He glanced out the closest window as he waited for a response. there was nothing to see out there, not at this hour of night. one lamp on the bed stead illuminated the room, providing just enough light to make it virtually impossible to penetrate the night outside. Grimwald's heavy tread began to rhythmically pound from down the hall. Nathan glared at the manservant through narrow eyes when he entered. The giant regarded him curiously, a slight tilt of his head the only indication he gave of impatience.
"Do you remember the day I took ownership of this house?" nathan demanded curtly. Grimwald gave him a languid nod in the affirmative.
"that's what i've been thinking about tonight," nathan continued, his nervous tapping resuming as he spoke, "i've been running that evening through my mind over and over and over again. from the moment father burst in here and told me eve was dead and he was dying until the moment i agreed to take over the running of Nevermore." Nathan rose suddenly and walked over to the darkened window, hands clasped behind his back.
"i told him i wouldn't do it, you know," he said wearily. grimwald didn't answer. the servant was used to being a sounding board to his master by now. "i told him i didn't care about this awful place, that i intended to leave for good if he really did die. He told me i'd be signing the death warrant for most of the people in this area, because without explicit orders to the contrary, YOU would unleash all the monsters in this place without a moment's hesitation." nathan turned to peer at grimwald, who gave him an almost sheepish shrug. he gave his master an unapologetic grin. "so even if had no desire to keep the family business alive, to continue buying and selling and trading beings from other dimensions, i at least had to stick around and make sure they stayed put. i still refused for the longest time. we spent most of his last hours arguing before i finally gave in, which i suppose is sort of an appropriate summary of our relationship anyway. but before that, we hashed out dozens upon dozens of scenarios, schemes and ideas i came up with, ways to insure the sanctity of the second floor security and still leave me free to go my own way. he shot them down one by one. but do you know, there was one that I've always wondered about. One little sliver of a chance that he rejected, yes, but rather. . .lamely. I wondered about his response, but i couldn't bring myself to take the chance. that's really what i've been thinking about." he stepped forward until he stood directly under the towering grimwald. He gazed up at his servant evenly, his twitching hands the give away that revealed his nervousness. "I've been thinking about it, and I think it might just work. you're bound by my grandfather's spells to serve the lord of this house, whomever that may be. one of my first ideas was to simply lock you away with everyone else. beyond the dire reality that i would essentially be executing them all to death by starvation- a thought I admit i'd forgotten- there is apparently an aspect to grandfather's spells concerning you
"Do you remember the day I took ownership of this house?" nathan demanded curtly. Grimwald gave him a languid nod in the affirmative.
"that's what i've been thinking about tonight," nathan continued, his nervous tapping resuming as he spoke, "i've been running that evening through my mind over and over and over again. from the moment father burst in here and told me eve was dead and he was dying until the moment i agreed to take over the running of Nevermore." Nathan rose suddenly and walked over to the darkened window, hands clasped behind his back.
"i told him i wouldn't do it, you know," he said wearily. grimwald didn't answer. the servant was used to being a sounding board to his master by now. "i told him i didn't care about this awful place, that i intended to leave for good if he really did die. He told me i'd be signing the death warrant for most of the people in this area, because without explicit orders to the contrary, YOU would unleash all the monsters in this place without a moment's hesitation." nathan turned to peer at grimwald, who gave him an almost sheepish shrug. he gave his master an unapologetic grin. "so even if had no desire to keep the family business alive, to continue buying and selling and trading beings from other dimensions, i at least had to stick around and make sure they stayed put. i still refused for the longest time. we spent most of his last hours arguing before i finally gave in, which i suppose is sort of an appropriate summary of our relationship anyway. but before that, we hashed out dozens upon dozens of scenarios, schemes and ideas i came up with, ways to insure the sanctity of the second floor security and still leave me free to go my own way. he shot them down one by one. but do you know, there was one that I've always wondered about. One little sliver of a chance that he rejected, yes, but rather. . .lamely. I wondered about his response, but i couldn't bring myself to take the chance. that's really what i've been thinking about." he stepped forward until he stood directly under the towering grimwald. He gazed up at his servant evenly, his twitching hands the give away that revealed his nervousness. "I've been thinking about it, and I think it might just work. you're bound by my grandfather's spells to serve the lord of this house, whomever that may be. one of my first ideas was to simply lock you away with everyone else. beyond the dire reality that i would essentially be executing them all to death by starvation- a thought I admit i'd forgotten- there is apparently an aspect to grandfather's spells concerning you
