Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  Serenity nodded, gleaning that the Aurelians were multicultural and diverse. Her eyes were latched onto the photos of her parents, scrutinizing every detail and taking it all in. The couple that should’ve raised her. That should’ve taken her to the park, dropped her off at school, vacationed with her, grounded her, or taught her how to drive. These people should’ve superseded Gunther as her parents, or rather been with her from the start. The photos were just two-dimensional, inanimate objects, but she imagined that they were sentient beings, actually beaming down at her.

  “What were they like?” Serenity asked Sixto eagerly.

  “I never knew them,” Sixto shrugged. “Uncle Ali is the right man to ask. He probably knows better than anyone.”

  “Right,” Serenity breathed. “Let’s go and ask him, then.”

  “Now? I’m sure he’s busy right now, with Council meetings and everything. We should ask him at dinner time.”

  Serenity smothered a groan, upset at having to wait five hours. She was yearning to learn about her parents. They felt like ghosts of her past, which was logical since they were long dead. Familiarizing herself with them would establish a stronger connection with them, she felt.

  Sixto’s attempts at exhorting her to leave were futile. Serenity was dead-set on staying for as long as she wanted, gazing up at her parents with misty eyes. Sixto disapproved of her unwavering decision but still stayed with her. She didn’t mind his company; at this juncture of her stay, she felt comfortable speaking casually with him. Sixto informed her prolifically.

  “Curfew here is at 10:00 PM,” he said with a hint of scorn. “It sucks that we have one, but everyone is expected to abide to it.”

  “What would happen if you’re caught out of bed after 10:00?”

  “Well, you just can’t be outside after 10:00. If you’re caught out of your chamber roaming the house late at night, you’ll just get yelled at. I’ve snuck out of my chamber with the sisters a couple times. It’s nothing too audacious. But breaking the curfew and roaming outside is a serious offense; it might land you in jail. They might think you’re up to something…”

  “What reason would you have for sneaking out of your chamber?”

  “We’d break into the kitchens and steal food,” said Sixto airily, smirking mischievously. “Late night snacks are hard to get.”

  ”Wow, you guys really know this place. Security in this place is tight,” Serenity said, impressed. “Do guards patrol the halls at night?”

  “Of course, they patrol during the day, don’t they? But some of them are negligent. Really incompetent, dozing off mid-watch!” Sixto snickered, his irises lighting up in excitement.

  “You seem like a naughty child,” Serenity laughed. “How many times have you been caught?”

  “Not once,” said Sixto proudly, forming a zero with two fingers. “Maybe I’ll teach you how to be stealthy around here one day.”

  “I think it’s a bit too early for me to be breaking rules. I need to behave.”

  A period of silence followed after. Sixto was preoccupied with cleaning dirt off of the outsole of his boots. Serenity watched him quietly, triggering another topic of discussion for her to initiate.

  “How long have you been in the militia?”

  “I’ve been training since I was twelve, but I’ve been in basic training in the Aurelian military for probably six or seven months now.”

  “Is it hard?”

  “It’s doable,” Sixto said modestly, tilting his head. “I’m assuming your training wasn’t very feasible, though.

  “Cruel and impractical,” Serenity nodded. “It’s heavenly realizing I never have to go through that again…”

  “If it was so hard than why aren’t you much of a fighter? Surely all that rigorous training should’ve molded you into some kind of warrior?”

  “I’ve wondered what the answer to that question was for years,” Serenity sighed. “And so did my family. My former family. You don’t know how much shit I’ve gotten from them for being weak.”

  “Damn,” Sixto said, in an undertone. “They expected too much of you, then. What kind of punishment did you receive?”

  Serenity shuddered at this question, the odious memories stabbing her as they breached the surface of her conscience. The whippings, the Dungeon confinements, the bitter exercises, and the outbursts.

  Sixto registered her disconcertment and dismissed the question briskly.

  “Never mind. So, did you ever go to school?”

  “Sometimes,” Serenity replied glumly. “I used to move around a lot. Like a lot. Which meant I never stayed in one school for more than three months, on average. It was annoying being the new kid all the time.”

  “Well, at least you had the opportunity to go. I’m honestly surprised Gunther Carlisle even allowed you to attend. Though, I hear American public schools are kind of—well, inadequate.”

  “His excuse for letting us go was to hunt you guys,” said Serenity tentatively, minding her words. “We actually ran into a couple of Aurelians throughout the years in the schools we went to.”

  “Hmmm,” said Sixto thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “How many of us have you killed? You personally.”

  “What—?” she said, taken aback. “What do you think?”

  “Twenty-six,” Sixto guessed wildly. “No! Three!”

  “I haven’t killed anyone, Sixto,” Serenity pressed solemnly. “Not one.”

  “Yeah, you’re too soft, I’m not shocked,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s still hard to believe. What about Gunther? His sons?”

  “They’ve killed too many to count,” she said flatly; the brothers were truly aficionados of barbarity—of hunting. Cackle in particular.

  “Yeah, no wonder. Your ex-brothers are reputed as killing machines, I heard. But God forbid they face off against someone like Bastion. He’s our best fighter.”

  Serenity recalled this name being spoken before. Earlier today in the Breakfast Hall, Dorian had mentioned it.

  “Who’s Bastion?”

  “Like I said, our top fighter. And he’s young too, only one year older than Destiny. And speaking of Destiny, she’s real friendly with Bastion.”

  “‘Friendly’? As in, they’re dating?”

  “No, but it’s obvious they like each other. What’s funny is that Lyla is so damn jealous. She’s fancied him for years.”

  “That makes sense,” Serenity said, remembering how embarrassed Lyla got when Dorian accused her of “spying.”

  “Does Destiny know about Lyla?”

  “I’m not sure. She probably does. Destiny’s really perspicacious, which means perceptive, in case your dearth level of education didn’t teach you that word. Anyway, it’s not a big deal; Lyla knows it’s a just a silly infatuation. She’s not gonna come between Destiny and Bastion.”

  “Would there be any particular reason Lyla may dislike me?” Serenity asked timidly.

  She didn’t want to give off the impression that she harbored some bitter feelings towards Lyla, but the question had to be asked.

  “You think she doesn’t like you? What gives you that idea?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. Which is why I’m asking you—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Sixto waved her off. “She’s probably still adjusting to your presence here. Over time, she’ll grow to like you. Time heals all wounds.”

  Serenity shrugged at the platitudinous statement. Time couldn’t heal a severed limb, she thought pessimistically. But Sixto was most likely right; he knew more about Lyla than she did. Sixto bound up from the ground.

  “It’s almost lunch time. I’m going to take my leave.”

  “Yeah, I’ll come with you,” Serenity said, coming to her senses. Staying longer would serve no purpose; she could always return. Hopefully.

  Lunch was fruitful. Any instance of being together with the Family gained her insight into how things worked around here and further details concerning their characters. She le
arned how much of a wine connoisseur Dorian was. He incessantly requested variant types of wine, after taking just a single sip of the previous. Or how punctilious Bastion was, who she met for the first time. He was over six feet tall and physically built. Lyla kept giving Bastion surreptitious looks, from the opposite side of the table. Serenity’s first impressions of Bastion weren’t too pleasing.

  Being a soldier, Bastion had a penchant to critique the slightest error or misdemeanor. Whether it was inappropriate table etiquette, attire, or lack of respect. Upon first sight, Serenity was criticized for not adjusting her collar “correctly.” Subsequently, Sixto was berated for not saluting him and then scolded for eating before the women and elderly. Lily and Lyla also received chidings for not making eye contact with Alistair when they were addressed. Sixto chuckled at the look on her face.

  “You’ll get used to it. He’s supposed to act like that.”

  Serenity nodded, still at a loss for words. Bastion’s fastidious deportment was even worse than Desmos’s.

  People she had never met before frequently came by to greet her, introducing themselves. Most of these people were either elderly people or middle-aged, denoting that they were possibly members of the Council. Serenity would’ve expected them to be circumspect, and hold misgivings of her presence; but on the contrary, they welcomed her affably. Her popularity was realized. Serenity counted the number of people in the table: twenty-nine. Sixto told her the number would increase during dinner, which was when at least 90% of the inner circle showed up. She believed the term “inner circle” was redundant; the vast majority of residents in the estate were part of this circle. The noblemen, the aristocrats, and the counts.

  “Lyla, here you go,” Sixto said, placing a piece of rib-steak onto her veggie-loaded plate with his fork.

  Lyla immediately grabbed it with her own fork and launched it at Sixto’s face. Sixto caught it with his mouth and ate it whole, displaying impressive reflexes.

  “No throwing food!” Bastion barked, again exhibiting his propensity to admonishment.

  He was sitting next to Destiny; the two of them had been in deep conversation.

  “It’s just cow meat, chill out,” Sixto jested.

  “Meat. MEAT!” Lyla enunciated contemptuously.

  “She’s devoutly committed to veganism,” Sixto told her, shaking his head. “I’ve never seen her eat meat ever before. It’s mind boggling.”

  “All girls should be vegan, we don’t need to be putting slaughtered animals bathed in filth into our mouths,” Lyla started. “I’m talking to you, Lily. And Serenity. And Destiny!”

  “Soldiers need the extra protein, sorry, Lyla,” Destiny smirked.

  “Lucky I’m not a soldier,” Lyla muttered, finishing her corn salad.

  “She’s conscious of her health, I can respect that,” Bastion said warmly.

  Lyla lowered her head, concealing her face that was burning up at the compliment. Bastion seemed to be oblivious of Lyla’s infatuation towards him. Serenity supposed this was beneficial to his and Destiny’s relationship.

  Bastion then turned to Serenity, addressing her for the first time since he yelled at her for her poorly-adjusted collar.

  “Serenity, is it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You’re Carlisle’s daughter. Well, his surrogate daughter. And the sister of his sons,” Bastion stated, as if she didn’t know already.

  “Well, yes,” Serenity responded, dismissing his accusatory tone.

  “I’ve been searching for your former family for years—yet they’ve all managed to elude me. Care to explain?”

  “I mean, we were—they were very elusive,” Serenity said shortly.

  “You know, I really wanted to partake in the mission of your retrieval. With the Venators and our legion of expendable soldiers. Not to facilitate in your acquisition, but merely to kill Gunther Carlisle and his sons.”

  Serenity kept quiet, listening attentively. “When the news of the mission’s success arrived, I was gravely disappointed,” Bastion said sharply.

  “For me, the mission was far from a success. Not one of the Carlisles were eliminated. Not one. An abundance of our soldiers were wiped out but zero of the enemy. Tell me why.”

  “The Carlisles are tough opponents,” said Serenity. “I don’t know what else to say. Gunther trained us hellishly since childhood.”

  “Not you, I’m aware of your ineptitude in combat,” said Bastion, jerking his head at Sixto. “There’s Gunther, of course, but his sons are who I’d like to meet in person. Especially the big one.”

  “I don’t know if you’d like that,” Serenity said stiffly, thinking of brawny Garen. She was unsure of how much the Aurelians really knew about the brothers. No Aurelian or enemy that had crossed paths with them made it out alive to potentially relay any information to them.

  “I’d love it,” Bastion contradicted. “Cut the head off the snake, that’s what I’d do. Besides Gunther, he’s the one in charge, correct?”

  “Wait, are you talking about—about Garen or Desmos?” Serenity said, confused; it felt strange speaking the brothers’ names again.

  “The strong one,” Destiny joined in.

  “They’re all pretty strong. In terms of brute strength, Garen is the strongest—”

  “The leader!” Bastion clarified irritably.

  “Oh! So Desmos, then,” Serenity said apologetically. “Sorry.”

  “I’ve never heard their names before,” Destiny said, intrigued. “We’ve all heard of Gunther, but never his sons.”

  “How much exactly do you know about them?” Serenity asked.

  “Very little,” Bastion answered. “But no longer. You’re here. Begin.”

  Serenity blinked as Sixto, Destiny, and Bastion stared at her expectantly. Alistair, who was eavesdropping from two chairs down, also eyed her acutely. It felt like the whole hall went silent.

  “Like, now?”

  Bastion nodded, leaning slightly forward.

  Thankfully, no questions were asked throughout the entire summary of the brothers. She was brief and prompt in each of their descriptions, listing their attributes, ages, and idiosyncrasies. She made sure to mention Garen’s size, Desmos’s leadership and authority, Cackle’s sadistic and belligerent nature, Agno’s Britishness, and Kyler’s—she had fell silent on Kyler, merely explaining that he was the youngest of the brothers. It gladdened her when it was all over; this briefing required her to recall memories (both painful and aggravating). She wanted to forget about them all.

  “Very illuminating,” Destiny commented. “But how about their strengths and weaknesses? We should be prepared for any contingencies, in case we have to fight them in the future.”

  “They all can fight and kill. As for weaknesses, there aren’t many.”

  “Then share with us their scarcity of shortcomings,” Bastion pressed.

  “Well…” Serenity concentrated, trying to think of any.

  But none came to mind. The brothers truly did not fall short in any areas pertaining to combat. Some of them were better than the others in certain areas, but none of them were inadequate in anything. Cackle was all-around adept with weapons. Kyler was a ninja (stealthy). Garen possessed great physical prowess. Agno was a bullseye with a sniper. And Desmos had his shrewdness, intellect, and proficiency in close-combat, and everything else.

  “They can’t consume vegetables,” Serenity said, half-laughing, as she referenced some of the brothers’ aversion to veggies.

  It was meant to be both a joke and a message conveying her uncertainty. Nobody laughed.

  “I shall interject,” Alistair called. “Destiny is right. We must consider the eventuality of meeting the Carlisles once again. They will be coming to us, of course. And we will be ready.”

  “Why would they come here?” Serenity asked. “They know how fortified this place is. They’re not going to even attempt an infiltration.”

  “Precisely,” Alistair concurred. “But I wonder
how far they’ll be willing to go to rescue you. A rescue attempt by them is indeed a contingency.”

  Serenity suppressed a laugh. The absurdity of this statement was unparalleled to anything she had heard before.

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Serenity admitted. “They’re not going to come back for me. I’m not worth anything to them.”

  “That’s—really sad,” Lily said dolefully, her voice fading.

  “Are you certain?” Bastion urged. “They disparage you that much?”

  Serenity nodded whole-heartedly.

  “I’ve doubled the guard just in case,” said Alistair.

  “This is an opportune time to gauge where your loyalties lie,” said Bastion, through narrowed eyes.

  “You don’t seem to trust me,” Serenity said candidly. “I hope that you will one day. I have no reason to betray the Aurelians. You all are my real family, and this is where I belong. Isn’t that right?”

  “Correct!” Alistair asserted unequivocally. “Bastion, you will dispose of your distrust and trepidations and accept her. No casting aspersions!”

  “Yes, sir,” Bastion affirmed, keeping his watchful eyes on her.

  Fortunately, Lily broke the tense silence that ensued right after.

  “Father, you remember that Christmas is coming, right?”

  “Of course, I do,” Alistair said gleefully. “December, my favorite month! The time of Christmas and serendipitous tidings!”

  Serenity had completely forgotten they were in December, a new month. November had been a very eventful month for her; it had encompassed both her last days in Sequim and her time with Patrick. Also, her last moments with the Carlisles. Christmas was supposed to be the “happiest time of the year,” something one would revel at the mere thought of. But to her, it was just another insipid holiday. She had never celebrated Christmas with the Carlisles. Each year during Christmas time, there had been an absence of presents, trees, decorations, and especially joy. However, this year she was confident it would be different. It was obvious, while hearing Lily’s conversation with Alistair, that Christmas was profoundly appreciated and celebrated in the Aurelian residence.