THE APPLE OF SNAKES

lx. the corpse forest

Nerluce was drinking tea - still pitifully alive due to a combination of his own cowardice and Lady Okiachi's watchful eye - when Lord Father arrived.

Lady Okiachi stood and Nerluce struggled to do the same.

"No," Lord Father said. "No, don't rise."

"Lord Husband," Lady Okiachi said, walking up to Lord Father. "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to see my son," Lord Father said, his tone dangerous. "What are you doing here, Lady Wife?"

Lady Okiachi's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned as she turned her head. "This wife will leave her lord husband to speak to his son without her interruption."

Nerluce really, really wished she would not go.

Despite the fact that Nerluce could count the number of times he'd been alone with Lady Okiachi on one hand - and all of those occurrences had happened within the last week - Nerluce would prefer her to Lord Father in any given set of circumstances. Lady Okiachi was cold and stern and cruel but Nerluce did not fear her the way he feared Lord Father.

Yet, the woman left with a snap of her sleeves and Nerluce was alone with Lord Father. It wasn't common that Nerluce was alone with Lord Father. Perhaps it had never happened before. It seemed as though he was always trailed by servants and aristocracy and attendants and doctors. He'd left them all outside the door. He and Nerluce were well and truly alone and that did not seem like a good sign.

"I have brought you something," Lord Father said.

"Anything... anything Lord Father gives will be accepted with much gratitude," Nerluce choked out. What... what was Lord Father giving him? Why? Was this a test of some kind?

Lord Father removed something from his sleeve. Nerluce's eyes widened slightly as a fan was placed into his hands by Lord Father. Nerluce glanced at Lord Father, who nodded slowly. Nerluce opened the fan. It was made by an expert, almost as beautifully crafted as the fan he'd been given by the Wolf Woman. Except this fan was crafted by nobility for nobility and seemed perfectly in place at the Hebikoti Clan.

Its wood was dark and rich. Running his finger across it, Nerluce found it smooth and without and blemishes. Its silk was a bright red, the color of the Hebikoti Clan. The color of blood. Nerluce's stomach twisted. Painted on the fan, was a white snake, the symbol of the Clan. It's body contorted in beautiful shapes for Nerluce's pleasure.

"It is lovely," Nerluce said.

"It belonged to the old Lady Hebikoti, your lady grandmother," Lord Father said. "She had a collection of many fine things, but most of them were buried with her."

"Why was this fan not?" Nerluce asked.

Lord Father did not say anything and Nerluce wondered if he'd made a mistake. His breathing hitched for a moment in panic. Then, oblivious to the panic he'd caused his son, Lord Father finally bothered to nonchalantly answer, "Her son often admired her collection and she would gift some of her beautiful things to him. It did not seem... unfair to keep them after her death."

Lady Grandmother's son... Lord Father.

"Oh," Nerluce mumbled.

"Your sister tells me that you like them," Lord Father said. "Or at the very least, have one other. Perhaps you can collect them."

"Perhaps," Nerluce agreed. "I do like it."

"Good," Lord Father said. "Good work deserves good rewards. Along with the fan, I bought you several more toys to entertain yourself with and many people have sent gifts. Apples and wine and apple wine."