The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

“Gods! I’m not even happy because I can finally spend the night under the roof,” Kors said with relief. “I’m glad just because you’ve finally finished your bad competition over who will drink more!”

Nik thought for a moment, but then, apparently, he understood:

“Aha, we didn’t compete at all.”

And Arel laughed too:

“I don’t compete with anyone and never, I just do what I want!”

“Yes, I know, I know,” Kors muttered, “does your head hurt?”

“What?!” Arel laughed again.

“Well, yes, if it’s empty, why hurt there, what am I talking about …” Kors agreed. “Actually, do you know that at the crossing your stupid Beauty plucked grass near the sandy shore? You were not up to it at that moment, of course, and now he probably has a stomach full of sand.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Arel replied.

“How? It must be pumped up with water properly, andhis stomach — washed through the tube.”

“Vitor, watch your own horse. Forget about my Beauty, he’s not yours anymore! Arel turned away in displeasure, and Kors, looking at his arrogant and painted face, thought about how crazy one still neededto be in order to cover his face with gray dye for most of his life and be with those black lips and black paint smeared around the eyes. Live with such a face. “Arel, everyone thinks that you are not afraid to be yourself, but really? It’s high time to put you in a psychiatric hospital, Arel,” Kors thought, but said:

“Eh, I forgot about this horse a long time ago, I just feel sorry for him. Stupid horse, I had to tinker with him, educating him, and you ruined him again.”

“It doesn’t concern you!”

“You will live with us in Arel’s room,” Nik told Kors.

Kors remembered this room very well, only everything had changed too much since then.

“It’s small,” he remarked, “won’t the three of us be cramped? You, probably, will also put Verniy and Valentine there? There were large rooms in the Fort, and the Prince’s Estate was of an ancient construction. There are thick walls, but cramped rooms, low ceilings.”

“We won’t be cramped,” Nik objected.

“Nik, I understand that you are used to living in small kennels, and often not alone, and you have no idea what personal space is, but maybe I’ll live nearby? In the room where I used to live? I’m used to living in spacious apartments. I will come to you at the slightest call.”

“No! And Ver and Valin I will settle in the former room of Lis. They will go there,” Nik immediately objected categorically, “and you will live with us. And you will leave the room only when I allow it!”

“Law of reflection,” Kors nodded knowingly. He defiantly removed his iron stick from his belt and handed it to Nik:

“Hold on! I assumed that it would be so, and I am ready to endure all this shit to the end.”

“What? No! I’m not going to shove you with a stick like you did to me! It’s painful and unpleasant.”

“And humiliating,” added Kors, “well… it would definitely be humiliating for me, so come on! Don’thold back!”

“No. And I behaved badly then, I was guilty. I didn’twant to wear glasses and reminded my father of the past. I behaved very, very badly and received little more for my such disgusting behavior, I received an undeserved punishment. You should have punished me even harder, you took pity on me, daddy. I love you, I won’t do this to you!”

“Nik…” Kors even stammered, “sometimes you sneer so cynically that I feel uneasy…”

“You speak very clever words, daddy master, you understand everything, and I’m a fool, you know.”

Kors took a deep breath.

“I know, Nik, that you and Arel love me very much, okay?” He unconsciously touched his injured eye. The tumor had already gone, but there was still a black bruise under the eye, and the skin around it was a bright yellow-green color.

“Yes! Is it clear now!” Nik rejoiced. “But when will you understand that I am not punishing you?”

Nik turned to Arel, behind whom Valentine stood like a shadow. Thin and lanky, dressed in expensive leather clothes, but at the same time in a slave helmet, Valentine was heavily stooped, tilting his head down and forward.

“Valin,” Nik asked, and he shuddered in fright, bending his head even lower, as if he wanted to completely squeeze it into his shoulders, “Valin, what do you think we are doing with sir Kors? Answer me!”

Valentine hurriedly knelt down.

“Y…Y…You are changing s…s… Vitor K…Kors, j…just like you, sir Nik…you were changing m…my m…master sir Arel, and m…my…master…is changing… me,” Valentine barely managed to utter, as he alwaysbegan to stutter violently when being nervous.

“Why are we doing this?”

“T… to…become better, sir…”

Nik looked questioningly at Kors.

“Here you see? Even Valin understands the essence of what is happening, and you still continue to think that I am punishing you for cooling down.”