Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  “How about you, Destiny?” Serenity asked.

  “Twenty, almost twenty-one,” said Destiny proudly. “Young yet old.”

  “That’s funny...” Serenity mumbled to herself.

  “What was that?” Destiny snapped sharply.

  “Nothing!” Serenity responded. “It’s just that…well—back with the Carlisles, the oldest of us was the same age. And you’re the oldest too…”

  “Was she a pain in the ass too?” Sixto quipped.

  “He was. Definitely…” Serenity nodded.

  But her heart ached slightly at the mention of Desmos. The tidal memory of her last moments with him came crashing back to her, hitting her like a javelin. Two things happened in these moments that she had never seen happen before: Desmos getting knocked out, and him complimenting her. He had praised her for saving his life, rather than ignore the rescue, which was something he (and the others) would normally do. But then again, she had never saved the life of anyone before, let alone Desmos or any of the brothers.

  “I’m curious…how many siblings did you have?” Destiny said, waving off a servant that was in the midst of setting down more food.

  “I had five. Five brothers. And it sucked because I was the youngest,” she said scornfully, the sentimentality suddenly abated.

  “I wish I had five brothers,” Sixto said enviously. “It’s better than having all sisters. I’d love to have even one brother.”

  “Wait, you’re siblings with them?” Serenity asked.

  “No, but I’ve lived with them for so long that I’m practically siblings with them. Uncle Alistair took me in when I was two. I’m sort of a distant relative. Well, kind of. Maybe. I think.”

  “Okay. And I don’t mean to pry too much, but what happened to your parents?” she asked cautiously.

  “According to Ali, they died the same night your folks died,” said Sixto casually, pointing at the terrible scar under his left eye. “That’s when I received this scar.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said sympathetically, averting her eyes dolefully.

  “Why? You didn’t kill them.”

  This was true. But Gunther did. The man that was her surrogate father. The man that supposedly stormed that camp and killed all of those people because of her. To kidnap her. She couldn’t help but feel culpable.

  “Anyway, Sixto may be our only brother, but he’s definitely my favorite sibling,” said Destiny. “At least he’s in the Aurelian military. These other two girls refuse to join; it’s so embarrassing.”

  “I’m not joining the militia, there’s no point,” said Lyla defensively. “And besides, Lily and I are still too young anyway. The age requirement is sixteen, which is still too young. They should raise it to eighteen.”

  “You have to be sixteen to be eligible for training,” Destiny illuminated. “Then there’s two years of basic training, and at eighteen, you’re old enough to serve actively in combat.”

  “Is the Aurelian military actually official?” Serenity said in amazement. “Does the government recognize you guys as an actual army?”

  “No, we’re covert,” said Sixto. “I think Parliament acknowledges us just as a wealthy, influential family in the upper echelons of aristocracy. If they detect considerable amounts of military personnel operating for us, they look the other way. Essentially, our military is just security. No different than those guys in suits that you see patrolling the estate grounds.”

  This sounded shady to her. It seemed like there was some corruption involved. A superabundant amount of money was enough to purchase power, though.

  “Afternoon, everyone,” Dorian greeted affably, primly strutting up to them with his hands behind his back, again looking like a butler.

  “Morning,” the Aurelian siblings droned in unison.

  “Hello,” Serenity said.

  “Ah, Serenity! Did you sleep well? Do you still believe us to be dissembling? Have you had the chance to perambulate the premises?”

  “I’m all right, and no,” she chose to say, answering all questions at once.

  “I’ll show her around,” Sixto volunteered earnestly.

  “No, you won’t,” Destiny said decisively. “We have patrol duty.”

  “What?! I’m not even eighteen!”

  “Patrol duty almost never equates to combat,” Destiny said firmly, rising to her feet. “Besides, you’ll be accompanying me.”

  Sixto rose up from his chair acquiescently, taking a final swig of orange juice. Lyla teased him as he followed Destiny out of the Breakfast Hall. Dorian chortled at this, shaking his head playfully.

  “Lily and Lyla, you two can show Serenity around since you both have all the free time in the world,” Dorian ordered.

  Lily nodded vigorously, springing to her feet. Lyla had the opposite reaction, her jaw dropping like a stone. At once, she began whining.

  “My schedule for today is packed!”

  “I’m sure. Let me guess, meditating aimlessly for hours in your chamber? Reading your fanciful novels? Gluing your eyes to that computer of yours? Or perhaps, spying on Mr. Bastion—”

  “I don’t spy on him!” Lyla gasped, mortified, blushing until she was the complexion of a bloody tomato.

  “Of course, I understand!” said Dorian patronizingly. “Lily, don’t worry about your older sister. You can take Serenity.”

  “I’ll go, forget it,” Lyla growled ultimately.

  But it seemed, she would just to prove a point.

  The moods of the two sisters could not be more parallel as they toured her around the estate grounds. Lily was exuberant as she perpetually was, ecstatically pointing out every little detail that could’ve potentially interested her. From the hedges that were just trimmed recently, to the library that was just recently remodeled. Lyla, on the other hand, kept quiet.

  The Aurelian estate was more extensive than she had anticipated. The whole property sprawled for at least 500 acres. Everywhere they went, there was security or Aurelian soldiers galore, patrolling. The two girls took her through the garden, past the courtyard, up a drawbridge and battlement, a recreational area outside, an infirmary, and an astronomy tower. The interior of every building was extravagant. Every building. There was even an art exhibition next to the servants’ quarters. Paintings of diverse antiquity and styles had been acquired through auctions and were showcased here. Serenity could’ve sworn she saw Mona Lisa gawking down at her, in the center of an array of other canvases. This painting should’ve been in Paris, she thought.

  They then strolled past the barracks, passing by the training grounds where a group of Aurelian soldiers was doing hand-to-hand combat training. Each man and woman appeared to be mentally exhausted.

  “Let’s go to the barn,” Lily said.

  “Hell no! It’s filthy down there and too far,” Lyla objected.

  “You guys have a barn?” Serenity asked in wonder.

  “Yeah, by the outskirts of the estate. From here? The other side of the estate. It’ll take us fifteen minutes to get there, at least.”

  “I want to check up on Riley,” Lily moaned. “She’s been ill for three weeks now. I don’t want to admit it, but she’s going to be gone soon.”

  “It’s a damn horse,” Lyla explained before Serenity could open her mouth. “Sick horses become dead horses. We’re not going to the barn, Lily. And besides, it’s past the jailhouse. That place gives me goosebumps.”

  They even had a jailhouse. This estate could’ve been mistaken as a whole town rather than a private property. It was ridiculously expansive. After a brief dispute between the two sisters, they decided to head back towards the living quarters in the main house. Lily was insistent on showing off her chamber. They had only explored half of the whole estate, but it was more than enough for a single day. In the event of getting lost, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to orient herself and find her way back to her room.

  Alistair met them half-way through the courtyard that led to the entrance of the main house. He wa
s wearing silver robes over a waistcoat, the breast pocket emblazoned with the Aurelian insignia she had seen many times before. The man’s dainty smile and elegant movement caused befuddlement, again fostering uncertainty about his age. It was ambiguous. They didn’t even have to explain to him what they were doing outside. A man of obvious sagacity, such as Alistair, easily knew what they were up to.

  “Splendid,” said Alistair delightfully. “Good to know your new siblings-—albeit your cousins—are helping you acclimate. The estate is not extensive as you may think, so don’t let it intimidate you. In two weeks, you’ll feel at home. I assure you that. You will find your niche.”

  Serenity sincerely doubted this but nodded nevertheless. It would take months for her to adapt—maybe even years. Her eyes crept up at the Aurelian insignia patch on Alistair’s waistcoat: an elegant letter “A.”

  This crest signified the interminable years she had spent wasting her time waging war and fighting the “enemy” represented by this symbol. For the span of her lifetime, she had associated this crest with “monster” since the crest itself was associated with “Aurelian.”

  The conversation with Alistair was ephemeral. He waved them off cordially and went on his way, three Aurelian guards following him closely.

  “Does your father ever go anywhere without guards?” she asked.

  “Not really,” said Lyla. “He’s too important to go anywhere without protection. We’ve had former members of the council assassinated before.”

  “Here?” she said incredulously. “On Aurelian territory?”

  “It’s rare, but yeah. Security wasn’t as heavy before. We’ve got a lot of enemies, you know. Other than you Carlisles.”

  “Why would people try to kill you guys?” she asked ignorantly.

  It was a question that she realized to be stupid only after the words drifted out of her mouth. It was ironic for her to be asking this question.

  “You’re a Carlisle, you idiot,” Lyla said disdainfully. “How about you tell me why you hate us so much?”

  “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “My fath—Gunther never told me. And neither did your father when I asked. I was hoping you’d know why there’s this feud between Gunther and you guys? And I’m not a Carlis—”

  “Yes, you are!” Lyla declared. “You may be one of us by blood, but you’re still the offspring of one. They raised you, not us!”

  Serenity opened her mouth to defend herself, but no words came out. Her thoughts slipped away as Lyla stormed off into the entrance of the main house. Serenity frowned; Lyla definitely had a grudge on her.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Lily said indifferently.

  “Why does she dislike me?”

  “You heard her, you were raised by Gunther,” Lily shrugged.

  This was reason enough. Lyla wasn’t wrong. Her true parentage was irrelevant; Gunther had fostered her, and essentially was her parent. Lyla held a potent resentment towards the Carlisles, or Gunther specifically; that resentment constituted her.

  “Anyway, let’s go already!” Lily said ardently. “I wanna show you everything I got for my birthday! You’re going to love them!”

  Serenity spent the rest of the afternoon hanging around in Lily’s room. She had never seen a more girly room in her life. Almost everything was lurid pink. The bed was laden with stuffed animals. Next to the doors were all the slippers and shoes Lily owned (about thirty), neatly lined up in rows. By the closet was a stack of boxes, presumably the load of presents she had received for her birthday. Half of them lay yet to be opened. There was also a 70-inch flat screen TV mounted on the wall. It was plainly obvious that Lily was the spoiled one in the family.

  She sat on the edge of Lily’s bed, half-listening as she fervently gave a rundown of her birthday party, and everything she had been gifted, a white kitten in her hands. The ticking of the grandfather clock on top of the wardrobe was ticking ominously, rendering her in a state of near-hypnosis.

  “One of my aunts from Surrey even came, and she’s the one who got me this kitty! People usually give me clothes or jewelry as presents, but I’ve never gotten a cat before or any pets! I’ve never had any pets, except a turtle that died so fast! Have you had any pets?” Lily spoke rapidly as if the words were all mashed together.

  Serenity had never met somebody so hyperactive and rambunctious. She was essentially a child overdosed on sugar, with an additional superfluous intake of caffeine. But the positive energy Lily exuded was a potent antidote to the dismal cloud of anxiety that shrouded her. It made her feel at home.

  “No, I never had any pets. Does your father get you anything you want? Like everything?”

  “Not everything,” Lily replied. “I asked for a step-mother once—well, just a mother really… Never mind…”

  Lily reddened, quickly changing the subject to Disney movies.

  Serenity frowned; she had never realized that Lily’s mother had never been brought up. Alistair never said anything about it, and she certainly did not meet any woman purporting to be his wife. Was the mother dead? This was a cogent assumption. But she wondered if Lily’s mother passed away at an early age; it seemed she had never even known her mother really. But the subject of mothers prompted Serenity to wonder about her own mother. Not just her mother, but her father as well. When Lily was finished raving about how great Incredibles 2 was, Serenity asked the pertinent question.

  “Do you know anything about my parents?”

  “Huh?” Lily blinked blankly.

  “No…?”

  “You’re asking the wrong person,” a voice said.

  Serenity and Lily both turned around; Sixto was standing by the door.

  “Knock, Sixto,” Lily said grumpily.

  “The door was already half-open,” said Sixto dismissively. “Anyway, Serenity, follow me. I’ll show you your parents.”

  “As in their graves?” Serenity asked urgently.

  “No, I’m not even sure they’re here,” Sixto shook his head. “But for starters, I’ll show you some pictures. Come along.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “How much further?” Serenity asked, exhausted.

  “Just a few more flights,” Sixto said, marching up the stairs without the slightest indication of fatigue.

  They had climbed seven flights of stairs. Currently, Sixto was leading her up one of the towers. He had displayed impressive bargaining skills when trying to convince the sentries guarding the entrance to let them in. Wherever they were going, it must’ve been someplace valuable. Sixto refused to tell her where this place was until they finally reached it. To her surprise, the steel door at the top of the stairs was unlocked. It creaked as Sixto opened it. He went inside first. Serenity took in her surroundings, surprised at how abnormally tiny the room was; the ceiling was only about seven feet high, and the room itself was only about ten yards across.

  “This is our pedigree,” Sixto said dramatically, stepping aside.

  Serenity gazed directly in front of her. On the wall was a family tree that covered up every inch of the eight-foot wall. The roots twisted, branched, and sprawled, recording the Aurelian ancestry. Under most names was a picture; the picture indicated the time period each individual was from. Some pictures were photographs, mostly black-and-white. Others were simply small portraits, like the first name on the family tree: Advertitus Aurelian, who was an old, wizened, bearded man with hair whiter than snow.

  Serenity scanned the tree, looking for her parents.

  “These are only the pure-blooded Aurelians and their families—if offspring were conceived,” said Sixto. “Look for Sebastian and Elizabeth, your parents. I believe your mother wasn’t pure-blooded, but your father was. She became an Aurelian after they got marr—you okay?”

  “There,” Serenity whispered somberly, pointing her finger.

  “Yep. There they are,” Sixto nodded, folding his arms.

  She was looking at her parents for the first time in her life; the photographs pinned on
the wall had the nineties vibe, not too saturated but with a warm gradient. Her mother was an attractive woman who resembled her greatly, smiling genuinely in her portrait photo. Her eyes were brown, unlike hers, and her hair was dark and sleek, tied up in a bun. “Elizabeth Watson-Aurelian.” Her mother had died fairly young, in her late twenties, judging from the birth and death date that was shown. It was the same case for her father, Sebastian Amycus Aurelian. He looked slightly older than her mother. His smile was a bit more strained, and his brown hair was slicked neatly backwards. His eyes were also gray, just like hers.

  “Look under them,” Sixto grinned.

  He didn’t have to mention it. She had already seen it: Serenity Elizabeth Aurelian, with no photo but an accurate birthdate.

  “How long have I been up here?” she asked Sixto.

  “Since you were born,” Sixto returned matter-of-factly. “You don’t have a picture for obvious reasons. We only put photos when somebody dies. All these people that are pictureless are still alive.”

  “I see Alistair, Destiny, Lyla, Lily—who’s Clara? The sisters’ mother?”

  “Yeah,” said Sixto grimly. “I don’t have to tell you that she’s deceased. You can see her photo there, of course.”

  Clara looked like an older version of Destiny: strong and beautiful, despite the wistful eyes and creases on her skin.

  “Where are you?” Serenity asked, not wanting to linger on the subject of Clara out of respect. “It’s doesn’t look like you’re here.”

  “That’s because I’m not,” said Sixto simply. “I’m not pure-blooded. Pure-blooded Aurelians are defined as only those whose parents were also pure-blooded. Meaning they were descendants of the original Aurelians. The originals who, as disgusting as it was, practiced inbreeding. Incestuous relationships were also common. Must’ve been normal way back in the day.”

  “How does one become an Aurelian, then?” she asked, pushing the foregoing fact out of her mind, repulsed.

  “Obviously, you need approval from a member of the Council. Then you take a vow, a pledge, and offer your servitude. It’s kind of like converting into another religion. Though, we Aurelians don’t practice a single religion. We’ve got Atheists, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, and even some Jehovah Witnesses.”