Isaac looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was 3:30 in the morning. Isaac put on a pair of slippers, silently walking out of his room.
"If we're meeting up in the Common Room in half an hour, then Sally will need some actual clothes." Isaac said to himself, walking to the stairs. After climbing the stairs and getting to Sally's room, he noticed there were no guards on duty. Isaac looked around, no one nearby. In fact, Isaac didn't see a single guard on his way here.
"Does… everyone get off for Christmas?" Isaac asked himself. Isaac walked to the door, opening it. Sally's room was cold, the window cracked open. As Isaac walked in, he felt as if something was staring at him. Isaac went to Sally's dresser, pulling out a drawer. After picking out a shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms, Isaac closed it.
"Found what you were looking for?" A voice asked. Isaac quickly turned around, seeing the advisor opening and hopping from the wardrobe. Isaac sighed, relieved it wasn't someone that could pose an actual threat.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You never know how someone is going to react." Isaac warned. Gregory chuckled, walking towards Isaac with his hands behind his back.
"You know, I thought I had you all figured out. But then, when I heard King Nigel announce that his daughter was dating you, I was surprised. Why would someone as refined as Princess Sally date someone as pitiful and unrefined as you? Someone so outdated, unfamiliar with how the world works?" He asked, acting superior.
"You should be careful what words you choose. You wouldn't like it when I'm angry." Isaac warned, feeling a vein pulse in his neck.
"Perhaps it was your naivety. You didn't know how things worked here, so Sally took it upon herself to teach you. But I know you are not as naïve as you look, so it couldn't have been that!" He exclaimed, pacing around the room. The fireplace ignited; Gregory unaware of it happening.
"Perhaps it was your rugged good looks, at least, to Sally it was. But let's be honest, you have a face even a mother couldn't love!" He insulted.
"Leave my mother out of this!" Isaac snapped, causing the advisor to slightly leap back.
"Struck a nerve, did I? Well, how do you think I felt when I woke up and found myself splashed with wine?! The King wouldn't believe me when I told him you had knocked me out! Dismissed it as the ramblings of a drunkard!" He ranted.
"You slipped on ice! I put you in the closest room with heating so you wouldn't freeze!" Isaac responded.
"And I guess the wine was a parting gift! But what eludes me the most was the fact you killed a woman, a defenseless woman, and suffered no consequence! I guess being buddy-buddy with the king gives you immunity, huh?!" Gregory ranted, clenching his fists. Isaac clenched his teeth, holding back his anger. The fire became blue, the heat radiating stronger than before!
"Do not take things at face value. If you were in my footsteps, you would've done the same." Isaac defended, speaking through clenched teeth. The fire only continued to grow, illuminating the room in its blue glow! It grew strong enough Gregory finally noticed. His face became one of terror, seeing the growing blaze!
"Are you doing this?! Stop it! Now! That's an order!" Gregory ordered. Isaac chuckled, sounding deranged. The fire only grew brighter, to the point where the flame could be seen coming out of the chimney outside of the castle. Gregory backed away from the fire, quickly running out of the chambers. The moment he had left, Isaac calmed down, the fire soon extinguishing itself.
"Finally! I thought he'd never leave!" Isaac exclaimed, picking up the clothes for Sally. Isaac walked out of her chambers, making sure the advisor was nowhere in sight. Isaac swiftly made his way back to his quarters, silently walking in. Sally was still asleep. Isaac put the clothes on the chair and then gently eased himself back into the bed.
"Sally, it's time to wake up." Isaac whispered., brushing her hair from her forehead. Sally's face twitched, but she was still asleep. Isaac leaned forward, gently kissing her forehead. Sally's eyes fluttered open, seeing Isaac next to her. Sally smiled, sitting up.
"What time is it?" Sally yawned, stretching out her arms.
"It's almost four in the morning. I grabbed a shirt and pajama bottoms from your room. I bet you if we get up now, we can be the first ones in the Common Room." Isaac answered. Sally yawned, still looking tired.
"How about another hour? I wouldn't mind sleeping in with you." She said, holding onto Isaac. Isaac smirked, feeling he had a way of getting her out of bed.
"If you come with me now, I'll give that kiss another try." Isaac said. Sally's eyes perked up, causing her to quickly hop out of bed. After putting on her clothes, she grabbed Isaac's hand and practically pulled him out of the room with her. She was fast with her walk, making her way to the Common Room. After making it to the door, she gave Isaac an amorous look. While Isaac made the promise, he already felt his throat dry up.
"Let's… get in the room before we do anything." Isaac said, hesitant in his speech. Sally opened the door, feeling the heat from the fireplace. But as soon as the door opened, Isaac's eyes widened, seeing they were beaten to the Common Room! Knuckles and Rouge were making out on the couch, unaware that someone just arrived. Sally sighed, realizing that the kiss wasn't going to happen. Isaac slowly closed the door, making sure not to make a noise.
"Damn! Give us a break!" Sally whispered, frustrated she wasn't going to get a second chance on that kiss. Isaac looked around, noticing no one else was around. Isaac glanced back to Sally, seeing her discouraged look.
"How about a kiss?" Isaac asked, mirroring Sally's exact words from last night. Sally perked up, elated that Isaac was leading this time!
"Not here! Follow me!" Sally said, grabbing Isaac's hand. Sally quickly led Isaac to door near the grand staircase, opening it. Sally pulled Isaac in, closing the door behind them. The door led to a small storage room, which had a few barrels and two chests. In the corner of the room was a chair, it's upholstery worn. Sally led Isaac to the chair, practically pushing him in. Sally hopped into Isaac's lap, her legs over the arm of the chair.
"Isaac… I can hear your heart racing. You're not nervous, are you?" Sally playfully asked. Isaac gulped, his throat feeling like it was closing up again. Isaac tried to say something, but as would happen when nervous, the only thing he could say was unintelligible gibberish. Sally immediately knew he was nervous, but she also knew he loved her. And that's all she needed to know. She leaned in, kissing him. Isaac immediately returned the favor, gently embracing her. After a few minutes, they stopped. Isaac's heart wasn't racing anymore. He was much calmer than when they started.
"Better?" She asked, hugging him tightly.
"Much better." Isaac answered. She nodded, glad to hear it.
"Good. Now, taking your advice, I'm going to let you know what I want from this kiss." Sally announced. Isaac nodded, already feeling his heart picking up its pace.
"Kinda like what happened last night, on the balcony. Can you do that?" Sally asked. Isaac cleared his throat, nodding. Sally's smile vanished, noticing Isaac didn't look confident in his decision.
"Isaac, if you don't want to do this, I won't make you. But if it's anything… you were amazing at it last night!" Sally reassured him. Suddenly, Isaac's eyes glowed with an unnatural light. He looked back at Sally, the feeling of familiarity hitting him.
"Sally…" Isaac said, leaning forward.
"Yes?" She asked, leaning closer as well.
"Kiss me before I change my mind." Isaac requested. Sally was quick to honor his request, planting her lips on his.
Meanwhile, outside of the Common Room:
The others were gathering outside of the door, excited for Christmas morning. They wanted to wait until everyone was here to go inside, but soon, they realized everyone was not accounted for.
"Alright, where's Isaac and Sally? I thought they would've been here before us." Vector asked, noticing they weren't there.
"Yeah, and now that you mention it, where's Rouge and Knuckles?" Charmy asked.
"I bet you they're already inside the room. I mean, better than standing outside of the door." Sonic offered, grabbing the doorknob.
"Wait! We agreed we would wait out here for everyone else! We should wait a bit." Amy argued.
"But what's the point of waiting out here if they're already inside the room?" Sonic asked, turning the doorknob. But as he opened it, Amy grabbed the doorknob and slammed it shut, determined in waiting for everyone else. As soon as the door slammed shut, Rouge and Knuckles quickly got off of each other, sitting themselves on opposite sides of the room. Sonic finally was able to open the door, seeing Knuckles and Rouge already in the room.
"See?! Told you they were in here!" Sonic exclaimed. The others filed in, ready to begin the morning by opening presents.
"Sheesh! Took you guys long enough!" Knuckles commented. "Yeah, Knuckles and I were ready to tear each other's throats out." Rouge added. Vanilla shook her head, frustrated by their antics.
"You two should really learn to get along. I think you'd be surprised how much in common you two have." Vanilla suggested. Knuckles and Rouge immediately laughed at this, concealing their relationship status. Vanilla frowned, feeling her advice was shot down.
"Now, we just need to wait for Sally and Isaac. Then, we can start opening presents." Amy stated, sitting herself near the fire.
"How long do you think we'll be waiting?" Blaze asked. Amy shrugged her shoulders, not really having an answer.
"Shouldn't be too long. They should be here very soon." Lily commented, already mentally aware they were nearby. But the moment she mentioned them, her face contorted in one of disgust, picking up something Sally was thinking.
"I really need to learn to stop focusing on what people are thinking!" Lily thought to herself, attempting to sever the mental link. Suddenly, Lily's face perked up, not hearing Sally's thoughts anymore.
"I… I did it! I actually did it!" She thought to herself, finally able to not hear anyone's thoughts.
Back to Isaac and Sally:
Sally suddenly broke the kiss, feeling a pang of pain in her head. Isaac shook his head, disoriented, but otherwise enjoying their moment. Isaac saw the look on Sally's face, as if she were remembering something.
"You alright?" Isaac asked, sitting up. Sally nodded, her hands still clinging to the collar of Isaac's shirt.
"I… I just felt something. Something in my head. Hey, what time is it?" She asked. Isaac checked his watch, seeing that it was 4:30 in the morning.
"Half-past-four. Maybe we should go and get to the Common Room. The others might already be there." Isaac suggested. Sally nodded, getting off of Isaac. Isaac stood up, still feeling the adrenaline from the kiss with Sally. He felt like he was floating. He couldn't quite remember when he felt like this. At least, not within the last eight years. Sally quietly opened the door, peeking out. No one was out there, not even a guard.
"Quick, while the coast is clear!" Sally whispered, exiting the room. Isaac followed, keeping an eye and ear out. Sally closed the door as soon as Isaac was out, locking it. They then walked to the Common Room, hearing the voices of the others.
"How long do you think they were waiting for us?" Sally asked. Isaac shrugged, himself not having an exact answer.
"Maybe five, ten minutes. Not long enough for them to think of anything else, otherwise." Isaac answered, giving an estimate. Sally nodded, grabbing the doorknob. Sally opened the door, seeing the others.
"Hey! By time you guys got here! What held you up?" Silver asked. Sally lightly blushed but she managed to conceal it.
"Isaac had to go into my chambers to wake me up. No other guards on duty, so Isaac had to wake me up himself." Sally lied, creating an explanation. Isaac and Sally sat down, initiating the present exchange.
"Alright, who's first?" Espio asked.
"Youngest first." Rouge suggested. Charmy flew over to the tree, picking out his present. He quickly tore open the wrapping paper, seeing that it was a new communicator headset. He quickly put it on, syncing it with the communicator on his wrist.
"Awesome! Thanks, guys!" He said to Vector and Espio. Cream was up next, opening the present from Amy. She took her time opening it, eventually revealing it to be a new dress.
"Thank you, Miss Amy!" She said, thanking Amy and walking back to her mother. As the morning passed on, everyone made their way around the tree, receiving their gifts. Tails received a new toolbox, Silver got a new pair of gloves, and Blaze received a new coat. Amy quickly went to open hers, finding it was from Sonic.
"What'd you get me, Sonic?" She asked excitedly, trying to figure out what was in the small present. Sonic chuckled, knowing she would love the gift the moment she opened it.
"You'll see." Sonic answered, crossing his arms. Amy quickly tore open the wrapping paper, revealing a small jewelry box. She slowly opened it, seeing it was a silver necklace. It was engraved with 'A+S'. Amy put her hand over her mouth, absolutely shocked.
"Amy… are you okay?" Sonic asked, not expecting this reaction. Suddenly, Amy squealed with joy, causing Sonic and the others to quickly cover their ears! She practically leaped onto Sonic, covering his face with kisses. While Sonic attempted to stop her, it was a futile attempt. After calming down, Amy asked Sonic to help with the necklace. After putting it on her, Sonic got up to grab his present.
"I knew you would be the one to get me something." Sonic observed, seeing it was from Amy. Picking it up, Sonic undid the bow, opening it. It was an old ring, a simple gold band. Sally recognized it almost immediately. Sonic knew what it was, but he didn't understand why Amy gave it to him.
"It's the ring. The ring you used to wish yourself older." Sonic observed. Amy nodded, noticing Sonic wasn't too thrilled to see it.
"Do you not like it?" Amy asked. Sonic took off one of his gloves and slipped the ring on his finger. After doing so, he put the glove back on.
"It's nice, but I don't understand why you gave it to me." Sonic truthfully answered.
"Whenever you go running anywhere, a part of me will always be with you!" Amy explained, revealing the ring as being symbolic of their relationship. Sonic nodded, slightly smiling.
"Thank you." Sonic said, sitting next to Amy. Amy quickly clung to him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Soon enough, Espio received his present. It was from Charmy and Vector. Upon opening it, he found a rolled sheet. It was heavy, made from canvas. Unrolling it, it actually contained a variety of ninja weapons, mainly kunai and ninja stars. They were treated with a coat of gray paint, so as to eliminate the shine that would reveal someone when hidden.
"Just thought you needed a few more, after what happened with that case in Central City." Vector explained. Smiling, Espio rolled up the canvas sheet, carrying it with him to the couch.
"Alright, who's next?" Knuckles asked.
"I think it's Sally. Besides Rouge and Knuckles, she's the oldest." Silver said.
"Not that much older than me and Amy. Only by a few months." Sonic clarified.
"Speaking of age, how old are you, Isaac?" Silver asked.
"I am seventeen." Isaac answered.
"Well, alright, but when? If you're even one day younger than Sally, then you get to go first." Silver explained.
"June 4th. I was born on June 4th." Isaac revealed.
"Isaac… that's Sally's birthday." Sonic said, surprised.
"We're the exact same age?" Sally asked, not expecting that. Isaac shrugged his shoulders, not really knowing what to do about the circumstances.
"You already gave me a gift a few days ago. You should go." Isaac said. Sally shook her head, refusing to do so.
"And you already gave me my gift the same day. You should go." Sally argued. Isaac refused, crossing his arms. Sally sighed, knowing she had to order him to go get his gift from under the tree.
"Isaac, I order you to go first." Sally said, using her failsafe. Isaac got up, grabbing the gift from Amy and Vanilla that had been there since December 22nd. Walking back to the couch, he undid the ribbon, opening the box. Setting it down on the floor, Isaac pulled out the contents of the box, being a new, heavy cloak! It was dark green on the outside, dark brown on the inside. It had the Coat-of-Arms of the defunct Westside Island Rangers stenciled onto the back in black ink. Besides its new condition, it was pretty much the same as Isaac's ruined cloak.
"Did… did you two make this?" Isaac asked, trying it on.
"Took us a bit to figure out the Coat-of-Arms, but we were able to find it in the Historical Archives." Vanilla explained. Isaac already felt warmer trying it on, a nice change of pace from being outside without one.
"Thank you! The both of you!" Isaac exclaimed, folding it.
"The least we could do, considering I had a hand in ruining the original in the first place." Amy said.
"Alright, now, it's Sally's turn. I think it's from Nicole." Blaze said, pointing to the bright purple gift. Sally quickly ran to the tree; surprised Nicole had sent a gift. She quickly opened it, pulling out a USB flash drive. Sally eyed it, seeing it was labeled 'N.I.C.O.L.E.'.
"I'm sorry, but who is Nicole?" Isaac asked.
"She's a friend of ours. She lives in the security mainframe." Tails explained. Isaac raised an eyebrow, not knowing what a mainframe is.
"Mainframe?" Isaac asked.
"Listen, I'll explain it to you later. It'll take longer than you think." Tails said.
"Okay, we're moving on! Rouge, you're up next." Sally said, causing Rouge to fly over to the tree. She picked her gift from under it, seeing it was terribly wrapped.
"I think I know who got me this gift." Rouge commented, looking at Knuckles. Knuckles looked away, attempting to prevent others from knowing he got her a gift. Rouge ripped off the paper in one pull, opening the box. She pulled out a small, golden chain necklace, a small, golden emerald affixed to it. Rouge was absolutely speechless! She looked back to Knuckles, who was rubbing the back of his head, sporting a bashful grin.
"Yeah, I, uh… saw it a few days ago with one of those caravans. I saw it and I, uh, thought you'd like it." Knuckles said, hesitant in his speech. Rouge said nothing. She only kept looking at the necklace, back to Knuckles, and then back to the necklace. Knuckles got up from his seat, walking over to Rouge.
"Rouge, I… I don't think I can keep pretending nothing's happening. I just want to say, well… I love you. And I don't care if the others know about it." Knuckles said, well within earshot of the others.
"Knuckles… are you sure? I mean, we've been doing this for a few months. You sure you just… want to bring this out into the open?" Rouge asked. Knuckles nodded, his free hand on her cheek. Rouge smiled, putting the necklace in her pocket.
"Will you two kiss already?! I forgot to charge my phone and I'm still waiting for a picture!" Vector exclaimed, holding up his phone. Rouge scowled at him, noting that he was ruining a tender moment.
"Later. When he's not around." Rouge said, letting go of Knuckles' hand.
"So… does that mean you two are officially dating now?" Silver asked.
"I… I guess we are!" Rouge answered.
"Called it! Alright, pay up!" Silver announced, holding out a hand. The others rolled their eyes, handing Silver handfuls of rings. Isaac facepalmed, realizing that there was a bet in place for these two.
"Alright, well, Knuckles, I guess it's your turn." Sally said. Knuckles looked under the tree, seeing there was no present for him under the tree.
"Rouge, you were supposed to get Knuckles a gift!" Amy exclaimed, seeing that Rouge didn't get him one.
"Calm down, I did! It's just… it's still in my room. See, I thought Knuckles and I weren't handing our gifts to each other in front of you guys." Rouge explained.
"So, do you want to go and get it for him?" Sally asked. Rouge shook her head.
"I'd rather wait to give it to him. Feel like it'll be a bit more of a surprise." Rouge explained.
"Alright, that means Vector's up! Go and get your present." Amy said. Vector quickly got up from his seat, going under the tree. He picked out a sizable present, finding it from Vanilla. Vector opened it, finding it to be a large coat. Vector tried it on, finding it to be warm and a perfect fit!
"I saw you needed a coat, so I made you one." Vanilla said, a warm smile on her face. Vector was huddling inside the coat, feeling very warm.
"Thanks! Being cold-blooded doesn't do you any favors when it's winter!" Vector exclaimed, going back into his seat.
"Last one. Shadow, it's all you." Sally said, motioning towards Shadow. Shadow got up from his seat, looking under the tree. Lo and behold, the last present was for him. It was from Sally. Shadow undid the ribbon, opening the box. Shadow pulled out a new Sig Sauer P210, the finish still having its factory shine. Shadow grinned, twirling the gun in his fingers.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to carry this on me from now on." Shadow said, putting the gun back in the box.
Dante and Sticks were the only ones that didn't receive gifts, but for a reason. Sticks said she didn't trust the shops in the Kingdom, being supplied by the Mobian Trading Company. And Dante didn't, only because he didn't know the others well enough to know what they would want. Soon, the morning passed, everyone eventually leaving to their rooms to get dressed instead of hanging around in their pajamas. Sally and Isaac were the last ones to leave, picking up the wrapping paper.
"I am still confused. What is a 'flash drive'? Isaac asked, putting a large ball of wrapping paper into the trash bag.
"It's used to store information. Think of it like a book, but it can fit into the palm of your hand. It's usually used to transfer information from one computer to another. Here, when we're done, we'll go up to my room and use it on my computer. I actually can't wait to see what she sent me!" Sally explained, tying the garbage bag.
After cleaning up the wrapping paper and ribbons, Isaac went down to his quarters, changing into his regular clothes, being the deer hide pants, linen shirt, leather boots, and his new cloak. Grabbing one of his daggers and fixing it to his belt, Isaac exited his room. As he walked, he heard smaller footsteps behind him. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Lily running behind him.
"Isaac, he's after me!" Lily shouted, running past Isaac, and hiding behind him. Suddenly, Gregory turned around the corner, practically fuming!
"Where's that ankle biter?! I swear, once I get my hands on her, I will-" Gregory ranted, before seeing Isaac.
"You'll do what?" Isaac asked, stepping forward. Gregory straightened himself, making himself look less deranged.
"That sister of yours took something from my quarters! I demand she gives it back!" Gregory explained, holding out his hand with an open palm.
"It's not yours! It belongs to us!" Lily said, peeking from behind Isaac. Gregory practically snarled at her, causing her to hide behind Isaac again. Isaac looked back behind himself, seeing a sheathed knife in Lily's hand.
"What did you take?" Isaac asked, whispering.
"Look! The engraving on the knife!" Lily whispered, unsheathing it. Isaac saw the engravings on the knife. Isaac instantly recognized it as being his mother's 'signature', what she engraved into each tool and weapon she forged.
"Where did you get this?" Isaac asked, feeling his blood was beginning to boil. Gregory backed up, feeling threatened.
"Isaac… you weren't supposed to find that. Please, just… give it back to me." Gregory said, his arm still outstretched. Isaac punched into the wall with his free hand, smashing one of the bricks!
"Explain! Now!" Isaac shouted, fire practically radiating from his eyes. Gregory looked around, making sure no one was around. Gregory motioned for Isaac and Lily to follow, Isaac keeping a hand on one of his knives. Gregory peered into the wine room, seeing no one else was there. After opening the door and letting Lily and Isaac in, he quickly locked it.
"Listen, what I'm about to tell you, just know… I was forced to keep my mouth shut!" Gregory began, sitting down. Isaac and Lily sat down, Isaac producing the knife and slamming it down into the table.
"Get talking." Isaac demanded, his glare not relenting. Gregory sighed, leaning into his seat.
"I recognized you the moment you first walked into the castle. I knew your father. I knew your mother. I knew who they were. But the Order… listen, you have to know, I tried to convince them to leave them alone! That the land wasn't worth the bloodshed!" Gregory exclaimed, revealing details.
"How did you know them?" Isaac asked, wanting to know more.
"I used to walk with those travelling caravans. Many times, we had to stop where they lived, being near the shore. Your father would hunt for us so we could eat. And your mother… she would forge parts we needed to keep the caravans held together." Gregory explained.
"If you knew me, why the hostility? Why target me?" Isaac asked, confused. Gregory straightened his posture, hesitant.
"Listen, I don't hate you. Quite the contrary, actually. But, once I knew the Order was targeting you, I couldn't just sit around and wait for them to think of targeting Sally or King Nigel to get to you. So… I thought that getting you fired would prevent them from targeting them." Gregory explained. Isaac, while angry, understood why Gregory had been targeting him for this long.
"You mentioned the Order a few times. Did you know about the Order from before?" Isaac asked.
Gregory nodded, easing back into his seat.
"We had found out the Order was targeting the area, but… it wasn't because they were interested in the tactical advantage. They were hired." Gregory revealed.
"Hired? Who would hire them?" Isaac asked, clenching his fists.
"The same company that bought out the caravans I worked for: The Mobian Trading Company." Gregory answered.
"What?!" Isaac exclaimed, practically jumping out of his seat. Gregory nodded, himself feeling anger.
"The Order didn't burn the place down because they wanted a dock. The Mobian Trading Company hired The Order to burn it down to prevent other people from spotting some of their ships coming from the Mainland. These ships were hiding cargo. Cargo that would enter the stream of products and supplies without being taxed. More profit for the Company. And in return, the Mobian Trading Company would ensure a steady stream of supplies to The Order's strongholds." Gregory explained.
Isaac felt his skin on fire, as if he couldn't hold back his anger! Suddenly, Isaac's shirt combusted! Isaac quickly removed his cloak, tearing off of his shirt! Gregory ran behind the counter, removing two bottles of champagne from a bucket of melting ice. He quickly ran back to Isaac, dumping the water on him. A great plume of steam came off of Isaac's skin, the fire extinguished.
"I was told by Dante the Order needed the dock! Why lie to me?!" Isaac shouted, the water on his skin quickly boiling off.
"Most likely, any information he found was tampered with. False records. Not uncommon when something incriminating like this happens. Protecting the reputation of the company ensures they can't be incriminated, maintaining the supply stream." Gregory explained.
Isaac paced the room, angrier than he had ever been! Isaac's pants were cracking, the hide drying out from the heat. His boots were practically falling apart, the sinew holding them together losing its integrity. Isaac's scars were glowing with an unnatural light, as if fire were lurking below his skin!
"Isaac, you need to calm down! Your powers are getting out of control!" Lily observed, worried about her brother.
Isaac breathed deeply, the glowing from his scars beginning to fade. The heat began to dissipate from his skin, regaining his composure.
"The Mobian Trading Company… they killed our parents. Alright, I need to tell King Nigel." Isaac said, picking up his cloak from the floor.
"He already knows about their dealings, Isaac. But he can't prove them guilty… yet. As long as they provide the Kingdom and other allied countries with goods, taking them down will have negative impacts on the trade situation." Gregory explained, pulling the knife out of the table.
Isaac stopped at the door, already feeling his temperature rise again. Lily noticed this, walking behind the counter.
"Listen, King Nigel has been taxing them heavily for years! As a way to offset what they're making from the illegal cargo additions. But since he can't prove without a reasonable doubt they're doing this; he can't stop them from providing resources to us." Gregory explained.
Isaac didn't calm down at this. Instead, Isaac's temperature skyrocketed, his pants becoming singed! Suddenly, a sound of a cork popping became heard, a stream of champagne dousing Isaac. Dropping his cloak, Isaac wiped the wine from his eyes, able to see Lily popped the cork to douse Isaac in case he combusted again.
"Thanks." Isaac said, noting he smelled like wine.
"Listen, I guarantee there will be a time to stop them! But you must bide your time! Justice against the Order and the Mobian Trading Company will happen! Just… have patience." Gregory said, picking up Isaac's cloak and handing it to him. Isaac grabbed the cloak from Gregory, putting it over his shoulder. Isaac was decently surprised, not realizing he would ever have a meaningful conversation with Gregory, of all people.
"So… does this mean we're not enemies anymore?" Isaac asked.
"The welfare of the Royal Family will always be my top priority. But… it's your priority as well. Just… don't tell Sally I know these things. I'd rather she not know I'm actually competent. Also… sorry for insulting you. Just know, it was to maintain the image I didn't like you." Gregory said, apologizing.
Isaac nodded, opening the door. As he walked back to his room, champagne dripping from his body, Isaac now knew he had two enemies instead of one. The Mobian Trading Company was first on the block! Isaac knew cutting off the supply line would make the Order of Honorius easier to take out!
"Lily, meet me at Sally's door. I need to get a shower and change." Isaac said, opening his door.