Book 2 Chapter 7

Andrea's eyes narrowed on the man who barged into the Knights under her command.

'How does he know my name!'

The man rested his elbows on the table with his fingers interlocked, and he just stared. He didn't say anything, just simply looked upon her with a sly smile on his face.

Andrea eyed him suspiciously. "I'm sorry I'm afraid I've no idea who you a-"

"Hey Chris what are you doing here?" Thomas wasn't sure which to fear more. Christopher angering the knights, or the knights angering him. Either way would have the same outcome. Helenfel damaged, Cassandra angry, and a lot of dead Imperial Knights.

Andrea froze mid sentence upon hearing Thomas's words. A single face flashed through her mind. One that would often ware the same silly smile. It had been years. Although most people wouldn't feel it was a long time... It felt like an eternity since she had lost her family. She no longer remembered their faces. When she heard Thomas call his name Memories came flooding back, even with her eyes open she only could see Christopher.

Her lip began trembling opening and closing rapidly. When Bishop took notice of her reaction he could only assume that she was displeased with Christopher's presence.

"You heard her, she doesn't know you so kindly leave before I have these gentlemen you so rudely intruded upon toss you into the garbage outside." Bishop announced with authority. Christopher gave Bishop zero acknowledgement but simply continued to smile at Andrea.

First one tear. Then another, and another. No matter how fast she wiped her face the tears were clearly winning the fight.

"Just who do you think you're ignoring?" Bishop Growled. The two men on either side of Christopher grabbed his shoulders.

Andrea finally recovered enough to realize what was beginning to unfold in front of her,

"Touch him and you lose a hand!" She stood up and dashed around the table. Trent was one of the men that had been sitting on either side of Christopher, he immediately realized something wasn't right and let go of the boy's shoulder. The man on the other side of Christopher was not so quick on the uptake. When Andrea reached the group, without missing a step she reached out seizing the man's hand and twisting it behind his back.

"AAAH! I-I'm sorry my Lady! I won't touch him ever again I swear it to you!" The man cried out while gripping the table in front of him. He wouldn't dare to raise his hand or voice against Andrea in anger. He had seen many different occasions of the fate that would await those who angered her. 

"Wha-?" Bishop's mouth dropped open.

"Hello sister. As your one and only loving brother, I can't say I support the company you keep though." Christopher leaned in  eyes searching side to side as if he was making sure the coast was clear, and whispered loudly. "They seem to be very angry people. A gentle girl such as yourself shouldn't be seen in such company."

Pfft. 'What the hell is wrong with this kid.' Andrea began laughing. They hadn't seen each other in years, he barges into the group and says such a dumb thing with the same aloof smile he had always worn when he was younger. As she wiped away her tears and laughed they began to slowly stop and she simply smiled.

"See that's a much more suitable look. You shouldn't be walking around looking sad and angry." Christopher beamed proudly. "OOF!" It felt like he was slammed into a brick wall as Andrea lunged forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"My little brother is alive!" Although her embrace could probably kill a man Christopher only smiled and enjoyed the moment, feeling a happiness that had long been foreign to him. 'Who knows if she will still be happy I'm alive soon.'

"You haven't changed at all." She mumbled leaning her head into him. After enjoying the moment she pulled her head back and looked Christopher in the eyes. "I have to admit I'm kind of envious of you." For less then a second the aloof smile disappeared from his face while he quickly thought back on his life since their home was attacked. In the blink of an eye he was giving her the same smile.

'Must have imagined it, or maybe a tear was messing with my vision." Andrea thought to herself.

"Well like everyone I've had my ups and downs, but have no doubts I've experience my fair share of bad." Christopher smiled at his sister meekly. 'Probably more then most people would in two life times.' He thought to himself.

"The captain has a brother?"

"I thought she didn't have any family."

"Weren't they killed?"

"Shh! Don't just say it out loud." Scolded one of the knights. Andrea and Christopher both eyed the man who mentioned the murder.

"I'm sorry they're a curious bunch."

"No, it's no problem. I face questions like that quite often as well." Christopher let out a sigh. "The struggles of being someone of mystery eh?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her.

"So true.... By the gods I still can't believe this! There's so many questions and all of them are fighting to surface at once. Sorry my head is quite the mess right now." Andrea stuck her tongue out and gave herself a light bop on the head with her fist. For years she dreamed of seeing her family again. She got to see the bodies of her father and mother, but assumed Christopher was dead even though she never saw a corpse. She had even hired people to look for him, only to discover there was no records of him at all. One would have though Andrea had just made up having a brother if she wasn't so adamant about him being real.

"Haha No I understand. Although honestly I have one question above all else right now."

....

Andrea frowned. "It's about why I'm a knight right? I'll go ahead and assume you know who attacked our home right?"

"Oh I know exactly who attacked us." Again for only a moment Christopher's true feelings easily read on his face.

"Come Lord Belenkov surely you could spare one of your companions? I mean look around there's really no other choices right now."

"Did you hear that? We're just them settling. Have we lost our looks?"

"Maybe it just shows how terrible their taste is?"

"I never thought I would be an after thought."  Three very familiar voices reached Christopher's ear. His head snapped to the side following the voices.

"Well sorry fellas, the ladies don't seem interested. Besides I like these numbers." Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "Also in all honesty they're kind of taken."

"Come now sir Thomas, Our vice commander already showed you leniency, Surely you could return the kindness." One man spoke up sitting close to Thomas and placing an arm on his shoulder like they were old friends. Clearly the man thought Thomas was either lying or Thomas was the one they were with.

"I really love your makeup and is that body paint? It looks amazing on you!"

"Sure it's body paint..." Alesia gave a mocking smile.

'Well damn things are about to get interesting.' 

Thomas was now sitting in a booth having a drink was Elise, Alesia and Marielle.

"Well you've got your answer so you can leave now human." Marielle waved her hand dismissively.

"Ouch so rude, yet so beautiful. I like your dress, what's it made from?"

"Dragon scales."

"Haha cold but has a sense of humor. Is that supposed to be a metaphor for you're impenetrable. I like a challenge."

"Try to penetrate anything and I'll shove both your swords up your ass."

'But he only has one swor-..... Ooooh.' Was the only thought that popped in Christopher's head.

"Clearly we're not getting a quiet drink this way. Let's go join Chris." Smiled Elise.

Andrea hadn't given their conversation much thought but the words join Chris, definitely stuck out.

The girls all stood up and began Crossing the room.

"Man you guys ruined my odds. Hope your happy." Shrugged Thomas.

"Hey do you girls have any idea how lucky you are that we're even interested in you? We're all lords here."

"Geee never seen a lord before lucky us." Alesia threw up her hands in an exaggerated expression rolling her eyes.

"Hey!" One of the men's patience was reaching it's end. "We've been nothing but nice to you, in return you have been nothing but rude."

"I wouldn't call staring at us like a steak dinner from across the room moving closer and closer, starting to whistle, and make cat calls being nice, maybe it's a cultural difference? Maybe it's your country doesn't properly educate you? Or maybe it's simply you're all assholes who won't take the hint to leave some girls alone." Elise said sternly as she walked past.

"What did you just say!?" The knight began to stretch his hand out towards Elise, Christopher began rising to his feet, but before the knight could reach her wrist he was startled by a loud noise.

BANG!

Ding Ding.

The door the bar shot open slamming into the wall. The spectacle that walked in made every person present mouths drop wide open in both shock and horror.