What Makes A Monster - Chapter 9

Olivia looked up again from her notebook and stared at Zuran, incredulously, “You’re an idiot, do you know that?”

“You like to say that to everyone.” he pointed out.

“Yes and in your case I really mean it.”

“Do tell, what did I do this time?”

“The old hag told you to go watch a show and you just came to do that? No questions asked?”

“I asked my questions, she answered them. She said this entertainment was a bonus at your expense. So what’s going on? Who is this new person?”

“How can you be so shrewd but at the same time be such an irrevocable idiot?” Olivia squinted at him and shook her head. She sighed and refocused on her scribbles.

Imyra thought it was about time to make her presence known and give him a hint. It didn’t take long for her to understand what ‘entertainment’ Chennae could have meant. She was starting to get a grasp of Chennae’s humour. She spoke up with a cool and aloof voice, “My name is Imyra.”

Meanwhile, Zuran smiled charmingly and greeted Imyra, “Is that so. Nice to meet you, Imyra.”

Imyra did not return the greeting nor the smile, “I see. As for me, I cannot yet ascertain whether this meeting is something for me to be pleased about or not, Lord Zuran. Fe Durstan.”

Creases deepened on his midnight blue forehead, “How did you…” he stared at her for a few moments and suddenly seemed to notice her eyes and face, “Oh, fuck. Oh, Fuckety fuck fuck. Oh shit.”

“What colourful language you have there.”

“Are you…who I think you are?”

“That depends on who you think I am, but your guess is very likely correct.”

“Why…” Zuran started and glared at Olivia, “was I not informed about this?”

Olivia looked confused at the sudden hostile attention, “Informed about what?”

“That a member of the fucking Imperial family is here at the estate! And not just any old Imperial, it’s the bloody Empress’ daughter!”

“Oh, that. I don’t know. How come you didn’t know? Everybody knows. It’s old news now. That time when I brought back the wrong person, and you had to go in my stead to find that old man. It was her I picked up instead.”

Imyra murmured as she repeated, “The ‘fucking Imperial family’, the ‘bloody empress’ daughter’.” She laughed, “Oh Neira, dearest uncle, it is rather diverse, is it not? Your vocabulary, I mean.”

“Uncle?”

Olivia’s question wasn’t answered as Zuran stood mutely and unmoving. She jumped to her own conclusions.

“Zuran, you were part of the Imperial family? You are a prince? That’s kinda… hilarious.”

“I’m not.” He forced out before turning an enchanting smile at Imyra, “Your Highness, what brings you to this end of the woods? It has been a while, hasn’t it? How do you do? Please refrain from following your foolish uncle’s example and repeating such vulgarities.”

“Just give it up, Uncle. There’s a limit to how stupid your pretty face can make people.” Olivia interjected. “Your Highness, Prince Zuran. Pffft.” She burst out laughing.

“I told you, I’m not a prince.” He glared at Olivia and corrected irritably. Why he looked so offended at the notion, puzzled Imyra.

“But you’re her uncle.”

“From her father’s side. My brother married into the Imperial family.”

“That still makes you a scion of some pretty high up there aristocratic family. If I’m right about the way these things go.” Her expression became mocking, “How the hell did you turn out like this with a family like that?”

“Shut up, what do you know?”

Imyra watched their exchange. Did they forget about her again? She was sitting right here.

“You know, this, Zuran, is exactly why I call you an irrevocable idiot. This is what happens when you take Chennae’s offers to go somewhere expecting to watch a ‘show’. It’s like you’re some kind of newbie who doesn’t know Chennae at all.” She laughed loudly, “It’s like you’re Imyra expecting that hag to be some kind of philanthropic sage.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who stole Chennae’s druggy food and wreaked havoc around the estate while crying in self-pity just yesterday.”

“Uncle,” Imyra’s cool voice interrupted. She felt, it was about time to make her presence recognised. “Instead of focusing on bickering with Olivia over who is more foolish, I would appreciate it, if you explained your presence here.” Imyra’s spoke in an impervious and expectant voice, like an empress demanding an explanation. It was almost a rite of passage for younger Imperials to copy, practice and perfect the Empress’ demeanour and tone of voice. It had a tendency to leak out now and then. “Your presence in this Reaper’s forest, in this Residence of the Ancient Witch is perplexing, to say the least. Unless…” she frowned and gave him a suspicious look as she lowered her voice in incredulity, no longer sounding the least like any empress, “you really did go the way of the gigolo, as everyone expected you to? Are you Chennae’s lover?”

Olivia again howled in laughter while Zuran’s jaw dropped open, speechless.