'Let this be the last time any of you disrespect food' He said this while chewing, with his cheek puffed up with food. He said it as a by the way but everyone in that place could feel the seriousness in the air.
'Hellan, can I talk to you for a moment' Linda stood up and elegantly walked outside the dining area, Alex followed after her. Hellan looked at Shin who was now completely focused on his plates. She stood up and followed her sisters out. Linda was not happy, Alex was, well Alex.
'Who is that man?' It was a simple question but one that Hellan didn't know how to answer. Linda folded her arms and waited albeit impatiently. There was silence for a while as Hellan didn't know what exactly to tell her sisters, she couldn't tell them she summoned him, and the man behaved too abnormally to be labelled a slave.
'His…my…friend?' Hellan tried her shot at a new lie. Linda was not buying it. Alex being the youngest didn't really understand much of what's gong around. The privilege of the being the lastborn, their mother had dotted a lot on her when she was young. Due to her mother's influence, even the elders of the other families had to show her respect. She grew up being unbelievably naïve. Hellan and Linda dint bother straightening up her behaviour, it was already too late for her. So most of the time she was just the beautiful lady that followed Hellan and Linda at parties but didn't say much.
'The truth Hellan' in the absence of their mother affection, Linda had to become Hellan's mother. Hellan, like every daughter in the world had some form of fear and respect for her mother which in her case was her big sister Linda, so seeing the look on Linda's face made Hellan's lying brain cell quit their job. With her brain screaming to tell the truth, Hellan was left defenceless. She sighed.
'I can't tell you who he is. At least not yet' She said in a soft tone fearing to meet Linda's eyes.
'And why not?' Linda's resolve was not shakeable. 'Please don't tell me you got involved with the tavern' Hellan was surprised but not for long. This was Linda, current matriarch of one of the richest families in this empire. If she wanted to know something people would be lining up to sell her the information. Hellan snuck out but not for a moment did she think she could hide her movements from Linda. 'Is he blackmailing you?' The sisters were currently here because, one, the man released a terrifying aura. Linda was extremely powerful, that combined with the guards around the manor and the mercenaries she keeps on her payroll they could theoretically fight the man, but Linda was also cautious, she never fights a fight she isn't guaranteed to win. Hellan started at her blankly only one though was floating in her mind. And two, she didn't know the man's relationship to her sister so this made her hesitate for a minute.
"Does she know of the summoning?" This was Hellan's greatest fear. Someone knowing of what she did at the nasty bog a few kilometres out of the city. Summoning was a taboo. Why? well because you are summoning a higher being. Higher being ranged from; celestials, demons, dragons, warlocks, immortal masters, entities that a mortal brain couldn't even begin to fathom. Each of these entities had the ability to destroy the whole continent and forget they ever did it.
A summoning was basically pulling the pin of a bomb in hopes it won't blow up and most of the time it blows up. The only time a summon wouldn't end in mass slaughter for the one doing the summon and every living creature around, is if they summon a kind hearted entity, these never exist and if they did, they wouldn't want to be shackled to a pitiful mortal. And the other scenario is when the summoned entity passed out. This has only ever happened once to Hellan that is. All the other summons ended up in mass slaughter and destruction to a level that couldn't be fathomed. And Hellan had done this same sin for a reason she didn't quite know. Not even her sister could save her when the public comes to know she sentence everyone to death. Not even her fiancée could save her. If anyone finds out, it will be a mercy to get hanged.
'The currier man you paid to help you drag the man had a lose lip. Now talk' Linda was not backing down. Hellan knew there was no escaping from this. Her elder sister always knew when she was lying. Hellan sighed and looked around. All the guards understood and immediately left. Helan raised her eyebrow at Alex and she didn't budge.
'Leave us' Linda's voice was icy enough to stop Alex from complaining. She left while muttering. 'Speak Hellan what did you do in that bog?' Hellan swallowed audibly and looked around worriedly. She turned and looked at the door where the man was stuffing his face. She sighed again. The sun was quickly sinking in the western hemisphere.
'I really don't want to talk about this' Hellan started and all she got from Linda was a go on look. 'I summoned him' Three words, three words changed everything Linda had thought and know about her little sister. Her facial expressions turned grave.
'You didn't what?' She could not believe her ears. She couldn't understand what her sister was saying. Her lips trembled slightly as she looked at Hellan with dead eyes. Ever since Hellan has known her sister, she has never looked at her as she did right now, as if she was a foreigner. Linda had a short fuse, she would curse and throw a tantrum like a kid whenever she was mad and she couldn't kill the culprit. Hellan had seen her loose her marbles so many times. She was surprised nothing was blown up already. As Hellan was waiting for Linda to snap, Linda was not sure she had heard her little sister well. She even started laughing weirdly.
'I am not in the mood for your jokes sister' Hellan looked at her sister as she bit her lower lip. Linda being the one who raised Hellan knew Hellan's weird behaviours. She stopped laughing when she realised her sister is dead serious.
'Why?' Linda had a helpless look on her face. There was an uncomfortable silence as neither sister knew what to say next.
'I don't know why. I just did' Hellan's voice was breaking. The look on her sister's face was more disheartening than anything she knew.
'And how are you…how are we…?' Linda was failing at making her sentences understandable. Hellan has never seen her sister like this. Linda, richest, most cunning and soon to be matriarch of the whole clan was now stuttering. 'How are we still alive?' She said after taking a deep breath to calm herself.
'He passed out when he appeared' Linda's expression changed from unexplainable to very confused.
'huh?' she tilted her head a little to the side. This would have been cute if the situation wasn't tense. Hellan explained everything that had happen to the best of her ability.
'But where did you get the summoning scroll?' Linda sked Hellan another question. Hellan tried to think back but everything was blurry. The harder she trued the worse her migraine got. In the end she shook her head helplessly. Linda sighed now that she understood to some extent some of her worries had faded. They were now replaced with bigger worries like; who was controlling her sister? Or what did her sister's half made contract allowed the man to do and not to do? She sighed and looked at the door where they had left the man.
'What now?' a question no one could really answer. Hellan and Linda sighed and looked at each other. Linda pulled her little sister to her embrace. A few minutes of this and the sister dint say anything to each other.
'Next time you do something stupid like this I will break you' Linda said in a joking manner. 'I am serious' Linda broke the hug and looked at her sister's eyes.
'For now, he will be our cousin' Linda was already thinking of the next steps to take. 'I will tell everyone in the manor to keep their distance and respect' This was the only way she could keep the man appeased and keep her people safe. 'And you, make sure the man is in your sights at all time' Telling this to a betrothed noble lady would be taken weirdly by anyone. Hellan nodded her head. In the many years she has known Linda, she knew her sister always had a full plan in her head all she had to do is play her part well.
'I should find Alex before she dies' she laughed at her own joke as she left Hellan and walked away. Keep him in your sight at all times. Linda only instruction to her. This was going to be difficult to do as tonight the emperor would be hosting a party for his brat and Hellan would meet her betrothed. She looked at the doors and sighed loudly before walking in.
The shirtless man had already wiped out everything on the table. He was now enjoying a glass of juice as he watched bees flirt with flowers. Hellan dreaded the words that would come out of her mouth but Linda's orders were immortal.
'We should find you a good suit' She tried saying this in a natural voice but even she could pull something like that off. Shin raised an eyebrow.
'Tonight there's a party we have to attend' deep down she was hoping he would refuse to go but then she need him to go. The man smiled probably understanding her predicament.
'Sure Ill go' He grinned wildly at Hellan making her wish she hadn't selfishly brought it up. Shin's eyes seemed to twinkle a little as his grin grew slightly. 'It's been a while' he muttered to himself his grin increasing even more. Hellan felt a shiver run through her spine. Shin's grin screamed danger over and over. She swallowed as she led shin out of the dinning room.