Scheming Against Devotion (Book 2 of The Transition of Pinn)
Running (Chapter 26)

Giddean:

“You should’ve talked to me, Giddean- I would have talked you out of it!”

I don’t know fucking why I let Ivy convince me that dinner with my parents was a good idea. It’s been one big clusterfuck. My mother spent half the other meal making clear that she expects grandkids to pop out any moment now and the other half of the meal preventing my father and me from arguing over my speech in the senate.

Now that dinner is over and we have retired to the sitting room, however, all bets are off with my father and he has me cornered on the far side of the luxurious room. Angry whispering his disapproval at me so my mother can’t hear it.

My mother and Ivy are sitting together on a ridiculous gold-embroidered couch chatting about something I can’t make out, but Ivy looks like she bit into a lemon.

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you, you don’t listen!” I whisper back to my father.

“You did it all wrong!” My father is growing louder and it makes my mother turn around in her seat to glare at us. I try to smile at her, but I think it comes out as a grimace.

When she turns back around, I reply “I did what I had to do, father, I don’t expect you to understand”

“You have allies, why didn’t you use them!”

This is going fucking nowhere and I have had enough, “Mom, it’s been a long week; I think Ivy and I will head home now”

Ivy looks up at me surprise with a wave of relief passing over her face. I think it’s going to be a long time before she suggests dinner with my parents again.

“Oh, of course, Giddi! It was so great to see you. You never come around anymore.” My mother stands and reaches her arms out for a hug. I lean down and embrace her, her many gold chains scratching against my arms and suit, her small arms wrapping around my waist.

My mother lets go of me to give Ivy a big hug as well, “I’m so excited, I can’t wait to see what your children look like!”

I have to contain myself not to roll my eyes like a fucking teenager.

I grab Ivy’s hand saving her from my mother’s clutches and she gives me a grateful look when I feel a weight. I turn and see my father has placed his hand on my shoulder.

“I will see what I can do to smooth this over with the Lord Mayor” My father is a complete hard-ass, but he has always done what he can to help me and I have to appreciate that.

I nod at him, “Thanks Dad”

It’s not long before we’ve thrown on our coats and are out the door, waving goodbye as we exit.

“Can we walk home? I’m desperate to stretch my legs after sitting inside for so long”

I look over at the carriage with the driver patiently waiting. Sean is leaning against the side leafing through a political pamphlet.

I have been extra cautious since my speech in the senate chamber last week, making sure to take the carriage and always have protection with us. We’ve cut back on any engagements in public, I’ve told Ivy it’s only for a few weeks while things are hot. I have even hired extra security for the house which Andrew keeps bitching about getting in the way.

So far things have been quiet. Sure there are some political pamphlets like the one Sean is reading, decrying me as ‘attacking every Pinn’s right to worship as he sees fit’ and a few friends have told me privately that they have seen some obscene graffiti staring me, but it has all been cleaned up and I haven’t seen a thing. It’s quiet and for that I am grateful.

Ivy looks up at me with her hopeful large eyes batting at me, and I know I can’t refuse her. I too feel cooped up and a walk through the crisp evening air sounds refreshing.

“Okay, but we need to bring Sean”

Hearing his name Sean’s head tilts up as he throws the pamphlet into the carriage muttering something. Using his leg, he pushes off and begins following us, a few steps behind to give us the pretense of privacy.

We head home. Ivy is chatting about the weather changes, pointing out new flowers blooming even in the dim light of the evening. It must be something to be exposed to new vegetation- to see for the first time the flowers of winter bloom their vibrant purple and yellow, to smell the musty scent of the flowers attracting pollinating birds. It’s something I take as a given, just as I take for granted the sun rising in the morning or the moons crossing in the sky.

I can hardly wait to see her reaction to the first snowfall, I wonder if she has seen snow before. I open my mouth to ask her when I hear the sound of someone running on the cobblestones.

I look around trying to see the source of the sound but it’s grown too dark and the person is too far away.

“Wha-?” Ivy begins

“Fuck” I hear Sean curse before he points into the darkness of the night “go around that corner and wait for me”

A lone runner probably is nothing, but I’m not about to argue with Sean taking precautions. It’s hard to make out exactly what he means, but I wrap my arm around Ivy and head in that direction, quickly realizing it’s the corner of a building rather than a real hiding place, but I guess it’s better than nothing. I put Ivy behind me as we huddle on the other side of the building

The hurried footsteps draw nearer and I hold my breath in a vain attempt to hear what is going on around the corner.

“Sean!” I hear a familiar voice cries out through labored breaths, “Where is-? Where is the Senator?”

I round the corner to confront him, bring Ivy behind me.

There beside Sean is James, huffing his frozen breath into the night sky, bend over leaning his hands on his knees in exhaustion.

“Spit it out!” Sean coaxing him, still pissed about being forced to go to my parent’s house.

“Its… there is a… riot” James managed between heavy breaths, sweat drips down his face despite the cold air.

“What? Where?” Ivy has walked around me to stand next to James, leaning down so she is at face level with him.

But he’s not looking at her; he is looking directly up at me.

“Market Square… they are heading right for the house”

*****

Happy 2021!!

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