Dementophobia

~Chapter Ten~

When Regillion knocked on her door at five thirty to take her to the dining room, he gave her hair a perplexed look. She stared at him, silently begging him not the mention it. She hadn't quite dared to hope that he wouldn't notice it at all. Regillion was a strange creature and seemed to pay attention to the slight things other people passed over.

He took in the pained look on her face and she saw him decide not to say anything.

"You ready for supper?" he asked.

She nodded and slung her purse over her shoulder. He stopped, mid-step, as he turned down the hall.

"You don't need to bring that everywhere, you know." He said.

She gripped her purse tighter. "I know."

After another tense second passed, he finished turning down the hall and she stepped out of her room, carefully closing the door before trotting after him.

She felt bad for how she was treating him. He was just trying to be nice and take care of her.

He just

He didn't know her.

Maybe he thought he did.

But he didn't.

And as much as it hurt, she knew she needed to keep it that way.

Reggie lead her down a cascading staircase that looked as it were carved from pure gold. Nevaeh knew better, but it still looked real. She couldn't help but glance back and see if her shoes had left footprints on the distortedly reflective surface. They hadn't.

Reggie swung around the doorframe into the large dining room and Nevaeh smiled at the familiarity that he had with the building. A long table stretched the length of the room, a hundred chairs lining each side. Only five places were set at the far end.

Monni sat on the table, crosslegged in front of her and Regent's seats, watching them come in. Reggie gave the seat at the head of the table and charged look before pulling it out and lowering himself into it. It hit Nevaeh like a blow that that was his father's seat, now designated for him.

One place setting sat to his left and she quickly dropped into it, stowing her purse on the floor between her feet.

Monni stared at both of them, her chin in her hands.

"In case you're wondering, Nevvy, she's always been like this." Regillion said.

Nevaeh's gaze flicked to him, then to Monni, and back to him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He grinned and waved his hand toward her, indicating her sitting on the table. "Like... that."

Monni giggled like a child and spun around, swinging her legs off the table, but not hopping off just yet. "I think he's trying to apologize for my queerness, dear. Without hurting my feelings."

"You're not queer, Monni. You're peculiar." Regent's voice joined them.

"Quaint, Father. Quaint." Another voice chimed in.

Nevaeh's head snapped up to see the newcomer who stepped around Regent to place a kiss on Monni's cheek. Sweeping black locks drifted over his eyes and when he straightened, he had a good two inches over Regent's height. He might have even been taller than Regillion. His sharp, angled features gave him a hawkish look, even as he pulled Monni's chair out for her and pushed it in once she was seated. He dropped into his own chair with languid, comfortable grace.

"Where's Elisabeth?" Monni asked him.

He sighed and tossed his bangs out of his face. "She had to work tonight. Who knew the Governor's news would make everyone want bagels for supper." As he spoke the words, his gaze flicked to Regillion, gauging whether his words were too much or not.

Regillion met his gaze evenly, but looked away after a moment. Indifferent.

Monni's son next looked at Nevaeh, his face giving away his surprise at noticing someone sitting on the other side of the table.

"Who'd you bring home, Regillion? Finally got yourself a girlfriend?"

Nevaeh's lungs forgot how to work.

Now Reggie's gaze held a calm glint of murder. "That would be none of your business, Kail." He answered evenly.

Elisabeth. Kail. Nevaeh's hands fisted so tightly her nails bit into her skin. Kail's gaze swept back to her, curious, puzzled, as he studied her face, took in her hair. Her lungs reached a new level of paralyzation and she wondered if this is what a panic attack felt like.

Kail opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the side door to the kitchen burst open and Mrs. Potts came in carrying a heavy dish with pot-holder covered hands. Several other servants trailed after her, each carrying a pot or dish of their own. Mrs. Potts bossed and fussed them around until the dishes were laid out exactly how she insisted.

"Mrs. Potts, darling." Reggie said in a sugar-coated tone, looking up at her. "The food still tastes the same no matter where the dishes are placed on the table."

She smacked his arm with a pot holder. "You hush your mouth, young man. You have no right to speak after being gone for nearly a year. Now eat."

Regillion sat up straighter and reached for the dish closest to him, only to freeze with his hands half outstretched to stare in horror at the contents of the dish.

"Mrs. Potts. What is that."

She turned from filling Monni's glass with water. "A veggie bake."

His eyes widened. "Does it have vegetables in it?"

Mrs. Potts slammed the pitcher down beside Kail and planted her hands on her hips. "Yes, of course it does. I did say 'veggie bake' didn't I?"

Regillion snatched his hands away and sat as far back into his chair as possible. "I won't eat it."

"For heaven's sake, Regillion!" Mrs. Potts cried.

"You know I don't eat vegetables if they're not in soup!" he cried back.

"It has bread crumbs and pork and all sorts of other delicious things in it." Mrs. Potts said, marching around Monni and Regent to stand over Regillion.

"I won't eat it." He insisted.

"You come home after nine months and the first thing you do is refuse to eat my cooking!"

"You know better than to feed my vegetables if they're not in soup!" he wailed.

"What difference does it make whether they're in soup or not?" she demanded.

"Soup makes anything bearable."

"Bearable? Bearable??? Since when has any of my food been simply bearable?" she raged.

"Since the first time you made me eat vegetables!"

"Oh, for land's sake, Regillion. Fine, don't eat it then." She moved the dish away and shoved the server of roast at him. "Just eat something, Regillion, you look like skin and bones. Has he been eating anything at all?"

This question was directed at Nevaeh who had been watching the entire exchange with barely controlled amusement. She stammered for an answer to Mrs. Potts question.

"I, uh, he ate... I think he ate breakfast this morning. And coffee. He's drank a lot of—"

"Coffee does not count! This child would live on nothing but coffee until he withered away into ash." Mrs. Potts pointed at accusatory finger at Reggie's head with the words 'this child' before turning to him with her hands on her hips once again. "You ate this morning? What about lunch? Have you eaten anything since this morning?"

"No." He answered.

"Stars of heaven, Regillion, you are going to waste away! You eat a full meal right now or so help me I will feed you myself."

"Yes, ma'am."

She hmphed and swept out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, Monni and Regillion dissolved into laughter. Regent and Kail rolled their eyes, and Nevaeh stared at them all, trying to comprehend everything that had just transpired.