"Thinking is difficult. That is why most people judge." - Carl Jung
*******************************
Heaven had a bad feeling. Irene would do anything for her children, and Zarin was her child as much as she was. She didn't like the look in her eyes. Her grandmother had always been calm and very careful with her actions. She hoped she had a plan and wasn't acting on emotion.
"What are you planning to do?" Heaven asked worriedly.
"I'll talk to him." She said.
Heaven tilted her head to one side. That look in her eyes earlier couldn't have meant only talking. "Talking to him is good. I am sure you will lend him some wisdom but you don't have to do anything else." Heaven reminded.
Irene smiled. "Don't worry. I will only talk to him." She assured.
Heaven wondered what kind of talking would happen that made her so confident that Zarin would come back. Hopefully, her grandmother didn't have any other plans that she wasn't telling her.
After helping her grandmother feed the bird and water the plants, both of them went to the castle and had breakfast with her mother. Heaven was able to enjoy her breakfast this time, and she emptied her plate.
"I am glad you have the appetite to eat again." Her mother spoke.
"I am happy too." Heaven said.
After a while, her father joined them. He leaned down pretending to want to kiss Heaven but turned his head to kiss his wife.
Heaven gave him a hurt look, and he chuckled as he sat down.
"Your father is just a very romantic man." Her mother spoke, finding excuses for her husband.
This was the time when the two of them gathered to tease her.
"I am sure he is." Heaven said picking an apple from the fruit basked. "But not the most romantic one." She said taking a bite.
Her father raised a brow. "Really?"
Heaven nodded while chewing.
Irene leaned back in her chair with her cup of tea and a smirk on her face.
Her father looked at her mother for help. He didn't want to brag about himself.
"Your father took me to the woods at night to see a thousand flying lights, and we shared our first kiss there."
Heaven swallowed the food in her mouth. Why did her mother have to bring up kissing? That did sound romantic, but not more romantic than her first kiss. She had shared her first kiss with Zamiel among a thousand stars in the ocean.
They both looked at her, waiting for her to say something. Right. So this was how they were going to make her talk?
She would not share her first kiss with her parents. That was embarrassing and an inappropriate behavior. But they were demons, so they acted a bit differently when it came to affection. Still Heaven kept her mouth shut.
"Father is indeed very romantic." She agreed, knowing she couldn't win this one without telling much about her relationship with Zamiel.
Her mother smiled, taking her father's hand. "Your father makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth." She said feeling more romantic herself today.
Oh. So her mother would not give up this time?
Heaven smiled. She was happy for her parents, of course, but if they wanted to play, then she would kill their mood for a while. A little revenge wouldn't hurt. "Zamiel makes me feel like the most powerful woman on earth. I am already beautiful." She shrugged.
Her father chuckled, but her mother looked at her baffled. "Are you saying I am ugly?"
"No, Your Majesty." She held out her hands as if afraid. "I wouldn't dare. Who do you think I inherited my beauty from?"
Her mother smiled at her, but just then Heaven added. "From grandmother, of course." As soon as she spoke, she quickly rose from her seat with a grin while everyone chuckled and her mother glared at her while nodding.
Heaven chuckled. "I love you, mother." She said wrapping her arms around her mother's shoulders and kissing her cheek to console her. "I wish I could inherit everything from you."
"One of you is enough." Her father joked.
"Yes. You two take turns to tease me." Her mother complained.
"It is because we love you the most." Her father replied and then winked at Heaven.
But both of them knew it was true. No matter how much time Heaven and her father spend together at the end of the day, they would often end up fighting for a place to sleep next to her mother.
Now that she grew up, her father was probably happy to be rid of her. And he made her room several quarters away from his so she wouldn't end up running to their room in the middle of the night.
Clever man.
After some fun with her family, Heaven went to see Klara and Roshan. She wanted them to know that nothing of what Zarin did was their fault. She loved the same as always and would never blame them. She also missed Gina and hoped that everything was alright with her friend.
Klara was the first person Heaven came across. It looked like the woman didn't sleep for days. Oh, lord!
"Heaven." She seemed to panic for a moment.
"Princess Klara." Heaven smiled. "I am sorry I came uninvited."
"Don't be a fool. Come in." She said.
She led her to the parlor and where Roshan was sitting with another man that resembled him, but his aura was something else. It was like the one of her grandfather and Zamiel. Cold, calm yet powerful. He was an ancient and Heaven already guesses that he was Roshan's father.
She thought she must have seen him once before, but when he smiled at her, she became sure.
The man stood up from his seat and walked up to her with such ease and elegance.
"Princess Heaven." He bowed to greet her, which she found odd. Roshan never did that unless he was teasing her, but this man was serious. "You have grown into a beautiful woman. You look just like your grandmother." He spoke when he lifted his head again.
"Thank you." Heaven said, trying to keep her composure.
"Heaven!"
Heaven turned when she heard the call of her name. Gina stood at the entrance with a displeased look in her eyes. Heaven felt her heart sink. Oh, no! What did that look mean? Please, not Gina. She didn't want to lose the only friend she had left.