A Guest Unwanted

[»Míríel«]

Miriel found herself standing over the sink in the kitchen. Her hands were scrubbing at the already clean pan in her hands, she had been working on the same spot for a full minute already, without moving. Her mind was not focused on her work, instead it was somewhere else. Damion and her were expecting a guest. When exactly, neither was completely sure, but they knew soon. Miriel couldn't help but feel nervous, she hid it from Damion the best she could, though he knew her so well that he could probably pick it up, unless he was worried sick as well. She never could have expected that she would be so frightened to met her husbands father.

Miriel's hands stopped working furiously as she paused fora moment and stared out the large windows behind the sink. Damion's father. Just thinking about those two words together sent her soul into a spiral of confusion. Damion, the name of the man she loved, and father, a name that should hold warmth, but was colder than ice itself. Everything she heard about him caused the seed of worry to only grow in her soul. He was like her own father, prejudice, proud, powerful. Damion's father was ice, she was fire, he was a dragon, she a phoenix. There was almost no common ground between them excluding Damion from the picture. What if Damion's father hated her, what if he hated the children? The whole marriage had been so happy, would this meeting destory the harmony? She bowed her head for a moment, letting her arms rest on the edge of the sink. Taking a deep breath she exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. If only that would clear away of all her fears. Leaning her head back to stretch her neck and then rolling her head to one side then the other caused her black hair to slip from it's bond and start dripping into her face. "Mmm.." She grunted and reached her soapy hands up and brushed the hair away, leaving a trail of soap on her forehead.

Miriel was the only one in her family to have raven black hair. Both children followed in her husband's footsteps and echoed his pale form. Sometimes she felt like the black sheep of he family, she stood out. Sometimes when they walked togehter, she could see the people looking at their family with fond eyes. They saw a caring father, with two children who all looked like his offspring, and then when they gazed at her, they got a confused look on their face. She could almost hear their thoughts, "Is that the mother?" Then their eyes would flash from children to mother until they lost interest and turned away. Usually this never got to her, if the people looked closely they could see that the children had similar facial features of Miriel, though in a childlike way. They had the same smile, the same skin, and Adelahn had one eye that had the same green as Miriel's. Still, with all the stress of getting the house ready, getting the children prepared, and trying not to stress out was causing Miriel's mind to start to turn on her.

Shaking her head she turned back to the pan and gave it a final swipe before rinsing it off and putting it on a towel to dry. Wiping her hands on a nearby towel she turned and leaned against the sink. Her eyes wandered over her surroundings. The kitchen was large, having plenty of moving space, counters, and storage. Yet there was a comforting sleekness to her surroundings. It gave the message that everything had a proper place, without being restricting and uninviting. Windows covered almost any space that didn't have a cabinet. Allowing natural light to fill the space with it's smile. The view outside was breathtaking. They lived on one of the mountains in the Twisting range, and the view was breathtaking. Trees stopped with snow poured about them, until they dropped into the valley. She could see over the trees for many white miles. Snow was everywhere, and rarely went away. During spring through, flowers would brave the cold and raise their plumed heads, spreading color throughout the land. Trees began to turn green again, if they weren't evergreens, but a dusting of snow was almost always present on the ground. During the autumn, as it was now, the trees were brilliant colors. Their leaves having a competition to see which could be the most vibrant hue. It was the perfect place for them both. The air was never to hot for Damion, but wasn't always below freezing for Miriel. On days like today one would grab a warm sweater and wander outside, cheeks and nose pink from the crisp air. Miriel let out a sigh. She could feel her tension dropping as she observed the beauty that surrounded her.

"Mom?"

Mirel blinked at the interruption to her thoughts before giving her hands one last wipe with the towel and hung it up. Turning around she found her daughter Tryss standing before her with a raised eyebrow. It was like she was looking at a pale version of herself. "Yes dear?"

"You have...soap on your face."

Miriel frowned for a moment as she touched her forehead gingerly. Bringing her fingers before her for inspection she saw the sudsy substance that the soap left behind. Her cheeks turned a slight pink in embarrassment as the image of what she must had looked like was being burned into her mind. "Oh dear. How silly..." She took the towel and wiped it off before returning to cloth to its place. Bending down she smiled at her daughter. "Is that better?"

Tryss looked at her critically for a moment. "I think so- oh wait! You missed a spot." She stretched up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her mothers forehead. "Got it."

Miriel laughed and tucked one of Tryss's blond strands behind her ear. "Thank you my love." Tryss was a strange one. When she was around people she didn't know she came off as strong, powerful, and blunt, but when she was around family and friends, she was gentle, sweet and caring. Miriel remembered that she was like that when she was younger, more than likely it would turn to each side fighting to be the more dominate one, especially when she neared her teenage years. Miriel prayed that the sweeter side would win, though there was always a place for strength, if rounded and polished a bit. Lifting Tryss's chin up slightly Miriel planted her own kiss on her daughters forehead. "Where would I be without you, Firefly?" Although Damion had first come up with that name for Tryss, Miriel had come to start to use it as well. It fit her so well.

Tryss just smiled for a moment before pulling away from her mother's touch. This wasn't done in a rude way just was a little statement to her mom that it was getting to lovey-dovey for her liking. "What were you thinking about mom? You were scrubbing that pan for an hour."

Miriel straightened up and eyes her daughter with a curious eye. There was the bluntness. "It wasn't that long surely. I was just... getting a hard stain off." Miriel could see in Tryss's bright blue eyes that she wasn't buying it. For being only a child, Tryss could be sharp for her age. Perhaps they shouldn't have her hanging around Cecily so much. Damion and Miriel had been using Cecily as a place for the kids to stay so they could go out. Although Cecily always put up a fight and proclaimed how they abused her privacy, Miriel knew that she was happy for the company. Sighing once more Miriel narrowed her eyes and looked at Tryss. "You aren't buying it are you?"

Tryss shook her head. "Nope."

Miriel let a small smile come to her lips. "I'm just wondering when your grandfather is going to get here."

Tyrss smiled as her eyes got brighter. "I am too! I can't wait! I really hope he likes me! I wonder what it will be like to meet my grandfather. Do you think he will like me?"

Miriel felt a pang go through her heart. "Of course he will. dear!" She smiled brighter, not because she wanted to but because she had to. "How could she not?" Her act was superb, and didn't give any hint to the doubts she had in her heart. Tryss didn't catch onto her mother's other feelings. Oh please.. let Damion's father take out his prejudice on me, and not the children.

" Where is your sister?" It was strange to see Tryss alone, usually her two daughters weren't to far from each other.

[saerwen]

Damion strolled over the now green hills of the mountain. When you looked at it from the bottom, the twisting range looked as though it was nothing but jagged rocks and deathly cliff faces. In reality, there were few places that posed a real danger unless you went unreasonably high. Otherwise, he would never have chosen a home amongst them. Most of the time, they were peppered with snow or ice, but it was never truly perilous. He had always been struck by the complete opposition his own home’s climate held to the Villarreal’s. He and Miriel were in the mountains, Neron and Jaedon were planted firmly on the beach.

He had gone down into the city to pick up a few things from the store, ensuring that he returned with chocolate for women of his house. To return from the store without chocolate was a crime punishable by death itself. Sure, Damion thought for a long time that he would keep his daughters away from such a dangerous addiction, but after a while, he realized it was impossible, since Miriel was already condemned. Not to mention, things at their house had become more tense ever since the day at the falls with Jaedon and Neron. That note caused more of a ruckus in their everyday lives that Damion could have estimated. Their dear girls were completely unaware of the implications of that note aside from the fact that their grandfather, who they had never seen before in their life, intended on paying them a visit. Damion discerned quickly that his wife was secretly stressing about the ordeal to come, and Damion could hardly say he was less concerned himself. By now, he accepted his fathers absurd behavior, but his wife didn’t understand where this wretch of a man was coming from, so she found this whole experience far out of the norm.

Damion didn’t mind his father coming to visit so much as he minded what the visit was about. Fights were going to be picked, and Damion had a continual premonition that he would be kicking his father out of his house before everything was over. Already, Damion vowed to himself that if that old man started talking about his girls in front of them; or Miriel, in front of her, he was getting the boot.

Looking far up the mountain, Damion observed his house wasn’t far away, and quickened his pace in order to arrive as soon as possible. Since the note’s arrival, Damion made it his job to be at home with his family often. He didn’t want his father barging in on them while he wasn’t there. The outcome of such an unfortunate event would be devastating, and a terrible way to start things. Damion held little hope for this meeting, but the hope that he did hold rested solely on himself and his ability to endure his father’s nagging.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A tall, brooding figure padded up to a house tucked nicely in the softly rolling mountains. His skin held the pallor of death, and it looked worn out like a piece of leather that had been used one too many times. His stark white hair waved in the wind that swept in from the mountain peaks. He looked like a warrior marching to battle. The lean muscle of his torso and his broad shoulders were clothed with a white, button-up shirt made of fine silk from Italy. His long, strong legs were clad in loose-fitting suit pants, his jacket was tucked under one arm, and a small bag hung from his other. Sharp blue eyes glowered at the house as he approached it.

At the threshold, he walked up the steps quietly and then knocked on the door softly. He didn’t really know what he expected to greet him on the other side of the door, but he did know that he hoped to see his son. After a few moments, as Bijan raised his hand to knock again, he heard a light click as the door swung open to reveal a small girl, no older than the age of seven, with darling blonde locks and the most unusual pair of eyes Bijan had ever seen. He gave her a smile and was about to talk when she cocked her head to the side.

“Who are you?” she asked in a meek little voice.

“My name is Bijan. Is your father home?”

The little girl shook her head, her blonde hair, whipping around her shoulders as she did. Bijan again opened his mouth to speak, but she anticipated him, “Wait here, I’ll get mommy. I would invite you in, but I’m not allowed to let strangers in the house.”

With that, Adelahn turned around and padded into the kitchen after her sister, finding her mother on the floor with Tryss, asking for her whereabouts. “I’m right here mom. There’s some guy standing at the door. He said he wants to talk to daddy, but I told him daddy isn’t here right now. So I told him to wait while I got you.” When she had delivered her message, Adelahn padded over to the sink and dug her little hand into the sink, bringing out a scoop of bubbles. She then proceeded to take a big breath and blow them into the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damion had seen it happen. Someone was standing on the porch, Adelahn had opened the door, and now, the door was standing wide open as his little girl naively padded inside to warn her mother, forgetting to shut and lock the door behind her. Damion sighed as he began to jog towards the house. The closer he got, though, the more he realized that he had no need to worry about a stranger entering his house unwelcome, but a very familiar man waltzing right in. He hoped he could get there before Miriel did.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel listened to her other daughter babble about there being a stranger at the door. She could feel her heart drop. He was here. Straightening up to her full height she tucked all the strands of hair that were trying to escape into place, she smoothed her hair and her clothes, making sure everything was in place. She was glad that she chose to wear Damion's favorite green dress today. The cut flattered her figure without being revealing, and the color brought out her emerald eyes. Taking a quick glance over he children she straightened their clothes quickly before nodding to Adelahn. "Thank you Adelahn. Looks like your grandfather is here girls. Let's go greet him shall we." With that she led the way to the door.

That walk seemed like it took forever. Where was Damion? She was expecting him back any moment, she hoped he was close. Of course the father would come when the son was not home. Still she would do her best to make Damion proud. A bright smile came to her face as the steady stream of positive thoughts began flowing through her mind. Perhaps he won't be as bad as Damion made it seem. Maybe he has softened in his old age. Who knows, this could be a delightful visit."

As her footsteps neared the door she caught sight of the man through the open door. "Adelahn dear, remember you must close the door when you come and get me. It's safer that way." She quietly chided, still out of earshot for the man at the door. She then turned her attention back to the guy. He looked a lot like her husband, same windblown hair, same pale features, but there was something different about him, something harder. "Hello" Her characteristic smile came to her face, lighting up her features with a welcoming warmth. "You must be Bijan." She placed a hand on the door knob and held it open. "Come right in. We are expecting Damion's arrival shortly."

Tryss had been following her mother and now stood quietly beside her mother. She was wearing jeans and a blue and white sweater that her mother had made for her. The white showed off the paleness of her skin, and brought out the roses on her cheeks, while the blue complimented her eyes. Her light blonde hair was almost white, with the slightest golden tone, hung to about mid back on her shoulders. Side-swept bands sat right above her intelligent eyes as she looked up at her grandfather with serious eyes. But a sweet smile came to her lips.

Miriel looked down at her children. "It seems you have already met Adelahn. This is our other child Tryss." Looking back to Bijan she smiled again. " Here let me take your bags. You can settle yourself wherever you would like."

[saerwen]

Adelahn scrunched her nose as her mother straightened her clothes with oppressive precision. Adelahn didn't know why they had to look so good for their grandfather. He was like their father right...there was just something grand about him. Maybe that was why. Perhaps the "grand" part of his name warranted overly pretty dress. Whatever it was, Adelahn thought it was silly. She didn't mind wearing nice clothing, but she had been wearing it for days in preparation for this "grandfather's" coming. This fact solely irritated her because it meant that she couldn't go outside and get dirty because the clothes were so nice. Perhaps now that he had come, the torture would be over and everything could march on as normal.

When her mother quietly corrected her, Adelahn pretended not to hear. It seemed so rude to answer the door and then shut it in someone's face. And how did shutting the door help. Sure, her father had told her to shut the door and lock it, but she always just took it as meaning to shut the door. Her nose went up in the air as she looked away, completely feigning disinterest as they came into the big man's presence again. For a moment, Adelahn peeked at him, and realized with alarm that he looked a lot like her father. It scared her a little, so she looked away again.

Bijan had complied with the girls request simply out of respect for it being Damion's house and his family. If he had gone in, it would have scared his son's wife to death. He was more honorable than that. So he had waited rather imaptiently at the door for the mother to come back. He was delighted to see that at least one of the children had his son's appearance. He could only imagine what the other looked like if reports on the mother had been true. It wasn't long before the rumors were confirmed and Bijan came face to face with a black-haired, soft-spoken, very charming woman. She was beautiful to be sure; his son had always had good taste, but there was no way that this woman was one of their kind. He had never seen an ice elemental with black hair. He had seen some with brown hair, but black? Never. Slowly, Bijan's fears were being confirmed. However, when he saw the other child, he heaved an inward sigh of relief. There was hope for one of them yet. Perhaps if he was really lucky, they were both ice dragons.

Bijan didn't show much emotion, but he mustered all that he could give on a normal basis. "Thank you," he answered rather shortly as he handed Miriel his bag and stepped through the door. It was a nice house to be sure, but Bijan had seen better. He could hardly believe that his son was living in this kind of place. They had lived in literal palaces at home, and he had left them behind for this hovel. Striding through the entry way, Bijan entered into the living room and sat down on the couch. "I'd like to wait for Damion if you don't mind."

"Then wait no more, Father," Damion said as he came bounding through the door. His appearance was a little disheveled from breaking out in a run closer to the end of his journey in order to save his wife the inconvenience of his father's company for a terribly long time, at least not by herself. Damion would never feed her to the wolves like that.

"Damion!" Bijan jumped up from the couch and hurried to greet his son, however, he saw that he had been put on hold as his son turned first to his daughters, pulling something out of a white parcel in his hand. He gave each of them a peck on the cheek and handed them the items from his hands, which turned out to be chocolate truffles, one filled with mint, and the other with raspberry.

Adelahn's eyes glazed over with delisht as she hurried to rip the packaging off and eat the yummy morsel. She stared at her father with glee, "Thank you, Daddy!"

"You're welcome, Snowflake," Damion said with a smile as he turned to his wife, his eyes locking on her for a moment. He was trying desperately to convey his sorrow for being late. He leaned in and kissed her softly, before pulling away and handing her the rest of the little white parcel, which contained various flavors of Ghirardelli squares. Then after setting the other various packages in his hands down, he turned to his father. They embraced each other and Damion said softly, "It is good to see you again, Father."

"You too son," Bijan's voice was joyful, but it sounded like a roar next to Damion's. As the two pulled apart and stood next to each other, the differences and similarities were blinding. Damion was the same height as his father, but his form was much smaller than his fathers, who had muscle enough to drown him if he ever fell into the water. Not to say that Damion wasn't muscled, he just was amuch leaner than Bijan. Their hair and eyes were the exact same color, and their skin as well. The main difference was in face structure. Damion's features were much stronger and pointed. He had pronounced cheekbones where Bijan's face was much more round. The most differentiating point was the long pale scar that crept across Bijan's smooth skin on his face. Damion had no such traces of battle.

"You are welcome in my home, Father. Please make yourself comfortable," Damion motioned to the living room that Bijan had previously been occupying. His father nodded and turned away. Damion turned back to Miriel. "Here, give me the bag. I will take it to the guest room. How about you make some iced tea? Send the girls to play outside. I don't want them to close to him at the start, not until I figure out what is going on with him, okay?" Damion gave his wife a reassuring smile, trying to ease her stress to a minimum if at all possible.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel was determined not to get angry, so when Bijan was short with her she just smiled and took the bag in hand. It was heavier than she expected, but she didn't let it show. She nodded at his request to see his son. "Not a problem. Like I-" Just as she was about to continue Damion came through the door. Miriel couldn't help let the joy come to her face at his presence. She watched as he greeted the daughters, as she stood patiently waiting for her turn. Miriel knew all to well what were in those parcels, and her mouth was already waiting for the delectable treats that were within. She would savor every one, she had a feeling she would need it as a stress reliever.

Tryss smiled at her dad as she saw that he brought gifts with him. "Thank you dad! Oh! Grandpa is here!" She tried not to seem to excited but it was hard and it could be seen in the sparkles in her eyes. Taking the parcel in her hands she held it close to her chest for a moment before opening it. She took the smallest bite from the chocolate and let the delectable candy melt in her mouth. A bright smile came over her mouth as she tasted the raspberry. "My favorite! Thanks again!" Seeing him turn his attention to her mother Tryss turned her attention back to the chocolate, and took another small bite.

Miriel just smiled up at her husband as he gave her a look of apology. When he kissed her softly she could feel the stress drift away. The moment ended to shortly and she was brought back to the real life to soon. Luckily Damion held out a gift. Holding her hands to her face in excitement Miriel smiled again and took it. She planted a kiss on her husbands cheek and whispered, "Thank you love."

It was strange seeing father and son together, they were so similar but different. It was almost like seeing a a yin and a yang in human form standing before her. Bijan was definitely used to giving commands by the way his voice projected throughout the house when he spoke. The introduction didn't take long and the formalities were soon over. IT was obvious that the father was wanting to get down to business quickly.

When Damion took the Bag Miriel gave him a smile of thanks. She was glad that he was going to take care of the bag for her. She didn't reply to him in words when he asked her to keep the children away from him. Something about this caused the uncomfortableness of the situation to break on her once more. Nodding she set to work. She didn't want to stall Damion or cloud his thoughts with her words. She knew his mind was probably whirling around right now trying to figure out what his father wanted to talk about. Flashing him a parting smile she mouthed the words, "I love you" To him before turning her attention to her task at hand. "Come now children why don't you play outside? It's a beautiful day, out there! Now go and enjoy it. I'll bring some tea out for you later."

Tryss frowned slightly, "But I want to see Grandpa! I've never had a grandpa before."

"Don't worry he is here for a couple of days, but the sun is only going to be out for a couple more hours. go enjoy it while it lasts."

Tryss, upon seeing the logic in this tucked the remaining chocolate in her pocket after wrapping it carefully in the paper. "Come on Adelahn! " She rushed outside into the crisp air.

Miriel turned to the kitchen and started the water. There was an advantage to having all these windows. She could see her kids as they played on this side of the house and make sure nothing happened to them.

[saerwen]

Damion smiled at all of his girls. He loved them all so much. When Tryss spoke, it was obvious to Damion that she was trying so desperately to contain her joy. She was excited about her grandfather being there more than the chocolate. Damion hated the feeling in his stomach that told him this would be one of the biggest let-downs his little Tryss experienced in her entire life. Unless, by some force of magic, his father had gained a sense of fatherhood in the years that Damion had been away, there was no hope that these dear little things would receive any attention from the man they had currently pinned high expectations on.

"Yes, I know, little Firefly. Why don't you and your sister go outside. Perhaps you can find some wildflowers and pick them to decorate the table for tonight's supper while you are playing outside?" he smiled at his little blonde-headed angel.

As Damion bounded up the stairs to the guest bedroom to place his father's bag on the neatly made bed, he treasured the look on Miriel's face and the movement of her lips as she silently reassured him of her love. They would be his number one encouragement as he went down the stairs to face his father. Upon entering the living room, he found things just as he had figured, Bijan was happily resting on the couch, observing the girls outside through the window. Adelahn had decided to join her sister after some small debate it seemed. The wind was blowing their hair as they ran around.

"They are charming girls," Bijan said thoughtfully.

"Yes, they are," Damion nodded, slight pride showing through his voice. He then looked at his father with a focused gaze, "Father, I want the straight truth. Why are you here?"

Bijan opened his arms, "Can't a father visit his son?"

Damion shook his head and sat down across from his father, "You don't visit anyone unless you have ulterior motives, least of all me."

"I wonder why that might be," Bijan siad in a bitter voice.

"Look, Dad, you didn't give me much of a choice. Can we not talk about this? Why did you really come?"

"You had a choice Damion, and you made the wrong one," Bijan answered calmly. "I am here to rectify that." Damion put a hand to his forehead and heaved a sigh. "I understand that you have a family now, but I have no objections to them coming with you, even if your wife is of questionable origin."

"Questionable origin? Dad, what is that even supposed to mean?"

"It means that she is obviously not an ice dragon. Is she human? I know that you were interested in a human at one time."

"So that is the bottom of it. You have come to spy on me and my family. Just as I thought," Damion spoke harshly.

"Well, as long as you have married correctly, it shouldn't be a problem," Bijan answered simply.

Damion looked up at his father and narrowed his eyes. Using his pointer and middle finger he formed quotes in the air, "And if I didn't marry correctly?"

"Then you should leave her."

Damion sprung from his seat, "My word, Father, you really never change, do you?" Damion strode over to the window, his children just in sight from his position. Turning abruptly to face his father, Damion bit out, "Is your view of marriage really that low, still? Even after so many years. I would really have thought you would be wiser than that."

Bijan's countenance darkened, "So, she isn't suitable then. That is the only reason my gentle son would become so defensive."

"She's my wife, Father! What do you expect?" Damion nearly yelled.

"Tell me son, what is she? Perhaps the rumors are true and my son went so far as to betray his people?" Bijan glared at Damion. Both of them had become quite heated without realizing it. This always happened to the two of them. As Damion stood, fists curled in anger, eyes blazing at his father, he realized from the corner of his mind that thier volume had probably made the latter part of their argument audible to Miriel. He hung his head in shame. He hadn't wanted her to hear that kind of thing. How would she react? She must know that Damion would never go back on his promise to her, and that he never regretted marrying her. But after hearing such a comment from Bijan, he could only imagine what his wife must have been feeling. At least she would now understand why he hated this cold-hearted tyrant so much.

Damion sobered slightly and ran his hands through his hair. He sat down and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves and control his anger.

From outside, Adelahn caught the sound of raised voices carrying over the wind. She nudged Tryss who wasn't far from her, "Hey, listen!" She paused for a moment of silence. "Is that daddy's voice? Oh, he sounds mad." She looked at Tryss, "I wonder what happened." She then grabbed Tryss' hand and began to run in the direction of the house, "Come on, let's go listen in and see if we can find out what they are arguing about!"

[»Míríel«]

Miriel was happily moving about the kitchen, preparing the tea. Constant positive thoughts streamed through her head, trying to mask the uneasiness. Her eyes wandered outside to see the girls playing and talking to each other. What was it like to be that young again? She could barely remember it, it was a distant dream in her mind. Sometimes it could be hard not to get angry at them and their questions. She just had to remember that she had once been there. How the world sparkled almost every day, everything was new and exciting, everything you looked at was like Christmas day. There was so much to learn but you wanted so badly to understand. She sighed. Still even though childhood could be a magical time, she was happy where she was, with Damion.

Just as she was pouring tea into cups voices began to be raised. It was hard not to overhear what was being discussed. " So she isn't suitable then. That is the only reason my gentle son would become so defensive." Those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Suitable? What did Bijan mean by that? How was she unsuitable? He didn't even know her? "She's my wife, Father! What do you expect?]" Miriel was now paying full attention to the conversation, even though her mind wanted her to ignore it. She hated to hear Damion so frustrated, to be honest this was the first time she had heard his voice raised in anger in a long time. It frightened her, even though he was defending her. The tea began to pour over the edges of the cups, but Miriel didn't notice. "Tell me son, what is she?" Miriel felt sick. She set down the tea kettle a little harder than it was supposed to and it made a thud. Leaning over she supported herself by her arms palm down on the counter. The rest of Bijan's words washed over her ears. "Perhaps the rumors are true and my son went so far as to betray his people?" Miriel took a deep breath through her nose. The nerve of that man! Still what if he was right? What if she was the ruin of Damion? She knew he loved her deeply, just as she loved him, but what if getting married and starting a life together hadn't been the right thing? "No Miriel, Stop thinking that." She whispered quietly she she raised a hand to grasp her face. Taking another breath she opened her eyes and saw the mess before her. The tea was now dripping into a puddle on the floor. Sighing she picked up a towel and began to clean up the mess she made. At least she could use her hands, perhaps it would distract her mind. The attempt was a failure, she couldn't stop thinking about how she was going to bring tea into that room. Perhaps she would prepare the children's first. Yes, that is what she would do.

Tryss stopped, "Yes! I think it is." Tryss looked at her sister with a confused expression. "What could he be mad about?" When Adelahn grabbed her hand and ran in the direction of the window she just nodded as a smile came to her face. Listening in on the parent's conversation. Why hadn't she thought of that? Letting go of Adelahn's hand she rushed forward, ahead of Adelahn. It didn't take long for her to make it to the place beneath the window. It wouldn't be hard to listen from here.

[saerwen]

"I have always wondered at you son, because none of my other children behaved as you. Your siblings turned out like every other ice dragon, but you? What happened? I asked myself that over and over again. In reality though, I never thought you would push your rebellion so far as to marry a unsuitable bride. Perhaps a human, at least they have varying magical ability, but some other mythical creature...Don't you find that thought disgusting?"

Damion could hardly stand it. He had known that this was going to be a trial, but he hadn't been anywhere near prepared enough. His father was attacking the most precious thing that Damion had, and it was tearing him apart to keep his nager contained. The normally easy, light-hearted Damion was dissolving away from within.

"Father, I fully comprehend your displeasure with my life and my family. Thank you for expounding it so eloquently," Damion could barely speak without yelling, so it came in a threatening whisper.

Bijan smirked, "No, I really don't think you do, Damion. I wouldn't care so much about your life if it hadn't led to this unfortunate turn of events." Bijan paused for a moment before striking another cord, "And by the way, I said nothing about your family, just your wife. Your children seem like pleasant girls. I would love to know them better."

Damion looked at his father with hatred, "My wife is my family. My children are my family, but my wife comes first. It would be best if you came to understand this fact. No matter what kind of slights, threats, or other persecutions you threaten, I will not leave my wife. You never seemed to understand the commitment that a marriage is, but I understand it fully; and unlike you, I am a man of my word."

"You dare question my honor!" Bijan roared as he leaped from his chair, closing the distance between he and his son in little more than a second.

"You have already questioned mine over and over again, Father. It's only fair," Damion hissed. As they stood face to face, merely centimeters apart from each other, Damion decided it was time to blow everything up and get it all over with right away. Maybe after telling his father, he would leave out of rage, "Tell me, Father, would you be so open to my daughters if you knew that both hold a likeness to their mother in their true forms?"

Bijan pulled away from Damion in slight shock at the question, "You mean they are hybrids of the two of you?"

"In a way, yes."

"I suspected that might be true of the smallest one. Her eyes gave it away," Bijan spoke of Adelahn, her green and blue eyes were a straight up division between her parents. "Tell me the outcome."

"Whether you ever come to accept it, your daughter-in-law is a phoenix," Damion said resolutely.

Bijan's eyes widened and a thud was heard as he fell back against the couch, "Oh, Damion, you didn't." He whispered in horror. "I had heard reports, but still held hope that it wasn't true."

"A fire elemental, Father." Damion held his hand up as Bijan opened his mouth to speak again, cutting the older man off, "Tryss is a fire dragon, and Adelahn, an ice phoenix."

Bijan was speechless for a moment, but it only took that moment for everything to sink in and his mission to come full scope. His features darkened as he spoke to Damion, "Son, I know that you never wanted the position I intended to pass on to you as the leader of the clan, and I know that you never liked my lifestyle or my way of doing things, but you need to listen to me. I don't know what kind of false pretenses this woman has put you under, but don't you understand that she could kill you at a moments notice, without you having a slight chance to defend yourself?"

Damion laughed bitterly, "Father, we have been married for 8 years. Do you really think I am not aware of that fact?"

"Yes, son. I think you may be very ignorant of it. More than all of my other children, you were the most succeptible to heat and burns, just like your mother."

"Don't bring mom into this," Damion snapped.

"I just can't accept it. Haven't you already experienced the pain this woman can cause you? You must have! Why do you stay with her when she causes you so much pain?"

"Because, yet again, the point you never understood, she is my wife. And any pain that she may have caused me, which is little if nonexistent to be sure, it is no more than I have given to her," Damion expounded. After heaving a sigh, he finally summed up their conversation, "Look, dad, I don't want to keep running in circles about this with you. I haven't been home all day, and I want to talk to my wife and play wiht my girls. You are welcome to stay here as long a you like, and we can talk as much as you want in the days that you are here, but let me set down the strict rules that I expect you to follow as my guest," Damion's voice became more threatening than it had been in the entire conversation, causing even Bijan to be surprised. "You may speak with my girls and my wife, and I have no problem with you interacting with them, but so help me, if you express any of these emotions to their faces, I will throw you off this mountain before you finish your statement." With that said, Damion went back to his somewhat light mood and began to walk towards the window to look at his girls again. He stopped mid-step on the way though and added one last command, "Oh, and just to make sure I cover all of the particulars, don't touch Miriel."

As Adelahn sat by the window and listened, tears came to her eyes. It wasn't long before her head was bowed and her little hand was wrapped around Tryss'. "I hate to hear him so mad. It is scary. I didn't know daddy could be so mad." As the conversation continued to unfold, her grip on Tryss' hand got tighter. While she might have been young, she understood one thing. Their grandfather didn't like her or Tryss, and he really didn't like their mom. Adelahn eventually just plopped down on the soft green grass and leaned her back against the house. Her tears kept falling as she listened on to the two men's conversation. Why didn't he like them? Why was her father being so mean? It didn't make sense. They were family, right? Weren't they supposed to love each other? Especially her grandfather and her dad? It didn't make any sense at all.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel Scrubbed the floor and counter, intent on not letting a single drop of tea remain. She could still hear what was going on in the room and every word stung more than the first. There was a slight glow in her heart, among all the pain, as she heard Damion stand up for her. He loved her and no matter what his father did he would not leave her. Miriel re-poured the tea as she settled in her mind that she would do her best not to show any weakness. Dropping ice into three out of the four cups she placed them in the freezer to cool down while she stepped out to the back door and called for her children. It was strange, she couldn't see them anywhere.

Tryss could feel her heart sinking into her chest. This was not the grandfather she expected. This was not the experience she had been dreaming about. It was strange, her heart was growing numb in her chest as she replayed the even in her head time after time. How dare her grandfather go against her mother?! How dare he?! The ice turned to fire in her chest as she felt her body start to warm unconsciously. Silently she swore not to give him the name of grandfather, he didn't deserve it. She would cal him Bijan. The sound of her mother's voice broke through her thoughts and Tryss immediately noticed how warm her body temperature was getting. Pulling away quickly from her sister she shook her head at Adelahn, "Stop being a baby. He's mad because Bijan is being rude to everyone." She sighed before realizing how harsh her tone and words were. Turning to her sister she softened her voice a smidge, "Come on let's go to mom." Turning she headed to Miriel, her gait now lacking the pep and excitement it once held.

[saerwen]

Adelahn looked at Tryss, who was growing more and more fiery by the moment. When her sister spoke, her words seemed to snap at Adelahn like a reprimand, but they had their desired effect. The tears in the little girls eyes dried up and she sniffled in order to clean up her now running nose. Pulling one little balled up fist over each side of her face, she erased the signs of tears. Standing up, she trampled after her sister. Her normal grace was gone as she continued to hastily wipe away all signs that she was sad. When they came up to their mother, Adelahn had all but negated the effect of her tears. Her eyes weren't moist, and her lip was no longer quivering. While there was no smile on her face, everything else was as it should have been.

"Hey momma, can we stay outside?" Adelahn asked as she stopped at the top of the porch. In truth, Adelahn just didn't want to be in the same house with that man. She would stay outside all day if it meant that she could avoid him. She walked up to her mother and wrapped her short little arms around her mother's legs. "I am thirsty though."

Damion couldn't see his girls anymore. His brow furrowed slightly as he turned around and walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. He saw that Miriel had already made the tea, but she was nowhere to be found. His heart stopped for a moment. She had heard it all and had gotten upset hadn't she? How could she not have? After hearing such scathing words come from his father about her, it must have been like verbal torture for his wife. She was so easily swayed sometimes into thinking that she was the enemy, Damion could only imagine what this had done. Thankfully, he heard his daughter's voice from outside, and looked to the back door to see that Miriel was standing on the back porch with the girls.

Walking out there, he greeted them all with a wide smile, determined to show them all a happy countenance, despite the occurrences of today. He put a hand on Miriel's shoulder as he looked down at the girls. Both had rosy cheeks and red tipped noses from the crisp cool air, although Tryss was more rosy that Adelahn. As he looked at them, he couldn't help but hate his father even more. How could he say such worthless words about his dear little girls?

"I believe you mother has some tea made, so why don't you girls sit out here on the porch and your mother and I will get it for you? Then you can get back to playing," Damion suggested.

Adelahn let go of her mother and latched on to her father in the same way for a moment. She felt bad for both of her parents. Nothing felt right today, and it had all started with that man. When she let go of him, she nodded at his suggestion and ran over to a wooden swing that hung from the porch ceiling. Clambering onto is, she looked at Tryss and patted the plush cushion in a sign of her desire for her sister to join her.

Damion smiled down at his girl before turning back to the door and waking through the kitchen. He was glad to see that it was still empty. His father had not chosen to follow him. Bijan was still in the living room, thinking about how is son had changed. The last time that he had seen his eldest child was right before what the humans called the World Wars. His son then had been a very soft-spoken, soft-hearted, naive sort of man. Damion had always been weak in Bijan's eyes, but now, something had changed Damion. He was no longer as weak as he had once been. Perhaps it had been the wars, or simply the slow passing of time that had altered his son's personality. But in their previous argument, Damion had shown Bijan a whole new side to himself. There was a strong will in his son that he had known was there but had though was buried. Instead, it came alive right before Bijan, causing him to be taken aback by his son's independence and strength. There was no way that the family could have caused such a change, but it seemed that his son valued his family more than anything else in his life now. If only Bijan could find a way to channel that to his clan and not his family. Damion had left so long ago, it seemed like an impossible task. In reality, Bijan had come to visit his son with the hopes that he would perhaps be willing to come back to the clan. Bijan was looking to hand the responsibility of leading his clan on to someone else, someone younger. However, his other sons were all too young to take on such a task. They had been born nearly a decade after Damion and all of them had yet to have families or real friends. They knew nothing of leadership. Bijan needed Damion, but it seemed his task would be harder than he had first imagined. Maybe the best way to get to Damion was to get to the wife. Yes, that seemed like an excellent plan. If Bijan could use his family against him, perhaps there was some hope after all.

[»Míríel«]

Tryss just shook her head and walked off, not even looking at the cuteness that her little sister held in wiping her eyes with her fists. Like most siblings she was immune to her sisters natural adorable character. When Adelahn mentioned staying outside Tryss nodded too. Anger welled within her soul and she couldn't bring herself to speak yet. Instead she just stood moodily to the side and looked at her feet.

When Damion came out with a wide smile and happy Countenance, Tryss's moody expression turned to that of a confused one. It only showed itself for a moment before getting hidden behind a smile. All that remained was a slight cock to the head as she tried to sort through her Father's expression. How could he be so happy? Just a moment ago he was furious. How could he hide his emotion so well? Or had the anger, just like this smiling been an act? She shook the questions from her, settling on the fact that Damion was probably just protecting them in a way she didn't understand. "Ok." Were the only words she could muster to her father. Seeing her sister scamper over to the swing and pat the cushion beside her Tryss moved over there. Sometimes she wished she could be so warm hearted and happy as Adelahn.

Miriel felt more relaxed as soon as Damion walked closer and greeted them. Although she still felt on edge, like the wind had been sucked out of her, she had to be strong. This was just as hard on Damion as it was on her. Pushing everything that had happened behind her she grabbed Damion's hand and walked with him into the kitchen. Letting go just to grab the cups of tea she passed him two. "For Adelahn and you, just the way you like it." Then she took two more, one for Tryss and one for herself. There was still one remaining on the counter. For a moment her eyes lingered on it and she frowned at him. "Perhaps I should give your father his tea?"

[saerwen]

Damion looked at Miriel. It was obvious she had heard what was said by the rather serious look on her face. It pained him to see his usually cheerful and happy wife so grim. Why was it that everywhere his father went, darkness and strife followed? Damion could hardly imagine what kind of existence that must have been. To know that you were the sole cause of distress in the lives of others around you, especially those deeply connected to your own life, it would have tortured Damion. Apparently though, that was the way that his father like it, because he had been given many chances to change and had yet to come too.

As he took the cups from her hands, he smiled. "Thank you, love."

He paused at Miriel's question for a moment. Was that really a wise idea? He didn't want to expose his wife to any more abuse than what she was already in for. It was enough for her to overhear those kinds of things said to Damion, but it was something completely different to hear it to your face. Damion was about to say no when he decided that this was a good time to test his father's ability to honor his one request: to respect his family. If his father did start to abuse Miriel to her face, Damion would know, and he would then have cause to kick his father out and end this whole trial. In the pit of his stomach, he hated the idea of leaving Miriel alone with Bijan for even a moment, but he hoped that things might turn out for the better. Maybe this would be the trip when his father would soften up and maybe the only way to start that was to guard himself less. That was the surest way to get hurt, but it was also the surest way to tell someone you are willing to give them another chance.

He smiled at Miriel and nodded, "If you don't mind. I'll take Tryss' cup out to her." He balanced his and Adelahn's cups in the palm of one hand as he reached out and took a cup in the other for Tryss. He looked back up at Miriel for a moment, "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable, Miriel. If you want, just take it in there, set it down and leave. It's up to you." With that, he turned around and walked back outside to the girls.

Looking at the two of them sitting on the swing made Damion happy. They were so cute. Even though Tryss was more of a fighter than Adelahn, she was still equally as cute. Damion realized that he was slightly prejudiced, seeing as how they were his girls, but that didn't matter when he thought of them. They would grow up to be very pretty young women. His stomach churned at the thought of them growing up and leaving. He dreaded the day he would have to let them go. But for now, they were all his.

He stopped in front of the swing, handed both girls their drinks and then sat down on the end next to Tryss. He began to gently swing them back and forth. The girls weren't big enough to reach the ground while sitting, so they couldn't do it on their own. Damion took a sip from his tea before looking down at his girls, a small smile on his lips. He had wrapped his arm around the back of the swing, and his fingers were now twirling a lock of Adelahn's bleach blonde hair. It was soft and smooth, just like Miriel's.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke to the girls, "I don't want you two to be afraid of your grandfather. He is very different from us, and sometimes he says very mean things. But he would never hurt you, and maybe, if we get to know him a little better," Damion let out a sigh, "maybe he will soften up." It was only a hope that he imparted to the girls, but hope was enough to live on for a while.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel smiled back at Damion when he said thank you. "My pleasure." She was holding her breath as he considered her question. Part of her wanted him to say no, to make his father get it on his own, but the other side wanted to go in and show the man that she wasn't as bad as he thought. She could feel her stomach start to knot out of tension. A nod was her answer, and it only made her stomach churn more.

"Don't worry." She flashed a smile. " I will be fine. I'll be out in a moment." Handing over Tryss's cup she waited until he was through the door, balancing three cups in in hands. Setting her tea cup down with a small clank she stared at Bijan's cup. That liquid that rested in the cup seemed to have a foreboding within the amber colored liquid. She had done everything Damion had told her too in order to suit Bijan's tastes. Unconsciously Miriel had begun to twirl a long strand of hair around her finger, as her hips were cocked slightly. It was a sure sign of deep thought. Almost as soon as the strand of hair was fully wound around her finger she let it spiral down to the rest of her hair. "It will be fine." She smiled and nodded. What could go wrong? Bring in the tea, give it to Bijan, and leave. Simple.

Picking up the teacup she carefully glided into the room, careful not to let a single drop spill over the edge. "Sorry for the wait, here. I hope you like it." Smiling at Bijan she held out the cup by the saucer for him to take. "If there is anything you need just let me know."

Tryss smiled when she saw her father hand her the drink. It would be nice to have a cup of tea on such a crisp day. Although many thoughts had been filling her head with anxiety, it soon dissipated by the swing beginning to move. There was something so soothing about how the swing rocked back and forth, to feel the world beneath you sway back and forth with no traction was soothing. It reminded her of flying, only it required less effort.

When Damion's voice broke the silence Tryss froze for a second. Did he know that they had heard? Were they about to get lectured? Her wide eyes turned to Damion as she felt her stomach dropping. All to soon she saw that he had no idea of them eavesdropping. Relief washed over her and she hoped Damion would translate the wide eyed look as disbelief of his words. She just nodded in response and took another sip of the tea. Just as she was about to the swing shifted from moving backward to forward, causing the tea to want to slosh out from the cup. Luckily, because of Damion's gently swinging, there wasn't a spill, but Tryss still giggled and teased her father. "You almost made me spill! "

[saerwen]

Bijan was still sitting on the couch, his back bent as his elbows rested on his knees, his chin resting on his clasped hands. Bright blue eyes stared out the window across from him at the soaring mountain heights in the distance. The white topped mountains called to him. They called to all flying creatures, but the ice called to him even more. Bijan was an old dragon, and he was more in touch with his power than most other dragons. He could feel the ice, the water, even the water that ran through the pipes in the house. And his sharp ears tuned on the sound of liquid sloshing gently in a cup coming closer and closer to him. He heard that sound clearer than he heard the footsteps that accompanied it.

So someone was coming to talk to him. Or else just to bring him his drink and leave. Bijan knew that he had probably already spread a bad reputation to at least the wife through his conversation with Damion. Normally, he wouldn't have really minded, but now that he knew his son's position and his love for his wife, Bijan knew that the breach would have to be healed at least a little with her, so that he could get her to help him persuade Damion to come home. Then Bijan would figure out how to separate the two from each other permanently.

He shook his head in disbelief. To think that one of his sons, his eldest in fact, had married a fire elemental, and even worse, a phoenix. They were the enemies of dragons, and they were opposing elements. What had possessed him to do such a thing? Never once had Bijan met a phoenix that he liked. Sure, some of the women, in their human forms, were very pretty, and Miriel was also very pretty, but there was nothing about their true form that inspired awe or a sense of beauty. And now he had grandchildren that were in the same boat, only worse. A fire dragon and an ice phoenix? It was all mixed up. The only thing that could have been worse would be a cross between Damion and some land animal. That would be truly shameful.

With these thoughts swirling around in his head, Bijan hardly noticed as Miriel stepped into the room. The sound of the swishing tea caught his ear only slightly. When she spoke, his eyes lazily drifted to look at her before he straightened up and stood to greet her. He had to keep reminding himself to be nice to her and treat her much kinder than he had come here meaning to. That was the only way this would work.

"Thank you," he said curtly. That was about as good as it got. Bijan had never been able to speak kindly to people, or at least, he had never trained himself to do so. There had never been a need for it. He just said what he wanted to and then took whatever came next. "I would like to talk to you, if you don't mind," he ventured to say, still rather harshly. He didn't expect her to say no, so he just kept talking. "I was wondering what Damion has told you about me and about the rest of his family." Bijan would never include her in that listing. They weren't ever going to be her family.

Adelahn took the tea from her father. It was slightly chilled, but there was still a hint of warmth in it. She liked the fact that it could still be warm, and not burn her. Like her father, she was extremely weak towards fire and warmth. Her father had learned to control the temperature around him and even of the foods that he took in with his powers, but Adelahn was no where near powerful enough to do that yet. So her tea was always a little cold. To her it felt nice and warm though.

As she took a few sips, she leaned her head back against the swing. She loved to feel the swing rocking back and forth. When they had been little, Damion would sit in the wooden rocking chair that sat in the living room and rock them back and forth as he read them a story before bed time. Adelahn would never grow tired of that. Sometimes, if she begged, he would still do it. They were just getting too big to both sit on his knees in that little tiny chair. The swing was now as close as they got. Damion had joked with them that he would bring the swing in the house and put it up there so that he could keep reading to them as he rocked them back and forth.

She heard her sister joke about almost spilling her drink as Damion let the swing fall forward and opened her eyes. Looking down at her own cup, she made sure that it was no where close to spilling. In truth, she had already downed enough of it to keep her out of danger for quite some time.

Looking at Tryss she problem solved, "If you just drink some of it, then it won't spill."

Damion looked at his girls and chuckled, "Well, that is one way to do it, Adelahn, but I think that makes the moment less enjoyable. It is best if you can take your time when you drink tea."

Adelahn just shrugged her shoulders as she took another sip from her cup.

Damion had noticed Tryss' wide-eyed expression and was puzzled by it. She seemed shocked about something, possibly even worried. He looked at her with an understanding gaze, "You girls have never met any of your extended family before, and I can't really say that yours is the best in the world, but it is good to remember that they are family, and that we should love them, if simply only for that fact. Just try to remember that when you talk to your grandfather. If nothing else, his position deserves respect," Damion paused for a moment, realizing that respect was about all he could give his father, and that was only respect for his position, not for his character. But he cleared his cloudy visage and replaced it with a smile again. "So just try to get to know him a little and have fun, alright?"

[»Míríel«]

Miriel blinked when Bijan said thank you. It was more than she expected from him, but she had never heard it stated so sharply. The invitation to talk was another shocking thing. He wanted to talk? Perhaps what Damion had said was starting to sink in with his father. Maybe this whole thing wouldn't go in the direction that they had dreaded. A place deep down sparked a little and she was beginning to hope for a brighter future, one she hadn't let herself think of. Although her usual positive outlook was making great strides in her thinking, she was still a little cautious. This could very easily be disarmed though. If there was one major flaw of Miriel, it was that she could be too trusting.

Setting down the drink beside Bijan she moved across from him and sat down. "No, I don't mind at all. But to answer your question he has told me as much as he deemed worthy. So I guess I am saying not to much. I didn't dare press because it seemed to bring him to much pain." The stab of not including Miriel in the term of family was lost on her, and she didn't notice his insult.

Tryss glared at Adelahn for a moment and nodded in agreement to Damion's statement about drinking tea slowly. Tryss always liked to eat or drink something she enjoyed slowly, savoring every moment of it. Bringing the tea to her lips she took a little sip. The warm amber liquid ran passed her palate, bringing a spicy flavor to her senses. The world around her seemed to brighten, the air no longer seemed so chilling, the wind so harsh, instead everything seemed alive. Cupping her little hands around the cup she let the warmth soak in. A little sigh passed by her lips as she waited for the taste to leave her mouth before taking another sip. One of the advantages of being a fire element was that if the tea ever got cold, a little bit of warmth located around the hands heated it right up.

Tryss, although young tried her hardest to master her element. Most of it was because she had to. Although this necessity was not like Adelahn, a life or death thing physical wise, but more mental and emotionally. Fire, unless handled with care, would dominate the wielder. The passion behind those flames was always eating away at the holder, brooding and moody. They were always hungry, always quick to flip and spark into a wildfire. Usually that is why fire elemental creatures were so unstable, their element demanded so much and took so much strength to control and restrain it was easy to drain the holder. Sometimes, it was easier to just let the blaze flare out. Miriel was one of the few who had mastered her element to the point of letting the blaze be a steady, pleasant glow that bathed all who got near with light, warmth, and cheer. Tryss still had to learn how to do this, and she knew she had too. Still it was hard for her and if it weren't for her loving and wonderful parents she would have given up long ago.

Tryss gave her father a look that mimicked her mothers, one eye brow raised as he stared at him steadily. It almost seemed to say, "Why are you telling us this?" Still she nodded again in agreement. "Do you think he would have a snowball fight with us?" Right now, as much as she loved playing in the snow that was always at the peaks, deep down Tryss just wanted an excuse to throw something at her grandfathers face and get away with it.