He had definitely underestimated Will. He had thought that Will was straightforward and would be unaware of any subtleties, like the lessons he was giving him for free in order to gain some form of an ally.
Dante couldn’t help but let out a sigh, it seemed like no one he had met since he left Alazel was who they appeared to be on the surface.
Chapter 28
Dante’s Immortality – Chapter 28
There was an expected knock at the door, and he quickly opened it.
A weathered old man with grey hair and a disinterested expression was standing at the doorway.
“I have been sent at the behest of Lady Stavins to retrieve the one named… Dante.”
If he didn’t know better, he would have thought that the old servant’s mouth was dirtied by the mere mention of his name. The way the old man spat it out at the end of his sentence was off-putting to say the least. “I am Dante.”
As if he didn’t know.
It wasn’t as though he was hard to spot, and seeing as how he was the only one who had answered the door, and in the academy’s formal uniform no less, he was quite sure that servant knew precisely who he was talking to.
“Very well, follow me.” Without another word, the servant turned and walked away.
Dante heaved a sigh and followed, he really wasn’t looking forward to enduring all of the nobles that he would meet at the party, but things seemed to have started early with Kayla’s servant.
The walk to Kayla’s house itself wasn’t far at all. She was located in building 12, which was at the other end of Housing District 1, so it only took a few minutes to arrive outside of her residency.
As soon as the two of them neared the house, Kayla shot out of the bottom level.
Even though he didn’t trust her, Dante couldn’t help but admit that Kayla looked rather good in the academy’s formal uniform. The uniform itself was a short black dress that came to just above her knees, and although everything was covered appropriately, it accented her slim figure quite nicely.
Kayla’s brown, and now curled hair bounced through the air as she ran over and latched onto his arm with a beaming smile on her face. “Finally!” She turned her head back to stick her tongue out at her servant. “You can go.”
Kayla immediately went back to smiling at him. “Isn’t he so boorish? My actual servant was tied up in other duties, so I had to make do with what was available on short notice.” She looked him over for a moment. “You clean up rather well.”
Dante glanced down at himself, he looked the same as he always did. The only difference from the last time she saw him was the formal pants and coat that stuck with House Calman’s black theme.
The disgruntled servant, who was still standing next to them and listening to everything she had said, just glared at Kayla before walking off.
That certainly explains his attitude…
The revelation that the servant didn’t actually hate him, but Kayla, improved his mood far more than it should have.
Deciding to play his part to the fullest, Dante laughed at her remark. Then with a resentful tone. “I may have cleaned up, but I’m afraid I’m still going to be overshadowed by you.” He finished the line by gesturing toward her entire appearance.
Although he didn’t have any firsthand experience with women… or people in general, he had seen his fair share of late night romances in the streets of Alazel. That particular line, the tone of voice, and even gesture was something he had seen in action several times in the hands of John Viles. John was the son of one of the best jewelers in Alazel, and more importantly, the local playboy. Even though he found the line to be clear deception and obviously fabricated, every time he had seen John use it, it had worked wonders.
Kayla covered her mouth as she let out a soft giggle. “Oh my, I wasn’t aware that you were such a charmer.” She winked at him. “I may need to keep my guard up around you.”
He was at a complete loss of where to go from there. John would have gone in for a kiss, but that definitely didn’t seem appropriate given the situation. He had wanted to practice his ‘flirting’ on Mia before the party, but she didn’t seem like she was in the mood to cooperate in the last few days.
Doing his best to keep up his façade, Dante just grinned back, then attempted to change the direction of the conversation. “It’s a long walk to the leisure district, shall we be off?”
Kayla had a thoughtful look on her face. “I suppose we can, but I usually like to show up late.” She gave him a mischievous grin. “It makes me seem more important.”
He had no interest in staying alone with Kayla longer than he had to, he was already struggling to keep up with the short conversation they were having… and that didn’t even account for the nervousness he felt at being in such close proximity to a girl. He gave his best aggrieved look. “If the two of us showed up late, it is far more likely that it will be blamed on me, rather than your importance.”
Kayla, who was still holding onto his arm with one hand, rubbed her chin with the other in thought. “I guess I’ll go now, if only for your sake…”
Dante had to stop himself from sighing in relief.
“But.” She paused for effect. “You will owe me a favor.” The mischievous smile from earlier reappeared.
Something about that smile was disconcerting, but he wasn’t willing to lose an advantage that he had just gained. So, nodding to her in answer, he led Kayla toward the leisure district.
His hopes of a silent, hour-long walk, were quickly crushed not even a minute after they set off.
“So, where are you from?”
She doesn’t waste much time…
He was slightly hesitant about telling her where he was from after the incident with Greggory, but after thinking it over in his mind for a moment, he couldn’t see a way that the knowledge that he was from Alazel could be used against him. Even if Greggory’s father wanted to hunt him down, he wouldn’t dare move against the academy. “I am from a town called Alazel.”
Kayla was silent for a moment, eyes looking upward in thought. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Alazel before, is it far from here?”
“No. Actually, it’s quite close to the academy, a little over a two weeks journey.”
“Oh, is that so… Is your father the local lord?”
Kayla’s question seemed genuine, throwing him off-guard. He had assumed that since she helped set him up against Greggory that she would have known at least something about him. Even when Kayla had asked him his name outside of the simulation room, he had thought the entire thing to be an act, but it seemed that might not be the case.
He thought over his next course of action for a moment. She had left an easily exploitable hole in the conversation. At first, he was unsure of whether or not to take the advantage, but he decided it might be an excellent opportunity to gain information, so he pressed her. “Actually, Greggory was the local lord’s son.” He observed her and wasn’t disappointed when slight surprise briefly flashed across Kayla’s face.
“Oh… is that so.” Kayla was clearly having a hard time trying to recover.
Just as she was opening her mouth to follow up, and likely offer an explanation, Dante cut her off. “Actually, the two of you seemed to know each other quite well.” He paused to give Kayla the most puzzled expression he could muster. “How could you have possibly met, and been close, if you hadn’t even heard of Alazel?”
Kayla didn’t hesitate this time, replying instantly. “Oh, you thought we were close?” Her hand covered her mouth as she laughed. “We had only met that day, he saw me watching the fights in the stands and tried to make advances toward me. When I didn’t respond kindly to them, the fool tried to impress me by fighting in the arena himself… Only to run into you.”
“Hmm, I wonder why you’re so curious about Greggory.” Kayla looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “Could you be… jealous?”
Against his better judgment, he decided to ease off. He couldn’t he
lp but admit that the reason she supplied seemed somewhat plausible, and he couldn’t think of a way to further box her in. So, he replied to her with lighthearted sarcasm. “But of course, how could I not be jealous?”
He couldn’t help but feel somewhat smug with how he had handled the conversation thus far.
I think I’m starting to get the hang of this.
Saying that he was nervous to go on his first ‘date’ would have been an understatement, even though it wasn’t really a date at all. Oddly enough though, his nervousness actually seemed to help him. It seemed to destroy any attraction that he might have felt towards Kayla.
Kayla puffed out her chest jokingly. “That would have been the real question.”
Worried that Kayla would hijack the conversation by questioning him further, he decided his best course of action was a preemptive strike. “So, where are you from?” Hitting Kayla back with the same question she had asked him felt rather good.
The question seemed to sink Kayla’s mood. “My family used to rule over a city called Alryne.”
“Used to?”
Kayla’s playful demeanor from earlier was entirely gone, and her expression turned downcast. “Alryne was located in a neutral territory between House Calman and House Ramotar, which usually would have meant that it was safe from either sides stalemate. But a few years ago, House Calman invaded, wiping out any resistance in Alryne.”
He was aware that his knowledge of the world was lacking, but that explanation didn’t make much sense to him. “If House Calman invaded Alryne, wouldn’t Ramotar have retaliated? I heard that regarding overall strength they are superior to House Calman.”
Kayla didn’t seem to mind the question. “They are, but an all-out war would have meant massive casualties on both sides, so even if House Ramotar was victorious in a war, House Ailloss would have been in a position to eradicate them afterward. When House Calman offered a few thousand essence crystals in recompense, House Ramotar accepted them gladly.”
Despite his hesitation, his curiosity got the better of him. “If your house is no longer located in Alryne, where did they go after the Calmans took over. Did they move to a different city in the territory?”
Kayla looked at him as if he was a complete and utter moron. “They didn’t go anywhere. Everyone aside from my sister and I was executed shortly after the city fell.”
Asking more questions would have definitely been rude, but he was still curious. Both about why Kayla and her sister were the only ones spared, as well as why she was at the academy with the people who killed her family. In his current situation, any news on House Calman would be beneficial.
One of those questions was unquestionably worse than the other though, so he went with the lesser of the two. “Why would you choose to go to the academy after… that?”
His question elicited a hollow laugh from Kayla. “Why would anyone from the Outer region want to spend their time in this desolate region? The only ones who aren’t here against their will are the Calmans themselves… or their branch families.”
He thought it over for a moment, what she said made sense, but at the same time, it didn’t. “Um, could you elaborate?”
“All of the nobles here, at least from the Outer region, are glorified hostages. Their houses were the ones that had surrendered to the Calmans without a fight, either recently or long ago, but still, aren’t trusted. Keeping the heirs of the houses here is a good way for the Calmans to keep their parents in check.” Kayla let out a sigh. “There are exceptions though. I, for example, am here to try and find a suitor from House Calman, or a branch family, before I turn eighteen.”
“What?” Dante couldn’t hold back his involuntary reaction to her words.
Kayla rolled her eyes. “Anytime they find noblewoman with a magic Classification bloodline, they give them a chance to marry into House Calman. It’s how they keep their magic bloodline strong. You’ve had the pleasure of meeting my current target, Jack Daynard.”
She had said it matter-of-factly, like it was obvious, but he was having a hard time comprehending her words. The entire thing seemed so… barbaric. “What happens if you don’t find a suitor by the time you turn eighteen?”
Seeing the look on Kayla’s face, he instantly regretted the question. “I’m not sure… I haven’t seen my sister since she turned eighteen… it’s been over a year.” After that, she just stared at the floor as they walked through the streets of the academy.
Yes, this entire situation is definitely barbaric.
He was unsure of how to continue. On one hand, his questions were clearly making her uncomfortable. On the other hand, the information she was giving him about the Calmans was invaluable. Trying to bring back the playful atmosphere, he looked at her with one eyebrow raised. “Won’t Jack get jealous if you show up to the party with me?”
His question brought out a genuine laugh from Kayla. “If only, I’m afraid he’s the one who is looking forward to you being with me the most.” She saw the lack of understanding on Dante’s face and winked at him. “Jack thinks toying with the commoner is the best use of my… services, which I am quite thankful for. Besides, there are plenty of others in my same position that he can amuse himself with.”
The part about Jack toying with him was reasonable, but Dante couldn’t understand why she would be thankful for that. “Why would you be thankful for that, aren’t you trying to marry him?”
Kayla stifled her laughter with her hand. “As if, he’s just my last resort. Jack is the only potential suitor currently at the academy, but I still have a little over three years, so I’m holding out for someone who is at least decent.” She paused for effect. “If there are no other options, I may consider Jack at that time. For now, I’m just trying to make myself useful for House Calman so they are more willing to set me up with someone else.”
She said the entire thing like it was a joke, but Dante didn’t think it was funny at all. Kayla’s future prospects were far more depressing than even his own.
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as they finally arrived at the leisure district.
Chapter 29
Dante’s Immortality – Chapter 29
Kayla Stavins
Kayla, still holding Dante’s arm, looked up to try and get a feel for his mood.
What in the hell is wrong with him?
Things had not gone as she had planned, and she didn’t see how things could have turned out the way they did. Everything had started so well, and at the beginning it seemed like Dante was in the palm of her hand.
But as soon as she asked him one small question, he went from complete infatuation to blatant suspicion instantly.
Even after she gave him a perfectly reasonable explanation, he was still on edge. It was quite evident that their ‘operation’ hadn’t gone as planned because there was no way he had thought it was a coincidence.
After that realization, she had tried to distance herself from House Calman as much as possible by selling her sob story. She had even thought that she did a rather good job of it, but he seemed to take it in stride.
Is he even human?
Kayla looked up and gave Dante one of her best, winning smiles. “Should we go straight to the party, or would you like to grab a bite to eat first?”
* * *
At her question, Dante looked down toward Kayla. He had been enjoying the moment of silence, it was helping him digest all of the new information that Kayla had given him. He had more than one question about what she had told him, and wasn’t sure how much of what Kayla had told him was the truth, but he was doing his best to memorize every word so that he could ask Will, or possibly even Mia later. “If the party is at an inn, shouldn’t they have food there?”
Kayla rolled her eyes. “Of course they do, but I would never lower myself to eating at an inn.”
Her words caused his false smile to slip for a moment. “Whatever was I thinking?” He cleared his throat. “Still, I think it would be best to go strai
ght to the party.”
Kayla nodded. “That’s fine, I’m not really hungry.” She looked at Dante as if waiting for him to lead the way.
Dante scratched the back of his head with his free arm. “I’m not really sure where the Wise Prince Inn is.”
“Naturally.” Kayla released a sigh. “I’ll lead then.” Instead of holding onto Dante’s arm, Kayla snatched his hand and began dragging him toward the Wise Prince Inn.
It only took them a few minutes to walk there, and he was more than happy to be dragged by Kayla.
The inn itself was unlike any he had seen before, its size alone put all the others to shame, and that didn’t even mention the beautiful craftsmanship. The building looked more like a noble’s manor than any inn he had seen.
Two guards stood outside of an open double-wide door, checking the identification cards of any who wanted to enter. He could hear deafening sound pouring out from the inside, both the voices of people mixed with the sound of music. He could also see different colored lights flashing as he peered through the doorway, and as he took in the entire scene, he could only think of one word to describe it; chaotic.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Dante had been so distracted taking in the ‘Inn’ that he had actually forgotten Kayla’s presence.
“Uh, sure?” He actually thought the place looked like a nightmare. It was hard enough to interact with people usually, and the ‘Inn’ looked like it wasn’t going to make it any easier.
He reconsidered the party. Assuming that Kayla hadn’t completely lied to him earlier, he could be almost certain that someone from House Calman set him up in the fight against Greggory, but he still wanted to know who it was specifically. Alexander or Layla were his key suspects, but it could be someone else like Sir Andres or the headmaster.
The headmaster was someone he definitely wanted to look into. Even though Layla had mentioned a headmaster when he had first arrived at the academy, not only had he not seen the man, but he hadn’t even heard mention of the headmaster since then.
Dante's Immortality: Beginnings Page 25
