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Being a Duke means one's heart must be big and kind.
And maganimous.
Though, surely the maganimity did not extend to tax slips or, right at this moment.
To a dog.
It was a rainy afternoon at the Court of Fontaine. The kind of rain that came in intermittent showers. Obviously because the Iudex was hard at work, his spectacles low on his nose, some pale white hair unbound from his usually neat braid – Neuvillette sat with all concentration he could muster to look at the piles of reports placed on his desk today.
Though, this afternoon, there was a newcomer to the Iudex's office.
A medium-sized dog with sharp pointed ears, fur in patches of black and ash, stretched itself across Neuvillette's lap as he worked.
Wriothesley was at the doorway, a box in hand, cakes from Cafe Lutece, the little cream covered sponges that Neuvillette said he had wanted to eat all week. He knocked on the side of the door once.
Twice. Thrice.
Neuvillette continued to absently pat the dog's head, while reading a record with his brows quite furrowed.
Wriothesley knocked again.
The dog looked up, shamelessly pleased and plopped its head on Neuvillette's lap once more.
Wriothesley frowned.
Now, don't get him wrong. The Duke is very much a protector and lover of small animals.
Dogs? Definitely so.
Though right now, Wriothesley was not too sure how to feel about the usurper of Neuvillette's lap. But he decidedly announced himself.
“Monsieur… you have a visitor.”
The Duke said at last.
“Show them in please.” Neuvillette said, not looking up.
The dog moved and lapped at Neuvillette's fingers, its tail thumping in excitement.
“Right, I'll show myself in, if you don't mind.” Wriothesley said aloud.
Neuvillette glanced up, hand moving away, lilac sights surprised. “It's you. Wriothesley. I did not hear you come in.”
No, you did not. Wriothesley thought, still eyeing the dog on Neuvillette's lap. That's because His Grace has been replaced by a creature with a wagging tail.
“Clearly you seem busy, Neuvillette.” Wriothesley said aloud.
Neuvillette followed Wriothesley's darkening gaze downwards to his lap. The pup blinked sleepily and yawned before resetting itself, curling into a ball; muzzle close to Neuvillette's stomach.
“This dog was wandering around at the back of the building during my lunchtime.” Neuvillette explained as if he was introducing a junior clerk from the Maison Gestion. “It rained suddenly. So the dog got drenched. I thought it would be best to bring him indoors to dry.”
“Ah, I see.” Wriothesley replied, still keeping half an eye on the dozing dog. “A matter of important concern. Picking up wet dogs and making sure they are taken care of.”
Neuvillette nodded earnestly.
“Precisely, Wriothesley. It's important to take care of such things.”
Wriothesley nodded, wondering if Neuvillette caught the hint.
Apparently not.
The Duke went closer, folding his arms as he observed the dog on Neuvillette's lap.
“How long has he been laying on your lap?”
Neuvillette considered. “Two hours perhaps. It fell asleep at once. I did not want to disturb it.”
Wriothesley opened his mouth, closed it, and tried very hard to remember that jealousy, in this case, was irrational.
This was a soggy courtyard dog he's feeling very bothered about.
“Two hours,” Wriothesley slowly said. “The other time when I rested my head on your lap for ten minutes, you insisted you must get back to work.”
Neuvillette blinked. “You arrived late the last time it happened and lunchtime was ending in ten minutes.”
The dog snored, a small, satisfied little sound. Its tail gave another lazy thump, as if agreeing.
Wriothesley narrowed his eyes at it.
“You,” he informed the dog, “are not in the position to comment.”
One ear twitched. The dog did not move a single hair.
Neuvillette’s mouth moved slightly at the corner, his eyebrows raised up high. “Wriothesley, are you suggesting you are in competition with a stray?”
“I'm making sure it is dry. It looks dry but one never knows.”
Neuvillette fell quiet for a moment before he asked with all curiosity he could muster.
“Are you jealous of the dog. Wriothesley?”
Wriothesley shook his head. “I did not say that.”
Neuvillette paused. “But you were glowering at it.”
“I was making sure the pup doesn't go beyond its designated spot.”
There was a bare, brief moment of silence.
Neuvillette set aside his documents and books though the dog still continued to snooze on his lap.
“Come here.” Neuvillette said, lifting his hand and beckoning Wriothesley.
“I'll wait by the lounge chairs. I've brought cake for your tea.”
Wriothesley shook his head.
“Come here, Wriothesley.” Neuvillette repeated in that tone that would make an entire court room hush.
That was it. The Duke blinked and he took two steps forward.
Neuvillette turned slightly in his large chair, creating space at his side.
“You may sit,” Neuvillette said, quite pleased with himself suddenly with this solution. “There is room for both of you.”
“That,” Wriothesley said as he tried to find a spot to sit down. “is not very fair, Monsieur.”
“Is it not fair?” Neuvillette replied mildly as he patted the empty space next to him. “Would it be fairer to have you admit you are envious of a creature that chases its own tail?”
Wriothesley sat anyway.
The chair was absolutely not designed for a Chief Justice, a Duke, and a damp dog, but Wriothesley made it work somehow.
His hip pressed against Neuvillette’s; his shoulder brushed Neuvillette’s shoulder. The dog, after a moment of affronted wriggling, decided the increased body heat was acceptable and resettled across both their knees, tail thumping in sleepy approval.
Neuvillette’s free hand shifted, resting, very lightly, on Wriothesley’s knee.
“Is this better?” Nevillette asked.
Wriothesley exhaled, something unknotted in his chest in spite of himself.
“Better,” he replied. “Although I would like it noted that I was here first.”
Wriothesley stated. Thought and added quite firmly.
“In a broader sense.”
“In a broader sense,” Neuvillette said softly as he squeezed Wriothesley's fingers. “You are not in danger of replacement.”
The dog snored, quite oblivious to the tension above it. It wagged its tail, turned its head and proceeded to nose at Wriothesley's forearm.
Wriothesley glanced down at it, then up at Neuvillette. He sighed.
“Fine,” he said. “But if it starts getting itself wet on purpose just for another drying session, I'll take it back to the Fortress.”
“I did not know you wanted to adopt a dog, Wriothesley. We can arrange a day visit to one of the sanctuaries.”
“Monsieur, that's enough dogs for a day. Let's get this one dry and head out for some tea.”
Wriothesley took a look out of the window. “It has stopped raining.”
Neuvillette nodded in enthusiasm, having his fingers into Wriothesley's.
“That's because you're here.”
~fin ♡