Indebted

22

Not everyone was quite as happy as Esti and Atticus were. Fowl was anxious that he would fail to live up to all the expectations placed upon him. That he would prove to be a failure to his family. That he wouldn't be able to make Lillybelle happy, that their household would end up cold and loveless. Far away from the high ranking peers, Quwent had spent his life trying to ingrain himself with was getting blindingly, foolishly drunk. Quwent had finally outrun his luck on bad choices not catching up to him. The wrong person's daughter had caught pregnant, and thanks to magic, the dragons were already able to confirm that Quwent was the father. With zero doubt or room to argue.

Quwent was miserable. His family had signed the betrothal, there was no way out. Fowl's wedding was going to be his last event as an unattached male. An event where Fowl had already made certain anyone interesting or with influence was against him. Not that there was anyone in the castle that could save him at this point. His soon to be bride's family on their own weren't much, their uncle being the current head of the entire military and police divisions of the castle more than made up any lack of rank.

It wasn't fair. Quwent had wasted too much time on Estella, Fowl wouldn't let him anywhere near his sisters. He had missed his chance to find another higher ranked girl gullible enough to fall for him. Now he was trapped. A future he didn't want, married, with a kid to the seventh, ungifted daughter of a lord even lower than Quwent's own family rank. Making his way through the corridors towards the wedding hall.

This was not how his life was supposed to go. Quwent knew he was destined to rise. Had felt it his entire life. Alric through Esti was supposed to be his ticket up. Into the highest levels a non royal could aspire to. Quwent had been on the cusp of finally having power and influence.

Instead Alric had ruined everything and had gotten himself killed. For an impure outsider caste of dragons of all things. All Quwent had got was to pop Esti's cherry for all the effort Quwent had thrown her way. Watching from the hall, as her bastard royal mate presented cheap looking earrings to her. How saccharine their pantomime was as Esti looked up into the bastard's eyes, as she moved her hands to wear the shitty jewelry the bastard presented her with. Quwent sneered to himself that Esti had been a peasant and a slave, she would have been easy to buy now that she had tasted what it was like to be poor.

Quwent hated watching as Esti looked up and smiled at Atticus. She looked different than when she had been with him. Atticus offered Esti his arm, she let him lead them towards the main courtroom. For Fowl's wedding. An event where Quwent was supposed to have had a starring role, one last chance to catch the attention of someone worth his time, standing as best friend to the groom during the night long festivities after the formal ceremony. 

The bastard had taken that role from him as well as Estella. Quwent watched Estella throw another adoring look towards the bastard royal who had claimed her. She always was a good actress. Time had improved her skills, Quwent could understand why the bastard might fall for the act.

Quwent watched intrigued as Myrrh descended upon the intended to be happy couple, like a hurricane. Looking unusually angry. Even for the sour old hag. Atticus whispered something to Esti, leaving her side. Intercepting his aunt, ushering his more than upset family member away. Leaving Estella alone, looking very uncomfortable. Leaving her vulnerable and exposed.

Quwent was about to go, to make a move on Estella. He had her first, the unwanted royal bastard had only claimed her to make a scene and name for himself. Quwent knew that was the only reason the stranger at court had done it.

After she had been banished to the flatlands to farm, Quwent had liked to imagine Estella. Out in the farmlands, a small hut of a home, touching herself in a small bed under thin sheets thinking about their night together. Quwent was fully confident that he had done a more than good job fucking Estella the night he had her. He'd never heard any real complaints on his skills and took that as confirmation in his own prowess.