When △△△ and the self-proclaimed snake detector made eye contact, he posed the question,
“But you know Mr. Delronzo’s allegiances?” He tilted his head.
“Do you think Mr. Delronzo isn’t working for or with one or more of the Danroses?” “Dunno anyone’s allegiance. Not really. Why you really asking about this Mr. Del-fonzi? He ever do anything to you?” Cal asked, but he wasn’t going to betray Marek, he didn’t know or care to know Marek’s loyalties. Cal liked the parties, he liked forgetting, and he felt welcomed there.
“You think the worst thing going on in Sorian is secret parties?” He asked, shaking his head and trying to keep from making too much eye contact with the man. He didn’t like these questions, didn’t like how focused the other man got when he was asking them, and he especially didn’t like feeling like he was being studied.
“Or just mad you didn’t get invited.” His eyes softened at the prince’s attempt to protect his safe place, if not his “friend,” from △△△, but also from himself by turning a blind eye to questions he was too scared to hear the answers to.
“Oh Bob, I really wish that was the case… but no. I’m not mad, I’m terrified,” he admitted,
“If Black Rose is involved in… some very shady, very dangerous activities… I,” His throat and grip on Prince Callum tightened,
“I fear I sent Udo to his death.” A raindrop trailed down his cheek. He lifted his gaze, only to discover a night sky barren of rain clouds. △△△ sucked in the air through his teeth, hoping it would clear his mind as it did the sky.
Though Cal didn’t understand what the man was talking about, or who Udo was; the signs of grief and guilt were familiar enough.
“Hope your friend’s alright.” He patted the man’s shoulder, who simply nodded.
“I can tell how much you like this party that you can’t remember…” The next part was based purely on a hunch.
“No, maybe it’s because it always makes you forget, without fail, that Mr. Delronzo’s parties are so appealing to you. It unburdens you, makes you empty. It’s your safe haven and anyone who questions it is a threat to that comfort. So you become defensive. That, I can understand.
But you do realize what the real problem is, right? It’s not the party itself. The real problem is that anything—kidnapping, theft, assault, torture, rape, murder, you name it—absolutely anything could’ve happened during the party… and no one would be none the wiser. Because conveniently, everyone loses their memories. As if the amnesia is induced on purpose.”“Those not born protected, maybe gotta make their own protection. Maybe it’s not anything bad, just, self-preservation. Been to a lot of forgotten parties, always been fine.” Callum had his own guesses about the memory loss, he could see why it might be necessary. A few hours of escape and the price was only some lost memories; it didn’t seem a bad trade either. He knew how it all sounded, knew he couldn’t really make it sound any other way but selfish. Even if Marek was dangerous, he’d been kind to Cal and made him feel welcomed somewhere. Marek had never let him down because he didn’t remember most of their encounters. It made it very easy for Cal to stay loyal.
“So even if all that happened during the party, you think that’s perfectly acceptable? As long as you get to enjoy yourself and it’s happening to someone you don't know?” △△△ knew that people did what they had to do for survival and he could never truly hold that against them, but if Black Rose was providing torture, rape, or murder as a form of entertainment… that was an entirely different story.
“Been to a lot of forgotten parties, always been fine.” So, the prince did go to more than one of these parties. His lack of shock at the possibility that the host intentionally caused amnesia in the attendees was also very telling.
“Are you absolutely sure about that? You just said you have no memory of what happened during the party.”“Think I would’ve noticed if I had been kidnapped, raped, tortured, or murdered. Even without memories.” Callum pointed out in a tone that made it clear he found it ridiculous to think such things were happening at Marek’s parties.
“You assume the worst. It’s alight, I do that a lot too.” “Can you say the same for the other partygoers? Not just the friends you invited, but everyone who went to that party. How do you know if none of those things happened to the other people when you have no memories? It also doesn’t rule out that something had been done to you during that time either.” Prince Callum’s loyalty to Mr. Delronzo was so blind that it bordered on fanatical. △△△ had to question whether it was genuine or if it was magically induced like the amnesia.
“Bad things happen here all the time. Party or no party. Can’t just betray someone on a maybe. Alibeth had our carriage driver beaten, almost executed. What do you think they’ll do, with someone to pin the whole thing on? Can’t let that happen to a friend. Won’t bring anyone next time, if that makes you feel better. I’ll try and keep Zarai out of it.” He offered.
Finally, the prince let it slip that he knew the host, one he regarded as a friend—even with the lack of memory. It made △△△ wonder if their encounters went beyond the secret Black Rose parties.
“Tell me, Bob. How often do powerful and wealthy people actually face severe retribution for a crime, real or fake, in Caesonia?” △△△ paused in case Prince Callum had an answer to the rhetorical question. They both knew that it was not nearly as often in comparison to the common folk. Caesonia law heavily favored the higher echelons of society, which included successful merchants.
“How much do you think wealth buys, when the crown has you marked as an enemy?” Cal returned the question with his own.
“Maybe time. My house always wins. When they want retribution, they get it. I’d like to see them lose.” The other man was right about one thing, Marek had some power, power Callum didn’t fully understand or know the extent of, but it was there. If it could rival Danrose power, it was worth the risk to bet on it.
“A lot more than you think.” Much more than he could ever imagine.
“You think someone who can host a party of that caliber, with that wide range of guests, likely uses magic, doesn’t have the knowledge or resources to protect himself?” He emphasized the word magic to gauge the other man’s reaction as he tried to ignore Udo’s prophetic dream. The island warrior had been marked, but how? If those men were under Mr. Delronzo’s employment, and there were no witnesses, the most plausible explanation involved magic.
“More than that, what makes you so sure he isn’t working with any member of your family? King Edin, for example.”At the mention of the word, Callum stumbled and briefly became nothing but dead weight draped across the other man’s shoulders.
“Shhh, that’s a dangerous word.” He whispered, placing a finger to his lips, as he struggled to get his footing back.
The supporting hand resting on Prince Callum’s back reflexively wrapped around his waist. △△△’s fingers gripped the fabric of the prince’s shirt, preventing any further descent. He remained motionless, watching the man try to stand up properly.
Callum was a Danrose, a name steeped in a history of enmity and bloodshed. △△△ tried imaging Edin, George, or Julian, in his arm, but could not. There was only Callum, as an individual and not a mere representative of his lineage. Yet, at the same time, △△△ could not dismiss the unmistakable resemblances, which went beyond physical appearances.
The prince’s reaction to the taboo word suggested that he acknowledged the existence of magic or, at the very least, it showed his understanding of the gravity with which the Caesonian crown regarded such matters. Surprisingly, though, Prince Callum displayed no signs of heightened caution or mistrust towards △△△, unlike the overt wariness demonstrated by Dr. Williamson or Miss Delilah when the topic of magic arose.
On the contrary, he showed concern.
“I hope anyone my family goes after finds means for protection in spades, Mr. Mysterious. You, your family, our party thrower, and anyone else. The enemy of my enemy is a friend.” Callum made the last statement with full confidence and with a troubled grin. He didn’t know why the man seemed so convinced Marek worked for Edin or anyone other Danrose.
The enemy of an enemy is a friend. △△△ smiled. He wondered if the prince was trying to tell him that people like him and Mr. Delronzo were not snakes, but mongooses. Little did he know that some snakes devoured other snakes.
“Barry. You named me Barry, Bob.” △△△ paused.
Mr. Berry Mysterious… Mr. Very Mysterious. “Unless it was set up for a pun all along?”“Edin, Alibeth, Wulfric, none of them seemed happy about these parties this morning. Would be quite the twist if they were in on it, And Edin, oh if this was an Edin plot, he’d have had the perfect chance to get rid of me, all stealthy too, don’t think he’d pass that up.” Prince Callum did not hide his disdain for the Danrose bloodline, including himself, but △△△ got the feeling that it centered strongly around specific members of the family. The prince had brought up Queen Alibeth and Prince Wulfric on his own volition. So △△△ brought up King Edin’s name to confirm that his disdain towards his parents were not limited to just his mother. It was not. Arguably, it was much stronger. Perhaps it was even the epicenter of his hatred for the bloodline.
That did not, however, eliminate the possibility that King Edin—or any of the Danroses for that matter—utilized Black Rose in some capacity. Especially with the king’s proclivity for decadence and the family’s need to make inconveniences vanish.
“He doesn’t seem like the type to need a valid reason to get rid of you. He’ll get rid of you when he needs to.” △△△’s hand reached up to toward Prince Callum’s, King George’s, face.
“Maybe there’s a part of him that still cares for ‘you’ in his own broken way.” His hand lowered before he touched anything.
“Or maybe he’s trying to prove ‘you’ wrong.” He would never know for sure.
“He could. Anyday, anytime, no more Callum. If you stop seeing me around, maybe I hit the right button.” He tried to say it as if it didn’t bother him, like he’d never spent hours laying awake thinking about it.
“Edin cares about Edin. No one else, Not really.” He didn’t understand what the man had meant by his last statement, and couldn’t think of anything Edin would try and prove him wrong about. He didn’t care to ask either, he didn’t want to understand Edin.
Realizing how close they were to each other, △△△ chuckled.
“You know what? I think you were right, it really does seem like I can’t keep my hands off you. You’re too irresistible.” He reclaimed his previous position before resuming their walk.
“If I haven’t ruined my chances entirely yet, I’d like to hang out with you again. Next time I’ll be sure I bring some booze.”Callum snorted at that.
“Sounds like you have bad taste. But if you want trouble, I’m sure you can find me. Don’t have to bring anything, I kinda like you, Barry.” He said, fake Barry wasn’t so bad, and other than the name, didn’t seem all that fake either.
“Barry the Mysterious. Oh, I get it. Barry Mysterious. I’m not that clever.” He admitted.
“For now, a word of advice, as an enemy of an enemy…” He moved his mouth closer to the prince’s ear,
“You don’t need me to tell you this, but forgetting your problems won’t actually solve them. If you truly want to punish yourself, Bob. You must carry the burden. Forgetting so that you can feel better… kind of defeats the purpose of punishing yourself, don’t you think? It also happens to be what Danroses do best. Forget. Make others forget.” He pulled away a bit to give Prince Callum a soft smile.
“I hope all of you choose a different path than your forebears.”“Lot of burden to carry, sometimes I set it down, so it doesn’t crush me. Always pick it back up. Just don’t know what else to do with it.” Callum spoke quietly and it was close enough to the truth. He shrugged himself off the other man and took a couple of unsteady steps away.
But Barry who was probably not called Barry was right. It wasn’t good punishment if he still got anything that made him feel better. It was also too late to change tonight’s plans anyway; he was practically at his destination, where else was he going to go? Not home, not yet. One more time, a little self-indulgence, he could do better tomorrow. That seemed like a good plan.
“Thanks for your help, owe you one.” “Any time, Bob. See you later.” △△△ raised his arm and stretched his fingers out in a gesture of farewell to Callum until he vanished beyond the threshold of the brothel’s entrance. His smile dimmed like the retreating lights that spilled onto the desolate streets, as the weighty door slammed shut. As the stillness settled around him, △△△ reached into the depths of his coat, hands brushed against the touch of the bloodstained handkerchief. The blood of a Danrose.
The atmosphere inside the brothel hung heavy with a potent blend of smoke and perfume, barely concealing the desires pursued by its clientele. The promise of various pleasures, attainable at a cost, lured lost souls seeking temporary respite. Amidst the decadence and debauchery, few heads turned when the entrance door creaked open, too accustomed to the peculiarities of the establishment’s visitors; too lost in their own intoxicating indulgences.
Cutting through the haze, a figure navigated its way to the madam, who greeted it with the same warmth as any other potential patron. The beast’s lips parted, revealing a gleaming set of teeth that shimmered like the coins that spilled from its hands, cascading onto the table with musical clinks. “Can we talk business?”
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