Not long enough.

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

It had been months since Asparuh really looked at the family tree. Even though he received word that Arnost had gone back to Thorine, Asparuh no longer cared. As long as it kept that woman out of his hair. He stared at all the new additions to the tree, with his arms folded across his chest. Asparuh's evil, piercing black eyes peered over the names and pictures, until he came across one that he was not familiar with. Avory McKenna. Asparuh shook his head at the father of her child. It just had to be Axel, didn't it? Asparuh mentally summoned an elf, and he ordered, "Fetch ink, parchment, and a quill. Now." The elf scurried out of the Patriarch's lair, and Asparuh waited patiently. If the tree had not messed up somehow and only showed Ylva, then maybe he did not have to force them to marry in the first place.

He had spent a few weeks researching about that woman's family, and truthfully, Asparuh did not appreciate what he discovered. After the elf set the items it was ordered to fetch upon a furnished black wooden desk, Asparuh ordered it to go on. Walking over to the desk, and taking a seat to write out the letter, to inform Axel of the news. Whether or not Axel was happy, Asparuh did not care. Although, hearing about this news could make Axel request a divorce, but to make the grant final would take months. However, while he was writing the letter, Asparuh did not notice the flames in the fireplace turn a gorgeous emerald color, as Asparuh had not put the charms back over the fireplaces to ensure that they were cut off from floo travel.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Honestly deep down, Liyla had no clue what she was thinking by doing this. But something deep within the back of her mind told her she should visit Asparuh and at least see how he is doing, whether of not this was a smart decision she decied to not think about that for now. So without another thought, she flooed to the Zhefarovich Manor, where there was no doubt in her mind that Asparuh would be there. Emerging from the fireplace, she felt her heart begin to speed up to the point where she thought it was going to burst. 'It's been fifteen years....and it seems like nothing has changed." Liyla was almost unsure if she wanted to say something to disturb the peace, but he'd probably notice her soon anyways.

"Long time no see, Asparuh." Her voice was soft yet taunting. She knew he would probably be unhappy at her sudden return, but it was worth it to see him again.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Just finishing the letter, he motioned for an elf through means of Legilimency to send the letter off to Axel using the family raven. However, Asparuh continued to hear footsteps, coming from behind him and from the fireplace. Then, that voice that Asparuh was sure that he wouldn't hear for another forty years or so. Asparuh muttered in Bulgarian, "Oh, sh*t." Asparuh stood up from the chair, and slowly turned to see the woman standing before him. Even after fifteen years, she looked the same, as did he. Red, curly hair and cold, green eyes; a sure enough family trait coming from the Mirayinov family. Asparuh had hoped that he killed her so long ago, and maybe the tree just did not update.

Asparuh narrowed his eyes upon Liyla, and he said, "Apparently not long enough." Asparuh had to admit that she even acted the same as before, which only annoyed him more. Asparuh folded his arms across his chest, and he made sure that he had his wand at ready just in case he would have to show her exactly which of them were stronger. Asparuh hated the fact that she was a traitor to the Death Eaters, but there was nothing he could do about it. Her reasons were simple; she wanted to be a mother. Yet, why give up the four beforehand? Oh yes, Asparuh remembered, he was far more offensive then than he was now. More in controlled yet he was far more deadly now than then.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Liyla's smile faded when she heard Asparuh curse, she hadn't really expected anything less but it still struck her the moment she heard him say it. Stepping more into the room she observed the room carefully, which also seemed unchanged to her. "Way to break a girls heart right open." Her voice almost sounded cold, but it was still filled with slight amusement that she knew wasn't going to fade as long as she was around Asparuh. Starting to pace slightly she made sure to keep a careful eye on Asparuh in case he decided he had enough

"So, how are my babies doing?" Liyla asked about her children casually, it had been so long since she really had any contact them and she missed them all dearly. After all, the reason she had left the Deaths Eaters in the first place, to be a mother and not a killer. "Maybe I should ask how your doing as well." She crossed her arms over her chest and stopped pacing, now she was standing directly in front of Asparuh's desk, giving him a serious look.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Asparuh kept his icy, evil eyes upon Liyla, taking in every move she made, every expression upon her face. Any sort of sign that she would lash out, without him probing her mind. Asparuh rolled his eyes and he thought harshly, Apparently attempting to kill you so long ago was not enough of a wake up call as to who I am. "Does it look like I care if I did break a girls' heart?" inquired the Death Eater without a single emotion on his face, but a touch of annoyance was in his voice. There was no telling what a Mirayinov could do, after all, they were ruled by red-headed, hot-tempered women. Both families mixed, and there was no telling how badly this could end up. Both were too proud to submit to the other.

Asparuh shook his head, "Your offspring are either married, getting married, or in school. But you wouldn't know that because you put them up for adoption instead of taking your role as a mother. However, you took that role for one, and only one. The other four think you are dead." The last word was laced with venom as he had hoped that she somehow died in some tragic 'accident' or even get killed by something muggle. Asparuh stared down upon Liyla, the proud pure-blood like himself. Asparuh spoke once more, "Don't ask how I am doing. We both know that you don't need to meddle in with my business. You aren't apart of this family, and don't deserve to know how the Patriarch is." Asparuh glanced at the entrance to the Patriarch's lair, where the doors once stood. Just days ago, he ordered a special craftsman to make new doors, and so far, they weren't done. It was all just a reminder of how strong Asparuh can be when he is pushed over the limit.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Liyla kept her cold green eyes glued on Asparuh as he lips curled up in slight amusement, some things just never changed and she could honestly say this was one of those things. "It's lovely to see you haven't changed at all Asparuh." Her voice might have been mistaken as cruel to most, but in a way she was still teasing him slightly. Liyla knew that Asparuh disliked her greatly and probably wanted nothing more than her death, but she didn't care in the slightest bit. Whether he wanted her to or now, she cared for him, and came back to see him. she just hope the fighting could stay minimal for just a bit longer, after fifteen years you'd think that they would be more civil.

"Oh my." Liyla had to admit that is was almost hard to hear that her children had grown up so much without her, they all have lives now that probably didn't include her, and it almost hurt. At least they were alive and seemed to be able to take care of themselves, in the end she supposed that was what every mother wanted. To see their babies make a life for themselves and live happily. "I suppose your right that I shouldn't ask, but by the look of those doors....you still have that temper of yours." Liyla's green eyes stared onto the door for a moment, trying to picture what could have angered him enough to cause something like that. To be honest she was somewhat unsure if she wanted to know.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

"No, I have not changed. However, seems like your years of not being a Death Eater anymore have left you soft," cursed Asparuh. Though even he knew that Liyla still had it in her to kill someone, but with the right reasons. Asparuh however did not need a reason to kill. He just did, and that was that. Although at times, he did have a good reason. Dorothee was a pathetic half-breed and Namina stood up to him and was trying to soften her children and Kalif. Asparuh just would not stand for that nonsense. Asparuh was not getting angry with Liyla, but just a little irritated like before in the past. It was rare to have him be civil to anyone anymore. He was once civil to Alphonse, but look how that turned out now. Asparuh nearly killed Alphonse.

"It was your fault you know. You let fear get in the way. You feared that I would harm those children, when you didn't approve of the ways I raised my other children, such as Kalif. You adopted them out, you don't deserve to see them again." The words were harsh, and the meanings were there. Asparuh honestly was not entirely pleased with having to give the symbol of the Zhefarovich family later on their children than normal. However, Azerail and Raven would receive theirs on time, and on schedule. "My temper is the same, but I happened to have found out some perturbing news and the matter has been dealt with accordingly."

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Liyla looked at Asparuh as if he has lost his mind, he thought she had gone soft? With a shake of her head she crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you know just as well as I that with the right reasons, I would kill a person within a heartbeat." Her voice was cold and taunting, she may care for her children but she had not gone truly soft. She tried to keep her composure if front of Asparuh and make it seem like she was fully in control of the way she was feeling, but deep inside her emotions were running rampant, why had she come to see him, was it really something she should have done to herself?

"It's not like you did anything to calm the fear Asparuh, I believe I have every right to see them." She spoke calmly, trying her best not to let him turn the situation completely against her. Liyla believe that she truly had a reason to do what she did, and she would not let herself fall to believe that it was all a selfish act. "Perturbing news, what could that be?" whatever it was, had to be something quite bad to make Asparuh's temper sink to such a dangerous level like that. Perhaps it was something left unsaid.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Asparuh's blank expression finally changed. A subtle smirk now appeared. "Really..." the Patriarch said, "Just how far would you allow them to push you until they deserved death? I once knew that someone like yourself could kill without reasons, which was the reason why I admired you more than Tsvetanka. She could only kill if needed, the filth. But now, I see differently." Asparuh took a step toward her, close enough to kill, and almost touching. Just inches apart. The smirk faded, as he resumed his cold expression. Asparuh almost could not believe that she was still here, and had not departed yet. Despite the younger years of being inseparable, Asparuh did not feel that same sense of almost dependency that she had with him, or vise versa.

Asparuh retorted, "You know how guarded this manor is, you know that if I had one of my 'episodes' back then that they would have been safe from me for the time being. See them if you will. I won't stop you, but whether or not they accept you as their mother once more is beyond my control." Asparuh felt that same, deep wrath start to return when she mentioned that news of how he destroyed the doors. Asparuh answered acknowledgedly, "The Head of the Snow family got our daughter, Nataliia, pregnant, just weeks after her filthy muggle of a husband was killed. I am still upset over that, and that I didn't get to break his neck first." Asparuh glanced over at the tree, and was tempted to burn off Joseph's name, making it only visible here and not on the copies of the tree. Alas, he made no such move to.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

At the very mention of her daughter marrying a muggle, Liyla's mouth dropped and a looked of great disgust took over. Despite the fact that wanted to see her children all married and happy someday, she did not count a filthy muggle into the mix of something she wanted to see. "Thank god for small favors." She said referring to the death of her muggle husband, however the mention of her becoming pregnant from a Snow interested her. Last she heard, they were all into hiding due to their last leader being a bit afraid of the Aurors. They must have a new leader, of one of them actually gained the ability to be less stupid.

"How far would I go? Depends on how much I hate the person who decides to push my buttons." Liyla attempt to keep herself calm as the closeness between her and Asparuh. It seemed almost forever since she had been with him, but the feeling felt just as strong as it had all those years ago. 'Damn him.' She couldn't tell if he was taunting her or if he had no idea how she still felt, or was feeling rather.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Asparuh was pleased to see that she still agreed with him over the muggle issue. He hated seeing that lime green color on his tree. How much lower it was to the maroon colors of the pure-bloods. Although the color of navy did not bother him because of Kalif mostly. His son was perhaps the best of them all, the darkest, the wisest, and the most powerful of his siblings. "What god would have done would be saving him from the accident, so I think you should be thanking the devils for that, Liyla." If only he was the devil that caused that accident. Or even Kalif for that matter. If Asparuh was there to hear the news, then he would have laughed, regardless of Nataliia's feelings.

"You truly have not changed much at all, or have you..." Asparuh stared into green eyes, and within a moment's time, his mind went into hers. So, she was just as cruel and heartless - with the exception of her family and children - as before. However, there was something else that he found, something he was not pleased to know. Asparuh retreated out of her mind, and he glared down at her. Asparuh spoke, "You are foolish to love someone who can never return such feelings to you. Someone who can never understand the whole ordeal, because it is that feeling that makes a person weak and vulnerable. To care for that someone's life over your own."

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Wheeling around to look at Asparuh with widened green eyes she was honestly shocked beyond all reason, how did he know of her feelings? She expected greatly for them not to be returned by Asparuh, but she didn't expect him to know that either. "But, I can't change the way I feel Asparuh." Liyla understood where he coming from though, he was who he was and no one was going to be able to change him, not even her. In all, Liyla respected the space Asparuh wanted and figured that he deserved it after all he had to go through everyday, was it really a foolish decision to love him still and have left her her old life behind all those years ago?

"I respect your space though, if you don't want to be bothered then...I'll leave." It was a lot easier to do this than to say that she wanted nothing more than to stay here with his regardless of what he thought. But she didn't want to anger probably one of the best moods that Asparuh could manage...being him and all, so she said the second best thing she could think of.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Glaring down at her with narrowed eyes, a cold, heartless expression, Asparuh could not say by any means that she respected his space. Liyla was not as clingy as Tsvetanka was, and was grateful for that. Anything that clung to him needed to be removed permanently. No matter the blood or relation. "If you wish to leave, then I won't stop you, however, you will not be leaving just yet. Highly irritated that you had to give up what surely belonged to the family but needless to say that the children are back where they are supposed to be, you have yet to answer me one question." Asparuh turned and he walked over to his chair, assuming the fact that she would follow and sit on the couch somewhat in front of him.

Even though half the time he was facing the fire, he was facing away from it now, the light of the fire giving off dancing shadows to the back of his chair. Asparuh continued, "I know how you feel, and I know why you did what was done, and nothing can be changed about that willingly. However, you managed to keep Klarissa Raven Mirayinov from me, and keep her to raise her. I would not have minded that, though I know that if it proceeded much longer, then the ways of my family, the blood that pumps in her veins would be ignored. I wonder, how long would you have done such a mindless act, and think that I would not have hunted you down and spilled your family's blood for keeping a Zhefarovich descendant away from contact with the other descendants?" Truth be told, Asparuh tolerated Liyla's presence half the time - even though she irritated him to no end. However, he had to live with much worse, Raisa and Rayna, who were much more of a pain to him than she was. If he could hold his temper from them, the Liyla was nothing to worry about.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Liyla immediately paused and turned to glance at Asparuh with cold green eyes, she had still yet to answer a question of his? For a moment she felt like she should just ignore his statement and leave, but it seemed like he wasn't going to allow her to leave just yet, so without a word of argument she went over and sat on the couch that was somewhat in front of him. Whether or not she was going to like it, she would listen to what Asparuh had to say. Surprisingly it was about their daughter that Liyla had kept and raised herself, she had almost forgotten that he would know about her existence because of the tree. "I suppose I ignored the fact that the ways of your family would be absent in her." It had been fifteen years since she had left, and not once had he come to seek her out, perhaps he really had thought of her to be dead or such. Chances were that if she had never shown up, things would have stayed the same.

"I'm going to assume that you will want to see her, or have me bring her around the manor." At first she was surprised to hear herself say those words out loud, but she didn't regret it. Asparuh did have a right to see her, and she had a right to know about her family. Has Liyla really been selfish to the point of this happening?

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

"Ignoring the ways of my family in a Zhefarovich descendant, the consequences should be your head on a stick." Asparuh spoke harshly. "However, considering that you are willing to negotiate, yes, bring her to the manor." Asparuh did not care to know why she had left and never returned for he had no feelings for her, just like he had none for anyone. His black eyes penetrated her piercing green, and he muttered, "Your family have caused the Zhefarovich nothing but issues in the past, and I suggest you right them now before I perform a genocide against those red-headed pure-bloods of yours, Matriarch."

Asparuh continued, "How you right them, is simple. Correct the mistakes and bring Klarissa here for permanent residence so she will learn about the other side of her family, and though this will be a bit of a change, I will not care if her mother is there. I do not entirely believe a child should be separated from its mother. Two recent members of the family learned the hard way." Asparuh glanced over at Namina's and Dorothee's death-dates on the tree, smirked slightly, and he concluded, "That is my final word." Asparuh waited calmly for Liyla's response. It was a reasonable request - more like threat. In any case, Liyla would be foolish not to take this offer.

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Liyla knew that Asparuh wasn't playing around when he offered demanded her to right the wrongs of Mirayinov family, by doing something she never expected him to say. As much as it shocked her and as much as she wanted to decline out of nervousness or of memories, she knew it wasn't really a choice with Asparuh. "Permanent residence?" Her and Klarissa move into the Zhefarovich manor, as Liyla would not dare to leave her daughter alone at a time like this and in a place like this. Did Liyla really have what it takes to make things right so quickly, she had expected anything but this to happen, but there was nothing she could really do about it now either. Lifting her cold green eyes to stare in Asparuh's she knew her decision;

"I suppose I have no choice, Klarissa and I will move here." Inside she supposed she wanted to live here with Asparuh once again. Making this right was not going to be easy to accomplish, but it was the really right thing to do. 'D*mn my feelings.' She shouldn't care at all what Asparuh thought and just leave, but she couldn't, her heart wasn't going to let her.

 

[Asparuh Zhefarovich III]

Asparuh nodded, and did not make a smart comment about her repeating what he stated so clearly. As dangerous of a manor this one was, it was also the safest from outside intrusion. Both of them would be safe from outsiders, however that is not to say on how they will be safe if they were to anger him. "I see that your intellect has remained after all these years. I would have been unimpressed if it had lessened." Asparuh stood up, and his hands dusted off his robes. Asparuh knew that Liyla had lived here before, but the upstairs chambers have changed about many times. "I'll show you to your new room then. Things have changed since you have been gone, and new people are living here, such as Rayna and Raisa." Without another word, Asparuh turned, expecting Liyla to follow him, and show her to her new living for a new life...

 

[Liyla Mirayinov]

Following Asparuh suit and standing, Liyla almost felt as if she had just sold her soul to the devil himself, she loved Asparuh as much as her heart could allow, but at the same time she was afraid. How different would things be, would she be happy hear, would Klarissa be angry with her? There were so many thoughts flying through her head that she almost hadn't noticed that Asparuh had begun to walk off, with barely hear able sigh she followed after him, willing to except the changes that moving here with her daughter was going to bring.