Chapter 53: Sixth Episode: Chapter 7 (2/2)
”Of course! Haha, I’m finally home!” Even though Oscar was pestered by the relatives for the whole night, he was secretly pleased and delighted by the warm welcomes offered by them.
”Yes! You’re finally home! This feels like a dream!” Sasha’s big round eyes suddenly flowed out tears that were the size of pearls.
”Don’t cry, silly!” Oscar hugged his sister into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder.
”It’s all over now, Sasha, it’s all over now. If you would like that, I promise, we will never be apart ever again.” The worried Oscar tried to calm down the emotional little girl.
The Young Lady raised her head and gazed straight into Oscar’s eyes. Everything around her at the moment still felt too surreal.
”Promise? I will never forget what you did. You’ve left me alone behind in this place for the past ten years, one month, and three days! I…”
”You should shut your mouth now and taste delicately my longing for you.” Oscar interrupted his sister and covered his own lips on hers. Her soft lips still felt as delicious as before. They were at their own house now, and he could do whatever he wanted.
”Hey, you! Let go of your sister!”
The sudden reprimand sent the brother and sister apart from each other like a spring. The angry Oscar turned his head around furiously to look for the source of the voice, while Sasha flew both her hands over her mouth as if that would make people forget what they had just seen.
”Here am I! You ungrateful fella!” Dortmund angry voice came from the crowd. Oscar found out that his father was drunk. Initially, the return of his youngest son was not worth him drinking so much, but his return had intrigued many of his father's bitter memories from the past. Although other people might have thought that the Duke was having a good time in the night’s ball, his wives, Lady Celia and Lady Pauline who had been by his side the whole night realized that their husband drank so much to numb his pain. He was actually devastated on the inside.
”My young Oscar, why are you learning the bad behaviours of your Brother Figg?” the drunk man’s voice rang loud again.
”Why is it my fault again?” Figg that was having fun on the dance floor with one of his cousins when heard his name. He moved nearer to his father and protested.
”Get off!”
Figg rolled his eyes at his father and hurried away from the angry drunk man.
”Come here, my Oscar! Come to your father.”
Oscar went near to Mam Celia to help support his wobbling father who seemed to have lost control of his shaky legs from all the drinking.
”Papa!”
”Ah! I like listening to that, papa, how wonderful that word sounds! I’m so proud of you!” the Duke leaned his whole weight against Oscar.
”Sweet child, would you lend me a hand and help your father to his room? He is extremely drunk!”
”Yes, Mam Pauline.”
The two of them worked together to bring the drunk man pass the crowd and moved upstairs. ”Dortmund! Are you running away, you weak child! Come back here and finish up this half gallon of beer!” Someone from the crowd shouted.
After a short struggle, the drunk man finally relented and let Lady Pauline and Oscar put him to bed. He fell asleep within seconds. Lady Pauline went over to blow out the light. Only then did she realize that Oscar had been checking out his father's room.
”Is everything alright?”
”Oh do not worry about me Mam Pauline, I’m just looking around.”
She closed the door to the room and walked back downstairs with her arm entwined with her son’s.
”It’s really great to have you back!”
”Thanks, Mam!” Oscar smiled warmly at her. He still had some vague impression about this lady he called mother. She was the most talented in baking cakes and cookies. Although Oscar loved eating them, he was too shy to admit that when he was younger. Only now, when he looked back did he realize that he had missed out many important moments of his life.
”Poor child! You must have suffered so much for the past ten years!” She stood by the bottom of the staircase and took a long look at her youngest son. ”Your Mam Celia said that you have become so much thinner compared to last time!”
”Oh God, Mam Celia knows nothing! Don’t listen to her Mam, I’ve been doing alright all this while. They served me rare meats and fishes for every meal in Damorga. I had teachers who taught me reading and writing. I even got days off sometimes!”
Mam Pauline showed her disbelieved, ”Really! I’m speaking only of the truth!”
She looked at the grown boy and gave him a tight embrace while suppressing her tears from flooding. Everyone in the family felt sorry for this child, ”Oh yes, of course. I believe you, I do.”
”Hurry now and go back to the party, everyone must be waiting for you,” Pauline let go of the young man. Embarrassed, he wiped off her tears quickly.
Oscar was silent for a moment. He felt that his younger self had disappointed many people who genuinely cared for him.
”Mam! It’s great for me to see all of you again. I’ve been waiting every moment for this day for the past ten years, you should be happy and not crying!”
”Of course, I am very happy, my young Oscar! Now go!”
”What about you?”
”I’m not going back to the ball, my child. I have to take care of your father. Celia and Freya are downstairs anyway.”
He went down the stairs, and he could felt Lady Pauline’s gaze on his back.
The great hall was still as cheerful as before. However, the focus of the party has changed. The Princess from Dulin was happily dancing the dance of Narcissus. Even though she was still a little bit reserved, she was indeed talented as she managed to pick up the rhythm and techniques of the dance just by observing other people for a short while. However, to a noble princess like herself, the dance of Narcissus could be a little too enthusiastic.
She was dancing with the 'silly third son' of Andrew family, who was extremely picky with his dancing partners. Even though Alanis was not the best dancer, Cody unwillingly partnered with her because she had gifted him a massive new toy just a few moments before.
The crowd cheered loudly for the princess. They smiled at Oscar to acknowledge his return to the hall but quickly turned their attention back to the dancing princess. To them, enthusiastic passion for battle and the appropriate indulgence were two necessary virtues!
On the other hand, Figg Andrew Tibotty, the second son of the Andrew family had taken this emotion to its limit! He sneaked closer to his youngest brother and whispered something into his ear.
The eldest son also came nearer. Even with his navel, he could imagine what the second son was planning, but he must ensure that young Oscar would not suffer any more harm from whatever activities that his second brother had planned for him. After all, this kid had just escaped from an assassination. Those damn enemies might still be hiding in the dark waiting for a chance to retaliate.
Racheff Andrew Nedgabel called for an officer and gave some orders to the man wearing a light golden military uniform.
”How does that sound?” Figg smiled mischievously at his youngest brother.
”What do you mean?” Oscar should have listened to his father and stayed away from his second brother.
”How do you like my proposal? What else would that possibly mean?”
”My brother! Are you inviting me to a brothel on my first night back?”
”Lower down your voice!” Figg looked around embarrassed, ”You stupid child, it's not a brothel! It is called the Nemes Ritchell Club. I promise you that you will not regret it!”
Just as young Oscar was still hesitant about whether to agree to the invitation, he found himself being dragged to the small side door of the official residence!
”Hey! Do you think this is really appropriate?” Oscar freed himself from his brother’s grip. ”I mean, we should at least wait until all our relatives have left and then we could go to that whatever Nemes?”
Figg ignored his protest, then he began to clean up the saddle and other equipment. Oscar discovered that his own Raytheon was already waiting on the side. Only then he knew that his brother had been plotting this for a long while.
”Climb on the horse! Quickly! Let your brother take you to a real place of fantasy!”
Oscar jumped on the horse eventually. It was not because he could not resist the idea of fantasy, but only because his brother sounded so extremely sincere.
The two brothers laughed happily on their way out of the castle. Soon enough, they found themselves being stopped by a small group of knights entering the woods.
Racheff’s silhouette appeared slowly from the woods, and Cody was seen behind his back. Even though he saw his elder brother, it did not stop him from scolding the troop of knights loudly.
”Look at the both of you, can’t you at least wait until the end of the gathering?”
”To be honest, I can wait until the end of the world, but you should have seen our youngest brother just now, he was about to go crazy after all the pestering from out nosy relatives!” Figg pushed all the blame towards young Oscar, who was shaking his head vigorously in denial. The young man swore to himself that he would never again go out on a mission with his second brother alone, this ungrateful fella was quick when it came to killing his partner in crime!
”Is that so, Oscar?” Racheff asked the youngest.
”Ola! Whatever he says!” Oscar was really not interested anymore. His Brother Figg had really planted him into a big trouble this time.
”Haha, do you mind if Cody and I join you?” Racheff laughed out loud at his youngest brother's reaction.
”Oh, my brother you’re so damn smart! And when your wife Celeste finds out about this, you could blame it all on our youngest hero brother! Am I right?” Figg exclaimed in excitement.
Oscar could not take it anymore. To begin with, this was never his plan! ”Brother Figg, remember that this was all your idea, not mine! Brother Racheff, don’t worry. If Sister Celeste finds out, I will explain the matter to her myself.”
Racheff burst into laughter while Figg, on the other hand, was beginning to worry for himself. Celeste was known for her strictness and impatience, if she did find out that this was his idea, he would have been nagged for the rest of his life for sure.
”Ah… and what are you doing here Cody?” Figg tried to distract himself from the thought of Sister Celeste.
”Yogurt!” Silly Third replied innocently.
Figg turned to Oscar and said sadly, ”That’s it, we will not have any more fun tonight.”
Oscar did not care about having fun, he was worried about another matter. ”Brother Racheff, have you got everything planned? I noticed that you whispered to an officer dressed in some peculiar uniform, and then also to Mam Celia?”
Racheff was surprised at his youngest brother. ”Yes, little fella. You’re very observant indeed. I was just telling Mam Celia that you’re going to the brothel.”
Oscar forced out a bitter smile, while Figg whistled out loud.
”Thanks, brother. It seems that I have no other choice than to go then. The crime has been charged on me anyway.”
”Haha, silly child. Don’t worry, I did not betray you like your second brother. I told mother that I will take you for a visit around town, and will bring you back safely before the clock chimes twelve.”
”Alright, alright. Can we go now? I will have to return early and leave for the field army tomorrow.”
This playboy impatiently rode off, and his three other brothers followed suit. Racheff took the chance to ridicule his brother again, ”Yes we should leave early and return early indeed before Sasha E forms a troop army in search of her beloved brother Oscar.”
Now Oscar was genuinely demotivated. He was only kissing Sasha a moment ago, and now he was being brought to a brothel by his brothers. If this were to spread, many people would be so mad at him. However, Oscar decided to not worry about it so much. He had his three brothers with him anyway. When the time came, everyone would just share the blame equally among themselves.
Under the silver moon in the night sky, the four bothers of Andrew family rode across the dark woods in sync.
The gate of Andrew Haila's city wall was still opened. A couple of the guards recognized the young masters of the renowned family and even realized that the young hero that had just returned was there too, with his brothers. The guards dutifully saluted to their future marshals and commanders.
The conversation between the four never stopped for a second. Racheff kept asking him about his life in Damorga. Figg was, of course, bragging about all the beautiful ladies that he had encountered, and meanwhile, Cody answered ”Yogurt” and ”Andrew Haila” to every question asked. Only Oscar felt a little unfamiliar by this feeling of warmth that was growing within him. After all, this was the first time he had experienced this kind of closeness with his relative after all those years of loneliness and silence.
However, Andrew Haila was not a town of late night entertainment. Many families already had their gates shut, only a few guards could be seen patrolling the streets.
Oscar and his brothers stopped in front of a tall building, and all the riders hopped off their horses. A few attendants came out of the building and skillfully took care of the horses.
Before entering the building, Racheff stood in front of his younger brothers and spoke like their father.
”Remember Oscar, we are only doing this to celebrate your return. So even father will pretend like it never happened. But if there is another time,” He turned towards Figg before continuing, ”If there is another time, you will have to learn some negotiating and defending skills from your skillful Brother, Figg.”
Oscar nodded obediently before voicing out his concerns, ”Brother Racheff, I believe it is not my imagination. But along the way, I sensed that we have been followed, and these people covered themselves really well. Have you noticed that too?”
Racheff and Figg were both surprised by the sharpness of their youngest brother. They could not believe that he had spotted those secret security guards of their own family.
”Don’t worry about that, they are our people and our most loyal batch of soldiers. Relax, no one could hurt us in our own house.” Racheff comforted his slightly nervous brother.
”Come on, we should get in now before more people spot us,” Figg was beginning to be impatient.
”Aha! I did not know that you would still feel embarrassed!”
”Elder brother, when would you ever stop ridiculing me?”
”I’m not making fun of you at all!” He pushed his second brother to the last of the line, ”Oscar and I will head in first. Remember, Cody is now your responsibility.”
”Why me? You were the one who brought him here!” Figg immediately broke out into a loud protest, but it was to no avail. Cody, who had always been obedient to his eldest brother stood by Figg and tugged on the corner of his shirt like an innocent young child, despite his big built that explained otherwise.
”Yogurt,” The third child said.
The change of expressions across Figg’s face was extremely interesting to watch. He shook his head helplessly before saying, ”Come one, brother. Beautiful ladies and yogurts are waiting for you!”