His mother chose not to answer the question and instead asked one of her own. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Ah...” He pulled off the mustache. “Just a prank someone played on me.”
“You shouldn’t let people make a fool of you.”
“It’s not like that,” said Hector.
“Hmph.”
He sat down and glanced across the table at the others. He still found it difficult to make eye contact with his mother, but he tried his best. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around the past few days. I’ve been unconscious, so... yeah.”
She didn’t have anything to say to that.
‘She knows what happened to you,’ said Garovel, and Hector flinched a little, only now realizing the reaper had followed. ‘Believe it or not, she visited you several times. Not sure if it was because she was concerned about you or what. She didn’t say much.’
Vanessa took a long breath, perhaps irritated, perhaps just bored. “So what are you going to do now, anyway?”
“Uh... I’m not sure yet.”
“We can’t stay here in the palace forever. And I assume we’re not returning to Brighton, either.”
His brow receded. It struck him as odd that she was already accepting of the idea that she would continue living with him. He thought it would surely be an ordeal, convincing her to stay where he could protect her. “I’ll figure something out soon,” he said. “Seems like things’ve finally calmed down a bit, so... ah...”
She just nodded and fell silent again.
He gave up trying to get a read on her. After a few moments, Prince David and Prince Meriwether took the opening and approached. Hector stood to greet them.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” said David. He and his brother both looked rather tired as they took turns shaking hands with Hector.
“Uh, I’m, ah...”
David tilted his head. “I’m Prince David. We spoke on the phone? And corresponded via text? You do remember, yes?”
“Y-yeah, of course. I’m just, um--I... it’s very nice to meet you. Oh, and I’m sorry about, uh... about threatening you before...”
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
"I’m sorry I haven’t been around the past few days. I was busy regrowing 95% of my body and sleeping through the delayed torment of getting blown up in the first place, not to mention half a dozen amputations and an assortment of various other injuries (including having my foot fused with solid rock). Apart from that I'm doing well. You?"
ReplyDeleteI almost don't believe it. Vanessa didn't piss me off this time. Maybe what Hector said last time knocked at least one sense into her... If she just stays this way, I wouldn't mind.
ReplyDeleteAnd lol! Soon as Hector meets new people, his speech difficulties come back. He was just talking to his mom just fine!
Continue!
ReplyDeleteOh you know I pretended to collaborate with my murderous brother, and so I've just been coming to grips with that and the deaths of three other brothers and of course getting some decent sleep since that psychotic reaper is gone. No physical injuries so I'm fine it all mental trauma and we both know I haven't got the monopoly on that.
ReplyDelete