A Taste of Candor

Chapter 24

~Tahlia.

Declan may have been a simple man, but he certainly did know how to take a girl on a lovely and memorable date. Our picnic in the Pearl Gardens was most pleasant, and I had the opportunity to try a few new foods I'd never known of before, as well as pair some ingredients in ways I'd never previously imagined. Throughout it all, Declan remained a charming guide, providing pleasant conversation and soft-spoken humor that made the whole experience even better. I returned home from our date quite content.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere inside the mansion clashed sharply with my mood. Even before I saw anyone, I could feel a certain darkness and gloom. Deciding on a whim to check the dining room, I found both my parents and all four of my brothers assembled around the table. Once Mother spotted me at the door, she beckoned me sharply to join them.

"Hi." I said softly as I took a seat beside Andrew, "What's going on here?"

"We're at war again." Father blurted out as he wrung his hands.

"I—oh. Why?"

My elder brother Benjamin leaned forward, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Candor decided to stop taking responsibility for her actions, for all the blood she shed years ago. Her government decided to stop paying reparations five years early."

"Is there any reason that immediately necessitates war?"

"Our Prime Minister's been trying to negotiate, to no avail." Father said, "They claim they don't have the funds, but that's clearly not true. They simply wish to use the money on something else now."

Mother cleared her throat. "This turn of events has been on the horizon for the past couple years. The way I see it, the inevitable has finally happened."

"Yeah." Father grumbled, "Well, our forces are urgently being pulled together, and I set out tomorrow morning."

My face morphed into a pout. "Do you really have to go?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm not just a common soldier, so they can't easily replace me, much as I wish they could."

"But..."

"I've tried what I could to avoid going, Tahlia." he groaned, "Didn't work. But I'll be back soon, I promise."

"You can't promise that!"

"I can't see this lasting long; Candor will quickly cave from the pressure, and they'll hand over the money rather than sacrifice their men again. Don't worry."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're going to war, Dad. I can't exactly just decide not to worry."

"I assure you, I'll be fine. Now, I'll have much to do to—"

"You dropped this so suddenly on us, on purpose." Andrew snapped next to me, rubbing his nose vigorously in the process. "Didn't you?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"It's pretty obvious. You've been taking extra time with each of us lately. Took Mom on a date night the other day, went to a play with me, took Benjamin out for drinks, Tahlia for ice cream..."

Father slowly blinked, clearly fighting for words to surface in his mind. "I just wanted to take some extra effort as a father and husband. Am I wrong in this?"

"No, but I think there's a reason why."

"You have nothing to hide, Phillip." Mother interjected, laying a hand briefly atop his, "For some time, we have known the situation was on the brink of escalating to this point, and so your father opted to prepare for the worst. In the event he is gone for a good deal of time, he created some happy memories with us all beforehand."