Chương 9: Chapter Eight: A Throne Room To Remember

Current status? Dying of embarrassment and wishing for a hole to crawl into. My villainous mother slowly pets my cowlick curls, as if they were an expensive Persian cats unruly fur. Back and forth from her seat on a perpetual dais. Nothing is more embarrassing than your mom coming to school to berate your temporary custodians at the parent-teacher conference.

"Can't we...?" Her slender fingers wrap around my neck, and my shoulders bunch up as a shiver crawls down my spine. Got it. Dorothea waves at me from her place by her husband's side, simultaneously soothing him and playing peek-a-boo with me. My deadpan expression reveals my thoughts of just giving up on life, and she eventually stops under Niathe's heated glare. Sorry. Not today, it seems. One by one, the wives of the wimpiest vampire ever showed up to the throne room.

Each with their own degree of surprise at my disheveled appearance and my fuming mother on the throne. Hadrian surprised me the most. Of course, Meng Jialin was sympathetic and enraged. I am her favorite out of all of her husband's other children. I didn't assume that by the way. She told me that to my face a while ago. In front of all the other kids, including her own. Speechless and impressed by her candor, they just let it slide.

Hadrian, however, has always behaved like the cool, unbothered aunt who couldn't care less about me. Drinking on the job—I take that back. This woman's never had a job in her life. Why would she? Filthy rich is why. Which is also why I was so surprised when she climbed the steps and examined me herself. Her eyes turned a brilliant shade of gold, and her entire body glowed in the same color. Glowed. That's... actually so cool. She's like a living nightlight. If I were to put her underwater, would she stay glowing?

Or is she not waterproof? Niathe reminded her to regain her composure, "Calm down." Hadrian gritted her teeth, almost cracking them, and tried to control the glow emanating from her ribcage. It dimmed intermittently but didn't go away completely. I looked between them and raised my hand.

"I have a question." Hadrian looked at me semi-confused and worried.

"What?'

"Is your poop—" A certain someone squeezed my neck until the question died in my throat and my eyes popped like a rubber duck. I coughed and scratched at her hand until she let go. Again, the evil woman started petting me and even applied saliva to her hand—Retch! Smoothing down my curls every bit identical to her except in texture. I feel like an ugly doll she made of herself years ago and reluctantly pulled off the shelf to reminisce about her mistakes.

Hadrian had already settled down and looked at me the way one would a deformed puppy. Downright pitiful, disgusted, and in awe rolled into one expression. Once more, just for the hell of it. I protected my neck and tried to speak up before this could get any worse.

"It's fine. It doesn't even hurt. Don't worry. I'm fine. This is all just a mis—" Druvis rushed the stage and cut me off.

"Please! I'm so sorry. He'll repent! I've already made him! If you'll just give him one last chance!" Shut up, lady! Baffled at how she managed to make everything worse with her impeccable timing and tears, I let go and let God. It's out of my hands. Sagging against my captor, I could feel her smug smirk without even looking. Hadrian, quick to blow everything out of proportion, turned and roared at Druvis.

"Shut your lying mouth! You incompetent wretch!" This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Damn! The glow came back in full force and burned her fingertips, smoke rising off of them. Druvis cried out pathetically, "Niathe! My Lord!" She looked like a flower drowning in the rain, out of breath and dressed in a silk slip down to her bare feet covered only in a blue shawl that swept the ground.

A few gentlemen turned to face the world outside out of respect, and Eligia turned green in shame. A thirst trap, gone wrong. Awkward. Before anyone could tell her to be quiet again. The doors vibrated with the force of a boulder knocking against them. Outside, a guard shouted with enough force to introduce from behind tons of wood capable of withstanding a hurricane.

"Entering! Sir Jovian! The eldest young master, the second young master, the third young master, the fourth young miss, the fifth young master, the sixth young master, and the seventh young master." The doors opened a final time, and a herd of guards dragged in Derrick. Gently, all considering he was fighting and yowling like a cat with its tail stepped on. Behind him were all of my astounded siblings and a new addition to the party. A tall, hulking man wearing a tunic and brown animal skin pants.

At his waist was a sword the size of three of me. His eyes wandered all the way up and settled upon. You guessed it. Why? Jesus H. Christ. My mother leaned forward, and I could feel her stroking my head harder in an attempt to calm herself. Something about him made her want to leap down the stairs and strangle him with his own intestines. I could feel it. I don't know how, but I could. My poor neck hurt from the force she was using to stroke away her anxiety with her personal stress pillow.

"I'm going to run away from you one day." She whispered low enough that only I would hear her acquiescence, "I will have your bags packed immediately after this." Hadrian stood to my mother's right. Father stood to her left. And the other women were standing a step below us. Close enough to be considered a united front and far enough to enjoy the spectacle privately. They're all just bored. That's all this comes to. So dramatic. Silence choked the room in her suffocating embrace. What do we do now?

My mother broke the silence and started stacking on crimes like wooden blocks.

"Assault of a woman. Assault of an infant. Assault of a noblewoman. Abuse of a family member. Attempted homicide." My father gave her a cursory look, but in the end, completed her sentence with a question of his own. A warning look beset his face towards his youngest son, as he tried to telepathically hint something to him. Genuinely amused at how oblivious he let himself be. Sir, do you not know what kind of blockhead you set loose on the world? He looked like he was downright pleading with his own son.

Blinking in Morse code. Just say your apologies, admit your faults, and I can smooth this over.

"How do you plead to these charges, Derrick Duccanes?" Indignantly, Derrick shouted from a place of foolishness, even his mother winced at.

"Innocent father! I didn't do anything wrong! That imp conspired with her whore mother to frame me!" The sky turned black and suddenly everyone was interested in the beautiful windows and weather we were having.

"Father!"

"..."

"..." My heart skipped a beat, and the slow strokes stopped completely. The cowlick shot in the air, and I stopped breathing as my antenna sensed the danger building up behind me. You idiot. You inbred waste of air. The accused nonchalantly added another charge breaking the deathly silence, "Lying before a greater noble." The village idiot shouted at her, red in the face, "Shut up!" The Duke bristled with legit disgust, and Dorothea stepped up to place a hand on his arm.

How do you tell someone your kid is a legit moron? You look at him the way she is right now. Nothing but pity in her eyes as she sighed and put on her best face. Forced a faltering smile and took charge of the storm brewing. Dorothea spoke up for everyone to hear, "Bring in the witness." Gillard was brought to kneel before the stairs, quivering in fear. Dorothea ordered simply not wasting any words, even though the smile on her face seemed kind, her tone biting at anyone mistaking it for weakness, "Testimony."

Gillard stuttered over his words as he stared straight at the floor, tears plopping on the rough stone.

"I w-was searching for the young m-master. He was late to his swordsmanship lessons. The last sighting of him was near the entrance to the kitchen." He sobs trying to rush it all out in one breath, "I searched for him in the kitchen until I heard him. I went to the door and saw him…K-kicking the young miss." He stopped for air and I felt bad for him. Being stared at the way he is for something that really isn't his fault, I know the feeling all too well.

"I begged him to stop, and he kicked my lowly self away. He stalked off through the kitchen door, and I started to look for him once more. Instead, I found the young miss crawling down the hallway, alone. Lady Helen found us and brought us both before your grace." He bows a little and places his shaking hands in his knees.

"Where were her guards?!" Dorothea soothes the screaming tomato next to her. He looked downright aggrieved, searching for any other answer or explanation for this. Lady Helen spoke up for herself, "It was my mistake. Please punish me." She knelt and held out her sword in her hands. The pair of lovebirds ignored her and continued with the family trial in front of dozens of witnesses. Different evidence was brought up, and I felt bad for everyone involved. I mean, what else is there to say?

They compared the shoe that Derrick was wearing to the imprint on both Gillard and me. Unnecessary. Obviously, it matched, and no one else could account for his whereabouts during the time. Several scullery maids I was familiar with came forward with tears in their eyes, including Matthiue. He looked genuinely worried for me. My buddy was concerned? Lies. He's going to tell everyone and their mother. This was the worst thing to ever happen to me to date.

While I was being dressed in newer, softer clothes by the maids and ladies in waiting, I felt an odd sensation pushing through the center of my eyebrows. Like a hot poker, I suddenly felt a sharp sting at the very back of my temples meeting the hot metal. I yelped in sheer agony, and Niathe turned me to face her. I could barely see through the spots as I broke out in a cold sweat. Holy crap.

"I don't—" Bloody tears left my eyes as a headache equipped with barbed wires ravaged my sanity. My brain turned into mush and was shredded into minced white meat. Niathe tightened her grip on me, and her voice grew an edge laced with real urgency.

"DRUVIS!" Soft hands landed on my burning head as a gnawing sensation rocked me. So much…too. My mouth opened in a silent scream that dislodged my jaw, and I faded to nothingness. A bright blue light consumed me, finally, and I fainted. Calibrating… Hidden Quest completed… Award…Searching for reward…Reward authenticity? … Reward authenticated. System 701 Rewarded. Begin reintegration.