Chapter 41 - Dining With The Witches (1/2)
Cornelius had taken the time to fly to New Lycan and return back to Alyssa's town with over an hour to prepare for dinner. While he was over there, the Dark Prince picked up his formal wear, a suit that was custom made for a man of his position. He also took the time to pick something up for Diane. Diane was not only surprised by the gesture but shocked that the prince was able to get her size perfect just from mere observation. After the young girl ran off to change, Cornelius was smiling as he turned to his younger brother.
”What?” Gabriel asked, and then he figured it out. ”You didn't!”
”Oh, I did.” Cornelius said, even laughing a little. ”I brought it here.”
”I hate that thing!” Gabriel shouted.
”What is it?” Pablo asked, as he was the only one in the room that had no idea what they were talking about as both women were changing and getting ready in their rooms.
”You are a member of the royal family,” Cornelius said, ”And you must wear the official suit of when representing them and the council.”
”Dammit,” Gabriel said, as he was well aware of the regulations. ”I left it behind for a reason.”
”You've trimmed down in the last few decades,” Cornelius observed, ”It will not be as tight as it used to be. As the Dark Prince and the senior member of this family that isn't sleeping, I have to insist. You know how much of a stickler father was concerning etiquette and formalities.”
Gabriel couldn't believe that he was bringing up their father, but his brother was right. Their father was a fan of pomp and tradition. He designed the suits himself, and was always proud when his favorite boys would wear them to supper. Gabriel looked at the table where the suit bag was laying.
”How did you even know to bring it?” Gabriel asked.
”I always pack our suits together,” Cornelius said, ”Just in case.”
Gabriel took the suit bag off the table and stormed out of the room in a huff. Pablo watched him go and then looked back at the Prince.
”Man, he really doesn't like that suit.” Pablo observed.
”No one does,” Cornelius said, ”It was just one of many ways our father liked to usurp his control over everyone. He liked to dress everyone up like we were his dolls, and we all complied because of the alternative.”
”Which was?” Pablo asked.
”The spike,” Cornelius replied.
”Even for you?” Pablo said, ”His own sons?”
”It was worse for us,” Cornelius explained, ”We are immortal, so to us the spike was like a very sinister time out. He's leave us on that thing for a few days or until he felt that we had learned our lesson.”
”And I thought my dad was tough on us,” Pablo said.
”This isn't a competition,” Cornelius added, ”Everyone's father is tough on their kids, ours just had to be extra harsh because we were tougher than the average kid.”
”Your father sounds like a real piece of work,” Pablo said, ”No offense.”
”None taken,” Cornelius said as he grabbed his own suit bag off the table. ”Father is an acquired taste. You get used to him after a few thousand years. If you don't mind, may I change in your loft?”
”Change away, I don't mind.” Pablo said, ”Just go easy on Gabe. He's complying so cut him a bit of slack.”
”Very well,” The Dark Prince concurred, ”But only a little.”
Pablo remained in the kitchen as the Prince left the room and had something to drink as he wasn't coming along. He didn't like the idea of being around the witches, at least not until he got used to them. He was still seriously creeped out by their sudden arrival. They had a bad reputation, but everyone was doing their best to be respectful. Gabe had invited him to join them, but he was happy to use night shift at the wall as his excuse to pass on what could be a very awkward breaking of the bread. Ironically, Cornelius was the first to return from changing, and Gabriel wasn't kidding about how much cooler the Dark Prince's outfit looked. It was all black with a silver sash, and it just made the Prince look even darker than he did before. As if he didn't look imposing enough, the outfit seems to compliment the darkness he was naturally brooding.
”Now I know why they call you the Dark Prince,” Pablo observed. ”That actually makes you looks very authoritative.”
”Thank you,” Cornelius said as he was checking his collar in the big mirror in the living room. ”I think that was why father had chosen it for me. He had a reputation to think of and I had to play my part.”
Alyssa and her sister emerged from their rooms and both looked very nice in the dresses they had chosen for the big dinner. Alyssa was wearing the dress that Gabriel had bought her earlier, and Diane was wearing a similar one that Cornelius had earlier acquired. Alyssa was surprised by how similar the two dresses were.
”That's a very nice dress,” Alyssa said, ”It looks very similar to mine.”
”That's because it is,” The Dark Prince answered, ”I purchased it from the same shop where you got yours. I recognized the box when I was questioning Gabriel with the wolves. So I spoke with the shopkeeper about your visit and she showed me the dress you purchased and gave me recommendations to what would go well with it. She was quite co-operative.”
”It's very nice,” Diane added, ”Thank you very much.”
”You're quite welcome,” Cornelius replied.
It was at this point where Gabriel came into the apartment with his rather interesting royal suit. It was similar to what Cornelius was wearing but was red with a yellow slash, where as his older brother had a cooler outfit that was all black.
”Gaud, I hate this thing,” Gabriel muttered.
”I think it looks very nice,” Alyssa said, trying to make him feel better.
”For some reason, Father was into those colors around the time that you were born.” Cornelius added, ”Be luck you weren't born a few centuries earlier. He had this rather weird phase when he was into bright pink colors. That was when our sister was born so that might explain it a bit.”
”I suppose,” Gabriel said, checking it in the mirror. ”I guess it could be worse.”
Alyssa then noticed something, ”I can see you in the mirror!”
Cornelius laughed, ”Of course you can. Not everything you read in books are ever true. We actually were responsible for the whole mirror thing, cause it made us harder to detect. It gave us deniability whenever we needed it. That and the whole garlic thing.”
”Garlic isn't real either?” Pablo asked, rather surprised.
”It's not,” Gabriel confirmed, ”The truth is father just didn't like it, so he outlawed it in his kingdoms. People read that the wrong way and that's just how the rumor of it being a weakness started.”
”The last thing we want to do is offend him,” Cornelius added, ”So we wear what he picked for us, no questions asked.”
”Isn't he sleeping?” Alyssa asked, ”How would he know?”
”He has a knack for knowing these things,” Gabriel answered, ”It's rather uncanny but he tends to know when people don't do what he asks, even when he's not there to see it himself.”
”That's enough talk about the old man,” Cornelius said, ”We should be going or we're going to be late. The sun is going down so our exposure is minimal.”
”The sun is a real thing?” Diane said, still sound curious.
”It is,” Cornelius answered, ”But it's only lethal to younger, less pure blooded vampires. The younger they are, the faster they burn. Any vamps that are less than a few years old would pretty much explode if touch by just a small beam.”
”Oh, wow!” Diane said, rather surprised by the details.
”Is this appropriate before supper?” Alyssa asked.
”My apologies,” The Dark Prince said, as he held the door open for the ladies. As they were walking down the stairs, Diane couldn't help but keep asking.
”Would you and Gabe explode?” She asked him.
”No dear,” Cornelius answered, ”My brother and are still susceptible to sunlight, but it would take many hours, maybe even days to have the same effect on us. We just avoid it because it's very irritating to the skin and we itch for weeks.”
”Except for the day walkers,” Gabe added.