Rowena is sitting by her bedroom window watching the sunrise, as she couldn’t sleep. Not with the scene of Corvin and Aveline being close, still lingering in her mind.

“That boy…” She sternly whispered full of hatred.

“Seeing them all cuddle up in that bed, sleeping peacefully and comfortably… I hate it…” Rowena thought as she bit her lips. “Why is she clinging to that weak and pathetic boy anyway… She’s starting to get tainted.” Rowena narrowed her eyes in frustration.

To feel better, Rowena closed her eyes and reminisced about his golden eyes flowing with tears and pain. “Ahhh, that’s how he should look.” Rowena's smile was filled with joy at the thought. But, then in her head his golden eyes turned from pain into them looking down on her with arrogance.

She squeezes the arm rest cushion so hard that her hands turned red. “Those golden eyes… if only I could get rid of them… if only…” Rowena's face was twisted at the darkest thought that flashed through her mind.

“No, seeing him living in despair brings me joy.” Rowena brushed the dark thought aside.

“Anyway, that boy is tainting my precious little thing, Aveline… but she gets her stubbornness from her father… her father…” Rowena reminisced about the time when Aveline’s father was alive, during a time when everything went her way.

Then she grows angry again at the thought of Corvin snatching everything away from her. “I’ll make sure he suffers thoroughly.” Rowena grits her teeth.

“Even if she’s stubborn I’ll get her back.” Determined to untaint her daughter from Corvin’s influence.

“But, if Corvin even spills about what I do to him… I guess I’ll just break what’s mine… dear Aveline.” Rowena giggles menacingly.

When the sun was almost to its peak, Corvin jolted awake. The nightmare he had was too realistic for it to be just a dream.

“The touch of her cold, sharp hands around my neck still lingers… And, the feeling… of dying.” Corvin starts to tear up and breathe heavily. “The feeling of dying… It scares me… was that a dream… or a premonition…”

Corvin starts to cry at the possibility, and Aveline wakes up at hearing him. She quickly gets up.

“Corvin… why are you crying?” As she pats him on the back softly.

Corvin, fully vulnerable, “I don’t want to die.” He says repeatedly while crying heavier.

Aveline, stunned at what he said, gave Corvin a big hug. “No! You won’t die, because I won’t let you… I will protect you as a big sister should.” Aveline starts to tear up. “Who is making my Corvin suffer like this?”

Then a flash of her mother popped up in her mind. “No… it can’t be… but the way Corvin reacts to my mother… No she is nice and warm… surely not…” But, the doubt still lingered in her mind.

Aveline continued to hold Corvin until he calmed down enough, all while softly patting his back.

“Hey, I know you’re not ok, but how about we visit your mother?” Aveline softly says with care.

Corvin nodded.

And they got ready for breakfast.

At the breakfast table, which was in the dining hall that looked dark and shady, but was lightened by the black chandelier and the sun shining through the old black windows, everyone ate in silence. Aveline, only picking with her food and Corvin is not eating at all.

“Huh? How come you’re not eating?” Edgar curiously asked.

Corvin just looked down and shifted around in his seat, thinking of an excuse. “Um… I’m not feeling well.”

“Really! Should I call a physician!” Edgar urgently asked.

But, before Corvin could respond, Aveline interjected, “There’s no need when I know the best medicine.” She says confidently.

“Really? What is it so I can buy it!” Edgar eagerly waits for an answer.

“It’s just spending time doing his favorite things, and he’ll be al~right.” Aveline says with confidence.

Edgar calmed down, “I see that was it… I guess there’s no need to worry then.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t…” Before Aveline could finish her sentence, Corvin intervened and said, “Right! There’s… nothing to worry… about.” He stuttered his words.

“Why is he saying that? Doesn’t he want his father to know about him having a nightmare?” Aveline thought in confusion, but while doing so she caught her mother making a sinister expression towards Corvin, even though it lasted for a split second.

“Mother! Don’t look at Corvin like that! Can’t you see he's scared!” Aveline scolds her own mother for the first time.

Corvin and Rowena were shocked, while Edgar was curious to know what she meant.

“What… face did I make dear?” Rowena grits her teeth and holds back her anger.

Aveline's heart raced at the thought of defying her own mother, but what was more important was that her Corvin was scared and needed help. And she couldn’t be a bystander anymore.

So she answered,“It was scary to look at, like your face twisted for a split second. And it made Corvin flinch.” Aveline explained with a serious look on her face.

“Is that true Rowena?” Edgar asked with a serious tone.

“No, my daughter likes to imagine things.”As she laughs with a fake tone. “Isn’t that right… Corvin.” Rowena's smile didn’t reach her eyes and she put her hand on Corvin’s shoulder.

“What should I say… just like I wanted… Aveline protected me from Rowena… It made me so happy and relieved…” While Corvin was in deep thought, Rowena’s grip got tighter.

Corvin continued his thoughts while feeling the weight of Rowena. “But what if I put her in danger by defying Rowena… No… I can’t think of anything…” Corvin was conflicted in his thoughts.

He made a decision, “ I… I’m going to play by the Juniper Tree… Let’s go, Aveline.” As he rushes off and out of the dining hall with Aveline.

In a moment of silence Rowena thinks, “How dare he… Defy! Me!”

“Rowena, please watch how you look at my precious son, I won’t tolerate it a second time.” Edgar was stern.

“I’m sorry, I promise it won’t Ever happen again.” Her smile was sinister, but Edgar didn’t notice how sinister it was.

At the Juniper Tree, Corvin and Aveline were reading books while sitting next to his mothers grave stone. They were having a peaceful time, and it made Corvin determined to tell Aveline about how her mother truly is.

“Aveline I have something to tell you…”

That is, until the Juniper Tree started to sway roughly like it was warning someone to stay away… And that someone was Rowena.

Corvin instinctively grabbed Avelines hands as he trembled at the sight of Rowena. Her presence causes the Juniper Tree to sway and creek back and forth, and her shadow slowly envelops both Corvin and Aveline.

“Children…” Rowena's voice was so cold that it sent shivers down Corvin’s and Aveline’s spine.

This was the first time Aveline was scared of her mother. They both were trembling as the sound of her footsteps getting closer.

Aveline managed to muster up words, “Mother… What are you doing here?”

“No need to worry about that, instead come here dear Aveline.” Rowena’s smile was wicked and her eyes were as sharp as a knife.

Aveline reluctantly went to her mother, letting go of Corvin’s hand.

“Yes, Mother.” Aveline started to tremble in fear.

Rowena turned Aveline around, placed her hand on the back of her neck, and started to squeeze it.

“Ouch mother! You're hurting me!” Aveline grabs at her mother’s hand.

Rowena looks down on Corvin with a twisted and wicked look and her eyes filled with hatred. “Now Corvin, what were you going to tell my Dear Aveline.”

“What do I do! She hurt Aveline because of me! Like she said she would!” Corvin was troubled and his hands were shaking. “What… Do you mean Rowena?”

Rowena grip tightened, “Rowena? Don’t you Dare! Call me by my name, boy! You call me Mother!”

“Mother! I! Can’t breathe!” Aveline starts to struggle to break free from her mother, her breathing turned into short spurts.

Corvin couldn’t sit frozen in fear as he watched Aveline getting hurt, the guilt of how this happened gnawing at him deeply.

“I’m sorry, Mother! Just let Avaline go!” Corvin's heart raced as he got up and desperately tried to free Aveline.

Rowena made Aveline bleed with her grip. “I can tell you care for my dear Aveline so much… but what a shame, I have to put a crack on her due to your disobedience!”

As she felt the blood on her hands, she threw Aveline onto Corvin and they both fell on the grass.

“Yuck, what a mess.” Rowena wipes the blood on her black handkerchief and throws it on the ground. “Corvin, I’ll leave her to you to tend to her, and I hope you now know what I’m capable of doing to my precious daughter if you spill to Edgar.” She laughs and walks away.

The Juniper Tree swayed and creeped even harder at the sight of Rowena hurting the children.

Aveline coughs and covers her neck where it’s bleeding.

Corvin takes out his handkerchief and uses it to stop the bleeding. His eyes are flowing with tears as he apologizes repeatedly, “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”

Aveline, still traumatized by what her mother did, comforts Corvin. “No, it’s not… now that I realize it… it’s all mother’s fault… I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner.” Her purple eyes are also flowing with tears. “How could I’ve been so blind to my Corvin’s suffering.” As tears run down her face, she bites her lips in frustration.

As they both console each other underneath the Juniper Tree. Tomorrow was awaiting along with Rowena’s wrath, but at least they knew one thing. They won’t be alone in the face of her wrath. The Juniper Tree sways softly, like it was consoling the children for the challenges they would have to endure.