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Devil's Cub

Chapter 5

Seifer walked back inside. Leonie looked up anxiously when he came in "You did not offend her did you, Seifer?"

He shook his head casually "Far from it, in fact I think I may have even persuaded her off the idea of Rinoa and I ever forming any ideas of," his mouth twisted slightly as he spoke "marriage." He finished.

Leonie relaxed "I told it would not work, but she wouldn't listen. I told her you would not like it at all. But she would not listen to me." She gave a small disconsolate sigh.

Darian chuckled "I doubt Rinoa- who had more sense than she would lead one to believe- would readily consent to such a match anyway."

Seifer grinned at his father "As usual, exactly right Sir."

Leonie objected "If she refuses Seifer I say she is without much sense at all!"

Darian smiled, a small knowing smile. On seeing it, Leonie frowned. "I think you are leaning a little heavily towards motherly love there my dear." He said shrewdly. Leonie glared at him.

"Anyway," continued Seifer, sitting down "She is in love with a man called Squall."

"Really!" Leonie inquired "He sounds very disagreeable, what is he like?"

Darien looked across the room at his son "From Julia's fairly incoherent description, he sounds impossible."

Seifer leant back "Indeed, I think he is slightly more talkative than a brick wall. But Rinoa loves him all the same."

"Then I hope they will marry." Said Leonie promptly, with a abrupt change of opinion. "You think so, Suhceain?"

"Of course."

His Grace of Avon turned his attention to his son once more.

"I do not usually inquire into your affairs," began Darien regarding his hands through half-closed eyes "But I have heard of a girl who is not an opera dancer."

Seifer didn't stir "But not," he answered with perfect equanimity "Of my approaching marriage."

Darien lifted an eyebrow slightly "Hardly."

"And nor will you."

"A weight off my mind." Darien stood up and leant a hand on the fireplace. "Permit me to tell you, my son, not to trifle with the gentry as it would create the type of scandal I deplore."

A smile flickered across Seifer's mouth "You speak from your wide experience, Sir?"

"Naturally." The Duke replied, unphased.

"I did not think you ever trifled with the gentry, Suhceain?" Leonie, who can been listening calmly, asked suddenly.

"You flatter me, my dear." He turned to his son once more "I do not need your assurance that you will amuse yourself only. I have no doubt you purposefully try to commit every indiscretion there. You are, after all, my son. But I advise you, Seifer, to amuse yourself with women who know how the game should be played."

Seifer bowed "You are a fount of wisdom, sir."

"Of worldly wisdom, yes." He got up to go out "I hear that you managed to break the record from Winhill to Deling. I congratulate you."

Seifer merely smirked.

"You know, you'll get over her soon enough and I'm sure she's not worth those glum looks of yours." Commented Cid Kramer kindly to his young friend.

Squall Leonhart resisted the urge to simply mutter 'Whatever' and walk off. "I am not –glum- my Lord. Perhaps my natural gravity misleads you."

Cid Kramer smiled knowingly "I know, my young friend, bundled off to France. I see her brother's back again."

A small frown appeared on Squall's forehead.

"Yes, he is a boring one isn't he?" agreed Cid comfortably. "Once you get sucked into a conversation with him there's no way out for quite a while."

Squall merely looked impassive.

Cid nodded "Thought so. You should be a bit more relaxed, people might start thinking you're a stuffed shirt if you're not careful."

Squall crossed his arms and looked at the floor.

"Yes, I quite agree. It doesn't matter what people think most of the time but sometimes you have make a bit of an effort." Cid sat down opposite him after standing next to the window for a while.

Squall transferred his gaze to the window.

"Hm." Cid looked out of the window pensively. "What are you doing tonight? I thought we could go to Drake's, apparently it's the smart new club everyone is talking about."

Squall looked up with a slight vestige of interest in his stormy eyes.

"Yes, indeed. I think we shall quite enjoy ourselves there. You're not in society until you've crossed that threshold. It's the newest of halls, Almasy and Kinneas made it the fashion. The play's high, but you're not the man to mind that. I'd not play at Almasy's table though. The pace he sets is a trifle too hot for most. Have you met Devil's Cub yet?"

Squall nodded "I had the honour of meeting him at a party last week."

"Ah! Good. Anyway, we shall go soon."

Drake's was a discreet establishment in the west of town. It had an unobtrusive appearance, seemingly only another brick building in many. But if a person looked closer, they would see the knocker was bright and shiny with use and hear the faint sounds of a gaming club.

Squall stood gazing at it for a while until Cid impatiently pulled him to the door. He gave four short, smart raps on the door. A hatch slid open and a pair of eyes regarded them suspiciously for a moment, then it slid back with a snap and the door opened to reveal a smartly dressed man.

"This way, my Lords. Welcome to Drake's." He greeted them formally and then bowed. Squall and Lord Kramer followed him up a set of grand stairs. He swung open a set of doors.

Squall blinked as bright lights flared onto his vision from the room and the loud sound of chatter filled his ears. He blinked and cautiously opened his eyes to see a crowded room, filled with tables of people. He stepped back a pace. Lord Kramer laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Quite a few people, eh? Must be a nightmare for you! Anyway, this way." He chuckled and led Squall across the room to another smaller room, exchanging greetings with a few acquaintances along the way.

There was only one table in the centre of the room, and it was surrounded by a fair number of onlookers.

Squall saw Seifer at the end of the table. He was watching the proceeding with a small smile. He seemed pale in the candlelight. He glanced up as Squall drew near but his eyes, which seemed strangely brilliant, betrayed no recognition.

Lord Kramer drew Squall back to the door again. "Better play at another table." He muttered in a low voice "Almasy's in wild humour tonight by the look of it. See that man by Raijin West? His name is Martine. Something of a bone lies between him and the Cub. There will be trouble before morning, I'd bet on it. Best out of it."

Squall watched the sour-faced Martine take a swig of wine. "I don't suppose it is anything to do with me?"

"Indeed no! All I know that they dislike one another immensely. Not many people really know the details."

Squall didn't reply and returned to his contemplation of the table. On Seifer's right sat Irvine Kinneas, who was lolling in his chair, regarding his cards nonchalantly. He raised a languid hand in greeting to Cid "Howdy, wanna join?"

A heap of paper lay before Seifer and Irvine. "Not I, Kinneas." Declined Cid.

Irvine gave a short laugh. Another player at the table turned to Cid. "You're probably right, Seifer's had the devil's luck all this week." He commented with a sigh.

Cid shook his head "I'm not playing tonight." He replied "But if you have space at the table, Mr Leonhart here is in the mind to play."

Seifer paused in the process of refilling his glass, he looked up at Squall "Oh its you, isn't it?" he said carelessly "I thought I knew you. Want to throw for the bank?"

"I prefer to throw against, thank you." Squall sat down beside Raijin. "Hello, ya know?" the dark man said in a friendly tone. Squall nodded.

Lord Kramer, with a worried eye, stood back in the crowd. Tonight would indeed be a night of events.

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