The Unwanted Wendigo [ManxMan]

Chapter Twenty-eight: A Wendigo's Request

~Chapter Twenty-eight: A Wendigo's Request~

Days pass before I reach any sort of conclusion to Felix's not-question. They, like most other days, are uneventful, even in light of the rising tension between the kingdoms. Whatever methods the Mer king is using to find proof of the Greek gods' involvement, it does not seem to be working very well, but, on a more positive note, it would seem that neither Poseidon nor his son have noticed his attempts, as there have been no attacks of concerning occurrences since.

Well, at least not that I've heard of.

It would not surprise me if I am the last to hear about something like that - if I even hear about it at all - as I am kind of removed from the Mer, but I would like to imagine that I would at least hear about something as big as another city being attacked while helping Giselle with her grocery shopping at the indoor market or when walking by chatting guards in the palace. However, since I have not been spending much time in the palace lately - Cyra has been busy with her princess lessons, and Atasah and Nero are being really affectionate in a way that makes even me want to leave them alone - my chances of hearing about anything have gone down.

Though, I'm pretty sure someone would have mentioned something if it was really important.

The intentional shuffling of feet in my doorway brings my attention away from the book in my hands. Though I had heard her walking down the hall, I only now look up as Giselle comes to stands just outside my room. "Are you sure you'll be okay, Wendy?" She asks, her accent a little bit stronger today than usual.

Now, her question might seem just like a polite concern, but judging from her scrunched up expression, her worrying does not just stop at polite. And, I will admit, her concerns are not unjustified. "Not eating won't kill me," I remind her, half-closing the book to keep from letting myself get distracted.

It'll just be unpleasant to the extreme.

Over the past few weeks, getting food has not been a problem with how on top of my eating schedule Valentin has been. However, all perfect things must come to an end, it would seem, as the person my hosts paid to find someone for me did not return this morning, and there has been no sign of them since they left yesterday. A guard patrol was sent out to follow the hunter's trail in hopes of finding them, but Valentin did not seem to have much hope that they would be found. After all, the ocean is a dangerous place, even at the best of times, as Valentin pointed out.

So, either something fishy's going on, or there's a big fish being fish-y by eating unlucky Mer.

Giselle puts her hands on her hips and scowls, my answer apparently not pleasing her in the least. "Wendy, will you be okay?"

My maskless head hits the headboard as I lean back. "I'll be fine for a few more days," I assure her, and that is the truth. My last meal might not have been the most satisfying, but the true hunger has only just started to settle in, so I have time before it becomes something to worry about. Not a lot, but I have time.

"Okay," Giselle accepts, "but you let me or Val know if that changes."

She makes to leave, but before she can disappear from the doorway, I call after her. "Actually," I start, and then wait until she turns back to me to continue, "I do have a request, but it isn't food-related."

No sense putting it off, after all.

"Sí?"

Since I have already made up my mind on what I need to do, it is not all that hard to say, "I'm probably going to need a chaperone today."

Considering my recent track record of doing everything I can to get out of having a chaperone, as well as my avoidance of the palace of late, I am not surprised when her eyebrows shoot up. Fortunately, though, Giselle is quick to recover. "Claro, Wendy, of course," she assures me. "The palace will be a little busy today, but I would not mind joining you. Just let me know when you would like to leave."