Leander didn’t like how his parents were talking about him as if he was not there. He felt insignificant, small, and utterly invisible. It wasn’t a sensation he was used to. It was unpleasant. He was restraining himself from drawing attention to himself out of some misplaced desperation to escape this situation. It wasn’t successful: he inhaled just a little too loudly.
Flavian glanced at him, as if remembering that he was in the room. “And what do you have to say for yourself then? Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t have a reason.” He stuck by his original defence used during his trial and sentencing.
Flavian’s face contorted into an ugly expression as Leía sighed. “Oh?” He said, anger colouring his tone, “Is that what you want written on statues erected in your honour?”
“No,” Leander ground out in irritation.
“It seems you have no other claim to a worthier statement, God of Lies indeed. You are a plague on this world, breathing life into a despicable, cowardly act.”
“Flavian—”
“I didn’t invent lying!” Leander exclaimed, enraged by his father’s judgement. “I merely act as a conduit to harness its energy, you ignorant fool.”
The air in the room stilled, a suffocating weight descended on Leander as his father whispered with incredulity, “Ibegyour pardon?”
“Leo, please let me speak to your father alone.”
“No.”
Flavian blinked. “Well colour me surprised. Forgive me for thinking you respected your mother.”
Leander stood there for a good few seconds, breathing heavily and staring at Flavian as the edges of his vision went red.
“Please.”
He listened to his mother’s desperate plea and nodded, exiting via the door through which they had entered. Busying himself with looking at more bland artwork, he considered the humiliation of the trial he had just been subjected to. His mother had taken him directly from the amphitheatre without time to collect any belongings or even say goodbye to his siblings and friends.
Now, he had to do his best in this confusing mortal world that he only understood through the eyes of divinity: answering prayers and accepting libations had not educated him in the ways of Cariun… he wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for his mother to leave him here with a man who clearly hated him on first sight.
The minutes ticked by until, finally, his mother opened the door and looked at him with a tight-lipped smile.
“Walk me out?”
Leander nodded and the two of them headed towards the entrance.
“You may have the rest of the divine court fooled, Leo, but you forget that I am your mother.” Leía glanced over at her resolutely quiet son. “You’re not nearly as impulsive as you are trying to convince the world you are. You don’t make decisions out of nowhere. No matter how reckless they seem, they are always,alwayspremeditated. This may seem to everyone else like it has backfired immensely, but you are too calm for me to believe this is really all there is to it. Lie all you want, I will gather the truth of this in time. Because you always calculate every possible outcome, and I am certain that there is more to it.”
Leander sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I suppose this one time is the proverbial exception that every rule must have.”
“What happened to you?” she asked, placing a hand on Leander’s cheek as she stared upwards to meet her son’s eyes. “You weren’t always like this.”
“Yes, I was. You just never paid attention, Mother.”
“I don’t think that’s entirely fair, Leander,” Leía said. “I understand you’re frustrated, but I am here to listen.”
“You’ve always been too busy with this infernal city to really see who I am. It’s not my fault you’re surprised at who I’ve turned out to be.”
“Be that as it may, I know there is more to this than you are sharing. I don’t like your silence. You used to tell me everything.”
“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“Recently, however, I couldn’t dissuade you from listening to the advice of a known megalomaniac on thestrength of valuing your own mind above theirs, but you have been tripping over yourself to take on Machus’ suggestions. I don’t know how to help you anymore. Taskevi has a plan, and I’m willing to watch it through to completion.”
“Time will tell,” he said noncommittally.
“I’m not interested in giving you the chance to lie to me, Leander, so I will not push this matter. But know that I am worried. Iwantto help you, if only you would let me.”
