Headaches #3
I recognized his clothes, found a hoodie, and threw it on. I pulled the hood up and tucked my hair in. I walked into the main room and stayed in the back. Caspian was on his throne looking annoyed. Someone shouted, “We can’t sit back any longer! We have to find the girl!” I paled. Me?
I chided myself. Don’t be silly, Odette, there are other girls in the world.
Trit hissed which had several people backing up.
Was Trit scary to them? He was a teddy bear.
Noxus spoke, “The girl, as you so callously keep calling her, is my sons’ sister and my stepdaughter. ” The man snarked, “I know that.”
Noxus continued, “You know we are trying to find her, but if you hadn’t just watched my song leave here without telling me after the crimes she committed, maybe we wouldn’t be in this position. We are floundering trying to find Odette because of your actions that night.” Drama!
The man turned red in the face, sputtering, “Morgana is my daughter! She may have done wrong, but I love her. I wanted her to be happy again.” This was my grandpa?! Caspian hissed, “Odette is your granddaughter!” My jaw dropped even though I’d just put that together.
My grandpa hissed back, “I am aware and I want her found! Do you even understand what’s going to happen if the Merrick’s get her? We will all die!” Caspian asked, “Do you think I can’t take care of my people?” Several people shrank back.
I had never heard Caspian use such a tone.
It was dark and angry and full on mob boss.
Sassy was conflicted in my head. My grandpa said, “Of course you can, but you are allowing this girl too much leeway. DEMAND this girl tell you where she is.” Dear old gramps knew my name and kept calling me girl? What an asshole!
Trit snorted, “You’ve lost touch with reality, old man.” My eyes widened as I realized my brother must not like grandpa. I was beginning to see why. Grandpa whirled, “Do not speak to me that way, boy.” A triton appeared at my grandpa’s throat.
I was startled to realize it was Noxus holding it to his throat. Noxus warned, “If you ever talk to my son like that again, I’ll kill you.” Umm, wow. Holy family dramatics Batman. My grandpa gulped, and nodded, while Trit looked away angrily.
Caspian spoke, the anger clear in his voice, “Not that I owe you an explanation grandpa, but Odette cannot tell us where she is. Blame your daughter, I know I do.” Grandpa frowned, “Morgana’s your mother.”
Caspian replied, “I do not recognize her as such anymore. I don’t know what evil spirit has inhabited her body, but the mother that raised me, that showed me how to love and treat my song, is not who she is now.”
“The mother who taught me to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to protect my family at all costs, and to treat everyone I rule with respect is long gone. The Merrick’s plan to kill Odette, and Morgana’s going to hand her over. Like a lamb to slaughter. That is not my mother.” Well, damn.
Grandpa said, “Morgana cannot know that is the plan!” Caspian yelled, “BUT SHE SHOULD! The Merrick’s have been lying, double crossing, manipulative assholes for DECADES! They were kicked out of here for a reason.”
Caspian ground out, “If Morgana doesn’t know that that family plans to double cross her and kill us all then she’s delusional. They will NEVER leave me or my brothers alive.” What?! This was like an actual mob war. Holy crap.
Grandpa said, “Then reach out to the Merrick’s yourself so we can reach a compromise. We can’t take the girl away from them completely, but we can make sure she doesn’t die. The girl can have a comfortable life. She doesn’t know about our world. Compromise is how we all survive.”
Horror gripped me. I felt someone put a hand on me and turned to stare into Beatrice's eyes. She put her finger to her lips to signify to stay quiet. As if I wasn’t doing that already. At least she wasn’t yelling that I was here.
Tears filled my eyes and I felt like my whole world came down to this answer. Would Caspian agree? Would he throw me away like everyone else did? Would I lose Keaton? Sassy was angrily and sorrowfully singing her song. I couldn’t lose Keaton. Caspian couldn’t agree. Could he?
Caspian spoke, “Compromise is how your daughter survives. I just no longer care if she does or not. I will make this very clear to you, grandpa. Odette will never go to the Merrick’s in any capacity. If she ends up here with them, well then nothing in mother’s magic can keep me from my sister.”
“I will get Odette and bring her home because my sister will NEVER be in their domain. She is my sister, and she ranks above you here. You would do well to remember that. I understand the inclination to save your child, I would want to save my children as well.”
Caspian had kids?! I had nieces and/or nephews? How could I give him shit for not telling me about them without letting him know I heard this conversation? I needed to get them presents. I needed ages. The spoiling must begin soon.
Caspian continued, “I WILL find Odette somehow. When I do, my sister is done suffering for your daughter’s decisions. She did not have the life she should have. Odette has been left alone to fend for herself.”
“My sister doesn't understand what or who she is, but she deserves to be happy. We all know there isn’t a single happy soul in the Merrick’s house. There hasn’t been for quite some time. They are squabbling peons who can’t understand why their happiness died when they treat people the way they do.”
Grandpa said, “Obviously we wouldn’t let them turn the girl bad or take her soul.” That was such a nice way of saying he won’t let them kill me. Also, could he USE MY NAME! Sassy felt just as upset about him not acknowledging our name as I did.
Grandpa continued, “I’m just saying, we have to save Morgana.
This is my fault. She’s angry with me.” A voice came from behind him saying, “No, she is angry with me, and she has every right to be.” I mean being angry didn’t mean mom got a pass for being a bitch to me. I had nothing to do with this lady.
I saw a woman come and stand by my grandpa.
She took his hands, “Alon, this is not your fault. I came from a clan where women were treated badly, and I treated Morgana the same as I was. It was wrong. I understand Morgana cannot accept my apology. I should’ve broken the cycle, but I was scared of being beaten because I fell for some elaborate trap.
You know the decades of therapy I went through to believe everything wasn’t a test.”
So, because mom was mad at this woman she became her?
Because everything was a test with mom too.
The woman continued, “Morgana is angry with me, but that doesn't lie with anyone but me. You know neither Odette nor Lux deserve what lot they have been given with Morgana. The Merrick’s should pay because without them, Morgana couldn’t have strayed so far. ”
I see personal accountability didn’t exist for the women in this mob family. The woman continued, “You taught her better, Alon. Noxus loved her so much she could’ve come back. The Merrick’s corrupted Morgana, and she made choices.”
“Lux is safe with his father as far as we know. That’s from a child’s recollection though. We need to find him and check on him too. I know he’s an adult, but he needs to be observed. My Clan taught bad ways and Morgana has embraced them.”
They said clan, but they weren’t Irish. They really were matching up well with my mob book though. Other than a woman who betrayed them the way my mom did, would die. They could get onboard with that. Liam killed the rats with his family and Connie’s.
The woman took a deep breath admitting, “I have cried every day since I heard Morgana was doing to Odette what I did when we first met. I didn’t know it was wrong and thought I was doing what was right. I thought I was helping her, but Morgana knows the truth.”
“I was raised to believe how she’s treating Odette was right, but Morgana was not. She knows how evil what she’s doing is. She’s completely detached herself from her own child. I would hold Morgana when she cried and console her, but she’s taken it farther and not even offered that.”
“Your daughter let the Merrick’s and their rhetoric into her soul.
Morgana has treated her own daughter as if she is an object.
You know this isn’t right, Alon. I know you love her; I love her too.
If I could give my life for Morgana, I would.
” Well, she was a touch crazy then. No one should give their life for my mom.
The woman added, “We can work to save them both, but Odette is completely innocent. She is your granddaughter. You’re trying to keep her as the girl in your head because you feel like you failed Morgana. Odette doesn’t deserve that, Alon.”
Afreakingmen on the using my name part. The rest? For god’s sake hold mom accountable for her choices! She knew better and still picked being a bitch. After complaining about being treated how she treats me. That tracked honestly.
My grandpa sighed and sat down defeated, “You’re right. It’s not the girl’s fault, and she shouldn’t be with the Merrick’s.” I rolled my eyes because the man still couldn’t say my name. Alon continued, “It’s just that Morgana is my little girl.” Oh good, we were back to justifying our actions.
Alon prattled on, “She was such a happy child. I failed her then and now, but I don’t know how to fix it.” I had a thought. How about holding mom accountable for what she’s done? It was the bare minimum really.
The woman rubbed his shoulders then asked, “Caspian, what did you mean Odette can’t tell you where she is?
I thought you were trying to get her to trust you and open up.
” Trit answered, “My sister does trust us but whenever we ask and she’s about to tell us she can’t.
She’s pulled from here or something interrupts her.
Cordelius is looking into countering that, but it’s slow progress. ”