Suikoden VII

Chapter Eight: Part Four

Note: Unfortunately I've not been able to recover a lot of the character images I've created for this fanfic. At this point I'm going to have to accept that they're lost and I need to redo them. It's a big bummer but there's not much I can do about it.

—

Chapter Eight: Part Four

"How old are you?"

David looked up when he heard the question. His dining room table was a mess of papers. He didn't remember the last time he had eaten. "I didn't hear you knock," he said.

"I didn't knock," Elly Drake said, approaching him. Her eyes were narrowed. "Answer my question, Silverberg. How old are you?"

"Twenty," David responded. "Why?"

"Twenty," Elly echoed, nodding her head slightly. "So you are old enough to know how inappropriate your behavior is."

David's brow rose. "What do you mean?"

"You are actively avoiding Her Majesty," Elly pointed out. "The Queen has noticed and it bothers her. She has told me to tell you that she intends on confronting you when she comes back."

David shook his head and looked back down at his paperwork. "That's not necessary. I'm not avoiding—"

"Whether or not you think you're not avoiding her doesn't matter," Elly snapped. "What matters is that SHE thinks you're avoiding her. Her Majesty believes this, and it bothers her. You're her Chief Strategist. She needs to trust you unequivocally. Can she trust you, Silverberg?"

David's nostrils flared and he rose from his seat. "You're implying that I would betray her. I find that offensive after everything I've done for her."

"Then what exactly are you doing?!" Elly demanded. "Why are you avoiding her?!"

"I'm not—"

"If you say you're not avoiding her one more time I will hit you," Elly said heatedly. "You're avoiding her, David Silverberg. Multiple people have noticed. You used to actively seek her out, even outside operational talks. Now you barely speak to her. Hell—you barely look at her now! This is hurting Her Majesty, and it's going to eventually affect morale! As a fellow Strategist I need to know that I can trust you! If you're plotting something—"

"I'm plotting nothing," David shot back. "I would never betray her! Never!"

"Then what is going on with you?!"

David seethed loudly and wrung a hand through his hair. He suddenly pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the table from his. "Sit down."

"What?"

"Sit down," he said. "And I'll tell you."

—

A Pixie followed Brownie, Donauwelle, and Eggie into building shortly after the proclamation. Astraea saw that he did not wear a hat but he had long carrot red hair, brown eyes, a green vest and pants and white shirt. He whistled softly as he floated outside of the cell. "I thought you were crazy when you said you were engaged to a human," he said. "But she's mighty pretty, she is!"

"Isn't she?" Brownie said proudly, circling around Astraea. "Nin mel is the prettiest human alive!"

"That's one way to form an alliance with the Pixies," Katenka muttered amusedly.

The fourth Pixie gestured to the door. Pixie Dust flew into the keyhole and it swung open. "Come! Wisp wants to see you!"

"How come you don't have a hat like everyone else?" Viktor asked as they started to make their way out of the cell.