Paralyzed (Tboah!AlbeCale)

16) Deruth the Bullshit eater

Yet here he was, awkwardly holding a cup of tea while surrounded by both strangers and familiar people.

To his left sat crown prince Alberu Crossman, and Cale's father, Deruth Henituse.

To his right sat his stepmother, Violan Henituse, and her two children, Basen and Lily.

At the far end of the table, sitting completely opposite of Cale, was the king, Zed Crossman.

There had been servants, assistants, and guards buzzing around the room while dealing out plates of food as well, until his majesty ordered them to leave.

'I kind of want to pass away.'

For some reason Cale was sitting at one of the two ends of the table, which was where the crown prince should've been sitting, but the king had kicked him out and practically forced Cale to sit there instead.

Cale didn't remember the last time he ate breakfast, or rather lunch, with anyone in his family, and he certainly had never eaten any meal with royalty. Noble gatherings didn't count, as he never was alone or nearly alone with them, it was always large groups.

That was one reason why this was so incredibly awkward for him; he didn't know when to talk or what to talk about, and everyone kept prolonging the conversation between bites.

"So, Zed, how does 50 sound?"

"How about 40?"

"The average price is actually 55, so I'm giving you a discount."

"Deruth, you think I don't know the average price for marble? In my own kingdom? 40, I'm not budging."

"In my territory the average is 55. But, I'll give you 45 with some extra stone for repairs."

"Haaa, I told you, I will only buy 40 millions worth of marble. I'm not about to get scammed in my own house."

"Actually, father, this is my palace. You were the one who visited on your own."

Also, Cale's father was apparently on a casual first name basis with the king. This whole interaction was making his headache worsen.

Him and Basen had exchanged glances many times throughout the meal, but didn't seem to understand the meaning of the other's look.

Lily, although young, was also aware of the strange relationship between her father and the king. They seemed as close as long lost friends, or even brothers.

It was very odd indeed.

Violan was just choosing to ignore everything and sit there, eating her meal calmly and neatly. She also occasionally wiped food from Lily's mouth, but that was about all she did.

'Wasn't there a terrorist attack yesterday? Does nobody else remember the screaming? The bloodshed?'

He rubbed his fingers together underneath the table and continued bouncing his leg quietly. He wasn't even hungry, could barely make out what was even on his plate, and was probably more than a little traumatized by the recent events.

But everyone at the table was avoiding all subjects related to that matter, and it kind of pissed him off.

Shouldn't the royalty be up to their neck in paperwork related to the security issues and possible future attacks? Didn't they know that this wasn't the normal run-of-the-mill villain? They had planned everything out to the last detail, surely they would strike again, or at least spread their influence and increase their forces.

So why was the king chuckling? Why was Deruth pleasantly talking about the daytime trade market?

The only people who seemed even a little normal were the crown prince, Violan, and the children, all of which had barely talked.