trying to take over the family! Planning to murder us! Weaseling away money from the estate! Tell me! Tell me! TELL ME!”

She grabbed his face  and pulled him close eyes wide and crazed, “I hate it! You're not supposed to ignore me, not supposed to confuse me! Your not smart, your stupid, your plain, average, a stain on the good name of the Rosewood family!”

She threw him to the ground and he felt thankful because now at least he could move, she stomped again and a crater formed beneath her foot, “You fool! Just listen to what I say and do as I ask! Is that so hard, tell me! Tell me what you wrote there, show me how you did it, tell me now!”

Aster looked up at her and sighed, he pinched the skin between his brows and he felt a headache come on, ‘Is this what happens when you don’t properly teach your kids… she’s like a five year old having a tantrum…’

Struggling to his knees Thalia burned at the other’s sigh and look of disappointment, “Don’t look at me like that! Who do you think you are! You're just Aster! You don’t get to look at me like that, I have all this power, talent and bright future, who is worthy of our family, who has love and respect and responsibility, don’t you dare look at me with disappointment!”

Aster gathered the pages and stood up, he looked at her with a dull face, she twitched, “Your right I am disappointment, plain, average etcetera, etcetera, which is why this” he shook the pages and from his pocket he brought out a lighter, setting the pages to flame, “doesn’t matter. I don’t understand your frustration with me Thalia, so I don’t listen to you anymore, so I don’t play along, your smart figure out why, it’s not that hard.”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

She screeched, as the pages burned, “Getting rid of it, you said it yourself nothing I do, would ever measure up besides if you want to know what was on the pages I can tell you. I won’t even lie.”

She twitched, and Aster grinned internally, ‘She really is a kid… too bad she might’ve even been cute had they taught her better…’

She nodded eyes burning with curiosity, her need to know burning him, “Like said it’s worthless, it was just some private thoughts, a story with terrible writing that I had given up on… even I have embarrassing things I’d rather not look at but had too much emotional investment to just throw away-”

She looked at him with a sneer and she felt herself tense throughout the explanation, he was being truthful and that was what really irked her…

All that time, frustration, energy… and it was for something like this!

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I WASTED MY TIME ON THIS SHIT!!!”

He looked at her blankly, “I never asked you to do such a thing-”

He fell to his knees.

His knees created a crater where he fell and his surroundings seemed to crumple under a similar weight, trees bowing and splintering, and ground cracking, he barely managed to look up and the girl had eyes that glowed as a snarl took over her face.

“You… you dare to play a trick on me. ME! How dare you, you useless fool!”

He let a laugh escape him, “I never did anything like that…”

“You did! You’d have to-”

“I DIDN’T. You said it yourself Thalia… if I’m so useless, so foolish… then I definitely couldn’t have tricked the great, once in a lifetime genius Thalia Rosewood… right?”

He was definitely amused, panicked as all hell, and pissed a mighty bit, but it was nice… getting the one up even if it was to this kid.

He felt his throat close up and she grit her teeth before she relaxed, eyes wide and glowing eerily as she stared at him, “You're right. You are a fool… so for now how about you suffer like one too.”

‘She won’t kill me… not even the old man would let that happen… just ride it out and you’ll be fine…’

It hurt.

But it was manageable as he felt his consciousness fade, someone jumped out in front of him he couldn’t quite see, and then it was like the force around him was ripped away and he heard the girl scream.

He coughed, breathing heavily he looked up with bleary eyes at the sight of who saved him, ‘Ah shit… this isn’t good…’, Joshua looked panicked, but determined hand glowing, he suddenly kneeled down in front of him, “Young master! Young master are you all right!?!”

“I-” he coughed as he trembled sitting up, “I’m fine. You shouldn’t have done that…”

“What are you saying! You were- she was hurting you how could I stand by and watch that happen!”

Aster had tears in his eyes as he coughed again and wiped them away, Joshua looked worried, earnest, confused, “You can’t get involved- No you shouldn’t get involved, especially in these types of situations… you don’t understand…”

He stood up and pushed the blonde away, “Head back to Tiberius, things are going to get messy…”

Joshua jumped up, “I don’t understand!”

“EXACTLY! You don’t understand… thank you, but helping me is more trouble than it’s worth…”

He bent for the girl who was crying, he scooped her up easily, and walked away, leaving the blonde there staring at his back.

‘Shit this… this is gonna cause problems… first get her back to the house… then get Belle.’

Thalia stared at him through wet eyes, as she hiccuped from the pain, he buried her head in his chest and he barely even noticed, ‘Dammit… it wasn’t supposed to go like this… he wasn’t- he just has to listen to me… only me…’