Demetri didn't eat much the following day, and plunged every part of his being into his work at the book shop. When it wasn't busy he spent a lot of time reading, and hoped against hope that another shipment would come so he'd have more products to sort through to busy his mind. He wished to enjoy the walk home alone today – this of course did not happen. As soon as he opened the door to leave the shop there stood Fidelma, bright eyed and bushy-tailed as ever, her hands folded nicely behind her.
"Good afternoon!" she piped up. "I thought we could stroll home together today!"
He offered her no answer, only shut the door behind him and proceeded in front of her. She was not put off in the least by his silence, as she attributed it to a rough day, and was besides accustomed to his reserve. As a matter of fact, she was quite resolved to carry a conversation for the duration of the walk, even if it was with herself. As they neared home she trotted along a stone wall that bordered the road from the city up to the palace gates, holding out her arms to balance herself, prattling on about her morning.
"And then Eva said, 'are you daft, Fidelma? The only good kind of snake is a dead snake.' So I told her, 'not if you know where to scratch it beneath the chin, more like right around where the throat is', and you ought to have seen her face when I picked him up – the poor darling, all he needed was some good food and solution for the laceration on his belly. The best part of it though, oh my word! I carried that rascal to Lacia's house - even Eva was chuckling at the very anticipation of it - and we both knocked and she opened that door – I'm surprised you didn't hear the shriek from the book shop. Oh! And Lacia's face turned such a hot red that-"
"Knock it off, will ya."
"What? Oh, sorry, have I passed your limits?"
"Excuse me?" he snapped.
She paused mid-step on the wall, surveying him. "I asked if I was talking too much. I know you're not overly fond of...hey, you don't look right. Did I say something wrong?" He dropped his head and proceeded to the palace. She watched him for a moment, then jumped off the stone wall and caught up to him. "Hey! Demetri, tell me what troubling you, I only want to help-"
"I already told you, you can't! I'm sick of you asking, I'm sick of being stuck like this, and I'm sick of being a burden to everyone else!"
"But you're not, at least not to me. I like being of use. If I could, I'd be your arms and legs forever."
"Shut up!" he roared, as he charged past the guards and up the front doorstep. "Why would I expect you to understand anything - idiot!" He sent the doors slamming in front of her. She stood there frozen, waiting on the step until she could get her eyes to stop watering. Meanwhile, he scaled the winding staircase and made his way to his bed chamber, tossed himself against the bedside and buried his face into the mattress. What good is any of it, if I can't even protect her?
Fidelma was quiet during supper, and Demetri didn't show up at all. Ohraan inquired after him, and she only offered, "I don't think he has an appetite tonight." After the family had finished their meal, she followed her father into his study. "Papa, I need your advice." To this he turned and closed the door, then seated himself in his desk chair, folding his hands intently. "This concerns Demetri, no doubt."
She nodded, choking back tears, her fingers fidgeting.
"What happened?"
"He's angry with me, and I don't know why."
"What makes you think his anger is directed at you?"
"Because he yelled at me."
"Yes, I could hear that from across the hall, but what started it?"
YOU ARE READING
The Shattered Dragonslayer
Fantasy*Cover Artwork by Chaotic_Monki* "Whether the dragons were to be defeated and the village earn its independence, or the dragons were to slaughter him and everyone he knew, the change promised by the impending revolt was inescapable." When his humble...
