King Bayrel was in high spirits the day of the dinner meeting. Finally, he had cornered Lancaster and with luck, would lure the prominent attorney to his side. Who knew that his useless youngest daughter would be good for something. Before leaving for the dinner he made sure to put her in her place with a reminder that she was to be "seen and not heard." He sensed her fear at his aggressiveness and relished it. If she was afraid, she'd behave and he had no worries. He couldn't afford for her to start resisting his grand plan for her.
Once they arrived at Johnny's Story, he again reminded her of her place. Inside the restaurant, he watched as Romeo attempted to sit next to his daughter. Bayrel made sure that didn't happen. He was going to control this meeting from start to finish. He was pleased by Serenah's demure behavior. She didn't object when he ordered for her. Romeo, however, did. Bayrel didn't care. Romeo was just a young punk who had a powerful father to back him.
It didn't impress Bayrel who was used to dealing with entitled nobles with the same dispositions. Everything was going well until Romeo and his father began praising Serenah's intellect. That set Bayrel on edge. How dare they elevate his youngest? She was nothing and had no place in the conversation. She was only good as an in to gain Mark Lancaster's favor.
Bayrel was infuriated to learn that Serenah ranked higher than Amanah. He listened to Romeo's explanation about grade point averages and his rage rose. When did Serenah enroll in high-level classes? Why wasn't Amanah in those same classes? He needed to correct the problem immediately. No way would he allow Serenah to stand above Amanah in anything. He saw Serenah's happiness at her rank and decided to punish her right then and there.
He waited until Romeo finished his explanation to reach under the table and viciously pinch Serenah's right side. She yelped and doubled over. Satisfaction filled him at her reaction. He was pleased when she ran from the table and to the bathroom.
"Oh my! Is she okay?" Mark exclaimed.
"I don't know. I'll go check on her." Romeo rose and hurried after Serenah.
Bayrel watched Romeo leave and shrugged. "My daughter is made of tough stuff. She'll be fine. Probably just nerves. She is my shyest after all."
Mark frowned and Bayrel took a sip of his soda. He waited a few minutes and stood.
"I should go check on her," he murmured, playing the role of concerned parent.
He headed for the bathroom. He didn't know if Serenah was running her mouth. He had to insure her silence. If she spoke about him pinching her, she would bleed when they got home. He was halfway there when Romeo came toward him. The younger man was glaring at him. Bayrel was amused by the younger man's attitude. The boy had guts. Not that it impressed him one bit.
"Did you see her?" Bayrel demanded.
"No, when I got there she was already inside the bathroom. I figured since I was up I should go to the bathroom as well. I was on my way back," Romeo said.
Bayrel eyed the teenager. He wasn't sure if Romeo was lying or not. He decided to err on the side of caution and assume the boy spoke the truth.
"I see. Well let's go sit. I'm sure she'll be out by the time the food arrives."
They returned to the table and sat. Bayrel turned to Mark. "I'm hoping I can retain your services for a court case some of my employees have coming up in January."
"Ah, I'll have to check my calendar," Mark replied. "You have my number. Please text me the court appearance date and we can set an appointment to discuss their case."
"That's great!" Bayrel hid his glee. Finally, he had Lancaster in his pocket.
The waitress chose that moment to show up with their food. A few minutes later, Serenah returned and slid into her seat. She kept her head down and ate her food. Pleased with her behavior, Bayrel smiled at her. Not that she saw.
"By the way, Benjamin, I would like for Sera to intern at my law firm."
Bayrel eyed Mark in surprise. What was this man up to?
"Oh, why, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Last year I started a program that allows the seniors in the top ten to intern with my firm if they chose to do so. It is a way to gain real world work experience and it encourages them to use their book learning in a practical setting. I extend the invitation and the students can accept or pass on the offer."
"I see. Sera can intern as long as Amy gets to as well."
Mark nodded. "That's fine. Amy is in the top ten. It's not a problem. The internship is Monday-Wednesday after school. They work until we close for the day at 6:30 pm."
"Dad, don't forget Al. He's ranked eighth. He should come as well."
"Good thinking, my son."
Bayrel managed to not snarl at Romeo. Mark Lancaster's son was a thorn in his side. The boy was constantly getting in the way of his plans. The sooner he removed Serenah from the boy's side, the quicker it would be for Amanah to control him.
"Al is a smart young man. He will do fine at your firm as will Amy. Both help me in my businesses and will do well at yours," Bayrel bragged. "Sera's skills are mediocre and she requires a lot of supervision."
He saw Serenah stiffen when he mocked her. Good. She needed to be reminded of her place. He would make sure that she dropped in rank and that Amanah would rise. He felt Romeo's glower and smiled pleasantly at the younger man. It felt good to best him.
"Excuse me, would anyone like dessert?" Their waitress asked as she walked up to their table.
"No, we're good. I'd love to stay longer, but we need to get home. Sera looks tired." Bayrel stifled a laugh at Serenah's flinch and Romeo's growl. You're forty years to early to rout me, boy, he thought, amused at the boy's audacity.
"I'm sorry you can't stay."
"It's alright, Mark. I'm glad we could finally meet. Sera, let's go," he ordered.
Serenah stood quickly. "Yes, Father." She gave a bow to Mark. "Thank you, Mr. Lancaster for inviting us. Romeo, I'll see you Monday."
Bayrel wanted to laugh at Romeo's disgruntled expression. He chose instead to take Serenah by the arm and lead her from the restaurant. They got in the car and went home with Bayrel's mind on what steps to take next to maintain this unexpected windfall.
~***~
Fidelis was pissed. From the moment he'd heard Sera's sobs and saw the bruises, he'd fought to control his temper. He wanted to destroy Sera's father. The human was vile and needed to die. His father's constant tapping of his knee throughout dinner was the only thing keeping him somewhat calm. His mark throbbed and ached with the rise and fall of Sera's emotions.
He desperately wanted to comfort her. Because of her father, he couldn't get near her. He suffered in silence along with her. After she returned to the table, his father had extended the internship offer to Mr. Holland for Sera to work at his father's firm. Of course, the bastard made sure to force his father to take Amy too. He decided to interfere and mentioned Al's ranking. His father caught his intention and said that was fine since all three were in the top ten.
Fidelis hoped that for at least the three days a week Sera would have a reprieve from her abusive home. All too soon, Mr. Holland declared it was time for him and Sera to go home. Fidelis worried what the man might do to Sera at home. He couldn't stand it. Her sadness, worry, and fear permeated their bond. He was drowning in it. He prayed to Autem that her father wouldn't hurt anymore this evening.
He watched as they left and turned to his father. "Can you make sure that Amy isn't anywhere near Sera when we start our internships? I don't care if Al tags along but I refuse to let that viper near us."
"That shouldn't be a problem, my son. On a different note, what happened at the bathrooms?"
Fidelis tensed. "Let's talk about it on the way home."
His father nodded and they went to the front and paid the check. Fidelis waited until they were in the car to explain to his father everything that had happened. His father was silent for a few minutes.
"We need to get pictures of the abuse. I know Sera will likely resist, but, my son, you must convince her. I fear for her life. Benjamin doesn't seem to care that the public can see her injuries. Someone with a callous attitude like that is dangerous. They feel above the law and will do things that law-abiding citizens wouldn't do."
"I know. My mark was in pain the whole dinner. I couldn't even comfort her," Fidelis glumly replied. He was a warrior and yet he kept failing the one who mattered to him the most.
"Don't worry, my son, we will save her."
Fidelis glanced at his father. HH
e was reassured by his father's confident air. Whenever his father promised something, he always delivered. He closed his eyes and pondered how he could make Sera feel better. He wanted her to know he was always on her side. He would move heaven and earth for her. Feeling better about his thoughts, he drifted off to sleep.