puppy love (alver x og cale)

Part 9

"Your highness."

The sound of the tea cup clinking against the saucer was all it took to pierce the silence.

Alver was bright enough to understand when there was no escaping.

With his ever perfect political smile, Alver dismissed the servants and guards so that he could discuss this sensitive matter with Count Henituse in privacy.

"Count Henituse." Alver's voice was a lot smoother than he felt internally. Of course, considering the panic that had consumed him before he even met with the Count, there was very little that conveyed his internal screaming at this point. He was officially drowning in anxiety. "What was it that you wished to discuss?"

Are you going to beat around the bush or are you going to be straight forward?

"I apologize for coming so late in the evening." Deruth answered, his own voice surprisingly calm. He did indeed have some political skill, even if he largely stayed out of those matters. "It's with regards to what I discussed with you last time."

You're fucking my son. You have one chance and one chance only to come clean.

"About Young Master Cale?"

Do you really want the details?

"Yes."

I never said anything about details. Just own up.

Alver let out a sigh. Deruth was surprisingly expressive when he wished to be. It was a rare moment where he could really see the resemblance between father and son. They both had a way of saying so much with very little.

In fact, even before he'd come to see the Count, he'd left Cale seated on his bed wearing the very expressive eyes that said you better not fuck this up or there will be hell to pay. Also bring snacks and wine on your way back.

"...things... may have gotten out of hand." Alver admitted, averting his gaze from the Count.

Deruth's fists clenched and Alver rearranged the facts so that they were slightly less egregious. Although, no matter how he framed it, he was sure that he'd just made a life long enemy with the richest County in the Kingdom. And while the Henituse family had never been politically motivated before, they could be quite motivated to engage with politics if it meant protecting one of their own.

"Meaning?" Deruth asked between clenched teeth.

Alver knew there was a possibility that information about Cale would get out. No matter how discrete they tried to be, information that tantalizing was sure to escape the palace one way or another. He'd just thought that he'd have more time.

No, that wasn't entirely accurate, he was hoping that he could somehow fix his current uncertain relationship with Cale before anything was discovered.

"I met with Young Master Cale, as you requested." Alver felt a pang of guilt at the lie but hid it expertly behind his perfect political smile that conveyed none of his internal thoughts.

"...I didn't exactly request that you meet with him." Deruth replied tightly. "I merely wished to ask for your advice on the matter."

"Ah, that was my misunderstanding then." Alver managed to look sheepish despite the blatant lie. "I thought, erroneously, that you were hoping that I would reach out to discuss things further with Young Master Cale. My apologies, Count Henituse"

There was a tense silence within which Deruth was forced to begrudgingly concede that it wasn't beyond the scope of his original request to speak with Cale. Deruth had at least implied that he was struggling to connect with his son and thought that Alver was better suited for that job.