Hidden Roses
Chapter 2 – Things You can learn at the Caf
Wow, you're still here =D Either you're crazy, curious, or bored. Enjoy! XP
By the way, did I ever tell y'all that I'm a sucker for romances? XD I will once again warn you of out of character characters and that this fic will be predominantly a NadilxCesia fic. And they'll be many appearances by the main and major minor members of the cast throughout the fic. Just read and learn, read and learn )
"Well, he's still determined," Ruwalk commented as the three Dragon Officers watched Rath walk past them.
"One track mind, that one," Kai-stern nodded. "He didn't even notice us."
"…I worry about that."
"Huh?" Ruwalk and Kai-stern turned to Tetheus, his eyes narrowed in deep thought as he leaned against the brick wall. "What do you mean, Tetheus?" Ruwalk questioned.
"…" The Black Dragon Officer closed his eyes. "Though perseverance can be a virtue, it can also be dangerous."
"Are you saying that Rath's want of Cesia will turn violent?" Kai-stern half-yelled, anger slowly building.
"No, I'm just saying that we should keep a closer watch on him," Tetheus replied coolly, his deep black eyes penetrating into Kai-stern's crystal white ones. "The prince has been in a rather…excited state lately."
"He did just turn eighteen," Ruwalk stated.
They continued to watch Rath disappear around a corner before moving way from their hiding place. They decided to head back to the Castle and meet up with Rath there, to give him the delusion that they had not been following the whole time. However, they did not notice the path the prince had actually taken. The way he was going did not lead back to the castle. Rather, it led to one of the darker areas of the city…
"Sumi-masen!" Cesia said as she bowed in front of her manager.
He sighed. "How many times has it been now?"
"Only once!" she half-yelled, keeping her anger in check. "And if it wasn't—"
"For Rath, yes, yes," he smiled. "Honestly, you should do something about him." He paused and leaned his face closer to hers, his bright orange eyes glittering with mischief. "Unless…you want me to end this whole affair by asking you marry me instead…?"
"BIERREZ!" she shouted as she pushed her way past to the dressing rooms.
He cringed when the door made a loud bang! as she slammed it. "Geez, you'd think she thought I was serious about it…"
"But you were."
Bierrez whirled around to find a rather mysterious looking male yokai sitting at a single table, in his hand a half-empty glass of orange juice. He was dressed in casual clothes, a white shirt with a black vest and black pants. His hair was of a purple toned color and the right side of his bangs were grown over his right eye, though Bierrez could see the scare sealed shut eye underneath.
The yokai raised an eye to Bierrez. "I've watched you. Staring at her while she attends to customers." He lifted his glass and downed the remaining liquid before setting it back down onto the table, the ice clinking against the glass.
"How long have you been here?" Bierrez asked hotly.
"Long enough," he replied in a bored voice. "But you were serious in your…proposal."
The yokai flushed slightly before turning back to the counter. "I'm just making sure she's doing her job!"
"You only hired her so you could get closer," he continued in a matter-of-fact tone. "At least that's what's circulating around the yokai."
"Are you going to pay or what?" Bierrez fumed.
The strange customer gave a sly smile. "I'd watch that temper. She's coming with an order right now."
At that next second, Cesia walked up to the counter and handed Bierrez the slip before quickly turning away to server another table. The yokai manager caught himself staring after her. Dammit, it's all just because of what that yokai said, he reproached himself.
"Nadil's in town," he suddenly said as he stared idly out the window.
Bierrez straightened slightly. "That's Lord Nadil," Bierrez corrected automatically.
"I didn't think you had that much respect for him," the other said as he took another sip from his glass.
"I don't know, it just was an automatic thing that I have to do with the customers," he snorted.
"Who?"
The two yokai blinked and turned to find Cesia staring intently at them both.
"Who's here?" she asked again.
"Nadil, from Kainaldia," Bierrez said quizzically. "Why? You hardly ever want to know when someone important is in town."
"Well you two were making some sort of argument out of the guy and I was just wondering," she huffed before spinning on her heel to another table.
"You need better communication skills," the yokai said bluntly.
"Gee, thanks," Bierrez said sarcastically. "I'll make sure to come to you if I need it." He paused. "But how did you know?"
The yokai turned his head slightly away from the window so as to have his one eye on Bierrez. "Two ways: I just know and Nadil himself was just outside this building."
"NANI?!?!?"
The small café hushed as everyone turned to stare at the manager, his face slowly reddening from embarrassment. Cesia raised an eyebrow at him, a skeptical look on her face.
"Ah…nothing, just go back to what you were doing! Ah heheheh…" Bierrez immediately buried his face in his arms when everyone turned back around and the talking once more filled the café.
"Smooth," was all the customer said, though Bierrez did not have the desire to retort.
What the hell is wrong with me? He lifted his eyes lightly and stared out to all the customers seated at the various tables and booths. After a while he found his eyes had somehow locked themselves onto Cesia's back as she conversed with one of the customers. She's…slacking off work. "Cesia, this is no time for idle chatter! Get back to work!" he yelled. Boy, I feel better now.
Cesia gave him a glaring glance before giving her friends a few departing words as she went to the next table. The two girls who had been conversing with her glanced at each other and giggled.
"Poor Cesia, I wonder how long she'll survive," one said to the other.
"It's Bierrez, he'll probably keep her a while," the other answered, a sly smirk on her lips.
"Kitchel!"
"It's true, Tintlet!" Kitchel leaned forward so as to talk in hushed tones with her friend. "It's why I came down here. I didn't realize that Bierrez was the manager of the place. That's why she was able to get a job so fast."
"They were schoolmates, right?"
"With Rath as well."
"Ooooh this is getting interesting!" Tintlet squealed with delight.
Kitchel grinned. "You don't know the half of it. Even when they were little those two guys would, though subtly, fight over Cesia." She leaned back. "Though now Bierrez has backed off a bit. I think something happened back then…"
Tintlet blinked. "Something bad?"
"No, not bad…just…something."
"Something what?"
Cesia found herself once again catching the end of a conversation that seemed to be actually interesting. She stared at Kitchel. "…You weren't talking about me…were you?"
"Of course not!" Kitchel lied smoothly. "I was talking about the taste of this drink. It doesn't taste bad…but it doesn't incredibly great either. Just…something."
Tintlet stared at Kitchel in wonder as Cesia raised an eyebrow. "Uh…right. Want me to get you another one?"
"Nah, it's fine," the girl said as she took a sip of it. "When do you get out from work?"
"I just got here."
"What?!" Kitchel almost splurted her drink out and managed to hold it in. Unfortunately it brought her down to coughing fits.
Cesia handed her a glass of water, though she was not sure how that would help. "You know how held me up."
"Rath?" Tintlet asked as Kitchel glugged the water down, only to have her coughing fits increased.
"Yes. And you know what he asked," she sighed. "It's really starting to get annoying."
"Then you should, cough, tell him that, ack," Kitchel managed to say between coughs.
"I try to, but whenever I see the pain in his eyes I can't." Cesia glanced at Bierrez and finding his back turned to her she sat down in the empty chair next to Kitchel. "I know it hurts him that I keep rejecting him, but…I'm not ready for marriage yet. And I don't think I feel the same way as Rath does…"
The two girls glanced at each other before looking at Cesia. "Ne, Cesia-chan," Tintlet said softly as she placed a gentle hand on her friend's arm, "you shouldn't feel bad about that. If you married just to make Rath happy then it wouldn't be a true marriage. Only when both partners love each other should they take on such a commitment."
Kitchel grinned at Tintlet. "Listen to her, she's practically engaged."
"Kitchel!" Tintlet blushed.
She stuck her tongue out her. "What? It's true! You two might as well be married by the amount of time y'all are together!"
Tintlet just sat there blushing madly as Cesia gave a small laugh. "You're embarrassing her, Kitchel."
"What's to be embarrassed about?" Kitchel smiled. "I would just die to have someone who would pay me such attentions!"
"But isn't it hard for you two to meet?" Cesia asked curiously. "I mean…Rune is a Dragon Knight and has to be with Rath almost all the time."
"Sometimes…but we still manage," the faerie elf said quietly, her face still blushed.
Kitchel squirmed. "Ooooh this is just too cute!!" she yelled out as she hugged Tintlet. "You lucky girl!!"
"K-Kitchel!" Tintlet stammered as glanced quickly at Cesia.
Cesia just laughed at her friend's antics when she felt someone tap her shoulder. …Busted.
"Ahem, there are tables waiting to be served…?" Bierrez said softly into her ear, making Cesia almost jump right out of her skin. She did the alternative and jumped out of the chair instead, staring bewilderedly at her manager. He just smiled and motioned to some tables whose occupants were watching them curiously. Without a word, she hurried over to them and quickly took their orders.
Kitchel stared up at Bierrez. "…Where's my parfait?"
"Did you order one?" he asked as he glanced down at her. He could feel the stranger's eyes still watching him and was starting to get irked by the yokai. He would have to tell him off when he returned.
"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't," Kitchel was saying, jolting Bierrez out of his thoughts.
"All right, I'll get it." He turned to Tintlet. "Anything else for you?"
"No, I'm fine, thank you," she replied with a sweet smile.
"…" Bierrez looked at them for a moment before returning back to his counter. He had seen them before. But where?
"Rune's girlfriend and Cesia's housemate," the strange customer said coolly as he took another sip from his newly refilled glass.
The statement made Bierrez jump and almost drop the whip cream canister he was retrieving from the small fridge underneath the counter top. He slowly straightened and looked at him. "…What did you say…?"
The yokai glanced at him. "Those two girls. You were wondering who they were."
"How did you know?" Bierrez asked slowly.
"One has to know these sorts of things with the line of work I do."
"It seems all you do is just sit at that table and drink while staring out the window." He took out a bowl and started to make Kitchel's parfait. "I meant how did you know I was wondering that?"
"You were looking at them in such a way, as if to recollect a memory."
"…What are you, a psychologist or something?"
The yokai lifted his glass to the café manager, a small grin on his lips. "Something like that."
Bierrez just stared at him in bewilderment before finishing the parfait and walking over to where Kitchel and Tintlet were sitting. He placed the dessert in front of Kitchel then glanced around the tables. Everyone seemed to be contented and had been attended to. It then struck him that Cesia had stopped coming to his side to place orders. He glanced over to the other side where the main counter was, a lot more busy than usual. The yokai unconsciously clenched his fist and slowly made his way back to where the mysterious yokai was.
He pulled up a chair on the other side of him and slumped into it. "I give up. You win."
The other raised an eyebrow. "I do?"
"I don't understand it," Bierrez groaned as he ran a hand through his hair. "I can't possibly love her like that. She's like…like…a sister or something!"
"A sister?" he repeated as he lifted the glass to his lips. "Continue."
Bierrez looked at him. "What are you now, a psychiatrist?" he asked wryly.
"Something like that."
"Do I even want to know what you do?"
"No."
"Didn't think so." He sighed. "I know when we were younger I once had feelings for her…but it changed after a while. I just found that I had wanted to protect her not because I loved her like…that type of love, but because she was almost like family…as a sister."
"…I'm not sure I follow," the listener said. "You loved her loved her then you loved her like a sister? That doesn't usually happen."
"Well I'm not your usual guy, all right?"
"Don't have to tell me that twice," he grinned as he took another drink. "Continue."
"…You know I feel rather stupid telling you these things," Bierrez said after a moment.
"Don't be, I hear that one all the time."
"…Right. Anyway, it's true. I guess I looked at her in a different way. And there was also…"
"Rath, right?" The yokai folded his arms on the table as he leaned forward slightly. "There was the conflict with Rath, wasn't there?"
Bierrez looked at him long and hard before continuing slowly. "There…was. I just could tell that Rath really liked Cesia."
"And so rather than creating a conflict and in effect hurting Cesia in that manner, you decided to just back off."
"…Damn. You're good."
"I hear that all the time," he grinned. "A noble decision, if foolish."
"I don't have regrets though." Bierrez looked over to where Cesia was attending a new set of customers. "I'm still by her side and I can still watch over her this way. As…a brother."
"Both orphans, weren't you?" He tilted his head slightly as he interlaced his fingers.
"At the age of thirteen I went out on an excursion to further train myself. When I returned, my feelings for Cesia had lessened even more and I also learned of Rath's attempts to have her hand in marriage." Bierrez paused. "I worry about that now. I somehow have a bad feeling about it."
"There is nothing you can really do about it," the other yokai stated as he moved his glass about the table. "It is their own decision. Rath will not force her. At least I don't believe so. Lord Lykouleon would disapprove if the prince tried."
"True…but I still worry." It was now that Bierrez noticed something different about the yokai before him. He took a closer look and his eyes widened when he saw something glinting in the incoming sunlight now streaming full blast through the crystal clear windows.
"That's a…"
The yokai blinked and glanced down at the collar of his vest. "Dammit…I forgot about that…" He glanced apologetically at Bierrez as he quickly unpinned the badge and hastily placed it in his pocket.
"…Who are you?" Bierrez asked as he watched the other do this.
"…Nadil's Captain of the Guard, Gil," the yokai said after a moment.
"YOU'RE NADIL'S WHAT?!?!?"
Gil clamped hand over Bierrez mouth as everyone turned back around to stare at them. Cesia was looking them as if they were crazy. "You have a problem with that, you know that?!" Gil hissed when everyone turned back around and started to talk in hushed tones.
"Mmmf!!" Bierrez pried Gil's hand off and gasped. "I almost suffocated!"
"Well it probably would have been for the good of us all if you did with you yelling out like that!"
"Well you should have at least given me a warning!"
"Wasn't the badge warning enough?!"
"No!"
"…" Gil just stared at him and sighed as he slumped back into his chair. "Don't tell anyone, especially anyone who goes by the name Fedelta."
"Fedelta?" Bierrez repeated, an eyebrow raised.
"Just don't tell anyone at all," Gil said. "To anyone else, I'm some random yokai that you know, capiche?"
"Uh…right." Boy did his attitude change… Bierrez looked at him for a moment. "…Okay so wait. I just told my personal love life to someone who works for Nadil??"
"…Pretty much."
There was loud crash as Bierrez slid out of his chair and landed on his side on the floor. "…I. Am. Such. An. Idiot."
"Can't agree with you more," Gil said as he helped him up. "But don't you feel better about it?"
"…I guess," Bierrez said, though he was still skeptical. "So that's how you knew that Nadil was here other than him being right outside..." He paused. "Do you not address him by his title?"
"He prefers that we don't," the captain of the guard replied idly.
"And you let him roam free?"
"He's a big kid. He can handle himself."
"…You're strange you know that?"
"I hear that all the time."
"You hear a lot of stuff all the time."
Gil looked sharply at Bierrez who just raised his hand in half salute. "Be glad I'm in one of my lighter moods."
Like I haven't heard that one before… "Why are you here anyway? Skipping work?"
"Gathering information."
"Do you moonlight as a spy or something?"
"No, there's no need for that. It's just been a while since we've last been here and I was hoping to catch any news other than what we had received from before."
"How are things with the lesser yokai?" Bierrez asked suddenly.
"They've calmed down, finally seeing the light I suppose," Gil snorted. "The last thing we need is a war. Nadil decided to come down here to speak with Lord Lykouleon about one of the villages along the Calnades River. There had been reports of lesser water yokai rising up and attacking the villages, inhabited by all three races. As it is of the Dragon Territory, we wished to receive permission before moving in and eliminating the threat."
"Wow, and you're telling me this?"
"You'd find out sooner or later through news and gossip," Gil said idly.
"Can you ever be not correct?"
Gil looked up to the ceiling for a moment before answering. "No, I don't think so."
Bierrez rolled his eyes. He sat still to listen to the bell ringing five o'clock. It was already that late? He stood up. "Well it's time to close up." He handed Gil a slip of paper. "That'll be 789," he smiled.
Gil's left eye shot wide open. "789?! For what??"
Bierrez waved his hand over the mountain of glasses on the table. "All of that. You drank a lot."
The caption of Nadil's guard grumbled as he paid his due and stood up. "Think of it as a compliment," he said with a small smile. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, Bierrez." He held out his hand.
Bierrez took it. "Likewise. Please come again, and bring your guard if they promise not to be rowdy. This is a café, not a pub."
Gil gave a backhand wave as he left through the door, making the small bells hanging above ring their crystal chimes. "Will do." In a few more moments he had disappeared among the crowd quickly gathering along the streets as shops started to close up.
"Bierrez, while you were having your little chit-chat with that man, I cleaned up everything," Cesia said as she passed the yokai and headed to the door.
"…Cesia wait." When she turned he took a breath. "I'm…sorry. About earlier. It was uncalled for and I shouldn't have said something about that."
She looked at him for a moment before opening the door. "It's all right, I knew you were joking." She gave him a smile. "But do that again and I'll slap you in the face without hesitant, all right?" With that she went through the door, the bells once more clinking.
Bierrez sighed as he watched her go. He still had an uneasy feeling about her and Rath. He couldn't put his thumb on it, but it would not go away either. He walked out of the café and gently closing the door, locking it. After double-checking and he threw the keys up in the air and caught it, staring down at them hard.
He had decided. He would watch over Cesia and make sure she was kept safe. Even if it meant making Rath his enemy.
Trala, now this is better =D A much longer chapter full of what seems like a bunch of meaningless stuff xD
So Bierrez and Gil got introduced as well as Tintlet and the mentioning of others . I was at first thinking about having a love square going on, but that was getting complicated so I made Bierrez into the brother figure. Gil obviously had some stuff done to him. Tintlet…well she's fine I guess. As well as Kitchel.
The next chapter will deal more with Rath and Cesia, possibly Nadil but not sure yet. There'll also be another character introduced in the next chapter, and I'm not sure if you'll like it or not…
And remember, expect characters to not be themselves!