The Royals

Chapter 7 MEETING THE FAMILY

(Caspian)

“Hey slow down!’ Blake threw his hands onto the dashboard to keep from slamming into it as I slammed on the brake.

I had arrived at Eris’s apartment at exactly 7PM only to find her and my sister had already left. My phone chimes and I open a message from my mother.

‘They’ve just arrived.’

I shoved my phone back into my blazer as I quickly accelerated once the light turned green, and I'm sure I broke every speed limit trying to get to my parents house.

“You know, only one of us is able to walk away from a car crash. And I like being alive.”

“Shut up!” I barked, “Those women need to learn to listen.” I muttered under my breath.

I didn’t slow down until I got to the front gate, if I hadn’t needed to be buzzed in for it to open I would have driven right through the gates.

As soon as the car stopped Blake jumped out, while I calmly slammed the door behind me, and stormed through the house eventually finding Eris and mother laughing in the living room. I wanted to be angry with her, to pull her from the couch, march her into another room and bend her over my knee reminding her that I'm in charge. But the moment I saw her, those beautiful green eyes and the bright smile warmed me, like it was melting away all my anger.

“Oh look who’s here.” My mother spoke.

Eris turned to face me, she was dressed in the most fitting silver blue dress with her fiery hair tamed and wearing make up making her look even more seductive. I wanted nothing more than to wrap Eris in my arms and do things to her that would make that eyeliner run down her face. So many thoughts and scenarios ran through my mind the more I looked at her. Then I noticed her face becoming very red and that's when I realized, I forgot she was an empath. She was feeling all of my lust for her, which was causing her to blush like she is.

She stood and walked over to stand by me as my mother left the room to attend to the last of the meal preparations.

“You should really learn to listen to directions when given Miss Evans.”

“I did listen, you just weren’t specific.” she responded coily.

“You were told…”

“To be ready by 7PM.” she interrupted me. “Which we were, but you never said we had to wait.”

A low growl escaped, her eyes flashed to mine as she looked at me through her lashes and bit her bottom lip.

“Miss Evans you…”

“Dinner is ready!” Mother announced coming into the living room. “We’ll be eating in the small dining room off the foyer since this is just an intimate affair.”

Mother led the way as we gathered in the dining room, I hooked my arm around Eris’s waist as she tried to walk the other way across the table.

“No, you sit next to me.” I whispered low in her ear.

The table wasn’t too big or too small but just the right size to fit everyone comfortably. I sat her in the seat next to mine before taking my own seat. Across the table sat awkwardly Blake and my sister, and my mother on the end to my left. My father walked in and took the seat at the opposite end from my mother on my right. The wait staff served us as mother started talking.

(Eris)

“So Eris, you must have some questions about everything.” Mrs. Van Doren asked.

“I think I understand everything just fine actually.”

“Well from what your parents have told us…”

“My parents,” I spoke slowly. “Don't know everything about me, and it’s best to be kept that way.”

The atmosphere became tense as awkward silence fell. We sat there quietly eating until Mr. Van Doren spoke.

“Avalon, sweetie, how are your studies going?”

“Great father,” She gave a weak smile. “It’s only been a month so not much has been happening.”

Mr. Van Doren nodded along like he was actually listening, but I could tell that he wasn’t.

“That place is pointless.” Blake muttered under his breath.

Avalon sunk into her seat ignoring his comment like everyone else, they pretended like he hadn’t said a word.

But I said something.

“Well, what exactly would you call pointless about going to school Blake?” I asked.

Blake glared at me while I felt the tension in the room thicken. I could feel the Van Doren’s shock mixed with Blake’s anger and Avalon’s fear. But nothing from Caspian, he sat calmly in the chair next to me staring with wide eyes.

“What?” I smiled, “I really want to know, Avalon seems to really enjoy it when she’s in class. You’re supposed to be her husband right, so why not be happy for her?”

His anger intensified as his knuckles turned white as he balled his hand into a fist on the table.

“Or is it that you don’t want her to be happy unless she’s under your control?”

“Eris, stop, you're making it worse.” Avalon pleaded.

But I wasn’t going to stop. Being able to read into people's emotions and see their pasts and futures has given me the chance to see every perspective of life. I know how someone will react to certain things and get the outcome I want, or in this case the outcome that is needed. And right now things need to escalate, Blake needs to blow up and so does Avalon because it’s going to sooner or later. If it happens later it would be in the messiest of ways, so its better it happens now. I know it sounds cruel, but this is the only thing Blake responds to from what I've seen.

“You don’t have to take his s**t Avalon, especially with the way he treats you.”

“You know nothing about us,” Blake slams his fist onto the table. “You are an outsider, nothing. Your own parents know it and the covens and all the clans know even. That is why you have been shunned for so long. If it wasn’t for Caspian you still would be.”

As Blake rambled on I thought I heard a low growl coming from Caspian.

“Don’t try to make me feel inferior to you just to push blame from yourself.”

“You ARE inferior to me.” Blake spat across the table.

“Yet I’m not the cause of the accident.” I leaned forward matching his glare.

Silence fell again as the words left my mouth. I regretted saying them as soon as I did but it’s what he needed to hear.

“What accident?” Caspian asked.

No one spoke, I glanced at Avalon and saw that she was on the verge of tears.

“Wait a minute. Is she talking about the car accident sweetheart?” Mrs. Van Doren spoke softly.

Avalon slowly nodded and said, “She’s the one who pulled me from the wreck.”

All eyes fell on me.