Aureate Fates

38

         ACTS OF WAR IN THE MIDST OF LOVE

           —DREW—

The chosen ten had left a day ago, and business resumed within the palace.

"And how would you know, you old bastard?" Jared shot at Eugene.

Business as usual.

Eugene went white. "You have no business talking to me that way, scoundrel."

"Let's just leave out the name calling," Marisol interjected, calmly. Ever the queen. She scowled at Erik, who was grinning like an entertained idiot.

Reese sat across from Drew at the table. The High Warlock hadn't glanced at him once.

"I'm sure you only misplaced it," Thema said, deceitfully sweet. "No one has stolen anything."

"It doesn't matter who misplaced it," Delphinia said, sitting beside Marisol. She was seething. "The Golden Fleece may not just vanish. We have to find it."

"I'm not going to set off on some scavenger hunt across the palace for something this moron lost," Eugene spat, eying Jared.

Jared smirked dangerously, anger in his green eyes. He chucked a quill at Eugene, then went to take off his shoe. The room gasped as Jared flung it over at Eugene.

It hit him right in the nose.

Marisol turned to Erik, eyes wide. Erik only laughed, squeezing his wife's hand.

Reese moved out of the way, humor in his eyes. But he didn't smile.

A council member, Poe's father, separated Jared and Eugene. Delphinia stood up in a flash of green robes. "That is enough. Fighting won't work, gentleman. We'd be better suited finding a solution. A real one."

The wedding fleece was usually placed in a glass case behind the throne, never to be opened in between royal weddings. The cloth had a mind of its own. In legends he had read, it was known to jump around the castle, causing trouble, if not kept locked away.

"Considering its...lofty nature," Delphinia began, staring down Jared, "I'd say we spend the day searching for it. In pairs."

"We?" Reese asked, incredulously. "I didn't lose it."

Delphinia arched a careful brow towards Reese. "If it's not found, very bad things will happen."

Not true. A little mischief was all the fleece would inspire, but he understood Delphinia's urgency. It had only been lost one time before this. Three centuries ago.

"Since Sir Jared seems to enjoy Sir Eugene's company immensely, the pair of you can be a team," Delphinia said, flicking her hand towards the furious pair.

Jared groaned in irritation, and Eugene rubbed his nose angrily.

Delphinia turned to Erik and Marisol, expectantly. Erik seemed to understand, offering Marisol his hand. She rose from her sat and took it.

"See what you've done, boy?" Eugene asked, looking at Jared and pointing at Erik and Marisol as they departed. "You've forced the royals to search for their own fleece."

Before Jared could respond, Delphinia rose a hand. "Thema is with me." She observed Drew, sitting quietly. Then she turned to another one of the council members. "And Drew is—"

"He's with me," Reese finished for her, a level of finality in his words. He rose from his seat, and gestured for Drew to follow him.

Drew could feel the relief washing over his tense shoulders, but he couldn't stop a simultaneous feeling of dread. He felt like Reese had created a sort of distance between them, for reasons that went back to Fenton.