Chapter 20
Crumbs carelessly fell from familiar mouths as friends ate and talked about. The dining hall was filled with noise that ranged from music pleasing the ear effortlessly, whilst children conversate about any experiences they've had. It made Nicolas sort of restless, tapping his foot to offset the tension he felt toward the upcoming arrival of his father.
Patton accidentally dropped his fork on the floor, which made a clanging sound as it crashed into the smooth quartz. "Verflucht..." he said under his breath, bending over to get it. Zachary raised his eyebrow. "What's that word?" he asked, shoving a spoonful of bouillabaisse in his mouth.
Patton smiled, "It's something I hear my uncle say all the time in German. It's a word of frustration."
Zachary closed his eyes and nodded, making a face of approval. Ravi hadn't even taken a bite of his food, being too occupied in the milky pages of his book. Nicolas was almost tempted to ask him what he was reading, but alas, he would probably be speaking to deaf ears.
There was a clinging of glass that silenced the whole room. Every child looked up from their plates to gaze at the gloriously lit stage that was uplift by stairs. Standing there were many sets of men and women, some positioned as more important than the others. Nicolas's stomach jumped once his eyes found his father, whom looked pleased but stern. Of course, he and his mother were one of the ones who looked more important than the others.
Behind him was a man who closely resembled Zachary, and a woman who mirrored Azure. Nicolas thought that they must be the Abbycats.
He was focused (equally as with his own parents) on the man in front, though, who had light brown skin and bronze eyes, with dark, heavily oiled Ivy League hair and those familiar bronze eyes... It was Mr. Fountain, Benjamin's father. He had no doubt.
There were obviously others, too, but Nicolas didn't really care for them. Mr. Fountain cleared his throat and adjusted the microphone.
"How are we all doing this evening?" He asked with a smile that looked uncannily like his son's. He scanned the quiet auditorium, not urging for a reply. "That's alright, we're not here to chitchat I suppose. Let me introduce myself; Oscar Fountain, pleasure to meet you all. I am the direct head of the Fountain Family, which you may know is the most powerful family in this country." He cleared his throat some more. Mr. Everpane was glaring at the back of his head.
"I want you guys to have as much of a splendid experience here and in Kingdom Academy as us adults did, but that also means that you must focus on your studies and make your ancestors proud. You should always stand up to a challenge, because being a coward won't do you any good, correct? Very. That's why, for the course of the years, we're going to give you spontaneous challenges. Some will be official sports; some will be customized sports for the school. You will also be competing against other camps, so you best be on your top shape."
Children made silent comments on this matter to each other, the room now filling with numerous whispers that echoed in hisses. "You should have expected a catch," said Mr. Everpane with a smooth, puissant voice. "After all... There's always a catch in business." All eyes turned to him as he gently motioned Fountain out of the way and took the stage.
"I am Giovanni Everpane, Co-Lead of the Council. I have three words for you: stay in line. Severe consequences are due if you don't heed my warning. You are a follower in the beginning, and a powerful leader at the end of these two years. I will warn you, though, that only the most powerful will make it out of this camp. It's harder to avoid a third year than you think... Well, easy for the competent ones," he added, blasting a quick look at Elise and Nicolas.
Nicolas felt his heart beat faster than a racehorse. He'd only talked to his father very vaguely, exchanging one or two words every so often, and he was surprised that he could actually notice him. It was a good thing he didn't eat; some of it would probably come up.
His father turned to his mother, who was standing behind with a blank smile. He said something to her in a foreign language, along the lines of, "Qualche parola?" to which she shook her head. Nicolas thought he saw him smile.
"That will be all, resume to your meals. Addio," he added, putting his hand up briefly as a sign of departing. The clanking and clinking of forks and knives began again immediately, leaving Nicolas feeling void. He thought there would be more to the speech than just warnings. Sure, that was also helpful, but he wanted more insight, more explanation as to why he was here with such knowledgeable rich kids who seemed as if they were made for this. He looked over to Zachary, ironically, for any sign of mutual confusion.
Instead, Zachary's eyes were stuck to his plate with spiritless pupils. It was a little scary to see him so empty, so bereft about something unbeknownst to Nicolas. He wondered if he was effected by the speech, too, just differently...
He wondered all the time what goes on inside Zachary's mind as he stare at his cold, unappetizing food.
End of Chapter
Made another chapter. Hope you like :]
Love ya'll,
nobodyimportant out—
