Kevin is pacing up and down his private study waiting for Ben and Max to return. He needs to know what they've found out because there was no information left behind in the castle. Kevin's not surprised by that fact, but it frustrates him nonetheless.
Then there is the matter of Gwen on top of it and that sends him spiraling into a new set of issues. The biggest one being what is he going to say to Max.
Kevin shrugs to himself dismissively though, he was always pretty good at thinking on his feet, he'll just play it by ear. It's how he got Argit pardoned and that seems to be working out... kind of.
Maybe not his best example, but it's all he's got.
Gwen's sitting in his study as well, Argit has been moved to watch the front gates now. One because of the few unwanted visitors in the past week and two, to watch for the Plumbers arrival.
She's sitting in the large chair he has in a corner next to the window reading quietly and has made very little acknowledgement that he's even there. She turns the page and looks up to check out the window.
It's refreshing but also frustrating to him. He thinks she's ignoring him on purpose, not out of fear but irritation. Which is laughable. This small girl is willfully ignoring him because he's pissed her off. His large form takes up a large amount of space in this room. His pacing also makes more noise than average with his Tetramand feet, and she's only sighed about a passage she read.
If anything, she kind of reminds him of Ben. Not the Ben he knew when he was eleven though, Ben as he is now. When they were kids Kevin and Ben butted their heads about almost everything. Everything had to be a competition too. Ben usually won because of Kevin's short fuse.
Sometime around their teens, after Kevin returned, Ben seemed to stop treating Kevin like an ocean divided them. Or maybe it was Kevin who always thought that. It was almost as if nothing had changed between them, but that wasn't true, everything had changed. Major trust had been lost, but Ben just chose to keep treating Kevin like they were best friends who hadn't seen one another in a few years. Instead of whatever Kevin was.
She's like Ben, that's what Kevin decides. She doesn't find his presence intimidating or friendly, she's indifferent to it. Or she has the best poker face.
"You've been staring at me for a while now. Do you have something you want to say to me?" She asks him as she flips another page in her book.
Kevin realizes his mistake and turns his head sharply away from her. "Not so much a question, just making an assessment." Kevin mutters and continues his pacing.
"What could you possible assess about me from watching me read a book?" Gwen asks, giving Kevin her full attention now. Closing her book and facing him, she raises her brow at him, ready to combat whatever he says to her.
Kevin opens his mouth to retaliate against her, but his response is quickly forgotten as Argit throws open the door.
"They're all coming in now, good ol Max looks like he's got something to talk to you about. I told them you were here." Argit sates dryly looking indifferent about the situation.
"Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to my normal routine so don't come asking me for nothin'." Argit announces turning back around.
"Oh yes your routine of finding my families valuables to see what they sell for. Or your routine of sleeping on every surface in the castle?" Kevin states sarcastically.
"Ya know Kev you should worry more about what your story is for that girl than about what I do in my free time." Argit gives a toothy animalistic grin and raised brows at Kevin.
Kevin's silence and glare are enough of an answer for Argit to send him scampering away.
Kevin sees Gwen's face scrunching in confusion at what is going on, but she doesn't have time to question it.
Ben comes into the room and almost trips over Argit as he does.
"Hey, watch it!" Ben shouts behind him. He readjusts himself before casually walking into the room.
"So, Kevin how was it here? I'm sure it was insanely boring without my presence but tell me about it anyway." Ben states in a joking tone and grins.
"I am sure Kevin had a wonderfully peaceful time without you Ben." Rook interjects and he comes right behind Ben with Max following.
Ben turns to face Rook and crosses his arms, "Please Rook, you know having me around keeps its fresh and lively. I mean when was the last time you or Kevin did anything interesting without me?"
"Tennyson..." Kevin warns his irritation growing quickly after Ben only being in the room for two point five seconds.
Max, who has been quiet during this whole exchange, suddenly speaks up looking past Kevin.
"Kevin, who is that?" Max asks his face already falling into a frown as he stares at Gwen.
Kevin's many eyes widen for a second, forgetting that Gwen was even in the room. He turns his head to face her, and her eyes are big, and her mouth is wired shut. She looks to him quickly before looking back at the other three men in the room.
"She's the new Mage I hired." Kevin quickly spits out. His regret is immediate when everyone's gaze falls on him in confusion.
Ben laughs at this, "You? Hire someone? What did you do, kidnap her?" Ben keeps laughing while Rook slams his elbow into Ben's side.
No one notices Gwen's face pale for a second but Kevin.
Kevin pauses and glares at Ben before continuing, all attention is on him.
"No Tennyson, for your information she broke into the castle while you lot were gone." The room grows quite as they all look at Gwen, who absolutely does not look like a girl who participates in criminal activity. She looks more like a poster advertising a librarian.
Kevin suddenly knows what he's going to say.
"She broke in to look for the library. She thought the building was abandoned and was looking for any magical texts or artifacts the royal library might have." Kevin claims to his companions.
"Argit found her, and I offered her the option of imprisonment or to stay and learn from what is in our library," He looks back from Gwen to Max, "provided with a teacher of course." Kevin finishes his story and is quite proud of how easily this story came together.
It was only half a lie.
Max steps forward towards Gwen and asks her to stand up. She shoots up out of her seat and is shaking slightly.
Kevin could almost laugh at how nervous she is. Here before Max Tennyson, a Magister for the Plumbers, her legs wobble slightly. She never flinched once at Kevin and his amalgamation of a body.
Max looks over Gwen closely and comes to a conclusion for himself.
"What's your name kiddo?" Max asks her.
"Gwendolyn," her voice comes out a little too high from her nerves, "but I go by Gwen." she finishes her face goes a little pink from what Kevin can only assume is embarrassment. Her eyes never leave Max's though.
Max takes her out of the room to talk to her privately. As soon as the door closes behind him Ben and Rook are on top of Kevin.
"She broke in?" Ben hisses in disbelief at Kevin.
Rook places his hand on Ben's shoulder, "Well we were all gone Ben. We left Kevin alone." He adds to the conversation.
Ben whirls around to look at Rook like he was crazy.
"Rook, I don't mean to sound rude here but," Ben throws his arms out to point at Kevin, "do you see how large Kevin is? How many aliens is he made up of? I think it was fair that we could leave him alone!"
Kevin's face starts to twitch in irritation, "Ben-"
Kevin doesn't even get to finish a warning, Ben is on a roll, "No seriously Kev! I mean look at you, you are massive! How did that tiny girl break in and not only get past you, but make a big enough impression for you to offer her a job!" Ben is trying to keep his voice down so the two people behind the door don't hear him, but he's doing a horrible job at it.
Rook breaks in right after him, "Now Ben I do not think that is fair. This castle is large with many entrances. We should have left Kevin with at least a few guards."
Ben and Rook turn to face Kevin, he can feel himself making a face at what they're saying.
"Don't tell me she came in through the front gates Kevin..." Ben says exasperated.
"Guys!" Kevin growls at the two. "That doesn't matter right now. What does matter is she is human and can control mana...freely."
Ben and Rook share a look with each other before addressing Kevin.
Ben's face falls slightly, "Kevin do you think," he pauses looking to Rook for some backup. Rook offers no such comfort for what Ben is about to say. "do you think she can fix-" Ben doesn't finish before Kevin interrupts.
"Maybe. I don't know." Kevin raises his Petrosapien arm and scratches his head, avoiding how his friends are looking at him.
"I have to try though." He mutters quietly.
Kevin feels Ben's fist hit his chest lightly, he looks down at him to see Ben grinning widely.
"If you believe in her, then we'll help. I trust you Kevin." Ben states to his friend.
Kevin almost smiles at him but brushes him off instead.
"Thanks, I mean it Tennyson." Kevin mumbles, refusing to look at Ben or Rook in their eyes.
Before Ben or Rook can say anything else to Kevin, Max and Gwen come back into the room.
"I'm going to make some calls to see if I can find her a teacher. Until then, she doesn't leave any of our sights." Max says sternly, his hand is resting on Gwen's upper back. Kevin notices she doesn't look like she wants to puke anymore.
"Someone has to be in charge of her until then." Max continues. The three younger men in the room all look at each other fearfully.
"Ben," Max says looking at his grandson.
Before Ben can open his mouth to complain Max continues, "After that stunt yesterday, I think it's only fair that you should watch her. Make sure she has an escort to wherever she goes and don't leave her alone with anyone else but us until I can call in that favor. Think you can do that?"
Ben groans but agrees anyway. "I got it." Ben waves his hand at Gwen. "Come on, I might as well introduce you to some of the others, so you're not a stranger." Ben holds the door open for Gwen to follow him.
Once Ben leaves the room Max turns to Kevin.
"We got some clues on who the mole is." Max tells him.
Kevin's face falls. He almost forgot about that all together since Gwen appeared.
"It's not good news is it?" Kevin asks.
Max crosses his arms and shakes his head no.
Kevin sighs and moves over to one of his overly large chairs and sits down. He won't be leaving his study for a while now. Max and Rook pull up two more chairs to fill him in on the new intel. Kevin almost wishes he had been chosen instead of Ben to take care of Gwen right now, at least then he wouldn't be trapped in this room for the next few hours.
Kevin pushes that thought aside. He knows better than thinking that right now. This is his kingdom. It's the one thing he is responsible for, what he knows he should live up to.
He adjusts himself listening intently to Max and Rook, giving them his undivided attention.