THE APPLE OF SNAKES

lvi. old etiquette

The sky was dark, with clouds and smoke. 

Nerluce had never worn armor before. He never had a reason to. Now he wore several layers of it. Skin covered by light cloth. Light cloth shielded by chain armor. Chain armor reinforcing his red cuirass.  His sleeves and thighs were covered by guards in the same shade of red. His shins and hands too. His straw sandals seemed too light compared to all of that.

Though Nerluce was a magickian with a weapon of his own, he had an iron sword and several daggers in case he was in a situation where he couldn't use his fire. Nerluce tried not to think of what such a situation might look like.

In his arms, Nerluce carried his helmet. It was a strange and beautiful thing. Being the son of a noble, it was expected to be. Small, golden antlers - like those of a deer or demon - protruded from either side. What was the idea behind that? To scare opponents off? To bring the blessings of the gods? His mind was so muddled that he couldn't remember the story anymore. He couldn't remember much since he put on the armor.

He was going to ride into battle. Nerluce knew what it was to be afraid for his life and he knew what it was to cause death with his actions but this felt different somehow. Before it had always been a heat-of-the-moment decision. Before he'd always been thrown into the situation. Never before had he worn armor and ridden out to meet the threat head-on.

His stomach twisted at the thought, even now.

Across the room, Lady Okiachi fixed Coam's helmet - one with similar golden antlers, though Nerluce noted they were slightly larger with a couple more points - on her head before pulling her slightly taller daughter down, kissing the helmet's rim. An expression of love and well wishes. Nerluce glanced around the room, but his own mother was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't even spoken to her since he returned.

He'd tried once and she had looked at him as if he was a stranger. He didn't try again. There was no point.

Instead of wallowing in his sorrow and anxieties, Nerluce made his way over to Coam. When she saw him, she smiled and Lady Okiachi scowled. She never had liked him. At least that didn't change. 

"Lady Okiachi," Nerluce said in greeting. "Coam." He nodded to both of them with something akin to respect.

"Nerluce," Lady Okiachi said. Nerluce realized that he hadn't spoken to her either since he returned. "I was wondering when you'd greet me. It seems while your magick has improved, your manners have not."

Nerluce couldn't hide his smile. "I apologize."

Lady Okiachi huffed. "Have you greeted Lady Fanjie or Lady Song?"

"I have not," Nerluce said.

"Nerluce..." Coam said, not scolding just... sad. "You ought to do it now. We will be leaving any moment..."

Nerluce shrugged. "There is no need."

"Lady Song is your mother," Coam said. "I know she's missed you terribly."

How could she miss Nerluce at all when she didn't know who he was? It was impossible for a person to miss what they did not have. "I will do it when we return." If Nerluce returned. He swallowed. It was... it was better this way. If by some miracle Nerluce got his mother to remember him, it would only be cruel if he died and was stolen away from her.

Lady Okiachi clicked her tongue in disapproval. "If Coam treated me half as coldly as you treat Lady Song, I'd be driven into madness as well."

Was she... Did she just suggest that...

"Mother!" Coam snapped.

She had. She had just told Nerluce that his coldness was the reason that his mother was insane. She had just said-