“Well, did you wake him?”

  “He was asleep, Phoebe.”

  “People can be woken up, Neil.”

  “That’s what I said!”

  “Dustin, lower your voice this instant,” Neil hissed as he glanced over to the bar where Thad was grabbing everyone another round. The guy was enthusiastically talking to the Leonid barkeeper, his hands waving with words Neil couldn’t make out.

  The owner of the tavern, for her part, seemed to be enjoying the conversation so much that she’d not even started pouring their drinks, and instead was showing off her war hammer that had been hung up behind her on the wall.

  “Well, you'd better watch out, Neil, if you don’t confess soon, you may have some competition,” Phoebe smirked as she glanced at the Leonid and then back to Neil.

  “Oh, shut it, I’m going to ask him… just going to have a drink first to work up the nerve.”

  “How many drinks do you think it’ll take?” Dustin asked, looking at the two glasses sitting in front of the healer. “Because I thought earlier you said it’d just be the one.”

  “If I remember correctly, Phoebe’s the one who asked you out, Dustin, so cut me some slack.”

  “And I’m happy every day she did,” Dustin said, lightly kissing Phoebe, who smirked up at him. “See, you could make Thad the happiest… Second-happiest guy in all of Greenstone, if you would just do it already.”

  “You’re both the worst, you know that? What if he’s got like some secret lover we don’t know about?”

  “Can’t know till you ask,” Phoebe said, lightly patting Neil’s hand, who sighed and put his head on the table.

  “Ok, but I still need one more drink. Is Thad still accidentally flirting with the bartender?”

  “No, he’s— wait, shit, is that Cavendish?”

  “Can’t be we would’ve already heard glass breaking if it were,” Neil sighed into the table. Only to sneak a glance and notice his sight line blocked by an enormous man who was now grinning down at him.

  “Working with Thadwick got you down, Neil?”

  Hudson Kettering was a mountain of a man, to the point that it made Dustin appear average height. Neil had always found it nice because it made him feel almost normal by comparison.

  “Did I hear them correct Hudson? Is Beth picking a fight tonight?” Neil asked with a sigh.

  “Oh, trust me, if she wanted a fight, Thadwick would’ve already been tossed out of the bar,” Hudson grinned before turning to Phoebe. “I’m Hudson, by the way. Pleasure to finally meet you in person. Though with the amount Dusty talks about you, I feel like I know you already.”

  “And I was warned about your size, but you’re a bit bigger than even I expected,” Phoebe laughed, giving him a solid once-over.

  “Oh, that’s quite the compliment coming from a Geller,” Hudson said with a smug smile.

  “Of course. Now, can someone explain why it sounds like I’m about to have to fight Beth Cavendish?” Phoebe asked, her face gaining an edge of seriousness.

  “Wait, why would you fight Beth?” Hudson asked with a confused expression.

  “Well, to protect Thad, naturally… though to be fair, they look more like their flirting than fighting. Is there something I’m not tracking between them?”

  “They used to be engaged, but then—” Dustin started to explain, only to have Hudson wave him off.

  “The engagement was never official! And she’s not flirting; that’s Beth’s scheming face… she’s been all worked up since her family told her that she’d have to dance with Thadwick for his birthday celebration ball.” Hudson explained, waving his hand towards the duo at the bar as he talked. “I know she has at least ten working strategies to get out of it, and at least five dances memorized where she steps on his feet more times than he can count.”

  “But I thought they’d stopped requiring her to dance with him after the incident,” Neil said, looking past Hudson to Beth.

  She really was lovely, and despite what Hudson had said, she looked to be having a very pleasant conversation with Thad, who was smiling at her with that grin that made Neil’s heart flutter.

  “The incident?” Phoebe questioned, pulling Neil's attention back to the table.

  “The engagement ceremony was called off because Thadwick was found making out with Beth's brother… over half an hour into when the ceremony should’ve started.”

  “It wasn’t her brother, it was her cousin Mose, and they definitely weren’t just kissing,” Hudson corrected. “Besides, Beth’s not really upset by that. Probably more grateful than anything that Mose wrecked that arrangement. I for sure am. Would even kiss Thadwick and Mose myself if I didn’t already know where their mouths had been. But, regardless, apparently your boy’s made enough of a turnaround that the family is ready to reopen marriage negotiations.”

  Neil’s heart sank.

  “Beth’s pissed, though Mose has offered multiple times to make the sacrifice… Which the family shut down. But I say let him at it. The guy’s some kind of masochist anyway. What better way to torture himself than with Thadwick, am I right?”

  “Wait… The invitations went out already?” Neil asked, almost to himself, as his brain started to catch up to the implications.

  He’d known that Thad’s birthday had been on the horizon. But it had never really held much significance beyond a day when he dressed up in house colors and watched the other higher families jockey for prospects.

  In fact, the birthday never really was about Thad to begin with, since he rarely even made an appearance at his own party and instead was more of a free social event held by the Mercers. To which new business arrangements could be made, and alliances strengthened.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Events such as this, however, were still considered an important part of courtship and displays of compatibility. Afterall, what better place for two houses to publicly push their scions together and show the surrounding families the opportunity that could bloom under the right guidance.

  Neil could hear the trio talking around the table, but his mind kept spiraling.

  This would be the first birthday celebration with Thad in attendance in years. Of course, Beaufort Mercer would’ve already started arranging such dances and events. Dustin had been right… the family planned to marry him off before he had a chance to ruin another engagement.

  “Are you sure she’s not flirting? She’s doing the whole arm thing,” Dustin asked, lightly touching Neil’s arm in demonstration, which took him out of his thoughts as he waved off Dustin’s hand in annoyance.

  “You don’t have to demonstrate the arm thing; we all know about the arm thing!”

  “As I said, she’s just plotting to— wait, is that a genuine laugh?” Hudson said, with a stricken expression.

  “… Concerned you're about to lose to Thad, cousin?” Dustin asked in a teasing manner, only to have the bigger man scowl at him.

  “What!? No, of course not… Beth’s standards are not that low,” Hudson blustered, though he looked genuinely worried. “She’s smarter than that.”

  “You should ask her out then, come on, Huddy! You’re worse than Neil.” Dustin teased, poking at his cousin, which caused the bigger man’s eyebrow to twitch.

  “Yes, let’s just have a Guild Hall Merchant’s son ask out Greenstone royalty, that’ll work out so well, Dustin. Might as well have Neil ask out Thadwick Mercer while we’re at it, for the likelihood of success that’ll bring.”

  The table went silent as Neil saw Dustin and Phoebe’s eyes flick towards him for a moment, but it was enough that the Kettering Scion turned his attention on him.

  “Really…Him? What? Cassandra falls for some guy with evil powers, and you find the next closest Mercer? Actually, I have another question. Are Thadwick and he sleeping together behind Cassandra’s back? Wait, does that mean you’re also sleeping with the evil power’s guy? He must be great in the sack.”

  “Oh, shut up, Hudson!” Neil scowled.

  “What has he taken a fancy to you, Neil? My condolences, but better you than Dustin.”

  “Hudson,” Dustin hissed at his cousin, who just gave him a confused look.

  “What we’ve all gotten the talk; it was bound to happen to one of us at some point… Though it should’ve been me, not him.”

  “What talk?” Phoebe asked, glancing between Hudson and the other men.

  “The, ‘If the scion you’re assigned to shows any interest… well… You know, jump on the opportunity.’ I mean, I always felt for you there, Dusty. That would’ve really been taking one for the team.”

  Neil watched Phoebe stare at Dustin for a second

  “… Would you have actually slept with him?”

  Dustin took a long drink.

  “I’m just grateful I never had to give the possibility much thought.”

  “Well, I’m still glad the rumors are true. Can’t believe you’re sleeping with him, Neil. Beth’s going to be thrilled to use this as leverage against the dance.”

  “Don’t you dare tell her. We’re not… we’re not sleeping together. We’re not anything.”

  “Wait, I’m confused, what else would Thadwick be doing with… You keep calling him Thad,” Hudson said, looking between Neil and the Mercer Scion, only to cover his mouth with his hands. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him. Oh, you poor sod.”

  “Listen, I’ve had months to make peace with myself over how much of an idiot I am for falling for him, so you don’t need to point it out. I’m very well aware.”

  “Yeah, Hudson, be nice.”

  “Sorry, my bad, just took me by surprise, is all,” Hudson said apologetically.

  “It doesn’t matter. With the higher noble families maneuvering, it’s not like I’ve got a shot. I mean, if the Gellers even thought of joining, then Lady Mercer would be…”

  Neil glanced at Phoebe, who suddenly blanched.

  “Who’s answered the invitation, Phoebe?”

  “Well… There's been a lot of interest in entering the race since the Mirage Chamber fight, to be honest. Though first refusal goes to Humphrey and Henrietta, of course.”

  “Who did they give up their dance to then?” Neil asked and saw Phoebe wince.

  “…They didn’t,” Phoebe said, her face sympathetic. “I mean, Henri’s using it as an excuse to come back earlier than anticipated, but we all know she’s saving Thad’s dance for Cassandra instead. So that’s a point in your favor at least.”

  “You’re saying Humphrey hasn’t given up his dance?... I’m having to compete with Beth Cavendish and Humphrey, fucking, Geller?!”

  “I wouldn’t call that competing; that implies you’d win,” Hudson said, suddenly placing his own untouched drink in front of Neil. “Here, you need this more than I do.”

  “Really, though, Humphrey’s going to dance with him? He’s refused every year since he returned,” Neil said, taking the drink and downing half of it.

  “Maybe he just wants to talk with Thad again and see why he saved him in the mirage chamber. He’s been rather cagey about the whole thing ever since the event,” Phoebe answered, watching Neil finish the drink with a grimace.

  “I mean, have you seen the recording? If Thadwick Mercer were kneeling over me with that amount of relief that I was ok, I’d fall for him too!”

  “Hudson!”

  “What, sorry, I think I’m still pissed that he’s not an ugly crier. Like he has no right to look as good as he does,” Hudson said, glancing back at Beth and Thad, who were both laughing at something Beth had said… Neil saw Hudson scowl. “You know, that’s the one thing that confused her. The compassion. What in the world happened to him? He’s somehow gotten her to completely lower her guard.”

  Right, Hudson was in his own hell.

  Not only was his Scion considered one of the most eligible bachelorettes in Greenstone, but he’d been in love with her for far longer than Neil could remember.

  “It’s the Head trauma,” Dustin answered before he leaned in conspiratorially. “Though now that I’ve noticed it, I can promise you that Thad doesn’t recognize Beth right now.”

  “What?” Both Neil and Hudson asked at the same time, before looking at each other, then back to Dustin.

  “It took a while for me to catch it, but Thad gets this look in his eyes when he recognizes he should know someone but can’t place them. There’s a bit of irritation in the eyebrows. Bewilderment mixed with him, still just being overjoyed to talk to someone. He’s got it now. See, there it is,” Dustin said lightly, waving his hand towards Thad, who noticed the gesture and naively waved back with a smile. “I bet he’ll ask us who she is the moment he gets to our table.”

  “Oh, so the head trauma’s real then? I thought it was just a clever way for Thadwick to remake his image,” Hudson remarked to Dustin, who nodded.

  “Oh, it’s very real.”

  Neil watched Hudson glance at him with a smirk.

  “Guess it’s lucky for you lot he didn’t get healed in time— Ouch!”

  Dustin and Phoebe both smacked Hudson on the arm.

  “I really tried… but… Gods is it terrible I’ve secretly thought the same thing? I’m the worst healer in the history of healers,” Neil moaned, placing his head in his hands.

  “Neil, no, we both know his family has a silver healer from the church on retainer… if he didn’t recover after that, then it’s not really on you,” Dustin comforted, patting Neil’s arm.

  “Yeah, sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

  “Everyone, compose yourself, he’s on his way back,” Phoebe hissed as she turned to face Thad with a smile. “About time you returned, have a good little chat?”

  “Yes, actually. Did you know that Ralaya is silver rank?”

  “Ralaya?”

  “The barkeeper, she’s lived quite the life,” Thad smiled as he placed the drinks on the table before looking up at Dustin’s cousin with mild confusion, only for recognition to dawn on his face. “Hudson, right? I’d heard you were big, but damn.”

  “Yes, nice to meet you again, despite knowing you before I even knew how to hold a hammer properly.”

  “Sorry, had a bit of an accident a while back,” Thad winced, only to glance back at Beth with relief. “Then that must make her Beth Cavendish.”

  “What makes you say that?” Hudson asked, prompting Thad to look back in embarrassment.

  “What was I wrong? Lasalle then? … Though, she didn’t seem the type.”

  “Oh, she’s going to love that.”

  “Wait, was I right initially?!”

  “Yeah, just wanted to see your reaction, it’s been rather enlightening,” Hudson laughed, before turning away. “See you around, Dustin, and it was lovely meeting you, Phoebe… you too Thad, I guess. Oh, and best of luck, Neil! For all our sakes.”

  Thad glanced at Neil with a puzzled expression.

  “Luck?” Thad asked. “Luck with what?”

  “Nothing,” Neil stated, downing his drink in one go. “Anyone up for another round?”

  Here is an updated Meme Dump for the fandom! (I love you all; you have me crying half the time.)

  Behold my suffering! I think it takes place probably before the mirage chamber, or right before Thad leaves for a contract with Jason.

  "It should've been me. Not him!" Yu-Gi-Oh reference into this fic.