Third Person POV

The footsteps of a little child could be heard in the hallways of DeLuca mansion.

The little girl barely seven years was clutching her teddy bear Browny and passing the hallways just like she always did when everyone was asleep.

The child had been made well aware that her presence annoyed her brothers and made them very meany.

Though she had learnt her lesson the hard way , when startled by her presence one day her brother Clyde had dropped his art project which resulted in her getting screamed at by her brother as well getting punishment from her nanny.

The little girl hated her nanny not because that old lady made her eat yucky food but she would punish her by hitting her.

Just remembering about Mrs. Poppy sent shivers through her body.

The fact that she was out of bed so late at night and roaming the hallways of the Castle , as she liked to call the mansion , will get her being punished severely. But this was the only time she could go anywhere she wanted in the Castle .

Her brothers always gets too angry at her when she's anywhere w without one of her Nanny or any maid.

The young girl had alaways felt bad whenever one if her brothers were angry at her, to her they were knights and bestest so she always tried to make them happy.

But the cook Mrs. Nelly had explained to her that her brothers were only worried about her because she has a weak heart and they don't want her to be alone if anything goes wrong.

The little girl always wanted to argue that, her brothers can also stay with her and that it was not their concern that made them unhappy with her but her was presence alone was enough to ruin their day but she always stayed silent, she didn't wanted to make Mrs Nelly angry with her too.

She was the only one who has ever shown the little some affection in her little life...

Lost in her thoughts she didn't realize she had reached near the bar in the mansion. If she was not allowed to roam freely she was strictly prohibited to come any near the bar.

She stiffened hearing voices coming from the bar. She knew she needed to run away from there before anyone will catch her but something prompted to move closer and listen to their conversation.

She knew eavesdropping is only done by bad girls or brats but it was her father's voice, someone she has only met handful times from a distance in her life prompting her to listen to him

To know how his voice sounds.
To know does he sound the same way father's in the stories read by Mrs belly sounded ?
She wanted to know was his voice deep and strict harsh winter breeze like her eldest brother Alaric or caring and thoughtful warm breeze like Theodore.

The little though always kept at a distance by her brothers kept all the little memories of moments she had with them in her heart.

Even when Mrs Nelly always said she should be careful with her heart because it's very fragile and her family too rough , it didn't matter to the young child for who her whole heart belonged to her brothers.

The little girl padded through the hallway slowly to stand next to door hidden behind a pillar. She clutched browny more tightly and pressed her lips in a thin line and focused on listening the conservation going inside the room unaware of their little spectator.

She was loosing interest in their conversation, trying to make out slurred words spoken by her father to whom she guessed was her eldest brothers, Alaric and Blake who were twenty one side twenty years old respectively.

She was going to walk away from there when she heard her name being mentioned

" What will do with Malantha ?" Her older brother Blake questioned their father in an annoyed tone.

The little girl Malantha, stood rooted in her place instead of running off hearing her name. She was a curious little thing.

" what do you mean ?" Their father, Thomas questioned highly intoxicated.

" You can't be seriously wanting that bastard to grow around us right ?" Blake spoke, venom practically dripping his words

Malantha visibly flinched hearing so much hate in her brothers tone directed at her.

She wasn't a bastard
She had a name
She was Malantha DeLuca

She wanted to tell her brother but she stood there silently.

" so what do you want me to do huh?" Thomas replied getting annoyed.

It wasn't that he wanted to keep the child which tainted his reputation as well destroyed his marriage and relationship with his sons.

"Can't you just send her somewhere? Like a boarding school or something ?" Blake questioned their father.

Among the brothers Blake despised Malantha the most because he was closest to his mother and tye birth of malantha not only destroyed their family but actually drove their mother to the point of insanity where she committed suicide.

"you know we can't send her away. Her health is very fragile and she can become our enemies target very easily" Alaric spoke in a emotionless tone but one could understand that he was irritated.

Among all the brothers Alaric was someone who genuinely cared for his sister. He was fourteen when everything happened so he knew better to not blame an innocent child for their parents actions. But the same could not be said about his brothers.

"Do you think I want that little bitch here ? I would've thrown her into brothel if my parents didn't knew about her" Thomas shouted at Blake

" You could've left at her at an orphanage or something." Blake argued back

" You think I didn't think about it ? I didn't think she'll live for long after being born premature when i tried to kill her mother. That's what the doctors told me . But that bitch didn't die till now ! Do you think I didn't tried to get rid of her ?" Thomas shouted back at his son , too lost in intoxication.

The siblings froze.

Blake though despised his sister , didn't want her dead.

Alaric was shocked to learn that his father harbored so much hate for his own daughter. The eldest son had never been able to comprehend the hate his family held towards malantha.

And the little girl Malantha , she had tears streaming down her face. Did her family hated her this much ? Her father tried to kill her.

The little girl tried her best to muffle her sobs and quietly ran away from there not willing to give anyone any indication if her presence.

But unknown to her someone had known her presence that day but thing nothing to pacify the little girl.

This probably was the first of the many times people close to her willingly ignored her hurt because they too much of a coward to face the innocent girls pain.
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