[Vanderlou]

The next brightening saw him with a swelling face and a heavily bruised torso but other than that the young half-elf was still breathing. Vanderlou woke up with a horrible migraine in addition to arms more than sore from yesterday’s brawl.

What happened?

He stared at a whitewashed ceiling, the room he was in was small with nothing more than a bed and cabinet. There was one window though, and from the intensity of the light peeking through the shutters it was clear that it was probably already late into the afternoon. He wondered what he was doing here when he should have been at work candlemarks ago, was there something he was forgetting?

He strained his mind to recall but for some reason the memories of yesterbrightening’s events came to him in fragmented pieces, almost as if he were looking at a puzzle that wasn’t quite assembled yet.

Vanderlou suddenly realized that his throat was dry, he looked around the room for refreshments. He found a desk beside him, but there was nothing on it. Easing his body out of the soft warm bed, puzzled as to how and where he was and who had attended to him. Again he tried to remember, but everything was still fuzzy. Had the punches he received really been that hard? He vaguely wondered if there was any permanent damage but decided to put that aside until later. For the moment he was thirsty, and that came first.

He managed to get up, his legs were fine but the migraine was making standing up a chore. It was when he was just about to open the door when he heard an audible click. The doorknob turned on its own and when the door opened he found himself staring face to face with Coral Sultani, the boss’ daughter. She had in her hands a tray with a glass of water and a plate with a slice of the Sugared Teacup’s signature Vanilla Spice Cake.

“I take it this means I’m not fired?” he asked hopefully.

The seamstress laughed and slipped past him, placing the tray on the desk before she spoke. “I suppose I shouldn’t have been too worried, Ma’ did say you didn’t have any broken bones anywhere.”

Vanderlou’s lips relaxed into a smile, he was grateful that he still had his job and that Coral was concerned about him on top of that. He closed the door and took the glass from the desk, draining its contents in one gulp.

“What happened exactly, my head’s still hurting so bad that I can’t remember everything.”

The expression on Coral’s face hardened. “You really don’t remember?” she looked at him with a look that betrayed something bad had happened. Vanderlou was about to ask outright but decided to proceed cautiously.

“I remember fighting this noble, being thrown into a table…” he intentionally spoke slowly, his eyes searching her face for any strange reactions. “Everything after that is more or less blank, is there something I should have remembered?”

Coral wasn’t looking at him, she was fiddling around with her skirt, her eyebrows knotted in thought. “I wasn’t there myself, but I was told that the noble who did this to you left quietly after authorities came to arrest him.”

“And the girl?” he piped.

He was staring at her, specifically her face but Coral was obviously trying not to meet his gaze; she was playing with the cake, stabbing it with a fork. “She was taken along with the noble for questioning.”

“And the vase?”

“What vase?”

“I remember that a vase…” he probed his thoughts but for some reason he couldn’t remember anything past recalling the vase. “Didn’t a vase break? Was it me who broke it?”

“You’re still out of it Van,” the girl said, pushing the plate of cake into his hands, still avoiding eye-contact. “Eat up, Ma’s expecting you back on the job tomorrow – for now try to get some rest.”

Vanderlou wanted to prod for more information, but he knew Coral well enough to know that she wouldn’t talk about anything she didn’t want to even if he coerced her to do so.

“Thanks,” the half-elf took a bite of the cake and already a flush of color was returning to his cheeks. “By the way, Coral…”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have added to the trouble.”

The girl’s lips broke into a smile and for the first time that brightening she looked him in the eye. He found a hint of mischievous glee behind those eyes of amber and wondered if he really wanted her looking at him this way. “Its okay, Ma’s taking out the damage fee from your salary this month so no worries.”

No freaking way, was she?

“You serious?” his tone incredulous and his face mirrored his disbelief.

Coral grinned and gave him a playful flap on the back. “Loosen up, I was only playing with you.”