Chapter 6. The Party

Chapter 6. The Party

Later that night, our poor little Jeremiah was sleeping inside his freezing dark cellar. His body was shivering in cold, as the thin linen cloth wasn’t enough to resist the chill from the frigid concrete floor. A white haze was coming out from his mouth, each time he was breathing, oddly, he was smiling. Yes, Jeremiah apparently dreamt of a good dream at the moment, a dream when his family was still complete.   

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Jeremiah POV  

I remembered that day. It was one of those days when every day felt like summer in this chilly kingdom. When my father came to my room and woke me up for breakfast. 

“Wakey… wakey… Jeremiah, it’s time to get up.” He said while tickling my stomach. 

I don’t have any option but to wake up, “stop it dad, its tickle,” I said giggling, while was keeping my father’s hand away.

“Today is your first hunting day; I want you to go with your stomach filled with a delicious treat that I’ve made.” He said while holding my hand to the dining room. “Your mother already sitting there, waiting for us.”

“Good morning sweetheart,” my mother greeted me while smiling; she hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. She is the prettiest woman I have even seen. I remembered that she coughed a lot, but I was just four years old at that time. I didn’t know that she was very ill.  

My mother wore a blue Celtic satin dress and her long silky black hair was beautifully unraveled on her back. My father on the other hand wore a dark brown wool tunic with a Blackfrost coat of arm that was embroidered on the chest. He was very handsome with his wavy brown hair cut short, his soft well-trimmed thin beard spread along from his cheek to his chin, and his gentle hazel eyes always shining when he look at me. 

I saw many delicious dishes already served on the dining table. There’s a pancake with honey on the top, slices of ripped apples, fresh bread with a medium raw egg on the top garnished with herbs, and my favorite, the cheesecake that is very creamy and soft, it would melt away as soon as it enters your mouth. I know that my father was the one who cooked it; my mother doesn’t cook because she spent most of her time on the bed.     

“Jeremiah, you must finish eating the pancake, the bread and apples first, and then you can eat the cake.” My father says like he already knew what’s on my mind.

“Okay, daddy,” I reply while holding the fork and dining knife. 

“There are more cakes in the kitchen if you want.” He chuckles to see my eyes already aiming at the cheesecake while my mouth still munching the pancakes. 

“Ethan! Don’t give him so many sweet treats or he will end up the fattest kid in the kingdom.” My mother scowls.  

“But I will look cuter if I am fat mommy,” I say, trying to look for any reason to eat more cakes. 

“You heard the boy, Margarethe, he doesn’t mind, besides he’s only 4, he can eat sweets and cakes as many as he like.” My father laughs while patting my head. 

Knock… Knock…. Knock….

And then, there is someone knocking at the door.

“Hmm, they are early.” My father mumbles like he was expecting the guest who is knocking behind the door.

“Who are they, daddy?” I asked while eating my cheesecake. 

“You know it when you see it.” He smiles, rises from his chair, and walks to the door.

Something occurred in my mind; I remembered something… very important on that day.

Even it’s just a dream I know something bad is supposed to happen. 

At this moment, I should be in the kitchen, eating more cakes when the guest arrived.

But in this dream, I will do differently. I rise up from the chair and run to my dad.

 ‘I want to save him.’

‘Even if this is only a dream.’

 ‘I want to prevent the bad omen that would destroy our family,’

 ‘Even if this is just happening in my dream.’ 

I hasten my pace toward him, with my small four years old feet hitting on the floor really hard, but the floor seems to be longer and our distance seems to get further.

 I cannot reach him in time, so I shout at him. “Daddy, don’t open the door! Don’t leave! You will die!”

My father stops for a moment and tilts his head back at me and looks at me gently. “It will be fine Jeremiah, everything will be ok.” He smiles and opens the door.

***

When the door was open, a bright white light suddenly entered the room through the door, and everything became dazzling white. 

Jeremiah quickly woke up with his hand reaching up to the air, as he was trying to reach for someone. 

Then he heard someone was knocking the trap door of the cellar where Jeremiah lived. 

Knock… Knock…. Knock….

“Jeremiah, are you awake?” Lauretta Siege shouted his name impatiently from behind the trap door. 

Jeremiah quickly took the stair up and opened the door. “Yes, Mrs. Siege.” Jeremiah said while he was still drowsing. 

“Do you know what day is it?” 

Jeremiah shook his head because he honestly didn’t know. No one informed him anything.

“Today is the King’s and prince’s matchmaking party!” She snapped, her eyes became fiery red. “The guests from all over Wolftopia will arrive this afternoon. We have many things to do and you still sleeping in your cellar?”

“I am sorry Mrs. Siege, I didn’t know. What do you want me to do?” Jeremiah asked, while her head tried to stand up straight. He tried to ignore his sleepiness. His stomach began to grumble as he only ate Selena’s cookie since yesterday. 

“Mop all the dance hall until it shining, then helped the servants bring the food to the ballroom.” She paused because she heard the sound of hungriness from his stomach, “and remembers you cannot eat anything!”  

“Can I at least have a piece of bread Mam? I am really hungry…” 

“What did you say? I can’t believe my ear!” She slapped Jeremiah so hard, leaving a red hand mark on his cheek. “I hope it filled your stomach. Now go do your task! Quick!” She yelled. 

Lauretta then left him and went to another servant’s chamber. But she always spoke nicely with other servants, like a loving mother she was. 

Lauretta asked the servants to take their time because Jeremiah would take care of everything. The other servants felt relief; they all laughed together and head to the kitchen to eat their breakfast.   

While on the other hand, with his stinging red cheek, hunger in his belly and teardrops from his eyes. Jeremiah walked slowly to the kitchen to take the mop and bucket of water. Only the thought of his loving father and his dear mother could bring a little comfort in his sorrows.

Jeremiah knew that he couldn’t save his father even in his dream, but at least he could clean his father’s name. He believed his father was innocent and he would do anything to prove it. Yes… he can’t change the fact of what was happened in his dream, but in real life… Everything is possible. 

***

At the same time, when Jeremiah dreamt about his father. King Jayden Blackfrost dreamt about his. It was the worst memory in his life that he wished he could forget, but no matter how much he prayed before going to bed, the nightmare was kept hunting him.  

It occurred when he and his brothers had returned from hunting in the wood. They felt so tired and withdrew to their own chamber to rest.

In the middle of the night, Jayden heard his father, Victor Blackfrost, screaming in pain from his study room, so he quickly rose up from his bed and ran to the study. As soon as he opened the door, he could see his father was lying stiff on the floor while Uncle Ethan was standing next to his father, holding his magic staff.

Jayden passed Ethan Brownfur and approached his father, “Father what happened to you?” he asked his father in panic, but soon he noticed that his father was already dead. His body was burning; black smoke was fuming out from his cadaver. He remembered that Uncle Ethan was the master of elemental magic, and fire spell was his main expertise. 

His gaze quickly switched to the man who stood behind him, “Uncle what’s the meaning of this?” he said, tears were coming out from his eyes, “Did you betrayed my father? He trusted you.” He walked slowly toward the middle-aged man, “We trusted you… I trusted you! How could you betray us?”

Ethan stuttered and move few steps back, “calm down Jayden, it’s not what its look like,”

“LIARS!” Jayden screamed, he summoned his rune sword, the Frostbringer and the sword magically appeared on his hand. “All omegas are liars; we shouldn’t have accepted your race in our kingdom. Now prepare to meet your maker Uncle!” Jayden drew his sword toward Ethan, but luckily Ethan managed to dodge it with his staff. 

When their magical weapon collided, suddenly a dazzling light occurred and everything became pure white.

Jayden woke up from his sleep; cold sweat was all over his bare muscle chest. He swiped his wavy hair back with his hand and look around to his magnificent bedroom. The well-furnished room was peaceful and quiet; he could only hear the sound of wood crackle coming from the fireplace. Jayden remembered that his father was as black as charcoal when he found him dead.

Jayden knew that he couldn’t save his father even in his dream, but at least he could avenge his father’s death. He believed after he managed to kill Ethan’s most beloved son, Jeremiah, his father could rest in peace and the nightmare would not return. Unfortunately for him, the Blackfrost kingdom followed a strict rule that forbade him to kill the innocent. So what he could at the moment was waiting. 

‘One single mistake Jeremiah and I swear in my father’s name I will have your head.’

***