Welcome to Gaia! ::

A fire burned brightly in the great marble fireplace. A young man, maybe 17, stood in front of it, sipping a glass of deep red wine. Someone knocked at the door gently, as if trying not to disturb the boy. "Come in," said the boy.

A thin butler stepped into the room. "Master Sebastian, your mother is asking to see you, sir."

Sebastian sighed and ran his finger through his shoulder length black hair. "Go ahead and tell her I'm coming, Gaston. I just want to finsh this glass and I'll be there in a minute."

Gaston nodded his head and said, "Very good sir. But, please, be quick about it."

He turned and left. Sebastian chuckled quietly. "That man is more jumpy than a cricket." He drained his glass and walked out of the room. Turning a corner, he ran into one of the maids. "Oh, Charlotte, I'm so sorry," he said, lifting her to her feet.

Charlotte curtsied and said, "I should watch where I'm walking. This is the third time I've run into you like this. One of these days, one of us is going to get hur."

Sebastian laughed and kissed her cheek. "We should both be more carefull." Sebastian went down the hall to his mother's door and knocked quietly. "Mama, are you awake?"

"Come in, Sebastian, dear," his mother called. Sebastian walked into the room and sat next to his younger brother, Jean-Pierre.

"Mama, how are you going to go to sleep if you keep drinking coffee this late at night?" said Sebastian, gently taking the mug form his mother's shaking hand.

"Mama, is everything alright?" asked Jean-Pierre, fiddling with his cross necklace.

Maria shook her head and said, "No, my dears, everything is not well. Your father...your father..." She began to sob. Jean-Pierre clutched Sebastian's arm and said in a quaking voice, " 'Bastian, what is the matter with Mama?"

Sebastian brushed his brother's hand away and knelt down by the side of Maria's chair. "Mama, look at me." He grabbed his mother's shoulders and shook her slightly. She locked her caramel brown eyes with her son's deep violet ones. "Now, please, tell me where is Papa?"

Maria averted her eyes and said, "He is dead. The boat he was on sank. Pirates killed the survivors."

Jean-Pierre gasped audibly and tears began to stream from his lavender eyes. "Papa... is d-dead?" Maria took Jean-Pierre into her arms.

Sebastian, however, calmly walked to the hge bay window and pressed his left hand on the glass. It felt cool, firm, comforting. With his right hand, he traced the halo around the full moon, then the figure of Orion. Papa siad that, while he was gone, I would be the man of the house. I guess i really am now, he thought bitterly. He clenched his hand into a fist.

"Sebastian, did you hear what I said?" his mother called from across the room.

Wrentched from his thoughts, Sebastian turned and faced Maria. "No, Mama. I forgot myself," he muttered.

Maria walked over to him and pet his cheek. Then she said, "Gaston, please take Jean-Pierre to his room and give him some chamomile tea."

Gaston put his arm around Jean-Pierre's shoulders and said, "Come on now, Young Master Jean. Let's get you into bed."

Maria waited until they were safely out of earshot to speak. She sighed. "Sebastian, now that Christophe-your father-is gone, you are the Duke of Lucherie by law. And with that title comes a legacy. The eldest male child of the deceased Duke is visited by the Lucheries of the past. As you know, your father was not the eldest son. Your uncle Dominic declined the title when your grandfather died. So your father never saw the ghosts. But, Sebastian...you will. You are the man of the house now."

Sebastian stared at her is disbelief. Then he started laughing. "Ghosts? Ghosts?! Do you honestly expect me to believe that there are ghosts in the manor? Let's just assume I am not a complete moron. Mama, you of all people are the last person I expected to believe somthing like this. Why would I see ghosts?"

Maria sat down in her chair and said, "I think to help them finish out their last reguests." She kissed her son on the forehead and told him to get to bed. "Your duties begin tomarrow."

Sebastian was lost in thought as he slowly walked to his chamber and climbed into bed. " 'Bastian, can I sleep with you tonight? The manor seems so empty," asked his brother from the open door.

Sebastian smiled sleepily and said, "Come on, but shut the door. It will get cold if you don't."

Jean-Pierre shut the door and clambered into the bed next to Sebastian. "What's wrong, Jean? You are shaking."

"I feel cold all over. I just.. I just can't believe Papa is actually gone," said Jean-Pierre.

He looked into his big brother's violet eyes, Sebastian looked into his little brother's lavender ones, and an understanding passed between them. "You are going to be the Duke now, aren't you?"

Sebastian nodded. "I hope nothing changes between us, 'Bastian," whispered Jean-Pierre.

He turned and Sebastian said, as if partly to reassure himself, "Do not worry, Jean. Nothing will change."

ok i fixed the bunched up problem