Luc slammed his fist against the dead tree with a roar, turning the old wood into the mulch to cover his Queen's garden as well as the Healer's. Yarek and Jared used Craft to float the mulch into a waiting barrel as Luc stalked over to another tree and did the same. His rage at Lady Flora and her meddling combined with his frustration at being unable to get close to Mirana for the last month made the job of mulching the dead trees a better option than trying to cut them for firewood. Lord Zachary took a group of youngsters out to do the wood gathering the day before and took note of the trees needing to be removed to help the health of the forest that were too far gone to be proper firewood. The mulching suited Luc just fine, especially after the tense breakfast he experienced with Mirana a few hours ago while going over the final offers she would be giving to the men for her First and Second Circle the next week. The ceremony would be telling of how far Lady Flora messed up his chances of being in his lady's court. He had hoped to get the Consort ring, but Lady Flora ruined any chance of him getting offered that particular honor anytime soon. He knew he would have to settle for just being in the First Circle, if his lady wished it.
Lady Flora did a number on his budding relationship with Mirana. The Fire Dance always did a number on his psyche, and Lady Flora took advantage of his heightened sexual state to try and weasel her way back into his bed by catching him off guard. His mind still saw Mirana's face when Lady Flora's lips pressed against his, and by the time the haze cleared enough to realize who he had in his hands Mirana already retreated with the other partner-less ladies to the Queen's Residence. His invitation to Lady Flora's Court Choosing burned in the fire of his room while he mulled over the reproductions of burying the little bitch yesterday morning while Yarek and Jared took the ladies to see the new styles at the seamstress shop for Winsol parties. The actions of the soon to be Providence Queen didn't justify him killing her, but it made him feel better knowing the cuttingly polite response he sent to her in response to her invitation was timed just right so Lady Flora would receive the refusal the morning of her event. A smile graced his lips briefly while destroying another tree at the thought of her reaction and how it would ruin her "special" day, much like how she fucked up his life.
"I think we have enough mulch for the gardens for this year," Jared sighed as he used Craft to move the pile of mulch into a now overflowing barrel. "Though if you want to try to do more firewood now that some of your anger is worked off. I remember Zachary saying how he made enough, but the Landens might appreciate a bit more to keep from having to ask us to come and redo the warming spells. You know how they hate to ask us for anything."
"And Lady Mirana does like her fires," Yarek chuckled while nodding to the two trees in the distance. "Though I only suggest the two trees there and let us go back with it. The young ones will thank you for not bringing back more. Several mothers are using our trees as punishment for some mischief we known nothing about until every single trunk is chopped for wood."
"I might use some wood for stress relief," Luc growled with a chopping motion of his hand, sending the two trees to the ground with a slice of power and vanished them before either of the other males could. "Though depending on how angry the mothers are I might have to come out and get my own. Wouldn't do me any favors to go against the mothers if I want to get back into Mirana's good graces."
"They do have afternoon tea with her quite a bit," Jared replied, vanishing half the barrels with a smirk. "Bringing home two more trees will make the mothers happy for more punishment, and it might give them a reason to speak praises of you to her. Couldn't hurt." Luc grunted in agreement as he turned and started walking back to the village. The people of his village took to Mirana and the people she brought with joy. Three Healers instead of one made illness in the village easier to handle, plus with a strong Black Widow to teach the young ones the Craft made the caste safer to enter and train to become an honored caste. It also amused the village the dance between Teral and Lady Rhina. Yarek turned a blind eye to the budding romance between his mother and Teral, mostly because he didn't want to think about his mother taking someone to bed but also because he knew his mother would be nervous if Yarek made a fuss over a male being interested in her. Lady Rhina's husband died almost a century ago by his own hand and the village was happy to see their beloved Healer finally attempting to move on from the tragedy.
"I wonder what is going on here," Yarek muttered as the three of them reached the edge of the village to see a large carriage in front of the Queen's residence. As the three moved closer, their rise to the killing edge stopped when the seal on the carriage came into clearer view.
"May the Darkness be Merciful," Luc sighed at the sight of the Sadiablo crest. "Who decided to come for a visit?" The young man stepping out of the carriage gave him the answer, but made Luc more nervous at the same time. The sinewy build of the Dea al Mon deceived anyone who wanted to pick a fight, for those lean muscles could fight and stab faster than any Eyrien warrior on the ground and on occasion in the sky if the training was good enough. The trim hair showed off the slightly pointed ears combined with the biting smile as the man walked toward them reminded Luc of Auntie Surreal while the feline grace and golden eyes reminded him of Uncle Daemon. Yes, Memphis Sadiablo was not a man to be trifled with despite his parents being lethal killers, because in his own right Memphis was a killer himself when time came down to it.
"Good afternoon," Memphis said to the three men when all four stopped in the middle of the road. Luc noticed the people milling about disappearing into house and the guards stepping into alleyways to watch the spectacle. He didn't blame his people for doing so. It didn't matter the young men present were all friends and have been since they were children. However, the tussles the four of them got into over trivial and not so trivial matters destroyed a few benches and streets lights up to whole villages over the last couple centuries.
"Always a pleasure to see you Prince Memphis," Luc replied while reaching his hand out in greeting. Memphis took the hand, shook it once, then yanked Luc toward him. The smile on Memphis's face turned gleefully feral as he clapped a hand on Luc's shoulder.
"You're It," Memphis hissed.
"No!" Luc shouted, pulling his hand out of Mephis's and stumbling back from the Warlord Prince.
"You know the rules," Memphis mused with a smirk while shoving his hands into the pocket of his black trousers. "You didn't shield, I touched you with two hands, and proclaimed you are now It. Congratulations. I am sure you will have lots of fun with the Ladies."
"I don't have time for this," Luc growled as he whirled around to face Yarek and Jared. The two men already had their shields up, and even had a dome shield over them for good measure. "I can break those shields."
"Ah ah ah," Memphis sang as a Gray shield was added to the dome. "That is against the rules my dear friend. You don't want to break the rules we have set in place for almost a century now, do you? Besides, my dear sister and cousins have been dying to see you. A little shopping trip with them is just the thing you need to help get you back on track." Hell's Fire, Mother Night, and may the Darkness be merciful, Luc thought as he shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from the killing edge while turning to face one of his best friends.
"I outrank you," Luc informed the grinning Gray shielded Warlord Prince when he finally trusted himself to open his eyes and look at Memphis.
"Oh, I am well aware you outrank me," Memphis snorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just do what you know you have to do and not be snarly about it. I am here to also meet the new Territory Queen everyone has been chattering about up at the house and give her some gifts from Papa."
*Memphis-*
*Cousin, I love you, but you need a break from this place more than you think.* Memphis interrupted Luc as his face turned grim. *Janelle Saetien told me so. Please, just go. I promise to look after your lady for the next few days and keep you up to date of everything important. Get into the carriage and I will smooth things over here. Besides, you haven't been to the house in an age and Mrs. Beale will kill me if she found out I didn't take advantage of you not shielding.*
*I will do this only to save you from Mrs. Beale's wrath.* Luc replied with a shake of his head as he walked toward the carriage with a smile. The cook in the Hall only wore a Yellow Jewel, but her large stature and ability to stare down even the most arrogant of men made her the stuff of legends. He swore at the thought of the large woman he could feel the sting of her hand on his backside from when he and the others snuck into the kitchen one Winsol to steal the plum pies she made for the large celebration happening the next day. Mrs. Beale's plum pies were worth it though. Her baking skills surpassed everyone's, and Luc mentally made a list of all the treats he could beg Mrs. Beale to make if he was lucky.
"Tell the Ladies we said hi," Jared called out just as Luc sat in the seat of the carriage. Spite caused Luc to call in the trees he was holding higher than he should have, but good sense had him float it just long enough that they barely missed Yarek and Jared's toes. The door to the carriage shut and the driver started off without a moments pause. The entire ride to the Keep, Luc mulled over how he would win back his little witch, and started his plans to win his way back into her good graces the entire ride to the Hall. By the time he enveloped Janelle Saetien in his arms, he hoped she would help him with his plans, because he was going to need all the help he could get.
"Are you sure I can't just leave?" Jolin hissed to Lady Phillipa behind her new purple fan, watching a group of women in the corner licking alcohol off the body of a muscular man.
"You and I both know how much people will talk if you and I leave before anyone else," Lady Phillipa replied with a sneer at another group of women who cheered on a man dancing while stripping off his shirt.
"I don't care," Jolin whispered back while fanning her face. The room's cooling spells worked fine with the amount of people present. It was the actions of the women present that made her face burn and want to leave the room to escape.
"We only have another hour before we are allowed to leave," Lady Phillipa assured her as a scantily clad server passed by them with a tray full of empty wine glasses. "Surely we can make it that long."
"Maybe I can convince one of our escorts to help get us out earlier," Jolin grumbled, flopping back into her seat while wondering how she managed to misunderstand what kind of party she was invited too. A few District Queens along the border where several Territories meet invited her to a party "for just us girls" and Lady Phillipa gladly came along, since she hadn't had a girls' night out in a while for herself. The escorts were given a suite of rooms to wait in, complete with refreshments and card tables for them to enjoy while the women had the ball room to themselves. The moment the doors closed, sight shields dropped and the young men began to prance around. Jolin's shock at the sight didn't compare to the horror that coursed through her when a Providence Queen from a Territory she never heard of before dragged one of the young men into a draped off area with a wink at the ladies and a comment about being on a contraceptive brew "just for moments like these!" to her entourage. Lady Phillipa didn't protest, probably because like Jolin she saw the young man was willing to be used by the woman, but Jolin noticed the sharp attention she paid to everyone in the room. "Lady Phillipa, are you taking note of what everyone is doing here?"
"Nonsense," Lady Phillipa replied quietly with a smile to a woman who waved at her across the room. "I am, however, counting the amount of alcohol consumed to justify the amount of stupidity some of these girls are currently displaying."
"Ladies!" someone shouted from a curtained off area towards the back of the room. "Ladies, settle down. The main entertainment is finally read for our enjoyment!" The crowd parted and exposed Lady Monica, Queen of Jolin's home District of Highvale.
"Hell's Fire, Mother Night, and May the Darkness be Merciful," Lady Phillipa whispered as her fan fluttered at a break neck speed.
*What?* Jolin sent while watching Lady Phillipa swallow hard.
"I would like to thank all of you for attending my party," Lady Monica cooed, opening her arms and curtsying as a round of applause went up from the women. "Oh, you are all too kind. Really."
*Lady Monica's parties have some of the most coveted invitations* Jolin sent to Lady Phillipa, whose face took on a shade a white rivaling the linen on the table in front of them. *We should be honored to be invited to one of them.*
"Now, the entertainment for us this evening was very difficult to procure, and expensive," Lady Monica demurred with a raise of her hands, silencing the crowd. Jolin's stomach dropped when she noticed the predatory gleam in a couple of women's eyes at the table next to her and Lady Phillipa.
*We need to leave as soon as everyone is distracted.* Lady Phillipa sent, desperation flavoring the thread.
*I agree.* Jolin replied as she looked around the room and not liking what she was seeing and feeling from the other women present. Something about this party had been off since she got here, something very wrong. *Though we both can't get through the Green Aural shield. What do you-*
"Here he is Ladies!" Lady Monica shouted while sweeping her hand over the curtain, using Craft to move it aside.
"No," Jolin whispered at the sight of a young male strapped to the bed. Tears streamed down his face and muffled cries came through the gag while the women around her cheered at his naked and aroused state.
"This young man's father owed a rather large gambling debt," Lady Monica cooed as she glided over to the bed to stand beside him. He whimpered when Lady Monica ran a finger over his erect member with a low laugh. "I paid it all off in exchange for this small little favor. He is to service all of us this evening."
"He is so young I doubt he will last three minutes with the first of us," a woman in the crowd shouted, causing the room to laugh.
"Oh, I have given him plenty of safframate to ensure everyone gets a turn, maybe even more than one!" Lady Carol replied with a wink to a nearby table. "Though I am sure you girls won't be greedy and take more than your fair share."
"Isn't safframate use outlawed outside of certain ceremonies and medical situations?" Jolin shouted while shaking off Lady Phillipa's hand on her arm as she stood. The entire room fell silent and Lady Monica turned her golden eyes to Jolin.
"Lady Jolin," Lady Monica smirked as she gestured to a woman standing in the corner. "My Healer knows how much to give to not kill him. As you know, Healers are the only ones allowed to brew safframate and I can assure you she did not give him more than the young man can handle."
"And yet you had to tie him down to the bed to get him to co-operate for his father's debt repayment," Jolin scoffed, snapping her fan shut and walking towards the front with her eyes locked onto Lady Monica. "Tell me, did you inform Lady Jordyn of this party?"
"Oh, Lady Jordyn is much to busy to attend a small party thrown by a Queen of a very small District,"Lady Monica laughed, the rest of the crowd laughing with her.
"But as a courtesy isn't is Protocol to invite the Territory Queen over your District?" Jolin asked as she reached the front of the room. She stood toe to toe with Lady Monica and flicked her fan open, placing the silk fabric between the crowd and the two of them as Jolin continued in a low voice. "Furthermore, I don't see Lady Crista here, and I am sure your Providence Queen would have liked to attend this evening." From the look on Lady Monica's face at the mention of Lady Crista, Jolin doubted Lady Monica even notified the Providence Queen about all the visitors coming from other Territories, which was definitely outlawed.
"Look," Lady Monica hissed while pulling Jolin to the side as the women in the crowd started to shout something about a raffle for first shot at the young man. "I can tell you haven't been to one of these parties before, so how about I make a deal with you? I will let you have first go on him. Surely that will be sufficient enough to allow you to…forget the little details."
"How about no?" Jolin replied with a jerk of her head in the direction of the crowd. "Here is what I am going to do for you: I am going to save your face and tell them you didn't know this young man's father owed the debt to a male in my court, which means it is my debt to claim. It is up to me how the repayment will go. I will then take him, and myself, out of your ballroom and leave you and your friends to the rest of the evenings activities."
"I paid off a considerable-"
"If you don't tell the crowd the debt is mine to request repayment, I will cause a dreadful scene by announcing to everyone present how you refuse to yield to another Queen when there is a debt owed to her," Jolin interrupted while pointing to the crowd. "How many of your friends out there won't let you gamble at their house parties once they know something like that? Or won't allow you the service of the males in their court because you are known not to repay?" Lady Monica took in a shaky breath, her eyes darting to the crowd and back to Jolin a few times before nodding.
"How do you want to do this?" Lady Monica breathed, waving her hand and closing the curtain with Craft.
"You announce how sorry you are, that you didn't know about the terms of the debt, and how you will make it up to them by procuring someone else next time," Jolin told the Queen as she flicked a message to Lady Phillipa to get ready to contact their escorts and to message for the coach to be ready for them. "Spin the words to make me sound like a bitch if you like, as long as I get to take the boy with me. You will also have whoever created the Green shield to drop it for us to leave. Once we are gone I don't care if you put the shield back up and continue. Now, go tell your guests about how the night has change." Lady Monica straightened her shoulders and put on a fake smile as she strode over to the center of the curtain.
"Ladies!" Lady Monica shouted over the protesting crowd while Jolin went behind the curtain. Jolin slowly walked to the bed and took the gag out of the young man's mouth.
"Please," he wept, struggling against his bindings and thrusting his hips upward.
"We will be leaving soon," Jolin soothed as she called in a spare shawl and draped it over his groin.
"Just mount me," the young man pleaded. "Please."
"You aren't thinking straight," Jolin assured the young man while looking around for something else to cover him. The sheets will do, Jolin thought after seeing nothing else in the area sufficient enough to cover the young man to walk him out.
"They have my brother," the young man sobbed as Warren and Stephen came behind the curtain.
"May the Darkness be Merciful," Warren breathed.
"He is only fifteen," the young man whimpered, thrusting again with a desperate look at Jolin. "If I let them use me, he is free. They will leave him alone. Father's debts will be paid, and mother won't have to go to a Red Moon house. Just mount me. Please."
"We won't let them touch him," Constantine explained as he and Warren started to untie him.
"Your damn right they won't touch him," Jolin growled with a tap on Lady Monica's outer barrier. The Queen came back behind the curtain, and wasn't pleased when Jolin demanded to have the brother brought to the carriage. Constantine had the forethought to wrap the young man in a sight shield as Warren used Craft to float the young man through the ballroom while Lady Monica protested the young man's brother wasn't part of this situation. Lady Monica refused to give up the young man's brother until Lady Phillipa stepped forward and demanded the brother as well. Jolin waited outside of the ballroom until the brother was safely delivered to her, and only then did she and Lady Phillipa step out of the home to get in the carriage.
As they sped toward the two brothers' home, Jolin turned over the ramifications of her actions in her mind while Lady Phillipa talked with the younger of the brothers. A visiting Queen had no authority over what another Queen does in the area she rules, yet Jolin knew outlawed activities were going on at the party. She also still reeled from the type of party Lady Monica threw. Invitations for the coveted events turned everyone not invited green with envy, including Jolin since she never had been able to procure one before tonight. If these were the types of parties Lady Monica typically threw, what did that say about the people she used to spend time with? What kind of Queens would allow such a thing? A glance at the tear-streaked face of the boy she just rescued from an uncertain fate, she didn't care what kind of punishment she received for her rash decisions nor did she care if she was socially ostracized from her old circle.
"Do you know where Father is?" the boy asked Lady Phillipa, his eyes filled with hope while giving both Queens and Lord Warren a watery smile. "He left to get food three days ago and I want to tell him what I learned in school yesterday."
"How about I write to Queen Jordyn's Master of the Guard and ask him to help us find him?" Jolin replied while calling in her stationary set. Oh yes, she would write to Queen Jordyn's Master of the Guard, but she would also put in the missive the events she witnessed this evening. The timing of her message might save her from a punishment for interfering with another Queen's rule, but right now she didn't care if she got in trouble or not. A good Queen wouldn't allow something like this to happen, a real Queen she told herself as she began to write the tale of how her District came to have three more in their population.
Memphis swirled the whiskey in his glass through alcohol-bleary eyes trained on the fire. Four days. Four miserable days of trying to fix his cousin's incredible fuck up without any success at all. To be fair, the Fire Dance did not have the best reputation for having a clear head afterward, and Lady Flora knew it so the fuck up wasn't entirely his cousins fault. Luc could easily have fixed the issue by interrupting the party being thrown at the Queen's Residence by all the other unattached women, but with Luc's anger riding the killing edge it did make more sense for Prothvar to help work off the anger than try to seduce Lady Mirana at that particular moment. Luc didn't, however, have to stay away until mid-day and give Lady Flora the chance to brag about something that never happened. Yes, Luc was an idiot. It was the only explanation for what happened. It was the only explanation Memphis would allow for Luc letting this situation get where it currently stood.
"Figured you would be in here," Prothvar said while taking the seat across from Memphis with a smirk.
"Our cousin is an idiot," Memphis drawled as he brought the glass to his lips, draining it of its contents in a few seconds then leaning forward and pouring more into the glass.
"All males are idiots according to our sisters," Prothvar sighed, crossing his legs and leaning back in the seat with his arms behind his head. "Though I have to admit, Luc seemed to have bungled this beyond measure."
"Well, at least I can report back to Papa about Lady Mirana," Memphis replied with a sip from the glass. Getting Luc to visit with his sisters and cousins gave Memphis an excuse to spend time with Lady Mirana and inform to the man who helped shaped the Territory of Shalador Nehele about the Queen who stole the hearts of the people.
The first day Memphis spent around Lady Mirana didn't go as smooth as he had hoped, which when he found out exactly how the relationship building between she and Luc it made total sense. He didn't blame the Lady one bit for her reaction to him after the humiliation she received just a few weeks ago. It took until the middle of the second day of his visit to convince her he wanted to get to know her as a Queen so he could report back to his father about her. Once she realized he was only there as a visitor and nothing more, Lady Mirana became a delightful companion. Memphis accompanied her with watchful eyes as she interacted with the people of Eyota and sat in on her business meetings since a few of the shops in town were still owned by his father. His father would be pleased to know her knowledge about business translated into running a Territory as well as her ability to handle disputes with fairness. A Queen with her strength of Craft would attract people from all over, especially with the Jewel strength of people gathering around her, and knowing how to handle not only resources but also people was an important skill to have.
"Tomorrow, we are to go to the children's play in the afternoon with some of the women," Prothvar groaned with a roll of his shoulders. "Lady Carol became lucid enough to hear the small ones talking about how they were playing trees and animals, and she requested to attend her "babies" stage debut."
"Shouldn't be too difficult," Memphis sniffed as he took a large gulp of the contents of his glass. He loved children, wanted to have oodles of them. Unfortunately, with his proclivities the option to have children remained off the table. Janelle Saetien told him he would have children, more than he would every imagine. He had faith in his sister's ability as a Black Widow, but even he knew it took a man and a woman to make a child.
"The afternoon show will be easier for Lady Carol to manage," Prothvar replied while using Craft to put another log on the fire. "If I can get her out of the house more, I might even get her to attend an evening performance somewhere."
"Do I need to tell Aunt Marian about this attachment you have?" Memphis smirked, swirling the liquid in the glass.
"Don't you dare!" Prothvar hissed with a jab of his finger while leaning toward Memphis. "If you mention one word, even hint to my mother I am building a relationship, I will tell your mother the real reason you volunteered to come here and forced Luc to spend time with The Ladies." Memphis sneered at Prothvar, but didn't respond because the mutual blackmail was a valid reason why he wanted to get away for a long period of time. A young Rihlander witch, Regina, placed her sights on him a year ago when he attended an event with Orian. He didn't do anything besides speak with her about the quality of the painting on the china used for the evening's meal, but the young witch seemed to think they had a connection. Oh, Regina was a wonderful female. She danced well and had a wide taste in reading material. If had any interest in the opposite sex he would have enjoyed a relationship with her before he saw the darker side of her nature. Stalking didn't even come close to describing the way Regina was behaving toward him. For the past year, every event and party he went to Regina showed up, and somehow always sat next to him at dinner or near him in the theater. His fireplace didn't lack for kindle with her letters he didn't bother reading nor did he lack reading material thanks to her desperate generosity in gifting him books she found interesting. The only reason he didn't report her attention to him was because she acted harmless until two weeks ago when he found Regina sprawled out in the tub of his guest suite in Scelt, overflowing with bubbles, and wiggling her fingers in a seductive welcome. Luckily, Lady Margda didn't question when he said he had to cut his visit short in the middle of the night, using Titian as an excuse and how he must rush home to help take care of his pregnant cousin. Of course, Titian didn't believe him for a second when he showed up and her and Alanar's eyrie with a smile and no notice that he had a funny feeling she needed him. Two weeks of poking and prodding from his female relatives and Alanar, he took up the offer his father gave him to be a liaison for a few weeks and to settle Janelle Saetien's mind about Luc by getting him to visit.
"There you two are," Allan sighed as he came in with a large tray of food. "Compliments of Mrs. Burle. I am to make sure the two of you eat at least half of this tray. Each."
"Is Coren's cold fairing better?" Memphis asked while reaching for a sandwich piled with sliced beef as Allan used craft to move a low table between the two men.
"Her chest is still too tight for Mirana and Lady Rhina's liking, so she is staying with them at the Healing House and I have been sent away until I am told I would be allowed to return," Allan informed them, setting the tray on the table then pulling up at chair and sitting himself. "My brother will be coming tomorrow on a pass through visit on his way to Stargrove. Lady Jordyn would like for me to accompany him, but I don't want to stray from from Coren with her being so ill. Would either of you mind going?"
"I don't want to stray too far from Lady Carol now that I have her able to go out of the house for an extended period without an attack," Prothvar grunted around a mouthful of food. "And I promised I would take Lady Hallidoria to the Landen market to pick up new fabric for a dress she wanted to have made for a Winsol."
"A new fashion trend coming from Stargrove has piqued my interest," Memphis stated while looking over the sandwich in his hand. "Those hand fans would make a wonderful gift for my sister and cousins. They are always delighted to have something to go with their outfits for the evening besides a clutch or a necklace. It would be convenient to go with your brother. May I know why he is going there?"
"The missive I received didn't go into details, but an investigation concluded and my brother is to go and explain to the Queen who started it the results," Allan explained as he reached over and grabbed a sandwich himself. "From the wording of the missive, I can't figure out if it is good or bad so having a member of the Sadiablo would put my mind at ease since I won't be going myself. I will owe you one."
"I wanted to go there to shop anyway," Memphis shrugged with a bite of is sandwich.
"Thank the Darkness," Marilyn gasped, bursting through the door with a squalling Finbar in her arms. "I need one of you to take him for a few. Three women went into labor at once, and I can't watch this poor teething dear while helping with a birth."
"Let Uncle Memphis take the poor mite," Memphis said as he set down his sandwich and held out his hands.
"You behave for Prince Sadiablo now darling," Marylin cooed while handing over the young boy with a kiss on Memphis's cheek. "I will come get him as soon as I can."
"No need to rush," Memphis shouted after the Healer as she dashed out the door.
"Hell's Fire, the boy has a set of lungs on him," Prothvar winced as Finbar let out a screech loud enough to set Memphis's ears ringing.
"He is just teething," Memphis mused, calling in a cloth and a flask of water. He used Craft to soak the cloth and a cold spell to freeze it before handing it to the baby. Finbar shoved the cloth into his mouth and his screamed turned into sniffles and hiccups. The baby leaned against Memphis's chest while tucking his head under Memphis's chin. Wrapping a soothing spell around the boy, Memphis smiled and picked back up his sandwich while asking Allan if he had Winsol presents for the Ladies of the Court yet. He might as well know what the others got the girls in case he found something he would like to gift the new friends in his life.
Author's Note:
Hope you guys love this chapter as much as I did writing it! I am going to try and update again soon, and I hope all of you will let me know how much you love or hate this