Chapter 40
Gloria came down from her room as breakfast was being set on the table when she saw Romeo helping set the table. He felt incongruous in the setting, sticking out like a flash of lightning in a dark sky. Seeing him lit up her spirit with a buoyancy she hadn’t felt in some time.
“Pops!” she shouted, making everyone jump, as she ran to him, giving him a big hug. “When did you get in?”
He squeezed her with his strong arms. “Last night, munchkin. You were already asleep. I didn’t want to wake you up. Well, part of me did, but the better part of me thought that I wouldn’t want to see the ogre you become when you’re tired…”
She dug her thumbs into his ribs under his arms making him recoil and laugh. “I am not an ogre!”
“Hey, I saw you as a baby. Total ogre baby as soon as the sun went down, I swear. Your wailing could be considered art in their culture, I’m sure.” he continued setting the table.
“I’m sure my parents have already told you, but I’ve been seeing a guy. Maybe you could meet him today.” Gloria buzzed.
“Of course we told him, what else do we have to gossip about?” Anwyn asked as she stirred something in the kitchen.
“That doesn’t mean that you should break the news before I can!” she countered and then turned back to Romeo. “He’s coming by today sometime in the afternoon.”
“Does he have a name or do you come up with a new one everytime you see him?” Romeo joked.
Gloria smiled, something she hadn’t felt herself do in a while. “His name is Aubade. He came from the mainland a few months ago and we’ve been seeing each other since.”
“Oo, a mainland guy. Are you sure you’re ok with someone like that? People from the mainland can carry some baggage.”
“He’s gone through the ceremony, hence the name. It means ‘Song at dawn’. He’s working hard to recover from his past life, and I think he’s doing a great job. You can hardly tell.” Gloria informed him.
Liam shifted his shoulders unconsciously, moving the shirt on his back. Romeo noticed and raised an eyebrow to Gloria. “Well, maybe I’d like to meet him. He must be a gentleman if he’s won the affection of my Goddaughter.”
“You’re going to like him. He’s incredibly hard to not like.” Gloria grinned and they all sat down to eat.
Robin looked at Romeo with suspicion. “Who are you? I don’t think we’ve ever met before…”
~*~
The group was sitting out on the patio when Aubade arrived.
“But can you remember the way that Mrs. Frogwater always looked like she was going to cook one of us alive? I can’t believe we made it out of there alive!” Romeo laughed.
“She actually did take a bite of me once, and me telling Liam to watch himself when he went out at night was actually how we met!” Anwyn laughed, holding her stomach from laughing so hard. “I don’t know what she was, but she was the reason I have Gloria and not-” she stopped abruptly as Aubade walked up to the group. It wasn’t encouraged to talk about the past, and stories like this were more personal than ones that you share amongst guests.
“Aubade!” Anwyn greeted, and Gloria came rushing out of the house. “It’s good to see you! Would you like anything to drink?”
“No thankyou.” he replied graciously. “I’m just here to gather Gloria.”
“What are you youngins planning on doing?” Romeo asked. He studied Aubade’s face and tried to control his posture, which made him feel more like a statue than he already did. Liam was right, there was something incredibly familiar about him. A part of him felt that he immediately knew who he was, and another part didn’t want to consider the idea.
“We’re going to play our instruments a bit. Gloria plays the violin really well, and I’ve decided that I’d like to learn the guitar.” he smiled at Gloria.
She smiled back at him. “Aubade, this is my godfather, Romeo. He’s been a part of the family since before we came to the Islands. He helped raise me before my father was able to join us here.”
“Is that so.” he reached out his hand and shook hands with Romeo. “I’m sure that he gave you the support your family needed. You seem to only have happy memories.”
“Let me tell you, young man, don’t get any funny ideas. Some girls have one protective father, this one has two.” Romeo lightheartedly warned.
“She’s safe with me, you have my promise.” With that, the young couple turned and walked down to the shore and got into his boat to sail to the larger island where they could have some privacy.
“I know what you’re talking about, he seems familiar. Liam, do you think-”
“No, it’s impossible. What would he be doing here? As a refugee? I mean, the time lines up, but… “ Liam trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.
“What are the two of you talking about?” Anwyn asked, confused.
“Aubade. He looks like one of the Duchess’s family.” Liam said.
“How could you think that? The Duchess had black hair. Aubade’s hair couldn't be lighter.”
“But his nose, his pale blue eyes. All he’s missing is a beauty mark and he’d be a copy of his mother.” Romeo said. “Believe me, I was infatuated with Briella for long enough to have her face burned into my memory. She had a medium skin tone and dark hair. And I heard she had a sister who had light hair and skin.”
“It can’t be a coincidence. We have to warn Gloria about-” Liam started.
“No! I won’t hear of it. Gloria would be crushed, we’d have to tell her about how we ran from the king and then we may as well tell her all of it.” Anwyn turned to Liam, “Like how you weren't here when she was little because the king had you in his dungeon and within a shred of your life? Or that you-” she turned to Romeo, “were so infatuated with a loose woman that you told her that Liam and I were having an affair behind the king’s back which was then told to the Duchess? Or that I slept with the tyrant of the nation so that my family wouldn’t be harmed? Or that the king thinks that Gloria is his daughter? Where would the two of you like to start? Because as far as I see it, Aubade hasn’t done anything wrong and it’s just a suspicion that he is that person. I’m not willing to let down our carefully built walls just because a boy shows up.”
The two men looked down at their hands, embarrassed. Anwyn continued: “We have all made choices we regret. None of us want the past to resurface. For now we have peace, we don’t need to change that. Gloria is safe, and we have a whole community of people here to help us keep each other safe.”
“Whew, we can’t let my parents know we did that.” Gloria said as she tumbled out of a bush.
“Agreed.” Aubade giggled.
~*~
Krista was in the house with Seneca’s mother for a few minutes, greeting her. She seemed like she would get along well with Seneca’s mother; her actions felt calculated and methodical. At least, from the few words she had said to him. How many had it been? He started trying to count them to pass the time.
Krista came out of the house as he was trying to count them, and she quietly observed him as he did so. “I hope that expression isn’t an often occurrence on your face.” she said.
Seneca’s face split back to normal in an instant and he bowed to her. “My lady, I’m sorry I hadn’t noticed your approach.”
“Please, you don't need to bow to me. From what I’ve been told, it should really be the other way around, if it’s true.” she eased.
“Well, I can’t very easily bend backwards.” he laughed and he saw her smile at the silly joke. “My heritage is true, from what I’ve been told. I guess only my mother could know, but I hear I look vaguely like my father. Whether that’s a blessing or a curse is anyone’s guess.”
“Your mother’s word is enough for many people in the capital. Just having seen your father a few months ago and now seeing your face I can say that the resemblance is there. If I look hard enough, I can see it. Your nose is strong like his, but your skin is darker. I suppose you’ve been in the sun more frequently than him. Come, let us walk. I would very much like to stretch my legs.”
Seneca motioned to the direction they should walk and they started off at a relaxed pace. “How much support is there for my mother’s plans in the capitol?”
“A good portion. It’s hard to know who we can trust and who would go to the king with the information so it’s difficult to recruit. But when brought up in conversation as a discussion about 60% of people are in support of the rumors of your mother’s movement. People see the king as having lost his mind after losing his second wife and unborn child. Rumor is that he spoke to a dying witch who the Church had found and extracted the knowledge that the child lives, though I’m not sure how the witch could possibly know that.”
Krista breathed in a sigh of awe as she saw the ocean. It was so much cleaner here than it was in the capitol, and the breeze only smelled bad half the time.
“Witches are damned creatures, they should all be killed. Or exiled.” Seneca shared.
“Speaking of exile, you call the plan ‘your mother’s plan’. Why don’t you say ‘the plan’, or ‘our plan’?” she asked.
“Because it’s always been her plan. I’m just a piece of it. I’m the piece that she has to claim what she was promised, the one thing that entitles her to her title.” He wanted to say so much more, but it wouldn’t be proper to say it to a stranger. How he was a thing in his mother’s eyes, an object. A deadly weapon to be practiced with, polished, paraded, and lent. He wasn’t her son, he was a bargaining chip. Both of his parents were terrible at parenting; one was overbearing, one didn’t know he existed.
“You’re an important piece of this. It revolves around you. Without you, none of this would be possible.” Krista assured.
“I hear that everyday of my life.” he mumbled.
The fog of the who these characters is fading away, can you see who they are yet? I'm hoping that next chapter will have more movement.
As promised, a present for my readers who keep me going:
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