Levi entered the room and saw it was completely vacant. Not even the single light of a lantern or candle was seen. She carefully walked around the tub in the center of the room and lit the light. The small fountain began to pour out fresh clean water into the hollow purple stone tub. Levi felt her body chilling as the water began flowing close to the brim. Carefully she opened her palm to see the black pebble. A little puff of steam radiant from it. It was intensely hot but it didn’t burn her. She kneeled down closer to the tub and tossed the stone in. The moment the pebble touched the surface, the water began bubbling and a powerful gust of steam bloomed out of the tub! Levi covered her eyes from the steam and began coughing. Quickly the steam faded. She opened her eyes and saw that the tub stopped bubbling but the temperature in the room changed into a relaxing warmth that soothed her.

“Wow,” said Levi, she looked around and saw that the tub now looks like a radiant hot spring. Slowly she started to undress her clothes and remove her eyepatch; then she climbed carefully into the bath. Her tensions began to fade as the heat flowed all over her. “This is so nice. It feels like it's been years since I felt this hot.”

Levi dunked her entire body in the water, feeling the waves of heat curling in her hair. When she surfaced she exhaled in enjoyment and playfully tussled her hair into a mess. “I wish this stone didn’t only last an hour. I want to stay in here longer.”

Her face turned to the window, seeing the snow continue to fall on the blackened night sky. “It does always snow; but it was so nice to see it all the time.”

During that time, Celeste, Avan, Conall and Casitas sat quietly in the dining hall, eating their food in silence. It was a delicious blend of thick broth and blackened fish with rice and peppers. Everyone was picking around their food, unsure of what to say to one another. Casitas felt his mother and brother were too nervous to speak to him and even avoided eye contact.

“Is no one going to say anything?” asked Casitas coldly.

Conall began pouting. “Why isn’t Princess Levi eating with us? I miss her.”

“She’s not a princess,” said Casitas.

“Yes she is!” said Conall. “Only princesses are that pretty.”

Casitas rolled his eyes, making Avan glare at his own brother. He gently patted the top of his son's head. “Lady Levi is eating alone tonight.”

“Will she be here tomorrow?” asked Conall. Celeste turned to Casitas wondering what he would answer. Instead Casitas remained speechless and continued to eat his food.

“Well, I think all of us wouldn’t mind having dinner with her,” said Avan. Casitas tried to bite his tongue but he couldn’t help hearing those eating at the same table as him.

Celeste shrugged happily. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“When I have nothing to say, can it be something more informative,” said Castias. “Mother, have you learned anything about Levi?”

Celeste shrugged again but didn’t look at her son and stared at her plate as she cut up her fish. “Nothing informative. Only that Baellon are pretty intense about their customs.”

Celeste was reminded of what Levi told her about how some die over the smallest issues, that alone gave her the creeps.

“Avan,” said Casitas. “Anything?”

“I learned that she is incredibly helpful,” said Avan. “And I look forward to continuing to work with her.”

“Interesting,” said Casitas as he stared out the window. Conall looked at his uncle with such an adorable confused face.

“Uncle Cas, why are you mean to Princess Levi?” asked Conall.

“It is complicated Conall, you don’t have to worry about it,” Casitas said. He tried his hardest to keep a level-headed attitude towards Conall so he wouldn’t see such negativity from him. Still Avan and Celeste didn’t wish to speak to Casitas at all.

“Avan, about afternoon tea tomorrow. Can we reschedule? I am spending that afternoon walking with Lady Levi.”

“Sure mother. It is nice to get some exercise and have such nice company,” said Avan. Conall darted his eyes back and forth between his uncle and his father. Even a child could feel the tension happening in this room.

“Mother,” said Casitas. “I don’t want you leaving the castle grounds. If you do, then have an escort but not with Levi.”

Celeste bit her tongue. “As you wish, son,” she mocked.

“We can reschedule tea another time together,” said Casitas.

“Only if I want to invite you,” Celeste mumbled. Casitas tried to hold in his anger but it was hard with his own mother talking back to him. Before Casitas could speak, Conall started coughing loudly making everyone stop in their tracks. They looked at him and saw him struggling to breath. Avan hurried to hold his son in his arms, feeling him starting to tremble. He noticed small trails of blood exiting his mouth. Celeste covered her mouth in panic as she and Casitas hurried to them as well.

“How bad is it?” asked Celeste. Avan placed his hand on his son's small chest to feel his heartbeat. It was so quiet and slow as though it wasn’t even there.

“It is bad. I have to take him to the healing room,” said Avan. He rushed out of the room without looking back, Casitas was about to follow them only to have Celeste stand in his way.

“Move mother,” said Casitas.

She glared angrily at her son. “Is this truly better for you? Seeing your nephew in pain?”

“Not now mother,” said Casitas as he walked around her.

“If you go after Avan now, he is just going to be as angry with you as I am,” said Celeste. Casitas stopped himself and turned to his mother. Both keeping their icy stare toward one another.

“I have explained my reason, I don’t need to explain it again,” said Castias. 

“Lady Levi agreed to help with anything we asked. I want my grandson to not spend most of his life locked in his room like I have been,” said Celeste. “I got lucky that I was cured so easily and I want that for my grandson as well. Don’t you?”

Casitas stood stoic to his mother with no emotion shown on his face. “I am going to check on Conall and see if Avan needs assistance.”

Both Casitas and Celeste hurried to the healing room. Inside, there was young Conall laying stiff on one of the tables with Avan carefully lifting up his head to assist him drinking a potion. Other healers were running around rapidly in the room, making it hard to get closer.

“My boy,” Celeste panicked.

“How is he?” asked Casitas.

Without looking at them, Avan replied. “He is slowly getting better but he needs to stay in this room tonight to be cautious.”

“I will stay with him,” said Celeste. She went to Conalls side and had a chair placed next to him. A healer helped her sit down as she looked at her grandson. He was sweating making his skin look scaly and pale, his body was trembling beyond his control. Seeing this made Celeste remember the same pain she suffered.

Casitas was about to take a step forward but Avan raised his hand to him. “My Lord, there are already too many people here. Please wait outside.”

“How can you ask me that!?”

Avan clenched his fists tight and glared at his brother. The healers were too afraid to move as Avan walked closer to him. The two brothers didn’t look away from each other as they acted as though two animals were standing their grounds.

“My Lord,” Avan grit his teeth. “May I speak with you?”

The two of them exited the healing room. The moment the door closed, Avans calming attitude changed. He slammed his fist hard against the stone wall, making it crack and break; creating a small grater in the wall. His hand bled but he didn’t care, he kept breathing heavy and struggling to calm down.

“Say what you want to say to me brother,” ordered Casitas.

“I am pretty sure mother already told you off when I left,” Avan said. He turned to his brother and saw he remained emotionless. “I need to get back to my son.”

Avan walked past his brother but Casitas kept his hand on the door knob making sure Avan didn't leave.

“One moment,” said Casitas. “Do you understand why?”

“I do, brother. I understand why you don’t want Lady Levis help but it doesn’t mean I agree with it,” answered Avan. Casitas slightly flinched, realizing no one in his family was on his side right now. “I am more than happy seeing our mother not sick anymore but it pains me seeing that my son will not feel the same way. Right now brother, I cannot be around you.”

“I understand,” said Casitas. He stepped away from the door. “Is there anything you need from me before I leave?”

“Are you going back to dinner?”

“I am not really hungry. I figured I should take a bath first.”

Avan tried so hard to hide his smile -realizing not an hour had passed; knowing what would happen if he didn't warn him. 

“I will let you know brother. Goodnight,” said Avan. As he watched Casitas walk away, Avan couldn’t help but to smile evilly at his brother and quickly return back to his son.

Barely a moment had passed when Casitas entered the bath. When he opened the door he was overwhelmed by the steam circling around the room. The room smelled like a sweet mint and the candles around the room were barely lit. With the steam and candles it was hard to see. Still, Casitas closed the door behind him.

That moment, he heard soft humming coming from the room. The more he listened he noticed the voice sounded hypnotic and angelic. As though drawing him in closer without realizing it. He kept walking closer and closer with his mind in a haze. The humming continued to sooth him. When he reached the bath, suddenly he was able to see in the center. There was a pair of heavenly gold feather wings half way in the water and the other was seen attached to the back of a young woman. Her face gently tilted as she began to carefully brush her wings. Casitas noticed how tranquil Levi looked, it was a beautiful sight even for him. He didn’t realize he stopped hearing her humming but his own heartbeat thumping against his ears. Her eyes darted more to get closer to her back, that moment she saw Casitas staring at her!

Suddenly she stopped humming and used her wings to cover herself and face away from him.

“What are you doing!?” she shouted. Casitas quickly snapped out of it and turned away from her. His face was completely flushed red. This was a new feeling of complete embarrassment and he hated every second of it.