Raatindra, leaning back with a playful glint in her eyes, snapped her fingers in front of Aerion, jolting him from his awestruck contemplation of the room. He blinked, focusing on her, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. She grinned, resting her head on her hand, her gaze teasing.
"Where were you lost, darling? Am I not beautiful enough to hold your attention?"
Aerion, though his gaze hadn't been directly on her, still felt a flush of embarrassment at her words. He tried to avoid eye contact, but Vivienne gently slapped Raatindra's hand. "Don't tease him, sister."
"Ouch!" Raatindra exclaimed dramatically, rubbing the back of her hand with a mock pout. "Well, I was trying to get his attention. He seems utterly lost since arriving."
"I'm sorry," Aerion mumbled, "it's just… my first time in Suryasthirh. Everything is so different here; I can't help but be curious."
[Damn she is so gorgeous… I'm in heaven I can't even look straight at her.]
Raatindra closed her eyes briefly, then nodded with an air of proud acceptance. "Suryasthirh is a magnificent place to be, wouldn't you agree?" Her words carried a subtle undercurrent of arrogance, yet Aerion couldn't deny the truth in them. Suryasthirh's advanced nature was evident, a result of its long history and the extended lifespans of its High Elven inhabitants.
Vivienne pulled Aerion closer, wanting him to sit beside her on the plush cushions. She spoke in a soft, gentle tone. "Areion, this is your aunt, my… sometimes exasperating elder sister, Raatindra, whom I've told you about."
Aerion nodded respectfully towards Raatindra. He had heard the name before, but the reality of his aunt's striking beauty was far different from the slightly comical image his mother had painted. "Nice to meet you, Aunt."
Raatindra scoffed playfully, tapping a long, elegant finger on the low table before them. "Oh, don't make me feel ancient by calling me 'Aunt'! I'm still young, unlike your… more seasoned mother."
Vivienne raised a delicate eyebrow, a wry smile playing on her lips. "You are, in fact, eighty years my senior, sister."
Raatindra's face flushed a delicate pink, and her head slumped forward as if struck by an invisible weight. "Not being married doesn't equate to age, nor does it make you younger. You're nearly a thousand years old, sister. Perhaps it's time you found a suitable companion and settled down."
Vivienne, never one to shy away from a playful jab, stepped on her sister's nerves with practiced ease. Raatindra pouted, murmuring, "Don't sound like Maa… Okay… Most men are weak, and the strong ones are already taken."
Vivienne grinned knowingly. "Ah, so you have a preference for strong men? But in what way, precisely? Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? Verbally?"
Raatindra's blush deepened to the color of a ripe tomato. "Any way! Just… focused, strong men."
Vivienne wore a smug expression. "Well, perhaps men aren't inherently weak, sister. Maybe you are simply… too strong for them."
"You could say that," Raatindra conceded with a sigh.
Vivienne finally shifted the conversation to her purpose. "Well, sister, as entertaining as this is, I'm not here to discuss your romantic prospects. I need to know… where is Mother?"
Raatindra's eyes snapped open, a flicker of surprise in their depths. "You mean… maa? I didn't expect you to seek her help after… what happened last time."
"I need her help urgently," Vivienne stated, her tone firm. "Not just for myself, but for my child as well." She placed a reassuring hand on Aerion's shoulder. "Aerion has awakened… far too early."
Raatindra's gaze sharpened instantly. She looked intently at Aerion, her eyes seeming to assess him from the top of his head to the tips of his small feet. "Yes, you're right. I can sense it. SāraJibh is already manifesting… not fully, but he is well on his way."
"Yes, and that is why I need Mother's guidance," Vivienne explained. "I want her to teach Aerion, to guide him as he navigates the path."
Raatindra looked at her sister in confusion. "But… you are a powerful mage yourself, Ojaswini. No one would question your ability to mentor him."
"I cannot," Vivienne said, her voice tinged with a hint of urgency. "I am the Queen of Sangrael, and Aerion is the heir to the throne. If the news of his early awakening were to leak, he would be in grave danger." She paused, looking down at Aerion, her expression filled with maternal protectiveness. "I won't allow anything to happen to him."
Raatindra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a hint of understanding dawning on her face. "I understand how you must feel. We should wait for Maa. Let her decide." Vivienne nodded, a sense of apprehension clouding her features. It was clear that her relationship with her own mother was complex, perhaps even strained. The way Raatindra spoke of her, and Vivienne's own nervous demeanor, suggested a formidable matriarch.
After what felt like an eternity of tense silence, Vivienne visibly relaxed as she sensed the opening of a nearby door. Within moments, a woman as tall as Vivienne entered the room. She wore similar, though more elaborate, clothing to Raatindra, her bearing suggesting authority. Her features bore a striking resemblance to both Vivienne and Raatindra, yet she possessed a more lean build and an undeniable aura of power. This was clearly Maa ādima, their grandmother. Her face remained aloof as she regarded Vivienne, pausing in the doorway for a fleeting moment. Vivienne nervously wrung her hands. Aerion, sensing his mother's anxiety, gently touched her arm in a silent gesture of reassurance. Maa ādima's gaze flickered towards him, and a subtle, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips before she entered fully and sat beside Raatindra.
"Pranam, Maa," Vivienne said softly, her gaze fixed on the table, her voice betraying her nervousness.
"Likewise," Maa ādima replied, her tone cool and measured.
Vivienne glanced around the room before continuing. "Maa, I would like you to meet your grandson… Areio."
"Arya," Maa ādima corrected gently before Vivienne could finish her sentence.
[Arya?] Aerion thought, the name sounding similar yet carrying a different weight. His grandmother exuded an undeniable presence, a quiet strength that was both intriguing and slightly intimidating.
Maa ādima looked at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she offered a genuine smile. "Pranam, Arya."
Aerion couldn't help but nod in her presence, feeling an almost instinctive respect. Strangely, he couldn't sense her paranh at all; it was as if she possessed none, yet her presence was overwhelmingly powerful, a sensation difficult to articulate.
"Don't be afraid, my child," she said, her voice calm and reassuring, as if she could sense his apprehension. How was it possible? She wasn't emitting any discernible energy, yet she seemed to see right through him. She smiled again, as if understanding his unspoken thoughts. "You can call me Maa ādima, okay?"
"Yes, Grandma Adima," Aerion replied, feeling a strange sense of comfort and unease simultaneously. It felt as if someone had gently patted his head, even though Maa ādima hadn't moved.
"Maa," Vivienne began again, her voice still hesitant. Adima turned her cool gaze towards her daughter. "I… I wanted to apologize, Maa."
"And for what?" Maa ādima's voice was sharp, like the snap of a frozen branch. "I thought strangers owed us nothing?" Raatindra remained silent, observing the exchange with a neutral expression.
"Apologies, Maa," Vivienne repeated, her voice laced with desperation.
It was the first time Aerion had witnessed his strong, confident mother appear so vulnerable, and it stirred a protectiveness within him. He wanted to understand this dynamic, to shield his mother from this coldness.
Suddenly, Maa ādima's gaze snapped to Aerion, and an intense silence filled the room. He saw her lips move, forming words, but no sound reached his ears. He looked at Vivienne, who was responding with words he also couldn't comprehend. It was as if their voices were being selectively filtered, vanishing before reaching his eardrums. He couldn't read their lips, his comprehension seemed to be inexplicably impaired, his intelligence momentarily halved. What was this strange magic?
After several long, silent minutes, Aerion felt Vivienne's reassuring arm around his shoulder. With that simple gesture, the strange auditory distortion vanished.
"Areion…" Her voice was soft. He instinctively tapped his ears. He could hear again.
"What was that, Mother?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.
"Don't worry, little one," she said, smiling down at him. "That was just Grandma's magic." She then looked at him, her expression a mixture of love and a hint of sadness. "Listen to me, my boy… I'm going back home."
"We're going already?" Aerion asked, surprised.
"No, I'm going," Vivienne clarified. "You need to stay here, with Grandma, and learn everything you can from her." Aerion looked around the room, truly taking in his surroundings for the first time. This was his mother's ancestral home. It was richly decorated, filled with intricate carvings, vibrant tapestries, and an ancient, comforting energy.