"I am a businessman." Marius lied effortlessly, flashing his mother a heart-stopping smile that was all effortless suave and charisma. Kai couldn't believe this was the same Marius he knew. He'd been afforded a look at the hospitable, cordial king, apparently not all sour and cruel.
Marius noticed him staring and his grin widened.
He was enjoying keeping Kai on edge, the conniving bastard.
Nevertheless, he was relieved that Marius had had the good sense to not unravel his mother's world right here in their dining room. To tell her that he was her beloved husband's killer would surely send her over the edge. His mother was already... not well, thanks to the illusion cast upon her.
Not particularly impressed (his mother had been in the presence of thousands of businessmen from all over the world), she wrapped another swirl of pasta around her fork and then casually asked, "What type of business do you run?"
"I'm in the energy sector." Marius lied again.
Kai shot him a warning look which either he didn't see or chose to ignore. He knew for a fact that it was the latter.
The overconfident brute was going to expose his own lie! What did Marius know about the energy sector to even pretend he was an entrepreneur in it? The only source of power that concerned him was the Spirit of the Sea. He'd blunder his way through another lie and then his mother would surely get suspicious and demand the truth.
"How interesting. What type of energy?" Now, his mother was impressed.
"Alternative fuels, particularly hydrogen and gas. My company's currently working on an innovative hydrogen reactor using water to create what is known as green hydrogen."
Okay... Maybe he does know a little about energy.
"Sounds expensive."
"Indeed. We've spent somewhere around the ballmark of two billion."
How truly fascinating, watching a master manipulator like Marius in action, Kai had to admit.
"Turkish Lira?"
"US Dollars."
"My, that is expensive.
Kai couldn't tell if Marius was lying or if he was being truthful anymore. He certainly seemed well invested in the lie. If it was a lie.
The thought of Marius owning anything above water was preposterous and utterly unthinkable, especially after witnessing the awful distaste he had for humanity. No way was he powering up human cities with hydrogen reactors. There was just no way.
"Please, have some more pasta." His mother proceeded to scoop a couple of spoonfuls into Marius's plate like a true gracious hostess, and then she turned to Kai. "Excellent mojito, honey. Kai always did know how to whip up a drink." She complimented in that diplomatic spirit of hers she so easily assumed, and then gave him a brilliant smile that somehow made all his concerns disappear, warming his wary heart. "Once we're done, why don't you show our guest your writings?" she urged.
Kai inwardly groaned. Why did his mother have to bring that up out of all things?! He was a highly private person; he'd never even shown his stories to Hakan despite his friend's constant insistence! He'd sooner hack his own arm off before he showed something so private -and often intimate- to Marius of all people.
Knowing the dark king, he'd mock him ceaselessly over it. To him, it was probably a futile, time-wasting hobby.
As he'd feared, Marius's interest was piqued. "Writings? You write?" The question was directed at him, and Kai heard the hint of surprise in his voice. His arched eyebrow was tilted ever slightly, betraying genuine intrigue.
Inwardly sighing, he answered while meeting Marius's inquisitive gaze, "It's nothing professional. Just something I do in my spare time." Could Marius tell he was lying? That Kai hoped to publish a book one day?
"You must show me," he said, but though he worded it as a command, Marius seemed to be asking. How peculiar.
Kai got up from the table with the excuse to grab some pepper from the cupboards.
****
As his mother was occupied doing the dishes, Kai went up to his room on the second floor with the excuse to grab a few things. Really, he just wanted some peace and quiet for a few minutes. And he missed his room.
He pushed open the door to find that it was exactly as he'd left it. Perhaps a little tidier, thanks to his mother. As he stepped into the room, the comfort of being in his own private space soothed his raw edges and calmed him. He breathed the air -his air- into his nostrils, his eyes fluttering closed momentarily.
When he opened them, his eyes landed on his queen-sized bed.
"Oh. Oh, baby." He lunged at the bed and fell on top of it face-first. He sank into the comfy, expensive mattress.
****
As he leaned against the open door with his hands folded across the expanse of his chest, Marius watched the half-breed sleep serenely, completely unaware of his surroundings and utterly defenseless. An assassin could waltz into the room and do the deed without him ever stirring, let alone defending himself. Somehow, he hadn't choked himself to death yet while sleeping face down on his bed. Marius supposed that he missed the familiarity of his home, and while he might possess admirable stamina compared to a human, he was still a half-breed who required regular sleep.
His eyes swept across the spacious room. It had a prime view overlooking the Black Sea.
Did the half-breed understand that his attachment to the sea stemmed from his merman half? Was that why King Kaerus hadn't been able to lodge his son and wife somewhere far away from the threat of discovery? It was indeed in their nature to seek out all seas and oceans, their natural habitat.
He briefly scanned the white bookshelf, noting the book titles. He was into thriller books, it seemed. Was that his chosen genre for writing as well?
Kai made a muffled sound, stirred and then shuddered.
Marius arched an eyebrow at his now still figure. If he was going to get cold, then he should have tucked himself under the covers before falling asleep. The half-breed's foolishness knew no bounds.
He shuddered again.
Marius rolled his eyes and sighed, annoyed at the half-breed's carelessness. The boy would not survive for long if he didn't develop adequate self-preservation skills soon. If it weren't for Marius, he would surely already be dead. It was a miracle how Zolban hadn't done him in if he'd displayed such atrocious vulnerability while in Astria.
Marius stood up straight and then entered the room, closing the door behind him.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
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