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A loud crack sounded through the ballroom, bringing the dancers to a stop.
A Viscount Somethingorother’s—Vex could not remember the man’s name for the life of her—son stormed in from the other room, holding his nose. Blood was already seeping through his fingers, so it was no surprise to her when he shouted:
“That fucking bitch broke my nose!”
What did surprise her was which of her children in question. For a moment, she’d almost been positive it was Leona or Gwen somehow.
But no.
Vesper walked out a few paces behind him, cradling her hand to her chest. There was a fearful, hollow edge to her gaze and part of her dress was torn. The girl’s diamond necklace was missing and there was a small, but too clean cut on her shoulder.
“Percival,” Vex said sharply to her husband, her eyes trained on their eldest daughter. She hoped her meaning was clear: you better find out what happened before a broken nose is the least of that boy’s problems.
“Right.” Let Vesper know we love her and are here to protect her. I will do my best to prevent a murder but I make no guarantees.
The tone left a brief flutter in her chest, and Vex’ahlia let herself a moment of softness where she could be a little more in love with her husband than she had been a moment before. Then, she strode toward her daughter, wrapped her arm around Vesper’s waist and led her to one of the private studies.
Specks of blood coming from just around the corner from the ballroom indicated that they hadn’t been far when…whatever happened had happened.
Vesper trembled against Vex’s side. Despite just about Percy’s age when he’d started adventuring with Vox Machina, Vex would always see her eldest as the little sun who’d brought so much light into their lives when they were first starting their family.
“It’s all right, darling,” Vex soothed, rubbing her hand up and down Vesper’s arm. “Mummy’s here, Mummy’s got you, darling…” She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s hair as the girl snuggled in closer. “We’re just going to go to my private study, okay? Nothing is so horrible that we can’t fix, all right? Your father and I are here for you. Everything’s going to be fine…”
She tried to coax a smile out of Vesper, but the girl was still sort of looking ahead blankly.
“Oh, my lovey…” Vex murmured, heartbroken. “It’s going to be okay, I promise…” She guided Vesper into the room and Vesper nearly collapsed under her own weight the moment Vex let go to let Trinket out of the locket.
Trinket made a soft noise of concern, offering himself as a crutch to Vesper and leading her to the chaise lounge. Vesper was still shaking and a cold and furious rage filled Vex at the thought of the boy who’d harmed her.
I swear, Pelor, if he’s done something to my baby…
But seeing Vesper curled into Trinket, still looking unfocused at the floor, Vex forced herself to soften. If what Vex feared had happened, there would be time for rage later.
For now, Vesper was the most important thing.
Vex sat on the floor and took Vesper’s uninjured hand in both of hers. She bought her daughter’s hand to her lips, giving it a kiss. “Vesper, dear…if…if that boy tried something, that you didn’t want…” she started, unable to identify how she was able to keep her voice so steady but managing it all the same. “Your father and I aren’t upset with you. We aren’t disappointed in you. It’s not your fault, all right?”
Vesper finally made eye contact with her mother, wordlessly melting into Vex’s embrace on the floor.
“Unfortunately, both your father and I understand what…what that’s like and you don’t have to talk about right now. But we’re here and we love you. We’ll keep you safe and…whenever you want to talk, we’re both here.”
Vex cradled her eldest under her chin, gently rocking the girl back and forth. She briefly thought of her own mother, wondering if there had ever been times like this where Elaina had felt that someone was shoving a knife right into the most vulnerable part of her to watch her child tremble so.
Vex’ahlia was mentally calculating what measures they could take to remove the family from the castle post-haste, who Vesper could talk to, how they could spread the word amongst both reputable and less than reputable societies when Vesper finally spoke.
“It wasn’t…he didn’t…he didn’t do that,” Vesper whispered, looking up at Vex.
“Are you sure?” Vex asked, cupping Vesper’s cheek in her hand. “I…I understand it might be hard to conceive of it that way.”
Vesper nodded. “No, it really wasn’t…that’s not why I punched him,” she promised and Vex felt a huge knot unclench from her chest and stomach. “I promise he didn’t try anything like that on me.”
“Oh, thanks the gods above and below,” Vex sighed, pulling Vesper close to kiss her forehead. Her eyes fell to Vesper’s swollen hand and she reached for that one. “Come, let me heal that then, you’ve probably broken it…most people hurt their hands from having incorrect form when punching people…”
Vesper stayed quiet as the soft green light of Vex’s cure wounds filled the room. Even when the spell was finished and the bones were healed, all Vesper did was hold her mother’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze.
“Mum?” she asked slowly. “Where’s Gwen?”
“Well, I would hope asleep in her bed, but knowing her and all the excitement, probably somewhere near the party still…why?” Vex asked, frowning a little bit at Vesper. “Did…did this have to do with her somehow?”
Vesper nodded.
Percy knew it was wrong of him, but there was a part of him that—provided his daughter was safe and sound—was secretly thrilled this had happened. The Viscount of…Wherevermst (Percy honestly hadn’t paid attention in any of the meetings he’d been in because it was a waste of his time) was threatening to pull his support of some inane project that Percy had tried to insist over and over was not feasible from an engineering standpoint.
But the man had insisted and every meeting since then had been a massive waste of Percy’s time.
A bit like now actually.
The boy’s nose had been reset by Pike, and he had led them back to the scene of the nose punching.
The Viscount had demanded Pike and the Pale Guard search for signs of magical interference, and Percy didn’t bother protesting that the castle was warded all the way to the divine gate and back so unless the boy had magic, there was no way this could have been the result of a charm or enchantment.
But, in a way, he was grateful for it because he could do his own investigation unimpeded. The plops of blood had let them to the spot as the boy said and while the Viscount and the others were investigating further down the hall, Percy could get to work effectively.
There were tattered scraps of fabric, the color matching Vesper’s periwinkle dress. His daughter’s diamond necklace was tucked up against the wall and Percy picked it up, gladly pocketing it to return. Furtively, he looked around before spotting a knife behind him.
Putting a handkerchief over his hand, he picked up the dagger and inspected it, nausea starting to churn in his stomach when he saw the slightest sight of blood. The nausea quickly turned to anger and black smoke started curling around his ankles when he tried to fathom what possibly prompted this boy to attack Vesper in her own home.
“Easy, de Rolo, easy. Let’s save the rage for where it will be useful,” he muttered to himself, taking a step back to observe the scene. It was clear that the Viscount’s son was more injured than Vesper, though Vesper had been grazed with the knife.
But nothing was giving him enough context as to the how or why, and he hoped Vex was faring better than he was.
“Father?” A little voice piped up behind one of the tapestries. “Is Vesper going to get in trouble?”
Percy considered gently chiding Gwen for being out of bed, considering they’d put her down—or so they thought—hours ago. But then, he also wondered how long Gwen had been hiding in the tapestry and what she had seen. So he asked simply, “Now why would Vesper be in trouble?”
“Because she hit that boy,” Gwen responded. “You’re not supposed to hit people, but he was being mean…”
“And what would you know about that, hmm? You were meant to be abed hours ago, miss,” Percy said, with only the mildest reproach. He did not look back so that he would not give away Gwen’s position to any onlookers.
“I wanted to hear more of the pretty music. Vesper and I were dancing out here in the hall when that boy came to talk to her,” Gwen said, sliding her hand into Percy’s. He gave her hand a little squeeze. “When are they leaving, Father? I don’t like them very much…”
“Did something happen, Gwendolyn?” Percy asked kindly.
“Mhmm.” And then a sniffle. “Vesper didn’t do anything wrong. She was trying to protect me…”
Percy sat down next to the tapestry and Gwen slowly climbed out, clambering into her father’s lap. “Well, why don’t you tell me what happened, hmm? And maybe you and I can decide what the best course of action is together?”
“Okay, Father.” She took a big breath to prepare herself. “We were dancing…and that boy came…he said it was a shame that Vesper’s dance card was full, and then Vesper put me down and asked if I wouldn’t mind going back up to bed. And I said I did mind, but then Vesper winked at me so that boy couldn’t see so I knew as soon as he left, we would dance for a little bit longer,” Gwen started.
“I see,” Percy said.
“I was too excited to sleep, and I liked the music so much and Vesper said that when she was little, she’d sneak down with Trinket to listen to the music so that’s why she let me stay up a little later and she said that once I got sleepy, she’d come up and read me two bedtime stories, Father.” Gwendolyn held up two fingers as if this would impart the seriousness of the promise. “She pinky swore.”
“Ah, of course.” Percy understood that despite the age gap between his five children, the pinky promise was a sacred and solemn vow amongst them that was only to be broken if someone was in danger. “And then what happened?”
“I hid behind the tapestry. Freddie said if that boy kissed Vesper and I told him about it, he’d let me get anything I wanted from the Slayer’s Cake and he would buy it,” Gwen explained. “And I thought that was silly that Freddy wanted to know about it, but I thought it was also very romance for a boy to give Vesper her first kiss at a big fancy party so I wanted to see it for real life because you and Mummy kiss all the time, but that’s different.”
Percy’s shoulders tightened. “And did that boy try to kiss Vesper?”
“No,” Gwen said, frowning a little bit. And Percy wanted to relax but Gwen was so troubled that he found he couldn’t. “I think he wanted to, though. Cuz he was trying to be very romance, but I don’t think he wasn’t very good at it. Vesper was making that face that you do when you don’t have anything nice to say but Mummy is in the room so you don’t say anything.”
“Did he try to grab Vesper or anything?” Percy asked, keeping his voice calm and neutral, though smoke was starting to curl around his ankles again.
“Nu-uh.” Gwen shook her head. “He took out that knife and he was showing off to Vesper, and he was standing really close to her.” She pointed at the knife that was on the ground by Percy’s side. “And…and that’s when he said the mean thing and that’s when Vesper hit him.”
It did not escape his notice that Gwen, who was normally fearless, clung to him. Her eyes kept darting down the hallway, like she was expecting something to come after her.
“Gwendolyn…was the mean thing about you?” Percy realized. Impressed with his own rare showcase of self-control and restraint, his voice was still steady. Gwen nodded, her lip trembling, and Percy cradled her close. “Oh, my darling…”
“Father, you won’t let him hurt me, will you?” she whimpered. “I know I’m a tiefling, but…”
This boy truly had no idea that his life was only spared because Percy’s hands were full with Gwen and Vex was tending to Vesper.
“Of course not. But it sounds like your sister beat me to the punch, so to speak,” Percy replied, his voice clipped. “And you do not deserve to be hurt, regardless of if you are a tiefling or not, Gwendolyn. I know it, your mother knows it, and Vesper certainly knows it…”
“She was very brave…he flailed back when she hit him and she got cut, but she didn’t cry. Not even once,” Gwen said, resting her head on his shoulder. The little hand over his chest was truly the only thing at this point preventing him from flying into a murderous rage.
That and all but one of his guns was currently locked away.
“Father…can we go see Vesper, please?”
“Yes, I think that’s a very clever idea. Can I just send a message to your Auntie Pike first, and then we’ll go to Mummy’s study?” Percy asked, kissing her hair. Gwen nodded and Percy tapped his earring.
“Pike, if you have a zone of truth, could you kindly use it on our guests. I think that might be the most effective way to discern what happened. And get Cassandra, will you? Vex and I have heard the story from Gwen and Vesper, and if we are there when that little toad admits to it, there may be violence and bloodshed.”
Pike’s voice crackled through the earring. “Can do. By the way, you should be proud of her, Perce. It was one hell of a punch.”
“Believe me,” Percy replied, looking down at Gwendolyn to give her a reassuring smile. “I am more proud of Vesper than I could possibly articulate.”
The evening was not done with surprises just yet, Vex found, when the door to her study opened.
“Father, I—” Vesper started anxiously.
“I am so bloody proud of you, Vesper,” Percy immediately said, not giving Vesper another moment to fret and Vex saw the last of Vesper’s anxiety melt, particularly when she saw what Percy had brought with him to the study.
Her husband was cradling Gwen and the little girl immediately demanded to be put down. Gwen practically tackled Vesper, and Vesper held her little sister close.
“I’m sorry…” Gwen sniffled.
“No, no, don’t be sorry, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Vesper said fiercely, cupping Gwen’s face in her hands. She smiled sadly. “You heard, didn’t you?” Gwen nodded and Vesper kissed Gwen’s forehead. “Well, what he said isn’t even remotely true and if he even looks at you the wrong way after this, we’ll send Trinket and Charlie after him. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, not as long as I can help it, all right?”
Gwen nodded. “Can we tell Freddy so he can set the traps like he does for the alligators under my bed?” she asked in a warbling voice.
“Of course. And we’ll tell Wolfe and Leona to get their best bows and arrows set for you. They can be your personal guard, Gwen,” Vesper promised.
Percy came down and sat beside her. “How’s Vesper?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her.
“Worried about Gwen,” Vex said, letting out a watery laugh. “How’s Gwen?”
“Worried about Vesper,” Percy replied, cradling his wife close. “How are you?”
“Sad. Angry. Borderline murderous. But so proud of our children,” Vex answered, resting her head on his shoulder. “And you?”
“About the same,” Percy whispered. “I feared we’d come across this someday, but…I was just hoping we had a bit more time to prepare her for it.”
“She’s younger than I was…when Vax and I went to Syngorn…” Vex whispered, her voice catching.
“I know, dear heart. I know,” Percy sighed, rubbing her back soothingly.
“Does your hand still hurt?” Gwen asked worriedly, holding Vesper’s hand and inspecting it closely.
“Nope, Mummy made it all better,” Vesper said reassuringly.
“Mummy is magic,” Gwen said confidently. “Like you.”
“And like you.” Vesper tapped Gwen’s nose with her pointer finger.
“I already told Vesper that she needs to have her thumb over her fingers rather than under it next time,” Vex said, smiling softly at the bond between her eldest and youngest. The two of them were melting away the ice of the past and they didn’t even know they were doing it. “But we’ll teach all of them…and I suppose we’ll have to let them know that violence is not the answer all the time.”
“But it was the answer this time,” Percy grumbled and Vex chuckled softly, headbutting his shoulder.
“It was the knife that caused her to act,” Vex explained quietly, tracing circles into the back of Percy’s hand with her thumb. “She said she was afraid that he’d go after Gwen right then and there…”
There was a moment where Vex’s heart seized with fear at the mere thought of what could’ve been. But then Gwen giggled and Vex found herself exhaling. She gazed at Vesper for a moment, seeing how much love Vesper had for her youngest sister.
“Gods, I’m so proud of her,” she murmured and felt Percy nod his agreement against the top of her head. Vex smiled even wider as Gwen dragged a book that was nearly the size of her over to Vesper.
Gwen settled back into Vesper’s lap and Vesper placed her cheek against the top of Gwen’s head as she began to read.
“That boy is so lucky it was only Vesper there with him in the hallway, otherwise we would’ve had to use the diamond necklace to revivify him,” Percy muttered darkly.
Vex couldn’t help but let out a short laugh at that. “Well, I think that’s how we know she’s going to be a better leader than either of us.”
“We should probably go back down there,” Percy sighed, hiding his face against Vex’s hair. “I had Pike cast Zone of Truth on that little reprobate, and I’d very much like for him and his father to look me in the eye when they try to justify their disgusting prejudices to me. And I would very much like them to see my gun and Fenthras when we tell them to pack their shit up now and if they ever set foot in Whitestone again, they’ll be executed on the spot.”
In spite of it all, Vex found herself feeling that same warmth from before. Her husband truly was such a softie and loved his children so much and she loved him just a little more than she had earlier. They could get through anything as long as they were together.
Even racist dickheads.