Lords And Ladies (2.5)

Two families (plus one princess) stand around a table, preparing to sit down in the exact, nice and appropriate order around ancient oak table, clockwise.

Lord and Lady White sit down at one end, holding hands very seriously.  Behind them, on the wall, a giant metal warhammer and a gold handled sword hang crossed over a staff.  Over them lay a shield bearing the family coat-of-arms; an albino dragon with four legs, viciously sharp claws, and red eyes.  It bears the words:  “Percute malum”.

Evangeline and Benjamin sit on either side of them, at the edges of the table, representing that they still live in the ancestral family home.  Mindy is sat next to Benjamin, since while she technically still lives at home upon marriage she was, as tradition dictates, her own woman.  

Dante is placed next to Mindy, on account of being her husband.

Next to him, at the end opposite Lady White, sits Pamela, fulfilling her role of being Lady Tiger’s advisor/lover/favorite detective.  Next to her is Lady Tiger herself.

And next to her, shoved to the edge of the table and making space at that end very cramped for Lady and Pamela, is Princess Anilin, strategically separated from her lover.

Next to her, across from Dante, sits Yu, the youngest sister of the Tiger household, presently mining her nose.

And next to her, across from Mindy and between Yu and Evangeline, sits Kitty.

After everyone stands behind the appropriate chair, they are forced to wait until Grandpa Kai - who has, apparently, decided to play the role of ‘servant’ this evening - ‘introduces’ each and every one of them to Lord and Lady White by full name and title, including their own children, one again clockwise.

“Presenting,” rattles Kai’s aging voice.  “Lord Doctor Benjamin White, Post-Master General and Son of the White-Scales.”   Ben bows to his parents and sits down.

“Lady Melinda ‘Python’ Ilucis-White, Maiden of the Pro-Gaming Circuit and Daughter of the Red Wyverns and White-Scales.”  Mindy smirks, curtsies, and sits down.

“Lord Durante Ilucis-White,  Son of the Great Serpents and White-Scales and Spouse of Melinda,” continues Kai.

He awkwardly raises a finger.  “...Isn’t there something else?  ‘Lord of the Machines’ or...”

“That’s it,” says Kai, with a bearded, kindly smile.  “Your family has not registered any other official titles for you.”

“...Oh,” he says, sitting down awkwardly.

“Detect Pamela Azalea, Commoner and Ally to the Tiger family.”  Pamela nods and sits down.

“Lady...Lady Tiger, Grand Matriarch of the Tiger Tribe, Daughter of the deceased-”

“Missing,” corrected Lady Tiger.

Kai smiles apologetically.  “Mmm, yes, missing Lady Tiger Tiger.”

Mindy giggles.  Dante lightly bops her leg with his.

“I’m sorry,”  she whispers.  “Just...Tiger Tiger.”

“Royal Princess Lady Anilin Ianthe of the Shark Tribe, Heir to the throne and future Queen of the Lonely City.”

Every mumbles a polite “Long Live The Queen” before she collapses into her chair.  The temporarily placed pink-and-black tiger ears nearly slide off her head.

“Lady Yu Tiger, Daughter of the Tigers and Queen of the Slums.”

Kitty turns to sister.  “When did that happen?” she whispers.  Yu just shrugs and flops down onto her sister, depositing some of the findings from her nose under the table.  Kitty shudders.

“Lady Kitten Tiger, Duchess of the Library and Keeper of Ancient Knowledge.”

Kitty remains standing.  And staring straight forward.  She fidgets a little.  All eyes turn towards her, watching, expecting something.

“Kitty,” whispers Annie.  “That’s your title.”

“Oh.  Right.  Right.  Um.  Right.  Sorry everyone.”  She curtsies and sits down, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap.  She clears her throat and tugs the edge of her skirt a few times.  “Sorry.”

“Lady Evangeline White,  Daughter of the White-Scales, Four Time City-Wide Wrestling Championship Champion and Lady Of Horror.”  Eva bows and sits down.  Lord and Lady White sit as well.

As Kai begins to attend to meals for everyone, Annie hisses at Kitty.  “Pssst!  Kitty!  Kitty!”  she repeats in a loud whisper over Yu’s head.  “Kiiiiiiiitty!”

“What?” Kitty hisses back.

“I miss you!”

“What?” says Yu.

“Not Yu, you,” says Kitty, patting her sister’s head. “Annie, you heard Lady.  We have to sit apart.  Nobles might get...upset about our very close friendship.”

“Pfffffffff, who cares!  We’re like...lesbian Romeo and Juliet.  Roma and Juliet.  There we go!”

“They died at the end!”

“Not in my genderswap fan fiction!”

“Hey, uh, can I get some water, uh...Grandpappy?” says Dante, sheepishly raising a finger.  “...Anyone?“

“Be quiet, Annie, or they’ll hear us.”

“I’m the princess, I do what I want!”

“So, Duchess,” says Eva’s soothing tones behind her.  “What is running the Library like?”

“...Pssst, Kitty.”

“What?”

“The cute girl’s talking to you.”

Kitty snaps her head back towards Eva - and slightly upwards soon after, with embarrassment.

“Um, y-yes?  Oh, uh.  It’s good.  Usually pretty quiet.  ...A little boring sometimes.  But there’s plenty to read!  And categorize!”  Kitty’s eyes misted over, as she stared into the distance.  “Oh, the things to categorize and keep straight!  So many wonderful, well-categorized books, so little time!”  Kitty pulls a fan out of her purse and begins fanning herself.  Eva raises an eyebrow, and laughs.

“Do you get out much?” asks Eva, the question less accusing and more naturally curious. “I never see any staff in the Library when I’ve gone there.”

“Um, yep, pretty much just...Me.  And sometimes Yu.”

“Huh?”

“...My sister.”

“Oh, yes.  I’m sorry to hear that you don’t have any help.  Would you mind terribly if I came by sometimes and helped out?  I would love to spend more time in the library!”  Her voice is eager and enthusiastic, with a wide (if glossy blue) smile.

Just say no, says a little childish voice inside Kitty’s brain.  You don’t need help.  You don’t need anyone’s help.  Mom told you to take care of the Library, and you’re going to.  By yourself.  It’s not Yu’s job and it’s not Lady’s job, it’s just yours.  Mom trusted it to you.  Only you.  You’re going to be a good girl...

Kitty opens her mouth to shoot the girl down, but she looks just so enthusiastic and genuinely warm about the thought of helping you at.

“It would get her out of the house,”Lady White muses, from not very far away.  Lord White lets out a little “heh”.  Eva rolls her eyes.

“Um...Okay, sure.”  Eva laughs and claps her hands.

“Wonderful!  I’d love to hear more about the Library.  You and the princess and your sister should come see my room after dinner.  You should really see my Lovecraft collection!”

“...Your what?”

Dante nearly chokes on a piece of steak he was just eating when someone’s hand slams down on the table next to him.  He glances over, seeing Kai with an arm around Mindy.

“Baby-doll,” says Kai.  “Do you mind terribly if I borrow your boy for a moment?”

Mindy grins up at her grandfather.  “Sure, as long as you return him afterwards.”

He pats her shoulder and kisses her forehead.

Mindy continues looking up at him.

“No, really.”

Kai laughs a little, pulling Dante up by the shoulder.

“Uh, food?” says Dante, in a half-formed thought.

“Melinda’ll keep it warm for you  Come on.”

***

“How old was Melinda when you and her got hitched, eh?” says Kai, one arm around Dante, as they walk through the old, dark halls.

“Eighteen, sir.  I think.  Thereabouts.  I was twenty.”

“Yes, yes, good.  And how old was she when the arrangements were made and you were introduced?”

“I was seventeen, so...Fifteen, I think?”

“Mmm.”  The old man chuckles softly, glancing at a painting of a young blonde girl.  Her features heavily resemble Mindy; short, bit of an angular nose, blue eyes, that little smirk...

“Is that her grandmother?” asks Dante.  Kai just smiles.

“Dante, let me tell you something about teenagers.”

“Sir?”

“Teenagers are some of the most rebellious little scumbags you’ll ever meet.”

Dante blinks, eyes wide, staring.  “Uh...I don’t know that I’d agree, but-”

“Quiet, I’m not done.  They are rebellious, but they’re still stuck between child and adult.  And when someone they think is cool or interesting comes along, they can be somewhat easily influenced.  If they have a crush on that person, even more so...”

Dante watches the old man stroke his bed.  His heart sinks, not knowing nor being very optimistic about where this is going.

“I recall that you were against the marriage on principle.”

“...That I was, sir.  And am.  I can’t lie.”

“Yes, well...So was I.”

Dante’s eyes widen.  “Really?”

Kai nods.  “From the moment I was told, I argued against it.  The whole idea of nobles bargaining off their children?  Blood stupid, even if it was an attempt at settling an old rivalry.  I couldn’t stand to see them sacrifice my granddaughter’s happiness.”

“...That’s very...good of you, sir.”

“Don’t be too in awe, boy, I’m a grandfather.  It’s natural.  Every single day, I argued against it.  Right up to when her father dragged her out of her room to go meet you.  I screamed at him right out of the door.”  Kai sighs, and shakes his head.  “Never could bloody stand nobility, yet God grants me a weakness for aristocratic women. What a joke.”

“Sir?”

He sighs again.  “There was one thing, though.  One thing that changed my mind.”

“I’m sorry?”

“When she came home that night - quite late, I might add - she was...so happy.  She thought you were the coolest boy she’d ever met, did you know that?  You were a couple of years older than her, handsome-”

“I had pimples.”

“-friendly, you built robots, you played the same games as her, and  you enjoyed playing pranks on nobles almost as much as she did.  And you had a bit of a reputation with the girls already, I believe?”

“Eheh, I believe multiple relationships were even more common in your day...?  I’m hardly unique...”

“When I saw how happy she was, I just...couldn’t stop that.  I gave her my blessing.”

Dante glances back at the painting, thoughtfully.  “Sir, she and I both didn’t want to get married.  We talked about it right on the first night.  We both hated the idea.”

“Hmmm...Dante, do you remember which of you said that first?”

“I guess I brought it up.  I wanted to be honest, since at first I thought she was getting a bit overly attached.   I was worried about hurting her feelings, but...”

“And it was pretty late in the night, yes?”

“...I suppose so, why?”

Kai sighs again, a long, old, weary, raspy sigh.  “Dante, sometimes the youngest among us will lie to impress someone else they find interesting.  Melinda thought of you as a rebellious bad boy then, and what, exactly, do you think the best way to get in with such a person is?”

“Um...Being a rebellious bad girl, I guess?”

“Yes.”

Dante frowned.  “...Oh.  Well, she didn’t have to lie to me...”

“Dante, you were both young and stupid.  I can forgive you both for that.  She should have been honest with you, that’s not your fault.  But...I remember the wedding night.  When her father was in a rage because you and Mindy had snuck out during the reception, I just smiled.  I was amused.  Both of you never easy to control.  Why would that have changed when you got married?  I couldn’t stand it there either, so I left for home earlier.  I knew you were relatively safe in each other’s hands, and it was time to let you both go.

“So imagine my surprise and anger when I arrive home to find Mindy back in her childhood bedroom, alone.”

“Errrr,” protests Dante, weakly.  “We agreed to part ways...”

“She cried all night, Dante.  Did you know that before she met you, she didn’t even show an interest  in boys?  It was all just video games and cheerleading to her.  It wasn’t until after she met you that I started to see her going on dates with other boys and men.  And it was always ever just one date.

“You changed her, Dante.  I don’t know if it’s for better or worse, but you changed her.  That’s just the way it is.”

Dante mumbles under his breath, fidgeting with his hands a little.  Behind him, something goes hiss.

He spins around , and sees a large...thing on the couch.  Some sort of large reptile, with silver scales and a white, flicking tongue is illuminated by the moonlight shining in through a nearby window.  Glowing eyes seem to regard Dante with hunger.

“I know it’s not fair, Dante,” says the old man, holding his shoulder in place.  “But I’m an old man, and I’m biased towards my grandchildren.  I only want their happiness.  You’re both adults now, so there’s no more excuses either.”  He pulls Dante close.  “I don’t care what you or my granddaughter do with any other man or woman.  But I swear to you, if you break Melinda’s heart again, if I come home to find my granddaughter sobbing over you, my wrath will be swift, thorough, and violent.  There will be nowhere you can hide from me, Dante.  Are we clear?”

“Sir, I...”

 

“Are we?” he repeats.

“...Y-yes.”

“Good,” says Kai, pushing Dante forward as the giant lizard leaps at him, claws outstretched.

***

“Dante?” says Mindy suddenly, jumping out of her chair.  The table stares at her, quietly.

“Did you hear something?” asks Eva.  Kitty glances back and forth between them.

“I heard Dante scream.  I swear I did.”

“You didn’t hear anything,” says Lord White, calmly cutting off another bit of stead and eating it.  “SIt back down.”

“I did hear something,” she says, with a grimace.  “I know I did.”

“You’re making a scene, Mindy,” says Lord White.  “Sit back down.”

Mindy glares daggers at her father, who doesn’t even bother to look back at her.  Mindy scoffs, throws down a napkin, takes off her heels, and runs out of the room, shouting her husbands name.

“...Um.  What was that all about?”  asks Kitty, carefully.  Ben and Eva’s eyes seem to have locked onto their plates, while Lady White rolls her eyes.  Yu and Annie burp in unison, then giggle.

“This,” says Lady Tiger, moving the subject.  “Is a lovely meal, Lord White.”

“Thank you.  I will give your compliments to my father.”

“Indeed, I shall...I realize this was merely going to be a friendly meal, but some..circumstances have come up this afternoon.”

“Circumstances, Lady Tiger?” asks Lord White, finally looking up.

“Yes.  I believe my sister and the Library to be in danger.”

Kitty blushes as all eyes turn to her.  She fidgets under everyone’s gazes.  “Oh, no, I’m sure it’s fine...”

“Please, go on...” says Lord White.

“I have just recently learned that two weeks ago, Dante supposedly checked a book out of the Library.  It’s been recorded.  I have been assured that I could open up the Library’s database as soon as I get home, and the record would be there.  Only neither Lady Kitten nor Lord Dante seems to remember it.”

“Really?  Curious...”  Lord White steeples his fingers, closing his eyes in thought.

“Today, when Lady Kitten went to retrieve the book, Lord Ilucis apparently captured her and questioned her for some time, only letting her go when I arrived.”

“...I see,” says Lord White.  Kitty can feel the rage quietly bubbling up in his voice.  “Of course.”

“And, most disturbingly,” says Lady Tiger.  “I believe the book to be a powerful grimoire, locked away in one of the Library’s old, hidden rooms until recently.  I feel this warrants both investigation, and - if the police can spare it - armed guard for the Library itself.”

Lord White sits back in his chair, with a slight frown.  “If what you said is true, this is terrible news.  That grimoire might be genuine, and if someone - especially someone like  Lord Ilucis - went at length to obtain it, the public themselves might be in danger.  I’ll call up Lady Wolf and some of the Occult division as soon as we finish dinner, we can’t waste any time.”

“I would appreciate that very much, Lord White,” says Lady Tiger, with a slightly relieved smile.  “I’m glad that you see how serious this is, not just for the Tigers, but for all of the tribes.”

“Hey, I don’t really,” says Kitty, attempting to speak up now that everyone seems to have gone insane.  “See what the big deal is?  I mean,” Kitty mumbles, rubbing the back of her hand underneath the table.  “Magic isn’t...you know...real, is it...?”

The entire table turns back to Kitty again.  She sinks down into her chair, feeling their stares of disbelief.

“Um.”

“My apologies, my sister isn’t caught up on...recent events,” says Lady, quickly trying to diffuse the situation.

“Recent?”  scowls Lord White.  “You call this recent?  The expert you’ve put in charge of the building where all of the books are stored doesn’t even realize how important they are?  This is absurd.”

“Don’t talk to Kitty that way!” shouts Annie.  Lord White glares at her, before Lady White calmly steps on his toe.

“Honey,” she says, with a smile.

Lord White sighs testily, slamming a hand down on the table and standing up.

“Fine.  Fine!  I’ll just go get the history books.   I don’t understand people today.  Can’t even bloody be bothered to know things.  Shame, is what it is.  Bloody asinine...”