"I'm almost about to whine so you don't go." He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist, leaning down and pecking my lips.

"We both have duties to attend too." His gaze softens and I smile.
"I hope everything works out with your mother." I sigh, resting my head against his chest.

"Take me with you." I whine. His chest vibrates as he laughs, gently taking hold of my face, he lifts my head so I can look at him.

"If it becomes too much, call me."

"My hero." I wrap my hands around his neck, pulling him in for another kiss. He shakes his head, eyes rolling in amusement, but accepts my kiss anyway. The door behind me suddenly opens, making me nearly jump into Lutalo's arms, a high pitched squeal leaving both me and the young boy standing there.

He had a striking resemblance to the woman who holds my heart.

"Ezaria are you okay?!" Another boy runs up to him, spinning him around to face him.

"I'm okay, J. She just surprised me is all." He softly tells him.

The oldest boy looks to me, eyes flickering to the man behind me, who now had a firmer hold on my waist.
"Mom says we can stroll around the front yard." The youngest one says.

"Mom being Gene I'm assume?" They both nod.

"Yes ma'am."

I move to the side, so they can pass.
"Don't go too far." They nod, running off towards the open area on the left.

"Family?" I shake my head yes, looking after them.

"Gene's babies." Must be what she wants to talk about.

"You are very handsome." I jump in fright once again, Lutalo chuckling.

"Annabella!" The peculiar child simply smiles.

"Aunt Gene said to join them." She says walking out the door. She stretches out her hand to Lutalo, which he accepts.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Obasi. I hope you know that by having sex you are now considered married according to early Bible times." My eyes widen in disbelief at the child's words.

"Go play Annabella!" I exclaim in disbelief. She looks to me and smirks, before running off.

What am I to do with this child?
I stare after her still in shock.

"She seems very nice." I look to Lutalo, a playful look on his face.

"Stop it." I hit his chest.
"The child will have me die of embarrassment one of these days." I watch as she stood around simply watching the boys talk, before Job stretches his hand out to her, and she hesitantly takes it, joining them on the grass. At the sight of her dress, the thought of taking her shopping comes back to mind.

I'll have to take her soon.
My eyes widen even more. Ah! The academy.

"Seems you just remembered something important." I look to him, smiling sheepishly.

"I am accustom to thinking about my personal things, that I am forgetting the plans I've made for the child." He nods in understanding.

"It takes time to familiarize with things when they have changed." I nod, resting my hands on his chest.

"I can feel their curiosity from here." He mutters and I glance to towards the children, finding all eyes on us indeed.
"I will take my leave." I pout, nodding. He leans in to kiss my cheek, before walking down the stairs to the awaiting carriage.

As he goes to enter he turns,
"If it becomes too much.."

"I'll call." He nods, getting in. The coachman closes the door, his eyes holding my own, smiles coming on to both of our faces.

"Till we meet again flower." My heart flutters inside at the pet name. It truly makes me feel all bubbly inside; however there was something about the way he called me my Lady.

"Till then, my Lord." He smiles. He hits the top of carriage and the coachman whips the reigns making the horses move off; I wave after him, staring after him as they drive all the way down the pathway, and out onto the road.

My eyes shift from the now closing gate to the children again, confused when I find only the boys there.

"So that's Mr Obasi?" I screech in horror, as the child stands next to me. Smiling at my horror.

"Oh for goodness sake Annabella! The members of the village would of believed you needed deliverance for the way you move around." She giggles.

"It must be the reason why they stared at me so weirdly whenever mother and I went to church." I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at her.

"I love that you have a sense of humor dear sister." Her eyes lit up with happiness.

"You called me sister."She softly says. A gentle smile found its way on to my lips, and I lightly tap the child's cheek.

"You are, are you not?" She nods without hesitation, making my smile broaden.
"Come on. Let's go see this mother of ours." I tell her.

"You boys don't go far!" I yell and they shout back a yes ma'am.

Walking into the house, we enter the living room, only to meet five tiresome faces, deep in conversation.

"Oh thank goodness you are here!" Gene says, removing herself from Adionis' side on the sofa, coming to me. She throws her arms over my shoulder, hugging me tightly.

"Your mother will be the death of us all." I chuckle, shaking my head.

"Do not let her exhaust you."

"How are you so calm? She's like a monster." Nurse Juliet states and I look to her surprised, Gene pulling away.

"I'm surprised you are still here." Many would have left at the first sign of such mistreatment.

"I never give up on a patient." She firmly states and I nod, impressed by the look of determination in her eyes.

"My mother cannot handle the factuality of her predicament. Having to sit there in a wheel chair, being taken cared of by a nurse in the house of the child she deeply despises, who also just so happens to be the one paying for her care. Such a thing can send anyone crazy."

"I'm sorry." I look down at the child.
"Because of me she's like-"

"No. Do not blame yourself for mother's problems. Her sins have simply caught up to her. That's it. Am I clear?" She sighs, sadly nodding.

"What is it?" I ask her, since the familiar look she would have on her face whenever she was deeply thinking was there.

"Many things happened to you as well." She raises her head to look at me.
"You should want to see her die or want to kill her. You have all right. You could of fought the priest more and told him no you won't help her." She stays silent for a moment, lowering her head.
"You don't have to take me shopping and help me enroll into the academy. I'm not your real sister, you do not have to care for me at all." She concludes.

"True." She looks up to me.
"I have faced many things, some I won't ever speak of again. Trust me when I say I have dreamt of killing her." Her eyes widen.
"Even prayed for her death. I despised God for giving life to such demons and hated him for those two being my parents, but when I left that village, I left the life I lived with it. Agatha Phillia of the capital was to be a new person."

"Are you still mad at God?" I smile softly, shaking my head.

"Not anymore." She nods.

"Have you forgiven mother?"

"No." I reply without hesitation, and she nods.
A muffled scream is heard and they all groan.

"Here I thought she would of lost her voice by now." Gene states and I laugh.

"Has she eaten?" They all shake their head.
"Leave her then."

"She hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday Agatha." Madam Gale states and I nod in understanding.

"Then her pride will let her eat at dinner time." They all stare at me wearily, but I don't pay it mind.
"I have to carry the child to the academy today. I'm already late as it is, but we'll go anyway. Go get ready." She nods, slowly walking off.

"I can give her some drips." The nurse says and I shrug.

"She won't be able to fight that." I joke, but no one laughs. I mentally roll my eyes. Not even a little laugh?

"Do what you must." I tell Juliet and she nods.
"Your sons are here?" I turn to Gene, and she sighs.

"Their father gave me full custody of them." My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Just like that?" She nods.

"Apparently him and his new fiancé and wife are moving to a village in the east."

"Fiancé and a wife? Can such a thing even be done?" Hector asks, the others agreeing.

"I'm just glad I have my babies again."

"Well...I am happy as well." Gene narrows her eyes at me, a devious smirk coming on to her lips.

"No. I have to take the child to the academy. We'll talk later." She giggles as I walk off.
"Oh. Gene!" I spin around to look at her.

"We're going shopping after. Do you-"

"Adionis will drop us." We both look to the man, who just nodded, not at all caring that she didn't ask if he would be able.

"Wise man." Jeromy says, smirking.

"Wiser than some." He responds and the man's smirk drops.

——

"If majority of the kingdom still uses carriages over cars, why have them?"

"Because the capital wants to have a more evolved culture as the other world countries do, so that it holds its prominent advanced value." Adionis responds to the girl's question.

"Aunt Gene?"

"Yes darling?"

"Are your sons also going to attend the academy?" I chuckle, shaking my head. She just changes the subject.

"Oh they already do honey. Job is soon to graduate from second entry level I believe, and into the third, while Ezaria has just entered his fourth year of first entry."

"So they'll be with me." She shakes her head.

"Ezaria most likely will be around more than Job, seeing as he is still in first entry and you all will be sharing one canteen, but second entry students have there own building and canteen, so you might not see much of him." She nods once more, looking down to her hands, beginning to play with her fingers.

I reach over placing my hand over hers.
"Your options still stand." She smiles softly at me.

"I at least want to see the place first." I nod.

—

We arrive at the academy around noon, and the principal and what seemed to be two of her students with her, that looked about Annabella's age. The fair girl holding a bouquet of red roses in her hands, while the dark skinned boy simply stared at Annabella as we approached them.

The uniforms of the academy was truly so sophisticated. Navy blue straight skirts, a white inner shirt with a matching blue blazer with red hems. The logo of the school embroidered with red, white and yellow thread.

"Good afternoon my lady, it is truly a pleasure." She greets, shaking my hand. The girl steps forward, handing the bouquet of roses to me.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome my lady." She shyly replies.

"I do apologize for our late arrival. I was caught up earlier this morning." I see Gene smirking from the corner of my eyes, but I just ignore her.

"Oh it's quite alright my lady. We are simply glad you are here. We have an entire orientation planned out for your sister, so she can see the school in it's entirety." I nod.

Looking dow at the child, she child stared at the vintage castle like building with a calculating gaze.
"Annabella." She looks to me and smiles.

"This is my sister, Annabella Phillia. Anna this is the headmistress of the academy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you dear." She holds her hand out to her, and Annabella accepts it.

"The pleasure is mines."

"This is Denise Gardel. She's the same age as you, and our leading female student in first entry academics."

"It's nice to meet you." She shyly replies.

"Likewise."

"And this is Creid Dawson. He's also your age and our leading male student in first entry academics. He's not much of a talker." The dark skinned boy simply nods, and Anna nods back.
"Shall we go on the tour?" I nod, and she excitedly walks off, with us in tow.

——

"So?" Gene asks her as we settle in our seats in the canteen. She looks around again, a group of girls around her age waving at her; very flashy looking as well. Might be the popular girls.

"It's seems okay, and the kids are not that bad." She replies looking back at us not even waving at them. I chuckle nodding.
It was very clear my status brought a sense of popularity to the child, but she didn't seemed fazed by it.

I look around again, finding Denise sitting at a table far away from the crowds by herself. Hmm.

"So do you want to attend?" I hear Adionis ask her and I look back at her. She shrugs again.

"Maybe not now."

"I can have the headmistress register you to start when you are ready."

"Next week then?" She says hopefully, and I smile,
"Next week then." She beams up at me with a bright smile.

A shy hello, causes all of us to look towards the voice, Denise standing there shyly holding her hands together in front of her, playing with her fingers.

"I...I wanted to know.. if Annabella would be interested in sitting with me for lunch? It's quite alright if you do not desire too." She frantically waves her hands around. Anna looks to me, and I gesture for her to go ahead. It's good for her to make friends.

Smiling, she gets up taking her tray with her and they walk back over to the table, all eyes focused on them as they go. I go to look aware but my eyes catch the angry looks of the girls from before.

"I can tell they will be good friends." Adionis states and I nod, one girl realizes I'm watching and she tells the other and they all begin to wave at me, which I return with a smile, that sends them in a frenzy.

"With Job and Ezaria starting back tomorrow, they'll be here for her as well. Ezaria more than Job, but still." I nod, smiling to myself when I see her smiling at something they were talking about.

I'm surprised she is not more closed off than expected. It's as if she didn't allow her circumstances, even at a small age to change her perspective of things; she thought for herself, and was not afraid at all to share those thoughts.

I chuckle to myself, looking away from them to Gene, her and Adionis wearing fond smiles on their faces.
"You seem very fond of her." Gene says, and I shrug.

"She's alright." They both laugh, knowing fully well that was a lie.

"I think she'll fit right on in. Even evoke some change with her bluntness." I laugh lightly, glancing back at them, the boy now present at the table, just staring at her as she spoke.

"Oh cute. It looks like he likes her." Gene says and I shake my head.

"Too soon." They both laugh.

"I hope everything is to your liking my lady?" I nod at the headmistress.

"She seems to like the school, however she'll be starting as of next week. I'll let you know in time what day specifically." She nods.

"Of course my lady. Whatever you desire." I nod.
"You can come with me and I will have you sign the needed documents." I nod getting up.

"Keep eye on her."

"Yes, she's alright." I roll my eyes following the woman in front.

~*~
Annabella

"You stare at me as if you like me." Denise's eyes widen in surprise, her hand coming to cover her mouth as she stared at us.

"Nothing is wrong with having an admirer." He dryly responds and I nod.

"You are right. What is the school like?" I ask Denise.

"It's school. You learn, do your best, have limited fun. There's not many negative events, but sometimes some students can be overbearing." I nod in understanding.

"Like those girls looking at us right now?" They look to see what I speak of, the group of girls, staring directly back at us, not at all hiding that they were talking about us.

"Most definitely them." She says.
"Mandy's dad is in parliament, so she believes she is of the highest rank amongst us. I guess now that has changed with you being here."

"How so?" She stares at me with a "really" look.

"Your sister is the Agatha Phillia. The entire kingdom, world, knows of her. My mother says her respect from the kingdom surpasses that of even the eldest princess."

"Hmm."

"Not to mention she's dating General Lutalo." Creid adds.

"How do you know she's dating him?"

"My mother has not stopped talking about it."Denise rambles out.
"Others even say that they have seen them together aside from the ball. It's the only thing my mother and her friends talk about." I slowly nod, looking to Creid again, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Stop staring at me." He blinks two times, before reaching for his bag, taking out a book, beginning to read.

"Anna are you ready?" I look behind me to my sister, nodding my head yes.

"I will see you both next week." They both nod, Denise smiling.

"I can't wait. I'll finally have a friend." I smile at her, looking to Creid who stared blankly.

"Creid." I nod at him.

"Annabella." He nods back. Turning to my sister, she smirks at me and I smile, taking ahold of her hand.

"We look forward to having you here with us Annabella." Headmistress kindly states and I smile politely.

"I look forward to going here." Her face lights up at my words. I'm sure they simply wanted to be in the good graces of my sister, yet even then, I was looking forward to starting.

"We will stop by Natasha's Children Boutique first, and then we'll head on over to Kids Finest." Aunt Gene says as we walk to exit the canteen.

Shopping?

——

First entry level= Elementary
Second Entry=High School
Third Entry= College