“You’re arrogant and delusional,” Thor bit back and for a long second, he and Victor stood with their stares clashing and their jaws set.
“Well, as we always say, we don’t have to agree on everything.” Oliver, who was the oldest of the Motlanders, wrung his hands as he tried to break up the confrontation between Thor and Victor.
Slowly, Victor turned his head and gave Oliver a bored look before he eased his stance and looked back at Thor. “I’m pretty sure we agree on one thing.”
Thor’s lips were in a fine line and he looked like he wanted to strangle the arrogant bastard in front of him. Victor on the other hand didn’t seem the least bit bothered and moved back to the table with a smug smile. “We agree that the Motlanders are naïve and unfit to lead the world.”
Thor couldn’t deny it but chose not to answer.
Lachlan scoffed. “I beg your pardon. That wasn’t a nice thing to say.”
Freya, who was still standing, placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t take it personal. You can’t be surprised that all three nations feel that we’re the better fit to lead the world.”
“No, but I find it mean to put others down like that. Calling us naïve is rude.”
“That’s why it’s best if we all work together. You Motlanders lead with empathy, we Northlanders with bravery, and the French with reasoning.”
“We Nmen are also great strategists,” Thor added.
Victor had his eyes on the chessboard and lifted a piece while speaking in a level tone. “Yes, but by reasoning, Freya is referring to intelligence because she knows we French are superior in brainpower.”
The bickering between Victor and Thor continued, but I stopped paying attention as I was distracted by Belle, who fetched her sketch pad and retreated to a cozy chair by the window.
As if I were a painter myself, I studied the way she was curled up and her tongue peeked out in concentration for a few seconds before she pulled it back in and chewed on her lip instead. A strand of her hair was hanging loose in front of her face and a few times she brushed it back. Still it kept finding its way forward as if it were as curious to see what she was drawing as I was.
After ten minutes, I walked over. “Are you making another masterpiece?”
She moved a bit and made room for me to sit on the armrest of the chair. “I was inspired by what Freya said about empathy, bravery, and reasoning.”
“Can I see?”
Belle hesitated for a second before handing me the pad with her drawing that showed three people forming a circle around planet Earth. A woman stood with her back turned. From the way her head was leaned back far enough that I could see her face, I recognized Holly and traced my finger over the tears in her eyes. To Holly’s right stood a chess piece with Victor’s solemn face, and to her left was Thor dressed in an old-fashioned knight’s costume.
“Hmm. Very symbolic.”
“What do you see?”
“Well, your dimensions are a bit off. Holly is much smaller than Victor and Thor, but you drew them all three as equals in size.”
“I did that on purpose because it’s not about them as people but what they represent.”
“I see. And what about the fact that she’s reaching out to them but they’re not taking her hands?”
“Victor’s crossed arms signal the closed-off attitude of our government. They’ve always been skeptical of outsiders and still are.” She gave a jut of her chin to the pad. “Whereas Thor’s strong stance with his legs spread and his hands on his hips is his usual power position of dominance.”
“You don’t say much when we have discussions, but your art is very expressive. So, tell me, who do you think is the better fit to rule the world?”
A triangle formed between her eyebrows as Belle took back the pad and tapped her pen on it. “I’m disappointed that you didn’t get the answer to your question from the drawing. It’s right here.”
“Where?”
“There!” I noticed the colorful rings on Belle’s fingers as she tapped on planet Earth in the middle of her drawing. “It’s like you’re asking me which part of my body is more important, my heart, brain, or nervous system? It’s impossible to tell because I can’t function unless they all work together. It’s the same with the world. We need to work together.”
My lips lifted in a smile. “I wish you would speak up more. You have a way of seeing right through the bullshit.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I didn’t hear you say much tonight either.”
Leaning closer, I whispered, “That’s because I was too preoccupied thinking about how I’m going to prove to you that I’m a ten.”
Her gaze darted to the others, but they were still debating and not paying attention to us.
“You haven’t told anyone, have you?” she whispered back.
“Of course not.”
“Good. It has to stay between you and me.”
I agreed, of course, but a part of me was also a little offended. “Why? Are you embarrassed about sleeping with me?”
There was a moment of slight tension between us as she hesitated, but before I could push Belle for an answer, Aubri came over.
“I’m done with Victor and his shit for one night. These debates always give me a headache.”
Belle mustered a sympathetic smile for Aubri and then she yawned.
“Stop that. It’s infectious. Now you have me yawning too.” Aubri held a hand up to cover her open mouth and spoke on her exhale. “Maybe we should just go to bed.”
“That’s a great idea.” I rose up and looked toward the fireplace. “I’ll just stock up on firewood before I hit the sack.”
Belle said her goodnights and walked upstairs while I went outside in the freezing cold.
When I returned to the living room the inside temperature made me feel like I’d stepped into a sauna. Kneeling down in front of the fireplace made it worse.
The group was breaking up with everyone going to bed, but Freya and Aubri were chuckling not far from me. The moment I heard Belle’s name, I listened to Aubri whispering.
“That is hilarious. Mila will get a kick out of it. Please, can I be the one to tell her and Jonah that Belle thinks he’s hot?”
That sentence made me stiffen.
“No. I was looking forward to telling him myself. I asked Belle if I could and she said that she didn’t care. She doesn’t even think he knows who she is,” Freya whispered back.
Aubri scoffed low. “Of course he does. That’s so typical of Belle. She’s too humble.”
“What is it about Jonah?” I asked and felt the flames lick my hand as I put on three more logs.
Aubri made sure we Northlanders were alone in the living room and then she turned her torso to face me. “Freya suggested to Belle that she should move to the Northlands and they talked about Belle’s taste in men. Turns out she would marry someone like Jonah if she could. She thinks he’s hot.”
With a poker face I pretended I didn’t care and responded with a small snort. “Is that a joke?”
“No, she thinks he’s the perfect combination of intelligent, kind, and handsome.”
“Isn’t he forty or something?” I rose from my position by the fireplace and brushed off my hands.