Chapter 567: Tea, Anyone?
The parlor room was filled with silence save for the occasional noise as someone drank their tea. Holo and Melantha sat on a sofa. Melantha sat upright, her lilac eyes occasionally glancing at the windows and the doors, checking for any weaknesses or perhaps for intruders. Holo was far more relaxed, she lounged on her side of the sofa, foot propped atop the low wooden table.
Her son, Atlas, and his wife, Una Noir, sat across from the sisters. Atlas had a smile on his face, reminiscent of Holo’s notorious smirk. Una sat with her legs closed, her hands on her lap, fingers laced together. Her expression was calm, polite, only taking a sip of tea when Holo or Melantha did.
On the third sofa, at the end of the table, facing the others, sat Stryg and Tauri. Stryg shook his leg incessantly subconsciously. Tauri placed a calming hand on his lap and he stopped. Still, her touch did little to calm his nerves.
He didn’t want to be here. There were too many emotions attached to this place. After Widow’s Crag, he had spent most of the next year in the Noir manor. Training with Lord Elzri, or one of his personal teachers, Professor Ismene, Vayu Glaz, Cornelius Rotrusk… He had just been informed a few minutes earlier that Cornelius had died in battle.
The dwarf was strange, always talking about some nonsense or another, Stryg never really understood what he meant. But Cornelius was a good man. He had taught Stryg chromatic Green and for that, Stryg would always be grateful. Now he was gone, like so many others and the only one who supposedly knew what had happened was Loh.
His former mentor and the first person in Hollow Shade to truly give a shit about him wasn’t even here. Holo had told him she had invited Loh, but he doubted she’d even show up. This place carried too many memories, not just for himself, but her.
“Thank you for having me, Lady Holo,” said a meek voice.
Stryg glanced at the last person in the room, sitting by herself. Dolores Noir had always been admired by noble society. Though she had no magic she was still the first daughter of House Noir. A socialite known for throwing some of the most extravagant parties in all of Hollow Shade.
The few times Stryg had seen her she seemed confident, a tall lithe beauty that would catch the eye of anyone who she passed by. But now she seemed withdrawn and though before she was lean, now she seemed emaciated. Dark bags hung under her grey eyes. Her right hand trembled ever so slightly as she held her tea cup.