Nathaniel wasn’t thrilled to see both Ragnar and Camilla had also been invited to see their father. He needed a private talk with his father about Xavier and other important family affairs without his useless siblings around.
"I told you, didn’t I? I told you if Nathaniel was here then he wouldn’t be happy to see us. You always liked to have father to yourself. So," Camilla looked to Orlork. "Should we leave?"
"Camilla," Ragnar shushed his sister. He didn’t want to go. He couldn’t leave Nathaniel to get in their father’s ear to spread lies.
"What? This is how it always has been with Nathaniel getting to whisper in their father’s ear. I am worried for you, Ragnar. The last time we gathered like this my fangs were broken but they have not grown back to be broken again. That means they will go after your fangs," said Camilla.
"Enough!" Orlork yelled. He hadn’t woken up to hear his children be at each other’s throats. "You can bother each other when you are not in my presence. I didn’t call you two here to punish you. There is a more serious matter at hand."
"Who woke you, father? Was it Nathaniel?" Ragnar asked.
"I know you two like to blame me for everything but it wasn’t my doing. I wasn’t the one he left to wake him," Nathaniel said, suspicious of his siblings. "I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of you."
Camilla walked to a chair to take a seat. "Then you are a fool. Why would I wake the man who decided it was best to break his daughter’s fangs? It wasn’t me and it wasn’t Ragnar. I am willing to bet on that. So, father trusted someone else to do it. Where is the little servant who is always at your side?"
Nathaniel refused to believe his father gave so much power to the servant. "Wasn’t he to just be your butler? Why would he be the one to wake you without speaking to your children first?"
Orlork didn’t feel the need to explain what he did. "After tonight, our family will not gather to discuss who Xavier has married. Instead, we will focus on the future. Leave them alone so they may have children."
Camilla smiled, enjoying that Nathaniel wasn’t getting backed by their father. ’Was this why he wanted to wake grandfather instead?’ She wondered.
Camilla was yet to forgive her father for the punishment she received but she might start to consider it if he treated Nathaniel this way all the time.
Camilla glanced at Ragnar who also seemed to be enjoying the show. The only one who wasn’t happy was Nathaniel.
"Father, you should speak with the others first. Since you have been asleep, there is much you have missed. Darius has not only gotten married to Vivienne, the woman we first considered for Xavier to marry, but now he is close to having more children with other purebloods-"
"Must you do everything another family does? Let him share children with all pureblood families if he wants to. When it comes time for his children to marry, they will have to choose from their family or consider marrying mixed-bloods. Instead of following, be the first to do something else," Orlork advised Nathaniel.
The problem with the five families was that they were always competing with each other. That would never change and should his father wake, Orlork knew there would be a war against the other families so only the Blackthorns remained.
Nathaniel bit his tongue. His father was the one not thinking about the future.
"So," Camilla smiled. "Are we going to address how Nathaniel is only going this far to make up for marrying Josephine? What a perfect son he turned out to be. Was it worth it putting all your hope in Nathaniel, father?"
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