Aelith Ashbourne “Today during the freshmen welcoming speech, the principal introduce us to few promising young children to everyone”
She spoke.
But her words quite not explain the answer they sound completely random seemly like a young child telling her parents about her day.
But everyone present on the table know that’s she’s replying to the question asked by the third branch of family.
Victor Ashbourne, 52 year old.
Current house head.
Chairman of Ashbourne Group.
Cold.
Discipled.
Impossible to impress.
He judges everyone’s- including his own children- by result.
Emotion aren’t visible on his face normally.
Eleanor Roosevelt, 50 year old.
Victors wife.
A historians and archaeologists.
She’s one of the few people capable of arguing with victor without causing any argument, her words hold weight.
She’s the one who named her youngest daughter Aelith, she discover from an ancient script.
As the only child belonging from Roosevelt family, well known family full of historians and archaeologists.
She didn’t change her surname and is the current heir to the legacy of Roosevelt family.
Adrain Ashbourne, 28 year old.
The eldest son.
Future successor.
Perfect in public.
Constantly tired in private.
Damian Ashbourne, 25 year old.
Second son.
Brilliant strategist.
Often disagree with Adrain, but protects the family whenever outsider threaten them.
Moon Ashbourne, 22 year old.
Eldest daughter.
Corporate Lawer.
Owns her own law firm.
Naturally act as peacemaker during family conflicts.
Isabella Ashbourne, 19 year old.
In police academy.
Strict.
Self-discipline.
Observe things other don’t.
Eldest of the triplets.
Ruth Roosevelt, 19 year old.
Heir to the Roosevelt family legacy.
Quiet.
Love history and books.
Since, she’s recognise as the heir her surname was changed.
Second eldest of the triplet.
Rain Ashbourne, 19 year old.
Athelete.
Disciple, Figure Skating.
Enthusiastic.
Loud.
Smart and sass Queen.
Youngest of the triplet.
Aelith Ashbourne, 15 year old.
High school student.
Have no interest in business.
Prefers research, technology and books.
The triplets are absent from the table.
They have excuse of University and studies to stay away from the drama.
**********
Victor Ashbourne “what kind” short.
To the point.
But everyone used to it.
Aelith Ashbourne “one girl. My Age. Full scholarship”
On dinner table their are lot of matter to talk about.
So both question and answer had to be short.
Victor Ashbourne “which field’
Aelith Ashbourne “sports”
Victor Ashbourne “disciple”
Aelith Ashbourne “Archery
Eleanor Roosevelt “quite rare to see such old sports being mentioned”
“…..”
Aelith Ashbourne “she have ash-grey hair”
Silence.
Fork stop.
People turn.
Gazes meet.
Victor Ashbourne “Name”
Aelith Ashbourne “Elara”
Victor Ashbourne “surname”
Aelith Ashbourne “Nova”
Victor Ashbourne “spell it”
Aelith Ashbourne “N-O-V-A”
“….”
Victor Ashbourne “Damian, Investigate”
The whole dinner table came to complete silence.
No one spoke after that no one want to become scapegoat of the unreleased annoyance.
Everyone, have tactic awareness of focusing on the food infront of them.
This is the first time the dinner table had seen such silence without any main problem.
To other it’s sound like weird reason to be tense about.
But to the Ashbourne family the ash-grey hair are the symbol of the shared genetics and family legacy.
It’s a unique trait share by the people connected to Ashbourne.
No matter how distant relative they are the hair remain unchanged throughout all generations.
For someone outside of family having such hair colour is such big red flag.
Specially when the main branch you gest daughter don’t have them.
When the dinner ended.
Everyone slowly took their leave but their strp were heavy and quick, specially Damian who almost broke out into sprint.
But manage to stop himself.
Maintaining posture and elegance befitting of big family is still important.
She received mocking gazes from the cousins of side branches, worried gazes from well meaning relatives.
There are four side branch rather then the main branch of the family.
Each branch focus on different field.
She went back to her room, while completely aware of the look’s she’s receiving from other’s.
But she had grown up reciving them.
So, they don’t bother her that much as they used to do when she was young.
She also sense the worried glances from her mother and siblings.
They are only one who actually care about her feelings.
Knock knock…
Aelith sign heavily when she heard the knock.
But open the door anyway and found her eldest brother standing there.
Looking at the two glass of milk tea he’s holding, step aside to let him enter the room.
Adrian “here” she took one of the glass and seat down on the ground.
Unlike others, her room mainly consist of bed and book self.
She don’t table and chair to seat down, rather prefers to seat down on the ground with her books spread all over her room.
But she still have low rise table to put down snacks and all to avoid getting crumbs on her bed.
Cause of this the floor in her room is covered in soft green fur carpet.
So, she can seat down without catching cold.
And if anyone came in her room they also had to seat down on the ground.
Not that many don’t have complains about it.
Adrain “does that girl having ash-grey hair bother that much” she stiffen slightly although she already had prepare herself for questioning, she didn’t expect the very first question to be this.
Aelith “I don’t know, at first I was able to ignore it. Thought maybe just hair dye. But the question continue keeping me on edge. Couldn’t bear the thought anymore. Needed to be in familiar place to process the thoughts and also to inform everyone.”
Adrain “didn’t think about hiding it” she honestly was startled.
She genuinely didn’t thought about hiding it.
If she had keep quite and spread words that it’s hair dye.
No one had bother on looking on Elara anymore.
Aelith “that would had been worse actually” even if she had keep quite about it.
The fear of truth being revealed would have eaten her from inside.
Aelith “it’s better like this. If this just nature playing tricks then it’s fine. But” she didn’t continue.
Didn’t need to continue.
Both are well aware of the truth came out to be something.
Everything will crumble down badly for everyone.