The Sympathizer

Chapter 43

General Aldric summons me to his hotel room again and I have no choice but to sneak in like before. This time his suite is much brighter, with light blue orbs adorning the ceiling from one end to another. 

The smell of roasted wargol and sea food hits me the moment I walk in and I catch him cooking behind the bar with his back to me. 

Shock isn't enough to describe how I feel. I've never seen a general cook food in my life, everything's usually prepared for us.

"General," I greet him with a subtle bow when he turns around with a ladle in hand. 

"Luna, make yourself at home. I should be done in a moment." He uses the ladle to point at the half open bottle lying by the bar. There are already two glasses set out for us. 

I'm wondering what's the occasion as I walk over to the bar and pour us both a glass. There isn't anything to celebrate considering the trial has been postponed and all his efforts derailed. 

I sniff the liquid and take a sip, noting that it's fermented juice from Taygetha. The date on the bottle tells me this must have cost him a lot of gold. It feels wrong to share something so pricey with the general so I put the glass down. 

He turns around and I notice his cheeks have turned pink from the heat. 

"I didn't know you cooked, general," I murmur, trying to distract myself from his piercing gaze. 

"I do a lot of things that you don't know about." He winks at me and now I find the need to finish the entire glass of wine just to wash down my distaste. 

He prepares two plates by himself and it occurs to me that he's dismissed all of his attendants for this meeting. His hotel staff who lead me to the lift must think we are having an affair because of all the secrecy. 

"General Aldric, with all do respect, I don't think it's appropriate for us to meet here alone." I gesture to the empty suite. "I'm afraid your staff might spread the wrong message."

He's too busy laying the table to bother about my concerns. "My staff are bound to secrecy the moment they are hired, it is in their contracts. Rest assured, I have never had a problem with them thus far."

He pulls out a seat for me and I take it hesitantly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I look down at my plate that has toasted rhye, roasted meats and dips, algae and herbal leaves from Cixin.

"I felt like dining with my favourite person on the planet, that's all." He says, taking a seat across from me.

That sounds like something Lazarus would say but the similarities end there. Unlike his son, who oozes charm despite his abrasive persona, the general only makes me want to retch every time I look at him. It's not the way he looks -General Aldric is a handsome Plutonian for his age- but it's the way he looks at me. It's highly inappropriate and I can't believe I've never noticed it before. 

Maybe because I've always been focused solely on his son. 

"Try it." He puts another piece of wargol on my plate and proceeds to cut it for me. "It's my own recipe." 

"General," I push his hand away as politely as I can. "Thank you for having me over for dinner but this is hardly the time and place to celebrate, considering the trial has been stalled." 

"The trial will commence within these seven cycles. I'm working on it. All you need to do is keep yourself safe and ready for the stand. You are my prized possession after all." He proceeds to eat, stuffing his face with the meats he prepared. I have to admit they do look quite tasty. 

Prized possession. I hate the words with every fibre of my being. It is as if he owns me now. Does he even have evidence against me? Maybe he doesn't. Maybe this is all a ploy to use me.