Chapter 436: It’s Been A While.

Chapter 436: Chapter 436: It’s Been A While.

Time is a funny thing, Gurdet has decided.

Each day invariably holds the same number of moments, and the seasons span the same length of time every year, yet how is it that some days pass in the blink of an eye and others feel like years? It feels like only yesterday that his daughter was just a child, yet now look at her; grown, meeting with noblemen and their families all by herself, and chasing after some boy with stars in her eyes and marriage on her mind.

It feels like tomorrow she’ll be married and ruling this kingdom with children of her own.

​It used to be a terrifying thought.

​Gurdet’s...not entirely used to the idea yet, but he’s trying.

​And his nephew, well.

​"...Loac?" Gurdet remarks, more than a little confused when the doors to his chambers fly open and who should stomp on in in a whirlwind of stray papers than his nephew himself.

"What a... surprise . I wasn’t expecting you."

​"Don’t get excited," Loac grumbles, and abruptly dumps the entire pile of papers down on his desk.

They spill everywhere and Gurdet’s ink bottle goes flying with them. Loac is quick to catch it before it spills though, then strops back to scoop up the papers that he’d dropped on the way in.

"...Drogger wanted you to read through these and apparently he’s too busy to bring them over himself."

​Ah, that explains a lot. He was expecting Drogger. But he is not entirely surprised to learn that Drogger is under a touch more strain than he might normally be.

There’s so much to do and so little time; they’re nearly a month into spring already.

​Summer will be here before they know it.

​(As if it’s summer that’s got Drogger wound tight, and not the event immediately preceding it. Gurdet can’t say he doesn’t share some of his concerns.)

​But he must say it’s rather refreshing to see his nephew here, performing the duties of a Captain. Or at least answering to the call of one.

​What has the world come to?

​And gods, this is a mountain of paperwork.

There was already an extraordinary amount of it on Gurdet’s desk but with the added extras he can barely see over the top of them. Let it never be said that Drogger Noog isn’t thorough .

It’s both blessing and a curse. And while he’s not the type to care for annotations or comments --the wonderful thing about Drogger is that he doesn’t need to have his hand held to do his job --that scary vein in his forehead will not doubt bulge if Gurdet doesn’t take it seriously, too.

​Oh, but he just finished a whole stack of paperwork. It’s rather vexing, actually, how much work he gets done when Bongo isn’t around to quip to.

It’s very boring though.

He would much rather quip, especially when Bongo would rather he didn’t. If Gurdet hadn’t assigned him the task himself he’d be suspicious that Bongo had arranged to be absent on purpose to make sure he actually sat down and finished it.

​And now that he has, he doesn’t particularly feel like starting more.

​"...Well, since you’re here, why don’t we have tea?" Gurdet hurriedly inquires of his nephew before he can make his escape. He says it so pleasantly, too, and while he’s a little surprised with himself, he’s not entirely sure he deserves the way Loac’s nose wrinkles.

It’s just that it’s been a very lonely morning so far. He gets so used to Bongo’s presence nearby that on the rare days he’s not at his side he’s really started to notice it.

​"Why?" Loac inquires flatly, immediately (and probably rightfully) suspicious, "We’ve never had tea before."

​"All the more reason," Gurdet decides, "It’ll be..." He can’t quite bring himself to say the word fun , because they both know that it probably won’t be.

"...Something. And you know Xena will be thrilled. The two of us, getting along . You know how she gets."

​Loac does, and the mention of his cousin does seem to carry some sway with him these days because after a moment of deliberation he lets out a resigned sigh.

​"I want some ale," he declares, brushing past with his hands tucked in his pockets. His chair scrapes obnoxiously against the stone as he throws himself down, and a vein twitches in Gurdet’s brow.

​"Could I interest you in some wine?" Gurdet counters, because he knows that the servants always home some of that on hand, and he could honestly do with a little himself before tackling the pile of paperwork that Drogger’s sent to him.

​"It’ll do."

​"Wine sounds wonderful," he agrees dryly, and gestures for the servants to swap out his usual tea set with goblets.

They’ve been getting along better recently; perhaps it’ll be nice to just sit and chat with the boy.

​Nope, it’s definitely still weird.

​They drink half a glass of wine in silence.

Which is something , he supposes. At least they’re in each other’s presence, and he hasn’t been tempted to say anything that would make his daughter scowl at him. Yet. There’s always a possibility.

​No, no. He’d resolved to make an effort with Loac, hadn’t he?

​" So ," Gurdet prefaces, peering down into his goblet for something to do. Across the table, his nephew appears to be doing much the same thing.

"... How are things ?"

​Loac looks at him like he’s just spat at him. A reasonable reaction. Gurdet can’t recall the last time he asked his nephew such a thing. At least, without an ulterior motive behind it.

​All the more reason for him to start, he supposes.

Eventually Loac will get used to it.

​Hopefully he will, too.

​"...Uh, fine ?" Loac replies, with all the caginess of a broody teenager preparing to get jumped with a scolding.

​"Good, good," Gurdet hums pleasantly, "That’s good to hear."

​In the ensuing silence they each take another long, long swig from their respective goblets.

​"...Training going well?"

​"Yeah."