I loved Rei,ā
Demetri's emerald orbs immediately grew wide. He knew that Mirabelle was always very close to Reiji, especially as children, but he never caught on to the prospect of Romantic feelings. He kept quiet, nodding his head as his sister made her confession. He might as well hear her out before jamming his two cents in, right? He didn't want to make Mirabelle self-conscious, because she would clam up and possibly never reveal what was bothering her. She seemed nervous enough, so his words would do nothing to help her until he understood her reasoning.
āWhen mom brought him home when I was real young, I thought he was meant for me to love. You know when two noble families plan their marriages, they let the children play at a young age so that there is less of a chance of rebellion? I thought that this is what it was.. I thought I was to marry, so I loved him. I didnāt realize it was just to get back at fatherā¦ā
This much he knew, the twin boys were a stab to the heart, physical proof of Edward's infidelity, but there was little she could do. Women did not have the sexual luxury that men did. If she were to let her own eyes wander, Edward could have had her hanged for unfaithfulness. Though that was not the end of Elizabeth's pain. Edward legitimized the twins after after they became a few years old, directly after their daughter Mirabelle's second birthday. she used Reiji. She adopted the poor child, his biological parents dying of plague and somehow the boy came out unscathed by the illness. The black haired boy was isolated as a child, barely fed and had to find his own shelter. Everyone avoided the small boy in the beginning, afraid that he might be infected with the plague as well, even though he was only four years old. After he was clearly unaffected by the disease, others treated him poorly for surviving, as if he were some kind of ill omen or a living curse. That is, until Elizabeth happened upon him on one faithful evening, just a few short weeks after the twin's legitimization.
She took him in immediately out of pity, but also to make him her own living weapon. Using Edward's affair to stir up feelings of guilt, Elizabeth managed to convince Edward to legally claim him as their son. Shortly after, Reiji began his studies. She forced him through rigorous lessons and barely ever let him play with the other children. She was dead set on him becoming the successor to the family, and Reiji began to want it as well, because after his real parent's died, no one wanted him for anything until now. Elizabeth gave him purpose, and he loved her, despite the fact that she stole his childhood and used him as a living, breathing, knife to stab Edward in the back with. Demetri understood why Mirabelle felt this way, because Elizabeth was never clear about her intentions with Reiji, not until they were all much older, and he assumed that by then, Mirabelle was already smitten with their adoptive sibling.
"None of us were aware of it, Belle.. We knew that they had problems.. but we didn't know. Hell, we didn't even know that me and Bishop were bastards until that farmer's son in town said it. Remember? Me and Bishop bloodied his nose. He never gossiped again" Demetri chuckled, thinking back on their childhood with a bittersweet smile on his features. Most of the memories were sad, but there were a few worth mentioning. He saw her nervousness and reach forward, squeezing her hand in his own in a reassuring manner, "No one would blame you, Belle. We were all kids, and you were kidnapped before the true reasoning was brought to light.."
When they took me, I thought it was all over. At first it wasnāt so bad. I was simply locked in a room. I got bread and water brought to me and a bed to sleep on. I was terrified, but I wasnāt hurt. I spent a lot of nights in that room, and then all of a sudden everything changed. After that, I no longer got a room and a bed to sleep on. I got a four by four cage. If I misbehaved, I got a room again, but the floor was lined with wide spikes that I would be forced to kneel upon for hours with no chance of relief, until I learned my lesson. I couldn't stand to give my knees a break for the ceiling was way too low, and I couldn't sit or shift. They would feed me their blood when my knees and shins would be so tore up I couldnāt move. They didnāt give me the luxury to scar. My body hurt so bad, there were days I would beg them to beat me in hopes they would mark somewhere someone could see, only to give me their blood... I begged for it. Anise was a dear to not cinch this dress too tight, but I can't even feel it. I can't feel anything but fingers in my hair, or a touch to my cheek.. I know I have something tight around me from how far my lungs can expand, but I could be injured right now and not even know it.ā
She couldn't feel the corset? Demetri was shocked. He'd never witnessed that kind of torture, but he knew that what she described was similar to how Reiji treated prisoners. He'd done plenty of torturing for this family, and he wasn't sure if Mirabelle was aware. He surely wouldn't tell her, because she had such a high view of their older brother. He didn't want to be the one to shatter her image of Reiji, he'd let someone else, if not Reiji himself, do it instead. He couldn't bear to do it himself. She'd been through enough and he didn't want to be at the other end of her future pain.
āWhat I wanted to tell you isnāt about what happened to me. Itās about this stupid civil war thatās going on in our own home. I donāt know what happened while I was gone,ā
He noticed the tears, but said nothing. She wasn't crying yet, so he kept silent and chose to not act on her sadness. There was more to talk about, and he wasn't going to interrupt anymore. In fact, he could feel his own chest tightening. He never realized that she had been through so much, even though he was the first one to discover that she was alive.
ābut I hate this fighting. I hate that everyone has to pick sides. I hate that at the very end of this, I will be against you and Bishop, against Cassie too. Rei saved my life; about six years ago, I heard his voice. He was still looking for me and I couldnāt fathom why. I was supposed to be dead. It had been centuries, which lead to my confusion if that was even his voice. I wasnāt crazy, I couldnāt have been, but I found my will to live again, to be free. I started my plan to get out because I knew that if I did, I would have somewhere to go.
Hearing that Reiji was more valuable than him, it stung a bit, but he understood why. He couldn't fathom how much hell that Mirabelle had endured, and Reiji's voice was the only one she'd heard in so long? The others quit looking ages ago, because they assumed she was dead. What were the odds that she'd be turned into a vampire as well? Now, seeing her in the flesh, Demetri felt stupid for that assumption. He felt horrible for giving up the search, but what's done was done. He couldn't take it back, he just had to be a better brother to her this time around, "I understand." He responded, keeping his lips sealed otherwise. He doubted this story was over, but he interrupted to let her know that he was still patiently listening, not bored and disinterested.
Ever since Iāve been back, Iāve spent just about every night in the corner of his room. He taught me to read, and is teaching me about the theories of math and sciences. He taught me to writeā¦ I have stacks and stacks of journals in the corner of his room, and in my closet. Some just practicing letters and words, others trying to write my nightmares out in the hopes of peace. My nightmares aren't of my past anymore, but what's going to happen to this family. Deme, please donāt make me pick. I love you, I love all of you, please donāt make me pick. I want us to be a family again, but I canāt do it on my own.ā
She didn't know how to read or write? Demetri felt like he was the worst brother ever, how did he not catch on to something like that? Why did he assume that she was capable? She was taken as a young girl, so it should have been evident to him that she was unable, but his mind was elsewhere. For a while the family hadn't been acting much like family, especially since Angelo's death. The events of the previous year definitely put a huge gap between the residents of Castillo de la Muerte, and it was going to take a lot more than loving words to fix the problems in this family. Demetri let his arms slide around Mirabelle's small frame after she launched herself into a very emotional embrace with him. He began stroking her back with one hand, gently hushing her, "I have to be there for Bishop, whatever he chooses.. but I will try and mend this family. I hate the constant bickering as well." He whispered, smiling over to Jane who had to feel very awkward witnessing all of this. So he decided to lighten up the mood a bit. A moment or two after the embrace began, Demetri ushered for Jane to join them with his free hand. He had a playful smirk on his lips as he sent the maid a rather flirtatious wink, "You're welcome to join us, dove. There is plenty of Demetri to go around." He teased, realizing that he might be reprimanded for his playful actions by both women, but he didn't mind, so long as everyone was smiling in the end.