16th Century Style Court story - Untitled

Chapter 6 (Adrian's PoV)

Chapter 6 (Adrian's PoV)

Letty's visions always fascinated me; though usually they were not for something good, I still always wondered why she saw them. Of course, she said she had only ever told me about them and I suppose, for the most part, I knew why that was. It wasn't my business to tell anyone else about it. Her last one had been some insight as what else I could do for her but I was running out of time. The first thing I had to do was find Phyllis and somehow get her to tell me what she knew without me somehow giving away how I knew what she had done. Still, I had to give it a try and find out, if not then discover who was behind Robert's murder.

There were places in this palace that it would be unseemly or suspicious for a noble to be seen so I had to send the most loyal of my family servants. It did not take a lot of convincing to persuade Giles to go down to the kitchens and find Phyllis for me. Meanwhile, I returned to my family's quarters within Redbrick itself. My brother, Geoffrey, was sat at one end of the mahogany table. He held a small goblet in one hand and a short yet rather sharp dagger in the other; he was prodding the end into a large chunk of lamb shoulder.

'Father,' I said politely. 'Geoff,' I added with a little hardness to my voice.

'Hmmm,' was all I heard from Geoff.

Father on other hand. 'Adrian, I must warn you that if you go down the route you are taking you will only find trouble.' I was uncertain as to what he was referring to. My answer came shortly as he pushed a sheet of paper towards me. I tilted my head and read part of the letter; I knew it instantly.

I pushed it back to him. 'What of it?'

'You know well enough. If you help her, you will only come to harm yourself or worse.'

'She deserves saving!' I shouted, slamming my fist onto the table.

There was a clatter as my brother dropped the knife onto the floor. 'You clearly did not hear me properly, Adrian.' My father carefully slipped his papers and letters into a leather ledger before standing. 'I said if you help her, not save her.'

I opened my mouth to retaliate but then my head caught on to what he had said and I immediately shut it. My father walked out of the room through one of the various doors. I dropped heavily into the chair next to me. My face tightened; my eyebrows furrowed, my lips grew taught, my eyelids squinted almost shut. My fingers began to tap on the chair's arms. I felt my brother's knife scraping on the metal plate. It irritated me. 'Could you stop that?' I asked bluntly.

As I watched him, Geoffrey put down the dagger, swallowed the last of his beverage and then leant forward. 'Have you decided what you will do yet?' He gave his obnoxious smirk to which I rolled my eyes. 'I take that as a no.'

'There is not much I can do.'

His expression of discontent just added that little bit more to annoyance. 'Maybe not on your own.'

I scowled at him. 'Meaning what? I do not believe that you will help me.'

'Ha, no. Definitely not me. In case you need reminding, I have more to lose than you.' Indeed he did but there were more reasons than that why he would not help. 'But there is someone else. And we both know who that is.'

Owen, I said to myself. 'No. He will not help me,' I told him, certain as anything that it was true.

'Perhaps not.' Geoff was the worst for changing his mood so instantly. 'But maybe he would if it meant saving Letty.'