Thanatyr
Member
No Romeo
3,167 words
3,167 words
The sun was just visible over the southeast peaks, lighting the Terminus valley. Inside a small cafe, which most people passed by on their way about the short winter days, both Sulmare siblings sat facing each other around a round table. To Fiora's left was an empty seat. Opposite that was a marble column flanked by large windows which looked out into the snow filled street.
Lorenzo took a sip of his iced tea, licked his lips, looked around, and frowned, "This is strange, Amatus is never late."
No sooner did he speak than the old lawyer poked his head around a corner. Waving, he smiled to the siblings, moved over and took his seat.
"So sorry I'm late," he began, reading over the wine list with enthusiasm, "I had another business client ask me about importing a pair of carcharodotos into Terminus. He wants to breed them into being domesticated, and just would not listen to reason on the dangers. However much fun it would be to have one of those beasts on the end of a leash or under a saddle, of course."
He motioned to the street and shuddered, "Just imagine, though, if his breeding didn't take out that thirst for the hunt or their killer instincts, or their proclivity to being infected by the vistra for that matter. The term ‘urban jungle’ would not even begin to describe how brutal the streets of this fair city would become."
Still talking, Amatus waved over a waitress, "Well, perhaps not the Civitatulum, but things are always excitingly wild there. Onto more savoury topics, are you two alright if I take charge with ordering lunch and drinks?”
He looked disapprovingly to the iced tea, “I mean an iced tea for Cafe Mustum, Lorenzo? You shame us all!"
Renzo grumbled something under his breath, took another sip, and remained silent while the lawyer ordered what seemed liked too much for the three of them.
"So, my dear," Amatus continued on as if he was still centre stage on a grand play, "I'm sure you're wondering who I am, since you weren't as happy to see me as I was to see you and Lorenzo here. The truth of the matter is I knew your father, we went through schooling together. Oh, the trouble we would get into, then I would inevitably have to to get us out of. Stories he swore me to secrecy about, grand business endeavours, the whole shebang. I was even best man at his wedding. Last I saw you two at your home, you were barely taller than my waist and Lorenzo here had just turned five."
Fiora listened intently to the story, propping her head up with one arm on the table. He paused, motioned to her elbow in distaste and waited for her to remove it from the table surface. Smiling once more, Mr. Litore continued.
"But the first time I met you was a few years prior, at the Sulmare estate. You can imagine both my surprise and your father's when there was a knock at the door, the help around the house was gone for the night so we had to answer. We were expecting brigands, pirate, or just some drunks who lost their way." A bottle of wine, already opened was placed onto the table along with three fresh glasses. He smelled the opening, professionally poured them each a copious amount of the deep red wine.
"Instead of that, we found yourself. Upstairs was the mesdames of the household and Lorenzo fast asleep in his crib,” he switched gears suddenly, his smile vanished in an instant, “Take a sip before this next bit, you could use the drink, I think. This is one of my favorite chiedere. The vineyard is this tiny plot of land tucked away in the western expanses of Prendere, which has fantastic views of the ocean. Bottled in 485, which was their best year in my opinion. Perfect for such a chilly day."
The earthen aroma of the red wine filled Fiora's nose, matching with the flavours of berry and pepper on her tongue. She swallowed, getting a pleasant warming in her cheeks, and nodded.
"To be blunt, I'm sorry to say I did advise that Marius give you away to a truly outstanding orphanage. I had some dalliances of my own, and just in case I’d had found the facility in a small village down the east coast, just a few hours of airship travel from Prenditus.” Amatus swirled the glass in his hand to aerate the wine within, “I earnestly thought you were left there as a ploy by some hopeful laicar mother who slept with the fishes, as it were, and wanted to be sure you had a good home.”
He took a long sip of his own wine, a delighted smile returning to his face, “He only then admitted to his tryst with your mother, and described her to me. From the stories he told me, she was quite the sight with blue hair much like your own natural colour.
“Did he ever tell you her name? She inspired yours, at least a little,” Fiora’s shake of her head had him wince before nodding reassuringly, “her name was Iaera, your father either never knew or never told me her surname. Good job with the dye I sent over, by the way. Really it seems to have covered up your roots nicely.”
Fiora smiled weakly to cover her confusion. Her head was spinning with too much information. Words evidently were the weapon of choice for Amatus, a fine reason for him to take up a legal profession. Added to that his skillful extraction of her from the precinct yesterday, he likely had connections that could tell her what happened. She gulped down the last of her glass.
“I was wondering Mr Litore,” she began hesitantly, purposefully avoiding eye contact.
“Please, Fiora. You can call me Amatus! I remember you used to call me ‘uncle Ama’, Though I believe we haven’t seen each other for too long for that to resume,” he chuckled, refilling her wine. Platters of steaming food arrived from the kitchen. He took a fresh bun, ripped it in half, signaled for her to continue with one half, while dipping the other into a plate thinly coated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
“I was only curious, Amatus,” saying his first name, acting like they were more than old acquaintances, felt odd, “have you heard any news about the explosion? The whole thing happened so fast, and the Conexus wasn’t particularly forthcoming. What with their assumptions that I know all about it. Which I don’t, honest.”
She rubbed at the stem of her wine glass, she shuffled to avoid Amatus’ gaze which made it feel like he was studying her every facial tick with keen interest. He shrugged, drank back his wine, and took up a small plate which he began to fill with some cheese and tomatoes.
“Hopefully that’s what the good Captain Crespo will let me, us, know later today,” he replied tersely, brow furrowing, “He’s actually an old acquaintance of mine. Fantastic fellow, horrible at cards. The man bluffs as well as a laniger dances, that is to say extremely poorly. In fact he’s partially the reason that I was able to get you off the plateau. In exchange, I owe him a bottle of this sublime wine we happen to be enjoying, and I promised that you wouldn’t leave the city for a while. Now, shall we enjoy this meal and be on our way?”
“Gaius, you old card shark, hello!” Mr Litore led the way into the offices of the station. His arms flew wide at the sight of the old enlil Captain who glared from across the many desks. In one hand he held a paper bag covered bottle of wine.
Fiora followed closely, somewhat tipsy after drinking most of the bottle he opened at lunch, and the dessert wine that was cracked open for the end of the meal. Remnants of chocolate flavour from the latter lingered in her mouth. For a lawyer, who she had always heard were nothing but money grabbers, Amatus was suspiciously generous.
Turning back to the siblings, he placed a hand on either of them and leaned close, “I’ll go meet with my ornery friend. Make yourselves comfortable. What matters is that we have witnesses that you are checking in as ordered,” he covertly gestured around the room to the onlookers, “shouldn’t be long.”
Fiora nodded, and with that he sauntered away.
Now left to their own devices she stood at the reception desk awkwardly. As she glanced about the room she spotted a familiar face. Evidently Lorenzo had not, as he was nose deep into a flyer he found in the lobby and was muttering to himself about shoddy craftsmanship. Taking the opportunity she slipped across the room and sat herself down in front of the brunette conexus officer.
“Hello Sergeant, was it Vates?” Fiora smiled politely to the lack of surprise on the woman’s face opposite her, “I’ll be brief, in a few moments my brother has it in his head to try to ask you on a date once he spots you over here. As a warning, he’s an idiot who thinks he’s a ladies man, but...” she trailed the thought off with a one shoulder shrug.
Vates glanced over Fiora’s shoulder, eyeing up her brother who beamed when he looked up from his flyer and noticed her. He tossed the pamphlet onto the reception desk and started towards them, confidence written across his freckled face. She smirked, “He’s cute, but not my type. Besides, I’m on duty. Bored, but still on duty. Paperwork doesn’t fill itself out.”
“Hello officer,” Lorenzo greeted her with a wide smile as he swaggered over to her desk. With an not so subtle wave of his hand, he shooed his sister away. Rolling her eyes, she complied, perching on the edge of an empty seat within earshot, and awaited the scene that was sure to follow.
“I’m ready to confess!” he started with a flourish, sprawling into the wheeled office chair in front of the desk holding his forearms together over her paperwork, “I’m a thief, and I’m here to steal your heart.”
Sighing she grabbed his wrists with one hand, and pushed them aside. He used the opportunity to spin the chair he was in fully around, a goofy grin plastered on his face as he spun, “Looks like things took a turn for the better! I get to see the most beautiful woman in this building once more. Can you tell me when you’re off shift, it would be rather awkward to be early and find you’re still on duty Ms…”
He grabbed his chin and paused for dramatic effect before snapping his fingers as if it had just come to him, “Vates, right?”
The Sergeant reached over, and turned the nameplate on her desk face down, unblinking, she stared at Lorenzo, “What’s my first name?” Her stalled for a moment, caught off balance and blushed, though he quickly regained his composure. Fiora nearly grinned at the exchange but somehow managed to tamp down on the impulse.
“Um… Sergeant? Yeah, that has to be it! I have to admit, you seem to be more of a Bela or perhaps an Adria?” he shrugged, using the motion to massage the back of his neck, “If you’d like, I can sit here all day going through every beautiful name, but you already signed yourself onto my heart.”
“Does he ever stop?” the Sergeant asked Fiora after several seconds of silence.
“Being corny? No, but he would probably stop if you agreed to go on a date with him,” Fiora had to admit, suppressing the desire to laugh at the ordeal, “that or you can try hitting him really hard. I do remember this one time he was slapped so hard, the mark that didn’t go away for a whole week! For the first day, you could even make out the design inscribed on her ring.”
The sergeant went silent for a moment, chewing on her pencil in contemplation. Lorenzo apparently perceived that an opening. He proceeded to slide out of his chair and sit sideways on the edge of the desk, awkwardly turning to her in what he probably believed to be an alluring way.
“Are you thinking about how wonderful the date would be? I would say let’s go dancing, but I’m not sure if I can fall for the same woman more than once.”
“You fall all the time in clubs because you have two left feet!” Fiora jeered, unable to hold her silence any longer.
“No, it’s not any of that,” the Sergeant interrupted the siblings as she muttered around the pencil between her teeth, “I was just trying to sort out if the consequences for assaulting a civilian would be worth it or not. Still toying with the idea.”
“Well, if things are about to get rough, I’ll have you know my safe word is poma, alright?” Lorenzo just smiled across the desk. To Fiora’s complete bewilderment, the other woman snickered at that.
“If it will shut you up so I can get some work done, fine. I’ll come along for one dinner,” the Sergeant held up a finger to halt his celebrating, “On one condition.” She pointed towards Fiora, “your sister joins us with a date of her own.”
“Woah, hold up! Not sure if I agree with that,” Fiora began to protest, before Lorenzo cut her off dismissively with a wave of his hand, his fingers fidgeting through the motion.
“Dinner for four, deal!” He blustered through his agreement, clearly hopding that if he didn’t give the time she wouldn’t be able to reconsider, “I know just the person Fi can take along,” he winked towards his sister playfully, now emboldened by his apparent success, “so I’m making us dinner at my apartment, then you’ll make breakfast? Is that how I understand this, Sergeant?”
“Then you really don’t understand anything Mr Sulmare,” she deadpanned and flipped her nameplate back up, “and if this is going to happen, call me Diana. Now, can I get back to work?”
“Of course! Of course, I’ll see you this evening, Diana,” he drawled out her name, as if tasting the sounds on his tongue. Hopping off the desk, he wiggled his fingers in imitation of a wave. With a sound of disgust, she turned back to her work.
Amatus appeared behind them, a satisfied smile on his face, and less one paper bagged bottle than when he arrived, “Oh, do you youngsters have plans for this evening? I was planning on enjoying a calming evening at the opera, but as it turns out, the captain has a card game I just must attend instead. Sadly, this leaves my box seats woefully empty, and that is just not a favourable outcome for social posterity.”
He motioned to Fiora and Lorenzo, “You can have mine and my wife’s seats. Why not substitute us with two youthful laicar like yourselves, eh? Now if you’ll excuse us, Sergeant, our business here has concluded.”
“Please, take him away, I won’t be one to protest!” Diana flipped through her paperwork, not looking up at the lawyer’s departure, Lorenzo hot on his heels, stammering out his protests at the sudden hijacking of his evening.
“I’m not sure if I can go to something so cultured,” Fiora’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She stood hesitantly from the chair and trailed after him, “unless there’s a tailor nearby that can rush a dress out, I would be going dressed as I currently am.”
Amatus’ pace towards the door slowed, and he stopped before reaching the door. He inclined his head as he glanced back, as if sizing Fiora up. With a hum, he took a few calculating steps towards the young Sergeant, who peered at him warily. Lorenzo held his tongue, curious about what the crafty lawyer had up his sleeve.
With bravado Amatus announced, “You know, there are four seats in the box. For those times I have important clients that need a good schmoozing. Maybe that wouldn’t put a total stopper in young Lorenzo’s plans. Would you happen to have a spare dress that Miss Sulmare could borrow for the evening? By my estimates she’s about your size,” his head listed from side to side as he thought, “granted it would need to be something that avoids showing off too much. Why not join them, in fact? That would make things a bit more interesting.”
“Hang on, I haven’t agreed to this!” Sergeant Vates spoke up sharply bolting to her feet and slamming down her hands on her desk, startling the other people in the precinct into silence. Scowling, she dropped back into her seat. Her eyes darted towards Fiora then down at her own body as if mentally fitting her clothing on the other woman, “and I’m not even sure I would have a suitable dress for myself, nevermind someone else!” She exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes, “but... I might have something.”
“Excellent!” Amatus clapped his hands triumphantly, and led the way out the door, with a farewell to the bemused sergeant.
On the street he waited for the siblings to join him. Now out of earshot of any officers that might wander by and overhear things he would much rather they did not, he motioned to Fiora with a wry smile, “Good news for you, my dear. From my discussion with Captain Crespo, the whole ordeal at the docks is being ruled an accident, some mishap with the engines.” With the surprising turn of events that had just happened previously, she had nearly forgotten the original reason for their visit. Nearly.
“Officially that is,” he continued, “Unofficially, you have been invited by the Conexus to remain a guest in this fine city for the foreseeable future. I’m sure you understand. Now, I did glean from my dear friend Gaius that they were unable to recover any bodies from the wreckage. Therefore, if you were hoping to have a proper funeral for your dearly departed captain, I would suggest a plaque. Maybe a statue. Perhaps some of your old crew mates can attend.” Fiora frowned slightly at his rather flippant response, but nodded and made no further comment. Sensing her thoughts, Lorenzo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Amatus reached into his coat, and pulled out an envelope stamped with the embossed lettering naming the theatre as ‘Atrium Lapideis’. He held it out to Lorenzo, who cautiously took it. Amatus waved goodbye, and approached an automobile which sat idling a short distance away, “Have fun at the opera, you crazy kids! They’re showing one of my favorite stories, I hope what you’ll enjoy it!” With a creeping sense of dread, Fiora wondered what she had just gotten herself into.
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