Chapter 16: Hostility in family

Two women who have been eyeing Shirlyn and Sharon since they first entered, walked toward them, the older woman pursed her lips looking with disdain first Shirlyn then Sharon.

"I'm afraid your family is not very … known… since I've never seen you two around." She said in a judgmental low tone of voice.

Sharon, who didn't take criticism very well, returned her the same haughty gaze, with a confident look on her face she replied, "Miss Benedict, our names are not the only thing you seem not to have learned about, the education is surely another thing you don't seem to know."

When the middle aged woman heard her brave reply, she gave a light scoff and raised her eyebrow.

Shirlyn tried not to wide her eyes hearing her sister's comeback, pulling the skirt of her sister from behind to indulge her to be more respectful.

After taking a miserable forced smile Sharon spoke again, "Besides her inappropriate manner, I'm honored to get your acquaintance, Miss Teresa, my name is Sharon from the Walton House."

The woman stared at the girl who dared to reply in that manner.

"I'm Shirlyn Walton." Shirlyn offered a plastic smile.

"House of Walton… I heard a few things about you now that I recall." The woman pursed her lips, "and about your spiteful temper." She gave a smirk as her voice went lower to become a whisper.

"Let me tell you, never let anyone run rings you, not even an old lady like me who has nothing left beside her high rank." She smiled, and her gaze once pretentious now became friendly.

"I often see young Ladies who let whoever they come across take advantage and they knuckle down just to seem to pleasure the ones they put their attention on. Whenever I rarely get the luck to meet ladies like you who are courageous enough to let their voice be heard, I always feel like the world is not going into a fray."

When Sharon heard what that woman said she relaxed her facial muscles and smiled hugely.

The woman raised her hand to wave behind, having Shirlyn and Sharon turn around to see who she was waving to.

There he was, the King, who had still his horse armor on, probably just returning from his daily ride. He waved to the woman with his usual tensed cold expression. At the sight of the King, Sharon stacks her chest out and proudly stands still, holding her breath when she sees him approaching them.

Kathy, who had been quietly for all the conversation seeing the King, looked at Shirlyn widening her eyes, as if she had suddenly woken up from a deep sleep.

When Kathy was present at events she rarely spoke a word, she didn't have any interest in it and at the same time she didn't feel like she had the right to intervene.

Sharon bowed in advance to the King's arrival, Shirlyn bowed right after.

"Ladies Waltons." He greeted them with a light nod.

Teresa took him under his arm and leaned nearly. Kathy tilted her head to the side to hear better what she was saying and at the same time her gaze was directed to the floor to see if he was having a shadow.

"You shall go. If Victor sees you here he's going to cause a scene."

The King turned his head to gaze at Kathy for a few seconds, probably suspecting her intention.

Then, with his usual pretentious posture, he shrugged to Teresa. "My father would want me here with my family, even if most of them hate me, I don't mind. I'm here for him," he then pointed at the huge table still filled with most of the food. "and for the food. From what I can see he still likes to exaggerate, doesn't he?" His lips' corners curved up into a grin.

"How dare you?" Victor yelled as his voice thundered from the opposite side of the room.

He left Abigail to march toward the King when he reached him, Lord Victor pushed him aside. Liam caught off guards retroceded for the push but just to regain his balance and smirk in defiance.

Lord Victor groaned, while King Liam scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"See, he likes to exaggerate." King Liam remarked before he gazed at Miss Teresa who, as soon as Victor reached him, walked between them and spread her arms wide.

"Don't you two dare to make a scene in front of three Ladies," she raised her voice.

Lord Victor, took a step back right in time, before letting his anger take control and fixed his collar. His gaze traveled to the opposite side of the room where Abigail was and nodded.

King Liam unconcernedly giggled, he then walked toward the table. Few people in the room looked at him as if they saw a ghost but the remaining majority of people glowed at him like if he was someone they deeply loathed.

Liam grabbed a bowl and filled it with some food and smirked from there to his cousin "very good," he mouthed.

Victor became red with anger and frowned. His fists were tight and he was releasing long deep breaths.

"Look, he doesn't have a shadow either." Kathy whispered gazing down at the floor, Shirlyn followed her gaze and raised her eyebrow in a shocked expression.

That was further proof that the King was hiding something. Maybe there was a deeper reason connected to his absence during all the years that his father ruled?

The hostility was clearly perceptible in the room, everyone seemed to be furious to Liam but he didn't seem to care less. To drive Victor that madly they must have shared a troubled past.

Shirlyn's interest in the King's uncertain nature and his past was driven by her curiosity. At the same time she loved to play the detective game Kathy to find an escapement out from the unsatisfied life she was living.

Looking at Victor carefully she noticed his eyes became darker and reddened just like the King's eyes did the day before. Was that correlated? Were they both two creatures of the night?