[Ridge]
Dinner was served twenty minutes ago, and there's still no trace of Kadeeth's annoying face. The roasted chicken on my plate is about as cold as I'm feeling. Despite that, my lips are drawn in a tight little smile, and I'm trying desperately to engage in the conversation at my table.
To be honest, I have no idea what's going on, or what we're talking about. Did Kadeeth decide not to come? Does he not want to eat with a bunch of employees? That's never bothered him before. Then did something go wrong with the Duke? I know at times those two can have a rather 'strained' relationship.
"Ridge?" Martina's voice cuts into my head.
"Huh?" I ask, like an idiot.
"You good, buddy?" The people around me have stopped their conversation to hear what I have to say. Did they ask me a question or something?
"Uh yeah, I'm all good, why?" I put my smile back on. It probably looks okay, right?
"Are you sure? Cause you haven't stopped checking the door since you sat down." Noted the woman sitting across from me. I think her name was Amy or something? Amanda? Shit I don't remember.
"I was waiting for someone." I admit, shrugging and rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.
"Ooo, and who is this person that has our newest protector so preoccupied?" She wiggles her eyebrows mischievously.
"He's a friend I invited to eat here today. He seemed excited, but maybe I was wrong." I pick up my fork, fully intending to move on, but I only end up pushing my food around the plate like a sulking child.
"Aw, don't get yourself down over it. I'm sure he just got tied up with something last minute." Martina says in an attempt at comfort. It works, a little.
"Yeah." I nod, " I mean I'm sure you're right. I guess I just had some expectations or whatever..." I trail off while the others seem to stare at me, perplexed, for a while. Maybe it's because this is the most I've talked to any of them since we met, and I'm acting like a kid that's been let down on the holidays.
"Well, forget them for a while, and just enjoy yourself!" The woman finally breaks the silence, gently slamming her mug down on the table. Her proclamation is followed by some light cheering, and the occasional giggle from the girl next to her.
"Well said! Whatever it is, it'll work out, but that's a problem for another night." Martina announces, "So let's finish eating and get drunk!"
I can practically hear Sir Kierce perk up from across the busy room. Is he an alcoholic? That's probably too harsh a judgment about someone I've barely spoken to. It's best to label it a hypothesis for now.
~*~
True to their word, I finish eating what I think I can stomach, and then the group pops a barrel of beer and a smaller casing of wine. By then most of the staff has cleared out, save for a few other groups set on indulging in the Riddothas thoughtful purchases. I've never heard of a Noble family stocking alcohol for their employees before, but if anyone was going to do something so ridiculous and expensive, it would have to be the Riddothas.
I've never been a big drinker, but as a newbie, I couldn't refuse all of the peer pressure. I held out for a while, before finally downing a pint myself. Let's just say it went straight to my head.
I certainly regret it now. Stumbling around the halls in the dark, trying to navigate to my room with a plastered Martina leaning on me for complete support. I don't know where his quarters are, and he's not making enough sense to tell me, so he'll have to stay with me for the night. If I can at least find my room, that is.
After knocking on several doors to see if anyone knew where Martina's room was, I gave up and officially decided on dragging him the rest of the way to mine. The problem is that all the hallways of the servants quarters are very uniform. In other words, everything looks the damn same.
I finally arrived at the right hallway on the second floor. This is only after opening one too many wrong doors. I knocked of course, but no one could give me a solid answer. Despite his sociable side, I guess I forgot I don't really know Martina that well. We just met two days ago.
High energy people have a way of doing that to you, they suck you in with how confident and friendly they seem, but still manage to hold you at arms length for as long as they want.
Martina seems to do that a lot. He has a lot of friends and acquaintances, but I haven't found a single person I could call 'close' to him. It's none of my business who he chooses to associate with, or what kind of connections he wants to make. Unless it leads to something like this, where I'm tipsy and exhausted, and want nothing more than to drop his heavy ass on the ground like a sack of potatoes and leave.
"We're almost there, bastard, so try to hold some of your own weight a little longer." I grunt out, pulling him along past the last row of doors before mine. I would never have cussed at him if he were fully present.
"Hmm, Ridgy isss at oo, buddy? Mm tired." He slurs.
"No, not yet, just hang on." My breathing is labored. I shouldn't be struggling so much, not with how much time I've dedicated to personal training.
I spot a familiar wooden door a few paces in front of us. Well it's not so much the door, that's identical to all the other wooden doors on this side of the Manor. It's the small green plant sitting nearby that sets it apart.
It's obviously something Kadeeth put there, since none of the other doors are accompanied by any sort of flora. I don't mind it as much as when I first saw it anymore. Not if it's going to help me find my way on nights like this. At this point I'm supporting all of Martina's body weight on my sore arm. I wouldn't even have considered it an injury if I hadn't kept doing things like this to make it worse. Now I'm only slightly worried as to why the pain hasn't completely faded yet.
I open the door with Martina slumped against my side. I drag his body into the dark interior and over towards the bed, where I drop him onto the cold hard floor in shock.
Kadeeth is sitting on my bed, hunkered over with his elbows on his knees, and his chin resting in his hands. To top it all off, the spark in his eyes illuminates his face, and he looks none too pleased.