14 Evening Panic

"Cassidy?" No one answered, "It's me, Hugo."

"Are you alone?"

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"Yes, what the hell is going on?"

"Come in," Hugo opened the door and was met at gunpoint by Cassidy, who was sitting on the bed, "Close the door."

"What happened? Are you okay?" He sat after shutting the door, "You are pale, what happened?"

"I had a panic attack, when, when you were gone," She said trembling like a brittle leaf in the autumn wind, Hugo sat next to her, putting his arm around her. Her teeth clattered, she lowered the gun and he took it from her hands.

"That really shook you up, didn't it?" He said, "Don't worry, the door was locked, the only person who could open it, aside from you, would be me, and I hope you don't fear me."

"What did the tailor say?"

"She showed me the dresses she had made for you, and then she asked me to chose."

"What did you chose?"

"She had a white and blue, a gold and silver, and a white one, I chose the white one to go with my white suit."

"That's it? It took you that long for that? Nothing else happened?"

"Well, the watch tower received a carrier bird with a message of an outsider saying that 'they' will attend the marriage."

"Who could it be?"

"It wasn't a Noxian message so hopefully no bloodbath, but I think that this is something we can rest on for the moment," He said as he kissed her cheek, "The food should be here any moment now," He got up and set the table, he pulled out a cloth over the table, he laid out two plates. He pulled out two cups and a set of cutlery. Cassidy simply looked on. He pulled out a candle stand.

"Why do you have these things?"

"Long story," He said as he finished laying out the table, "Maybe one day I can tell you about it."

"We have a lot of time," She said with a sly look on her face, "Maybe you could tell me about it," She got up and walked towards him. She wrapped her right arm around him, he grabbed her left hand and dipped her.

"Maybe I could," He said as he laid a kiss on her mouth. He lifted his head but she pulled it back towards her. Very hands on, are we, Cass? She held him there until a knock came to the door. She jumped surprised.

"Who is that?" She whispered.

"Probably the food," Hugo said as he stood her up, "I'll go check it. Who is it?"

"Your advisor asked for me to bring you this package. I will leave it in front of your door, I have a festival to get to, Capt'n," A man called back.

"Thanks," He called back, "You see, nothing bad, I'll get it," He opened the door and there was no one, the box was there, He opened it. He went back inside and took out the three dishes that were in the box and placed them on the table. He pulled out a chair for Cassidy. She sat down and he walked over to the other side of the table and sat down.

"Wow," She said, "When did you plan this?"

"Like today," He said, "You gave me the idea, and I already did this once with someone before."

"Really? Is this why you have these things?" She said as he served her, "Explain this story to me, I want to know."

"So, we have to go back 15 years, at that time, we were very weak, the empire was divided with families, families who aligned themselves behind the Riverwood family, who were against my rule. And one day, the eldest daughter of the Riverwood family arrived in town to complete trade deals. She caught my eye, I don't know, but I thought of it as love at first sight," He explained as he pour her a drink, "This was back when I was still young and at the same time, I was lonely."

"How did you cross paths?"

"Well, during that visit, she stayed in the city for three days, she asked to meet with me, I accorded her that meeting. She asked to be in private, and I made it so. She told me that the families were agreeing to join the empire and fully support it if I were to marry her, and before I could say anything, she said 'You have to try, I won't throw myself at you', so I invited her to dinner, here," He showed the room with his arm, "But it was neater and I wasn't a drunk, so it was clean, neat. I had asked my advisor for these things that we are eating with."

"And then what happened?" She asked cutting him off. He ate a small fork of food, before starting again.

"I had set the table hours before, I was in my best clothes and she arrived formally dressed as well, we greeted each other and I pulled her out the chair, and she sat down," He paused and took a drink, "Everything happened as planned, she asked to stay over, I agreed even if it wouldn't be greatly accepted by her family but we kept it secret."

"Did you give her a fun pill?" He rolled his eyes.

"She wasn't as wild as you. So, after that, we started seeing each other more often, she moved into a house in the city. She was at all my speeches, she supported me. Several weeks past and I was beginning to think that she was wanting me to bring it to the next step. I had two rings made, and when she met with me for dinner, I proposed to her, she didn't seemed as surprised as you, but she shed a tear, we embraced and I announced it to my ex-advisor. He said he would organize the marriage and the tailor came, and so on. But one night, we were at the tavern and we were talking, one of my men, drunk as always, asked her if she would want to stay over at his place for the night, she laughed and said she had plans for the night, looking over at me with a cunning smile. She finished her drink and said that she would be heading home, I asked if she wanted me to come with her," A tear came to his eye, "I should have."

"Why? What happened?"

"At this point in time, we were suffering at the hands of the Noxians and I had received reports of them having spies in our lands, but I never took them seriously. When I left the tavern, it was a good hour after she had left, I walked up the path. I arrived at the door, I called her name, no response," He wiped his eyes, "I pushed the door, there she was. Laid out on the table, with her hand on her heart, her chest was covered in blood, she had been shot, in the dead center of her chest. The hand that was over her chest had a message that said something about how Noxians had killed her and they were going to launch a deadly attack that was sure to wipe us out. I rushed out of the house, down to the barracks to warn the captains, they woke their men and headed to the ports, we had very little to fight with, but we had to."

"What happened to her? You didn't just leave her, did you?"

"No, I ran back and picked up her lifeless body and slowly walked down to the main square, people noticed me, they left their houses and mourned with me. I let her body rest near the sea on the beach, that is now the port, I fell to my knees, I was in tears. The people were silent. The unfortunate thing was that her parents had arrived to witness the marriage, that was planned for the next day."

"Oh no, what did they say?"

"Well, I didn't notice them until I saw two people, one at each side of me, who put their hands on my shoulders and mourned with me, they were crying as well, her mother whispered to me 'What happened?' I told her about the Noxians and the message, it sent her into shock. I didn't hear of her until I returned from the battle the next day, they had allied themselves with me to fight the Noxians, but that was the only good side for me, I had been changed, I turned into a drunk, I began smoking, my life had suddenly shifted gears, I swore never to love but then I met you."

"Aw, really?" She placed her hand on her chest, "You fell in love with me of all people."

"Yes," He wiped his eyes, "That is the reason for why I have these things, I was a romantic and I had fallen in love with her, but everything had changed so suddenly and I began my descent to where I was before I fell in love with you."

"You know, you don't need to exaggerate to impress me, I already love you," She smiled, before veering completely off topic, "I love the food."

"I am not exaggerating," He said, "I am glad you like it, it changes from the seafood, doesn't it?"

"Yes, long time since I ever ate this, I always knew this was a rich man's food."

"Well, you are getting married to me," He said, "You will become the most powerful woman of the empire, very soon," He poured her another drink.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She asked, "What is this? It is really good."

"Riverwood vines, I never drink it saving it for special times."

"Riverwood? This is," She said looking at her glass.

"Yes, yes it is," He said, "But it's been a long time, I don't think I can let it get in the way of us two."

"What happened to her family? Do they still support you?"

"Yes, I promised to attack the Noxians, and they support me because of their hatred for the Noxians after they killed their daughter."

"This is really good," She said as she finished her glass and put it back on the table, "The food is so good as well."

"I am glad you like it," Hugo said as he took a drink, "I haven't had such a good meal in a long time."

"How is my dress?"

"Oh, well, I took the choice to give you a white dress but there is one thing..."

"What type of thing?"

"A thing with the popularity you have," He put his cup down.

"Speak."

"The tailor proposed to make you a wedding veil."

"I agree with it, if it suits the dress and me, if not, I will not wear the veil," Hugo wiped his forehead. I thought that would be a lot worse. "Can I have some more?" She said as she pushed her glass forward. He poured her another drink. Her eyes had a different tone to them. She was getting a little tipsy.

"Are you sure you want to continue drinking?"

"I, I am fine, this, this, this is nothing," She sounded drunk already. I don't think she should keep drinking. She pushed her glass forward again, he pushed it back.

"Why not?"

"If you want the fun tonight, you have to stop drinking, unless you want to keep drinking and not have fun tonight."

"Wow, that's not fair," She whined, "This is so good, and I really want to have fun with you, it's a special day today."

"Then stop drinking," He said, "I will stop so that it doesn't annoy you. There is still a dessert left."

"You would do that? So that I can have fun? Maybe I will stop," She said, "What is the dessert?"

"Well, here it is," He pulled out a well decorated, plate of fruit, with four types of fruit on it, "These are delicious."

"I have never seen these fruits before, what are they?"

"Really? This is Demora fruit, this is blood fruit, this is blade fruit and this is, this is, umm, this is river fruit. I prefer the blood fruit, it goes amazingly with the blade fruit."

"Maybe I'll try some, I honestly don't have a clue on what to expect" She said as she took a bit of blood fruit and bit into it, "This is so sweet."

"That is why I eat it with the blade fruit, bitter and sweet."

"And the Demora fruit?"

"Sour, very sour, I don't like it much."

"And the river fruit?"

"It is the fruit that grows on the Riverwood vines," He said as he took one.

"Really?" She said as she took one and tried it, "This is so good, when do you eat these?"

"General meetings, I used to live like royalty but now I try to live like a normal man, or at least give that image to gain popular support, so I don't eat these often, but I thought that it would be a good choice for tonight."

"Wow, you really do everything for the people's support."

"Well, I don't have the luxury of having a split opinion in our empire unless I want the Noxians to sail in and crush us, something that I have been preventing for over twenty years."

"This is really good," She said as she took another fruit, "Maybe we could, have fun..."

"Maybe we could, maybe we could," He said as he took another fruit.