Disclaimer: The ambulance says, "I am not Eoin Colfer, and therefore I do not own Artemis Fowl."
"Artemis, do come inside, there is a business deal I want to introduce you to," his father said in a clipped tone. Artemis recognised it as a demand, not a request. His father would not tolerate insolence, after all.
"Of course, Father," he answered, brushing away his wonder at the view his eyes were feasting upon. "The outdoors is despicable anyway."
"Artemis, we're in Venice, let your son stay outside for a while," his mother reprimanded, walking out onto the balcony and leaning over the railing. She stretched her arms outward, smiling as she appeared to inhale the sunlight.
"We came strictly for business," his father said, scowling in disapproval. "And do stop leaning over the railing like that, it sets my teeth on edge. What would happen if you should fall?"
"Oh, do lighten up," she said, disregarding his advice. "I know you can."
Her white dress billowed in the wind and her hair flew wildly as she laughed. Reflecting upon this moment years later, Artemis would remember thinking she was heavenly beautiful in that split second, her eyes crinkling at the corners as the Venice sun shone down on the balcony.
Of course, it was through the biased eyes of an seven-year-old child. Nobody could possess the beauty of a deity, even if his mother seemed to come close.
"I can lighten up after I finish up on the business deal," his father reminded her, furrowing his brows over the puzzling contents in his laptop. "Interesting, it appears that the Russians are willing to pay quite a large sum for some few hundred pounds of cola."
"Artemis," she said, her smile disappearing as she walked into the hotel room and out of the sunlight of the balcony. Artemis frowned; he had been observing the light dance in the tangles of her hair. "Speaking of your business..."
"Sweetheart, let's not come to thisagain," his father said. If Artemis wasn't in such reverence over his father's poise and control, and so determined to follow in his footsteps, he might've hazarded a guess that his father was pouting. "Didn't you say that you want to enjoy this vacation? Why sully it with such disagreeable talk?"
"Just a minute ago you had no qualms about sullying our so-called 'vacation' by deeming it a business trip," she retorted, quirking an elegant brow. His father continued frowning, or - dare he say it? - sulking. "You know that expression doesn't work on me, darling," she said, in a sing-song manner.
"Jokes aside," his mother continued, putting away her amused expression and gaining a serious one. "Three weeks ago, you made me a very important promise... One that I will keep you to for the rest of your life."
"Yes, yes, of course," his father said irritably, waving a hand airily at her. "One last adventure and I'll drop all my illegal schemes and we'll settle down with the money I've earned from my.. ah.. projects. Satisfied, dear?"
"Very," she said, smiling. Artemis looked from one parent to the other, utterly bewildered. Drop their projects? What a ridiculous idea! They might as well drop their family motto, their crest; hand in their identification cards at the genius convention. Aurum Est Potestas, after all.
He caught a small smirk playing on his father's lips, and breathed a tiny sigh of relief, barely audible to his parents. His father had a trick up his sleeve. The Russian mafia expedition didn't sound rather legal, after all. All that was wrong in the last two minutes had been set back to normal. Well, as normal as their family could get.
Then again...
A stately figure, clad in white, returned to the balcony and continued her observation of the Venice waters. The sunlight shone upon the features of her face and she smiled crookedly, a full-blown grin unlike the upward quirk of the lips Artemis and his father usually took to.
That smile could cure cancers, thought Artemis.
Maybe his mother hadn't been knocked quite out of the game yet.
Sorry for the late chapter, but I have already said previously that the speed in which I upload my chapters will vary largely, sometimes spanning two days and sometimes three weeks. My sincerest apologies, but this habit most likely will not cease.
Let me know of spelling/grammar/logical errors.