บท 58: Chapter 58: Back to School (1)
"You are going to do what!?" – Carsilion's silver fork clattered onto the plate before him.
"Shh, don't shout and mind your manners; there are bits of Chateaubriand on the tablecloth!" – Edward warned him and looked around cautiously.
The trendy restaurant was filled with Muggles from high society or people who didn't mind spending a lofty amount of money for a lunch at 'Mirabelle.' It was busy hour, and all the tables were packed, chatter and laughter buzzing in the premises, mixed with the rhythmic clanging of utensils and crystal glasses. Such surroundings were perfect for sharing sensitive information without being overly concerned about eavesdropping.
"Excuse my lack of refinement, Edward, but it's not every day that my best friend announces he's about to commit suicide!" – snapped the Marquis, taking a hefty sip from the wine glass, filled with his favourite Château Lafite Rothschild.
"Don't be overdramatic! We had discussed this as a possibility before." – said the Duke calmly.
"True, but we quickly dismissed it due to the extreme risk it posed for all of you." – Carsilion agreed, wiping his mouth with a napkin – "And now you're telling me that you would like to introduce Catherine to the Heads of the other six Houses as a surprise once she turns sixteen?! What kind of looney idea is that?"
"I know it may sound crazy to you, but it feels like I am finally doing something right for my daughter!" – Edward explained, his blue eyes dazzling with a mix of emotions – "She deserves her life back, and we have no right to rob her of it any further."
The Marquis sighed deeply, casting a helpless glance at his best friend.
"Look, brother, it's not like I don't understand your motivation, and I do agree this is what's fair. However, it doesn't make it smart or less of a complete disaster. You violated the Pact, and your whole family will be held responsible, including me for playing an active role into the whole ordeal."
"Don't tell me you're scared, Carsilion!" – Edward couldn't conceal his smile. It had been rare for the Duke to be the brave one between the two of them.
Carsilion's eyes flashed, casting a faint silver light for a brief moment—enough for a sudden gust of wind to ruffle his friend's honey-blond hair.
"You don't need to be so touchy!" – the Duke noted unimpressed. His smile appeared perfectly innocent, but the Marquis knew better than to trust Edward McMahon's angelic face. With a swift gesture, Carsilion knocked over his wine and water glasses on the floor, both shattering into pieces. However, instead of liquid, it was solid ice crystals, sharp as needles, that scattered on the parquet.
"Pretty low, Edd." – he commented while the staff cleaned the mess, speculating aloud about the randomly solidified wine – "Care to continue this discussion in the VIP lounge, or do you prefer going to a back alley and have a proper duel? It has been a while since our last skirmish."
"That's because, since I met Louisa, I didn't have to bother anymore. She could kick your ass just fine!" – chuckled the Duke, following his best friend towards the spacious room, behind a massive wooden door at the back of the hall.
The two men entered the empty, secluded premises reserved for the special guests of the restaurant. Edward ordered two glasses of Bowmore 1966 and settled into a comfortable armchair placed in front of an empty fireplace. Once the waiter discreetly left the room after serving the drinks, the Marquis joined his friend, casually drawing his wand and casting a Privacy spell.
"For your information, despite your wife being more than an adequate duellist, I could have disarmed her if I was really trying." – noted Carsilion.
"Merlin, are you still dwelling on this?" – exclaimed Edward, taking a sip from his glass.
"I don't want you to get the wrong impression." – said the Marquis, pursing his lips – "I just enjoy the sight of a beautiful and powerful witch being angry at me."
"Your kinks never cease to amaze me!" – chuckled the Duke, adding with a devilish twinkle in his blue eyes – "Is that the reason why you're so chummy with one Professor Minerva McGonagall?"
"We're just friends and colleagues, and not much of the former after the last term." – said Carsilion with regret.
"I suppose, one day, I should thank her for the honest and dedicated care for my daughter." – Edward mumbled, mostly to himself.
"How about thanking me, you ungrateful jerk!" – snapped the other wizard – "I am the one on the receiving end of everyone's hatred for being the 'unfair, snobbish professor Carter Thorne'. Your daughter thinks my sole purpose in life is tormenting her, but she is not nearly as bad as your son, who apparently has a lot of free time at hand, snitching to you about every breath I take."
Edward smiled at the pure annoyance reflected on his best friend's face.
"Carter, you know I can never come even close to expressing my gratitude for everything you've done for me. If it wasn't for you, I'm not even sure if my daughter would be alive today. We've been best friends for how long? Twenty years?"
"More or less." – smiled the Marquis – "If you count from that time you persuaded me to sneak out of my house and go see a movie, giving me this stupid nickname, Carter, along the way."
"Well, I couldn't shout 'Carsilion' in the middle of the theatre, could I? It attracts way too much attention. Every single Muggle would have looked at us!" – the Duke smiled back, immersed in memories of the old days.
"Courtesy to my father and his sick ambitions for me." – murmured the auburn-haired wizard, staring gloomily at the empty fireplace – "Speaking of that, have you heard anything about him lately?"
Edward looked at his friend in surprise. He couldn't recall the last time Carsilion had spoken about his father - a topic they generally preferred to avoid.
"Not really. I believe last time I saw him was three years ago when I had a business meeting with North Redmond, and he had accompanied him."
"Did he say anything?" – asked Carsilion in a seemingly casual manner.
Edward's heart clenched. He didn't need any clarifications because it was painfully obvious what Carsilion wanted to know.
"No, he didn't say a word to me. It's not like I'm one of his favourite people to begin with." – he answered, anxiously observing his friend's stone face.
"I see." – the Marquis stood up and started pacing the room, lost in thought. After a minute or two, he stopped and looked at Edward, who appeared extremely worried.
"Relax, Edd. I'm just pondering how to approach your crazy idea. I've overcome my family's disdain towards me ages ago. I'm no longer the confused and vulnerable teenager I used to be."
"I know you are not, but it doesn't mean you can't still be hurt by them."
"True, that's why your stance against the aristocrats starts to look more and more appealing." – grinned the Marquis.
"Hold on!" – exclaimed the Duke – "It's not a stance against the aristocrats! I just want a little bit of fairness. Since it's unlikely that I can achieve this through the regular channels, I'm just going to exploit the weaknesses of the system."
"Weaknesses of the system?" – Carsilion laughed darkly – "Is that how you call their total disregard of their own adamant rules, as long as it benefits them?"
"In a way…" – confirmed the other wizard – "However, my friend, like it or not, you're also part of 'them' and that's why I am so desperate for your help."
"Only on paper." – disagreed the Marquis – "If I had the power, I would have completely destroyed this rotten, hypocritical order and its petrified pseudo-morals. It brought me nothing but pain and misery, and it did the same to you and your family."
"You're probably right, brother." – sighed Edward after a few moments – "I have no right to judge you after how they treated you, but we do not have the power to riot against the Council. I've accepted this a long time ago, and all I want is to salvage my family and preserve my daughter's life, even if I need to beg on my knees."
Carsilion looked at his friend and discerned the grim determination on his face.
'I got carried away. It's not really about me or my feelings. It's about saving an innocent life from a mindless brutality. It's all that matters now.' – he thought and took a seat across from the Duke.
"I'm sorry, brother. You're right, and we should focus on how to secure Catherine's rightful place. I trust you know that Borealis and Redmond are lost causes. Regardless of how powerful your daughter turns out to be, they would want to destroy her, with or without a demon involved. They would feel threatened by her and will see this as the House of McMahon seeking to expand its influence."
"I believe you're absolutely correct." – agreed Edward gloomily – "The House of Whiters is either not going to take a position or will join Redmond and Borealis. This means that we should develop a plan on how to sway Lovett and O'Dargan to our side."
"This would be much easier if we already had the House of Prince as our allies." – said Carsilion contemplatively.
"It's going to be complicated. The last time I saw Duke Prince was the previous year during our Christmas party. He just stood on the balcony alone and stared at the garden. The only interaction he had was with Louisa when he wandlessly conjured a single red rose for her then he left." – Edward uttered discouraged.
"Poor fellow! He's not been the same after his daughter ran away from home." – noted the Marquis – "Do you remember her? Eileen?"
"Vaguely." – answered the Duke, racking his brain in an attempt to recall a memory of Eileen Prince – "She hasn't been to the Academy, right? Was she home-schooled? She always looked a bit sicky."
"I don't know. I do remember talking to her once at a party." – shared Carsilion – "She was not much of a looker, but she was very sharp and a bit funny. I did enjoy our conversation and felt disappointed when I found out she disappeared just a few weeks after that."
"I'm sure Duke Prince had found her whereabouts by now, but she probably doesn't want to see him after leaving in such a manner." – noted Edward – "However, maybe this could be the key to winning the old man to our side? After all, he lost all reason to live after his daughter left him. He should be able to understand my motivation!"
"I don't know about that. He's the Head of the Council, after all." – the other man said hesitantly – "But he's always been fair, so we definitely have better chance with him compared to the rest of the Houses."
"I hope you're right! For our sake, we need Alexander Prince to realise how beneficial Catherine could be for the aristocrats. He was once a pillar of our community and truly cared about preserving the peace among us. Let's hope it's not too late to wake him up from this walking coma he sank into fifteen years ago." – determined Edward, finishing his drink – "I need to go. The kids are leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow, and I would like to spend our last evening together as a family. As usual, I entrust them to your care."
"I also need to leave. There are plenty of things to do before the beginning of the school year." – said Carsilion, standing up. He glanced at his best friend, and his face softened when he noticed the anxiety radiating from Edward – "We're going to figure it out, Edward! Until then, Catherine's going to be safe and sound at Hogwarts. After all, nobody is that stupid to cross Albus Dumbledore and he definitely keeps a close eye on her, I can assure you."
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