Face Of Fate

2. Calamity

Cressida Dragomar

She was excited to have a sister, a sister she always dreamed of. Resting on her elbows, she was lying on a maroon upholstery with velvet seat. Her face in her palms, she was reading a book. On hearing the approaching footsteps of her brother, she quickly closed the book and ran into his arms.

"Lord brother" She greeted and hugged him.

He was the heir of their family.

"Greetings to my little princess," he said while lifting her.

She told him the story she was reading about four warriors who fought against the evil, died and turned into stars. Where people now believe them as four antithetic Gods. She also complained about the second brother who told her not to believe in such fantasies. With depression in her eyes, she asked; why was he telling her not to read such stories.

"Isn't it true?" She asked.

Smiling at his four-year-old sister, he replied. "It is."

A slave of their castle came to announced about the arrival of a new member to their family.

Jumping from his arms, she ran before him with a hope to have a sister as she had three older brothers. Grinning at her eagerness, he slowly followed her. When she reached the chamber of her mother, her two brothers were already standing on either side of the door. She ran to pass through the door but was halted by the stretched hands of them, making a cross at the entrance of the door. She pushed their hand but they lifted her.

"Let me see, it's a girl. Right?" She wrestled in their arms. "Put me down."

"Not yet." One of them replied.

"We don't know either." The other one said.

"Have some patience Cressida." A voice made her turned to face the older brother.

He made a nod and they placed her down. After waiting out impatiently, she was allowed to see her newborn sibling. Running into the chamber, she asked her father who was standing beside the bed. "A girl?"

Father shook his head. "A boy."

Excitement flew away from her face the moment she was aware of the gender. Even though, she crawled up the bed and bend above the baby to have a look. He was wrapped in a neat white cloth. "He's beautiful. Why not a girl?" She complained again.

Her father lifted her. "Enough with that Cressida."

Struggling in his arms, she said. "No, wait. Why does he have different colored eyes?"

"Cressida that's not appropriate to say." Her mother said, who was lying beside the baby.

"I am not lying," she said.

Picking up the baby, her brother took a close look. "She's right his one eye is blue and other is green." This cause silence in the small chamber. Everyone was sharing glances among themselves. Putting the baby back on the bed, he turned towards the father and said. "We shall call a savant and ask about it."

The older brother took Cressida and the third son with him. "We are going for horse riding." And asked the second son to stay in the castle.