Chapter 3 Clan

"Say it again, dad. I wanna hear it again."

At the age of 7, Melissa had grown with a curiosity that couldn't be satisfied. She looked at everything with bright eyes and the sun had nothing on her silver shining eyes. At first, everyone had avoided looking at her because of her eye colour. After birth, she hadn't opened her eyes for a good two weeks and when she finally did, everyone had to decide whether they were going to accept her for the way she or they were going to avoid her.

With their acceptance, she still grew to be one of the prettiest children in Daneland and she was fairly popular though none of the kids still approached her. She didn't mind. Melissa grew up as a carefree child, talking when she wanted and telling everyone what she believed was right and wasn't. At her age, she had gotten her definitions of a couple of things and she didn't keep them to herself. It was another reason she was known in the clan too. Everyone had happened to hear her sharing her views one way or the other and they had been confused. It was very rare for a child her age to have developed a mind of her own to make such decisions.

Lucian chuckled at her request and bounced her on his lap causing her to giggle and hide her face in his chest. "How many more times do I have to repeat the story, Mel?"

She pouted and crossed her little arms over her chest. "As many times as I ask."

Melissa demanded whatever she wanted without so much as batting an eyelid. Wherever Mila was, she was probably shaking her head at the duo. At first, she had gotten envious of the relationship between them because Melissa barely ran to her as she did as a baby. She was more attached to Lucian, but now, she understood and had come to terms with it, choosing to watch them from the side and come in when necessary. Like now.

"You know your daddy just came back from a stressful journey, why don't you let him take a break?"

"But I wanna hear the story. He promised to tell me when he got back and now he's back." She pointed at him, looking back at her mother in defiance.

Mila looked up to Lucian in defeat, worried that he wouldn't get a chance to relax with the tiny child holding onto him like a little koala. However, Lucian didn't mind, instead, he held onto Melissa and whispered, "Just this once, Mel. After this, you're going to head to bed like a good little girl, okay?"

"Okay. Promise."

He inhaled for extra effect, taking a deep breath before starting his story. "Long ago, when I was still a young farmer, I found a beautiful woman..."

Melissa paid rapt attention as he spoke, giggling whenever he added his effects. No matter how many times she heard of their meeting she couldn't get over it. After he rounded up, she hugged him, inhaling the sweet scent of cinnamon that seemed to follow him about. She whispered 'I love you' into his ears as was their habit and he whispered back before dropping her to her feet for Mila.

Mila escorted the calm child to her room, laying her on the bed and kissing her forehead. Nighttime was for Lucian and she had the day to deal with the pesky little child who wouldn't calm down with her questions. She had to agree that Lucian had a better chance of keeping with Melissa than she ever did. He heard and understood every word she said. He even went as far as to either prove her claims right or wrong. There was nothing else that could show his love for his daughter other than his willingness to do anything for her.

As she walked back into their little living room, she noticed he wasn't too happy anymore. Almost as if he had let Melissa take the bits of happiness left in his body.

"What's wrong, Lucian?" She asked, voicing her concern. "You don't look too well."

He groaned, tilting his head back in his seat. "I can't feel good with how split the clan is right now, Mila. Things are getting chaotic and I feel it's only a matter of time before it all goes down."

"But that doesn't directly affect you. Why are you letting it get to you so much?" She asked, going further to say, "I'm just glad we're past the times we used to face the wars with the dragons. Things would have been worse back then, but here we are, alive with our child. If we could make it through that, what makes you think we won't handle this just fine?"

Lucian looked away, not trusting his voice to offer the right words that would suit the words Mila said. He knew that his heart was far too fragile at that moment and he worried not for the both of them, but Melissa. The only thing he had always hoped for was for her to have a normal childhood. So far, that wasn't going well because of the tales surrounding her birth as well as the colour of her eyes. The people of Daneland weren't used to change and they showed their refusal so much.

That was also why there were issues among the clan leaders. Iroh, the current leader, had decided that it was time to expand their territory and move further out, to meet other clan members. He said it was because he wanted them to live better, in a world where they didn't fear every decision they made and were free. There had been a lot of ruckus at the meeting, the other members insisting there was no use of expansion since they had enough to fend for themselves already. The refusal caused an uproar and Lucian's worries about the brewing war didn't lessen.

"Nothing..." He finally spoke up, giving Mila a weak smile. "You're right. If we could live through those times, then we can certainly survive now."

Mila smiled too, moving to him and hugging his body against hers. She too was worried, but if Lucian could show his fear so obviously, she had to be there for him. The times in the past were enough to leave any member of Daneland traumatised for his entire life and she knew that was where Lucian's worries sprouted from. It had to be the past.

"Are you hungry? I made your favourite." Mila said, rubbing his back with her palm before stepping away.

"Ohh..." He grinned widely, following her to the kitchen and picking up a plate. Lucian wasted no time in dishing his soup and heading back to their living room. He ate so fast almost like he hadn't even realised he was hungry. The thoughts on his mind occupied him so much that he hadn't remembered to eat the whole day. A part of him wished he hadn't been present at the meeting.

Besides what he had told Mila, there had been something else. A group of the clan council had created their fraction, hellbent on causing more disorder than the clan needed. They had sent him a note, scrambling the words in a way they knew only he would understand. They had invited him to their meeting, asking for his assistance in leading a revolution. It was to be against the decision made by the clan leader. A simple opposition group.

He hadn't bought it and he knew it was certainly something else rooted deeply in what they wanted. The fact they had chosen to avoid a physical or rather a direct meeting with him to discuss what they wanted simply showed they weren't to be trusted. Whatever it was they were planning, Lucian knew it could be the doom of Daneland.

Lucian got up with a sigh, deciding there was nothing more he could do besides hope that everything went well. The last thing he wanted was for Melissa to go through the horrors of war. He loved her curious mind, her need for answers and her bravery. War was going to snatch all of that and leave her as a shell of herself, just in between the things she truly wanted. He couldn't imagine that. The thought of it wrecked him and made him weak.

He could feel Mila's eyes on him as he washed his plate out of the sink and walked outback. He kissed her head and mumbled how much he loved her as he hugged her body to himself, feeling her heartbeat speed up against his chest. After pulling away, they left for their room: Mila finding sleep almost instantly and Lucian lying awake with his thoughts.

What he knew though was that no matter what happened or whatever the opposition decided to do to the clan, he was going to keep them safe. He glanced towards Mila, reaching out to her and holding her body to his. Even if it was the last thing he did, he'd make sure they made it out of whatever madness they were planning.