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Not in the mood for a fight, I feign a light chuckle in response and gesture toward the third person in the room.
“I see you brought Dravank with you this time. How are you?” I ask, shaking his hand.
He is the mate of my sister, a wealthy nobleman who makes his money importing cheap goods and reselling them for a high, and often ridiculous, price. He too shared the same sentiments of looking down his nose at me simply because of my single status.
I haven’t exactly made it a secret that I do not like him, but I make an effort to maintain a friendly appearance so as to not start an immediate quarrel on sight.
“I’m very well, thank you for asking,” he says, shaking my hand. I can tell his smile is fake.
“Tell them of your successes,” chimes Meriana, coming closer to join us.
“Oh, no. I don’t want to sound like we’re bragging,” laughs Velora.
I need to find a way to get out of this and return to Althia. The idea of sitting here all day and conversing with them makes me want to put my head through a wall.
“Son, as you can see, your sister is doing marvelously.”
“I can talk to her myself,” I snap, much to everyone’s surprise.
I know exactly what my mother is trying to do. Each time my sister comes to visit, she plays up her achievements in an effort to belittle me and my passions. It’d be worse if Father was here, but he’s thankfully off on errands.
Regardless, I didn’t come to be subjected to a condescending session of singing praise for my sister.
“Well,” chuckles Velora, adding to the tension in the air. “Join us for some tea.”
I guess one cup won’t hurt. The sooner I am out of here, the better.
“Alright.”
We all take our seats. I stroke the hot mug in my hands, spotting my reflection in the tea. It only serves as a reminder that I’m a disappointment to my family.
“So,” I begin. “How are things in the countryside?”
“Business is booming for Dravank, so much so that we are planning on purchasing more property, though we’re unsure if that’ll be in the countryside or city.”
“The city sounds good,” comments Dravank. “We can turn it into a members-only resort, that’ll bring us some good money.”
I hate being a part of this discussion. Never ever was my art a subject of conversation, unless it was some snide remark made by Father, despite his lack of knowledge about painting.
I spot my mother’s prideful grin beaming across from me. I can tell she’s eating every mention of success up. I know there’s a part of her mind subconsciously looking for a way to make a comparison to me.
“What about you, Valkus?” asks Velora. “How are your commissions going?”
“Good. I’m hoping that the royal family will have me do another portrait for them soon.”
“Wonderful, and is there any other news to share?”
At that moment, I contemplate telling her all about Althia. Chances are that she’ll share the same feelings as my parents, but there is only one way to find out. Before I can even open my mouth, however, my mother blurts all the details.
“Your delusional brother has gone and brought home a human mate! Callista is her name!”
“Her name is Althia, get it right!” I snap.
“A human mate?” retorts Velora, an expression of disgust coming over her face. “Brother, is this true?”
Here we go again.
“Yes,” I state, my chin held high.
