Journey to Lucien

"What're you doing showing your face, girl? Just because I allowed you to come back doesn't mean you're welcome to show that ugly mug of yours. Go to your room and stay out of my face, wench!" Their father growled out at Ari, causing her flinch.

"I will not stand to see her treated like that," Leon said, stepping in front of his sister. He looked Sir Leopold in the eyes, his nostrils flaring in anger. Sir Leopold's eyes narrowed on Leon.

"You gonna disrespect your own father, boy?" Their father growled out, his gloved fist clenching.

"Leon, don't." Ari pleaded, moving to stand in front of her brother and placed her hands on his chest. "I'll go upstairs and stay in my room if I must to keep peace. Please, I don't want my return home to cause issues."

Leopold's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ari's petite figure. A powerful sexual desire surged through him as his eyes roamed over her. He inwardly smirked as he imagined her on her hands and knees with him pressing his throbbing cock into her mouth, tears filling her eyes as she struggled to not choke on his thic length. How he'd grab her by the bsck of his head and fuck her delicate, pouty lips while she struggle and cried to accept all of him into her throat. It would only be a matter of time before he made her submit now that she has returned, grown up into a woman now.

"Get your ass to your room before you piss me off, girl!" Their father snapped, making Ari jump.

"Yes, Father." She said softly, turning around and quickly walking up the stairs to her room. The door to her room closed with an echoing click. Sir Leopold turned back to Leon, a dark look at his face.

"You don't even think to stop me, boy. So long as you live under my rooth, my word goes. So whatever I do to your sister, you best have learned what happens when you want to interfere. You don't want me to send her off to a place worse than Nox, do you?"

"If you hurt her, I swear to god, I will kill you!" Leon growled out, his fists clenched tightly to his sides. Sir Leopold laughed darkly.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, boy. The last time someone made a promise to me, they ended up dying. How else did your mother die? She threatened to leave and I made sure our vows were seen through. Til death. That whore of a woman couldn't keep her legs closed and ended up with that bastard of a daughter." Leopold laughed at the shocked expression on his son's face. "Oh, right. You didn't know. Your mother had an affair and Ari isn't even my daughter. She's your half-sister, boy. A bastard child. Served that whore and that limp dick man she slept with right. Deserved to have their heads cut off and fed to the bears." Sir Leopold laughed darkly.

"My mother died because of you!? You have to pay for what you did!" Leon roared, balling his fists up and ready to strike.

"Oh, I already did. I paid for her in full." Sir Leopold said, knocking Leon to his knees with one quick swing of his fist. The blow sent Leon flying backwards, crashing into the table. "Raised that daughter of hers till I couldn't stand it. It made me sick. I love you, Leon. You're my son but I couldn't stand hearing you call the product of what destroyed our family your sister. I planned on killing her the day she was born when I discovered your mother slept with another man. I had loved your sister in your mother wombs until I realized she wasn't mine. I was going to kill her but you walked in to the damn room and your mother begged me to have mercy for you. Then you saw her and wanted to hold her. I couldn't kill a baby in front of my own son. Seeing her grow up and look more like your morher other every year, I couldn't stand it. I wanted her dead so I sent her to Laria. They were supposed to kill her for me, but no. She had such powerful magic and was a pitiful child, they took mercy."

"You're a monster!" Leon spat, pushing himself up from the table and onto his feet.

"And so what. You should be grateful I didn't slice her down the moment she stepped off that airship. That girl you call sister is alive today because I allowed it. And if you want that girl to still breathe, I suggest you cease your childish display of anger and stay out of my way. That girl, she owes me her body to giving her the gift to live and I expect payment." Leopold said, his eyes narrowing up the stairs towards the room Ari was in, licking his lips as he smirked. "Or I might take it by force."

Leon growled and took off up the stairs, heading straight for the door to Ari's room. There was no way he was going to let his father rape his sister right in front of him! He threw her door open, the wood slamming into the stone wall. Ari jumped and looked up at Leon from her spot on the bed.

"Leon!?" Ari stood to her feet, clutching a fist to her heart.

"We're leaving. Come on!" He said, hrabbing her small wrist and dragging her down the stairs.

"Leon!?" Ari was confused as he dragged her down the stairs and headed straight to the front door. Before Leon can open the door, however, Ari felt a hand clench her scalp and yank her back and out of her brothers hold.

"Ah!?" Ari shrieked, her hands trying to grab at the hand that held her hair in the death grip. Looking up, wincing, she saw that it was Leopold that had her.

"Think you can leave without paying your debt to me, girl?" He hissed, the hand pinning her skull pushing against her hairline, causing her to cry out in pain. "You're not going anywhere!" He growled, his nails starting to dig into her scalp.

"Leon!" Ari cried out.

"Let her go!" Leon shouted, kicking Leopold in the face, the rush of wind grazing her scalp as Ari shrieked and squeezed her eyes shut.

Leopold hit the wall hard, sliding down it and letting go of Ari in the process She hurriedly crawled to her brother, her eyes filled with tears.

"Leon!" She cried and clung to him, burying her face into his chest when he knelt on the floor to hold her.

"Are you OK, Ari!?" Leon asked, holding her tightly.

"Yeah. I...I think so..." She sniffled, turning her head and burying her face into Leon's chest once more.

"We should go..."

She squeezed her eyes shut as her brother lifted her and carried her to the door. Her body was in shivers and her head was about to explode as the adrenaline wore off.

"Are you OK? You're shaking..." Leon whispered in her ear.

"What was father talking about? What debt did I owe?" She asked, her voice trembling. Leon frowned.

"Don't worry about it, Ari. It's going to be fine..."

He carried her down the dark and empty cobblestone streets, watching her silently until he was certain that she was good enough to walk.

The two held hands to not lose each other as they ran to the castle of Toris, sneaking to the stables and making sure to keep out of sight.

"Leon?" Ari looked up at her brother, confused.

"We're leaving Toris." He said simply as he worked on preparing one of the horses.

"What? Why? Your life is here and father, he nee-"

"He hurts you, Ari! And to be frank, I do not care if I ever see him again because keeping you safe is all what matters. I realize that now. After nine years without you, I was never home. I had a room, a bed, friends but it was you that made it home. And I'd be damned to sit in that house and allow that bastard to lay his hands on you again!" Ari gasped when Leon picked her up by the waist sat her on the back of the horse, him climbing to take a seat behind her.

"You don't have to do this, you know..." She pleaded.

"Yes, I do. It's what needs to be done."

"But Leon-"

"I don't have a choice, Ari."

"I...I'm scared..."

"So am I..."

"Leon, you're so much braver than I am..." Ari smiled weakly and leaned her head back against his shoulder, her back against his chest as they trotted out of the castle grounds and following a trail that led to a thick forest. Ari had never been on the back of a horse before and her side sitting position made her nervouse as she grasped the horses mane while her brother held the reins. After several hours in the forest, Ari began to grow tired.

As luck would have it, Leon knew the area well and navigated them to a nearby cave that rested near a waterfall. The waterfall fell into a rushing river that divided the Kingdom Toris from the Kingdom of Salis. Salis is technically a city that rested on an island with a ferry that'll take people to the main land. It was heavily rich with sea life.

The moon shined high in the sky, it's position telling that it was well past midnight.

It was a good place to make camp, the waterfall was loud but it would keep anyone from finding them. The two laid down near one of the many rock ledges that rested along the water's edge. They both laid on their sides, a thick blanket found from inside the horse's saddle covering them, facing each other.

"Leon...thank you." She said softly, her eyes slowly closing as she drifted off to sleep.

"Ari..." He said her name, but didn't wake her. She was sleeping in his arms. He ran his hand through her hair, tucking it gently behind her ear. He loved her. It had just taken him a little while to realize it and he didn't know why. She was his little sister but he is in love with her. She was the light in the darkness in his life. She was everything to him. There was no way in hell he was letting her go.

Not even death could take her from him.

He cupped her cheek with his palm, his thumb brushing against her soft bottom lip as she sighed in her sleep.

"You're the best thing in my life." He whispered. "The best thing I've ever had."

He loved her. He lay his head down against hers and drifted off to sleep.