The Dragon Princess

Chapter 13

King Rory Fairmore

Imperial City, Vrinian

There has never been a more awkward dinner in all my life. Sure, a few of us have been engaged in conversation, but I am not sure who my mother is glaring at more: Lyana or Uncle Raleigh's friend. Upon my uncle's insistence, I invited Lyana to dinner. Though she was terrified, she eased up a bit when not all of my mother's anger was focused on her. Uncle Raleigh only asked one thing of me, and that was not to ask his friend too many questions for his past still haunts him. I agreed, though I am very intrigued. I may have agreed, but my mother certainly did not, and any chance she got she pounces on him like a cat on a mouse, asking questions as much as possible as if to catch him in a lie. I am quite humored by his answers, however sarcastic and untrue they are, because the harder my mother asks, the more humor he finds in his own answers. Each time I thought my mother might be winning in her little game, my uncle's friend seemed to surpass the master, rather than give up. I can see that he is determined not to let her gain the upper hand.

"Tell me Aohlee, are you always like this?" Tobias asks, leaning his elbows on the table as he finishes dessert. Before she can answer, he clips back. "Because I don't think your late husband would approve of how you have been treating others." The others, including myself, are quite taken aback by his abruptness.

"How dare you." My mother rises, slamming her hands down on the table. "You know absolutely nothing."

I look to Tobias and see a small glint in his eyes, for he knows he has my mother right where he wants her; right on the breaking point. "I know more than you think." He leans back in his chair slightly, looking her square in the eyes. "I know you are the middle child of five. I know all your family is bonded to dragons, except your next elder brother whose was killed. I know that your eldest brother was kidnapped and you blamed yourself because it was your idea for that outing that he disappeared on. I know you felt conflicted about his disappearance because you always felt like he was the beloved child and you were over looked by your other sibling." He stops for a moment, long enough for my mother to start in, but he continues on, stopping her in her tracks mid-sentence. "I know that you fell in love with a dying man, and married him anyway, despite what everyone told you to do, because you wanted to make the most out of the time that you had. I know that you spent years trying to discover why he was killed and how, and tried to find a cure. I know that you found one, and that you are researching it more in that center you have built. I know far more than you do about that plant you have in there and what it can do. I know that you were so blinded by your own self-pity that you didn't care about what your little sister was going through, when she could have used your help the most. I know that you disapprove of the woman your son is marrying because you are jealous and you think he won't need you anymore, but that you hate yourself because it is your own fault."

Everyone is quiet, daring to not be the first one to speak. Mother is so enraged that I think she might actually kill him. She moves around the table rather quickly and as she goes to slap him, he catches her hand, without even standing. It seems to awaken something in her, something sharp and painful. I glance to my Aunt and Uncle who sit in silence, refusing to look at their friend and sister. Lyana stares down at her lap, frozen in her chair in case any word or glance from her will make things worse. I am so stunned by what is happening that I just sit in silence, humored and in horror of what is happening. This is awkward indeed. "I know I may be a bastard and I have done things in my life that are so horrible that I will probably go to Hell for it, but at least I still care about what happens around me. I don't have any family, and I have very few friends, friends I will lay down my life for. I wouldn't be here today if it hadn't of been for your little sister. She saved my life in ways that you can never understand. In turn, I saved the life of your brother, who is sitting across the table from me right now. But you didn't know any of that because you are heartless and blinded. I know I may have the manners of a street rat, but at least I am not a cold-hearted bitch to my own family." He stares at her for a long second, never blinking, and his tone remains the same. "So yes, Princess, I know a great deal."