Without an Invitation

Valcan Drage

Valcan Drage

Dark Arts practitioner | Avid reader
 
Messages
723
OOC First Name
Amanda
Wand
Olivewood 17 3/4'', core of Runespoor Fang
Age
95
Valcan grimaced as he stepped out of the fireplace, rubbing off a spot of soot from his robes with his thumb. Having to travel by the Floo Network did nothing to curb his anger. Not that his rage was in any limited supply. The sixty-six year old was normally composed, an expert at bundling up his emotions and burying them deep, but today he was completely off the handle and wasn't willing to grab onto it again.

He was in a sparsely furnished room. As he hadn't given warning of his arrival, he waited for someone to greet him. The large man's face was awash in scarlet. If he wasn't in the dwelling of an old comrade, he probably would have stormed and stomped in a tantrum that would put any badly behaved two year old to shame.
 
Asparuh was walking down the hall, ready to check on the family tree to see if anything else has recently changed on it. However, he stopped when he heard something that reminded him of someone flooing in. Did he forget to seal the only entrance in the Manor back up? Asparuh opened the door slowly, and instead of using his power to figure out who it was and why they were here, Asparuh stared at the scarlet face of his old comrade. Asparuh's black eyes narrowed as he noticed that Valcan was not in a pleasant mood. Asparuh inquired, "To whom do I owe the pleasure of having you stop by, Valcan?" Asparuh failed to express any emotion, but this was just utterly amusing.
 
The Norwegian wizard locked eyes with the Bulgarian as he was addressed. He was both relieved and slightly disappointed that the head of the house was the one to greet him. Valcan very much wished he had a throat to wrap his fingers around; the precise reason he had left his own home without going to Sarah first. He had to settle for the envelope in his fist. As the words formed on his tongue he curled and uncurled his meaty hand, crunching the paper in a furious rhythm that did not serve to sate such murderous impulses.

"Do you have time to spare?" he asked directly. The old man did not hold sway to the formalities he usually so readily embraced and found comfort in. "There is a matter I believe we must discuss."
 
Narrowing his eyes at the demeanor his friend gave off, Asparuh grew even more curious. Asparuh stated, "I can make time to settle this matter." It was a short response, but it would do. Stepping out of the doorway, Asparuh said, "Perhaps we should speak in a more comfortable area." Indeed, for the room they were currently in was a bit small for Asparuh's liking. He motioned with his left hand to follow, as he led the way down the eerie, medieval hall before the double doors opened to reveal a rather large room, the very one with the family tree upon the wall. The original in which revealed absolutely everything and only the Patriarch of the family can use its magic. Asparuh waited for Valcan to presume his case.
 
With a deep nod, Valcan trailed Asparuh into another room. It took all he had not to rant and rave on the spot. Instead, he fought for his composure and remained quiet for the time being. He glanced at the wall, a chuckle erupting from his throat. The situation was far from funny, however. His eyes trailed from the tree back to his old comrade. Deciding that it would be best to take a seat, the old man did so before speaking. "Have you checked up on your family lately?" he intoned, his voice laced with anger. He jammed the nearly destroyed envelope in his pocket and waited upon a response.
 
Asparuh raised his eyebrows slightly, "No, I haven't." Rather curious on how their family relations could have been mixed up, assuming that was the case. He walked over to the tree, followed his name and lines down. Chavdar had four kids and Hadan, then Asparuh almost sneered in disgust seeing Joseph's name still there without a death date. However, following Kalif's, he saw that there was a new addition to the tree. Estrella's picture. Her name in a light blue to reveal that she was a half-blood. Asparuh glanced back at Valcan and motioned for the large man to come to him. "There is something else on here that you won't exactly like, Valcan."
 
What else could be possibly worse? Valcan rose from the chair against his better judgment to join Asparuh. His brow furrowed in disgust at the tree, then forced himself to look away. The two were much too young to be married. "What is it?" he growled, very much wishing to cut to the chase. He took a few steps away from the Bulgarian. The Norwegian wizard was already rearing for an attack, and if he wasn't careful matters would end very badly for the both of them.
 
Asparuh did not like how this all turned out. Despite the fact that Aleyha was going to get married right after graduation, it was arranged and that was that. But Jaken was married to Valcan's granddaughter. His index finger pointed at the line that descended from their connected pictures. Asparuh stated bluntly, his voice wavering from calm to infuriated, "Estrella is carrying our great-grandchild. She's pregnant." Asparuh had half a mind to summon a pathetic house elf for Valcan to kill, or another for him as well. The last thing he wanted was the two Death Eaters to turn on each other. Both would end up severely hurt or even killed.
 
The words great-grandchild passed through one ear and out the other, then swung around like a boomerang and cracked Valcan in the face. At first he did not say anything. He was sorely tempted to haul back and swing at Asparuh just because he needed something to hit, but he kept his fists at his sides. His voice was surprisingly level. "They are still babies themselves." Normally he would have been impressed by the family heirloom. At the moment it just served to incense him. "I want her here. Now."
 
Asparuh glanced back at the tree and he tapped on Estrella's name. The birth date melted away and instead revealed the location of Estrella. Asparuh sent out a thought to one of his house elves or entered immediately. Asparuh ordered, "Get Estrella. She's here." He pointed at the location before it melted back into the birth date. Immediately, the elf vanished, and Asparuh shook his head. Whether or not Kalif knew about Estrella being pregnant was completely out of his hands, for now. However, as the Patriarch of the family, he also had to handle such a crisis as this. First Thorine, then Nataliia, and now Estrella. Enough was enough. Asparuh muttered, his tone amazingly low and still had the iciness to it, "She should be here in a matter of minutes. Only elf magic can bring someone in right now."
 
Estrella was constantly making up excuses to avoid apparating. For some reason, every time she popped from place to place, she ended up losing her lunch. This time was no exception. As soon as she landed on a firm surface, she reached for the nearest circular object. It was into a beautiful, antique, most likely very expensive vase that she lost her lunch. Grimacing at the sour taste that lingered on her tongue and on the sides of her mouth, she used 'Evanesco' and then 'Scourgify' for good measure to wipe the piece of decor clean. She muttered a quick apology and set it back down.

The eighteen year old wasn't entirely sure where she was or why she was there. A house elf had managed to get into the home she shared with Jaken, and that was really the only reason she had agreed to go with it. And she was bored, anyway. She hadn't had time to leave a note, but at least this was better than sitting on her backside and trying to entertain herself.

She spun around to find herself in a nicely furnished room, though that was little surprise considering the vase she had so promptly hurled in. With a nervous quirk to her lip, she observed the two men. They looked nothing short of pissed off. A knot gathered in the pit of her stomach as she realized they must have found out. Well, the charade had been pleasant when it worked. It was bound to end at sometime or other. "Well, hello. I take it you two needed me for something?"
 
Valcan's upper lip curled in disgust as his granddaughter commenced to vomit in what was once a nice vase. It was bad enough that she was even here. Crossing his arms over his chest, possibly just to keep himself from launching at the teenager and snapping her neck, he glared at Estrella and kept his distance. "You. If you are finished ruining the decor of this respectable pureblood home, take a seat." His instructions were nothing less than an order. The growl that surfaced gained a harsh edge that usually did not find itself in the Norwegian man's voice.
 
Asparuh rolled his eyes, and with a quick flick of his wand, the vase was duplicated and the original vase vanished. He put the wand away and he narrowed his black eyes at her. Asparuh murmured disapprovingly, "First signs..." He took a few steps away from Valcan, giving him plenty of room in case he wanted to rant. Asparuh was having a little difficulty on controlling his anger currently as well. However, thankfully, years of patience managed to keep him from going on a killing spree. Asparuh inquired darkly from Valcan, "Want me to break the news or would you like to do the honors?"
 
Estrella was a bit miffed when she was barked at, but she couldn't say she had expected compliments and a pat on the back. She took a seat instead of arguing. It was more than unnerving to be stuck in a confined space with two displeased men who were well over a foot taller than she was. She tried not to let this get to her head. "Explain what?" she started softly, turning her left palm downward. "I'm married. There's not much to explain." The rings glittered under the light, and she observed them fondly before remembering her present situation. Her half smile crunched into an even smaller frown as Jaken's grandfather spoke. Turning her attention to the Bulgarian man, she asked, "What news?" Her brow furrowed, eyes narrowed as her features were soaked in confusion.
 
Valcan's hands had long since succumbed to a fine tremor, though he took careful measures to hide it. His jaw was taut as he observed the baubles on her finger. Trinkets would do nothing to curb his anger, nor make up for stupidity. Deciding not to respond, he gritted his teeth as he glanced to Asparuh. "You may do it if you like." Control would be lost to him if he spoke much more.
 
"As you wish..." Asparuh closed his eyes, retaining his collected posture, as he took a few steps toward Estrella, glowering down at her. Giving her a look as if he were piercing through her very soul without actually doing any damage, he stated, "You are pregnant, with Jaken's child." It was unknown the future of the child, whether or not it would be a girl or a boy. The tree could not reveal that, not that Asparuh really cared what gender it was. The fact was simple. She was way to young to be a mother. "You don't know this, do you." Asparuh glanced toward the tree, his arms that were across his chest were stiff and tense. Asparuh was as close to a human statue as can be.
 
Estrella's arms wrapped subconsciously around her torso as she listened to the exchange between the two men. She shuddered, feeling as if she had just been completely immersed in a pool of ice cubes. Even though she was drowning in thick clothing, the young woman couldn't seem to avoid the cold lately. She didn't know what she had done to be given such hositility from adults who were clearly well over three times her age. Okay, maybe she deserved the glares she was receiving, but Merlin, they were damned unnerving. The eighteen year old was not sure how to react to what the old man told her. It was like her eyes had been brushed with a glob of glaze, her jaw pulled downward by an invisible marionette.

"What?"
 
Valcan gritted his teeth as Asparuh relayed the unpleasant realities. He had an urge to bash the ignorance out of his granddaughter's head, but kept his distance. Her response served to add even more fuel to the fire. Anger bubbled beneath the blond wizard's skin, raging throughout his entire body and demanding release. He wasn't about to let that happen just yet. Basking in the calm before the storm, he mocked, "What, did your hearing commit suicide along with your common sense?"
 
Asparuh rolled his eyes as he inquired, "Did I not make it clear?" He was surely speaking in English, and he used simple words. It would not take an auror to figure it out. He started to pace the room, back and forth in front of the family tree, his hand plastered to his forehead. Asparuh was getting tired of always being calm and somewhat pleasant to others when they cause shame to the family. If things did not shape up to have some dignity left, then he would resort to using the empty torture chambers again. Screaming and agonizing gasps of pain usually lightened Asparuh's mood.
 
Estrella ignored both men as her gaze took a dive to the floor, the entirety of her body numb. A last ditch attempt to avert her mind had her counting off each groove in the stone. Bending at the waist, she crouched over, placing her head in her hands in a huff. This was not good. She was eighteen, she had a future ahead of her. This wasn't supposed to happen to her now. Hell, she hadn't even been married for a sixth of a year. There were no tears to be shed at this point, but she wasn't willing to show her face either. "How would you even know that?" Her voice was laced with disbelief.
 
Asparuh felt slightly relieved as the news finally started to sink into her head. He glanced over at the tree and he said, "Our ancestor Ivaylo has it charmed to where it shows who has been married, and when a Zhefarovich descendant is produced. That single line dropping from yours and Jaken's name means that you are pregnant, with one child. It would reveal twins but nothing more. I suspect you only have one at this point. You are free to go look at it yourself." Asparuh smirked slightly as well. He knew something else that perhaps she did not know. Whether Valcan knew, it was beyond Asparuh. "There is a certain tradition that would be upheld as well. However, considering you will be pregnant by the six month and sixth weeks of being married, I suppose it will have to wait. In your current condition, it would not be safe for the baby."
 
Having no intention of getting a better look at the stalker's dream, Estrella slid to the back of the armchair and smoothed down her skirt. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Twins would be absolute murder; the prospect of having one baby at this age was bad enough. She had been blind enough to the signs- in all honesty, she had thought she had caught a virus that would pass in time. Well, her current condition definitely wasn't something she'd be immune to afterward.

She peered up at Jaken's grandfather, her hands wandering to her abdomen. "What family tradition are you talking about?" The young woman felt the urge to be sick again, though this time it was more from nerves than anything.
 
Asparuh rolled his eyes and groaned. Jaken did not explain it to her? Asparuh stated coldly, "If you have seen Jaken's back, that tattoo. It is the symbol of the Zhefarovich family. All the descendants have it when they are sixteen. Those who are added in, they too must bare that symbol, upon the shoulder. The Patriarch is the only one permitted to give it to people of the family." Asparuh rather enjoyed giving this mark to the family members. It was very painful. Nataliia and Chavdar received theirs not too long ago, considering they were not raised by a Zhefarovich. His last job was Jaken, and now, it appears his next would be Hadan, and not too long after, Estrella.
 
Of course I've seen that tattoo! Estrella was lucky enough to keep her tongue at bay; it had a tendency of betraying her if she wasn't careful. She had asked about it, but Jaken hadn't said much and she'd respected his space. It was a story she would get to hear sometime or other, she figured. She gave a sideways glance to her grandfather, but did not say anything to him. He seemed to be aggravated with her as it was. At his age, she couldn't say she expected him to be enthusiastic about the addition of a great grandchild to his family. And she wasn't exactly thrilled that two old wizards had gotten to know about her current condition before her husband. Then there remained the problem of breaking it to him. How was she supposed to tell Jaken that he was going to be a father?

Her eyes narrowed at Asparuh, she responded, "Yeah- right." Her voice was dripping with a volatile mix of sarcasm and disdain. "Can't say I see myself mutilating my body in the foreseeable future."
 
Asparuh narrowed his eyes at the young woman, no - the child. If the air could get any colder and the atmosphere could get more tense, it appeared so as his anger built and raged at him to be released. Asparuh reached inside his robes and he said, "You will do as you are told." Asparuh smirked slightly, giving his appearances a darker, fierce expression. His expression one to match those made of nothing but evil. "However..." his eyes wondered to the tree, staring at the one picture on there representing his grandson. "I do see another solution to this problem. Eliminate the marriage, and the abomination from it. One less grandson to me is nothing." Asparuh pointed his wand at Estrella, and he said, "One Cruciatus Curse should eliminate that embryo, especially one that young." Asparuh's look was dead serious, however, while he did continue to aim his wand, he gave no signs that Valcan would recognize that he would indeed fire that curse. Asparuh glanced over at the large man, "It would solve everything. Cruelest way of handling the situation, but I don't see any other way unless she gives in to the Zhefarovich traditions." It has been like this for generations, traditions dating back to the beginning of their bloodline. Asparuh would settle for nothing less.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top