Chapter 25
Maneuver
Power thrummed around the dais, saturating the royal hall with hot, spiny pressure that tingled and sparked along Frankenstein's skin. 'Does this mean you want to fight, bastard?' Of course, Dark Spear agreed that they would both enjoy taking down this noble lord.
The extent of the lord's power reminded him exactly why he sparred the clan leaders so recklessly and with such determination. However, the lord's strength didn't warrant adopting the nobles' lord as his own. Now that he thought about it, no capital 'L' because no one was worthy of that kind of blind commitment from Frankenstein.
Power. And control. He would need those if he wanted to defeat the noble before him. 'You just wait. One day, I'll wipe that look off your face.'
These thoughts brought out Dark Spear's many voices, clambering for blood, violence and death from behind the tight shield in the scientist's brilliant mind. They demanded a taste of this new food source, the one sitting on the throne in all his haughty glory. Frankenstein would have liked nothing more than to allow the beast its desires, but he knew he had no chance of defeating the lord of all nobles without losing his soul to Dark Spear in the attempt, if the lord even gave him the chance to free his weapon.
The limits of his strength could be frustrating at times. Like now! His crazy lover bucked at the notion, screaming that it could do the job. Perhaps changing his train of thought could hush the raking desires that often drove him half insane. Yes, that seemed like an excellent idea.
'Thoughts of Sir Raizel are always calming. Master has better control than this lord. Could it be that this noble is simply too powerful to restrain it?' A frightening thought. 'Or, could this display actually be a subtle showing, something to frighten the lowly human before him? This line of thought isn't helping calm Dark Spear.'
If it weren't for the lord's continued silence, his thoughts wouldn't be chasing around in circles. Frankenstein was familiar with this tactic. Causing discomfort was its purpose. He wasn't exactly sweating, yet, but tension gathered in his shoulders and back, stiffening his neck. The Lord knew his own strength, knew he could easily destroy even a strong, modified human and he wanted to make sure Frankenstein understood that as well. That's was the whole point.
Frankenstein would be damned if he allowed the lord to see him distressed in any way.
'Hah! My lover has already damned me!' That thought almost made him grin and he took the spare moment of relaxation to study the lord's appearance a bit more closely.
The noble lacked Sir Raizel's natural elegance. Perhaps he should taunt the lord, just for fun. If the noble had wanted him dead, he'd be dead by now. So, he had some leeway. Frankenstein's perusal abruptly ended as the lord finally decided to speak, perhaps saving Frankenstein from himself.
"Why didn't you come see me? Didn't you want some of my blood for your experiments? I saved some for you."
Shock stunned Frankenstein speechless and the lord rambled on about how amusing it had been that Frankenstein had tried to hide in Lukedonia, especially within Sir Raizel's mansion. He continued on about nothing of true import, all of it exhausting small talk. Eventually, Frankenstein recovered from his initial shock.
'Master would never behave so utterly unrefined. This is their lord? I have better things to do than listen to his tripe. Sir Raizel's tea is probably cold by now.'
Finally the lord said something worthwhile.
"I'm certain I asked Raizel to send you to me. Why did you make me wait so long that I had to send for you? Hm? I am the Lord, after all, and you've been here for ten years already!"
'Has it really been ten years?' Frankenstein had barely finished the thought before the lord continued his rant.
"Ah! I knew this would happen! Raizel didn't tell you, did he? He said he'd send you, but he forgot. That's so like him!"
Before Frankenstein even had a chance to respond, things took a turn for the worse.
"I would like to speak to him in private," the Lord said, directing his words to the attending clan leaders, Gejutel and Ragar.
'I'm not sure I want to be alone with this lunatic.'
Odd or not, the lord was the most powerful noble Frankenstein had met. The threatening creature before him easily overcame objections from Gejutel and Ragar, who reluctantly filed out of the room. It appeared as though they hadn't been confident that the lord would conduct himself as a great leader should. Too late for that now.
"Okay, let's get back to our conversation," the lord chirped with unnerving familiarity.
'You are the only one talking.'
"So, how has it been, living in Lukedonia?"
"It's...acceptable." What did he expect? Insults or adulation?
Frankenstein couldn't very well tell the lord that he'd learned more than he'd bargained for and the longer he stayed, the longer his list of those who needed killing grew. That alone pushed him harder to become as powerful as possible.
The lord's eyes lit up enough to cause Frankenstein some suspicion.
'Can he read minds? Why would my experience living in Lukedonia matter to that noble? He should be more concerned about a powerful human potentially killing his subjects, which I'd prefer to do on a regular basis. One day, I will be strong enough.'
"How is Raizel? Does he still stay inside, standing at that window?" The lord's eyes bore into him as though waiting for something, but Frankenstein couldn't imagine what.
'Unfortunately, and I can't make him go outside.' It wouldn't do to give the Lord more information than necessary, especially about embarrassing episodes concerning an axe head that barely missed his master's face, so he decided on simple answers.
"Yes."
The vision of delicate fingers holding the chunk of sharp metal still made him nervous. Before Frankenstein could delve too deeply into the memory, the lord spoke again.
"So, in all this time that I haven't called him out, he has stayed inside?"
"Yes."
"Damn it! He never listens to me!"
The lord's fist pounded down onto the arm of his throne, animating his stern conduct and startling Frankenstein so much that he nearly jumped. Thankfully, he managed to keep his composure. This topic brought up many questions he had about his master and could open up an opportunity for more information about Sir Raizel.
"I told him to find some pretty girls to hang out with. At least that would have gotten him out and about! Stuck in that house all alone...he's such a lonely guy. He's just too old-fashioned."
The lord sighed then brought his attention back to Frankenstein. "Sorry, I got carried away."
"If I may, I'd like to ask a question." The lord nodded and Frankenstein continued. "Why does Sir Raizel stay inside?"
At that, the lord perked up, his penetrating gaze uncomfortably scorching Frankenstein. As the noble leaned forward his golden hair swayed into his eyes.
"He's always been like that. His excuse is that he is the Noblesse, the protector of all nobles. That's no reason to keep his distance! Humph!"
The lord flopped back on his throne, never taking his eyes off the human. Frankenstein felt like a bug under a microscope.
'What is he planning?And why didn't he give me any information at all? Something happened and he isn't going to share.'
"You know...Raizel is a very lonely guy. I can't drag him away from that window without a genuine issue within his scope of duties. Not even my daughter moves him!"
Again the lord paused and leaned forward, this time his flippant attitude disappearing altogether. His next words were spoken in a quiet, low, and steady hum, its cadence almost hypnotizing.
"Have you made a contract with him?"
Had he made a contract, wouldn't the lord have felt it? So, what was the reason for even asking?
'Is he trying to influence my mind? Or get inside of it?' Regardless of the lord's intentions, the question had to be answered.
"No."
"What!? You have been with Sir Raizel for ten years now!" The lord paused then drew out the next two words to add emphasis. "Ten years. Why have you stayed with him for so long if you don't want a contract!? Do you think so little of him? That he is too weak? Or...is it something else?" His eyes narrowed as though daring Frankenstein to say anything insulting about Sir Raizel.
'A contract? Why would I want any part of that? Is the lord truly that stupid? It would only make me a slave. And then there's the fact that the origins of mutants are these contracts. No!'
"Well!?" the lord demanded, again pounding his right palm against the arm of his throne.
Right, the lord wanted an answer. Tact wasn't his forte, but he needed something neutral.
"Um, well, I haven't seen any reason for it?"
Frankenstein couldn't very well tell the Lord that he hadn't realized he'd been with Sir Raizel for ten years, or that it didn't matter anyway because he planned a wholesale slaughter of all the bad little nobles he continued to find on this island. Binding himself to any noble would rip that goal away from him. Then there were the side-effects of a contract. Did this idiot think that he'd worship anyone just because they had power? Frankenstein's estimation of the lord dropped further. No, Frankenstein would never bow down to another creature. Ever. He was his own man, not property for sale for a bit of extra power that wouldn't even be his to control without permission.
Dark Spear rose at the anger Frankenstein felt at the insult and he had to shove the voices back behind his shields.
"Hm...you must think it is some nasty process with biting. You know, blood, slobber, and sweat. Disgusting!"
'Are you really this stupid or are you playing some game?'
"It's not like that at all!" the lord continued, his voice growing louder as he sat up straight and flapped a hand at Frankenstein. "Look, a contract is something that can only happen when both parties already want it. Blood simply cements it in place, making it permanently unbreakable. There doesn't have to be any biting or gross rituals, just a little bit of blood. It's so simple you could even put a drop in a cup of tea!"
The lord smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. That gave Frankenstein pause. 'He wants me to make a contract! Is this a subtle way of giving me a command?'
"So! Now you understand what a contract is?" the lord asked.
Frankenstein nodded. 'If the Lord wants that, I definitely shouldn't do it.'
"Good! It was nice to finally meet you, Frankenstein."
"Are we finished here?" Frankenstein asked.
"Yes," the lord answered and gave him that creepy, fake smile and relaxed back into his throne, obviously pleased with himself.
Frankenstein nodded and turned heading for the overly-large double doors, relieved to get out of there. The lord was a weird pain in the neck, but he had certainly given Frankenstein plenty to consider. A quiet walk home would allow him the time he needed to examine the lord's motives and whether or not he needed to act. Maybe he should run away screaming. This could be bad.
"Oh, Frankenstein," the lord singsonged.
Frankenstein inwardly cringed and looked over his shoulder, wary of offering the lord another chance to rant or insult his intelligence. 'What could he possibly want now? Probably some stupidity about giving me his blood. I'm not that ignorant. It's most likely a trap intended to get me executed. What does he really want?!'
"Take good care of Raizel."
Of all things, that was least expected. The lord's expression didn't appear either threatening or blithe. 'Take care of Raizel? Is he really that worried about my master? Worried enough to encourage me to make a contract? What is his game? Then again, was it a threat? Should something happen to Sir Raizel, would the Lord consider it my failing? As if I care what he thinks!'
Frankenstein paused at the thought. No one needed to tell him to take care of Sir Raizel anyway. The noble not only saved him, but could calm Dark Spear when nightmares bound him up in pain and fear. He nodded briefly and went on his way when the lord didn't seem to want to say more.
Fortunately, no one stopped him in the halls to chat and he made it outside without having his thoughts interrupted. Frankenstein had often wondered why Ragar mindlessly worshipped the so-called wisdom of the lord. The noble put on a good show of playing the clown, but he was obviously clever and manipulative.
'But he's so annoying! Maybe I'm giving him too much credit!'
"The lord is more intelligent than he wants others to believe, but a smarter noble would have been more subtle," Frankenstein muttered under his breath. "He's setting a trap and trying to manipulate me, but what exactly does he want?" After a few more moments, Frankenstein came to a disturbing realization. "Bastard! He wants me under his thumb and the best way to do that is to get me into a contract with a noble! He'd be using Sir Raizel as well! As innocent as my master seems, he'd be clueless."
That induced a mild rage and Frankenstein had to beat back the screeches in his mind, again. No wonder Sir Raizel didn't visit the lord all that often. And, there were more things that conversation brought up.
'Ten years? Have I truly been here for ten years?'
After hearing the lord's assertion, his first reaction had been shock, but now that he thought about it, worry and anxiety overrode that initial response.
'What happened? Okay, checklist. See if my journals corroborate the lord's assertion. Check them to see what I've been doing all this time. I get lost in my research, yes, but not for ten years! I've been sparring the clan leaders to both strengthen my control of Dark Spear and to find those who are making contracts with humans. I've been studying life on the island, first to feed and take care of Sir Raizel and second for my own curiosity. And, I've still been experimenting on myself. Even if I have been here ten years, it hasn't been a complete waste. Though, I have spent quite a bit of time with my butler duties...Sir Raizel.'
The thought of leaving Lukedonia while the noble who had saved him and shown more kindness and compassion than anyone else in his life made Frankenstein's stomach clench and his chest ache.
'How could I possibly leave him behind, alone at the window without food or company, with all those greasy nobles spying on him. They're up to something, I just know it!'
Contract or not, Frankenstein couldn't leave his master behind to whatever fate might befall the kind noble who couldn't even hurt a spider. He simply couldn't. The mere thought nearly brought him to tears.
'The lord can go to hell. I don't need a damn contract!'
I am so, so sorry for taking all these months. Between constant issues with the apartment I rented in October, including roaches and the downstairs dryer venting into my apartment and making me sick, I've had to hire an attorney and call code enforcement because the landlord not only pretends to fix stuff, he's also a bully. This also led to me staying away from my apartment and not being here to even try to write. The insanity of all this and a very important medical test has led me to start listening to the docs and trying medicines that put me in a brain fog. Besides showing what might be causing some of the memory issues besides seizures, they also find that I've had several mini-strokes. I'm just getting over a dosage increase right now. It's starting to really help.
I've gotten out of my lease and now I have to find somewhere else to live. Paying for the move is going to be tough and is stressing me out right now. I'm going to get my deposit back though.
With all of this, I have to thank you all for hanging in there with me. I'd also like to thank a friend of mine, Neisha, for helping me get this chapter up to snuff. It has been through many rewrites and edits because my brain just couldn't get cohesive. It was only yesterday that I re-wrote the ending and now I'm happy with it. I hope you are, too. Again, I'm so sorry, but I haven't given up hope that I'll get better and be able to post more often.
Disclaimer: I do not own Noblesse nor do I make any money off of this story.