My father was the first to break the silence, “Midnight, is this true?”

I looked down and barely managed to mumble out, “Yes.”

He lloked injured at my reply; almost as if I was purposely trying to hurt him. The woman, however, looked positively ecstatic. “That settles it then. She’ll come with me when everyone leaves and make a trip to the Goddess straight away-”

“And if I don’t want to go?” They both looked surprised. It was the first time I’d talked aloud willingly since I came with the woman. “What if I’d rather stay with my father, here, than go there to see her majesty the Goddess who never did anything to get us back when we left, who doesn’t care an ounce about us over here, not to mention I’d be going with you!” I turned on the woman and my eyes glowed with anger and hatred. “Who are you to take me away from my father and my home?”

She sighed and looked at me reluctantly, “Mothers have the right to be protective.”