"Who in the 7 hells thought it was a good idea to make me do formal dancing!?"
I grumbled as I made my way through the duke's house. Everyone had gone off to do their own things already. Aiden had headed out to visit some store or something, selene was doing her writing practice, Liora was napping, and Thalia was making her little dolls. I would have hoped that Kaelen would have been somewhere, but he got called to some meeting with his parents, so they have left their intrepid leader all on his lonesome.
Be it out of boredom or curiocity I found myself exploring the Duke's house. Compared to home, this place was so fancy it made me feel like a beggar who wandered in. So as a good beggar I had a quest. You see I have been a good dog, sitting patiently and being quiet about the dancing and everything else, but there was one thing I couldn't ignore. They cut off the alcohol cold turkey, like who does that? It was for this reason I was on a mission. I sniffed the air around me, the sharp smell locked in my brain as I walked through the house. Be it a full on beer, or even just a strong wine, I was determined to find some today.
I had been sneaky, dodging kitchen staff, and following the scent for the past hour, my years of practice in stalking helping me in ways I never thought possible. However I stood before the greatest hurdle of my quest. Head chef Jackson, an elven man with a no nonsense appearance and a bald head that reflected like a mirror, he had caught me 3 times over the past 4 days of my attempts, but he shall not catch me today!!!
I was inside a food cart, I had snuck into a food cart that had been in the Duchess's tea party serving snacks, and while I would never admit it, I may have been distracted by the juicy noble gossip for a while before I managed to focus, my goal reaffirmed despite the fact that Count Fendric is most definitely cheating on his wife with a maid and that Lady Salaenza is overdressing to make up for her inferiority complex.
"No focus!"
I mumbled to myself as the food cart continued on its way to the kitchen. My ears perked as I listened for the lilt of my enemies voice. The moments passing before I heard it.
"Make sure to check the carts returning to the kitchen, I refuse to let that mutt into my holy ground!!"
Chef Jackson barked as the line of carts ahead of me were checked over. Crap, need to find a new spot to hide. I thought frantically as I looked and saw a doorway next to my cart, waiting a moment I dove, through the door and into the other room, the cart I had been on moving on as if nothing had changed. I looked around the room and noticed a few things, a piano sat in the corner, drapes hung from the windows, and the room itself seemed set up as if to welcome guests to the estate.
Sadly, I didn't have long to look around before I could hear two shouting voices in the hallway, in a moment of what I would say was pure genius I jumped, diving into the piano and shutting the lid so I was hidden.
"Try finding me now you crafty chef."
I said chuckling as I pressed the lid up to see a small sliver of the room and waited for Chef Jackson to walk in and look for me. However to my surprise, instead it was Kaelen and his father who made their way in, both looked to be on edge as they were yelling at each other.
"You know what my decision with the princess was, just because it makes your lie fall apart doesn't have anything to do with me!"
Kaelen yelled as his dad spun, anger clear on his face.
"That lie is the only way we were able to avoid you, and the entirety of the estate from being executed!"
Duke Alvin yelled with a volume that surprised me. I had always seen Kaelen as frail, but despite that he seemed to be doing just fine standing up to his father.
"I never asked you to lie, and you and mom never listened to me about anything. Why can't you understand that I don't want a marriage where there is no love? You loved mom and got to marry her, why can't I have that!?"
Kaelen yelled as he grabbed a nearby plate off a table and threw it at the duke who caught it as if it had been casually tossed to him.
"We gave you every opportunity, we told you time and time again, don't put on a face, act normal, show them who you really are. You said that the biggest thing you hated was that they didn't understand you, but you never gave anyone a chance. How can anyone possibly understand you if you are always showing them a fake persona!!"
The duke yelled as he grabbed his hair and began to pace the room. I Found myself conflicted, a part of me was saying that Kaelen and his father's drama shouldn't be overheard, and that this should stay in their family. Another part was actively smothering the part of me saying that chanting the words "juicy gossip" over and over.
"Like they would have cared. That image you and mom formed of me for the public was all they saw, the polite young boy who was handsome enough to entice the princess, why should I show them anything else if all they wanted to see was that!?"
Kaelen hissed as he swept his arm across a table and the vase on top fell and shattered on the floor.
"So what were you expecting Kaelen? You always asked for true love, but that only happens if you actually show people who you really are. Were you expecting some noble lady to look at you and say "oh, your faking actually wanting to be here, but thats ok, I forgive you, why don't you tell me about the real you." Can you not hear how ridiculous that sounds!?"
The duke yelled as he made a mocking tone, Kaelen clenching his teeth.
"I wanted time, time so I could find someone I could trust the real me with."
Kaelen growled. The duke however suddenly seemed to pulse with energy as his voice deepened, a rage more palpable than before billowing fourth.
"WE GAVE YOU 50 YEARS KAELEN, some of those lady's spent their whole lives single hoping you would give them the time of day, and instead you thought they weren't around long enough to trust them, that's bullshit and you know it!"
Kaelen seemed to stagger back for a moment surprised at the pulse of rage and danger rising from his father, as I found the hair on my back standing up.
"So what, that doesn't give you the right to just hand me away to any broad that-."
It may have been because of my time as our parties tank, or because of the surge of violence the rose from the Duke, but I jumped out and between Kaelen and his father. The dukes face was hidden in shadows, but I could feel the heat, tension, and power in his presence, his hand was raised in a punch that might have only been stopped because I jumped out.
"Y-your grace, I am aware that you are very angry, but that amount of force will kill him."
I said, my entire body ridged with fear and tension as for a moment I was reminded of the fear I had felt fighting Ymer, watching him rip into the others as I laid unable to do anything.
Behind me Kaelen seemed surprised, both at my presence, and the fact that his father's arm was cocked back to hit him with such force.
"He has no right to call the princess such names, especially with what he did, or has he not told you what he did?"
The duke said, his burning eyes sinking into me like the tips of spears as I found myself starting to sink down in fear. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand as I turned to Kaelen. He refused to meet my eyes as the Duke swung his arm to the side. The force caused the piano that must have weighed hundreds of pounds to fly trough the wall and go landing in the garden below without even touching it.
"You are Kaelen's party leader, right? What did my son tell you about his past?"
The duke's gaze was piercing and as powerful as his sword swing. I had to take a moment to center myself as I said.
"Kaelen said that he ended up running after being married off to someone he had barely met, he found a church, began worship, and started to travel to spread his faith."
Kaelen behind me seemed to wince as his father let out a sharp joyless laugh.
"Is that what he said. Well son, are you going to tell him or will I?"
"T-there are some small details I omitted."
Kaelen said in a small voice as he refused to meet my gaze.
"Yes, small details, like how you put everyone in danger, how your mother, siblings, and I were tied up and about to be executed for what you did, how there were asked numerous time if you even wanted to do the wedding in the first place, and said yes every time because of your cowardice, and how hundreds of people gathered to witness the marriage of the princess and got to watch as she was left at the fucking alter!"
Duke Alvin hissed. I whipped around to face Kaelen, a sinking feeling in my chest as I realized Kaelen wouldn't look at me.