It was decided a long time back that at least for a year, Crescent won't be introduced as their daughter. She had cited the reason that she needed to get comfortable with it.
Although the true reason was completely different. Only few dear and closed ones knew about her at this moment.
"We promise we won't introduce you right now. But I think even Ashton would like if you could be here this while."
Mrs Walter spoke expectantly with a soft smile. She did not want to make her feel forced. If they had promised her that she won't be introduced as their daughter for a year, they were going to keep up with that.
"I will be there." Crescent spoke after a while. If they were doing so much for her, the minimum she could do was to return the favors.
"Would you really?"
"Yes, I will. When is it?"
"Next Friday."
It won't hurt her to take a day off and be there. It was fine.
Hopefully by that time, Icarus could be back too.
Just as she hung up the phone, she heard the approaching footsteps. Turning around, she found him...with the tea.
"Your tea, ma'am." He flashed a smile and gracefully put the tray on the table.
"What's your name?" She couldn't help but ask the question she had been meaning to ask all this while. She learnt that there was Icarus, and Samuel so what about him?
"Why?" He observed her coming over to the couch. "Want to paste it on the wedding card, beside yours?" He plopped down on the couch. "The idea's not bad."
Crescent did not know what to term him. A psychotic or a narcissistic?
"Do you really think the world revolves around you?"
"All the ladies of the world do."
Crescent chuckled before her smile turned thin. "Count me out then."
"Oh, that would go to vain when later on, I would have to count you in again." He tilted his chin, almost in glee.
Crescent decided to ignore him thereafter, did not wish to know his name from him anyways. Randomly picking up a book about the Rise of Sylvaran, she began reading.
The man noticed the novel and nonchalantly spoke, leaning back a lot more. "There is nothing much in it. Already read."
"Just because you know the history doesn't mean everyone do." Crescent did not know everything about the kingdom of Sylvaran. She only knew of a specific period and that also was limited to knowing the destruction of the kingdom.
"Why wanna spend time over it? I can tell you verbally what been down there."
"Not interested." She declined his offer at once and went back to read. Within moments, she got lost in the world of words.
"Boring." He muttered after a while but his eyes did not move away from her. He couldn't deny but there was something fishy about her. He couldn't get into her mind.
There was a barrier, a strong one which didn't let him.
And that intrigued him more than anything. It had been a long- long time since there was something to ignite his curiosity so now when there was someone, he was going to have his part of fun.
After all, if he wanted, he could crush her with a snap of his fingers.
Unbeknownst to his thoughts, Crescent sat comfortably with the book on her lap.
'Sylvaran emerged as a kingdom of the warriors sometime in the eleventh century. It was the period when several external forces tried to take over the place due to its herbal properties.'
'It forced the people living there to form a union to take the enemies down. The union was led by a man of great strength, Seleucus. Soon he became known as the founder of the Sylvaran and became the first King of the Sylvaran.'
'He ruled for a long period before disappearing mysteriously. During his period, Sylvaran flourished economically, socially and culturally.'
Disappeared...mysteriously?
She continued to read.
'It was believed that after him, the great Seleucus, internal issues began rising between the four main sects that have been formed. Each one desiring the next successor from their sects. It soon led to a huge war between them and the next successor emerged to be the victor, Darius.'
'As a result, his section naturally enjoyed the upper hand in almost all the matters related to the town management. Irrespective of how he took over the throne, Darius turned out to be a great warrior and a leader who took unbiased decisions.'
Crescent had not known all of this. Her childhood tales had been filled of just that particular period, it was never of the formation and history behind it.
For that matter, she did not even know how all of them came to settle in this part of the country. No specifics were mentioned of them, she wondered if they were here at this point or not.
At this time, a loud sound of yawning grabbed her attention. She sighed and stared at him, who grinned having her attention all upon him.
"What do you need?" She asked calmly.
"I was thinking of proposing a better idea. Wanna know?" He did not wait for her to speak, instead got up and pulled her on her feets.
"Let's go to the exact place where the sects lived during that part. It would help you in learning better." He gleefully smirked.
Crescent was going to deny right away until... she was not. "Tell me, why would you wanna do that?" That was going to be of a huge help. Also Crescent couldn't wait to go to that part of the forest where there was once a huge habitat.
She had not been able to find it on map and did not want to take the huge risk of getting lost in the middle of nowhere.
However, him being the one to propose this idea did not settle that well with her.
"If you are forgetting, I am also the part of this research. And seeing you wasting all the precious time on the baseless scribbles is immensely irritating me."
"I am pretty much sure these are not just baseless scribbles." She narrowed her eyes.
"Whatever. Why to waste on it when I could just show you that?"
"Uh?"
"The place. I meant I could show you the place." He offered, widening his arms.
"Alright."