Page 9 of Frederick
Frederick’s gaze was piercing. “I do. What of it? Are you implying something?”
“Not that it is any of your business, but no. Only that I’m nice and not rude. Ask Warwick. I helped him while he was in Venice. Not that it matters too much at this point since the council believes I’m the owner of some logistics company that I have never heard of. What is it that you wanted to talk about?” It was true, I was usually quite nice. But I was irritated, and at this point, I figured if I just talked to the man, I could go on my way and return to my search of places to live in Barcelona.
“Do you not want a One?” Frederick asked.
It took quite a bit of effort to not react to what he’d just asked me. For so many decades I’d wanted nothing but. I’d searched for my One as much as I could, but when your coven master had a tendency to not allow the coven’s members to go on holiday often, that left you with having to hope that your One found you somehow.
“At this point, I’m indifferent,” I told him. “I desperately wanted a One and family when I was younger, but that was a long time ago. I’m old now, and more than ready to finally settle down in one final place and just exist. I don’t need a One or children in order to do that. Just somewhere that I can call home and feel safe and welcome. I had thought this might be the place, but I’m beginning to believe that somewhere else would be more fitting.”
Frederick leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You don’t feel safe here?” He asked. “Master Arthur is an amazing coven master. I cannot believe you wouldn’t feel safe or welcome here.”
I shrugged. “He isn’t a bad coven master. I just find myself missing Europe. I would also like to be able to put all of the mess with my birth coven behind me. I don’t believe I will be able to completely do that here.”
“You said you don’t need a One or children. So are you saying you do not wish to discuss our future together?”
I narrowed my eyes at Frederick. “There truly is no us, Frederick. I could accept you not acknowledging me when we first met because you were working. But I cannot accept my One thinking so little of me that he would believe I was capable of doing whatever it is that I’ve done. Owning a logistics company? Seriously? That’s why the council came all the way here? To ask me if I owned a certain company?”
“That’s not the only thing, no, but I do understand why you would be frustrated with regards to that. The questions needed to be asked in person, so we could see your reaction as well as your aura when they were asked.”
I nodded. That wasn’t difficult to assume. We were warlocks, and as such, we spent a good deal of our time checking out the auras of others around us.
“Good. I’m glad we understand one another,” I said as I stood to leave the room. Frederick was quick though, and in a blink, he was in front of me, keeping me from reaching the door.
“We don’t understand each other,” Frederick said. “In fact, I’m probably even more confused at the moment than I was an hour ago. Tell me what I’ve done to warrant your frustration and irritation toward me. I’ve only just met you today, and although I know it has happened in the past, I didn’t believe I would have to deal with a One that seemed to detest me before I even got to know him.”
I blinked several times before I shook my head. “Yes, well, I never thought I would be gifted a One who quite vocally told the coven master that he did not wish to claim me because I was of questionable character,” I spat out. Immediately I wished I had kept my poise because Frederick’s eyes widened while his face paled. “I do not believe we have anything further to discuss. Good luck with your assignment, Frederick. I wish you a happy life.”
I was able to maneuver around Frederick now and once I reached the door, I left without a backwards glance. I didn’t expect to see Master Arthur standing against the hallway opposite his door, just out of eyesight of it though. He held out his arm, gesturing for me to continue on, and when I did, he fell into step beside me. I stumbled for a step, but quickly caught myself. Of course I wasn’t going to get away from it all that easily. I took a deep breath, resigning myself to having to discuss this with Master Arthur.
I was a bit surprised when he started for the stairs. I was close in height, and it was easy enough for me to keep up with the coven master, but when he turned left at the top of the stairway, I stopped. Was I to follow? Or was he simply going to his quarters to be with his family?
“I feel we should talk about things,” Master Arthur said, answering my questions.
I sighed out loud, but followed. He had been nothing but kind to me, and had opened his coven to us, offering a place to call home.
I had never been to Master Arthur’s private quarters, and I knew that him inviting me into them was a privilege. I also realized that Master Arthur was by far a more powerful warlock than I ever dreamed of being, and he knew I was no real threat to him or his family.
“I feel it would be best if I explained a few things to you about Frederick and his family,” Master Arthur said just outside the door to his suite of rooms. “Once you hear what I have to say, then I feel you will be in a better position to make a decision about whether or not you accept his claim.”
I nodded, but inside I had already made up my mind. I knew that I would never forget what Frederick had said. Those words already lived in my memories, and were still playing on repeat.They were fresh, and like older wounds, they would eventually fade. I wasn’t at that point yet though.
“Would you like something to drink?” Master Arthur asked as we entered his suite.
“Thank you, no. I appreciate the offer though,” I said as I quickly looked around the entryway. His suite, as expected, was much different than the one I had been given. I had been told that a few years ago the manor house had undergone massive renovations and the suites were expanded to become two room suites for the unmated members and small apartments for the mated ones. But Master Arthur’s was like a house within the manor house.
“We’re going to go in here and talk,” he said, indicating a room to the left. I entered, quickly discovering it appeared to be a home office. This one though, had a small, simple desk and chair unlike the office downstairs. I would say it was used only for quick things, as the laptop on the desk didn’t appear to be any more substantial than the desk itself. But he didn’t go toward the desk. Master Arthur indicated the two oversized, overstuffed leather chairs. I went to the one closest to me, and after I sat, Master Arthur did the same.
I sat there, waiting for him to start the conversation, because he’d invited me and had mentioned how he wanted to tell me about Frederick. Not that I felt it was going to change my feelings toward my One.
“I’m going to start this conversation saying that I hope you will keep an open mind about everything.”
I nodded after Master Arthur stopped, and seemed to be waiting for some sort of response from me.
“Good. I went to first tell you that I have known Frederick for a very long time. He is a wonderful man, and you could not ask for a more loving and loyal One.” Arthur paused for a moment before continuing. “That being said, I know that what he spokeout loud earlier he deeply regrets. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and I know that despite what his words indicated, he truly does want a his One and family.”
“You say that, but there is no way I will ever be able to unhear what he said about me and the possibility, and thought of being mated by someone such as me. Unfortunately, for me, just like everyone else in this room, I cannot change the coven I was born into. That was completely my parents doing.”
“Very true. Just as Frederick cannot change the fact that he is the grandchild of one of my father’s original eight. Throughout his life, he has had to fight the stigma that comes from such a family. Just as I have. There is an expectation whether wanted or not. I am the son of the created warlock. My father is simply that. My father. But growing up, I was always looked at differently. Sure Frederick did not experience that to the same level that my brothers and I did. There was still always some greater expectation from him though and after so many centuries of always having that, one begins to think a different way.”
