Of Adultery and Duels

Word Count: 350

The Lord's voice was uncharacteristically cold as he addressed the blond noble before his dais.

"Explain yourself, Karias."

Karias shuffled with anxiety, but stood his ground.

"I assure you, I have done nothing unseemly, Lord."

The Lord arched an elegant brow, utterly unconvinced.

"Did you not proposition a wedded woman?"

Karias' jaw dropped in disbelief, flustered from both embarrassment and irritation. Whenever something of licentious nature happened, the Lord accused him as the perpetrator even if he was innocent – which he was most of the times. The reason for this eluded Karias, but his reputation and his nerves were in tatters by now.

"That is preposterous, Lord! I most certainly did no such thing!"

Karias' exasperated voice echoed in the large throne chamber, but the Lord regarded him with the same recriminating aura.

"Gejutel's wife claims otherwise."

The Lord's words stunned Karias. He tried to recall an occasion when such an occurrence could have happened, but he came up blank. There was only one thing that came to memory, a harmless gesture, and he told the Lord as much.

"I merely offered the lady flowers – nothing more."

Karias would have proceeded to plead with the Lord for his innocence had it not been for the chamber doors bursting open and Gejutel sauntering inside with a less than pleased expression. Karias gulped audibly.

"Karias Blerster."

Gejutel might not have raised his voice, yet his utterance was booming, cutting with razor-sharp intensity.

"Gejutel-nim."

Karias bowed low, his greeting barely a whisper.

"I challenge you to a duel."

Upon hearing the older noble's declaration, Karias paled, his skin daubed with a paltry complexion.

"I swear before the Lord that I did nothing to besmirch your wife's honor, Gejutel-nim."

Karias vowed solemnly, though Gejutel's forbidding features betrayed there would be a duel regardless of verity of said offence.

"My wife has left me, Karias."

Karias took a small pause to digest the shocking news.

"Excuse me?"

"She claims that an inconsiderate man who does not even offer flowers to his wife is unfit to be a husband."

Karias knew then that he was doomed.

Of Worries and Friendship

Word Count: 450

The Lord paced back and forth, his words a skein of distress, trying to form his thoughts into coherent sentences.

"My daughter is in terrible danger. She is being stalked by a vicious beast! My poor girl will be devoured if I do not keep constant vigilance, yet I cannot be by her side due to certain, unfortunate circumstances. I beg of you to help me, Raizel!"

His eyes flashed with delirium, scintillated with a mélange of urgency, desperation, and plea. Raizel appeared to be ignoring him for all intent and purposes, and Gejutel sighed, knowing the duty of allaying the Lord's worries fell on him as always. The seasoned noble found it highly melodramatic, but he had become accustomed to such displays after all these centuries. His voice carried traces of placation when he spoke.

"If I may be so bold, Lord? I fear that perhaps you are overreacting. Raskreia-nim has merely befriended the werewolf Lord. I believe it is to our benefit, in actuality."

The Lord turned on him with a thunderous expression, disregarding Raizel's indifference for the moment.

"Have you gone mad, Gejutel? He is a brute…an animal! Who knows what his feral impulses will force him to do?"

Gejutel exhaled another sigh, softer, resigned. Nonetheless, he attempted to make the Lord understand how outrageous his assumptions were.

"Raskreia-nim is but a child, Lord. I am certain she is safe from these…impulses, as you call them."

The Lord's lips drew into a tight line. Gejutel's temples began to throb with the beginnings of a vicious headache. Before the Lord could part his lips to spew more nonsense however, Raizel intervened, sparing Gejutel the sufferance of the coming headache.

"I will meet with the werewolf Lord."

The Lord beamed at the Noblesse, all traces of despair and anger erased from his mien, though he still graced Gejutel with a smug, biting remark.

"Oh thank you, Raizel! See, Gejutel? Raizel understands my worries!"

Gejutel refrained from mentioning his foreboding feeling about this, knowing the Noblesse's kind disposition. His prediction came true a week later.

"Why – how did this happen?"

The lord's voice betrayed he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Apparently, not only Raizel had done nothing to discourage Muzaka's visits, but he was now openly associating with him as well. Gejutel felt as if his head would split asunder after enduring the Lord's whining for the better part of three hours. Again, he attempted to sway the Lord's will, though he held no expectations of success.

"It is a good thing, Lord. An alliance between our races is very benefic-"

"Gejutel."

The Lord did not allow Gejutel to conclude his argument this time.

"Do shut up."

Of Preferences and Bitterness

Word Count: 300

Raizel took a slow sip of the tea Frankenstein had prepared. His expression remained unchanged, but his words belied his passiveness.

"It is…bitter."

"My sincerest apologies."

Frankenstein bowed in apology. It dawned on him then that he had never asked for Raizel's preferences, but it was understandable. In his urgency to escape the clan leaders' relentless pursuit, he had entered the first mansion he had encountered in his path. It so happened to belong to this eccentric being whose first request was to serve him tea instead of questioning where Frankenstein hailed from or what his intentions were. The whole situation was a bit laughable – and utterly ridiculous – but Frankenstein couldn't complain. Raizel had offered him protection freely and the only thing he asked in return was a cup of tea now and then. If Frankenstein wished to be honest, finding this mansion was a fortuitous occurrence. Hence, he hurried to rectify his unwitting blunder by adding two sugar cubes to the tea.

"How is it now?"

Raizel accepted the proffered cup and took another leisure sip. His long lashes fluttered once.

"Less bitter."

"I am terribly sorry."

Frankenstein smothered a sigh, adding two more sugar cubes.

"Is this better?"

Raizel repeated the procedure almost mechanically.

"Slightly."

His answer caught Frankenstein by surprise. Evidently, Raizel had a sweet tooth, excessively so. Frankenstein ceased being cautious and emptied the bowl of sugar cubes into the tea, lips slightly twitching. Surely now, Raizel would not complain about bitterness at the very least.

"How about now?"

"It is…too sweet."

"…"

Frankenstein discovered then that despite Raizel's disposition not to display emotions, he was quite temperamental. The desire to strangle him overwhelmed the blond scientist, but resignation won in the end.

Why did I have to enter this mansion of all buildings in Lukedonia?