Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was here. It was finally time. After recovering as fully as possible, save the scarred rune now etched into his chest (which would be super cool if it didn't absolutely suck). His body was still in a constant, aching pain, but it wasn't anything he couldn't push through. The first few days had been touch and go, but he'd been kept safe with Linsey, Ella, Radovan, and the entire Grey family. Convincing them not to tell the Aurors or Healers had been the biggest challenge. Thankfully, they'd been convinced to allow him to hide off the radar. Then the next biggest step had been going home once more. It took him several moments before he was able to enter after Radovan had read him in as a secret keeper for his own house. He was looking for the damage, but apparently his brother had deep cleaned everything. The only sign of anything having happened was a framed drawing having been moved off the wall, an empty hook where it had previously been. Even after managing to step in, he still had to sleep a few nights at the Grey house, his mind too terrified of potential danger to sleep. Thankfully, they were kind enough to let him use the guest room until he was ready to be home.

As he continued recovering, Radovan continued to coach him on strategies to keep himself safe. He explained more about the upcoming issues, including a bit more information about the Antonov family. Apparently there was a secret society of sorts planning vengeance against Markus. He had been home with Linsey and Ella when Radovan appeared, dressed like he was preparing for Soldați Perfecți duties. Serghei could only sigh when Radovan said he should dress the same. Serghei nodded, shaky hands changing into his all-black attire. Before he left his room, he grabbed his cloak and looked at himself in the mirror. He hated being back in this outfit, hated that he had to go back home.

When he was done, Serghei stepped out into the living room. Seeing the fear in Ella's eyes broke his heart. He tried to stay strong as he pulled his cloak safely around him, crying out in pain when it felt like his chest was being scarred all over again. Thankfully, the scars remained in place, but he noticed the pinned stars shift to a deep red hue. Radovan offered some reassurance before noting Linsey's lack of warmth. "I can help with that." He stepped into his room, returning with his cloak from Durmstrang. "Here, the gold will look lovely on you." He wrapped her up, carefully clasping the chain below her throat. It was black, lined with a rich yellow, matching the colors of house Keltainen.

Once Linsey and Ella were bundled up, the boys held them each close before using the portkey. They had to make sure if apparation was needed, both were attached to someone who could get them to the correct destination. And then.... there it was. Home sweet home. Here, he allowed his brother to take the lead. They had a very specific plan. Ella would slip through the vents and rafters, Radovan would play the part of soldier while secretly playing on the defensive team, and Serghei and Linsey were a distraction. They were bait.

He watched, biting his lip hard as Ella was used as a blood offering to access the door. She stepped over to have Linsey heal while Radovan spoke on next steps. "Stay safe. Stay alive." When the oldest of the group vanished in place, Serghei sighed. "Okay. Linsey, you and I shall walk to the ballroom. It is where we would hold duels and it is set up for magical battles. It won't take long before Father responds to the alerted wards. Ella, as soon as feet hit the door, we're going to distract. You remember how to get in the vent next to the door, right?" The girl nodded, her eyes wide.

"I... I remember, yes. And how to get up to the rafters. Just... don't let me fall." Serghei pulled her into a hug. "I will not allow any harm to befall you. It is on my life I will keep you safe." She nodded, then led the way. After she took a breath, she ran on swift feet into the house as Serghei stepped immediately after. "Linsey, my love. I do not want to admit this, but I have a heart full of fear. I know that Radovan is right. That we need to do this, and yet, I wish there were another way. I wish we could talk out our problems and just separate calmly from the family. I wish that kindness would work here. But today... today I must become someone I do not wish for you to know. I never wanted to bring you here, to the family or to the drama. But I do want you to know that I love you with every bit of my very soul and that I would not trade our moments together for all the riches of the world." He paused, looking into her eyes with a small grin. "These walls have housed monsters of all sorts, and most of them will hate you just for being you. Please, do not let their words wound you. Know that they will never matter to us. All we have to do is convince Father and my Brothers not to look outside the room."

He sent over another grin as he gently squeezed Linsey's hand. Serghei let out a heavy sigh and allowed his face to drop into a carefully prepared mask as the sound of seven apparations landed, one by one. "Here we go."

The summer was approaching her height, and Markus could feel the bitter tension amongst his ranks. Ever since he returned home and announced to the boys that Serghei had been dealt with, there was a certain divide. The older boys all cheered, calling their brother a traitor and a fool, but the youngest two... Well. Radovan had been infuriated, earning his punishment of removing the evidence. Demyan hadn't reacted either way, but he didn't quite seem pleased about the situation. Ivona had cried, though Markus reminded her that she was not to interfere with any form of punishment earned to the boys. They were his property and he would be the only one to handle them. It had long since been agreed upon, that she was allowed to coddle them as babies, but beyond that, they were Soldiers. They were his.

Following that event, Radovan had been distant. He had been avoiding home, only showing up when absolutely required. It caused Markus to raise alarm. There was certainly something off about his behavior, but Radovan had always been good at avoiding conversation. Even when faced down with a six-part duel, Radovan had refused to speak on the matter. It meant all the more that Markus needed to convince his fifth son to accept his role in the Soldați Perfecți. Once in, he would forever be unable to harm his Father. It was unfortunate that he continued to decline, especially as the Prophecy drew nearer.

Even despite knowing that one half of the Prophecy - the Traitor - had been removed, there was still another half to contend with. Markus had looked into each and every angle on that one. Could it be Serghei's Persoană Pentru Totdeauna, Linsey Grey-Cavendish? Could it somehow be Serghei himself? Now passed, there was a chance he could return as a ghost. The prophecy had made it seem like there were two different people... but there was no way Serghei was still alive. He'd killed him with his own hands and sent his son to verify the death. Late into the night, Markus would be at work, trying to figure out any potential way that he could have messed up. His paranoia drove him to adding a bunch of extra magic, both around the Antonov Manor they currently occupied and the old Manor house which held the family fortune deep within its bowels. One such spell would make anything in the room weighing over 45kg to alert. There was no way anyone with the access would be under that, since none of his sons would be foolish enough to send one of their young children on an errand that could result in such immediate punishment.

***************************

One morning where Markus had been training the five of his Soldiers, his wards set up an alarm. Someone had accessed the old manor house.... but all six of the sons were accounted for. The wards hadn't been as if it were a traitor... so just who had accessed the house? "Soldați! Înainte, atacăm!" Immediately they cheered, and with a swift motion, they all apparated to the old home. Landing in the main room, Markus then led them on a march. There, in the ballroom, were Linsey herself and... "Serghei! Nu ai c** să fii în viață!... Radovan!" Markus turned to look at his fifth son, who stood as perfectly still and stone-faced as always.

Glancing back over to Serghei, who stood perfectly straight, save an arm around the blonde's shoulders, Markus drew a smirk. "Radovan. Explain yourself before I see to it you share your brother's fate. How is he alive after you assured me that he was dead." Markus walked over, standing directly before the fifth in line. "I did verify the death. I do not know how this could have happened either. Perhaps your magic was not as strong as you would believe." The words had a silvered edge, drawing up a higher level of rage within the man. With a sharp flick of his wand, silvery ropes wound around Radovan's throat as Markus sneered. "I should have removed that eye of yours when last I punished you. Perhaps then you would know better than to lie to me." Blue eyes stared back, the younger man not flinching a bit as his cheeks turned red. After a moment, Markus released the spell, allowing him just a split-second of relaxation before backhanding him across the face, the crest ring on his finger leaving behind a streak of blood. "Stand in line. I will return to your punishment in a moment."

Stepping over to his traitorous son, Markus looked him up and down. "As for you, there is no reason for you to be here. How you survived.... but you should have been wise enough to take whatever miracle was given to you. So tell me. What was your plan, here?" He looked at Serghei, preparing to potentially just slay him there in front of his girlfriend. "Father, I have come here to claim my Birthright. Once I have collected my share, Linsey and I will leave and set up our life without the Antonov Influence." He kept his voice stern, emotions on an even keel. It was exactly as he had been taught.

"Birthright?! You lost every bit of that privilege the day you betrayed the Antonov Name." Dmitry shouted out, earning cries of agreement from the other boys. "I WILL HAVE SILENCE." Markus looked over at the boys, who all immediately stepped back into line. With a slight growl to his tone, Markus looked back over at the traitor. "The only thing you will leave here today with is a coffin and an aggrieved widow. Or... I suppose not, because the crest she wears is no longer whole, is it?" Markus smirked, looking over at Linsey. "But I will say, Miss Grey-Cavendish, you are either very brave... or very foolish. I suppose we shall find out together."

Looking back over at the other five, Markus debated on what to do. "What shall we do with the traitor in our midst? Perhaps we should pull him in for a duel? Six against one.. or perhaps two. He paused, another cruel smirk on his face. "Or perhaps we should see how well she fares in a duel? See if that useless school taught her to survive? It would certainly be fun to watch. He laughed, five of the boys laughing along with him. "You will not touch her, lest you find out just how well I have learned." Serghei stepped forward, carefully blocking the girl a bit from Markus' view. "Oho, is that how you would like to play out this battle?"

They locked gazes, neither daring to back down. They only broke apart when from behind came a cry of surprise. "Serghei!"

Despite her long held submissive role, Ivona had been simmering a steady anger against her husband. Once upon a time, she had been strong enough to fight back against him, but now... he had abused her for so long, held her children just out of her reach... it had broken her. The first time Ivona had had to heal up one of her sons after they'd been unable to avoid Markus' rage (and proclivity towards dark magics), she knew she would need to figure out a plan. That plan had been wrenched from her as Markus did his best to keep her either pregnant or so mentally broken that it was near impossible to even think of leaving. But when she'd first told him she was pregnant with a girl, she had really learned how her husband felt of her. It was even worse when he stole Ioana from her hands and dropped her off... somewhere. Those years of not knowing what had happened had all but killed her.

But then more boys, all of whom Ivona tried to care for even more than her first several sons. They were tormented as the older boys had been, and Ivona had again become unable to help. Her excessive torment only ended when she pretended she had lost a child in her pregnancy. While secretly, Ivona had been carrying a daughter, this time, she was the one to determine the girl's fate. She gave the girl to the woman in Wales that Markus had impregnated in hopes of having a younger woman be a surrogate to replace Ivona as her body broke down. Despite her certainty that she had won, she had beat Markus, fate flipped over its heels. Llewella had been returned to their care, though the Romanian Ministry had strict rules that they keep her in the home. For a moment, Ivona thought she would have a child she was able to care for..... but of course, Markus refused to allow that to happen.

It was when Llewella had been given options on going to Durmstrang or Hogwarts that Ivona came up with a plan. She subtly convinced her husband to allow her to go to Hogwarts (even speaking ill against the girl joining their Alma Mater), then set her plan into motion. She faked news that Llewella had been slain in an accidental bout of magic from another student, then convinced Markus that they should move in case the Ministry came calling. Before Winter Break could begin, Ivona forged her husband's words, leaving a note for the girl, along with a backpack of supplies and enough floo powder to escape back to the safety of Hogwarts. Even if she had to live within the safety of an orphanage, she would no longer be under Markus' control. She would be safe and have a chance at a happier life.

It wasn't for several years that anything nearly as explosive happened. Serghei had signed up to transfer to Hogwarts for his final year and a bolt of panic touched Ivona's heart. If he found Llewella, her plan may be exposed. It was by sheer luck that the son that had no intent of causing damage. He never mentioned Ivona's lie, even after she sent a letter to ask. He had found her and she was living safely with a lovely family. For a moment, it was all Ivona could do not to cry. She carefully burned the letters, hid the proof, completing her cycle of caring for her kids as best she could.

*************

Only a few years later, Ivona had heard a name she'd been terrified to hear. Markus spoke of someone in the Grey-Cavendish family and she knew her lies had been exposed. Her surprise was raised dramatically when Markus spoke of Serghei's Ring-Wearer, a Miss Linsey Grey-Cavendish. From the way he spoke, he did not know it was the same family that had taken in Llewella. He also spoke of prophecy, saying that he believed he would be taken out by a "ghost" and a "traitor". She was certain the traitor would be set upon Radovan's shoulders, as he had been skipping training to sneak out of the house, or perhaps her own... But if she was going to be accused, Ivona knew she'd rather be correctly accused.

She reached out, trying to establish information. In doing so, Ivona had located her oldest daughter, Ioana, in the care of Markus' brother. Ivona explained everything to her, letting the girl in on her anger. From there, it was a short jump to connect Ioana to the other young ladies she knew that would want to bring down Markus' legacy of darkness. Once the plan was in motion, Ivona simply had to make a connection. The easiest to reach was Radovan, who had continued to vehemently deny joining the Soldați Perfecți, and figure out what he was up to. After a bit of work, he finally explained that he had been sneaking off to visit Serghei, who had made something of a nice life for himself.

Though Radovan never admitted in words that Llewella was alive and well, he also hadn't denied the fact. As the days went on, Ivona explained to him her plan. Radovan was still in Markus' good graces, meaning he could help topple everything from the inside out. What Ivona recognized that Markus had not, was that the plan would entail multiple traitors to Markus' rule. The hardest part to figure out was how to access the safe. They would have to destroy the Horcrux that Markus had made. Radovan said he could handle that using a "specific person". Now that all the pieces were set, Ivona simply had to count her days.

**********************

Mid-summer, the plan began to move yet again. Radovan informed her they would be touching down in Romania the very next day. Ivona reached out to Ioana, and all were prepared. It was time to end this once and for all. As soon as the alarms were triggered, the boys all vanished, followed moments later by Ivona. She shouted at her husband, thankfully drawing his attention to her. "How dare you! I will punish them. I will kill them, if need be. You will never be able to protect them because you are weak! You have always been weak! A pathetic woman!" Markus' rage was visible, but Ivona did not back down. She flicked her wand, as a swirl of silver formed the shape of an arctic fox. The small creature ran off as all the boys watched it go.

"I may have been too weak to stop you before, but I can assure you, that is no longer the case." She held her chin up as the sound of six more apparating nearby sounded up. "And I've got an army all my own."

From the very second Ella had stepped foot in the house she'd spent her worst years within, the girl had a very important task. The key Radovan had given her was tucked safely in her pocket, where it would remain until she made her trek. She quickly popped off the vent panel near the door before slinking in the tight space. She pulled closed the grate behind her, then set to work. It had been a while since she'd done this last, but that didn't mean she couldn't do it still. Moving quickly, the brunette crawled through the vents and back, turning once she reached the back. From here, there was an upward climb. Ella let out a soft sigh, but she could vaguely hear noises. She had to keep time.

Slipping her shoes off, they went into one of her cloak pockets so Ella could use her hands and feet to carefully work her way up the thirty feet or so of metal ductwork. If she fell, there would be a terribly loud sound to give her position away, but she'd managed to never fall thus far. Thankfully, even with her ever-so-slight weight gain, she was still well petite enough to fit in the tight space. Once she'd made it to the top, Ella hoisted herself up onto the rafters a couple feet above. She leaned her back against one of the posts as she slipped her shoes back on. Getting a splinter on this ancient wood would only serve to slow her down.

About halfway across the treacherous path, Ella hid behind the large center beam and looked out at the ballroom below. There were Serghei and Linsey, standing in opposition to Father and the older brothers. As the smallest of the family looked down, she noticed Serghei and Linsey looking back up at her. With just that second of reassurance, her quest could continue. She hurried to step around the rest of the rafter framing, quickly making it to the other side of the room. Now it was time to get to the other side of the house where the stairs to the cellar were. Her shoes went back in her pocket as she worked her way back down the ducts, moving slowly to make sure she wouldn't fall.

It took a moment before she had made it to the ground, but she made it in one piece. There, despite her feeling of dread, Ella crawled forward a bit, peeking out the grate to try and assess the situation. Magic was flying and she couldn't really tell who was the source. A couple silent tears fell down her cheeks as the teen worked her way back into the dark. She took the duct into the depths of the house hands shaking as it got darker and darker. It had been so many years since she'd been here, yet she knew the path like a horrific sort of muscle memory.

Once she finally found the correct grate, Ella slipped out a small screwdriver she'd stolen borrowed from Serghei's house and used it to work the bolts loose. Once done, she was able to fully leave the duct in a nearly pitch black room. Oh boy. Now to find the stairs without falling down them. Maybe she should have borrowed a torch too.... Moving cautiously, Ella felt around her surroundings until she managed to find the hand railing for the stairs. Perfect. She carefully hurried down the spiraled staircase before reaching a -mercifully lit- basement. There was a dim light in the room, probably because it was far enough underground that Markus wouldn't want to trip over his feet and fall onto the icy stone floors.

She made her way down a hall and to a heavy iron vault door set into the back wall. Here it was. The vault. Ella pulled out the key that Radovan had given her, noticing it was now warm and glowing a faint blue hue. Well, here went nothing. She put the key into the lock, shaking with nerves as she twisted it. Despite her worries that it would somehow backfire and cause her damage, the door simply clicked before cracking open. It worked? She pulled it further open and stepped inside, seeing a small desk with some paperwork on one side with an even larger vault on the other side. Of course Father would have an even bigger second door to have to figure out.

As her dark eyes looked around to try and figure out access, Ella noticed an envelope propped up with her name written in a fancy cursive. It wasn't in her Father's messy handwriting, but it looked familiar enough. Hopefully it wasn't a trap of any sort. She reached out, lifting up the envelope with timid hands. After nothing seemed to happen, she opened the letter and began to read. Her emotions shifted as she looked it over, learning it was from her Mother.... not Gwen Eynon and especially not from Hannah, but from Ivona Antonov. The words explained how the woman had given her up to Gwen for safety, hoping that it would keep Ella safe from Father's hands. When that failed, apparently the woman had been the one to send her to Hogwarts.... and fake her death.

Tears welled in honey-brown eyes as the teen tried to remember the letter she'd found. It had been in Father's scraggly writing.... but it had missed the tones of malice. She thought back to the fact that her things (and a few that she didn't own) had been packed in a bag next to a small bowl of floo powder. It hadn't seemed suspicious at the time, but thinking back, it was very outside Father's scope of care. Why would he leave her with a means to escape? If it had really been him, Ella would have frozen or starved to death with no way of getting back to London. Knowing now that it had been Ivona's way of keeping her safe.... the moment hurt a little less.

After finishing the letter, Ella took a second to wipe tears from her face. Her whole world had been thrown upside-down, and in that moment, all she wanted was a hug from her sister. Linsey would know what to say, what to do in this moment. Linsey always seemed to know what to do. For now, Ella would have to try and emulate her sister. The bottom paragraph of the letter outlined her next steps. Radovan had gotten her into Father's office, but there was more to get. She looked around the room, finding a copy of their family crest etched into a large chunk of some sort of shiny black stone. She lifted it up, struggling with the weight. Behind it, as promised, was a crest ring, just like what the boys all wore. Per Ivona's letter, that had been planned for the "son" she lost when she hid Ella. Well, that meant it was hers, right?

Setting the crystal on the desk, Ella grabbed the ring and put it on her finger. The metal warmed, but it was a pleasant sort of feeling. It somehow fit her dainty fingers as if it had been made specifically for her. In a way, she supposed, it had. Looking over at the safe door, she searched to find all the points mentioned in the letter. There was a panel where her left hand was set before she used the other to turn the wheel on the door. Etched behind the wheel were ten notches, with a diamond above the top one. Okay. That was zero. Here went nothing.

"Three - Zero... Eight.... Two - Zero - Zero - Five." It was the date Father would most care about. Not his wedding or the birth of his sons, but the very day he was born. He had always been his own favorite person. Sure enough, the door clicked several times before squeaking open on heavy hinges. Ella was waiting for some sort of trap, but as she carefully stepped inside, nothing seemed to happen. Now she had to find the globe mentioned in the letter. There was a shelf with multiple prophecy orbs, each filled with smoke. One of those was dated at the start of that summer. That's the one Radovan had overheard, surely. As she kept carefully wandering into the room, she couldn't help but ponder at how the family had come to possess so, so many riches.

By the time she reached the back, Ella could only barely see the door she'd entered through. But on the back wall was a small glass globe, roughly the size of the crystal balls used in Divination class. Held inside was a beautifully intricate gold key. This had to be what was mentioned in Ivona's letter and Radovan's careful words. Drawing in a breath, Ella reached up and lifted the orb, which swirled with a rich red smoke. Maybe it knew that she wasn't the one who was supposed to be holding it? Her ears perked up at a faint squeaking sound and she looked back to see the vault door slowly closing.

As Sebastian would say, 'Awh Beans'. Ella took off in a sprint, praying her little legs were fast enough and she'd left the door open wide enough to give her time to escape. She only barely managed to slip out when the door was nearly closed, but she had escaped with her life and limbs in tact. She sat in the floor just in front of the door, panting and sending up a quiet prayer. Tears fell down her cheeks as she took a moment to recover. She had survived yet again. Another attempt from Father to see her life snuffed out, yet here she was. Alive, if a little rattled.

Having taken her moment to recover, Ella pushed to her feet. It was time to go. She still had a job to do. Clutching the orb close, the girl hurried off. She left the office, returning the small key to her pocket, before getting back on her trek. She climbed the stairs, plunging into darkness again. This time, however, she had a source of light in the orb. It was a creepy reddish light, but it was enough to see a tiny ways. There was no time to slip back through the vents, and besides, she would need to join the fray to deliver the orb.

When she made it to the door of the ballroom, the girl stopped and took a second to gather her emotions and straighten her clothes and hair. There were sounds of fighting, but she had to trust that her brothers knew what they were doing. Sure enough, as she walked out, Father shouted that everyone should stand at attention. Within a second, silence had fallen over the room and Ella noticed a shimmery orb around her. "This is the moment we have been waiting for. Mica Fantomă, I trust you found what we needed." Ella was a bit startled when she was addressed, and even more so when all eyes turned to look at her. "'Incarcerous!'" Serghei cried, wand causing silvery ropes to form around Father, holding the man at bay. Holy cow, he looked even more angry than Ella had ever seen.

"Impossible! Only a True Antonov can access the vaults! You are a disgusting half-breed that holds no bearing in my home!" Ella tried to ignore his words, though they cut deep. Thankfully, another voice spoke up. "That is where you are wrong, Markus. Llewlla is every bit as true an Antonov as are the other eight of your children. I did not lose that eighth son. I protected my second daughter. I kept her safe from you. And I will do the same. Radovan!" Ivona looked over at the assigned son, who stepped quickly over to Ella's side. "You did so well, Little Ella. Give me this thing of evil and run to your sister's side. I will take it from here." She carefully handed over the orb, feeling a tremendous weight lift off her shoulders. Once it was in Radovan's careful grasp, Ella ran over to the safety of her sister, wrapping her arms around the blonde.

"Should I recall correctly, Father, your prophecy said you would meet your demise thanks to a traitor and a ghost. You just didn't think that neither part was Serghei or Linsey. You bet wrong. And now, your failsafe is gone." Radovan wandlessly funneled the death-curse into the orb, causing the smoke within to turn an electric green before it shattered and the -now broken- golden key clattered to the ground. Markus cried out with the moment, but used a whirl of flame to break the bonds holding him. "You will never defeat me! It will be on your downfall!" Markus charged toward his fifth son, causing Ella to cry out in terror.

Time seemed to slow as everything went nuts. The boys and girls all started firing spells, all trying to target one another. Radovan fired a spell off at Markus that managed to miss, a huge ball of fire slamming into the Family Crest upon one wall. With a loud ruckus, the shield exploded outward, causing several people to cry out and switch to blocking the debris. Ella pulled her hands to cover her mouth as she watched Ivona lift up one of the golden swords that had previously adorned the crest. With a loud cry, she swung the blade and in one smooth motion, beheaded her husband.

Blood splattered everywhere, including over Ella, as she had stepped closer to Serghei. Oh. Well. That would cause a few nightmares. When Ivona dropped the sword, silence fell as everyone surveyed the scene. Well... there went the Patriarch. "I... I couldn't help it. He was going to kill you." Ivona looked over at Radovan, who seemed startled. "Mother. You saved our lives." Radovan tried to reassure her, especially as the women stepped closer to one another, all very clearly not having expected that to happen. None of their families were of violence, but now... everything had changed. Serghei wrapped his arms over Ella's shoulders, carefully pulling the teen into his grasp to keep her safe. Ella noticed him reaching a hand over to Linsey as well. Was it over? Had they finally defeated all the evil?

What... had she done? Ivona looked between the sword, then at the people around. Radovan said he had saved their lives, but looking over at the mess.... well, she wasn't sure. Sofie was holding Iolande close, whispering sweet nothings to the younger woman. Llewella was being clutched by her sister as if she were a precious jewel. The boys were in a state of disarray. Radovan was near Serghei, who was holding onto Linsey as if to make sure he'd really witnessed the actions. Ivona's gaze dropped when she realized the girl was praying over him. The man who had caused such harm to so many people, and yet, she were praying as if he'd been a saint. Or, perhaps, she was saying a prayer of thanks that she hadn't been harmed. One might only guess.

Of course, there was an immediate stir as Dmitry and Augustín looked at one another, exchanging looks that Ivona had seen them mirror after their father. She couldn't handle more bloodshed and she didn't think she would be able to harm one of her sons in the process. Markus.... yes. He'd been a horrible, controlling sort of man, but these were her sons! They were her own children! Even if they were brainwashed by Markus.... they had to still be as innocent as they were when she held them as babies, right? She simply couldn't see them as anything worse.

As soon as things began to stir, a new voice rose up to cease things down. The whole room fell to silence as Miss Grey-Cavendish spoke up. Even Llewella had tipped her head to look up at the tall woman. She spoke that they had to stop the fight and that Markus had been trying to get them to destroy each other. She spoke on his actions just that day, that summer... but she didn't know the half of it. She didn't know everything Ivona had allowed to happen, simply because she had been too weak to stop it.

She spoke toward the boys, who either bristled with discomfort or with annoyance, and Ivona wished with all her heart that things could end so simply as this. It was idyllic, almost, to think that words would hold enough impact to create a ceasefire. It wasn't until Linsey had bestowed upon Ivona a title that the woman made eye contact with her. She had never been called something like "Great Lady" before, and it filled her with a bit of confidence. It was even reassuring that the girl thought she'd done right to protect the other young women in the group. Most of them were keeping eyes on the blonde, though Beatrix kept her gaze locked across the aisle toward Dmitry, who looked annoyed by the speech.

Ivona also noticed the way that Serghei kept looking over at the Irishwoman as she spoke. It was very similar to how Ivona used to look over at Markus when he would speak of his great plans. Of course, he had been a wholly different person back then. Back before he had been corrupted. Or perhaps he had always been so dark, but she had been too naïve to see it. Linsey said that all the violence should end here. That this was a second chance. It was proof that she was not raised in such a horrific state that she seemed to truly believe none of them would go back to Markus' ways. It was very clear that even with Serghei at her side, he hadn't acted like Markus had with her. But, even if Linsey hadn't spoken, that soft look was enough to know for certain.

Her words ended by asking Ivona to break the wheel of abuse and rage, while then imploring Dmitry to give up Markus' ways. "I wish that..." Ivona started, before she was cut off by a much sharper tone. "No! Who are you to interfere with the business of the Antonov Family? You, a woman of no regard. Not married into the family or even so much as educated on our ways. You are only here because he-" he paused, pointing at Serghei, "is too weak to have come on his own. He brought you expecting all of us would overlook that you don't belong here. You must learn your place. If you should choose not to stay in line, I suppose you could ask the little brat that you hold close." Dmitry stepped out of line in full, staring down the blonde. His electric blue eyes seemed to brighten at the thought of inciting violence.

"I am not weak. Nor is Linsey or Ella. In fact, I think it says a lot that both are here to stand up to the likes of you. It's unfortunate that someone like you thinks it wise to speak that way, given you're just Father's little pet." Serghei said, voice betraying his annoyance. "You have no room to speak, Micul trădător. At least I shan't bear the mark of one not suited to the family. And in fact, I shall be the new patriarch of the family. I shall lead both the Soldați Perfecți and the next generation of sons in their lines. I shall claim my birthright as the oldest son of Markus Antonov. And since None of you have the gall to challenge me, I shall lead the family to new glory." Dmitry said, sounding ever confident as the other boys cheered.

Ivona looked over, wishing that Markus hadn't gotten his hold so deep. "Dmitry! Please, you do not have to follow him." She cried out, tears tracking slowly down her face as she reached a hand out toward her first son. "Mother. Do not worry. I am not following Father's steps. I am going to do so much better than he ever could. And with a clear path, no one could ever dare to stop me. It is my destiny as the new Head of Familia Antonov!" Ivona sobbed, quickly reaching out to hold Beatrix by her shoulder. "I will not allow you to raise my sons like that. You will have to kill me first." The blonde shouted, a snarl on her face.

"Oh, Beatrix. You have no power to stop me. A pitiful, pathetic woman you are." He stepped closer to her, a soft reddish hue shimmering from his wand. Before he could raise it, a voice called out, challenging his order. "I claim my right to challenge you for leadership of the Antonov Family."

Serghei felt a stirring pain deep in his heart as Radovan stepped up to challenge Dmitry. Their eldest brother had always been ruthless. He had always, always opted for the cruelest of options, even with his victim were a child or otherwise innocent. He had been the first one to strike Serghei with dark magic when, as a toddler, Serghei had tripped into him. It was a memory that would forever haunt him. There were also numerous cases where Dmitry would use magic disproportionately dark over the smallest of slights. He'd cast a cruciartis curse against Ella within the first week she'd been home. If Markus was a monster, then Dmitry was downright evil.

Serghei pulled Linsey and Ella in. Ella had already been exposed to so much violence in her years, but all of this was new for Linsey. If Dmitry won... well... he didn't want either of them to have to see Radovan that way. They'd both very recently come to enjoy him and it would destroy both if Rad couldn't win here. Dark eyes watched as the fire fight began, a cacophony of sounds and electric bright lights exploding out from them both. He noticed the way that Dmitry's stiff motions were countered by Radovan's much more fluid method of dueling. It was the very reason Serghei had continued losing in battles with his brother. Radovan just seemed to become a channel for the magic to take over.

When "Sectumsempra!" was called out, Serghei instinctively cringed back a step. Thankfully, though, Ella seemed to notice and she carefully squeezed him in closer. Of course, he'd noticed the youngest among them had turned to watch, one hand holding his as her other had claimed Linsey's hand. Despite her obvious terror, she had to see this through. Serghei looked over at Linsey, wondering what was going through her head as this fight played out. Would she think the whole family ought be removed from society? Would she hate that she had come into their family by any means? Perhaps she would mourn over the choices Serghei had made to lead them to this moment.... or perhaps it would be just the opposite?

"Come now, Radovan. You have yet to even damage me? Do you really want the title or did you want to die before I could mark you a traitor as well?" Dmitry jeered, though Serghei could tell he was low on breath between the spells. Radovan simply remained stone-faced. It fully seemed as if none of this was getting to him. Another round of spells began, though every once in a while one set of the magic would be an electric green. Thank everything that Radovan was incredibly skilled, otherwise he would have fallen dead where he stood. Serghei wanted so badly to jump in and help his brother, but it would break the rules of this particular duel. He had to sit back and watch, while sending up a silent prayer that Radovan was able to survive the day.

As the fighting got more intense, Radovan was hit hard with something that sent him stumbling back a few steps. It seemed that was enough to earn him a reprieve as he clutched his chest to breathe heavily. "You see, Radovan, I will always be stronger than you. I will always be the best of us all. I am stronger than Father ever was, and better than you could ever hope to be. As this moment will be your last, I'll allow you to speak. But do so quickly so I can spare everyone a wait as I kill you where you stand." Dmitry sent over a smile, though one that was far too sinister to be something of joy. He looked every bit like a sadist enjoying toying with their victim. It made Serghei feel a sharp tightness in his chest. If he had to watch Radovan fall.... he knew that Dmitry may well kill him as well. He only hoped that his eldest brother would spare the women in his rampage.

"Serghei, do you remember that spell I taught you?" Radovan's voice was calm, almost casual, as he directed a question. Despite speaking to Serghei, those deep blue eyes were locked on their brother. Radovan wasn't about to give himself a disadvantage, after all. "The one I used against Father, right?" he answered back, pulling Linsey and Ella a little tighter. That spell had only given him a brief second of a pause, and had all but wiped him out to use. Was Radovan going to try and scare Dmitry using the spell? It had thrown Father off his step...

"What are you talking about? What spell? Do you think you can somehow scare me?!" Dmitry shouted, a bit of spittle forming at his lips as he growled with anger. Despite having held the title of patriarch for all of ten seconds, it had clearly gone to his head immediately. "Da, that one. See, what I didn't tell you is that it has a deeper power, should one choose to take hold." Radovan still seemed so calm, as if they were having this conversation over Găluște in his kitchen rather than on a bloodied dueling field. Dmitry looked over at Serghei, about to question further when Radovan pounced.

With one hand on the older man's sternum and the other pressed against the top of his head, Radovan called out the title of the spell. "Trage înapoi," his words were clear enough that everyone could hear them. Alexi and Matej looked confused at one another while Augustín seemed startled. Dmitry was trying to fight back against the magic, but Serghei knew how he was feeling. All of his magic was bunched up, just outside of his reach. It hurt so much while also rendering one so mentally and physically disoriented. "See, I asked you this because you know this half of the spell, Serghei. You remember the power I had taken up and held hostage just below your ribs. It is this feeling that our Brother is feeling now." He spoke through gritted teeth as he held Dmitry captive. "But the spell holds a second half. If one has the power, the anger to act upon its magic. All one must do is..." he twisted his hand over Dmitry's sternum. As he did, he slowly pulled back, a bluish cloud of... electricity seemed to encircle his hand. Radovan's muscles were tensed up, seemingly struggling with whatever he was doing.

But.... Dmitry let out a pained cry. It sounded like a wounded animal and caused all eyes to turn to him. The other Antonovs all seemed in various states of confusion while the girls looked shocked and terrified. The moment seemed to stretch on forever before, at last, Dmitry fell. He sank to his knees, clutching at his ribs and looking crazed. "If one has the strength to take it, then they can remove a magical core at its heart. Then they have two options. They can claim the magic and allow it to take over their body.... or they can entrap it forever."

As if on cue, Serghei used a bit of magic to lift the glass pieces that once encircled Father's darkest secret. As it healed back into shape, Radovan pushed the cloud of magic within it. A few spells secured it and moved it to float just outside Dmitry's potential reach. Radovan knelt down beside the older brunet, locking both sets of blue eyes on each other. "You see, what happened here is that I won. I defeated you. Unless you think you can carry out this duel, I have claimed my place as the head of the Antonov Family. And don't you worry, I will make certain that you'll never so much as think about reclaiming your honor here." As he stood up, Radovan looked over at Zenzi. "Madam Auror, I will allow you to deal with him as you see fit."

While the dark haired woman stepped forward, so did Ioana. "Madams, actually. And I believe these men will have an excellent new home in Lubyanka's Underground.... Especially you." The last word was spit toward Dmitry as a set of magical shackles locked his hands together. Zenzi first went for her ex-husband, Alexi, while Radovan locked down Augustín. "Iolande! Please, I must know if it is a son." Matej yelled out as Serghei used the ropes charm to secure him as well. Serghei looked over at Linsey, then gestured toward Demyan, who looked shell-shocked at the way this had all gone down. He'd only just barely earned his golden stars and now he was being tossed into the brig, as it were.

Serghei looked over as Iolande, one hand resting on her belly, walked over to her husband. She held a high level of confidence, all of which was earned, based on her reputation at Durmstrang. "Oh, Matej. I want you to take solace in the fact that our son will grow up happy and free from the Antonov rule. And he will never, ever know that such a monster was his father." She looked him in the eyes as he had the gall to look disappointed. "No! You must raise him to be prepared. He must know his roots!" At his words, all eyes were on him, still secured under the weight of magical ropes before Iolande took a chance for herself. Reaching out, she slapped him across the face with all her strength. "He will be raised under my name. A child only of Constantenescue name. Your name shall never so much as pass by his innocent ears."

Mother quickly stepped over, pulling the younger blonde safely away. "As I take my place as the head of the Antonov Family, I shall see to it that all five of you are removed from the lineage. No one will ever remember you." Radovan stood over the others, a look of anger welled in his eyes. He hadn't however, been expecting someone soft to offer up words. Ella, channeling all those years of being hated, being shunned from the family, and everything else, simply moved to stand next to him with one small hand on his arm. "No, I.... I don't think you should. I think even the most cruel of people deserve to have their names remembered. They deserve a moment of compassion. They deserve, even now, to know that something stronger than hate should win out. That even in these moments of violence and strife, love won out. Mother did what she did, not because she hated Father... but because her love for all her children was all-consuming." Ella's normally whisper-soft voice was loud enough to be heard by all the ears within the room. None of them had heard her speak this way, especially in the aftermath of chaos.

"And it is because of love that you, Father's Soldați Perfecți, are still alive. Any of us could say you deserve all the cruelties upon which you have bestowed us, but I don't think you do. I think you deserve a chance to experience love. I think you should spend all your remaining days thinking over your time. Thinking over the hatred that Father gave you before remembering the kindnesses you were given. And even though you spent every day of the years I was here hating me... I was made better for it. Because unlike all of you, I have a family who loves every part of me. I have family and friends that all share so much joy. All you have are memories of anger and such toxicity. But I hope that before your days draw to an end, that you may get even a moment of love. Because every person deserves it, regardless of their family name."

Radovan looked over at Ella, his expression softening. Serghei looked over at Linsey with a small smile, knowing that it was largely thanks to her that Ella, and now himself and Radovan, got to experience any of the wonderful love they now cherished. "And you deserved nothing more than to have died the day you were dumped on our door. You will never know power because you will always be a weak, pathetic little girl." Dmitry spit back, clearly still angry. "And you will die in a magical prison with no magic to protect you. Take them out of my sight."

"With pleasure." Ioana grabbed Dmitry and Augustín roughly and apparated them away while Zenzi carefully held Demyan and Matej. She gave a small bow before also grabbing Alexi, though she was far less gentle with him. With a twist and a loud pop of displaced air, the Antonov home was able to fall to silence. Radovan sank down, finally letting his exhaustion show as Serghei went to make sure he was okay. Ivona was free to do something she'd long-since wished and lovingly pulled Ella into a hug. Serghei sent over a grin toward Linsey as he noticed the younger teen accept and return the hug. It was finally a moment of peace.