The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 17: Endless Laughter

It was as if someone had set off a bomb. Arylana jumped back; Roxorim dove out of the way, and Cedrick pulled Elphacena closer, curling up as if it was a storm blowing on them. Cedrick had never seen his father this angry, and that was saying something. Cedrick had seen him angry enough to kill. This was a whole new level.

Mercutio showed up, and by some miracle, shouted over Margorim. "Enough!" All went quiet. Arylana and Roxorim came out of their shelter; Cedrick carefully let go off Elphacena as they slowly stood up straight. "Whatever is going on, you handle it in private. I will not have you screaming and disrupting the men." Mercutio snapped. "Let's go; come on."

Mercutio forced them into a side room. The whole way, Margorim kept up his constant string of anger, but this time, Cedrick was trying to defend himself.

They argued until Mercutio shepherded them into the room and slammed the rock door. "Enough!" He repeated louder. "Now what in the name of the Merlin's wise old beard is going on?"

Margorim, Cedrick, and Arylana all started talking at once. "He's gone and gotten married without permission." Margorim snapped.

"Father jumped on Cedrick. Like you always do!" Arylana turned back to her father at the end.

"I didn't do anything!" Cedrick quipped. "Just what you'd have had me do!"

"One at a time!" Mercutio yelled. "I can see this is a family matter. I'm going to leave you to it, but understand. Under no circumstance, no circumstance, are you going to let your tension show to the men, or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Cedrick looked hard at Mercutio. Arylana nodded, and Roxorim bowed slightly. They all looked at Margorim, who was fuming and glaring at Cedrick.

"Sir Margorim, do you understand?" Mercutio stated firmly, shooting lasers at his officer.

At last, Margorim looked at Mercutio. "Understood."

Mercutio scowled at him a moment. Then he turned to leave. Before he closed the door, he paused. "Settle this, and leave it home." He shut the door.

There was dead silence. At the same time, everyone looked at Margorim. He seemed to be building up steam. He turned and looked at Cedrick; his eyes were shooting deadly lasers. Cedrick stood his ground and glowered back. Elphacena glanced at Arylana and Roxorim, who looked like they were bracing themselves for a hurricane.

"What have you done now?" Margorim hissed, looking like a volcano about to explode.

"Father, nothing that should earn your fury." Cedrick sounded irritated, yet firm.

"Nothing to earn my fury?" His father repeated. "Nothing to earn my fury! I find that hard to believe! I think marrying without permission is pretty high on the list of things that should earn my fury!"

"It's what you told me to do from the age of six!" Cedrick yelled in turn. "As I told you on the way in here; I thought you were dead."

"Oh, of course, just assume we're dead. We did tell you we'd be late, didn't we? I'm not that much of a fool."

"Well, you sure act like it!" Cedrick snapped. Arylana hide her face in her hands.

Margorim stepped forward, fuming. "How dare you?" He hissed.

"How dare you attack me for doing what you taught me to do?" Cedrick bellowed back. Cedrick looked ready to combust with anger, frustration, and pain. "I only did what you taught me to do." Cedrick hissed. "When have I ever done otherwise?"