Troubles
James's second girlfriend Clove gives him a hard time despite his patient kindness until his fiery dad handles Clove his own way.
Troubles
By Lonelyrider
Lady Clove insists her lover & old flame James make time for her, unusually cross due to alcohol withdrawal. When he is apologetically unable to, she snaps, until his overwhelming father steps in and big egos clash.
"Sir? I know your father and his cohorts are arriving shortly, Samson is nearly done with the luncheon for them. Lady BrownFeather is at the door, shall I send her away, my lord?" James' butler Luke asked, James looked up from his book in his ornate library, the projection of stars whirling overheard on its ceiling, and he put his book down and stood up, brushing his rich burgundy suit.
"No Luke, thank you, good man, please show her in, I couldn't bear to just turn her away without an explanation and an apology for the inconvenience. Please direct her to this room." James replied kindly, tossing Luke a coin, Luke bowed politely, the towel on his arm swaying, and did as asked, in another moment, James gave Clove a big grin and held out his beefy arms as she came into his library, her flask out as she looked around, pulling her winter dress closer.
"Clove sweetheart, welcome. My dove..I'm so sorry, I'd love to spend time with you, beautiful, but I've promised my dad the manor this afternoon for a meeting with his fellow warlocks, and that's very important to him, I can't miss it. Can you come back in a few hours, princess? I'd love to take you out to the village pub for supper and drinks, Lonely and I love it there. On me, of course. How's that sound? Or, we can have dinner and brandy here later, just you and I, I promise. I'm so sorry again honey, but I have to go very soon, this is so important to my dad." James gushed, kind and apologetic, ever polite. Unfortunately, Clove was in an alcohol-induced withdrawal, and was uncharacteristically irritable due to it.
"No James, I want to drink with you, now. Not later, now." Clove insisted sassily, throwing down her flask hard, he actually found her endearing and her bratty pouting cute, though he did take her feelings seriously, he couldn't help himself, he was just so fond of her. He went to her and stroked up her arms and wings softly with his big hands, giving her a gentle kiss on her lips and a sweet nuzzle; she wouldn't look at him.
"Awww....there, there, sweet girl. Honey....it's not that I want to tell you no, please understand, my beautiful Clove. I want to spend time with you, I want to give you what you want, right now. I just can't break my word to my dad, honey this really is so important to him, these guys are his rock. You can stay here if you like baby girl, and my servants can get you anything you need, anything at all. Honey...I truly am sorry. If it was anything other than loved ones sweetie, I'd cancel it in a heartbeat. Why don't I have Francine bring you some brandy from my cellar, and you can pick out a book in here to read, we shouldn't be forever. How's that sound, gorgeous?" James purred lowly, gently stroking her cheek with his big hand. Clove snarled and pushed back on his burly chest hard, but he was so big it didn't barely move him, though his face grew tender and apologetic.
"I don't want to drink alone, James! Damn it!"
"Clove! Honey, wait! Clovey, I..." James gasped and reached out his brawny hand and arm, she brushed past him angrily and stormed up his fancy stairway to a guest bedroom on his second floor, slamming and locking it; they could hear her throwing things and cursing angrily. James covered his mouth with his hand; his eyes worried and guilty and wings sagging. His servants eyed him and he started to go to her, wishing to comfort her, when his butler announced his father and his many guests had arrived. James paused, tormented and torn, he mouthed a very guilty 'I'm sorry' to Clove's direction and hurried down his stairs, greeting his dad with a hearty handshake, followed by his father's cohort Guile FoxBlood, a mighty young warlock who was in fact schooling James in his father's dark craft, Guile shook James' meaty hand and greeted him; the men noticed the guilt on the big brute's face but said nothing of it, and they sat down to a magnificent luncheon with wine and French cuisine James' talented chef had set out, and soon, James politely hosted and listened as his father started to debate and go over matters of territory, internal rumors, and who they were currently fighting, mostly rival witch covens and maverick loners.
"I say we burn all these bitches at the stake! By the way, nice job today, son." Abaddon complimented, tearing up a leg of fowl after slamming his fist on James' ornate dinning table to make his point. James looked pleased despite his sadness.
"Oh, my pleasure dad, thank my staff, they're so amazing! Interesting what's going on with the Blood Coven." James remarked; everything in him wanted to go check on and comfort Clove upstairs, but he also was torn by not wanting to disturb his father's meeting.
"That's one word for it, boy." Abaddon said, looking ahead and having another roasted bird leg.
"James, how have your dark crafts been coming? I heard that lycanthrope potion caused quite a stir for you!" Guile FoxBlood chortled, James beamed big.
"Yes sir, it did! I felt so guilty, I accidentally scared my poor girlfriend with it!" James said sheepishly.
"But you also made her night, am I right?" Guile guffawed, elbowing the warlocks next to him, who all chuckled, James grinned harder and blushed, feeling his hair bashfully; Abaddon rolled his eyes, never having been a fan of his son's shyness.
"Oh...sir, how did you know? I did, it was the only reason I could live with myself after, to be honest!" James admitted laughing shyly, the men all howled and Abaddon slammed down a map hard, making the table shake.
"Enough idiocy, men. Let's get down to business. James, pay attention. Guile, Lance, Sterling, show me the locations of those witches on this." Abaddon barked.
"Yes sir, right away!" James nodded, and he leaned over and paid attention as his dad and his friends went to work doing as Abaddon had ordered; he wasn't their official leader, as these twisted men had none, but it was clear to see he was the man who held the most sway among them, closely followed by Guile, who had no desire for more power, so he let James' father take that role. Another 2 hours went by, and finally, Abaddon and then James, still serving as polite host, shook all the men's hands and they all left save for Abaddon, who put his boots up on James' table and picked his teeth with a fearsome ornate glove with carved dragon's claws made for this purpose.
"Please excuse me dad, my apologies. Someone special is in my guest bedroom, and I need to go talk to her. I've been meaning to introduce you, today has just been so hectic. I'm so glad your meeting went well. I'll be back, in the meantime, please make yourself at home. Luke, please see to my father's any need." James asked sweetly, Luke bowed and Abaddon watched James go into the kitchen and then turn up the stairs with a fancy tray of hot turkey and cranberry stuffing and rolls from their lunch, a bottle of brandy and a beautiful single white rose in a little vase. Abaddon followed his son, his cape swishing, still picking his teeth with his claw pick.
"That's quite an array you've got there, boy." Abaddon wondered, gazing at James' tray. James knocked on the bedroom door and found it open, going in with the tray slowly.
"Clove, sweetie? It's me, I brought you supper if you're hungry, are you okay? I was so worried, I wanted...oh!" James gasped hard and jumped a little as a glass bottle exploded overhead him and his father, who ducked swiftly, breaking into pieces all over the two men; Clove had thrown a big empty vase at the door frame as he'd entered, and she started to pelt poor James with anything within reach, before leaping to her feet and jumping at him with her wings out, her fist pulled back, but before she could land her punch, Abaddon swung in and caught her, spinning her and pinning her hard against James' guest bedroom wall with a loud slam, holding her by her throat and wrist and snarling; James gasped hard and tried to gently pull his father off her, but Abaddon wouldn't budge, his face a steely snarl.
"Dad, please, don't hurt her!" James begged, still trying to get in between them and protect her despite the fact she'd been trying to attack him.
"Quiet, both of you!" Abaddon barked, and both James and Clove found their mouths bound by magical fiery gags, James could be heard trying to talk, while Clove just struggled and shot Abaddon a look of burning hate. "Now...young lady...I've never battered a woman, but unlike my son here, I'm not above doing it. You dare to disrespect him, and by extension, me, in his own manor? I'm not fond of his other wench by any means, but at least she affords him respect and submission. You on the other hand, little cunt, have no decency."
James' eyes flew wide at what his father had called his beloved and he shook his head fast, still trying to talk and hold his father off, who ignored his upset.
"Calm yourself, James. Now, his mother might've raised him to be a pushover to women, but I won't. If you ever....EVER come back here...you'll act like a lady, or we'll have more than this little talk," Abaddon stepped aside in time to evade Clove's attempted kick to his scrotum, for he was able to partially read minds, "I wouldn't try that if I were you, it'll be your final act, missy. Now, I don't care what my son thinks, you've disrespected our house and name with your spoiled brat behavior. James! Answer me boy, where does she live?"
Abaddon loosed the gag spell from James and he gasped, upset by all this, and replied.
"With Mr Hans RedNeedle the tailor, not far from here. Please dad, don't harm her!"
Abaddon cast a fast spell in Latin and in a surge of fire, kicking and screaming against her gag in anger, Clove was teleported back to her bedroom in Hans' mansion in an instant and released from all Abaddon's spells. In James' guest bedroom, which was being frantically tidied by his servants, as Clove had trashed it, Abaddon took a crying James aside, sternly.
"You don't ever let a little female disrespect you like that, boy. What are you doing with such a vile girl, anyway? She's nothing like your mule woman." Abaddon sneered.
"Oh dad, she wasn't herself today, she's normally funny and spunky and cool, please don't think ill of her, I don't think she felt well, poor girl." James sniffled hard, wiping away tears.
"That isn't an excuse to act unruly and trash your property. This is what being raised by your mother did for you, right here. You give me your word, you won't call her by magick mirror or go see her tonight, you let her think about what she's done and leave her alone with her misery. She needs to learn some damned manners." Abaddon scolded, shaking his index finger at James, who was still crying.
"Okay..dad, I won't...I won't contact her tonight, I promise. Do you think she'll think I'm mad at her, though?" James asked sweetly, his grey eyes big and wet.
"Good! Good fucking riddance." Abaddon said with a whirl, his cape swishing and beefy arms out in a dramatic gesture. In an unusually soft move, Abaddon took pity on his hurting son, pulling him close by his shoulder, James hugged his father and sobbed, who rolled his eyes again and sighed.
"Now...stop it, man up, James. Stop crying. Come with me, there's a lock' bar I frequent, let's get supper and a few beers. Forget this useless bullshit. Clean up!" Abaddon ordered, tossing gold at James' servants, who were already doing so.
"Guys, thank you so much, I'm so sorry about the room!" James gasped, also handing them coins apologetically.
"Now, boy, come!" Abaddon roared, and James called to his father and rushed after him out his front door, boarding his carriage with his father and allowing himself a night on the town despite knowing thoughts of his dear Clove would haunt him no matter what he did, but he was still grateful for his father's company; he would need it.