Chaotic Curiosity

unexpected invite

Benjamin's POV

Benjamin just enters the new tavern his group has settled for the last night before the festival comes to an end. Asking the bartender he gets the room number from the chaotic band, as he lurches upstairs.
It wasn't necessary to ask for the room number, he could hear them already from the stairs. It is Roger who's talking loud. Stubhorn just screaming for laughter and Delià chuckling. Benjamin opens the door, finding the Gnome on the table, holding a piece of paper in his hands, and dusty reading glasses on his nose. Nobody notices Benjamin's entrance, as Roger is continuing his reading.
        "-... I am ready to provide a sufficient payment for your band's trouble, or just yours,- damn he just wants our aliacy!" Roger comments still not noticing Benjamin, as he laughs with Stubhorn. Benjamin reaches Delià at her bed, asking if Roger got invited somewhere. She just shrugs.
        "- to visit at the colds release celebration. Your skill hasn't skipped my mind and I would wish to cherish to hear it once more!" Roger falls into Stubhorns Arms, playing almost a dramatic act. "Something! Just something has to bring back light into the days spent in the gloom... Gloom and ice of winter..." Roger melts more into Stubhorns arms, while Stubhorn is playing a sobbing, holding the gnome tight. Benjamin just smiles at the scene, interest rises from who or for who the letter is meant.
Suddenly Roger rises from Stubhorn arms, reading fast and monotony "I anticipate to hear how you feel about my proposition," he turns to Benjamin and reads the regards slowly and clear to hear.
        "Yours sincerely, Philip R. Thornmary, Duke of Ibimma"
Benjamin's blood freezes in a split of seconds, as he stares at the gnome. Knowing now from who the letter was and also who should have been the one to get it... He jumps to Roger, trying to rip the letter from him.
        "Give it to me!!" he screams, Roger just climbs over Stubhorn, away from the red-headed tiger bursting at him.
        "You told us you were over him! And now he's a Duke AND invites you over?" Roger mocks him laughing.
        "Fuck, Roger! It's not about you, you dumbass!"
Rogers escapes his human wall and jumps off the table. But Benjamin isn't having it and yanks him to the ground, hard. Before Benjamin could even catch a glimpse of the letter, Stubhorn steals and runs away with it. He isn't much taller than Benjamin, but still weaker. With fury, Benjamin rises and goes for attacking Stubhorn, but before anyone else could get tackled to the ground, Mina takes the letter from Stubhorn and Delià picks the red-headed boy up. Benjamin curses under his breath, unable to stop until Delià shuts him up with her big hand. Just muting him temporarily as he still muffles.
         "What is this?" Mina asks.
         "A love letter from this weird Philip that should be dead for over 4 months now," Stubhorn says with a yawn.
         "The Philip?" Mina gives Benjamin a questionable look. In the boys' eyes, she could see how much pain he was in right now. Not because of Delià holding him up. No, he was staring at the letter.
        "Delià put him down... And everybody should go down. We need to feed our mouths with the new coin. Now."
Stubhorn is the first one to leave, followed by running Roger and Delià. Benjamin is slender to the door.
       "Not you..."
A muscle moved around his jaw but he stops and sits beside the table.
       "You want me to read it?"
He nods quietly, listening closely to the read words, remembering every detail and expression of it.