Why Wont He See Us?

            Terry glanced around the table with an awkward smile on his face. After the maid had informed them that the duke would not see them tonight, Pear deflated and handled everything thing with a gloomy manner for the rest of the night.

The group were seated at a large dinning table and served a large roast for dinner. “This looks good.” Terry forced a smile as he cut his meat. Everyone else silently ate their food. Other than Pear, Kiwi was quite the whole trip and Blueberry remained close to her side. Avocado seemed to not notice the mood but concentrated on trying to use the correct utensils to eat her food as a nearby maid helped her. Potato was also served his own plate that the staff was kind enough to also cut up into smaller pieces for him.

“Is there any way the duke could please see us?” Pear asked, looking up from her plate. “It’s very important. We are traveling with the Hero and- “

Kiwi cut her off by slamming her hand down on the table. “Enough! He doesn’t want to see us, Pear! Why can’t you understand that?” Kiwi glared at her and Pear went back to staring at her meal.

Nobody said anything throughout the rest of meal and retired to their rooms shortly after. On his way to his room a maid called out to him. The maid looked nervous and peered around them as if to make sure that they were alone. “Apologies sir, but I was asked to escort you to the library.”

Terry tilled his head, “The library, why?”

“The duke would like to see you.”

The maid quickly led him to the library and ushered him inside. She didn’t follow him and instead closed the door behind him. Terry looked around the room the room was filled with selves upon shelves of books and large painting of scenic fields decorated the walls. Terry could see that on the other side of the room there was a large fire place with a roaring fire inside. Terry walked towards it, glancing around the room as he did.

When the maid said that the duke wanted to see him, he expected to see the man in the room but so far, he felt like it was only him in the room.

As Terry got closer to the fireplace, he noticed a large painting hanging above it. The painting depicted a scene of two men fighting with their bare hands. A man with long blond hair stood above a man with long black hair, fist ready to strike him, while the black-haired man pulled on his clothes attempting to pull him to the ground with him. A woman stood off to the side in the painting, with one hand clutched around the fabric of her dress and another reaching out to the men. She wore a pitiful expression on her face as if she wanted the fighting to stop but knew she could not stop them.

“Admiring the art, are we?” A voice called out behind him. Terry spun around to face a elderly man in a well-dressed suit. The man looked elegant and noble but Terry noticed the mask on his face. The left half of the man’s face was covered in a black masked that was decorated with gold thread.

“It’s a captivating painting, isn’t it?” The man said stepping closer to Terry. “It depicts the Fight over the first queen of Kalabash between the first king and his brother.”

Terry looked from the man to the painting and then back to the man. “I’m sorry, I was told to be here, are you?”

The man looked at Terry with a stern expression, “The duke? Yes. I want to meet with you young Hero. We need to talk.” The man sat in one of the chairs near the fireplace and gestured for Terry to do the same. As Terry sat the man continued. “Tell me Hero, do you wish to know why you were really summoned here?”