Amaranthine

1: Another Life Begins

I stepped out of the carriage and looked around. Somehow, the mansion seemed larger now that I was standing in front of it rather than looking through the carriage window. It stood looming majestically above me like a giant sign that said "we're rich!"

I barely had time to take in the sight when I heard a dog's bark. I looked to the left to see a great dane running towards me. He barked and ran around the carriage once before circling back to me and slowing to bark again. Deciding he was friendly, I knelt down. The black-spotted dog eagerly approached, wagging his tail.. "Well aren't you a pretty dog," I smiled and rubbed behind his soft spotted ears.

"His name is Danny."

I jumped in surprise and turned my head to see a boy about my age and height standing in the open door of the mansion.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said sheepishly as he walked down the steps. "My name is Jonathan Joestar. It's a pleasure to meet you." Just as his introduction was completed, he stopped in front of me with a polite bow.

"I'm Freya Burrell. It's lovely to meet you too." I curtsied slightly in return.

It was then that I noticed another man behind Jonathan. They shared the same hair color and facial features, so I quickly deduced that they were related.

"You must be Freya." Jonathan's father said. "You look just like your mother."

"So I'm told," I answered politely.

"I am George Joestar. I hope my son has introduced himself to you."

Before I could answer, Mr. Burrell's voice cut in. "George! Wonderful to see you!"

'Father' was like a completely different person as he greeted George Joestar. How two-faced. I couldn't help but scowl after the men as they walked inside.

"Is something the matter?" Jonathan asked.

"Nothing," I replied.

Jonathan and I stayed outside a little longer than our parents. I gave most of my attention to Danny, but Jonathan didn't seem to mind. He was eager to tell me all about his four-legged best friend.

When we decided to enter the mansion, the first thing I noticed was the grand staircase leading to the second floor of the building. To the right of the banisters on the second floor, a stone statue of a woman stood proudly. She held a large jar at her shoulder, her left hand cupping its base from below while her right arm arched over her head and delicately supported the middle of the jar with the tips of her splayed fingers. Her toga draped fluidly over her body with the exception of a slim leg that stepped out, parting the waterfall of stone fabric just above her knee.

"That's the Goddess of Love," Jonathan helpfully declared as he stopped beside me. "She is the guardian of the Joestar family. Well, that's what father told me."

I hummed. The craftsmanship of the statue was certainly worthy of showing off. Placing the statue so centrally in the mansion gave the impression that she was the heart of the family. I admired the statue long enough for Jonathan to wonder aloud if I liked art. "Yes," I responded simply. "I do."

Jonathan walked me around the rest of the mansion and I found it impressive that he had memorized all the rooms and hallways. The rest of the house was expansive and grandiose. Everything seemed to scream of wealth; the extensive collection of books in the library, the grand piano in the ballroom, the amount of decorative items scattered throughout the house. Not to mention the amount of rooms three floors could hold. I was almost certain that I would get lost if I had to walk the mansion on my own.

As soon as the tour concluded, I felt like I'd been walking forever and wanted nothing more than to sink into one of the many plush sofas in the mansion. Jonathan looked much less drained than I felt. He never seemed to run out of energy. He'd been walking around just as much as I had, showing me every room in the mansion and explaining various decorations in each of the rooms. By the time I had to leave, Jonathan had already compelled me to return. And to my surprise, I found myself agreeing.

I had always tried to keep myself closed off from others. It would spare me the pain in the inevitable end. It was selfish, but my friends and lovers didn't have to live with the memories of loss haunting them for the rest of their eternal life. But now, Jonathan was an exception to this rule I'd made. It was the pureness of his actions and words that finally made me let down my guard. He was curious and naive, opening himself up completely to others and gladly absorbing new information. He seemed blind to the way his "friends" would look at him with disdain upon seeing his back. I felt a little jealous of his trust in the world and all of its inhabitants. He was so blind, so innocent.

As soon as I'd opened up more, Jonathan disclosed his favorite location to me. It was a certain tree by the side of the road. On the other side of the tree, the land dipped down to a flowing river. The gentle slant of the land made a nice place to sit. The soft grass and sound of flowing water was serene and relaxing. I quickly became fond of the location myself and joined Jonathan as a regular visitor.

I was sitting under that tree when a familiar great dane ran up to me, eagerly shimmying his way onto my lap. I absentmindedly reached out to pet him before realizing if Danny was here, Jonathan was not far behind. As if cued by my realization, Jonathan spoke.

"Freya! I'm so glad you're here!" He exclaimed.

Hearing something in his tone, I slipped a bookmark between the pages of my book and closed it. "What's wrong, Jojo?" I prompted, looking at him with a frown.

Jonathan sat down in from me. "Yesterday, my adopted brother arrived." He said.

"And?" I prompted. Jonathan didn't respond, looking down as he fidgeted with the end of his shirt. "I see your brother wasn't all that you were expecting," I observed.

Jonathan frowned. "Yes . . . I hate to speak so rudely of another, especially when he is to be my sibling under the same roof, but I can't really find anything good to say about him. He kicked Danny." My eyes widened in surprise at that. "He said it was an accident and that Danny had startled him, but Danny didn't do a thing to him. Dio hates me. He must hate me."

I frowned. "Dio has only been here for a day," I said. "You haven't even gotten to know him yet. Perhaps he's just on edge. He has recently lost his father, leaving him with no surviving parents. He has traveled a far distance from the city to the countryside to become relatives with people he does not know. It's also possible that Dio doesn't open up easily. You know how long it took us to start talking like this. You should give Dio some time to adjust to being your brother."

"You're right," Jonathan sighed. "It's just so frustrating. I want us to get along as brothers."

"I'm sure you will," I said. "Just give it time. A little patience might allow things to change on their own. Perhaps Dio will feel more comfortable in a week."

Jonathan saw my point and nodded in agreement. "I hope you're right," he said. I hoped so too.