Capitolo Due:
The conversation grew awkward as we continued. Finally Mace grabbed my hand and laced it through his own. "Do you miss him?" he asked squeezing it gently in his own.
"Yeah," I replied softly squeezing back and avoiding eye contact with Mace. I knew he was talking about Aaron. He'd been gone for months now. I hadn't been told why he'dleft or what he was going to do, only that he wouldn't be back for a while. I was crushed when I'd heard he was leaving. We hadn't parted on exquisite terms to say the least.
"What are you doing?" I asked peeking into Aaron's room as I walked down the hall. He had his door open so it wasn't like I wasn't supposed to stop and say hello.
"Packing," He muttered continuing to take clothes from his drawer and stuff them into a small bag he had sitting on his bed.
"Why?"
"Because I'm leaving for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"Corus." he muttered distracted and barely listening to a word I was saying.
"For how long?" I asked becoming worried yet interested at the same time. We'd never been apart for longer than a few days and suddenly he was leaving without warning or reason. It was honestly short notice and he never did spontaneous things like leave. That was something I would do, not him. He was too protective of me to just pack up and leave.
"I don't know,"
"When will you be returning?"
"I said I don't know Alecian!" he hollered standing straight and shoving his daggers into their sheaths. I flinched at the sound of his voice being raised so loud. He'd never yelled at me before. Of course I'd been yelled at many time by Dorian and Mace but I'd never had my own brother yelled at me. I almost felt tears stinging my eyes.
"Don't raise your voice at me. I was asking a simple question." I hissed tearing myself away from him and glaring at the wall with my arms crossed.
"Your being a nosy prick! Stay out of my business." he replied glaring at me.
I stood with my mouth hanging open. Had Aaron really just called me a prick?
"Fine." I muttered leaving the room and continuing down the hall towards my own. I heard his door slam shut behind me and started crying. That had been the last time I'd seen him before he'd left.
"Alecian are you feeling well?" Mace asked stopping our walk and turning towards me with concern in his voice.
"Of course." I replied with a small smile. "C'mon. I want to try on some new clothes." I muttered with glee while dragging him towards one of the shops that was known for eloquent clothing.
"Mithros no, not more clothes!" he said with a whine and a tint of teasing in his voice. It was amazing how Mace could go from a stubborn mule who was prone to being violent to as sweet as a puppy and just as concerned.
Towards the end of the day we walked back towards and inn and met up with Jerome and Christian at the door. We all walked in together but separated once we'd stepped inside. It was a known fact thatI was the niece of Dorian and, though he left me alone with the boys most of the time, he was extremely protective of me during the nights when older thieves were about. IfI wasn't helping out the serving girls in the kitchen then I was ordered to sit with him at the high table so he'd have a closer eye on me.
Once I'd stepped inside I headed straight for the kitchen, avoiding Dorian at all costs. I wasn't in the mood to put up with his fatherly protectiveness that night. I pushed open the swinging door of the kitchen with my back and shouted hello's to the girls who were running about refilling mugs of beer and taking orders of food out to the men. They shouted in reply and started shoving large pitchers of beer into my hands. I rolled my eyes and returned to the common room to refill the mens glasses while taking the money to pay for them then. I knew that if I didn't they would be too drunk later to pay and then Dorian would have to take care of them outside.
It was always terrible when you saw someone being escorted out of the inn by one of Dorian's men. That usually meantDorian himselfwould soon followand return with some extra limbs which should have been attached to a person. Those men usually never returned for more beer. We lost a lot of customers that way, but we also gained quite a reputation and kept more men coming because of the cheap cost. Of the beer not the whores.
They were an entirely different story. Sara actually trained some of them to believe they were better then their clients. I was quite disgusted when I'd first heard her giving some of them helpful hints on how to attract the men and what not, but eventually I'd grown accustomed to it.
"Their going to sleep with the men either way so they might as well be prepared, and a few tricks don't hurt now and then."Sarah informed me. Just like Dorian was protective of me, Sara was very protective of the girls who worked for her. She made sure they all had etiquette lessons in case they ever had to serve somebody of noble birth, and made sure they were literate and equipped with protection against pregnancy's. That was the last thing we needed running around the inn.
After delivering many rounds of beer one of the younger girls, Georgiana, stopped me in the kitchen. "Yer highness says he would like a word with ye." she muttered refilling her pitchers and returning for another round.
I thanked her and left my pitchers on the table before making my way back into the common room and walking toward Dorian's table. I saw that he was deep in conversation with some men sitting around him,he always had different people visiting him every night, and I wasn't quite sure if I was suppose to interrupt or not. Instead I just stood to the side and cleared my throat until I had his attention.
"Ahh, Alecian there you are." Dorian held his arm out towards me and I delicately took it as he drew me towards him tostand at his side. The men at the table all lifted their heads and nodded towards me in acknowledgment before returning their attention to Dorian. "I'd like you too meet a friend of mine Alecian. This is Lord Bursch"
The man sitting next to him lifted his face and nodded towards me. I recognized him as the man I'd run into earlier that day.
"I believe we've already met." Lord Bursch muttered with a wink and a small grin.
"Of course." I replied "My apologies sir, for not having given you proper directions."
"Apology accepted." Lord Bursch said.
"If you beg my pardon sir, why are you here?" I asked my curiosity flowing.
"She get's right to the point doesn't she?" Bursch joked speaking towards Dorian.
"Always has," he muttered silently staring at a spot on the table.
"What's wrong?" I asked. Dorian was never as silent as he was being then. I knew something was wrong with someone somewhere and I wasn't going to stop pestering them until they told me.
"It's about Aaron" Dorian started
I gave a small laugh followed by a cough "What's the fool gone and done now?" I asked with a bitter tone and a roll of my eyes. I crossed my arms over my chest and forgot my manners as Iexchanged glares with Dorian. He knew my brother was a sensitive subject and that I had no wish to talk to or about him.
"Got himself arrested actually," Bursch responded not noticing the uneasy coldness that had entered the conversation.
"Is that all?" I asked with a shrug "I hope he enjoys prison life though I hear the food is terrible."
"Alecian this is serious," Dorian respondedbecoming angry with me. I heard the warning in his voice but neglected to heed to it.
"So was his leaving," I hissed as my temper flaredfrombeing ignoredfor the past few months"But nobody seemed to care about that fact. Therefore Aaron can go to the devils for all I care."
"There were some things that you need not know." Dorian responded with a calm collected voice, far from the way I felt.
"Stop treating me as a child!" I screamed "I deserved to know about the events effecting my life, including my brothers departure, but nobody wanted to offer any sort of information."
"You are acting like a child right now!" Dorian hollered as he stood from his chair with such force that it was knocked back against the wall. The noise level dropped in the bar around me. I heard a few gasps and some spilled ale behind and growled at the thought of a sticky floor to clean up. Mace and the others had stopped their game of darts and Bursch stared in disbelief that we talked to each other like that.
I flinched from the sound of his voice and took a few steps away from the table as my arms fell to the sides of my body. I had been yelled at by Dorian plenty of times, but he seemed more furious than usual then and I had apparently found the limit of his temper.
"Maybe you should go to your room as punishment until you are able to have this conversation as the adult you want to be treated like, though at this rate I don't foresee that happening in years!" Dorian continued with rage
I stood with my mouth dropped open. See, he did think of me as a child and now he was about to punish me as one too. I have to say my maturity level did not go up very far in the next few seconds though. I pouted. "Why are you suddenly telling me about Aaron?" I asked in a calm voice trying to lower his temper which I'd inherited as well.
"Because you are part of the solution," Bursch interrupted haven choose a moment in which nobody would yell at him. I clenched my teeth and turned to glare at the man who had started all the trouble in the first place.
"How am I part of the solution exactly?"
"Because you shall be the one to come and save him" Bursch replied.
"Aaron got himself into whatever mess he's in, he can find a way to get himself out." I replied
"It's not that easy Alecian," Dorian said having calmed down a little bit. He strode to the wall and picked up his chair before he plunked his body into it at the head of the table. "As it is, Aaron is set to have a trial facing theft and attempted murder, and things do not appear to be looking well for him."
Murder? My brother would not be stupid enough to murder someone. Of course if he were to he would make sure to follow through with it, not have it be an attempt that obviously failed. But how could my brother, whom I had know my entire life and who would be the farthest person to commit murder, be standing trial for it? There had to be some mistake. Yes we were thieves, but my brother was no murderer! I knew him to well. I mean of course we'd been trained on how to kill and yes we'd both seen many deaths, but that doesn't mean he would set out to kill someone. Doesn't it?
"Murder?" I squeaked out. Of course I didn't take into account that practically every person currently in the inn were murderers. Even Mace, Jerome and Christian had had their fill of murder. I wouldn't of been surprised if Aaron had committed murder, but I didn't want to be told of it.
"Attempted," Bursch corrected me. "He was stopped,"
"Obviously," Jerome muttered from the side of the table where he stood.
Dorian turned and glared at the three boys who were soon joined by Merry, who'd stopped serving ale and listened to the conversation as well.
"Come you four. You might as well be part of the conversation." Dorian responded as he motioned for them to step closer to the table. Mace walked forward and stood a little bit behind my right shoulder, grazing his left handagainst the small of my bac as he walked by. I glared at him as Merry stood to my left and gave my hand acomforting squeeze. She'd been involved with my brother romantically before he'd left and I knew she was just as worried. I needed her there to make sure everything was going to be all right and reassure me in whatever I was told to do.
"So what exactly happened?" Jerome spoke as I thought the same thing. Aaron wasn't stupid. He knew better than to try and kill a man during a time when he would be caught, so something had to of gone wrong.
"He was set up," Bursch replied as he leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together while his elbows rested on the handles of his chair. He looked completely calm for the situation. His dark brown hair was graying and had been combed back away from his face while his mustache was trimmed nicely around his lips. He had bags underneath his eyes from lack of sleep and wrinkles around his lips and along his forehead. He wasn't aging very well needless to say.
"What do you mean?" I whispered. Was somebody out to destroy me brother? That didn't surprise me in the least, but still.
"He was set up. Tricked. Played the fool. Cheated. Purposely caught. How do you not understand that? You have been educated, have you not?" he replied with a tint ofannoyance in his voice.
"Excuse me for not remembering an education from almost ten years ago." I hissed in reply. I didn't like being talked to like I was stupid. "My focus has shifted to other things these past few years." Like stealing and seducing. Not a very proper or classy education of things, but they've been important lessons to learn.
"Well that will not do in the least. You'll have to brush up on your proper lessons before we leave. I suppose I'll have to remind you of them. You boys as well." he replied as he sat straighter in his chair.
I was confused. Thoroughly. I had no idea what this man was talking about. Why would I have to brush up on manners and speech that I have tried to forget for the past ten years? I wanted nothing to do with my mothers class and had fought hard to become as low as possible. Yes I understand that is the stupidest thing to hear in the world, that most people try to move up in their social status or whatnot, but that's exactly what my mother wanted, so it's the opposite of what i want.
I turned to stare at Dorian for an explanation before I responded. "What are you talking about? And where would we be going?"
"Your brother is in serious trouble," Dorian started
"And there's no way a bunch of hoodlums can just go walking off the streets to save him," Bursch interrupted. Dorian turned and glared at the man. I was surprised he was still a thief. He should know better than to interrupt Dorian when he spoke. Yes, I suppose I do interrupt him from time to time but I'm different. Dorian wouldn't kill me as he'd not hesitate to do to Bursch.
"As I was saying," Dorian continued "Your brother needs help that those in Corus are unable to provide. They know how to get into the palace and down to the dungeons, but Aaron is being guarded twice as hard. I've been thinking this over carefully and have come to a solution that works."
"And that would be?" I pestered
"Alecian will disguise herself as Bursch only daughter. You'll appear at court for the winter season with Jerome and Christian as your brothers and Mace your cousin. There you'll take the image of ayoung womanlooking for a possible suitor for marriage, with your father and brothers for help." Dorian began
"Excuse me," Mace interrupted "Why would we be helping her find a husband?"
"Because we need all of you within the palace walls. If you have a problem with that you may remain here." Bursch hissed.
Mace shook his head and shut his mouth again. I rolled my eyes at him. The things boys do to themselves. I had no intention of actually finding a husband. He had toknow that. That thought was ridiculous. In fact I had no intention of ever marrying. Marriage just made things confusing. Especially with four boys around who watched everything I did,who didn't approve of any manI may be interested in.
"Once your all inside the palace you need to gain the trust of those nobles around you and make them believe you'd never hurt or betray anyone. In case something we're to happen later on you need to have some important people on your side. You'll eventually have to get Aaron out of captivity either before his trial or before his punishment. Either way you had better get him before he dies." Dorian finished.
"Do you have any questions?" Bursch asked with a annoyed glance towards Mace.
"And what of me?" Merry asked with an angry tone. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "Do you just expect me to stay home and wait for my lover to return?"
That was the first time she'd admitted they were lovers. Aaron had never denied it and was always showing his affection for her in public but she usually shied away from him when others were around and tried to keep their relationship a secret, though everyone knew of it.
"I wasn't sure if this was something you were willing to do," Dorian said a bit hesitant. He had realized, as we all had, that Merry hadn't been the same since Aaron's departure. Nobody had, but she'd taken a terrible blow to it and had started concealing herself in her room during the day and only came out at night to help the serving girls before returning there. She'd lost a lot of weight and had been eating less and less at each meal, sometimes skipping. We'd all been concerned.
"I'm not going to sit around and let everybody's else decide whether Aaron lives or dies. I want to be apart of it." she replied
"Very well, you shall accompany Alecian as her servant. That way you'll be able to learn things before any one else." Dorian decided.
"Why is that?" Christian asked
"Servants talk. Their able to conceal themselves in rooms with nobles and hear anything. They'll know important things before anyone else." Bursch replied.
"Then we're agreed?" Dorian asked the five of us.
"Agreed," we replied with a nod of our heads.
A/N : Woot Woot, I finally finished editing this chapter. Haha, the next one is ready and waiting I know you're all excited to finally have a new chapter. It's coming don't worry.
I wanna give a big thanks to all those who reviewed. Thanks for sticking with me during all these repeats of chapters you've already read. It really makes me feel like continuing. So enough with the sucking up, thanks again guys. Your all awesome!