Deep in the woods of Argania, one lovely cottage is to be seen by some lucky travelers wandering the mysterious forest that they almost thought it consists of magical beings. But the truth is, one humble family lives here away from the people of the land.
Flowers and vines almost succumb the property making it very mesmerising through naked eye. Each day, the cottage will be filled with blueberry pie scent inviting some of the gentle animals that is with them in the woods. It seems like the owners of this property likes baking stuff like this.
''Mother, it is done! Luna and I practiced baking for you to try,'' as the little girl said this, the so called mother immediately checked upon her daughter's pastry and she was delighted by just the smell of it.
"You two really take after your mother's cooking. How nice is that?'' the woman said as she took a piece of the pie and savour it with her mouth. A smile appeared on her beautiful face as she caressed both of her daughter's hair and praised them about their work.
After they were satisfied on their mother's opinion about their pie, they shouted outside to call their father Levi who's busy nurturing their flower garden. ''Father, father! Come join us. We made some blueberry pie for all of you!'' as Levi heard of it, he happily walked inside the cottage and was greeted by his lovely family having fun in the kitchen.
''It really smells good in here. Looks like my stomach will be full again.'' Levi jokingly said to his daughters and carried them on both of his arms then took some slice on the blueberry pie they made. This scene is almost picturesque to others if they see this family having fun together with the simplest thing they have. While the family is having fun, a creak of door interrupted their bonding and an old woman is to be seen entering their humble home.
''Lady Molly you're back. Come, eat with us. Our little daughters baked these blueberry pies for us,'' Lucia said as the lady closed the door behind her. Even though many years have gone by ever since they've known Molly, it hasn't aged even a bit. It looks like she goes younger every year that passes them. Her appearance just looks like a young lady who's living a simple life.
Of course, Levi always is curious about the case of the Lady and frequently asked about what kind is she in the past. But to no avail, the lady doesn't want them to know what power she has. So as a grateful gentleman, Levi decided to not ask anymore and leave her be.
''I bought some edible mushroom i gathered earlier on the southern parts of the woods. I thought about Luna and Yve's favourite meal when I saw one'' Lady Molly said as he looked at the young twins gently. Even though they doesn't share the same blood with the lady, they grew attached to her as she accepted them without any hesitation inside her cottage.
The twins celebrated by hugging Molly tightly as they say sweet things to her which she likes. She never knew that she had this side of her, being gentle and loving towards children until she met this two and nurse them when they were babies.
After eating with the family, Lady Molly decided to bid her goodbye as she goes inside her private room upstairs as she have many things to do. Lucia instructed the two twins to go outside to play but not to go far to the cottage as it is very dangerous. The sisters happily ran outside giggling loudly.
''Hey Luna, come look at this little butterfly on father's roses"
"That doesn't look like a butterfly to me Yve. Look at its wings! So ugly," Luna spitefully said to her sister.
"It is indeed a butterfly. I saw this from Molly's book inside her room. Also, there are so many weird things in there." Yve said proudly that makes Luna shocked on her statement. "You snuck on Lady Molly's chamber? She strictly told us not to go in there Yve. You are so in trouble if she founds out," Luna said it with worry on her tone.
She clearly remembers how the lady said it with a fierce tone so she got scared that time and had no intentions but to obey her. Meanwhile, her twin sister being stubborn and fearless as she is completely disregard the lady's orders. She somehow admire her twin sister Yve on this traits that she has.
As the twin sister mumbles about the characteristics of the butterfly and Yve sneaking on Molly's chamber, something caught Luna's eyes from afar. ''Yve look there's something shiny in there," she interrupted her twin sister's talking and made her look at the direction she is pointing. "Eh, I don't want to go that far if I were you. Mother will be angry," Yve said in a bored tone and continue on examining the butterfly in her father's flowers.
Meanwhile, Luna is still curiously looking on the shiny object from afar and can't help but to take steps further away from where she was standing from. It feels like she loses control of her body as she keeps on walking towards the object that caught her curiousity.
Before she could pass their wooden fence, the object quicky disappeared before her naked eye and she immediately came back to her senses. But what caught her guard off was the rapid arrow that is coming in her way.
As she saw this, she was completely frozen from fear and not doing anything to dodge the arrow that will pierce her head any seconds from now. Luckily, someone tackled her on the ground saving her life.
''Levi! take the twins inside! Someone is here!" Lady Molly fiercely said and took Luna behind her along with Yve completely scared from what's happening. Levi heard the loud orders from the lady and hurriedly took the twin sisters inside the cottage. The only person who was left outside was lady Molly not fearing anything or anyone who had charged this arrow to the child.
"Show yourself. How can you do such thing to an innocent child?" she firmly said and it echoes deep within the woods that makes it look like she's only talking to the wind. But after a few seconds of observing that surroundings, Molly saw a silhouette of a man from afar. She smirked when she saw the figure of it and can't help but to put her right hands on her hips making her look arrogant.
"You came here alone? Are you not afraid what can we do to you?" the lady said as she continue on looking to the figure.
"I w-was only ordered b-by someone! They s-said there was some witches in this side of the woods and t-their bodies are very useful!" a raspy voice answered with a hint of fear on the way he spoke. Lady Molly can't help but to be astonished on the old man's statement. The news about the twin sisters might have already reached the capital so this old man in front of her dared to check if it's really real.
"Since you've seen the witch you are talking about, are you ready to die? We doesn't allow anyone to come out of this forest alive," Molly said as if its normal for her to say that. But the truth, she can't let this man live anymore because he had witness with his own two eyes the Albino sisters and he can spread out this piece of information anywhere once he got out of the woods. If that happens, it will only invite more trouble unto them.
"P-please have mercy Madam! I don't know what I was doing to be like this! I beg your pardon!" The old man knelt on his knees pitifully and started crying because of fear. But what he didn't expect is that, lady Molly doesn't feel any mercy with this kind of people.
She might look like a lady who can't slay anyone in just one snap but she can. "Too late. You are going to die in my hands now," in that final sentence, the ground began to break before the old man's eyes which caught him off guard.
A bone chilling scream was heard around the woods while the ground continue on swallowing the old man leaving no trace of him being alive. After that incident, the woods were back again to its peaceful state like nothing out of the ordinary has happened.
Molly turned her back against the woods and entered the cottage again checking on the family. Luna was eating peacefully and the husband and wife cleaning the kitchen. She's not surprised by them not having any reaction as if nothing happened outside. Many years have passed since Molly put on a barrier around this cottage every time an extraordinary event is happening. It blocks the hearing and sightings of what's happening outside whenever she wanted.
''What happened in there Lady Molly? you said someone was there but we didn't saw anything unusual," Lucia asked with obvious confusion in her voice. "It's nothing dear. The arrow must be from a soldier outside the woods practicing archery." she lied because she doesn't want Lucia to panic about the incident.
After further discussions, Lucia offered her a bowl of mushroom soup which she gratefully accepted and sat beside Luna who's still eating. Taking a few sip of the soup, she immediately felt relaxed by the savory taste of Lucia's cooking which never disappoint ever since they had lived together. Levi is indeed a lucky guy.
"I really admire your skills in cooking Lucia. If ever i was granted a wish before I die, I would wish for this mushroom soup of yours. I could eat this for days!" lady Molly exclaimed jokingly to Lucia which made her even more relieved just by hearing it. "Stop flattering me lady Molly. I might get used to it," Lucia responded to her statement which filled the entire room with positive energy unlike earlier.
They continued eating but they didn't notice that Yve wasn't with them in the kitchen. Instead, she was right in front of an open window staring outside like she had seen a ghost. "Yve darling, what are you doing?" Levi sweetly said as he approached his daughter lowering his body beyond her level. Levi didn't get a respond right away because Yve continued on looking outside the window without uttering a single word. Not after Levi decided to pat his daughter's shoulders.
"Hey, are you alright?" Levi said.
"Y-yes father. It's just that I was carried away by the flowers in our garden."
Levi was not satisfied by his daughter's answer but he decided not to dig in further about what might Yve was thinking. So, he called her to eat with the rest of the family and guided her through the kitchen. Levi thought that there was really something outside so he looked by the window where Yve were staring at earlier. But unfortunately, he didn't saw anything unusual so he untied the curtain's rope and let it cover the window.
After eating, Lucia taught the twin sisters how to wash the dishes properly before they go outside again. It is not that hard to teach the young girls the basics when it comes to household chores. She just wanted to make sure that this two young twins would learn properly by their own mother.
Yve, cleaning the dining table and Luna washing the dishes. Both of the have individual things to do when it comes to cleaning so it is only fair for them. After doing the things that were assigned to them, they walked upstairs to play on their room.
The two of them has already reached the age of 10 and they should be going to school to learn things such as reading and basic counting or even grammars and languages. But, Lucia doesn't want to send them to any learning facilities in the capital because it scares her to show her daughters to other Arganians.
They aren't familiar with people who have Albinos so it frightens them. Like what the old saying says, things that people doesn't understand fear them. It is much better to let the twin sisters stay in this cottage and they will do all the teachings they need while they are growing up.
"Hey Yve, have you ever wondered what is the capital is like?" Luna asked.
"Not really. It never crossed my mind for now. Why? Are you starting to get bored in our cottage?"
"No. I am just curious because ever since we got our senses to this world, we never get to go on other places that might be interesting."
"Stop thinking about it. It's beautiful in lady Molly's cottage plus we get to play whenever we want," Yve said to her twin sister. Luna just agreed to what she said and they continued on dressing up the dolls that were made for them by lady Molly.
The dolls that were made for them looked exactly like them so it is the reason why they loved dressing it up because they visualize themselves like these dolls. The two of them spent the whole day playing inside their room without getting bored from what they were doing. They only stopped playing when their mother called them for dinner.
"The sun's already setting without us noticing," Luna said as she carefully put the dolls back from where she store it.
"It's alright, the sun hurts our skin and I hate it," Yve said spitefully as she patted her dress clean from sitting on the floor for too long. After the two of them mumble about different stuffs at once, they decided to finally go down not wanting to anger their mom from waiting for them.
The kitchen table is almost full of dishes which will instantly make someone drool if they've seen this kind of foods. The twin sisters immediately sat on their table with a feeling of excitement as they saw their second favourite food which is rabbits in almond gravy. Ever since they've tasted this dish made by their mother, it has become their second favourite food. Although they are deep inside the woods and ingredients and foods may look like it's hard to find, it is the opposite.
Levi learned how to hunt wild animals through the years he have been here in the woods. Their garden has a lots of use too. It is not used for nurturing flowers only but vegetables also and many more edible items that they can eat for survival. When it comes to essential things for the cottage, lady Molly is the one who's assigned for this one.
She is free to go anywhere in the parts of Argania may it be the capital or the trading point of the kingdom where merchants are scattered everywhere. She also knows how to forage and that is why she bought some edible mushroom earlier in the morning to be eaten.
As Lucia served the final dish for their dinner, they started to dig in. All of them are already used to this kind of living so they are satisfied on what they currently have. A simple family, living the way they wanted.
Molly's POV I was awaken by the sounds of a crow outside my wooden window inviting the cold breeze that is coming from the huge trees outside my cottage. The morning hasn't show itself yet but the skies are starting to emit the colour of the usual morning sky. I didn't got up early on my bed that is covered with wool fabric that kept me warm every cold evenings that passed me by. This day, I planned to gather some materials for my witchcraft that I have been practicing for many years. My bedchamber is almost filled with different crystals and dried herbs hanging on the stone walls creating a musty smell surrounding the air that I breathe inside this room. Before I decided to go out, I looked for my book of shadows and hid it under my bed to avoid Yve from finding it. I know that she usually come inside here because her smell and aura doesn't disperse even after how many hours have already passed. When I opened by bedroom's door, a dark hallway greeted me symbolising that the fami
When the soldiers are finally satisfied with the number of people they have accumulated, the man in the front started to read the message that was written on the scroll. "Greetings lovely people of Argania. I am here to announce that his highness King Natan is looking for help to cure the illness he had acquired a few days ago." Lady Molly whispered to herself some several questions. "The king is sick? was it connected to that old man sneaking on our home targeting one of the albino sister?" No one heard her voice whispering as the people that was with her listening to the soldiers are talking as well. "His sickness gets worse day by day, so if anyone would like to volunteer them selves to find the cure for the king will be rewarded handsomely," the soldier said loudly and sternly to make sure that the people heard him loud and clear. The crowd suddenly burst into a group of discussion gossiping about what just happened. The soldiers ordered the crowd to make way for they are goi
"Wake up girls, the sun is already high up in the sky" a voice that is coming from the door echoed through the room which was the cause of Yve being awake first than her sister. Before she could even open her eyes, their mother Lucia closed the door. Yve's whole consciousness is still asleep and is wanting to refuse to wake up any minute by now. But, she can't do anything but to obey her mother's order or else she'll get angry. Looking at the window just across her bed, the sun is indeed up in the sky already. Yve and Luna both overslept maybe because of exhaustion yesterday night cleaning their kitchen. Tidying up her bed, she decided to woke Luna too so that they can go downstairs together. "Luna, wake up you sleepy head. It is already late! Mother will get angry if you stay in bed longer," she patted her sister's shoulder to awake her sleeping soul. But with no luck, Luna kept her eyes closed snoring louder to annoy her twin. Seeing that Yve was being annoyed by her twin, she sm
Lady Molly finally returned and she saw the family having their bonding on the garden. They were surprised to see Lady Molly again because they were starting to worry about her after being gone for complete whole day. Lucia greeted the lady with a joy in her tone. She treated Molly like it was her own mother after many years of being together. "Lady Molly! You're finally back! We're starting to get worried about you," the twins said in unison like it was rehearsed by them but it's not. They ran towards the lady and hugged her tightly which made Molly happy deep inside her. She caressed the twin sister's cheeks and gave them the basket she's been carrying since yesterday instructing them to take it inside because she have something important to say to their parents. Both of them nodded their face before turning their backs to the lady. Once the kids had left, Molly approached the husband and wife with a solemn look on her face. "I was at the capital yesterday. The King is sick and
The past few days had been going smoothly for the family. Enjoying each other's company not worrying about anything that much. But, there's something that kept on occupying Luna's mind every night. She kept on having dreams that people are glorifying her existence like she was a God for them. She felt weirded out on the first day that she experienced that dream. But as it continue, she felt enjoyment deep inside her heart thinking the possibilities of it to happen any time from now. She knows to herself that she have a rare case that is different towards other people. So every time this dream visits her, she can't help but be excited for it to happen. Although it's been days since the first encounter of this dream, she doesn't have the plan to tell it to her family nor her closest sister Yve. She's scared that they might scold her about this thing or will just ask her to just pray every night before bedtime because they will count this as just a bad dream. Making her way down their
"Being that hard on Luna is not the way Levi. You know better than that," Lucia started after a long time of silence between the two of them. Levi managed to calm himself down after what had happen. He was too stressed out this past few days and this was the only day that he let out his emotions but not in a nice way. He regretted doing it though because this might be the reason the twins would lose trust on their parents. "Are you just going to stay silent Levi? Is that your solution in this situation?" Lucia spoke again to her silent husband but this time, Levi looked on his wife on the eyes. He doesn't know what to answer on his beloved now that it's obvious that she's mad on what he had done. "I-i'm sorry Lucia, It's just that so many things are bothering my mind these past few days. I was totally outraged when I heard our daughter doubting our concern t-towards them," he stuttered oh his statement while walking back and forth in front of his wife. "They're just kids Levi. Their
Levi's POV "Running away never did anything child, you only put yourself into an endless loop of running," a deep voice were heard on the darkness that is surrounding me. I remember this voice clearly, I wouldn't be mistaken that this voice belongs to my father whom i despise the most. "All you could do is chase me, that's how weak you are father! I thought you were really powerful but how come you can't catch me?" my voice echoed to the emptiness of the place that I am currently in. After I made that arrogant statement, the person that I was talking to let out a loud sound of laughing like what I just said meant to be a joke. After that, he clapped his hands amusingly. "I know all your moves Levi. Are you not scared for your daughters getting involved?" I widened my eyes at that sentence then a little girl appeared just in front of me. It was my daughter Luna crying her heart out. Not long after, I saw a hand gripping on her hair tightly not caring about her daughter's feelings
Greetings readers. This is your author Mina and I've been wanting to inform you some things I want to clarify as to why I cannot update chapters regularly. I'm currently a graduating highschool student and my schedule is very hectic. So many things have been going on also and I can't focus on making new chapters at this rate and i am deeply sorry for that. I will promise that after I surpass this problem of mine, I will continue on editing and adding new exciting chapters for you. Reading my story is a big help and I really appreciate it deep inside of my heart <3 I will come back sooner and won't disappoint you. Thank you so much.