𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 ~ 𝗞𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗲𝘀

~ Chapter Eighty Nine ~

After finishing his conversation with the drunken Ben, Klaus skipped back to Dusk and Five's table, sitting to the right side of his girlfriend. He watched out of the corner of his eyes as Reginald glanced about the room, trying to make eye contact with the guests. But most of them either went back to eating their dinners or continued to glare. Although the monocle was a reasonable distance from their table, Klaus could tell he looked a bit nervous.

"Psst!" He called out to him. The old man turned in his direction, and Klaus gestured for him to smile. Reginald seemed to get the memo as his gray mustache tilted up, his thin lips created an upward curve. But that smile alone made some of the Umbrellas feel uneased. "I thought Luther disinvited him?" the raven whispered to her boyfriend and twin. "I thought so too. But if oldie knows what's good for him, he won't try to bother us..." Five said lowly, gritting his teeth.

"Guys, just give him a chance! He's trying to make things right by being here for Sloane and Luther," Klaus attempted to persuade them. But both the time traveler and phoenix shook their heads in denial. "The only reason why he's here is because he thinks if he acts all 'buddy-buddy' we'll submit to his will, and I'm not falling for that," Dusk took a bite from one of her deviled eggs before she changed the subject, reminding them both of the plan for Five to get Victoria back.

"Are you one hundred thousand percent sure this will work?" Klaus questioned after his girlfriend finished talking. "Hey, if it works in the romance movies, I'm certain it will work in real life," Dusk nodded her head. As the ominous silence lingered for a little too long, Reginald tapped his glass with his spoon, the sound capturing everyone's attention. The monocle stood up and grabbed a nearby microphone, the feedback a little too loud for everyone's liking.

"I know it is customary for the father of the bride to give a speech. And keeping with tradition, I have some words I would like to say," Reginald took a sip from his glass of champagne, the edge of the glass bumping against the microphone and causing more feedback. "Sloane, ever since you were a little girl, I've always known you were exceptionally bright. And though I can't say I know Luther all that well, from the few moments we shared, it seems you found yourself an adequate partner,"

Five snickered at the adequate comment before taking a sip from one of his glasses. "That's the nicest thing Dad's ever said to him. Dusk hardly heard her father give any of them compliments. Most of the things he considered compliments were considered insults to most people. This comment he made towards her adoptive brother made her develop mixed feelings, one side debating 'That's nice,' and the other 'I don't know if he meant that sarcastically.' "I acknowledge that as a father, I was not without my faults. I hope these shortcomings, will be seen as only a rough patch on an otherwise verdant lawn,"

Dusk's face fell the more she thought about her childhood and the fallout between her and her father. And as she felt she would be pulled into another flashback, she felt Klaus's rough and inked palm brush against hers, feeling her dampened mood. She looked towards him, nodding a thank you to him before turning her gaze back to Reginald's speech.

"I'm proud to call you my children. Even those whom I raised in a revenant version of myself. I hope tonight we can create a few special memories in whatever precious little time we have left," Reginald seemingly finished. But when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, it became clear he had one more thing to say. As the monocle read from the sheet of paper, the words he spoke were full of darkness, and although the words he recited were meant to sound uplifting or some other twisted form, it ended up sounding like one of Edgar Allen's poems.

"With shallowed breath and time eclipsed, I pray you miss death's gentle kiss," Reginald lifted his glass in the married couple's direction before he took another sip. "That makes no sense!" Dahlia spoke up, her voice slurred as she took a sip from a fresh glass of champagne. But everyone else stood up and started clapping for Reginald, telling him that the speech was beautiful. "I didn't think the old man had it in him..." Five stared off into the distance.