Chapter 330: Nice To Meet You?

 

  In the late hours of the night, Plum sat on the floor, confused at the strangers in her home.

  She narrowed her eyes and tried to make out the figure hiding in the dark, “Who are you?”

  The figure stood up from the chair and stepped into the window’s moonlight, revealing a beautiful slim figure and lustrous purple hair.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you,” Feli said in a composed tone.

  Plum furrowed her brow, “Who are you…?”

  “You don’t know?” Feli asked musingly. 

  “I’d think I’d remember a beauty like you,” Plum smiled.

  What was she saying? She usually wasn’t this direct. Damn alcohol.

  “Funny, I know a lot about you,” Feli smirked. “I first heard of you around 2 years ago. Stryg always used to talk about you, his first and best friend.”

  “Stryg did…?” Plum muttered. Did she actually know this woman?

  Feli chuckled sorely, “I admit, I was a bit jealous. Who was this 3rd year drow woman who my lover thought so highly of?” 

  Plum’s eyes widened, “You…! You’re the Amethyst Mistress! You’re Stryg’s fiancé!”

  “Wife,” Feli corrected. “So Stryg did tell you about me.”

  “Well, not really,” Plum shook her head and tried to stand.

  Her legs felt wobbly and the world suddenly began to spin. Plum swallowed down the urge to vomit and tightly grabbed the kitchen table for balance. 

  Gods, of all the days to face this woman, it had to be when I have a belly full of mead.

   “Are you well?” Feli asked, a trace of concern in her voice.

  “Yup, totally, just give me a minute,” Plum nodded weakly.

  Feli glanced at one of the Katag guards standing nearby, “Fetch her some water.”

  “Right away,” the guard nodded and handed Plum the water skin hanging from his belt.

  “Thanks,” Plum took it gratefully and sipped the water, careful not to drink too much at once.

  “...That will be all for now,” Feli said.

  “As you wish,” the Katag guards nodded and left the kitchen in a neat file.

  Plum plopped down on a wooden chair and looked the gorgeous woman over, from head to toe. “So… um, Feli, right? What brings you to visit —or break in, I suppose— my humble home?”

  “I didn’t want to break in,” Feli said abashedly. “I came earlier and you weren’t here. And I didn’t really want to just wait outside in the middle of the street…”

  So even a cool beauty like her can be flustered. The thought gave Plum a bit of relief.

  Feli glanced out the window, “You know, I first came to this city a few days after the tourney had started. I remember the people were talking about stories, well, one story in particular. From the city’s outskirts all the way to the heart of Undergrowth, all people could talk about was the discovery of an ‘Ebon Aspirant’ and his renowned magical feats during the 2nd Challenge.”

  Feli smiled to herself, “I knew it was Stryg, from the first story I heard. I knew it was Stryg.”

  “He told you?” Plum wondered.

  “No, but I was aware he had more chromatic colors than he let on. I didn’t really understand what it meant at the time, but looking back I supposed the secrecy made sense.”

  “Stryg always liked his secrets,” Plum chuckled. “He never even told me he had a fiancé, not until it accidentally came out while we were having dinner at a friend’s house.”

  “And yet he seemed to tell you so many other secrets,” Feli noted quietly. “And I think I know why. You see, despite the cold-hearted Sylvan warrior exterior Stryg always shows, the reality is he is quite soft on the inside. Not that he won’t kill someone, he definitely will, without hesitation.”

  “I’m well aware,” Plum said dryly.

  “What I mean is, Stryg can be sensitive and quite self-conscious. All he really wants is to be accepted,” Feli stared at the intoxicated drow. “You were the first one to truly accept him. Even I failed at that when I met Stryg.”

  “People judge him for what they see and hear about him, not who he really is,” Plum said.

  “You’re right. You and I know the real Stryg. I came to love and accept him for who he is, yet in the end, you rejected him, didn’t you?”

  Plum glared at her, “My mother died because of him.”

  “And she almost killed Stryg. I remember. I was in the infirmary room watching his unconscious body as the white mages tried to keep him alive. How do you think I felt?”

  “What’s your point?” Plum snapped.

  Feli shrugged, “My point is, we were all within our rights to feel the way we did. Angry. Frustrated. Spiteful. You pushed Stryg away, which was completely understandable. What I can’t understand… is why you and he have been talking these last few weeks.”

  “What?” Plum felt a shiver run down her spine.

  “Still don’t understand?” Feli asked. “Let me paint you a picture. Stryg and you were best friends. He used to talk about you all the time. Then your mother died and he stopped talking about you. He’d only mention your name in whispers when he slept, usually during his nightmares. Clearly, whatever friendship you two had was broken.”

  Feli smiled coldly, “So imagine my surprise when I begin to do some reconnaissance of my own in this city and I find out that the Plum is having friendly chats with my husband. Naturally, I ask Stryg about it and he tells me you two are friends again, he thinks.”

  “It’s complicated,” Plum muttered.

  “Is it? I love him, but Stryg isn’t very good with social interactions, in fact, he is quite terrible at it most of the time. He doesn’t pick up on social cues and he doesn’t understand when a ‘friend’ might be taking advantage of him.”

  “What are you implying?” Plum narrowed her eyes.

  “Do you really care about Stryg or not? Because to me, it seems like you’re quite emotionally conflicted.” 

  “Like I said, it’s complicated,” Plum said through clenched teeth.

  “Stryg doesn’t need ‘complicated’ in his life. What he needs are people he can rely on. He has been thrust into the realm’s eye. He is in an incredibly precarious position. One wrong move could end his life. He doesn’t need someone he cares about who doesn’t care about him.”

  “It isn’t about caring about him or not!” Plum said. “Stryg’s role is larger than any single relationship. Even his relationship with you. As an Ebon Aspirant, as a future Ebon Lord, Stryg has a responsibility to the whole Ebon Realm, to the people.”

  “The whole Ebon Realm?” Feli laughed and shook her head, “I don’t know what sort of idealistic world you think this is, but the stark reality is Stryg owes this realm nothing. And if he tries to shoulder the ‘responsibility’ you so loftily speak of, it will crush him.”

  “You rather protect Stryg than try to change the world with him?” Plum frowned.

  “Yes!” Feli shouted indignantly. “I want to keep him alive! Not risk his life to save the fucking realm! There have been countless powerful mage lords in the past, why haven’t any of them tried to fix the realm’s problems! Why does it all have to fall on Stryg, huh!?”

  “We cannot judge our responsibilities based on the people who failed theirs.”

  “You really are an idealistic one.” Feli took a deep breath, “Look, I don’t need Stryg to be this realm’s hero. All I need is my family. Stryg is part of that family.”

  “So then as long as your family is happy and safe, the realm can burn?” Plum asked.

  “The realm has always been burning. Why would I wade into that? Why would you try to pull Stryg into that?”

  “I’m not trying to, I just want him to be an actual good leader someday, someone who cares about more than just the people in front of him.”

  “You want?” Feli said sharply. “What makes you think you are in any position to want anything from Stryg? Last I recall, you left Hollow Shade after making it very clear you wanted nothing to do with him.”

  Plum bit her lip, “That was before—”

  “Before you found out he was an Ebon Aspirant?”

  “No, it wasn’t like that,” she frowned.

  “Is that so?” Feli said. “Honestly? I don’t really care if the only reason you’re interested in Stryg is because he’s an Aspirant. I don’t care if one day you end up being his advisor or his concubine. Ebon Lords have had many of both.”

  Plum snarled, “You dare–!”

  Feli raised her hands, “—I’m not judging, although I understand how mages like you whose futures are paved with wealth and comforts would think so. But the truth is most people try to make the best of their situations in whatever way they can. I dated Stryg because I saw a better future with him than I did marrying some commoner. Of course, at the time I didn’t know he was an Aspirant, and there were plenty of richer men with far more promising prospects I could have dated. But I chose Stryg anyway, do you want to know why?”

  “I’m dying to hear it,” Plum said sarcastically.

  “Because I fell in love with him. I didn’t want to admit it at first, but in time I came to accept it; I love that blue Sylvan man from Vulture Woods. That’s the difference between you and me. I actually care about what happens to Stryg.”

  “I care about his safety too,” Plum clicked her tongue.

  “Do you really? Do you care about him?” Feli asked carefully. “I know Stryg cares about you. He may even be in love with you, I don’t honestly know. What I do know is that Stryg came to Undergrowth to see you. It wasn’t his only reason for coming, but it was certainly one of the most important. Stryg wanted to mend his relationship with you.”

  “And you don’t like that?” Plum guessed.

  “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, but I’m not possessive. I understand what Stryg’s position entails, what the Ebon Lord legacy brings with it. I will never be his only wife, I will never even be the primary wife. I am a commoner with no backing and unlike you, I have no magic to flaunt about. I have accepted all these things and despite how much they bother me, I have chosen to stay by Stryg’s side. Can you say the same? Are you willing to stand by Stryg? I don’t think you are.”

  “And you would clearly know that, wouldn’t you? After all, we’ve known each other for all of a few minutes,” Plum rolled her eyes.

  “I don’t know you well, but I know Stryg. And to me, it seems that he has been more stressed after every chat he’s had with you since coming to Undergrowth. Are you trying to lead him on?”

  “My gods, you’re a paranoid human! I am not leading him on!” Plum yelled. “Stryg is my friend, just my friend! I’m not trying to manipulate him!”

  “Then you’re just indecisive.”

  “Excuse me?” Plum blinked.

  “Do you care about him or not? Romantically or platonically it doesn’t matter to me.”

  “What…?”

  “The next few years for Stryg will be very important and very dangerous. His road to becoming an Ebon Lord will be precarious. One wrong decision could cost him his life. He needs his mind clear and sharp; if you care about him and can help with that, then great. But if your indecisiveness is going to be a detriment to him, then make the conscious choice to not care for him. Let him move on from you, once and for all.”

  Plum glared at her, “I think it’s time you and your guards get out of my house.”

  “...Fair enough,” Feli said after a moment. “I’m sorry for breaking into your home… And for what it’s worth, I wish we had met two years ago. I think you and I would've been great friends.”

  The purple-haired beauty bowed and left without another word.

  Plum watched Feli’s shapely bottom sashay out of the kitchen and she sighed deeply, “Fucking hell, Stryg, you really know how to pick’em.”