Chapter 534 - Cassandra Ⅱ (2/2)
Rowan grimaces, before unenthusiastically answering in a monotone voice, ”Despite Aunt Georgine's enthusiasm on the subject, it would seem that a great deal of preparation for that day involves the memorization of countless genealogies of those to be invited to the event.”
”Your grandmother would have taught you and Severus earlier-,” Reginald started to say, before his voice trailed off. A heavy silence falls over the room upon recalling the deceased Sirsa Prince.
Not wanting to discuss the still sensitive subject, Rowan rises to her feet and says, ”Then I shall be going now,” and turns to leave, before coming to an abrupt halt at the door. Without turning back, she asks over her shoulder, ”Grandfather, you never asked me about how I came to acquire said mysterious knowledge?”
”We are Prince's,” Reginald snorted. ”We always know that which we shouldn't.”
”True enough, I suppose,” Rowan said with a bit of a chuckle, before opening the door and closing it shut behind her.
The faint smile on Reginald's lips fades away as he turns his gaze to the single word on the piece of parchment on his desk, ”HYDRA.” It reminded him of a story that he had once heard during his stay with his cousins in the ancestral land. It was said that there once was a wizard, who wished for immortality, but could not achieve it. And so, he sought to kill another, when he discovered that he could break his soul into pieces. And he did, but he was betrayed by one of his own, and they, who destroyed his vile work, the infamous parselmouth known as Herpo, the Foul.
However, unlike the rest of the wizarding world, there was a small detail to this ancient historical tale clouded in myth and legend that had not been lost. It was said that an apprentice had survived and carried away the work of his beloved master. It was whispered to the Hassan children as a warning and a lullaby, ”Hush, little child, be good. Hush, little child, the beast comes. Hush, little child, he will eat you. Hush, my child, hush.” And even legends are based on long forgotten facts.
Rising to his feet, Reginald tosses the parchment into the fireplace and watches the parchment curl up into smithereens. Turning away, he departs from his study and makes his way up to the attic to find the handsome, ghostly figure of Sir Knight Prince playing chess with his body. Without even glancing up from his match, Sir Knight Prince says, ”Well, what is it, Reginald? It certainly must be interesting if you have come to visit me, all the way up here.”
”I have a question for the keeper of the Prince household,” Reginald formally said causing Sir Knight Prince to frown.
”Are you certain that you wish to invoke that vow, Reginald?” Sir Knight Prince coldly asked, no longer seeming like the peaceful, friendly ghost that he was, but something far more frightening and inhuman. The temperature in the attic begins to plummet as an icy breeze is felt and the lit candles begin to flicker and burn with blue flames.
”Yes,” Reginald steadfastly replied with a determined glint in his eyes.
”So, mote be,” Sir Knight Prince as the ghostly body grabbed the ghostly head and placed it on the ghostly body. Strangely, and against impossible odds, the head and body almost seemed to reconnect to form a terrible gaping wound around the entirety of the neck.