Chapter 2: The Vernons and DeVilles

Adrien rushed down the halls of Vernon estate, sweat glazing his skin, fighting to keep his sane persona intact. He twisted through the spiralling turns, sliding through the dining hall and into the steamy kitchen. The head chef glared at him, but once Adrien spun his head around to shoot an eye of disgust at him, he immediately went back to basting the duck. 

Adrien's eyes panned through the kitchen, searching the dozen bodies that rushed back and forth, weaving their way around him. He looked harder, further, and in the corner of the kitchen, sipping a cup of wine while seated on a table was who he was looking for.

"Jane," he growled. "What is wrong with you!"

Jane kicked off the table and strolled lazily towards him. Once she was close enough to smell the stench of his vanilla perfume, she took a sip and cackled. "Nothing. I was following Louis' orders."

"Yeah, but why didn't you tell me about Lord DeVille!" he balled his fists up, nose flaring as he looked at his sister. He couldn't believe her audacity, not that he expected her to be kind enough to give him prior notice. He just hoped that for once, she would live up to being a young master. Instead, like the heiress she is, she decided to play a game with him. To see how far he could be squeezed till he popped like one of her pimples.

"Relax," she said. "It's not like it's the first time we have important guests. Everything is going according to plan. The most you need to do is take a shower and change your suit. That's it."

If only it was that simple. Jane had forgotten one crucial element of the dinner. The whole purpose of Lord DeVille's visit was to discuss the gems Queen Christine was requesting be brought to her; to explain to Adrien all he needs to know. And naturally, he invited his partner for the mission, Benita. However, Adrien didn't know who the guest was, he just thought she'd come for dinner and his father would tell her the necessary details. Now he had to stress about how he'd present Benita to Lord DeVille.

Adrien paced back and forth and looked to Jane one more time before leaving the kitchen.

Later on, when dinner had commenced, Adrien couldn't bother to squeeze even the slightest smile. He sat with his fingers laced together on the table, watching his father and Lord DeVille chatting happily. His stepmother and Lady DeVille had gone out into the garden to view the pond. Perfect. 

Adrien pinched Jane beneath the table, she let a pained sigh and shot a glare at him. 

"What's your problem?" she whispered, checking if she had drawn the Lord's attention.

"Where's your stupid chauffeur?"

"Coming," she said. "They'll be here soon. I even sent my personal assistant to inform them of the situation, take them to a boutique to get good clothes and buy them some jewellery."

"They better look good," he said, pinching her harder, scoping around for any prowling eye's that might catch him. "If they don't, I'm telling Louis."

Jane bit her lip, her eye's bulging slightly. Her breath hitched in her throat before answering with shaky eyes, "Please. Don't."

He released his grip and set his hands back on the table. A few minutes passed and his stepmother and Lady DeVille returned to the dining table. Benita still hadn't arrived.

Lord DeVille furrowed his brows, looking to his watch, "It's quite late, where's your partner?"

All eyes turned to Adrien. The DeVille's looked quite disturbed, searching his face for any remorse for the delay. His father, and older brother Louis, seated across from him only starred. Blank eyes, ears pierced. Jane, seated next to him, looked ahead at a spot across the room, smiling like a bumbling fool on the verge of laughter. His younger sisters, Olivia and Ivy looked to him wide-eyed, scared for him. And of course, the bane of his existence, his stepmother, rested her head in the cup of her laced fingers, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Adrien scoffed and looked to Lord DeVille with half-hooded eyes. "They'll be here," he said, smiling. "Just be patient."

Lord DeVille pressed his lips into a hard line, "Young man, I'm not here to entertain you. I can't just sit here waiting idly for this person, don't you know I have work to do, places to be?"

Adrien chuckled," As far I know, you don't have anything better to do than entertain us with your presence." He stood up, put his knee on the tabletop and stretched across to where DeVille sat. Poor man's neck was suffocating under the grip of his collar, sweat running down his folds and bundling on the seams. Adrien studied the man and couldn't let that go if he were to at least fake some respect for him.

Climbing the table rattled the table's silverware, ruining the perfectly lain tablecloth. He adjusted DeVille's tie and the lapels of his jacket, then, backed off the table and sat back in his seat. "Much better," Adrien cheered. "First impressions matter."

His stepmother grimaced, quickly turning to the Lord and Lady. "Forgive him," she said, clasping onto Lady DeVille's hand. "Had he been one of my own, he would have known his bounds."

"I'm not surprised," the Lady scoffed. " A dog will always be a dog. All you need to do is put him on a tighter leash."

"You sound quite offended," Adrien pouted. 

They both ignored Adrien and turned to his father, who sat quiet, calm.

"Ceasar, can't Louis take this mission instead. Queen Christine would much rather have a disciplined man represent her with this. Adrien will only soil your name, and the Queen's."

His father just sat there. Silent. He didn't appear to have the slightest thought skim his mind, he only turned to Louis and waited.

"I'm not the one apart of the Selati Clan," Louis answered. "I wasn't even considered by the council when they were selected. To be quite frank, I'm stunned you're even suggesting me." Louis spoke softly, his voice like the sweet lull of a perfectly tuned base. 

His words penetrated The DeVille's, their faces softening. " How so? Your image is pure. Your cause noble. You've even represented the Council in peace negotiations. As Queen Christine advocates for peace, I think you'd be a far better man to represent her. I mean, this is her crown we are assembling. The precious gems we are looking for need to collected by someone pure of heart."

Louis snickered. His light chuckle cute, darling. He lifted his eyes from the table and looked to the DeVille's, his smile beautiful, cheeks full of youth as the candle glow lit his milky skin. "Thank you," he said. "But, as I have said, I'm not the one in Selati Clan. My brother is. To question his position is to question the council, undermining their verdict and reasoning."

Louis waved his hand, and a server quickly rushed forth with a bottle of wine, pouring it into every glass of the people in attendance, except Olivia and Ivy. 

"Selati has always consisted of five members with characteristics that stand unrivalled," he said, taking a sip of his wine. "Smart, cunning, strong. They tackle issues that most governments cannot handle alone. I think that serves to say that my brother outranks you by far. Hence, your judgement to me means nothing. Neither does it mean anything to any of the Vernon's. Your task was simply to relay Queen Christine's information to him and his partner. You will wait and not complain. Doing so is insubordination and total disrespect for a member of Selati Clan and The council."

Lord DeVille furrowed his brows, "Council? Who's a member of the council?"

"That would be me," Ceasar said gently with a smile. "But don't tell anyone. If you do, you'll be signing your own death warrant."

Lord DeVille parted his lips in an attempt to speak, but Louis waved his hand. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

The sound of heavy boots walking echoed down the hall and spilled into the dining room. They got closer, heavier. A servant walked through the door, bowed, and announced, "The guests have arrived."

First person who came through the door stunned them all. A tall woman, fair skinned, in a pair of blue flared pants and a white shirt that plunged into a deep V. Her ash blonde hair framed her small face well, her eye's deep blue, sweet and soft. Following behind was a man, olive skinned with thick curls of hair on his head. He wore a simple pair of black jeans, a white shirt with a black waist coat and black coat. His light scruff made him look harder, the deep smoulder in his eyes sharper than steel daggers. 

And finally, behind both of them came their leader.

Adrien expected her to come in a neat suit at the very least, but things didn't turn out the way he planned. Which excited him. To see her the way she was. Benita strolled in with a chest full of confidence and a mighty but dainty smile. Her thick brows on her honey tanned skin softening that adolescent look she usually had and turning her into a more mature woman. Her new pixie cut was the only reminder of her innocent youth. Her boots chippered as she walked, the thick heels clicking shamelessly on the tiles. She wore a pair of tight ripped jeans, a black shirt and red lacy corset that hugged her thin waist perfectly. 

The three were escorted to their seats at the table, Benita sat on the other side of Adrien, her two comrades sitting next to her. Adrien clasped his hands to together, "Shall I introduce you to my partner?"

Lord DeVille nodded, coaxing a smile out of Adrien. "The lady sitting on the far end, on my left, is Ms Lexi Good. She's a three-star hired gun and worked at Scott diamond mine for four years. One of the leading ladies in the Klondike heist."

Lexi brushed her hair behind her ear, "Pleasure to meet you," she said.

The DeVille's acknowledged her presence, their eyes quickly moving on.

"The gentleman next to her is Tariq Merikh. He's a three-star hired gun and worked in the Khan Oil Rigs for two years before working in the private sector with the Desai's. It's been a year since his transfer. So far, he's had stellar work guarding the interest of the Desai's and ensuring that their largest export remains safely guarded from revolutionists," said Adrien.

Tariq only looked at the Lord and Lady, neither budging nor even acknowledging the other. Adrien chuckled at the sight before moving on. 

"And this is my partner," he said with glee as he rubbed her shoulder. "Benita Kane. Five star hired gun who worked at the Intan mines for three years. She's now a member of Selati Clan, and goes on special tours aiding in heists, bomb threats, hostage situations, trafficking rings and money transportation outside private contracting. I felt she was the perfect person to help with this mission."

"Intriguing," Lord DeVille admitted. "But how do her expertise matter in regard to our request. She's a rogue and has no experience in conducting negotiations and settlements."

"In order for me to answer you," Adrien started, " I need the full details regarding the gems Queen Christine has requested."

Lord DeVille looked to Ceasar, expecting him to back him up. But the man stayed silent and expectant of an answer. Lord DeVille tugged at his collar, cleared his throat and said, " Queen Christine is requesting a total of seven gems. Not new ones, but one's which are symbolic, have a history and carry meaning." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed letter.

"May I?" he asked. Ceasar gave him to the ahead, with which DeVille ripped the letter open and stated what Queen Christine wanted. "She's interested in...

The all-seeing emerald of the Khans, 

The weeping Lazuli of Corinth, 

The lost stone of Bukowski, 

The Pristine Pearls of the uncharted continent, 

The golden nugget of Klondike, 

The heart of Khione, and 

The bloody tear of Saoirse," he paused and handed the list over to Adrien. Adrien didn't bother looking at it again, simply shoving it into his pocket.

"They all carry significant value on the market, three of them are lost, their whereabouts unknown, two are on sale in the black market, and the other two are possessed by current world leaders," Lord DeVille said. " If Coventry can possess all of them, it'd truly make her the greatest Queen in History since Frieda the Great."

Adrien nodded, taking in his explanation and pleas to get all of them. He understood the want but didn't understand the need. Nonetheless, he was getting paid to do the mission, and had many means of attaining them.

"I don't plan to use legal means to attain the gems," he admitted. "They're all stolen and have sullied pasts. So, I don't need to use formal means to get them."

"What? You're not serious, are you?" DeVille asked, his face slightly flushed.

"I am," Adrien pouted. "Trust me and my partner. My means of collecting them is exactly why I need the hired guns expertise. By the end of the year, I will certainly have all the gems, and will deliver them to the Queen with newfound meanings to them that will make her greater than Freida."

Adrien wasn't joking. He was dead serious with that green glitter in his eyes that looked like a vile of poison. He was sure of himself, his skills, his means. Without them, he wouldn't be a member of Selati. His ways were crude, strange, and illegal, but he always got the job done. That's how he managed to shut done five drug farms in the past two years and catch the biggest crime lords in the world. Of course, they escaped after capture, but what happens after he's done with a mission is none of his concern. He only procures things for people, it's up to them to keep them.