AN:/ Hey readers, no time long time no see. I apologize for the late update on this story. I finally graduated from college, searching for a new job (still looking), and working two jobs. As a Christmas gift, I'm posting two new chapters and edited chapters 9 and 10. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Chapter 11: Dinner and Revealing
"What are you going to do about this new information on your fiancé and his family?" Risa asked with concern.
"I don't know yet. Maybe I should keep it to myself," Alys replied.
After finding out about the Presd'eaux family secret, they went back to their shop in a hurry to get away from new information. The girls were still shocked over it. Risa started to get more worried about her friend. She was getting married in this family of dragons. Alys was also a bit indifferent but was scared. From what she knows about Dragons is that they are notorious for their temper and for lying. Now that she's marrying one, Alys didn't know what to do. Should she go along with this marriage or get out of it with her skin and bones attached? She already knew the answer. Her uncle would kill her for not going through this arrangement. Alys could hear Gower now, "I don't care about what you say or feel. You're going to marry him whether you like it or not." Sighing from her predicament, Alys had to go through it to make her uncle happy and off her back.
"I say you confront him on the subject," Risa suggested, "you do need to know what you're getting into."
Alys nodded in agreement. Selendrile and his family might have their reasons why they kept that a secret. "I'll confront him when we're alone," Alys answered.
Risa nodded to Alys in understanding. "By the way, I'm dropping you off at the house today."
Alys groaned at the reminder. She didn't want to go back to the 'house.' Alys instead wanted to stay with Risa, but she knew that wasn't all the way possible but wished she was able to leave. The bell dinged, and an older lady came in. She went towards the necklaces. The older women looked so solemn that it would pull at anyone's heartstrings. It did to Risa and Alys. They both went over to the lady so they could assist.
"How can we help you this fine evening?" Risa asked.
The older lady brought her gaze up to two owners and smiled. "Oh, I'm just browsing for a particular 'lace for my dear. You see, my little darling is receiving heart surgery tomorrow, and I wanted to buy her something nice." The girls couldn't help being teary-eyed. Risa grabbed the tissue box from under the counter and wiped her eyes; then she passed it to Alys so she could do the same.
"Oh, dear, I didn't mean to make you cry. I apologize, but when it comes to my grandchildren, I can't help but talk about them."
"No, you're fine, ma'am," Risa assured, "we have weak hearts when it comes to sad stories."
"Exactly, don't mind us. What kind of necklace are you looking for, this dear angel of yours?" Alys asked.
"Oh, good gracious, I haven't thought about it. Maybe you can help me."
"Sure, we can. That's what we're here for. If you don't mind me asking how old is your little granddaughter?" Alys pondered.
"She's only three months."
"THREE MONTHS!"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"N-no. We thought she was older, but I think there is a necklace just made for her," Alys added. She went down a few counter displays, got the keys to open the door, and grabbed a silver/gold heart necklace with a gemstone shaped star in the middle. It was perfect for a three-month-old baby. Alys showed it to the older lady. "How about this? The chain is long enough for her to choke and short enough not to put it in her mouth or pull the chain."
"It's so beautiful. I'll take it," exclaimed the lady.
"Wait, there is a bracelet that would go with that necklace," Risa mentioned. She went over to the bracelet display counter, took out the matching bracelet, and returned to present it.
"Goodness, this is so darling. I just wished that I had enough to buy both," the lady proclaimed after seeing the price tag.
"Don't worry about the price. We're giving it to you for free, and it's no problem at all, "Alys said before there was a rejection.
"Thank you so much. God bless you both," said the lady, bursting into tears.
Selendrile and Family
It was almost dinner time, and the family was getting ready to leave for Gower's house for dinner. Right now, no one was talking to each other. Currently, Selendrile was still fuming over what happened at the park, his ruined date, and being seen by a human or a Fae (hopefully). His family was worried about who saw them in the park but also contemplating over what Selendrile said. They never thought that Selendrile would hate them for interfering. In some way, they understood. Selendrile is busy, has a structure in his life, and doesn't like last-minute things. Sure it's been a long time since they last saw him. Selendrile was at the door, waiting for his family to hurry up and come down so they could go. They came down after getting ready, and they all left the house. The drive was very uncomfortable for Selendrile's siblings and parents. Selendrile was all tensed up, and the air in the car was so thick it was hard to breathe in, so Corvin had to roll down the window to get some air. They arrived at the house just in time to see Alys and Risa getting out of a silver car, who saw them pull up.
"What are they doing here?" Risa whispered. Alys shrugged her shoulders.
Alys saw her new family-to-be and felt a little scared, but she decided not to show it. "I don't know why they didn't tell anyone, but there must be reasons for it. I should ask them when the time is right."
The girls and the Presd'eaux family arrived at the front door at the same time.
"Hello," Alys and Risa said.
"Good evening, girls," Taurus replied.
Alys smiled at him while trying to find the house keys. Before Alys could use the keys, the door flew open, and Gower was glaring at Alys.
"You're late, and why didn't you make dinner? I sent you a text message. Didn't you see it, you dumb girl?" Our guest will be here ….," Gower screamed until he saw Selendrile standing right behind her. "Oh my, I'm sorry that you heard that." Gower laughed nervously. Selendrile raised his eyebrow at Gower.
"I never received one from you all day," Alys replied.
"Yes, I did. I told you to go shopping for dinner tonight since we're having guests over for dinner.
Alys dug into her purse to get her phone so that she can prove her innocence. She forgot about all of the company behind her while she searched. She went through her message that was from Gowers. "See, I haven't received anything from you about dinner preparations."
"I know I sent you a message to go shopping for dinner," Gower mumbled angrily.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Una."
"Why did you send me a text asking me to go shopping? That's Alys' job!"
Gower smacked his forehead for her the stupid mistake and for embarrassing himself. He forcibly grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket, took out his credit card, and shoved it towards Alys.
"Go to the store and buy something for dinner, please."
"Okay. Come on, Risa, let's go," Alys sighed.
"I better stay for dinner than," Risa demanded, glaring at Gower.
"Fine. Now, Presd'eaux family, would you like to come inside and wait?" Gower asked, hopefully.
Taurus didn't want to stay with Gower after that display. He knew Gower wished to redeem himself after what happened, but Taurus wasn't going to accept it. "I'd rather go shopping with Alys." The rest of the family agreed. Gower wasn't so thrilled, but he received their decision. He closed the door leaving Alys and company on the porch.
Well, we might as well go to the store, so let's go," reply Risa, "follow us." Risa and Alys got back into the car. The Presd'eaux family did the same. Risa drove out the driveway, and off she went with Selendrile driving right behind her.
"Why are they going to eat with the 'family'?"
"I don't know, but it seems Uncle invited them over for dinner," Alys replied.
Selendrile's family was going over what happened at Gower's house. "He didn't have to be so mean to Alys like that when it was his fault," Corvin said.
"Yeah, something must be wrong with him. Do you think so, Selendrile?" Tira specified, forgetting about earlier. Selendrile gruffed in agreement.
"Let's get this dinner over with and go back home," Listria said.
They arrived at the Leclerc, both Selendrile and Risa parked ten spaces away from each other. They still didn't trust one another, so why would they park near each other. Alys removed the seatbelt from her person, but the card fell in between the seats.
"Damn, the card fell. Risa, can you go talk to them while I look for the card real quick."
"Why," Risa asked, not really happy about the idea of speaking with Selendrile.
"I have to find this card so I won't get in trouble," Alys answered, "just go talk to them."
"Fine," Risa groaned. Risa got out of her car, slammed the door, and walked over to Selendrile's car. Even though Risa now knew about their secret, she still liked them except for Selendrile, of course. Risa knows Selendrile doesn't like her and is still upset about the date, which she doesn't give a damn about his feelings. Even she knew that Alys would appreciate it if Risa could be friendlier to him.
"Risa, how are you?" Listria asked, "where's Alys? Didn't she come along with you?"
"She's still in the car. Her uncle's card fell in between the seats, so she's looking for it. I'm doing well," Risa answered.
Selendrile got out of his car and saw Risa talking to his family without Alys around. "They must be planning another scheme when I take Alys on another outing. Why can't they stay out of our business?" Selendrile thought. He rolled his eyes and strode over to the other side of his car to stand with his family.
"Well, look who's here, the big all-mighty Pedo," Risa mused, "how does it feel having a stick up your ass?"
"When are you going to grow up from calling me that? I have a name so use it. Also, how about you stay in your lane and stay out of mine, Ms. FBI Spy, "Selendrile retorted.
"What do you want me to call you, Mr. Big Golden Dragon," Risa smugged. Selendrile and his family's eyes went wide with shock.
"So, it was you and Alys that saw us at the park?" Selendrile asked.
"Yup, we did. Now, the question is - is there any other secrets that you're hiding from Alys?" Risa asked, crossing her arms.
"What's it to you if I do?" Selendrile questioned.
"When it comes to her, I'm always going to do my job to protect her. Alys is my sister and best friend. I have to make sure that she is okay. Rather you like it or not; I don't give a damn."
"What makes you think I wouldn't protect Alys? Let me tell you something, little girl, you don't know me or how I work, but you can't tell me how I'm going or stop me from protecting her when we get married. You sound childish."
You're absolutely right. I don't know you, and neither does Alys. You guys are Dragons and from what we know about you, isn't great like; temper for an example. When you get angry, are you going to put that on Alys?" Selendrile was quiet. "I know you don't like me, and I don't like you either, but you need me when it comes to Alys. Does she have secrets? Yes, she does. Will she tell you when she's ready? Maybe, but that doesn't mean that you're not going to hear from me. You need me to give you advice on how to understand her. That's why I'm making you work to get her ring size. You've got to earn it because I don't trust you with her. So, get used to seeing me Dragon boy because I'm not going anywhere."
Selendrile didn't want to admit that Risa was right. In a way, she has all the answers involving Alys since they are so close. Selendrile realized that he would need Risa because she's around Alys more than him. He knew he lost this battle with Risa because everything she said was valid, so Selendrile did something he hasn't done before. He ran away from an argument. He walked over to Risa's car to be with Alys. He noticed that she was still looking for the card, so Selendrile knocked on the hood to not scare Alys even though it would entertain him dearly at the moment, but wasn't up for it. Alys jumped a bit and turned to see Selendrile gazing at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Is there something you need?" she asked, going back to rummaging for the card.
"You need to tell your friend to stay out of your personal affairs," Selendrile answered.
"Ahha found it," Alys cheered, "now, what did Risa do?"
"As I said, she needs to stay out of your affairs," Selendrile repeated.
"You two are going to have to get along. I know you're still peeved at Risa for following us on our date. I already heard her out, and I would do the same for her. Look, Selendrile, I know Risa can be a handful, but she does mean well. Please give her a chance."
"Does she mean that much to you?" Selendrile asked.
"Yes, she has been there for me through everything. I can't let her go. Also, please forgive her and your family," Alys begged.
"I don't know. I'll think about it."
"Do Dragons hold grudges against their family?"
"No, it's just that my family has been doing things without discussing anything with me, which makes me furious and annoyed. If they stayed out of it, then maybe our relationship would be better between us."
"Then talk to them. Your family seems reasonable from what I can tell, but just tell them how you're feeling calmly. For future reference, is there anything I need to know about Dragons besides the ones I've been told about?"
"As if they will listen to what I need or want. It depends on what you have heard. I'll answer any question you have."
"I will do that, but I do want you to get along with her and your family. I know that they can be annoying, but they're showing that they care," Alys stated. She knew that Selendrile would have difficulty doing what she asked, and Alys didn't mind. Still, a family is a big thing for her, unlike her family. Who treats her like shit. Her parents are long gone, which makes her cherish Risa and Nate so much. There are times when Alys wondered if Selendrile loved his family, but from what it looks like, he's just annoyed by them. Personally, she likes his family. They seem really fun and are very nice. She knew that nothing would change his mind about Risa, his family, or her.
"Let's go back to them. I need to start grocery shopping for dinner." They went back over to Selendrile's car, where the rest of the party was. Risa turned to look at Selendrile with Alys. She knew that Alys wanted her to get along with Selendrile, but she can't make it so easy for him because he's her fiancé. Risa knows Alys better than him and is her family, not him, but she knew one thing is that Selendrile was right about her being childish. Risa wasn't ready to let Alys go to someone that might mistreat her as her family does. From all the calls, the painkillers, the bandages, the tears, screams, the hospital visits, and the nightmares, she was there. Now, here comes this guy out of nowhere trying to take her spot near Alys' side. She wasn't going to have it, not one bit.
"Risa, Selendrile, I need you both to get along. Risa, I know you care for me, and you will always be important to me. Selendrile, you're just coming into my life. I need you to understand that Risa and another person are my only family, so please respect that. We both need to communicate with each other to make this work between us. Now, you two better get along or else," Alys demanded. Both Risa and Selendrile glared at one another with disdain, but they knew to stay in Alys's good graces, they needed to get along, so the party had to do what they had to do.
"I'm sorry that I followed you on the date. Honestly, I only wanted to make sure Alys was being treated right by you. Then after that, I was going to leave, but then I saw Una and the Lawyer. I couldn't let them ruin it, so I stayed. I might not like you or these circumstances. Still, I will try to stay out of your affairs unless you need some advice on dealing with Alys.," Risa conceded in defeat.
"I'll accept your apology and will take your position in Alys' life as a good thing. If that's what you were trying to do, then I can let it slide for now. I guess I can do the same to my family, but you need to conclude me in these discussions," Selendrile said to Risa and his family.
Alys smiled at the scene and nodded at them with approval. "Now, can we go inside to start shopping for dinner?"
They nodded and headed inside. Alys grabbed her phone to see the list Gower sent her, grabbed a cat, and started shopping. Selendrile and his family have never been to a grocery store before. They usually go hunting for their food, but being at a store, humans go to get their food, instead of doing it the old way, amazed them to no extent. The Dragon family watched Alys and Risa navigate the aisles like it was nothing. Selendrile, Corvin, and Taurus would help grab items off the top shelves for them since both the girls were short. Alys glanced at the list one time to see if they had anything else to get.
"We should get the meat before getting the rest of the items on the list," Alys ordered while heading towards the meat department.
"What kind of meat does that man want?" Risa asked, glancing at the different kinds of beef and pork.
"He said steaks of the best quality and the most expensive," Alys answered, "but we all know he can't afford it."
"Hello there, how can I help you today?" the meat vendor asked, coming from the back.
"Yes, I would like to see the most expensive steaks you have," Alys ordered with a smile. The meat guy blushed and turned on his charm.
"If you would follow me down this way… As you can see, we have various steaks from cheap cuts to pricey cuts. The one you're asking for is the vintage cote de boeuf (rib steak), and that's $3,200."
"$3,200! That's a lot for a piece of meat," Alys exclaimed.
"Here you go, Alys. I found what you needed, but I can't find the others," Risa said. She glanced at Alys' face in disbelief and asked, "What's wrong?"
"$3200 for these steaks."
"What? Wait, what kind of steaks does Gower want?"
"Côte de boeuf."
"That is way too expensive. The store down the street is cheaper than this. They sell theirs for about $7lb."
"Can you somehow lower the price to that of your competitor?" Alys asked, hopefully.
"If you two would like to follow me in the back to 'check' and maybe we can strike a deal," the meat vendor said. Selendrile and his family raised their eyebrows at the vendor. They couldn't believe that he would proposition Alys and Risa like that for some overpriced meat. Risa understood what the guy meant and wanted to punch him in his face. Alys, on the other hand, didn't get it.
"Come on, Alys, let's go to the other store."
"We can't. It's closed, and Uncle wants the meat from here," Alys groaned.
"How many steaks do you need?"
"Ten," Alys counted.
"TEN! That's $32,000, along with the items we already have. With all of that together, it's still expensive," Risa exclaimed, "can he afford this?"
"Let's go get these last items then come back with a decision," Alys sighed, "we'll be right back."
"I'll be waiting for your return."
"Go ahead, you two. We'll stay here and check out these steaks," Selendrile replied, pretending to look at the meat display.
"Okay, be back." Alys and Risa left to get the rest of the items. Unnoticeably, Selendrile made sure that the girls were gone. He put his full attention on the meat guy.
"Now, how can I help you?"
"I'm glad that you asked," Selendrile smiled. He grabbed ahold of the guys' collar and roughly pulled him over the counter. The guy was scared shitless. Selendrile's family tried (they didn't really try) to stop him from doing anything rash." If you ever say that to my fiancé and her best friend that way again, I will make your life a living hell, understood?" The meat vendor hurriedly nodded in fear for his life. Selendrile let him go and fixed him up nicely as nothing happened.
"Now, Thomas, is it? Good, so how about you change those prices on that boeuf and we can forget all about this, huh? I mean, you don't have a choice, do you? I know your name and will eventually figure out where you live, so what is your decision." The meat vendor hurriedly went over to the boeuf, grabbed the ten steaks Alys needed, packaged them up, and reduced the price. He placed it on the counter and backed away to the corner.
"That's better. At least you can take orders well. I, on the other hand, would like to order some more steaks. Give me everything in the display but make sure you give me the reduced price," Selendrile ordered. While the meat guy began packing Selendrile's order, Alys and Risa came back with the last items in the cart. Alys was still contemplating getting the steaks, but she knew if she didn't bring them home, her uncle would be furious and harm her.
"Can I have the ten steaks, please?"
"Here, Alys, he already fixed it and gave it a lower price for you," Selendrile replied. He placed the package in the cart.
"How-," Alys tried to ask, but Selendrile waved his hand at her to dismiss it.
"Hh-here you go, sire. Do you need anything else?"
"No, that'll be all for today. Thank you for putting my order in boxes; that was so considerate of you. Have a nice safe night." Selendrile motioned his family, Alys, and Risa, to move so they could go ahead and buy the groceries. They arrived at the checkout. Alys let Selendrile go first since all he had was meat and her order was more extensive than his. After he paid, she went next, and the price was a bit higher than she expected. She knew that her uncle was rich, but he spends all of his money like no tomorrow, so she might have to split the difference once again. Alys slid the card and waited for the rejection sound. Risa nudged her, "It's not enough again." Alys took her card out of her wallet and paid the rest. Risa packed the cart with the bagged groceries, and they all left the store to go back to Gower's house.
At Gower's House
With everything settled, Gower sat down to wait for Alys to come back with his guest and food so they could finally eat. He was starving for a meal and something else. Sure, Gower could have Etta or some of the ladies he was dealing with behind his wife's back, but there is one person he wanted, and it was Alys, the same girl he's abusing. He knew he wouldn't want her, but he does. Gower closed his eyes and imagined Alys' face after all the beatings he had inflicted on her, and the way she looked at him gave Gower so much pleasure. He also pictured her making an agonized face while he finished giving her his seed inside of her. Gower opened his eyes and looked around to see if he was still by himself in the living room. He needed to get rid of these feelings before he acts on them, which might be soon. The front door opened. Alys, Risa, Selendrile, and his family came in carrying groceries to the kitchen. Alys shooed Selendrile and his family out of the kitchen to spend time with her uncle so she and Risa could cook.
"Why do we have to cook?" Risa asked, putting on the apron Alys gave her.
"Because no one else in this house can cook. Besides, would you rather have takeout or a cooked meal?" Alys already knew the answer. Risa loved good food and would choose Alys' food over any takeout unless she had to cook.
"Cooked."
"I know. How about you prep the meat for me."
"Okay. Look at me, cooking for a man that doesn't deserve a meal," Risa mumbled. She wanted to say more, but since the dragon family is in the next room, she kept her mouth shut. Besides, Risa didn't want to lose Alys' trust. While the meal was being cooked, Selendrile and his family were with Gower in the living room. Una came down five minutes after they came back and decided to sit next to Selendrile so she could flirt and try to change his mind about marrying Alys. Selendrile really wanted Una to move away from him. To be honest, he'd rather be in the kitchen with Alys and Risa. His family thought the same. Gower was getting embarrassed by Una's behavior and turned on the televisions, hoping it would distract everyone while the food was getting ready. Etta decided to come stomping down the stairs fuming.
"Is dinner ready yet? I have been waiting for hours, you lazy girl."
"Etta, be silent, woman!"
"Why should I? Dinner was supposed to be on the table hours ago."
"Because we have guests," Gower seethed, "so hush."
Etta came into the living room, ready to give Gower a piece of her mind, until she saw extra bodies staring at her, and her face paled from realization. "Oh, excuse me and my outburst," she laughed nervously, scratching her head. No one said anything to her. Selendrile and his family just stared at her with wide eyes and anger. Every time the Presd'eaux family was around Gower and his family. They would talk with Alys very poorly, and they didn't understand why they were so mean to her. Selendrile wanted to say something to them, but the roaring cheers coming from the television stopped him. Gower jumped up from his seat and screamed in joy. It wasn't hard to figure out that Gower was happy for the distraction. He was even more delighted to see Risa, who he didn't like. Still, He was pleased that she unknowingly saved him from being questioned by Selendrile.
"Dinner is ready, so find your seats." Risa left them in the living room to finish helping Alys with putting the plates on the table. The air smelled heavenly, and it was enough to let everyone forget about what happened. Gower sat down at the head of the table while Etta took the other end. Alys and Risa placed all the food on the table, along with drinks and silverware. They set the aprons back into the kitchen and returned to find their seats after Risa had to stop Alys from going to her room. Una was heading towards the chair next to Selendrile. Risa saw that and shoved Alys to take the seat instead. Una glared at Risa for doing that and tried to sit across from him, but Risa beat her to it by placing Corvin there. Una was pissed that she couldn't sit next to or across from Selendrile because of Risa. She became even angrier when Risa smiled at her. Una grumpily sat down next to her mother and no one else.
"What do we have here, Alys?" Gower asked.
"I made for you all today is a cote de boeuf with roasted vegetables and honey cinnamon biscuits. For dessert, we have mint chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream with rum sauce," Alys explained the dish. Risa didn't wait for Alys to finish. She was already digging in. Alys held an eye-roll and instead watched with bated breath to see if her new-to-be family would love her food as Risa does. Selendrile cut into the steak. First, he realized that Alys had the steak still rare for him with a great crust, and the steak was so tender that the knife wasn't needed. He took a bite of the meat and was surprised once again. The steak was so juicy and delicious. The veggies and biscuits were also tasty to the point Selendrile made a small sandwich out of them.
"How was the steak?" Alys asked, "it wasn't dry, was it?"
"No, the steak was excellent, and the sides are amazing. I'm quite impressed by how you got the steak to be this tender," Tira praised. Everyone else agreed with Tira. The food was delicious, and so did the dessert. The rum sauce complimented the ice cream very well. Selendrile was already thinking of a game plan on talking with Alys about opening a restaurant. Her food was absolutely amazing. They would need to discuss that later on.
"Mmm, our fiery soon-to-be makes her own money, creates her own product, is frugal, beautiful, and can cook? We scored the lottery! She's a keeper," Inner growled. Selendrile agreed and continued eating while Gower was talking about nothing except about his vacation. No one wanted to hear about his vacation except for the people that went with him. Una kept talking about the hot guys and the pools. Etta only agreed with her daughter and added the things she didn't like about the experience. Alys listened to them and slowly continued eating her ice cream. Her mouth was still hurting, and the cold dessert helped with the pain. The thing she wished for it to last longer but knew that wasn't going to happen. Alys knew that she was getting her usual 'medicine' tonight. Alys prayed to God that her uncle would be happy enough to forget about her punishment tonight.
"I better tell Risa to leave the extra key under the mat," Alys mentally sighed. Dinner was over, and everyone at the table was full to the brim. Alys got up and started clearing the table. Risa was too full to help her, so Alys did it by herself. She removed the dishes, the kitchen, and went back into the dining room to wipe the table down. After that, she went back into the kitchen for the rest of the time her new-to-be family was there. Selendrile noticed that Alys didn't come back to her seat and wondered why. Before he could ask for her, Gower decided to speak on business.
"Selendrile, my boy. How is the business going?"
"It's doing fine," Selendrile simply put. Gower didn't understand why Selendrile was such a one-liner person. Every time he would ask him something, Selendrile would give him one-liner answers. "How do you feel about us as your new family?"
"Disgusted, Repulsed. Crazy. Disappointing. Terrible at owning a business. Should I say anymore?" Inner exclaimed. "Great," Selendrile said instead of saying what he wanted to say. Gower smiled, pleased with the answer. Selendrile began feeling itchy from being stared at by Gower. The last time he felt like this when he's around sleazebags and that person who shouldn't be named. Thankfully, his father decided it was time to go. Alys got out of the kitchen to walk them out. She waited at the stairway patiently.
"Have a safe drive home. Make sure to call when you arrive-" Gower said, trailing after Selendrile. He didn't pay attention and bumped into Selendrile's back, not knowing Selendrile stopped.
"I don't need to call you like a child. Don't ever do that again," ordered Selendrile while glaring at Gower. Gower stepped back in fear from the dangerous glare. Selendrile took Gower's silence as affirmation and turned his attention to Alys, who was at the door waiting for them. Risa already left after saying goodbye to Alys and after telling her about the key. Alys noticed that Selendrile was staring at her. She smiled nervously at him.
"Dinner was delicious, Alys," Taurus praised.
Alys smiled at him, "Thank you. I'm glad that you enjoyed it."
"We did immensely. Are you sure you didn't go to cooking school?" Listria playfully teased.
"No, I swear I didn't," she laughed nervously. Selendrile knew that she was lying. He had investigated her school and found out that she went to Frances' best culinary school and interned at the world's best food capitals. There must be a reason why Alys lied to his mother, and he guessed it was because Gower was behind him. Selendrile noticed that she did that when Una came to her shop.
"Do you think she's lying to her family to please them?"
"She might be. We'll ask her tomorrow."
"...….?"
"Didn't you enjoy the meal, Selendrile?" Tira and Corvin asked.
"It was delicious. I'm glad that I'm marrying someone that can cook and not prefer takeout all the time," Selendrile answered, still staring at Alys. He knew she was a bit mad but confused. She didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. Selendrile wanted to chuckle at her. He couldn't help but be amused by her expression. Selendrile was enjoying himself by messing with Alys.
"By the way, Alys, we're going to a place tomorrow. I'll send you the location and meet you there."
"Where," Alys asked.
"It's for you to find out and me to know," he teased. He knew that went under her skin, and he was enjoying it. Alys was angry at Selendrile for saying that, but she was also mad at herself for being curious.
"I'll maybe see you tomorrow," Alys teased back. That irked Selendrile's nerves, and Alys loved it. 2 points for Alysa and 4 points for Selendrile. At least she was catching up to him. The Dragon family left, and Alys stood on the porch waving at them, wishing they would turn around and stay longer. She went back inside, closed the door, and felt someone pulling her hair.
"I shouldn't be surprised. No one is going to save me again? Help me, someone, please."
AN:/ I thought it would be a good idea for Selendrile and Risa to hash it out and realize something about themselves. Selendrile did show protectiveness over the girls with the meat vendor, which is new for his character. Gower admitted a deep secret and will be more proclaimed in later chapters. This will be edited next time. I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas and staying healthy during this time. Review, please, and thank you.