An eerie silence permeated the courtyard below. Most of the townspeople had been gathered in the cathedral for the past two hours, and the sun was setting.
Dean was reading while enjoying the comfort of a large fluffy sofa. For as long as he could remember, reading was an escape. You could forget about the world for a bit and be alone with your own thoughts. But today, even reading was hardly enough to dispel his unease. He sighed. Despite having gone out of his way to find a quiet, comfortable spot, none of it seemed to be doing him any good.
He looked around the salon. It had an old times feel with no apparent modern appliances aside from the lights and radiators. The fireplace, along with the deep red wallpaper and dark wood furniture gave the room a warm, cozy feeling, making it perfect to read in.
At that moment, the oak door opened, and Marianne peeked in.
"Ah Dean, there you are. Where have you been? I didn't see you at breakfast."
"Sorry, looks like I slept in." He replied as innocently as he could.
"Poor dear, you must have been tired after your long journey. Dinner will be ready soon. Would you mind telling Matin? He went to study at the library. I appreciate it, dear."
Without waiting for a reply, Marianne left the room.
"Why do something yourself when you can force others to do it for you?" Dean grumbled, getting to his feet.
So Matin was studying in the library. That was hardly a surprise.
Dean left the guesthouse and quickly made his way across the courtyard towards the keep. He noticed after glancing to his right that people were beginning to trickle out of the nearby cathedral. There was little conversation to be heard, and the crowd dispersed like a platoon of trained soldiers.
It didn't take Dean long to find Matin in the library. Luckily, his friend had chosen to study near the stairs on the first floor, making him easy to spot. His red hair also helped a lot in that regard.
Matin sat at a desk, fully absorbed in scribbling some notes from a large book lying in front of him. He didn't notice Dean's approach.
"Hey, Marianne called us for dinner. You coming?"
Silence.
Matin continued to scribble, oblivious to the outside world.
"I need that level of focus." Dean muttered to himself.
If Matin was going to ignore him like that, then he deserved to be punished. It was never a good idea to forget about your surroundings. You left yourself open to surprise attacks.
Dean remembered the old storage room on the first floor that hadn't been used in decades. The things that lived in there were enough to give someone like Matin nightmares for weeks. He wondered if it was still there, not like there was any reason to change things up now.
He made his way downstairs and towards one of the side corridors. The storage room was at the far end, and it was unlocked just as he remembered it.
It didn't take him long to find a nice specimen. Taking it in both hands, he quickly returned to Matin. The man hadn't moved an inch and was still deeply concentrated on his work.
Carefully, Dean released the creature he had imprisoned atop Matin's red hair.
It scurried for a moment, its eight hairy legs trying to find a foothold.
Finally, noticing the disturbance, Matin slowly brushed his hair with his hands. The spider fell onto his shoulder and began to climb up his neck.
"What is..."
Matin reached up to his neck, and the spider crawled onto his hand. Matin glanced at his hand.
A horrendous screech filled the library, and Matin bolted to his feet. He began flicking his hand back and forward in an attempt to get the spider off him. He eventually succeeded but continued to shake his hand for some time.
A few moments later, Matin was looking at Dean with tears in his eyes.
"Why did you do that?" He asked, his voice shrill.
"The way you focus so much annoyed me, that's all."
"If you lived a more disciplined lifestyle, you could manage the same!"
"Come off it. Dinner's almost ready. Your mother wants us to get ourselves down to the kitchen pronto."
"Oh, is it that time already?" Matin asked, his voice still shaking slightly. Even so, he was pretty good at calming down and letting bygones be bygones.
Soon after, the two were making their way towards the guest house.
"Well, you know I've been studying to get into politics since high school. I can't really stop studying."
"You're only studying it cause Marianne told you to." Dean replied somewhat sourly.
Matin's face grew troubled.
"It's a wonderful career to have." He said simply. "Come on, let's hurry. I'm rather hungry."
Dean glanced at his friend as they walked through the courtyard. Matin looked tired.
"Marianne is meeting with Oscar again, isn't she?" Dean asked.
"Oh, so you found out?"
"Yeah, saw him earlier."
"Yeah, she and a few others will be meeting him this week... I think I might be a part of what they're talking about."
"Part of it?" Dean asked
"Yeah, don't worry about it too much, just old money politics."
Dean didn't like it when Matin got defensive. However, he had known Matin for a long time and knew that it wasn't good to pry. Matin made his choice a long time ago.
The guesthouse dining room was more than big enough to accommodate everyone. A handful of circular tables dotted the space, with one long table at the far end of the room near the back wall. Both the tables and chairs were dressed in the finest of white linens, and there was enough silverware at each chair for a small household. Despite the dim glow of the room's lights giving the room a comfortable feel, Dean didn't feel relaxed in the slightest.
"Oh, isn't this great?" Matin said, his eyes lighting up at the display. "The servants did excellent work here."
"Sure did." He replied sarcastically.
Matin and Dean made their way to one of the round tables where Marianne sat.
Matin took a seat next to his mother, so Dean decided to sit next to Matin. Marianne and Oscar were speaking in hushed tones and didn't acknowledge them at first. Well, Marianne was doing much of the talking while Oscar looked as if he was going to stare a hole through the table. Next to Oscar sat Nicolas. He wore a forlorn expression and made little effort to join in the conversation next to him, nor to acknowledge Dean and Matin. There were two empty seats separating Nicolas from Dean.
As Dean and Matin were settling, Marianne noticed them and broke off her conversation with Oscar.
"Ah, there you two are. I was just telling Oscar about your education, Matin."
"Oh that? Not a big deal really." Matin said, waving his hands from side to side."
"Nonsense. I spend good money sending you to that university, and you are excelling!"
Matin smiled uneasily as his mother listed out his various achievements. Oscar listened, nodding occasionally but otherwise remaining stone faced.
"Matin dear, tell Mr. Duurin all about your thesis. Go on."
Marianne was trying to sell her son to Oscar like he were some kind of golden goose. They hadn't even acknowledged Dean's presence.
Dean felt thankful for that. In fact, he didn't envy Matin being the center of their attention. He tried to make eye contact with Nicolas and greet him, but his old friend seemed determined to keep to himself. As his boredom grew, he cast his gaze around the dining room.
A good many of the tables were only at half their capacity, and the long table at the far end was completely empty. It was typically used only on special occasions. One table that caught his attention was almost entirely occupied by young children. It was the first time he had seen the kids today.
"Feeling all nostalgic?."
"Hmm?" Glancing over to his shoulder, Dean saw Addi looking down at him with a small smile.
Fearing mischief, he slowly leaned away from her.
"What do you mean 'hmm?', and here I thought creeping up on you would make you jump." Addi said as she took a seat next to Dean.
"You're too small to make anyone jump."
"I'll have you know that I scared Rosetta real good earlier on."
"A butterfly landing on her lap would startle Rosetta. It doesn't count, I'm afraid."
Addi stuck her tongue out at him.
"Oh it's her holiness. It's a pleasure to see you again after all this time." Marianne said, greeting Addi with the proper formalities.
Addi responded with a nod and a stiff smile.
"Your presence gladdened the people at the ceremony today, Your Holiness." Oscar said, nodding his head slightly.
"Oh it was no big deal, really." Addi responded.
Dean wondered how Addi got away with such a casual demeanor while everyone else was so formal. Oscar and Marianne wouldn't normally let that go unchecked.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Marianne returned to hounding Oscar about her son, and Addi was left in peace.
"Would her holiness like a cushion to rest her sensitive bottom?" Dean asked in a voice imitating Marianne's. "These chairs are oh so hard. We wouldn't want Her Holiness to hurt herself."
Addi sighed and threw him an annoyed look.
"Don't you start, or I'll order your execution."
"Easy there. I know you never wanted this, but isn't it fun being able to order everyone around?"
"The novelty wore off pretty quickly, and Methaeus still scolds me if I do anything even remotely amusing.I'm just sick of everyone treating me like some divine being."
"I dunno, having Marianne licking my boots sounds much better than having her constantly nagging at me." Dean whispered.
Addi smiled, though she tried to hide it.
"You'd be surprised how irritating she is, either way."
Dean sympathized with her. When he used to live here, Addi would follow him around without a care in the world. They had done many fun things together. Now, she was the head of an entire religion. Life sure was strange.
"And your training? You haven't been slacking off just because of this new fancy position, I hope?" Dean asked.
Addi gave him a self-assured smile.
"I may not act openly, but I have a lot more power now. You can't even begin to imagine how much I've grown."
"So the pupil thinks she can better her master, eh?" Dean asked.
He folded his arms and gave her a challenging look.
Addi grinned.
"Did you enjoy all my gifts for you in your room?" she asked.
"Sadly, I found all of them before they could do any harm. You still have a long way to go!"
"Come now, you don't have to tell lies just to save face. It's natural for the pupil to surpass the teacher."
"Don't get cocky, kid. Just because you have all these people following you about"
"Oh, and what if I do?"
"I'll start bowing and scraping every time you get near me. I'll become your most devout follower"
"No, no, no. Anything but that, I give, I give."
Dean felt relieved she had this obvious weakness. He wasn't sure what he could do to get back at her. Especially with Marianne and Oscar around. He'd have to bide his time and get familiar with the status quo again.
"Hey Nick, Dean is tormenting me!" Addi said, turning to Nicolas, who had so far ignored their exchange. Dean respected her directness. Though it was perhaps a little too heavy-handed considering the situation.
Seemingly somewhat surprised to be addressed, Nicolas looked at the two with wide eyes.
Nicolas' appearance had not changed much from earlier in the day. He gave them both an unimpressed look. Dean felt a little awkward as they hadn't actually acknowledged each other yet.
"I...I don't want anything to do with your games. Go ask Matin or something."
Hearing his name, Matin also glanced over at their conversation. Marianne and Oscar were continuing their one-sided conversation to the point where even Matin seemed to lose interest.
"Come on Nick, don't be like that. You can forget about the whole priestess thing for the night, right Matin?" Addi said, a hint of unease entering her voice.
"Oh, um, yeah sure." Matin said, casting a quick glance towards his mother and Oscar.
An awkward silence settled on the four. Matin looked slightly nervous, while Nicolas looked like he wanted nothing to do with the conversation. Addi looked at Nicolas with a sad expression before lowering her gaze.
The air suddenly felt thick and difficult to breathe. Dean couldn't stand it. Without thinking, he grabbed a handful of ice cubes that were cooling a bottle of wine on the table and shoved them down the back of Addi's dress.
Addi shrieked, causing almost everyone in the room to look over at their table. She jumped up knocking over a glass of wine.
Marianne immediately got to her feet.
"What's the matter, an attack on her holiness?"
She looked around frantically. Even Oscar narrowed his eyes in suspicion and glanced around the room.
When it was clear that there was no immediate danger, all eyes settled on Addi.
Her usual pale complexion was now red as a tomato.
"I...I thought I saw a spider. My apologies." She whispered with a shaken voice.
"Addi, my dear, you frightened the life out of me, well as long as you're alright." Marianne said, forgetting proper titles for once.
"Sorry, aunty. Looks like I still have a lot of growing to do." Addi said with a nervous giggle.
"Nonsense, dear, I myself can't handle the sight of those things either."
Marianne and Oscar returned to their discussions soon after.
"You absolute arsehole!" Addi hissed, keeping her voice low. "What did you do that for?"
Dean couldn't keep the grin off his face. Matin was also smiling widely, though he tried to hide it by taking a drink of wine. Even Nicolas cracked a brief smile, but it quickly returned to his usual frown.
"Now, now, the priestess shouldn't curse. She's purity itself after all."
"He's right, you know," Matin said, his face still buried in his wineglass.
Dean didn't think Addi's face could get redder, but he was being proven wrong. He was actually worried she might pass out at this rate.
"I guess I let my guard down." Addi said, forcing a smile.
"The student should know her place." Dean agreed.
"You are right! I was a fool. Please forgive me!"
Matin was now laughing too hard to hide.
"You two really haven't changed at all." He said, wiping some wine from his chin.
Nicolas wore a complicated expression as he continued throwing glances in their direction.
"You do know this is a one piece dress, right?" Addi said.
"Well, guess you're going to have to wait until the ice melts." Dean replied.
Addi shifted uncomfortably before shuddering slightly.
"So, is there a menu for dinner or are we all getting the same thing?" Dean asked
"It's mostly the same for everyone. I think we're having steak tonight. You can ask for a vegetarian meal before the chefs start cooking, but both of you were too late for that, so I ordered for you." Addi explained.
Dean froze.
"Wait, you ordered for me? What did you order?" He said feeling a lump in his throat. The steak sounded really nice and Addi knew he liked steak.
Addi smiled sweetly.
Dean felt his heart sink.
"No, tell me you didn't." He whimpered.
His dinner was ruined.
"Serves you right." Addi said with a smirk. "Besides, you're getting older, you need to watch your diet and avoid too much red meat. I was only looking out for you."
"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with vegetarian dishes. I'm sure it'll taste really nice." Matin said, trying to cheer Dean up. "Mother always orders the vegetarian for me.
Dean slumped in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.
"Matin, you poor soul."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
At that moment the doors to the kitchen opened, and staff members with trolleys stacked with plates of food entered. Dean recognized Rosetta as soon as she came in. Another girl with mousy, shoulder-length brown hair accompanied her.
As the dishes were laid out, Dean noticed that most of them had steak. It looked good too. Thick and cooked just right with sides of roast potatoes and mixed vegetables. Just looking at it made him feel depressed. Rosetta approached their table.
"The asparagus cream pasta is for..." she said, looking around.
"Here, please." Marianne said, gesturing towards herself and Matin.
Dean slowly raised his hand too. Rosetta looked over at him.
"Thought you liked steak." She said.
"I do." Dean responded.
"Oh so what? Is steak too tough for you now?"
"No, I'm just a man of sophisticated tastes. You wouldn't understand."
"If your tastes are so sophisticated, then why are you eyeing that steak the way you used to ogle at Maria?"
Dean felt his face heat up. Rosetta was bringing up his long-buried past. That was a low blow in his book.
"I was doing no such thing."
Rosetta gave him an amused look and plopped the plate of pasta down before him.
"Please enjoy your vegetarian dish." She whispered.
"Hey, I think the other guests are waiting for their food." Dean whispered back.
"Huh?" Rosetta looked up to find the rest of the table looking at her impatiently. She blushed as the smile fell from her face.
"I'm so sorry!" She squeaked, bowing deeply.
"Tsk, foolish staff reflect poorly on their colleagues, you should be more careful, girl! I'll be having words with Methaeus about this." Marianne spat.
"I'm sorry." Rosetta said, quieter this time.
Dean instantly felt a sharp stab of regret. He had forgotten how Marianne could be with servants. She was nice to him, Matin and Addi. He would have to apologize to Rosetta later. She walked away to serve another table, but it was clear she was shaken and noticeably fumbled her dishes as she served.
"Honestly, where does he find these buffoons?" Marianne asked.
"From the orphanage, Miss Evelyn." Oscar replied. "You should eat before it gets cold."
Without waiting for a reply, Oscar cut into his steak and began eating in silence. Nicolas and the rest followed his lead. Making one last "humph", Marianne also began to eat.
"It's very delicious, you know." Addi quipped, taking a bite of her steak. "You're really missing out."
"Shut up." Dean whispered.
"It's actually not so bad. Go on Dean, try it." Matin said between small mouthfuls of pasta.
It tasted lightly of salt and pepper and had a smooth texture. Matin was right. It wasn't so bad. He was still worried he'd starve without the meat, though.
A few seats away, Nicolas had barely touched his steak. He would poke at it now and then but otherwise just stared blankly down at his plate. The atmosphere grew heavy, which didn't go unnoticed by Marianne and Oscar.
"The food is quite good considering our remote location, you should give it a try, Nicolas." Marianne said.
Although there seemed to be a bit of kindness in her words. Dean wondered if it was necessary to point it out so loudly. Dean felt as if the temperature had dropped a few degrees as others on the table looked on awkwardly.
"Be mindful of where you are. Eat your steak, boy." Oscar said, glaring at Nicolas from the corner of his eye.
Nicolas visibly wilted. He slowly took up his knife and fork and began cutting into his steak. The meat must have been tough because he struggled to cut off a piece. He put more strength into it and, as a result, his hand slipped, sending the steak and some vegetables flying from his plate.
An awkward silence fell upon the table. Nicolas looked around with wide eyes.
"I- I'm-"
"Would you look at that? The boy's upbringing shows itself once again. You really can't teach these people proper etiquette." Marianne said.
"Come on, it wasn't Nick's fault." Addi said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation.
Oscar looked more and more displeased with every passing moment. Dean was worried he'd explode in one of his famous tempers.
"His fool mother failed to teach him anything of value. Must have been too busy drinking and whoring herself away to the-"
A loud bang cut Marianne off. Nicolas stood, hands on the table, his chair falling to the ground. A look of intense hatred strong enough to make even Marianne hesitate plastered on his face.
"How dare you, you entitled bitch!" He screeched. "You'll die for this. I'll kill you. Don't think I won't. Take it back, take it back now!"
Spittle flew across the table as Nicolas lashed out manically. Dean felt shock, and he wasn't alone. Most of the people at the table were now looking at Nicolas with wide eyes. Nicolas took one look at everyone then he bolted from the table and left the room.
"Boy!" Oscar called out.
"What a savage little creature." Marianne said, shaking her head and glaring at the door.
"Careful Evelyn. This does not concern you."
"Oh, but I believe it does." Marianne said, grinning though she made an effort to hide it with her hand. "We both know what you're up to, and I'm telling you now, that boy is not at all suitable for..."
"Enough," Oscar said. "Eat your food and be silent."
His words were a low, threatening growl that made Dean's muscles tense. Marianne snorted but said no more on the subject.
The rest of the dinner went by in awkward silence. Oscar was the first to finish his food, and he soon left without a word. Marianne followed soon after, a satisfied smile on her face.
Dean felt himself relax as the atmosphere lightened at bit
"Well, that was awkward." Addi said with a forced smile. "Sorry you had to see that."
Dean shook his head. This was probably what Addi had meant when she said there were problems at the monastery. Nicolas had always been quiet, but he'd always been friendly and well-spoken. He'd never exploded like that before. Dean would have to make a priority of sorting this out while he was here. It was clearly bothering Addi.
"Things have really gotten worse. Why is Oscar suddenly paying so much attention to Nick?" Dean asked.
"It's a bit of a long story, but Oscar is trying to train Nicolas in politics and high society."
Oscar was training Nicolas? Now, that was something Dean wasn't expecting. Nicolas was an Orphan like many of the young people at the monastery. In fact, he had arrived at the monastery much later than most. He was ten when he showed up.
"Why Nick of all people?" Dean wondered.
"No idea, but I think Oscar wants adopt Nick. You know he has no children."
"So that's why Marianne was so..."
Dean paused and gave Matin an apologetic look.
"Sorry for my mother's behavior." Matin said meekly.
Addi waved her hand to the side.
"The rich and powerful will always be like that." She said. "I've had the pleasure of dining with her many, many times. I'm more used to it than Dean here."
"Why do you sound so proud of yourself?" Dean asked.
"Like I said, I've had to deal with her on and off for years now, surely I deserve a medal or something, right?"
"You know, I think you're right." Dean laughed.
"Hey, I know she can be a bit abrasive, but she's still my mother." Matin muttered.
"If anyone deserves a medal, it's gotta be you, Matin." Addi said, pointing at him.
"She's right you know. You've lived with her for almost twenty-five years. How are you still sane?" Dean asked.
"Come on, guys." Matin whimpered. However, a small smile appeared on his face despite his best efforts to hide it. "She's not all that bad."
Abruptly, Addi stood up and waved her hand.
"Rosetta, Maria. Are you finished cleaning up yet?"
Looking over his shoulder, Dean saw the two servants approaching from the kitchen door.
"Yes, Your Holiness." Rosetta asked, bowing formally.
"Go get us and yourselves a few drinks and come join us," Addi said. "And drop the servant act!"
Rosetta looked hesitant and glanced over towards the kitchen.
"Your holiness. Methaeus told us to-"
"Let me handle him if he has a bone to pick. Come on now, priestess' orders, I can't believe you guys still make me play that card.
"Come on, Addi, you know Rosetta has a servant fetish. She's a born masochist." Maria said, placing a hand on Rosetta's shoulder.
"Maria!" Rosetta shrieked, face growing red. "Don't say such inappropriate things in front of Addi!"
Addi let out a short giggle while Matin looked away, slightly embarrassed at Maria's behavior.
"So what can we get you?" Maria asked.
"Let's have some more champagne for Matin and some whiskey for Dean." Addi said, looking over at Dean and giving him a knowing smile.
"As for me I'll have some red wi-"
"No alcohol for you. You know it's forbidden." Rosetta snapped.
Clicking her tongue, Addi folded her arms.
"But I'm old enough to drink now too!"
"You're the priestess. You will not be having any of that stuff, and you know it." Rosetta said, eyes growing even sterner.
"Don't worry, Addi, I'll drink enough for the both of us." Maria said with a smile.
"Fine, I'll have tea then." Addi muttered.
Bowing, the two staff members took their leave.
"Once the baby of the group, always the baby of the group." Dean said.
"Only because I'm so cute and adorable." Addi said cheerfully, but through gritted teeth.
The two servants soon returned with a tray of clean classes and bottles of various sizes.
"Would you like some ice?" Rosetta asked Dean.
"Um, yeah, please."
He held out his glass. Using thongs, Rosetta slowly added an ice cube one at a time. However, despite her best efforts, one of the ice cubes slipped out of the thongs and fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry!"
Kneeling down, Rosetta struggled to pick up the cube. Once she did, she held it for a while, unsure where to put it.
"Here." Addi said, handing her a used glass."
"Thanks." Rosetta whispered.
"Don't worry about her. She's just shocked at how handsome you've gotten, Dean."
Dean turned to find Maria lounging in the seat next to Addi with a beer bottle in her hand.
"Maria, will you please shut up." Rosetta snapped.
"Nah."
Rosetta fumed as she took a seat next to Maria.
Dean decided to ignore Maria's comment. At twenty-five She was the oldest in the group and used to tease him relentlessly. He was glad she hadn't changed much.
He took a sip of whiskey. It tasted warm and smooth, nothing like what he bought at the supermarkets back in the city. Was it even OK to drink this? He shuddered thinking about how much this bottle cost.
"Hey Addi, why is your back all wet?" Maria asked.
"Just a minor accident. Don't worry about it." Addi said, staring daggers at Dean.
Dean looked away, pretending not to notice.
"Anyway, now that we're all here, welcome back, Dean!" Addi said,raising her cup of tea.
The others followed suit, and Dean found himself at the center of attention.
"Uh, good to be back." He replied awkwardly.
In the back of his mind, thoughts gnawed at him. Why were they welcoming him back with those big smiles? He expected most of them to be more like Nicolas. He had selfishly abandoned them all those years ago. Surely he didn't deserve this.
"It's a shame Nick didn't stick around." Matin said.
"I'm worried about him." Rosetta whispered.
At the moment, there were five of them sitting at the table. Two seats were vacant.
"Don't be. After his head cools off, I'll talk to him." Addi replied.
Addi smiled in an effort to comfort Rosetta. However, a look of concern appeared on her face as she looked towards the exit.
"How long has he been like this?" Dean asked.
Nicolas had always been a little quiet, but he was never an unpleasant person. He used to laugh and run about as much as any other kid.
Maria shrugged.
"He's pretty much shut himself away for the last four years, and a few months ago he started screaming like a lunatic from time to time. Dunno if it's anything got to do with you."
"Maria!" Rosetta shouted. "Don't call him that, and don't talk about it so openly!"
Maria's eyes narrowed. She folded her arms and lounged backwards in her chair.
"And why shouldn't I? Dean's one of us. He has the right to know."
"He's been gone for ten years. He ran away! He has nothing to do with us anymore!"
"Rose!" Addi shouted.
The table grew silent. Rosetta's words echoed inside his head. Of course, they were true. Despite Addi's protests, he completely agreed with what Rosetta was saying. Even so, he felt like this was something he had to correct. Regardless of what the others thought of him.
"We haven't seen each other in so long. Can we not just relax and have fun like we used to?" Addi said, looking around the table.
Matin nodded his agreement, but Rosetta's expression didn't change. She bit her lip so hard, Dean was worried she would cut herself.
"Yeah, I don't know if that's possible, Addi." Maria said.
Addi glared at Maria.
"Hey don't give me that look. I'm all for hanging out. All I'm sayin' is things aren't what they used to be. Sure, Dean hasn't been around for a while but look at Matin. He only shows up for a month or two a year and even then he's usually too busy studying to chat to the likes of us."
Matin seemed to wilt at Maria's harsh words but said nothing in response.
"And you, Addi. You're the Priestess now, and Rosetta and I are your humble servants. Then there's what happened to, you know..." Maria hesitated a moment before continuing. "Anyway, the whole paradigm's changed. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you can't make things be like they used to by forcing us all together like this."
"Is it too much to ask to get together just once and have fun?" Addi asked, her voice choking a little.
"Yes, it is." Maria said, sitting up straight and looking Addi in the eyes. "You can't just gather people in a room and expect them to get along like old friends. Not now. You might try to deny it, but you've gotten used to ordering people around. Not that I mind personally, though."
"So you're all going to act this way again?"
Addi bit her lip and continued to glare indignantly at Maria. She would probably have kept that stare too were not for the sound of a chair scraping the floor and footsteps hurrying away.
"Rose, come back!" Addi yelled.
"Let her go, Addi." Maria said lazily.
"And what about you? Are you going to run off too?" Addi asked.
"Nah, I'm personally fine with being here. I want to stay by your side. Plus, there's booze to drink."
"After all you said, you're just going to sit there?" Addi asked.
Addi's voice had an icy edge to it Dean had never heard before. It was downright unsettling.
"Yeah. If that bothers you though, I don't mind leaving either."
Silence fell upon the group. Maria continued to sip happily at her beer, seemingly oblivious to the chaos she had just created, while Matin looked like he wanted to be anywhere else and kept looking at the clock.
Addi, on the other hand, sat straight and stared blankly at her cup of tea.
This was all wrong. The atmosphere was heavy enough to crush him. He wanted to run, to go back to his tiny apartment in the city. Even spending the evening at his father's would be preferable to this. What was he thinking coming back here to fix things? His presence was only making things worse.
The silence lingered.
The tick of the clock, the sounds of people drinking. Dean was sure the others could hear his breathing.
The silence lingered.
Do something. Anything.
Without thinking, he jumped up onto the table. Dishes cracked under his feet, and three sets of wide eyes stared up at him. He grabbed a bottle of champagne and began shaking it.
"Oscar, Marianne and Methaeus are giant pricks!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he popped open the cork.
He immediately aimed it at the small crowd beneath him. Addi and Matin were drenched, but Maria was faster and could move out of the way in time.
A stunned silence filled the room. Then, Maria burst out laughing.
"You complete madman." She said between bouts of laughter. "Who covers the priestess herself in champagne?"
"And what about me?" Matin asked, droplets flowing freely down his face.
Addi just stood there in shocked silence.
"I, um."
Dean stood awkwardly on the table, unsure what to say. There, he'd gone and made a fool of himself again. Well, at least he could breathe again. That awful atmosphere had been completely annihilated. And then, he heard it, a soft giggle.
Addi was laughing.
"Guess I let my guard down again."
Dean's shoulders relaxed, and he let himself smile.
"That was...that was completely uncalled for." Matin said as he dried his glasses with a handkerchief. He was smiling too.
Dean jumped off the table and made his way towards Addi. He took a handkerchief and rubbed her face with it a little more roughly than was probably necessary.
"Hey cut that out." Se said, her voice muffled.
"Maybe getting the group back together like it used to wasn't ever going to work," he told her.
When he pulled the handkerchief away, she looked up at him.
"But that's not to say the situation is unsalvageable."
"Do you really think that?" She asked quietly.
"Sure I do. These things take time. We can't make things exactly the same as they were, but we can make something new of it all. Let's think about it and make a plan together. Have our plans ever failed, dear apprentice?"
"No, they haven't," she replied with an enormous grin.
He nodded.
"Good, and until this is all sorted out, I'm not going anywhere."
Addi mouth parted slightly as she looked up at him.
"You really never change."
He grinned at her, trying to make himself look as confident as possible.
False bravado of course, but even that was better than nothing. He just wished he felt as sure of himself as he showed on the outside.
"Dean and Maria will help us out too, right?"
Matin scratched his head.
"Me? I mean, if you think I can be of any help?" Matin said.
"This should be interesting. You got a lot of shit to dig through," Maria added.
"Why do you make it sound like it has nothing to do with you?" Dean said, trying to keep his voice cheerful.
"Because it doesn't." Maria said. "But if it's for Addi's sake, then I don't mind lending a hand."
"I see you're still obsessing over her. Gotta watch out, Addi or she might have her way with you one of these days."
"No worries there, I lock my doors and put a sofa in front of them every night before I go to bed!"
"I'd never do something so uncouth. You, on the other hand, need to control those spontaneous outbursts of yours, Dean."
"Sorry, I don't handle awkward situations well." He said meekly.
The atmosphere gradually lightened as they continued to joke around.
Before long, with promises to work together as the unbeatable team they were, they each said their goodbyes and left the dining room.
It was late at night when Matin and Dean made their way back to their rooms.
"Well, that didn't end too badly. If anyone can sort out Nick and Rose, it's you." Matin said.
Dean wasn't sure what to make of Matin's words.
"I honestly don't know. I think I might be making things worse, to be honest."
Matin made a surprised sound as he turned to look at Dean and almost tripped on the stairs they were climbing.
"That couldn't be the case. Addi was so happy to see you again, and now we've got most of the old group back together. What makes you think you're making it worse?"
Dean shook his head. Matin had always had too much faith in him. He should have grown out of that a long time ago.
"Nick and Rosetta don't seem too thrilled to see me."
After all that happened, he just up and left them. He went on to live a carefree life in the city while they were stuck here. He had family connections, which made it easier for him to leave. They had no such thing. No wonder they looked at him like that.
"Don't worry, Rosetta will come around. She's never been good with people."
"And Nick?"
Matin bit his lip.
"We'll figure it out. With you and Addi working on it, I'm sure he'll be back to his old self in no time."
Dean felt his muscles tighten at Matin's words. This amount of expectation made him feel uncomfortable.
He also wondered about Maria. She was always difficult to figure out. As far as he knew, she could hate him even more than the others.
It didn't take long for them to make it back to their rooms. As Dean reached out to open his room door, he finally decided to voice his deeper thoughts.
"Even if we do sort out Nick and Rose, it won't ever be the same, will it?" Dean asked quietly.
"Hey, we promised not to bring it up, didn't we?" Matin said.
"You're right, sorry."
"Look, we all share the blame for what happened. You don't have to take it on all by yourself."
Dean gave his friend a small smile.
"Yeah, forget I said anything. Let's get some shuteye."
With an awkward smile and a wave, Matin hurried back into his room.
Dean stood still for a moment. Taking a deep breath and calming his heart, he returned to his room. He wondered if he would get any sleep at all tonight.