Episode 200: Talks (Meldrick)

Back in the Dells, Aadya wanted to see Meldrick. She’d called him by dragon as soon as he had transported back to the Dells, from dinner in Sylem.

Dinner had gone well, he thought. Annatto was cooperating, at least. He hoped Annatto would find himself settled with Rhyss and Emily. For now, he was struggling to take the steps to the room Aadya was delivering in.

Her message had been urgent. Was this the moment when she would ask for him back? Except she had married Greg, with elixir. Would he want her back?

He stood before the door, which was far too close to the conference rooms. She knew how long it should take him to get there, and that was not long enough to find the right words for her.

He didn’t have an answer for her. He wasn’t sure how he would feel gazing on her almost naked body again. For too long, they had been together but not enough for one another. For too long, he had been not enough for her.

Meldrick took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” her sweet, melodic, voice rang out. It was her false voice, her I need to perform voice.

He turned the knob and pushed the door into the room. Inside, the lights were dim. Aadya was propped up in a bed and Greg sat in a chair beside her, her hand held in his.

How, in such a short period of time, had she fallen so far for Greg and yet after years never been able to look so connected to him

He smiled, a smile as fake as her tone. “How are you?”

She shrugged. “Stuck.” She shifted her body as best she could, and Greg helped prop her up more with a pillow behind her lower back. She was clothed, in a gown but still enough for him to ignore her state.

Her state looked painful and unnatural for her. She needed to be anywhere but stuck in a pillow mound. She needed air and light and earth. Water, if possible. Nature was a must though. And the eggs. Most births he opened a window and Apa’s nose peeked into the bathroom while the eggs hatched beside Aadya as she birthed.

He ignored it. It wasn’t his job, and however he had messed it up she had made it clear this was her choice. Not just letting him be with Gi but moving on herself.

“Spence has his campaign dinner tonight and I don’t think he should go,” she stated.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” he asked. It was his job to be the king while she was away. Labor counted.

“I’m ensuring I’m around next week,” Aadya retorted.

He almost laughed, but her hands were folded over themselves and she wasn’t smiling. All the power of the dragon line and she was now, while in labor, worried about Sylem. She was afraid, that much was clear to him.

Instead of speaking for herself, Greg spoke. “Spence is likely to protest some of the opinions at the dinner.”

It was his job to have opinions and express them at dinners set for opinion-explaining. Meldrick tried not to roll his eyes.

Aadya watched him.

She hated asking for favors she knew she was capable of, especially when she offloaded many things she wasn’t skilled at. This, she was incapable of because she was in labor.

He tried not to look as irritated as he was; she had luck, she knew things he didn’t, but he was a capable king.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t make it,” he replied, because fighting with her while she was in this state was useless. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Not at the moment,” Aadya replied, her tension gone from her shoulders.

Her strength… not that he should miss it. Giana was strong in many the same ways. She was not as likely to detain her son-in-law over a little anxiety. Giana needed him in ways Aadya refused.

He shouldn’t be comparing.

“Who would you like to have write your eulogy?” he asked Greg.

Greg laughed, Aadya tried to look innocent. It made Greg smile more and Meldrick tried to focus on anything else, but he couldn’t.

“Aadya,” Greg declared. “Revenge.”

Mel looked to Aadya. “We’ll be using it as a confession as well.”

“Spence might take it as a warning, not as a prevention,” Greg added.

Meldrick laughed.

Meldrick intended for Spence to lack the opportunity to protest. “We’ll see.” He turned to go and stopped before he could reach the door. “Good luck,” he said to Greg. “Your stories of werewolves that scare people… Nothing on Aadya.”

He could see Aadya bite back a laugh. “Out, Mel. Go arrest Spence or whatever you’re planning.”

He lifted his hand so she sort of couldn’t see him whisper to Greg. “And she’s in the early stages of labor.”

He slipped out before Aadya could say something else, and was left with the sound of Greg laughing.

Free of the small room, he took another deep breath.

The next stop on Mel’s agenda was to find Konrad. Mel made his way to the dungeon, wishing he had Gi by his side for this. He’d spent too much of the day away from her, and as soon as he was done dealing with the Spence issue he would be near her again.

Even if Aadya couldn’t see it, if no one in the palace saw the validity of his position, at least he could.

Belief in your own power was most of what made a king or queen.

On his way to the dungeon, he stopped by his office and made a quick list of some supplies. Spence would be arrested, and kept in the highest security cell, but he would also be comfortable. Mel listed video games and art supplies for Spence. It was his wedding night after all.

He wondered what Gi was doing now. The light of the moon would be gleaming through their new apartment. He wondered if she suspected it existed yet.

Instead of Konrad, Corban met him in the guard’s room. He sat at the desk with a dozen cameras filling screens and a deck of cards spread across the surface.

“Bored?” he asked as he closed the door to the door behind him.

Aside from Spence and Ach, Corban was the number one guard. More than either, Corban knew what it took to run the military. He had earned his rank by being Talise’s head guard for years as well as being skilled and intelligent.

Mel knew not to underestimate Corban, that ensuring he knew he was valued was important.

Corban put his cards down. “Need something?”

“Keep this discreet.” He handed the list to Corban and turned to go.

“When do you need this by?”

“Within an hour.”

“I’ll have it ready.” Corban left the cards on the table, ready for the next chance he had to play again.

They both left and walked side by side in silence, until they parted ways near the dining hall.

He called Niels to meet him in the hall outside of his apartment.

He was moments away from seeing Giana.

“What did you need?” Niels asked before Meldrick had even finished walking up to him.

Meldrick put his hand on Niels’s arm and led him into an empty room. He shut the door behind them.

Niels glanced back at the door then to Mel.

“Can you handle an arrest?” Mel asked.

Niels’s eyes widened. “Yes. Probably. Who?”

“Spence. Corban is preparing the cell.”

Niels’s eyes widened now. Meldrick liked eyes, he felt like they told a richer story than most other body language. Niels’s body was too relaxed for the tense surprise his eyes told of.

“Why are we messing with Spence?”

Mel wasn’t sure, but he thought many within the palace underestimated the genius behind Niels’s band and relaxed nature.

He was, in Mel’s eyes, one of the smartest men he had met in terms of raw intuition. It riveled luck magic, when Niels wasn’t too busy over thinking things. Often, he saw the capabilities of Talise’s chosen king in moments of action, not moments of deep thinking and debate. Though, Niels was capable of excelling in those areas as well.

Meeting Rhyss, and now Niels, knowing Spence… He was proud of Talise. She may not have noticed the trend, but she had chosen to date capable men with high levels of intelligence, and each had their own strengths.

It was impressive, even if on accident, given the upcoming attack. Next to one another, all of Talise’s heirs would bring something unique to the table.

“If he goes to the dinner, he may start a war. Ach will think its a joke. I want you and a team of four or five guards to approach him. I want it to look formal, real.”

Niels smiled and nodded, his mind preparing for the upcoming task.

“Sure. Let Talise know I’m busy for a few?”

“I will.”

“You’re the best,” Niels replied.

“I believe you are, in this case,” Mel joked.

“That’s because you haven’t seen Talise yet.”

Talise. She was in labor. Mel took a normal breath, though he desired to react. Niels didn’t need to see anything.

At least he could be there for one of the important women in his life. Talise, his daughter because he was given the privilege of raising her, would be an acceptable detour on his way to seeing Gi.

Mel sent a message to Giana, by dragon, that he would be further delayed and loved her. He hoped Lucian would be able to convey the emotions well. He made his way to the rooms Zero had taken over, and prepared himself to see Talise this time.

He knocked, a familiar cadence filling his night. Then he opened the door a little. “May I come in?”

“Where’s Niels?” Talise growled.

“He has a quick errand to run. Would you like to hear about it?”

Talise’s forehead was beaded in sweat and her body looked angry in bed. More angry than Aadya’s.

He wondered for a moment if Aadya had refused the bath  because her luck knew what Talise would experience, and she wanted to ensure Talise wasn’t alone in it.

That was dumb, because Talise was two rooms away and would never know.

He was not going to tell Aadya that, tempting as it was.

“What happened?” Talise asked.

Meldrick moved to the edge of the bed and sat on one of the wicker chairs Indigo must have moved from her apartment. Mel motioned for her Talise to turn away from him. She did, and he massaged her spine while he told her about Sylem and the dinner.

“Rhyss adopted a kid?” she asked, her head turned back toward him.

“He did.”

“Why. He has kids.”

“Why do you think Spence and Acheron adopted? Spence had kids.”

“But Rhyss just found out he has kids.”

“Annatto is twelve. It won’t detract his attention much.”

Talise coiled inward as a contraction passed.

Once she relaxed, and her breathing had steadied, she said, “Okay.”
“We’re – I’m – proud of you, Talise. You are facing your future with a braver face than I would have.”

“Well you don’t look that scared,” she chided.

He laughed under his breath. “Niels will be back soon.”

“You know it’s their wedding night.”

“I am aware, as is Aadya. We’ll have to provide them with a consolation for the spoiled evening.”

Talise relaxed. “Yeah, like a real honeymoon.”

They talked about ideas that Ach and Spence might enjoy while he continued to use magic to alleviate the pain in the base of her spine. Once Niels was back, and had studied what Meldrick was doing for a moment, Meldrick left them.

He had one last stop. He headed to Rhyss’s house in Sylem to inform him Spence would not be there.

“Rhyss?” Meldrick said, once he had found them in the hall adjusting ties.

Annatto jumped. Rhyss turned. “Oh, hey. We were just getting ready for dinner.”

“Spence will be unable to attend,” Mel informed them.

“Oh.” Rhyss can his hands down his pants. “Okay. That’s okay, we can figure something out. Thanks for letting me know.”

Mel could have left, but something made him want to stay, to ensure Rhyss understood what was at stake.

“There’s a concern that this dinner may start a war. Be cautious in your use of language.”

“Should I avoid it too?”

With a single word, Annatto pulled his tie loose.

“That’s your choice. Your dad and I can accompany you, if you want.”

“I…” Rhyss looked at Annatto and then in the hallway mirror. “Maybe. I need to talk to him. You’re free?”

Mel didn’t groan, despite his desire to. He was free enough to be available to others.

“Free enough to ensure a war doesn’t start,” he replied.

“Okay, yeah. Let me just talk to my dad.”

Annatto looked down at the tie and began fiddling with the knots again. “Is there a dinner thing or not?”

Meldrick didn’t want to interfere with Rhyss’s growing role as guardian, but he was curious what Annatto would do if pushed.

“Do you enjoy challenges, Annatto?”

“Maybe.”

“There is a dinner. It may precipitate a war. If you can help avoid such an outcome, maybe someday this can be your country. One you earn it.”

Annatto’s eyebrows furrowed in thought, his hand caught on the tie mid-twist.

“I’ll let you know within a half hour?” Rhyss said.

“Thanks.”

Meldrick left, free to see Giana.

But not free enough to give her his evening. He hoped she wouldn’t mind, that she understood how much he loved her and wanted to spend time with her.

He hoped she understood how important she was to him.

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