Tale of Four

Slamming the door shut, Tristan locked it behind him and even considered putting a chair in front to tighten the security. Annabell looked at him with great confusion, wondering why he was acting so strange, but could tell he needed her comfort and landed on his head, pecking him so he would notice that he could stroke her.

’Why did it feel like he said he found you? ’ That gaze, that wasn’t just dissecting me, that was the look of a predator who found its prey.’ Tristan grabbed his head and dug his fingers into the side of it, ’Why is he looking for me. I shouldn’t have been known to him. I’m nobody.’ Taking rapid, deep breaths, Tristan collapsed to the floor.

If they had only locked gaze, he wouldn’t be so scared, but the knowledge that Brandon was after him, that he had been looking for him. It was soemthing he couldn’t handle. ’Why, why, why. Am I another threat? Is it because of Elias and Mabel? Edmund maybe. Why was he looking for me?’ Tristan screamed in his mind as he thought over every single reason as to why Brandon could be after him.

All of them made sense to him, but one stood out like a sore thumb. Reaching up and slowly taking Annabell off his head, he held the bird out in front of him and stared into her clear white eyes, the bird tilting her head after realising he was stroking her yet. ”Annabell?” Tristan slowly asked, gulping, ”The other day. When I asked you to go to the Chancellor’s room. Did he see you?”

Annabell tilted her head the other way, ”I dunno. I just waited as you asked. I did look in his room to see if he was there, however. He was.” Tristan felt his heart stop for a second as he nervously laughed. If Brandon knew he was getting close to Elias, that was normal. Just another opportunist Princeling trying to curry favour. But if he thought he was spying on him.

Gulping, Tristan let go of Annabell as she flew around, wondering what was wrong. However, she suddenly stopped, landing on Tristan, her head snapping towards the open window. With a fierce glare, she flew over to it, using he beak as a weapon to pierce whatever was there.

Tristan followed and saw a silver creature take shape as it jumped away from Annabell, its tongue shooting out towards her. Annabell jumped out the window and quickly flew back in, placing herself between Tristan and the chameleon, spreading her wings, trying to look like a threat. If she were any other bird, it might have worked, but instead, she looked like a small cub trying to be threatening.

”I saw this one, Tristan. On that man’s back in the hallway.” The lizard opened its eyes and stared at the bird and Tristan before turning invisible again, blending in with the colours around it. Annabell’s head slowly turned towards the window, obviously following it. ”It left.”

”Annabell.” Tristan clenched his fists to stop his shaking hands. ”Can you follow it and give it a message for me?” Annabell looked at Tristan and nodded, ”Tell it, I want to meet the Chancellor tonight. Meet me in the library.” Annabell hesitated for a moment to leave Tristan alone, but seeing his pleading eyes relented and flew out the window, returning after a minute.

”Done.” Happily saying she fell into his hands, wanting to be praised for her work. Tristan obliged, petting her whilst staring into space, a stiff smile on his face. It was dangerous to meet Brandon; he knew that much, but more than that, it was dangerous if he believed him his enemy.

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Tristan stood next to the candlelight and looked around the empty library. Even though it was usually dead at the time he chose, today it felt more so; the occasional servant or guard that usually came by never appeared. ’He prepared in advance.’

Annabell flew around his side before landing on the table before him, her head slowly watching in empty space, turning occasionally as she watched soemthing that wasn’t there. However, she suddenly jumped and flew to Tristan’s side and landed on his shoulder, panic in her eyes, looking behind him.

Tristan jumped up and turned around, seeing Brandon standing behind him with a thin smile, his gaze through the monocle fixed on him. His body intincltvly tensed up as he saw the man, looking like a wraith out of holy texts, the candle light casting a long shadow into the darkness, only his monocle clearly visible as it reflected light.

”Your bird is very perspective.” Brandon stepped forward, ”Unlike you, young Princeling.” Tristan’s body, on instinct, lowered itself, his lip twitching but finally forming a polite smile that hid him.

”I greet the Chancellor.” Saying softly, he didn’t dare peek up as he would usually do, instead holding his form until Brandon gave him the right to rise. Brandon chuckled and took a seat, the Chameleon climbing up his body and resting itself on his shoulder. The summon stared at Tristan’s own, ignoring the man.

”So,” Brandon spoke, ”Why have you called me, Young Princeling?” Brandon asked, not allowing him to rise. Tristan’s hand shook. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down, failing to do so.

”I wished to clear up a misunderstanding,” Tristan said, nearly tripping over his words. The perfect cover that he had lived by for so many years was crumbling before the man’s penetrating gaze.

Tristan heard him fiddle with his monocle, tapping the armrest in a rhythmic pattern afterwards. ”Is that so?” Bradon said slowly, each word being dragged out longer than the last. ”And what is it?”

”I wasn’t spying on you,” Tristan said, his voice louder than before. Brandon stayed silent for a second, softly chuckling.

”Rise and take a seat.” Tristan let out a deep breath, feeling like he had just cleared an invisible hurdle that would have seen him dead if he got it wrong. Slowly looking up, he met the man’s gaze, quickly averted his eyes, not wishing to be read, and sat down.

Looking at Brandon’s body instead, he saw his finger bounce as the Lizard looked up at one of his eyes, blinking in an unnatural pattern when the tapping stopped. ’He is having a conversation with it?’

Brandon didn’t speak, instead watching Tristan without a clear intent, his gaze now able to freely take him apart, ”Why do you assume I thought you were spying on me?” After minutes of silence, Brandon finally asked as his tapping and the lizards’ blinking stopped.

”Annabell was only following my orders that day. That if our connection was cut, to tell you that Prince Elias had killed me. There was no other intent behind it.” Although part of him wished to lie, Tristan felt there was no point. Before that gaze that sat atop a soft smile, he felt nothing could be hidden.

Looking at Brandon, he saw, for the first time, a slight shock. It was followed by a laugh, a genuine one that came from his soul. ”Really? But why do you assume I’m here because I thought you were spying on me?” He asked the question again, his gaze sharpening, cutting the laugh off. Touching his monocle, he adjusted it, making the candle light reflect in a way that blocked his eye from being seen.

’He testing me?’ Tristan gulped. Although he was terrified, part of him couldn’t help but feel ecstatic at the test. This want, like when Elias, Mabel, or Mary tested him. The person before him was a genuine player in the realm, someone who had spent years advising a King and now did so with another. It was soemthing he rarely got. Even if he found the scheming and plots of the court disgusting, when he took part, he couldn’t help but enjoy it.

’If my plans with Elias and Mabel fail, maybe...’ As he thought to himself, he saw Brandon’s lips curling a little, ”I’m asking a question, and you’re getting lost in thought, young Princeling.” His voice was smooth as he said that, hiding any intention of his true feelings. Tristan tensed up and realised he was delaying for too long.

”I thought about it.” Tristan said, the words making his body relax, ”Why would you look at me like you did in the hallway, acting as if you found...” Tristan paused, ”Forgive my rudeness, but as if you found your prey.” Brandon leaned back, waiting. Tristan didn’t understand why he suddenly felt so relaxed; his crafted image of a humble princeling vanished, replaced by the blank look that was real. ”There is no way Elias or Mabel would trust you with our meeting, and the nameless Princeling getting close to them doesn’t warrant your attention. So I narrowed it down to that.”

There was silence, an uncomfortably long one as Brandon stared, unblinking, his eyes much like the reptiles on his shoulder that felt cold and unfeeling, hiding his real thoughts behind it. Tristan didn’t dare speak, letting Brandon play his mind game and falling into it.

”Is that so?” Bradon finally spoke after what felt like an eternity. ”You’re nothing, how Hank describes you. Is that becuase you keep him at arm’s length, or are you scared right now?” Brandon said, leaning forward, ”And you gaze. Tell me, why are you so cautious without ambition? It makes no sense.” Tristan tensed once more, ”Is it out of a desire to live?”

Brandon took a small pause, watching every one of Trisatan’s micro movements, trying to find his tell, ”Is it out of fear because of how Walter ended up. Is it becuase you don’t know how to gain power? Is it becuase you are playing the long game?” His questions shot out rapidly, leaving no room for Tristan to answer, instead opening him and revealing more as his mind spun, trying to find an answer to each one, ”Is it in service of a higher power? A God you serve? A command you must follow?”

Bradon paused and smiled. His finger tapped the armrest. Annabell shot up, spreading her wings as warmth spread over Tristan. The chameleon’s tongue shot out towards the bird, wrapping itself around her as Brandon rose, his glare icy-cold, a hidden but deep murderous intent within it. ”The eyes don’t lie, Young Princeling.” Brandon stepped forward, grabbing Tristan’s chin. Despite the warmth Annabell’s power washed over his body, his frozen touch broke through, ”Are you serving the one called Lady Death?”