Winter Affliction

Part 20

Cale could admit that maybe he didn't make his best decisions when he was emotional. However, this decision, as foolhardy as it had been, was ultimately beneficial to his goals. He'd never before seen his father more disappointed in him and the looks of disgust from the people and guards were palpable.

Drinking was definitely the solution to his biggest problem, how to keep all criticism directed towards him. And it was lucky that he'd been allowed to travel by carriage home.

It gave him time.

Specifically time to recover from the look of disappointment his father had worn.

It was the goal but it still hurt.

And wow he had a lot more feelings to drink into oblivion too. At every stop and every inn, Cale kicked up a fuss and drank far too much.

He was hoping to reach the abyssal state described as drunk. The point in time where his brain would just stop functioning or at least he would stop remembering everything so clearly.

It was yet another despair for him that the moment never came. For whatever cruel reason, he couldn't seem to stop thinking no matter how much he drank. It was maddening. Weren't there people who fainted after just a glass?

Cale had bottle after bottle and while sometimes he needed wretch beside the carriage, his mind was always as clear as it had ever been. His body would grow somewhat weaker after he consumed a truly extraordinary amount but he suspected that was partially due to the amount he'd vomit.

It was good for his reputation though. Or, more accurately, it was bad for his reputation in all the ways he wanted his reputation destroyed. All across the journey from the capital until he reached the Henituse territory, there were stories everywhere of the drunken and worthless lout who was a shame to his family.

All of this because he went drinking and wound up fighting a grotesque thug who'd been harassing the barmaid. He didn't regret punching him. Especially not when he confessed to all the foul things he'd done to that poor woman. Hell, if he could turn back time then he would have done even more.

Cale couldn't tolerate that sort of bottom feeding scum. He was certainly a bad person but there were limits and Cale had absolutely no patience for bastards like that. His journey home offered him plenty of other despicable maggots to grind under his heel as well, which did quite a bit to relieve his stress.

It did absolutely nothing to solve his problems though.

By the time his long journey ended he was hung over, exhausted, and emotionally spent. And he was still just as confused as when he'd left the palace in a rush.

His primary regret was he didn't get to see Alver one last time before going but that was probably for the best. In a short time his feelings had magnified to an unignorable amount, who knew how much worse it would get if he'd spent more time there. Besides... he didn't want to see Alver's disappointment as well...

His secondary regret was he left before he'd been able to track down Bob. It would have been nice to just see the man

The thought hit him quite suddenly. Bob had always been a sensible person with far more compassion than Cale deserved. It would have been useful to have met him before he was sent away. Perhaps he might have been able to calm his rattled nerves if they'd just been able to sit in a garden together.

Cale didn't have any time to settle into his home before he was summoned before his father. The disappointment was just as clear as it had been over the communication orb but Cale was prepared for it this time. He slumped his shoulders in a rough posture and clicked his tongue impatiently for his father to get to the point.