Tears of the Neko (12 page)

"I'm just here to clean up the room," Ellis
continued, lowering ears and dipping his head non-threateningly,
dropping as low to the ground as possible.

He saw Kayden's head tilt in confusion at his
submissive display, and he smiled.

"Come on out and finish eating," Ellis
continued, as he managed to get almost right next to the boy.

Instead of reaching to touch him this time,
Ellis held his hand out, waiting for the kit to come to him. He
knew that reaching towards the boy would just make him feel more
trapped in the corner.

It seemed like it took forever, but it was
probably only a few minutes, before he watched the tense little
body relax slightly and uncurl. The sleek black ears that had been
pinned back in fear slowly turned upwards, and the tip of the boy's
tail flicked as it unwound from against his feet.

Ellis smiled, nodding as Kayden seemed to
unfold himself from the wall. But the boy still didn't take his
hand, so Ellis backed slowly away, allowing the tiny neko some
room.

"Come on, finish your food," Ellis urged
again, rising slowly as he backed away.

As he retreated, he watched as Kayden warily
eyed him while reaching up to the table to grab a roll. Ellis
chuckled as he returned to the washroom to finish cleaning.

Damien straightened his waistcoat, taking a
deep breath to get himself together after the little episode of
watching Kayden play in his shaving cream. He hadn't had so much
amusement in a long time. The image brought a slight smirk to the
corner of his lips, but he quickly tamped it down as he strode down
the grand staircase.

He could feel the tenseness emanating from
every one of his household servants and slaves on the main level.
While they were used to visiting nobility and had always acted with
complete propriety, a visit from King Eudon was sending them into a
panic. Harrison and Roman appeared dressed in their appropriate
formal attire.

"After you have greeted the king, you are
welcome to take your leave," Damien assured them.

He watched Harrison tug on his waistcoat
nervously. Roman just straightened the cuffs of his sleeves.

One of the nekos who he recognized from the
guardhouse raced in, barely breathless. He paused at sight of the
three masters already waiting in the foyer. He made a deferential
bow, then turned and whispered to Captain Brenner near the
door.

"Your Grace," he greeted the Duke, then
nodded at Roman and Harrison, assuming the formality of the
occasion. "My lords. His majesty has been spotted approaching."

"Very good," Damien nodded, as Geoff
dismissed the orange-haired neko. He had the passing thought of how
normal the neko was, like Ellis. The hybrids had never seemed much
different from their human counterparts, other than the obvious
ears, tail, fangs and claws, until Kayden had been thrust into his
life.

The Whitmore brothers stood patiently as John
Drystan began fussing at servants in the hall, worrying over last
minute things. Damien hid a smirk as one of the servants
straightened the flowers in the vase for the third time in the few
minutes they'd been standing there.

Damien didn't see what the huge fuss was; it
was just his uncle. He glanced at Harrison, who looked flushed with
nervousness, and he briefly wondered why his brother would be so
anxious around their uncle. But then, Harrison hadn't seen as much
of their uncle before he'd become king as Damien and Roman had.
Being several years younger, Harrison probably hadn't remembered
seeing the playful, carefree side of the man that was now their
reagent.

Damien thought back fondly to visits from
Uncle Eudon in his youth. The man was older than their father,
putting him in line to be king after their grandfather died. When
Eudon had taken the throne over fifteen years ago, his father had
become the Grand Duke, and it was assumed that Eudon's children
would become the heirs to the throne. Unfortunately, Eudon and Mary
had never been blessed with children.

Damien was old enough to remember his uncle
before he'd become the king. His father had teased his uncle about
not yet having had children, even as he himself already had three.
Damien thought that Eudon had often seemed rather upset when his
father would tease the elder brother. Even at ten years old, he'd
seen the man's hopeful glint when he'd taken Damien and Roman out
riding or shooting.

Then his uncle had become king after their
grandfather had passed away suddenly of what seemed like heart
troubles, and Damien missed his uncles visits. The man had changed.
He wasn't the carefree man that had bounced Damien on his knee and
told him stories when he was barely walking. His uncle had taken
over the task of ruling the kingdom, and with that it seemed came
the mask of stoicism and responsibility.

It was the same mask that Damien now wore.
Once, Damien had been free to enjoy life, not terribly worried
about the task of eventually becoming the Grand Duke after his
father passed on. Since their father was had always been so
healthy, the thought of taking over the duchy barely crossed his
mind. He had loved the ability to go out riding with Harrison or
Roman anytime he wanted. Damien and Roman had laughed at Harrison
the first time they'd taken him to town and gotten him drunk when
he was barely fourteen--a man in the eyes of society, but still a
boy in reality. None of the boys worried much about the future,
other than enjoying the moment.

Oh, he had studied dutifully with his father
when he'd had to. Sometimes irritating his father with his
inattentiveness, Damien knew that his father was attempting to
groom him to eventually take over bits and pieces as he came of
age. But being in his late teens, he wasn't worried about running a
province or even just the plantation. He figured he'd have plenty
of time to learn it all. Right then all he and his brothers had
been consumed with was having fun.

But that had been over five years ago. And
Damien didn't find much to laugh about now.

When their parents had been killed at sea
five years ago in a vicious storm, Damien's world had come crashing
down. Suddenly at twenty, he was the Grand Duke, inheriting his
father's title and all the responsibilities that came with it.

He had floundered for several months, relying
heavily on his uncle's guidance. With the pressure of his title
weighing him down, he suddenly understood why his uncle had changed
so much, had seemed so distant, once he became king. Showing
emotions was often seen as a sign of being weak. And being such a
young Duke, he couldn't afford for anyone to be second-guessing his
right to the title.

While Harrison, and even Roman, still had had
the ubiquitous fortune to have the chance to enjoy their youth,
Damien had grown up hard and fast in that first year after their
parents' death.

Damien straightened at the sound of horses
and carriages rumbling outside. The staff quickly scrambled to line
the foyer, while Damien and his brothers waited at the far end.
Captain Brenner opened the front doors with one of the other
guards. He swept his gaze over the king's entourage, at the same
time as the king's guards eyed them. A few of the red-velveted
royal guards stepped inside as the grooms helped the king alight
from the elegant carriage.

Damien watched the older man step from the
carriage, frowning when the man faltered slightly. He had just been
to the king's court a couple weeks ago for legislature. Had the man
really seemed that much older?

King Eudon straightened and pulled himself up
to his full height. While his hair was sprinkled with gray and the
edges of his eyes were crinkled with lines, the man still exuded
strength and power as he stepped up the stairs.

Damien saw Geoff bow formally and sweep his
arm towards the entrance, inviting the king inside. "Your majesty,"
he greeted. "Welcome to the home of His Grace, Damien Whitmore,
Duke of Marsten and his brothers, the Marquis Roman Whitmore, and
the Count Harrison Whitmore."

The staff lining the sides of the grand hall
all dropped to one knee reverently. The king nodded regally,
accepting their show of respect and strode toward the brothers.

"My dear nephews," King Eudon greeted, as the
three brothers bowed their greeting.

"Your majesty," Damien said formally.

"Oh, none of that!" his uncle chastised.
"This is not a formal visit. I only wished to offer birthday wishes
to the young Duke Whitmore here."

Damien scoffed. "Young?"

His uncle raised his eyebrow. "You are only
twenty-five, boy. When you are my age, then you can complain."

The brothers smiled as Damien swept his hand
to the side indicating that they adjourn to the privacy of the
parlor. After all four nobles were inside, Geoff closed the door
and they all knew Captain Brenner as well as the kings' guards
would be standing just outside the door.

King Eudon sank into the love seat,
stretching out his long legs with a loud sigh.

Harrison stepped over to the side bar and
began fetching refreshments for all of them.

"How is your wife, Queen Mary?" Damien asked
as he settled into his favorite chair in the parlor.

A sad look passed over his uncle's face. "She
is fine," he said, but it was obvious since the queen was not
traveling with him that she was perhaps not faring as well as he
hoped. "To be honest, and I tell you this only because you are my
nephews, she has not been well for several months. The doctors fear
she will not survive the next year."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Damien said
softly. "Mary is such a wonderful woman. We will pray for her
health."

"Thank you, my boy," King Eudon accepted
quietly. Then he cleared his throat, quickly blinking away the
morose thoughts of his ailing wife.

"So, how does it feel to be my heir?" Eudon
smiled abruptly at Damien, attempting to change the tone of the
conversation.

Damien snorted. "Like it felt when father
died."

The king frowned. "I know you weren't ready
for that and all the responsibilities that came with it, my boy,
but you are ready for this."

Damien frowned at the man. "You aren't
planning on stepping down or anything are you?"

"Oh, no, no," the king laughed, "I'm just
saying that I've known you your whole life, Damien. I've watched
you grow and mature into a remarkable young man. And I know when
the time comes--"

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Okay, okay," the king laughed, "
if
the time comes, you will be more than ready."

Roman laughed as Damien scowled. "I've told
him many times that I have no problem taking over for him so he
needn't worry about--"

"That would be unacceptable," the king
interrupted, and all three brothers looked at the man in shock at
the blatant censure. Roman looked like he'd been slapped. The
king's brows furrowed as he stared down the Marquis. "I love you,
Roman, but I don't believe you have 'grown up' enough to take on
such a responsibility."

"What?!" Roman sputtered indignantly. "I'm
only a year younger than Damien!"

"Age means nothing," King Eudon waved his
hand as if Roman were just an annoyance. "You are still too
impetuous. You have trouble controlling your emotions, especially
your temper."

Harrison froze where he was approaching with
drinks, unsure of what to do as silence hung heavy in the air. If
anyone but the king had said such a thing, Roman would probably
have them backed up against a wall.

As it was, Roman just clenched his fists, his
face reddening with anger.

"I don't mean to offend you, boy," the king
said, "but you are simply not ready for such responsibility. You
are still very, how shall we say, well, selfish." And when Roman's
mouth dropped open to protest, the king waved away his objections.
"No, no, do not take it that way. I mean no real harm. You are
still young, exploring life, it is expected that you would be
somewhat self-centered--you all were; your father spoiled you boys
rotten. I spoiled you rotten," he laughed, and Harrison and Damien
chuckled. "Damien, here, has just had to grow up faster, than
either you or Harrison."

Roman, however, still didn't see the humor in
the man calling him self-centered. "I am just as capable as--"

"Roman," Damien warned.

The sandy-haired man snapped his mouth shut,
silently fuming, but realizing that perhaps he shouldn't be arguing
with the king.

"Perhaps you will be someday," Eudon
surmised, "but you are not ready yet. Your temper here just proves
my point."

Roman rose stiffly, yanking down his
waistcoat. "I believe I have become rather fatigued," he announced
suddenly. "If you would excuse me,
Your Majesty
," he said
almost sneering the title, "I will take my leave."

Damien almost jumped up, ready to rebuke his
brother for the insult to the king, but their uncle held up his
hand to stay Damien's interference.

"I am sorry to have made you so weary," Eudon
stated diplomatically. "Please feel free to retire."

With the smallest bow possible, Roman
disappeared out the door of the parlor.

Damien released a slow breath. "I must
apologize--"

"No, Damien," his uncle interrupted. "Roman
is responsible for his own actions. I did perhaps antagonize him a
bit, but I said nothing that wasn't the truth. And he needs someone
to tell him without censure. He's getting too full of himself."

Damien dropped his head, taking the words to
heart. Maybe he did let his brother exercise his authority a little
too autocratically.

"You've done what you could for both your
brothers after your father's passing, Damien," the king said. "You
are not to blame for his actions. He alone is."

Harrison slowly inched his way over, offering
his uncle a glass of wine.