An audible inhale sounded from the man, followed by a coughing fit. “I’ll do as you ask,” he sputtered. “Just don’t be late on my payment, I beg of you. You’re not the only man in Isalla with deadlines to meet.”
“Of course.” Lord Oberon’s voice had an almost unhinged pleasure entwined with it. “You do your job, and you’ll be compensated as always.”
I flicked my head up in ideation. He said, “As always.” That means he has used his services before. What could he possibly be up to with a regular usage of magic? I pressed my head to the vent once more, but all I could make out were retreating footsteps. With a bit of effort, I hobbled back to the bed and pondered what I had overheard.
Was this normal business for a court judge? Or was this something a little more under wraps? My thoughts jumped to Elias for a moment. Surely, he had an understanding as to what was going on. He was part of the meeting, was he not?
I’ll simply have to ask him when he returns. He would tell me if something was amiss, right?
chapter fourteen
The day passed slowly with no further excitement. By the time supper rolled around, I was up on my feet, gingerly walking on my sprain. Lying in bed all day had been dreadfully boring, so I decided to test the limits of my mobility.
Despite my impression that dinner was still ongoing, Elias waltzed through the door. His expression hardened as he caught sight of me on my feet. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he shushed me with a single word.
“Sit.” He sternly gestured at the padded bench. “If you want to get back on your feet so badly, then you need to rest,” he scolded me lightly while pulling up a second chair to prop my foot.
“I just got so bored,” I whined. “And honestly, I didn’t think you would return so soon.” I lowered my voice, but he still caught it. I gave him my most innocent smile, but he only narrowed his scornful look.
“You weren’t the only one who was bored,” he replied mockingly. “I had to sit through four meetings with my father today, and not a single one made a lick of sense.” He slumped dramatically onto a small wooden chair.
“What do you mean by that?” I sat up a little straighter, intrigued.
“Just what I said,” he stated coolly, a curious look in his eye. “The entire assembly of meetings was nothing but nonsense. They all acted as proper as an established businessman would anticipate from a client, but every word out of their mouths was utter foolishness.”
“I’m not quite certain I understand,” I admitted with a sideways look. Internally, I was longing to ask more direct questions, but I wanted to hear his viewpoint first.
“Well, for example, the first meeting consisted of a man and his wife,” He leaned forward on his chair. “They came cleanly dressed and clearly prepared to talk business, but they never did. Instead, they spoke only of their upcoming getaway to the Drancos kingdom, and the wife daydreamed about the dresses she would wear,” he scoffed.
“That does sound strange. Did your father accomplish any actual business with them?” I gripped at my skirt, hoping he would answer my question by explaining what his father’s business actually was. A lingering eerie feeling tugged at the back of my mind as I awaited his response.
“That’s the most irritating part,” Elias groaned while leaning back in his chair. “He didn’t do a single thing to steer them on track. As a matter of fact, he urged them to tell him more about their travel plans, and even made wardrobe recommendations for the wife. His other meetings weren’t much different. I honestly don’t understand the purpose of his business or even if he has one. I’m beginning to believe these side projects are just an excuse to catch up with old friends.” He let out an irritated huff before rising to his feet.
So Elias didn’t know his father’s business, either? That was certainly an odd way to train your future heir.I took in a deep breath, gathering my confidence. “Elias…” the word came out timidly, “you don’t think your father could be hiding something, do you?” I bit my tongue, nervous that I might have said something that could be deemed offensive.
“I wouldn’t think so... Why do you ask?” He looked to me in honest confusion.
I took a deep breath. “Well… It’s nothing, really.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, not certain how to proceed. “I’ve just noticed a lot of secrecy around your father’s business. It seems no one truly knows what it is, and he gets rather defensive about it amongst those involved.” My memories replayed all of Lord Oberon’s intense conversations with Lawrence.
“I understand what you mean,” Elias pressed a hand to his chin, “but he’s always been like this. Although lately, he has been taking on more clients, so perhaps it’s placed a lot of stress upon him.” He shrugged. “Maybe he has taken on too much work with both his new clients and his court position.”
“I guess that’s part of what I’m curious about,” I continued. “Why would a wealthy, high-ranking member of court require a second business? Does his position as a court judge not pay well enough to support your family’s lifestyle?”
Elias remained quiet, his eyes narrowing, then widening as thoughts presumably entered his mind. I watched patiently as he fought to find the right words.
“You appear to have a point,” he replied in a distant voice and furrowed his brows. “Perhaps he just likes to keep busy? Or maybe he’s more materialistic than I already thought him to be. I suppose it is odd, but I don’t necessarily see anything problematic with it.” His features relaxed after coming to a self-resolved conclusion.
“There’s one other question I have...” I swallowed hard. Somehow, I felt afraid of his answer. “Do you know if your father employs any mages?”
Elias gave me a mystified look. “None. He’s a court judge who most commonly casts judgment on mages who have wrongfully used their abilities. Even if he wanted to hire a mage, I doubt any would dare to work with him. He has quite the reputation for being biased against them.”
This time it was my turn to look puzzled.
“Elias.” I caught his gaze intently. “Your father spoke with a mage this afternoon. I overheard the entire exchange in the parlor. I never heard any names, but he must have been one of the business partners your father met with today. Did you not know he was a mage?” I held his eyes as they slowly shifted through phases of disbelief, shock, and realization.
“Mr. Granger...” He sounded awestruck. “He wore a cap. Any silver in his hair would have been covered.” His eyes darkened. “Why wouldn’t Father tell me? I’m supposed to be learning his trade, whatever it is. Why keep me in the dark? And what would he need the aid of a mage for in the first place?”
I watched solemnly as his expression shifted to hurt. “I’m sorry, Elias,” I sympathized softly. “I’ll tell you everything I heard.”