“Seriously?” Ansgar’s grimacing pain still haunted me. And he’d been unconscious when I chained him. Why would someone voluntarily put themselves through that? “Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Like a bitch,” he chuckled.
“Okay, I may decide to trust you,” I unwillingly replied. If this man would suffer for a conversation with me, I could at least make an effort to trust my boyfriend’s brother.
“Give me five minutes,” I asked and started climbing the stairs leaving him alone in the sitting room.
“Ah, excuse me…” his voice trailed.
“Yes?” I stopped midway through the staircase.
“Is it okay if I rummage your fridge and get some ice?” He pointed at his still swollen lip.
“Go for it,” I nodded and started climbing the stairs again. I removed Ansgar’s shirt and placed it carefully onto his side of the bed, it was the one item of his clothing I had in this house.
Generally, he wandered around the forest in some pants and bare chest sometimes then came to sleep and shower here and he simply removed said pants, but never brought any of his items apart from his so called uniform of daggers and knives he carried around either on his arm or in a bandolier.
I scanned my wardrobe and found a much needed bra, a pair of cotton panties, a long t-shirt and some comfortable wide pants. I did not believe it was possible to make a worse impression on his brother after he saw Ansgar’s head in between my legs and most of me naked, so I decided for comfort.
When I returned downstairs, the brother was sipping a canned drink, eating a sandwich and watching youtube.Make yourself at home, why don’t you?All of a sudden, realisation hit me. He watched youtube and used the word fridge. Not only was it curious because of Ansgar’s complete lack of contact with technology, but I did not ignore his night sky dark skin. How were they brothers but looked so different?
I coughed to make my presence known and he paused the video to turn his attention to me.
“How come you are so different from your brother?”Well done Anwen, can’t keep a thought to ourselves, can we?
“I inherited my mother's power, thus, dark skin. Damaris and Ansgar are shaped after Father,” he replied.
“Oh,” I responded, still accusing my brain for asking such stupid questions.
“If I were to have children, they could be born with any kind of power from the past seven generations, we have no control over it,” he explained further.
“I am more surprised by youtube,” I confessed.
“Oh,” it was his turn to say it now. “I am Commander of Realm Defence,” he proclaimed proudly. “I practically live here more than in the kingdom, so I can enjoy the benefits of both worlds,” he raised his canned cocktail and took a long sip. We receive reports on human advancements every year, though not many have the pleasure of testing them.
“So you know how this world works,” I continued.
“I do, which is why I would like to have a friendly conversation with my brother’s mate.” He invited me to take a seat onto the sofa but before I moved he announced apologetically, “You might need alcohol for this.”
I went to the drinks fridge and randomly picked two cocktails, then returned into the room and placed one next to him on the table, taking a seat on the opposite side.
“Thank you,” his vision sparked at the can and he popped it open. “I love mojitos,” he said excitedly.
“Your brother loves cosmos,” I replied with a grin and he stared at me.
“NO!” he exclaimed with disbelief and surprise.
“He does,” I nodded in confirmation and smiled slowly, making him chuckle.
“I would pay good money to see Ansgar have his first cosmopolitan.”
“He had a few,” I admitted, “and caramel vodka.”
He grinned and took another sip of his drink, grimacing slightly when the can touched his swollen lip.
“I am sorry about that,” I heard myself saying. Even though I hadn’t directly caused it, my presence in his brother’s bedroom created the situation.
He waved it off as nothing. “We started off on the wrong foot and it is entirely my fault. Please, let me make things right. I am Vikram, Ansgar’s middle brother, it is nice to make your acquaintance,” he said and extended his hand for me to take in a handshake.
