Nellie gripped at her rapidly beating heart as Rhys and the Regere stared at each other. It was somehow worse than when Uncle Winston met the Regere despite there being no speaking outside of their first acknowledgements.
Xinyi crept over. If she had been in her fox form, her ears would have been flattened.
“Is… danger,” Xinyi asked in a loud whisper.
“No,” the Regere said. “At least, not today.” His shockingly light blue eyes lingered on Rhys. “Trust I'll be seeing you later, then?”
“Shortly,” Rhys said stiffly.
The Regere gave a nod, looked at Nellie and Xinyi, and headed back the way he came with a turn on his heel.
“Shall we go get your living arrangements taken care of,” Rhys asked Xinyi.
Rhys gestured for Xinyi to go back into the apartment. He gave Nellie a small, weak smile and disappeared after her. She stood at a loss. There was no invitation to follow them back into the apartment, and the Regere certainly had no welcoming air to him, further highlighted by him being long out of sight.
“Sweet?” The sudden voice caused Nellie to jump, and it took her a second to realize it came from the government escort still standing in his position. He jiggled a small, colorful tin reminiscent of mints at her.
She politely declined and they lapsed back into ignoring each other.
“Nellie,” Morgan called, breaking from his mother's grip as soon as he crested the apartment building's entryway. “Oh, there you are. You ran off so suddenly.”
Her voice caught as Evora looked down at her. She had fixed her hair so that it was once more up in a tight bun. She looked more hawkish than when she frantically rushed Morgan moments earlier. She gave Nellie a small, thin lipped smile.
“Wonderful to meet you Perenelle,” she said, her voice softer now that she wasn’t hysterical. She let out a nervous chuckle. “Or rather, it’s wonderful to see you again.”
Nellie tried to say hello back, but only managed a strained smile.
Evora drew herself up. “Well, shall we?”
“Sure… I’ll just wait for Amias,” Nellie said.
Evora’s polite smile waivered. “Oh… well, that may take some time. He's… doing debriefing with Beast and Brigitte.”
With little else to do, Nellie trailed after Evora and her escort with Morgan. They walked up the busy street towards the palace, going into a modest appearing building that was lavishly decorated inside. She could feel the Regere’s pressure the closer they got to the suite.
“Thank you, Mr. Jiang, I can manage from here,” Evora said sweetly to their escort. “Would you please go wait for Amias? I know it's a short walk, but I fear his mood will cause distraction.” Evora ushered them into the suite.
It looked like the living room area for a high end salon. The open doorway to Nellie’s right led to the bathroom–dark tile and a huge bathtub visible from where she stood–while a much larger doorway, closed off by dark, double doors led to the bedroom. The Regere was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was shut up in there.
“My understanding is that you’ve been out all night,” Evora asked. She waved towards the couches. “You’ve time for a lie down before lunch.” Her eyes darted to the closed doors. “Excuse me, will you? Sit. Sit. Rest.”
Nellie and Morgan took a seat beside each other on the same couch, facing the closed doors that Evora slipped through. They sat in silence with the murmurings of the Regere and Evora leaking out into the room.
“How much trouble are we in,” Nellie whispered to Morgan. Morgan shrugged, keeping his hazel eyes down on his fingers knitted against his knees. “I imagine Rhys showing up distracted everyone from us running off…?”
They jumped as the bedroom doors were thrown open. The Regere strode out, looked at each of them in turn, and heaved a sigh.
“I never imaged you’d actually find him,” he said. “I thought he’d be way too far into the mountains by now.” His eyes lingered on Morgan’s stained shirt. “You were a foolish boy, Morgan.”
“Regere…,” Evora trailed off, pleadingly.
“You coddle him,” the Regere said sharply. “I’ll call out his foolishness. He nearly died out there. I can see as much from the amount of blood on his shirt.”
“But to,” Evora muttered something in Portuguese to herself, “rub the nose in it… He knows he made a mistake, Regere, meu amor.”
Morgan grew rigid at her side. Nellie could only imagine what was going on in his mind. She was mildly put off at how Evora called her husband by his title rather than his name, and that was distracting her from fully empathizing.
A sharp rap on the door cut the stares and raised hackles. Evora bustled over to the door. Amias huffily strode in seemingly unaware of them and of Rhys slinking in behind him. Amias continued on, dropping onto an easy chair near the window while Rhys stayed in the entryway.
“This will grow into an awkward silence if we wait for the proper thing to say,” the Regere said.
“I trust after how we parted ten years prior, it’ll be awkward regardless,” Rhys said.
“Shall we talk in the bedroom,” the Regere said, waving flippantly towards the doors. “No telling how this will go, and it’ll give Evora time to reacquaint herself with your daughter.”
“My daughter… Yes, funny how you’re here with her,” Rhys said, narrowing his eyes. “Quite amusing.”
“Please,” the Regere said more firmly, once more gesturing to the doors.
“Is something the matter, Brecken,” Rhys asked. “Afraid we'll cause a scene in front of the children?”
“Oh, yes, the children,” Evora said in false brightness, cutting in. “Allow me to thank you again, and again, and again for saving–.”
“He was obligated,” the Regere said coldly.
“Obligated?” Rhys scoffed. “Because of our connection? How absurd. Any adult with a grain of decency would rescue a child.”
“Exactly,” the Regere said. “Obligated.”
There was a long silence as the two men stared at each other. The room seemed chilly and statically charged all at once.
“Is anyone hungry,” Evora piped up. “Amias, how about we take the children for some food?”
Amias continued glaring at the patterned carpet as if it greatly offended him, completely oblivious to the friction in the room before him. His lack of reaction had Evora looking around the room for anything she could pivot to.
“Very well,” Rhys said, heading for the bedroom, “you’ll again have it your way.”
Evora watched them disappear into the bedroom. She turned to Amias, pursing her lips as if she thought better than to interrupt his brooding, and placed her hands on her hips.
“Well, I think some kind of food is in order,” she said to the kids. “I asked for staples in the fridge. Shall I see what I can scrounge together?”
She flitted off without waiting for any answer from either of them.
Nellie drummed her fingers on her knees. Her eyes fixed on the bedroom doors as her stomach tied up in knots. It was pointless to be worried over what was happening inside. The two strangers would pull her one way or the other, all for whatever they deemed to be her benefit. She bit her lip to stop it from shaking as her eyes prickled with tears.
Morgan kicked the coffee table, causing her to jump. “I hate them together!” He crossed his arms tight and threw himself into the back of the couch. “Guess our fun is over.” He side-eyed her. “You look wretched.”
“We should’ve never come,” Nellie murmured.
He did not contradict her, just slightly uncoiled from himself. He dropped his feet to the floor and shot up.
“My father turning up is making us forget ourselves,” Morgan said. His hazel eyes darted to the closed doors. “So?”
Nellie smiled weakly. “It is our only plan….”
They slipped off the couch and tiptoed to the doors. Amias lifted his head and they immediately shushed him in unison. He mimed buttoning his lip and sat back with amusement overtaking his surliness. Morgan winced as he turned the handle. Nellie pressed up against the barely visible crack.
Rhys’s voice slipped through. “–baiting those children. You’ve gone completely mad.”
“I never intended them to be without protection.”
“That matters very little seeing as how they nearly were killed.”
There was a short stretch of silence, either they were exchanging looks or the Regere was answering too quietly for Nellie to hear through the door. She gave a small shake of her head at Morgan as he looked imploring at her to let him know that nothing noteworthy was said yet.
“You insist on sheltering her away from the Realm, and that itself is complete foolishness on your part,” the Regere commented.
“She’s only a girl and it is part of my duty to keep her safe,” Rhys said coolly. “You know what danger she’s in. Her and Fox’s girl. Perhaps, Brecken, you’d be of more use trying to corral her rather than interfere with Perenelle?”
Nellie heard her uncle mutter something along the lines of “what makes you think I haven’t” as she pulled back to face Morgan.
“They say Penny’s in danger,” she whispered. She pressed her ear back to the crack.
“–Majesty had a son,” Rhys was saying, still with an aggravated and cool note. “His danger is much different than that of the girls’. There’s little we can do with him, and even with Fox’s daughter, being adults now, but we must still try. Which is why, I stress once more, to stay out of Pernelle’s life. Let my sister raise her in peace.”
“Let her succumb to danger completely blind, you mean,” the Regere said. “She attracts them. The creatures. It’s only a matter of time before she’s truly noticed. And, you’d have me sit by on my hands?”
There was another pause.
“Ah, Evora,” Amias said, startling them straight. He leapt up and hurried into the kitchen area, sweeping Evora back with him. “These children are being far too cross. Let us have an adult moment before subjecting ourselves to it.”
Nellie gave him a grateful smile as her godfather shot her a quick wink before disappearing completely. She hastily leaned back towards the crack, exhaling at the silence. Nothing was missed.
“Were you using Perenelle as bait?”
It now made sense why she and Morgan were smuggled in, and why there was no real effort to locate Rhys when they got there. The plan was to drag her around the mountain ranges to see if anything was flushed out.
“Nellie,” Morgan hissed. “Well?”
The Regere had used her as bait before. Morgan was disgruntled enough having both parents around. She shook her head to indicate there was nothing to relay, and went back to listening. She heard heavy footsteps and jumped aside, colliding into Morgan in her haste. They both toppled over at Rhys’s feet.
“Once more, you go running—,” the Regere started, following after Rhys, reeling back as he spun towards him.
“We are not finished, Brecken,” Rhys snarled. “Not by far. But, now is not the time.” He looked down at the two tangled children. “We’ll speak at a later time in a more private, secure setting. But, presently, I wish to bring Perenelle home to my sister.” He looked to Evora–pale and strained–and Amias who re-entered the living room. “Can that be arranged, or am I on my own?”
Evora looked anxiously to the Regere. He gave a nod. “We’re all scheduled to leave tomorrow morning. I can add you to our docket.”
Nellie twisted and pushed to untangle herself from Morgan. She found Rhys offering his hand to help pull her up. She hesitantly took it and was pulled up with surprising force.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Rhys said. “Evora, I leave her to you for now.” He glared at the Regere. “Against my judgement.”
A strange feeling gripped her as she watched Rhys leave. She couldn’t figure out if she wanted to go with him, or just given the option. She didn’t know him any more than she knew Evora, and less than she knew Amias, but there was a sense of security with him there.
“How about a bite and some sightseeing,” Evora asked.
“I’m not hungry,” the Regere said moodily.
He disappeared back into the bedroom, shutting the doors behind him.
Lunch was quiet, as was the following walk through the market and rafting on the river. Evora and Amias chatted idly while Nellie and Morgan drifted in and out of sleepiness. The adventure was taking its toll, especially on Nellie who didn’t take a nap due to severe blood loss like Morgan had.
Mrs. Wu insisted on hosting them for dinner which at least had them rejoined by Xinyi. Lina had agreed to informally adopt her to teach her how to be more human, as Rhys suggested. Morgan and Nellie had a good time trying to teach her English phrases and tell her about Lisbon, Florida, London, and Tennessee.
Rhys and the Regere never joined them for the meal.
Nellie drifted in and out of sleep throughout the night. She managed a solid block right before Evora gently called out to her and Morgan that they needed to wake up.
Going to the airport was a blur. Lina was there with Xinyi and Rhys. Nellie and Morgan exchange brief goodbyes with promises to write. Then, Nellie found herself on a small but spacious jet.
“You must be exhausted,” Evora said kindly. “These seats turn into cots. You pull this lever here, and it slides down.” She smiled warmly. “Whenever you need it.”
She needed it the moment the jet took off. The Regere and Rhys milled about at the front, both avoiding directly looking at the other. Amias peered out the sunny window he sat by with a glass bottle of sparkling water in his hand. Evora was watching Rhys and her husband, teetering as if ready to launch between them if needed.
Morgan reclined the seat next to her, and settled in. “I suspect they won’t be taking us back to the compound. Pity. We have so much to brag about.” He folded his arms behind his head. “I wonder what they mean by Penny being in danger. Other than the obvious.”
“Obvious,” Nellie murmured, her eyelids sliding closed.
“She’s running around unattended chasing a dragon,” Morgan said, his eye-roll clear in his tone. “You, at least, have me. So… what could this danger be?”
It had something to do with the creatures and how they were attracted to her, Penny, and Ira. They made a point of saying that Ira was in a different type of danger than she and Penny. Whatever it was threatening them, it must have had something to do with their mothers.
Nellie wasn’t sure she wanted to let Morgan know it was not only Penny that was in danger; at least, not until she understood it better herself. She had enough to worry about without adding a worried-trying-to-be-mature younger cousin to the mix.
She was dragged from her nap by the deep, low voices of the Regere and Rhys. The cabin lights were on low, and all the chairs were reclined into beds with notably two empty. She tensed when she realized their low whispers were coming from the galley area behind her head, and squinted to feign sleep if they happened to look out at her.
“—sense to stop in Lisbon first,” the Regere said.
“She’s going home,” Rhys said. “No detours. Most especially detours that put her in your court.”
“I’ve admitted bringing her here was a mistake. How many times must I say it?”
“Your own son, Brecken; that’s what I struggle with,” Rhys said. “How could you endanger your own child? No, enough. I don’t need your reasoning. Your mind is very different from mine; I’ve long accepted that. I just assumed you matured beyond relying so heavily on your power.” Rhys’s voice darkened. “I thought you had grasped being cursed backlashed onto those around you.”
A flash of green permeated Nellie’s eyelids. The light stayed, pulsating, and she curiously cracked an eye wider. From her vantage, all she could see was part of Rhys’s back through the slit in the curtain backlit by the pulsating green.
Rhys chuckled humorlessly. “You’re as impudent a brat as when we met.”
The light died off and seconds later the stumbling, hurried feet of Evora rushing to the back of the jet met Nellie’s ears. She clamped her eyelids shut as she passed.
“What are you two doing,” she hissed. “You’ll wake the children! And startle the crew.”
“My apologies, Evora,” Rhys said stiffly. “You should go rest. I’ll be relying on you a tad once we’re in America to help arrange travel for Perenelle and me back to… wherever it is my sister is living these days.”
“I can escort—,” the Regere started.
“Absolutely not. You are to stay far away from her haven,” Rhys said. “If she truly attracts creatures, as you say, then she does not need that compounded with your presence there.”
“Amias then,” Evora suggested. “He visited before. He and Ms. Herle seem to have a friendship blooming. But, of course, Commander—.”
“Commander of what?” The Regere had a bitter, mocking tone in his voice.
“I’ll have everything arranged,” Evora said with a bite in her voice. “Now, gentlemen, you should also rest while you can. If you’ll excuse me.”
Nellie squeezed her eyes tighter shut just to be sure they Evora couldn’t mistake her for eavesdropping. She relaxed, daring to peer through her eyelashes once she heard her settling back into her cot at the head of the jet.
“You'd do best to remember that your wife is well connected before making her angry,” Rhys said.
“But I'm so good at angering people,” the Regere said lightly. There was a drawn out pause. “I do want what’s best for her, Rhys. She’s my favorite sister’s only child.”
“And my daughter, despite my absence. I’m asking that you allow me to make decisions as her father. Even… if that means you keeping a distance.”
“Because you no longer trust me, or because you think my… condition would brighten her spotlight?”
“Are you really prepared for my answer,” Rhys asked. “You all but flatly admitted you used her as bait. You can surely, as a father yourself, understand my hesitancy.”
“His Highness is out searching for the Queen in earnest,” the Regere murmured. “That other girl, from what Silas has told me, is doing the same. They’ll also draw attention, and I know Nellie has contact with them both.”
“I ask, once more, leave Perenelle to me,” Rhys said more forcefully. “You should shift your focus to Fox’s girl and Prince Ira. They need the support and protection much more at the moment.”
“That girl is a social media star,” the Regere said distastefully. “She’s easy enough to track.” He sighed. “She threatens the whole balance we’ve built over centuries. Showing off that unicorn as she does.”
Rhys chuckled. “Seems she’s inherited some of Fox’s personality.” There was another pause. He murmured, barely audible, “Their story was unfair enough without all this Tiamat nonsense.”
Nellie was fighting hard to keep awake at this point. The two men were increasing their pauses, lowering their voices more now that they’d calmed down. She tried to keep listening but soon drifted off once again.
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Well, so much for it being the last one. We're ending on 35! This was getting long, and I didn't want to force the ending bit in just to finish it off. This starts directly after chpt 33, so the quick refresher is that Rhys walked out of the apartment building to smoke, Nellie and Xinyi chased after him, he asked Nellie if she wanted to ask him anything, but the Regere showed up and that whole thread of thought went away. (Mr. Jiang is Evora and Amias's escort who was told to wait outside.)
I can't remember if I mentioned this is a random comment somewhere, but Brecken was ~19 when the Auctorita formed, so he basically was just this little brat when Rhys first met him. Especially when you compare him to Rhys at the same age who was a Knight of Ferblanc and already too stern for his age. I don't remember the exact age differences off the top of my head, but I think Rhys and Brue were nearish to 10 year apart, and Brue was three to five years older than Brecken. (I have to do my math backwards and compare it to Nathalie's age and Ira's age to double check, and I just can't fathom doing that right now, lol.) Point being, they have a lot of friction outside of all that went down just because of ages and personalities.
