Re: Zero Ghoul

17# One last respite

Subaru gave him an unsure look.

- You and I are friends! I've vouched for you!

That made Subaru stir inside. A fragment of the warmth he felt days ago re-emerged. That made him look away, in shame. He was a ghoul, he should NOT feel these things from the words of a human!

- Sorry, I... - Reinhard quickly apologized, moving away his hands. - Did I do something uncomfortable?

- No, just... Are you sure I'm not going to get in trouble for what I said? - Subaru asked, feeling tired, not looking at Reinhard's kind blue eyes.

Reinhard looked at him, feeling sorry.

- Yes, he will give you the benefit of the doubt. Just give each other some time - Reinhard advised.

Subaru remained quiet.

- And I apologize for not stopping either of you - Reinhard said, a little ashamed. - Everything escalated too quickly, and I did nothing to stop it. I'm really sorry things turned out like this.

Subaru looked at him, doubtful.

- You couldn't stop us - Subaru argued.

Reinhard opened his mouth to challenge that statement, but stopped himself. Subaru wasn't in the mood for a talk about good attitude and care for others. So, he sighed, and went beside him.

- How about we go back with mistress Felt and mistress Emilia? - Reinhard proposed, placing a hand on Subaru's back.

- I'll stay here... I'm not in the mood to go see Emilia - Subaru said, still frustrated.

Subaru waited beside his carriage until Emilia came back, followed by Roswaal. Immediately, she came to talk to him, but he stopped her by simply whispering to her ear 'I am upset now, we will talk later'.

With that warning, Emilia went silently inside the carriage. Once everyone got in, and the vehicle started making way, she made up her mind, and told both Roswaal and Subaru that she agreed to an informal union between her camp and Felt's. All proposed privately by said little blonde missy. Roswaal congratulated Emilia for positioning herself so soon in a strategic cooperation with a former friend. Subaru remained quiet. He still resented Emilia's poor choice of words in her speech, and he would make her know.

The rest of the trip was spent with tense silence. Subaru, arms crossed, and looking down. Roswaal staring out of his window, (strangely enough, serious and deep in thought). Emilia, giving insecure glances at Subaru from time to time. She even tried to pull some words out of him, but Subaru never replied. And she, being clever, gave up on that, and stared through her window.

The carriage traversed through the paved city roads, and Subaru got comfortable on his seat, now that Emilia was starting to grasp that she had done wrong. Thus, he analyzed everything that had happened today. There was much to correct, even though the outcome had been positive. Emilia should be better at thinking up clever comebacks at her political enemies, polish her presentation at the council of sages, and DEFINITELY never mention 'equality' to the high society. That was, if Subaru was capable to go back and fix today's meeting. He wasn't very optimistic on that front, but organizing was the best he could do now.

In time, they all reached the inn, and later were greeted by Rem. Subaru, receiving the warmest greeting. That gave him the awkwardness he had gotten very familiar with, these last days. And realized that, sadly, his annoyance with Emilia had cooled off. Well, provably that was for the better (though recognizing it was annoying). The scolding that awaited Emilia wouldn't be overly harsh.