From the start, Cas had known that dinner with his father would be uncomfortable, but this time, the line had been crossed from tense to miserable. He was chagrined that Atlas had reprimanded him so openly in front of Iris. It had been completely unnecessary, especially since his father hadn’t even disagreed with him. All the king had done was force him to keep quiet so he could be the one to tell her she was welcome to stay with them instead. It had been a power move and nothing more.

He focused on finishing his food—and downing the rest of his wine when his father wasn’t looking—since Atlas clearly didn’t want him to interrupt his discussion with their guest. He had determined by now that when his father had said he was going to eat with them, he’d really meant he was going to interrogate Iris while his son was expected to sit patiently off to the side. He supposed he should have known how the meal would turn out before it had started though. It wasn’t the first time he’d been hushed when the king had been more interested in the other people sitting around them. He was only the center of Atlas’s attention when he was studying the skills he needed to take over as the next monarch.

“Good,” his father nodded approvingly when Iris confirmed that she had been told about the rules she was expected to follow. “I trust that they will be simple enough for you to follow without any issues.” Like always, he was at his most content when he was being shown respect. Sometimes Cas wondered if he invented some of the more outlandish laws in the country just so the citizens would have to prove their loyalty to him more often. It wasn’t out of character for him to do something like that.

The table lapsed into heavy silence when the king ran out of questions to prod at their guest with. Cas sat back in his chair with his brown eyes fixed on his polished plate, waiting for his father to finish eating his portion so they could all leave. Even though he had practically chugged his glass of wine, he couldn’t really feel the effects of the drink alongside the hearty dinner he’d just consumed. As soon as he was free from the dining room, he intended to go straight to the bar to have something stronger.

It took about ten more minutes before Atlas finally set his silverware down and rose from his seat. He had only finished about half of the pasta and three quarters of the lobster tail, but that was to be expected since his medication stifled his appetite. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Iris,” the monarch said, though his face displayed no mirth. “If you regain any memories of importance, I expect that you will tell me right away.” He stepped away from the table while a servant hurried over with his cane. “Caspian, don’t forget that you have another session with your tutor in the morning.”

Cas cursed inwardly, knowing his father had caught on to his plan already. [color=#b97703]“I won’t,”[/color] he assured him. It was honest enough. He wouldn’t forget about his lesson; he just might not show up in fit condition to learn.

Atlas departed from the room, and the prince sank down in his chair with a groan. [color=#b97703]“Sorry,”[/color] he apologized to Iris, dragging his fingers through his hair in a stressed manner. [color=#b97703]“He’s always that high-strung.”[/color] A few more servants appeared to clear away their dishes, and he got up from the table as well. [color=#b97703]“I completely understand if you want to turn in early, but if you’d rather, I’m going to get a drink at the bar and you’re welcome to join me.”[/color]