Sixty-seven
Then, one by one begins to enter the kitchen with well—differentiated reactions.
— Well, well, what a fabulous visit!
Iris arrives with ironic lines, reminding me of her frustrating beauty.
— Hi, Iris! — I’m firm, but also polite. — How was the trip?
— Great, but not as good as yours, I imagine!
"What do you mean?"
— Iris! — scolded.
— MY LOVE! — happy she throws her arms up and runs towards him. — What a longing! — said pulling the face of her husband in a kiss.
"You’re kidding me, right?"
As if that wasn’t enough, Kaila enters the kitchen and goes after him as well.
— My sweet! — said the filling with kisses on the face.
— Get out, girl! — she pushes. — I got there first.
This man’s life must be very tedious. Imagine what it must be like to have three women fighting over him, twenty—four hours.
— Stop it! — asked bothered with the pulls.
If one is sick, he has the other and if the other is angry with him, then he has the next.
"That’s why he gets mad when I don’t take his orders!"
I doubt he knows the word "no".
— I will help Vincent with the —
— No! — echoed firm and thick, implying that she was just ignoring my presence. — You don’t have to do that!
— But if you want, you can come down with me to the basement to help me clean up —
— No way! — Flunked them away from her body. — I know very well what you want to do, taking her there!
— Mila! — She appears beside me, with a huge smile.
— Ju... Julie! — Damn, I missed her.
Both of us throw ourselves into a tight hug and the others soon start making fun.
— "Mila!" — she plays. —" Oh Mila, how I miss my little sister from the heart!" — acted with an annoying voice.
— "Are we going to braid each other’s hair?" — he mocks.
— You are so childish! — he grumbled going to his third beloved.
— Hi there, Ben!
She moves away only for a few seconds from my body, circling her husband in a hug. Julie is the only one who does not kiss him exposing their intimacies in front of me, I do not know if it is because they are so, or if she prefers to respect my presence.
— Where is Hector now?
— That old man? — He spoke from afar.
— Did he take the trouble to come?
— Not so much!
— Something is burning here! — she warned making her husband jump.
— Shit! — Ran into the pot.
— Are you cooking? — She looks more surprised than me.
— Trying!
— Mila... she whispers to me, calling me.
We left the kitchen, leaving the poor rat trapped with the two snakes.
— Julie... we put our hands together as we walk down the hall. — Why did you disappear?
— I needed to help Benjamin with some things! — he explained. — But now you are here, we are here! — said all excited.
— Thomas will come and pick me up tomorrow! — I reveal, making his steps catch.
— What?
"Why was she so shocked by this?"
At some point or another I’d have to go home.
— You can’t go back to the palace, Mila. You can’t be around that family, let alone that old man living there!
— I can’t live here, Julie. I have responsibilities to fulfill and you know it. Also, it would be a risk to be so close to Benjamin, with Iris and Kaila around. They don’t even know that he turned me...
— I know, but things will be different now, you’ll be able to stay!
"Different?"
— I don’t...don’t understand what you mean!
His face changes suddenly, with a certain fear.
— The warlock — changed the subject. — He wants to meet you!
She stops me in front of a door I did not yet know, pointing the entrance with her blue eyes.
— Go! — he asked. — He is waiting for you!
"What a bad idea!"
I touch the doorknob, entering the room.
— Lord Datto?
— Anything will be in the kitchen!
I pass through the door witnessing a leisure room, with some sofas and a piano in the corner.
"Wow, why do they keep this place locked up?"
— Hi! I’m looking for him.
Then on purpose, he appears on my back slightly, sounding his voice close to my ear.
Hector Datto— Your Majesty!
I turn to him fast, eyes wide open.
— You scared me! — Snitch, watching his aged face, light eyes and hair, and gray beard.
— It was not my intention! — replied analyzing me.
— It’s all right...
"What a crazy guy!"
From watching us so much, the mood begins to get too strange, passing a tape in our lines.
— It’s... —I’m trying to talk. —I hear you’re not much for mixing with the rest of society!
"Wow, did I really say that?"
— He heard right! — he walks to the couch, inviting me to sit down. — I’m like, your Queen, locked in the house!
— You don’t have to call me that! — I ask. — Only Mila, that’s enough!
— For someone as old as me, it is difficult to leave aside some formalities, especially when it comes to your title. — he explained. — But I will strive to fulfill your request!
"Zero patience to stay in this mess!"
— I’m sorry, but I really need to ask you something! — I’m direct. — Why did Benjamin ask me to bring you here? — I ask. — He doesn’t want to tell me why he called you.
— Your Queen, you must imagine why! — he hinted.
— Falkor! — I am clear. — You came here because you found out that I found your daughter’s dragon!
— Falkor is not the type of creature that accepts chains, it takes time to gain their trust. Trust that only two people were able to achieve.
— Then you understand that I would never allow anyone to harm him!
— Of course I understand!
— Tell me why you’re here then? — I insist not to believe your words.
His feet move and he stands on my line, facing the small table that separated us.
— I came to help you! — Said. — Isn’t it obvious?
— Help me? — ironically also stand. — Help me in what? — I am hostile. — to train my dragon to serve me as a slave, or to lure him so you can finally kill him?
— Do you think I came here to kill the dragon? — He seems surprised.
— I think so! — I confirm.
— I would never do that and even if that was my intention, Benjamin would never forgive me if I put his babies at risk!
"What is it?"
"What babies, my God?"
"Benjamin always wanted Falkor dead!"
— His children are linked to the blood of the dragon! — he goes on talking and I am completely lost. — Killing the creature, is the same as killing the babies!
— Hector... he’s crazy, that’s for sure. I’m not keeping up with you!
"I thought this was the most powerful wizard in the world, not one poor guy with less screws!"
— Look! — he starts walking around the room. — When Daya was murdered, her power was passed to Falkor —
— I know, I know! —I cut it. — I know the story. Benjamin showed me his book. What I don’t understand is this baby story!
— Your babies, my Queen!
— What babies, Hector, what babies? — I praise you. — I think you are confusing me with someone else!
— One second! — He stops to think. — Benjamin didn’t tell you?
"Oops!"
— Benjamin didn’t tell me what?
— Oh heavens! — said amazed.
— No, no, no, no! — I run to him face to face. — now you’re going to tell me this story right!
— Can’t you feel them? — he complained. — Can’t you hear their hearts?
------------------------------------------------------------------
That same time in the kitchen.
— Where did you take Mila? — questioned his third wife, without the others noticing.
— I left her with Hector. They must be talking right now!
— Right!
— How do you think she’ll react when she knows the truth?
— I don’t know, I’m not ready to tell yet!
— Aren’t you ready? — Mocked. — But this isn’t about you, it’s about her!
— I know! — grumbled looking at the girls. — We’ll talk about it later!
— When? — She presses him. — Nine months from now?
— Of course not!
— I doubt!
— I’ll tell you, Julie. I just don’t know how to do it!
— Okay!
— Did you talk to Hector like I asked?
— Yes, I told him everything!
— Did you remember to warn him about the secret, that you shouldn’t tell her about the pregnancy?
— You didn’t ask me that! — he asked.
— What? — His eyes bulge.
— I thought you said that to him!
— Julie...—spoke trembling. — I beg you, please... please...tell me you spoke to him!
MILA
— HECTOR!
The vampire enters the room uncontrolled, accompanied by his third wife who tried to appease the nerves of his companion.
— Benjamin, please! — She tries to hold him.
— What’s going on? — he asked puzzled.
— Where is she? — said distressed. —WHERE IS SHE, DAMN?
He gets too close to the warlock, making him uncomfortable.
— If you don’t calm down, I’ll be forced to stop you!
There are only two creatures in the universe that would be able to stop the world’s first vampire. Hector and Falkor. That sorcerer had enough powers to make Benjamin suffer the worst punishment, throwing him into a sea of misery. He was not able to kill him like the dragon, but he could put him in such a great level of torment that his body would beg for death.
— What did you tell her? — He’s out of his mind. — Did you tell her the truth? — He asked. — Did you tell her about the babies?
The silence the wizard assumes was the exact answer they both needed.
— Heavens... whispered understanding.
Distressed by not having told the truth when he should, the vampire comes into conflict with himself, frightened by all the consequences that were to come. He knew that the Queen would not forgive him easily, he also knew that the decision he had made could be the cause of their destruction.
— I’m sorry, Bennet! —lamented. — I wasn’t aware of how broad the secrecy of that information was. I thought at least the mother was aware.
There was a side of Benjamin that only a few had the privilege of knowing, it was not the stern side, possessive side, or even killer, it was the sensitive side that he rarely let leak in his eyes, the remorse of having failed those he loves.
This is not a man of many words, in fact, he is a man of many deeds. The problem is that most of the time, those who do not know how to talk, are the ones who pay the most for their irresponsible choices.
And he was gonna pay.
— Did she leave, Hector? — She asked saddened.
— No, she just needs to assimilate everything!
— I’m going after the —
— Wait!
♡♡♡♡
