龙巢 (Dragon's Nest)

Chapter 8

As the main dish was being served around the table, Nobu glanced at Raiden to see him equally as anxious as him - although, he was much more discrete. 

"Nobukatsu? Why, you appear to be anxious. What's the matter dear?" Raiden's mother had asked, snapping Nobu out of his head. It seemed as if he was always in his head these days. 

"Nothing is wrong," Nobu said with a tremor of anxiety. As much as he wanted to hide it, he couldn't. His only possible hope was that she wouldn't impede any further. 

"Dear, let us know if anything is troubling you. We would be happy to accommodate-" 

"Mother," 

Raiden's mother glanced over at her son, who had just interrupted her conversation. 

"I don't recall you ever allowing any accommodations to the banquets hosted at our palace. What made you change your mind this time?" 

Although Raiden was smiling, Nobu could see that underneath that smile lay a grim expression. He was probably seething with anger and attempting to change the subject. 

Looking towards the direction of Raiden's mother, Nobu expected her to be angry and snapping back. However, to his shock, she simply laughed, disregarding Raiden's increasingly low tolerance. 

"Raiden,"

Raiden's father had began speaking up. It was over. Nobu knew that at this point, he was definitely going to be omitted from the palace and that it would be all Raiden's fault. What a stupid oaf. 

Yet, to his shock once again, Raiden's father had a calm expression on his face. 

"We don't mind that you are so excited as to spend more time with your lovely mate here," Raiden's father gestured towards Nobu, whom flinched thinking that it would be a strike to his head. "But don't you believe that you are quite aggravated tonight? We understand your excitement, yet you yourself have never reacted this way to any other concubine you have been with. What is aggravating you tonight?" 

A nearby servant giggled, "He's probably entering his rut because of his new mate," she made googly eyes at Raiden, while looking at Nobu with the same ugly and annoying expression. "I've never seen our emperor like this. It's cute." 

Raiden's father seemed to be irritated by the preposterous display of the servant nearby, which had not surprised Nobu. Attitudes like this weren't coveted. 

Trying to eat without looking like he had a tinge of anxiety was extremely difficult. While Reiko munched away at her food joyously with no care in the world, Raiden's parents were chatting with each other and talking to some maids and some chefs occasionally, most likely discussing the seasoning of the food. 

Nobu turned his head towards Raiden once again, since he had no one else to talk to, or perhaps, annoy. 

"So what would we do about the sake, then? I've never had sake and you won't hear the end of it until you think of some way to genuinely make me out to be whatever you told your parents I am," Nobu felt stated, feeling his mood deteriorating rapidly. He tried to keep his voice calm and volume to a bare minimum, but he felt as if it was getting harder and harder to control. 

And why had the room gotten suddenly so hot?

"I know, I realized that I have done all of this without proper planning," Raiden stated, with a quiet, yet exasperated tone of voice. "I didn't tell my parents anything bad, I just said what I would say about every noble I have met up with. It wasn't anything bad, but I guess they just get overzealous when it comes to potential new mates."