18 - Alaric Stands his Ground

                                        

                                              
Midsummer had proven to be painfully exciting for the Briggs household, and Alaric had foolishly hoped that seeing his baby sister scarred would be the worst of it. Even if Hida seemed unbothered by her ruined hair and scalp, Alaric couldn't look at the short length without feeling terribly guilty. He'd failed to protect one of his siblings, a fact not at all mollified by the reality that one of his other siblings had been able to. Like Hida, Farran seemed almost unaffected by the Lazzarini boy's attack; she was still entirely focused on sending letters to her Cadorian pen pal. 
But helping his brother Derbie Court Lady Ban, writing a formal Letter of Accusation, and dealing with the proper processes to have Fabrizio Lazzarini face consequences were only part of Alaric's endless headache. Without discussing the matter with him at all, or even giving him a heads up that it was going to occur, his sister Blair and his best friend, and now Earl, Clayton were now Courting.
All of a sudden, he had to chaperone two Courting siblings at once, though with Blair's reputation for flouting propriety Alaric was fairly certain it was going to be useless in her case. And there was also the odd case that currently Clayton outranked him; he was an Earl while Alaric was still interim Count while his parents were Exploring. Alaric sighed and scrubbed at his eyes, trying to erase the ever pervasive headache that plagued him. 
"Don't tell me this Opera doesn't live up to your seemingly joyless expectations?" Aayina Ram's mockery pulled his agonized attention back to the moment. 
He was at the Polumenta Opera Event, featuring a remarkable feat of acoustical engineering, and he should be paying attention. "My expectations are neither joyless nor unmet, not even with my current company, I am simply afflicted with the glorious burden of truly unique siblings."
It was a bad habit to say what he was actually thinking but Alaric had been simmering in stress and anxiety as if it were a healthful sauna since Hida was assaulted. His parents were on the Queen's Expedition North, so while they were absent, HE was expected to take care of both family and Countship, and his best and only real confidante had added himself to the list of problems Alaric had to deal with instead of helping him stay sane. But Alaric had, for some reason, never been able to be anything but almost rudely honest with Aayina, and after three Events where they ended up in not quite rivalrous encounters, he had no one else he felt could understand. 
Adding to his discontent, despite the friendliness between Calvin and Danilo, and the Viscounts' aid with Hida, Anto Polumenta was clearly irritated with the Briggs' presence. Though with how nasty his glare was at Blair and Clayton presenting as a couple, it wasn't unimaginable as to why he was so dissatisfied. 
"We are both having to chaperone a trio of younger siblings this Debut Season, and a fourth expected to be added the next, would it surprise you to hear that I understand your vexations?" Aayina's almost kind response made Alaric wonder if that was the secret to conversing with her; be rude and she'll return rudeness, be forthright and she'll do the same. "Though you have, apparently, taken the lead in terms of younger siblings Courting; even if Lady Blair Briggs' attendance is as much as surprise as her Courting." 
Never mind.
"It's a smart match, is it not?" he was going to try to be polite today. Truly. "Though it lacked the immediacy of the Courting that occurred between Lord Borka and Lady Deepa, I hope it'll prove to be just as sincere."
"Are you implying my sister's Courtship is lesser somehow?" Aayina now glared at him as fiercely as Anto did.
"Aayina, I simply meant that Blair and Clayton didn't fall in love at first sight, do you have to try and needle me after the last week I've endured?" once again Alaric accidentally said what he meant, only this time he did himself the added disservice of being rudely blunt. Maybe if he could offend her enough, she'd leave him alone; as it was, she filled his thoughts far too often.