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Peter, Commander of the Southern Barracks of the Brotherhood of Light, picked up his goblet. As he swirled the wine in it, he struggled not to openly grin at the two people seated across from him. They were both a step away from wringing each other’s throats. It was fantastic.
He looked at the man first. Enormous, muscular, with shaggy hair in desperate need of a cut, and piercing blue-grey eyes, there is barely contained menace in his clenched jaw and flexing hand. Gabriel Belmont was furious. That in itself was nothing of note. Normally attractive and reasonable, the knight’s fierce intelligence and hot-temper has transformed his face into a scowling, belligerent sneer. Peter has known him since Belmont was found on the Brotherhood’s doorstep as a tiny babe. He had a hand in training the knight, and likes to think, in raising him. Peter has been through a lot with Gabriel.
He routinely got him out of trouble as a youth. Gabriel’s intelligence, and his temper, meant that there was plenty. There was one particular time of note, when three of the trainees were led by Gabriel in a prank on Father Thomas. They left a severed lycan head, complete with its dick in the mouth, on the priest’s bed. Peter had been a captain at that time, and took the brunt of the priest’s wrath when he ‘failed’ to find the perpetrators. Frankly, Peter owed Father Thomas a number of whacks with the birch rod, and wouldn’t have told the holy man, even if it had been someone else. He did not however, share that with the lads.
Peter witnessed Gabriel’s Chosen One ritual, and was the first to greet him upon his success. He’d listened to his concerns with his duties and his frustrations with the training. The Commander was there for the beginning of his love for Marie. Hell, he’d had to rein Gabriel in a couple of times, to keep him from being barred from her family home before they were wed. Gabriel was possessive about what he decided was his.
The older man wasn’t there at the end of their love, but certainly had borne his share of the aftermath. When she was murdered, Gabriel's grief had been felt in the whole community. Peter was not sure that Gabriel would ever heal from what happened to Marie. Perhaps that is why the Commander has counted every day since as a personal gift from God. Every day that his friend had risen to greet sun, was a day he stayed in the world. It has been almost two years now, and a slow journey back from that soul-crushing grief. There has been healing, however and obviously more than he would have guessed, given what he has been witnessing this evening. That suited Peter just fine.
Looking across the table, Peter hid the tug at his mouth with a forkful of mushrooms. He watched his old friend narrow her eyes at Belmont, and look down her nose at his sneer. Gabriel practically snarled his answer to her. Lady Laura, the vampire Peter had known since he was fifteen years old, gave Belmont a serenely arched eyebrow in response. This is a side of Laura that the Commander has never seen. The vampire had always been unfailingly polite, and somehow managed to be reserved but warm at the same time. He'd always thought it was a handy gift, especially considering her demonic nature.
She is a tall, shapely woman with striking coloring. Pale skin, pale hair, pale lips and wide, large eyes of brilliant green. So vibrantly green, it was like she held spring inside herself. It is fitting to him that the flowers she loved so much should bloom in her eyes. Laura is an unexpected rose hiding in the brambles. Unbearably earnest, fair and devoted to the ideals of justice and peace, her story is tragic and heart-breaking.
She worked constantly to improve the lives of those around her and contribute something to the world. It was noble and it was admirable. But it was also taken to an extreme. He knew she was compensating for crimes she believed she had committed. But Laura’s atonement was for sins she was blameless of. She didn’t have to live in this state of servitude and fear. Nothing he has ever said to her had been the right words she needed to change her life into what she deserved. He would give anything to see that transformation.
Perhaps it is happening right now, right in front of him. For there is something here, something in the bickering, and the exasperation that shimmers between them. It put a glow in their eyes and warmed his heart. Laura is never irritated like this, and yet she is now, with Gabriel. Almost unreasonably so. He doesn’t think that Belmont can see it but Peter knows her well.
For his part, Gabriel is intrigued by her. He is hiding it under disgust and anger, but there is gleam in his eye. Peter knew that gleam as fascination. The grudgingly, admiring quirk of Gabriel’s mouth was respect; he liked her. To be fair, there was likely a healthy dose of skepticism for Belmont, and that was to be expected. Peter certainly had it when he was first introduced to her. After all, who would believe that a vampire was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Light?
Given the amount of snarky comments and glowering, you would think that one of them would turn to him, and declare this mission impossible. That they couldn’t work with each other. Instead, they had almost completely shut him out, and seemed intent on one-upping each other. Peter didn’t mind; this was dinner and a show, as far as he was concerned. More than once during the meal, Martha, his steward and cook, had served something, and then stood to the side to watch. When she’d wiggled her brows at him, he knew she saw it too.
“That is patently false, Belmont, although why I should be surprised you would believe it, is beyond me,” Laura sniffed and tossed her head.
“Excuse me, Lady Laura,” Gabriel’s tone was laden with sarcasm, “but I’ve hunted more than enough of them to know. Just because you have status in the Blood Kingdom, doesn’t mean you know shit about the Blue Crescent Moon Kingdom. I am telling you, werewolves have a keen sense of smell, even if they haven’t shifted.” Belmont’s fingers tapped in annoyance, and Peter could feel the vibration in his feet. Gabriel was a large man with incredible strength; they could probably feel the echoes of his tapping in the kitchen.
Laura’s chin jerked up, and she crossed her arms, “That’s ridiculous. The whole point of werewolves is the human façade is completely normal, and then the transformation brings the strength, the heightened senses, the hunger.”
“No, what is ridiculous is your reckless assumption that you might be the only one privy to an education on the creatures!” Gabriel hissed at her, stabbing the table with his index finger. “I’ve…questioned werewolves before, analyzed their behaviors, and spent hours studying what I’ve documented. I can tell you, there is much that you, and for that matter the world, don’t understand about werewolves. You do yourself a disservice by believing that you do.”
Lady Laura delicately picked up her water glass and sipped. She looked at Gabriel over the rim and gave a tiny, “mmm,” before putting it down. “I am willing to concede that assumptions are a terrible thing to do, when one doesn’t have all the facts.”
Gabriel spread his hands wide, “Thank you! Finally!” He took a healthy swig of his wine, and leaned back with a victorious smile.
“That being said, how old are you?” Laura asked sweetly, and Gabriel scowled.
“Age is irrelevant, we are talking about actual experience and firsthand—” Gabriel started, leaning forward again.
Laura’s smile was serene, “30 years old, correct?” She waved it aside as he opened his mouth again, “Give or take, yes?” Her look could only be termed withering, and it clashed with his scorching one. “I believe that you’ve assumed you’ve spent more time studying them than I have. I am almost a thousand years old Belmont, and I have lived among them, worked with them and had the confidence of their King, Cornell. Your analysis is a drop in the bucket. Assuredly, an educated one, but a drop nonetheless. So forgive me if I trust my own experience and analysis on the matter.”
Gabriel thumped his fist on the table and vibrated with outrage. Once again, he had one of those little quirks on his lips.
Peter turned to Martha as she entered the room, eyes twinkling. As he turned back to Gabriel and Laura, the Commander wondered if he wasn’t watching history in the making.
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I guess you're just what I needed
(Just what I needed)
I needed someone to feed
I guess you're just what I needed
(Just what I needed)
I needed someone to bleed
I don't mind you comin' here
And wastin' all my time, time
'Cause when you're standin' oh so near
I kinda lose my mind, yeah
-'Just What I Needed,' The Cars