Then we both followed to what I presumed was the King’s dining room.
“Come on, handsome, let's go and eat them out of Kingdom and home.” Vern’s grin said it all.
A little time later and with a full belly, I was being escorted to my room, one that I was thankful to find was next to Vern's. This was after finding just the two of us sat at an elaborate table that looked as though it had been made from polished, petrified wood, cut from a large slice of a tree the size of a redwood. It was big enough that it could have sat at least forty people around it, and seemed a little overkill for just the two of us. However, it was most definitely fit for a king, one that chose that moment to be absent, leaving me and Vern to the feast in front of us.
I couldn’t help but giggle when ‘posh Vern’ whipped out his napkin in a camp way before tucking it down the neck of his black chest plate. Then he ran a hand through his floppy strawberry blonde hair and reached for the silver-plated decanter. One that was far too flowery and feminine for such manly, rough hands that grabbed it now. He then poured me a drink first in the dainty handblown wineglass that was decorated by vines of silver curling up the green glass cup.
In fact, the whole room made him look out of place and I loved watching him as he embraced it! He was such a loveable rogue, that he just made you smile. And honestly, this was even more so when he was inflicted with Nero’s ‘posh gentleman’ spell. It also had to be said that, well, it certainly made it easier to understand him. But speaking of Nero, I couldn’t help it whilst I had this opportunity to ask him,
“So, when are you and Nero going to get together?” On hearing this, he nearly choked on his drink before gently placing his glass down and clearing his throat, after dabbing his napkin to his kissable lips.
“Excuse me?” he said, turning fully to face me.
“Okay, let me put in a way that less posh Vern would understand, as I know he's still in there and all… here goes, so when are you and Nero going to stop pissing around and admit how you feel about each other?” I asked, making him drag a hand through his hair again and say,
“Ah, now I see where this point is headed.” At this I actually rolled my eyes at him and said,
“Come on, Vern, I know you like her.”
“Yes, well, that might be the case, but I assure you, my dear, it is not as simple as that.” At this I called bullshit, and told him as much when reaching out to grab a piece of star shaped bread that looked glazed in something sweet. So, basically, it had my name written all over it.
“Sounds simple to me,” I told him with a shrug of my shoulders.
“It would, you are human,” he said, as bluntly as posh Vern would allow.
“Ouch, was that a burn, from posh Vern... see what I did there?” I joked making him be the one to roll his eyes this time.
“Not everything is as easy as it seems.” Was his vague response.
“Seems easy to me… shifter likes witch, witch likes shifter…”
“Witch is now a vampire,” he stated casually, making my mouth drop at the same time the dainty cutlery that I was about to use fell to my plate with a clatter.
“What?!” I screeched.
“Surely you cannot be that surprised, for how did you think he saved her life?”
“I don't know, first aid, some CPR, some burny eyes Superman style… what, it worked for Lois Lane?”
“I am afraid I am not following your brand of insanity in this moment.”
“Oi! Okay, fine, no comic book stories or cinemas in Hell, I guess. But my point is, I wasn't there, remember? So, I don't know what happened to her. I just… I just left her.” I said this in a sad voice that made Vern grab my hand and give it a squeeze.
“Nero told me what happened, you didn't just leave her, Amelia.” I thought back to that moment on the boat when I wished more than anything that I could have gone back for her. To force her to get on that boat with me and not sacrifice herself so that I could escape. Maybe we could have