Angel of the Damned

AotD - 20

There was a knock on Drake's door, he looked up from the sword balanced on his lap.  Placing it and the whetstone carefully on the ground, he walked over to the door, stepping cautiously over the weapons in various states of disassembly.  Opening the door a crack, he looked out to see Anne standing with her back to the door.  He proceeded to open the door just enough to stick his head out. “Yes?”

“Captain,” she exclaimed whirling around. “I see you are fully clothed now.” She gave him a smile.

“Anne, who told you which room I was in and why are you here?” Drake asked. “I need to leave tomorrow for the bog.”

“Princess Talesa has invited you to dinner with the Archangels,” Anne said. “I would really appreciate it if you came.”  She rocked back and forth on her heels. “Please?”

“And why is that?” Drake asked.

“Well, I’ve spent a lot of time in Dontnod over the past few years,”Anne started, “and I’ve heard a lot of stories about you.  I was wondering if I could hear a few more over dinner? From the source this time.” She brushed a lock of her hair out from her shoulder, exposing a collar around her neck.

“Allow me to clean up a little, I’ve been preparing for tomorrow,” Drake said. “Are you engaged?”

Anne flushed red in the cheeks and pulled the turtle neck of her dress up over the collar.  “Yeah, it was set up when I was just a baby.  I don’t think Talesa enjoys the idea, she gave in rather unwillingly to my father about it.” She rubbed her arm and looked down at the mention of her father.

Drake let her into the room and set the weapons aside, grabbing his swords from the ground.  He snapped the one out and examined the blade before folding it back up and hooking it onto his belt. “Who is your father?” he asked. He slid a magazine into the grip of his pistol and pulled back the slide.

“Are the weapons really necessary?” Anne asked, “It’s only dinner, it’s not like we will be attacked, we are in the middle of one of the most protected cities in all of Silean.  What trouble are you expecting?”

Drake looked over at Anne and smiled softly, “There are things in this world, I hope you never have to experience.  But my time in the war has made me cautious, and when I am cautious I hold onto a weapon.” He closed the door to his room as they left and she led him down the hallway.  She led him down the hallway. “So, you never answered my question, who is your father?”

“Ambassador Tallon,” Anne muttered. “He’s a good man, I swear.”

Drake rolled his eyes and just looked down at her, “You don’t know your father as well as I do.  Just watch out, he can be a little demanding.”

“You don’t understand the half of it,” Anne muttered.

“Who are you engaged to?” Drake asked.

Anne smiled from ear to ear, her eyes lighting up with happiness. “Anton,” she said. “He’s such a nice guy.  You just struck a nerve with him earlier, his father is a touchy subject.  You just need to get to know him.”

“Well, I don’t really have time for that,” Drake said.  Anne lead him through the kitchen and into a dining room with a long table in the middle. Talesa near the head of the table with an open spot next to her.  Nathan sat two down from Talesa with Leneath beside him.  Across from Talesa sat Ambassador Tallon, with an open seat beside him and Anton beside that seat.  Anne split away from him and took the seat next to her father.

“I see the captain decided to join us,” Tallon exclaimed as Drake sat down.

Drake didn’t respond as he clenched his fist.  Talesa put her hand on his knee and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Drake, be nice,” she whispered.
“Ambassador Tallon, I haven’t seen you in a long time,” Drake said. “What a lovely surprise.  So, you had a child, that’s lovely.  I hope you are treating her well.” On the inside, Drake wanted nothing more than to lunge across the table and throttle the man who suggested he be euthanized when he first arrived in Dontnod. Euthanized was putting it nicely.  He resisted the urge, struggling to contain his rage.