Return of the war god

Chapter 4

Arthur pushed her wheelchair towards the front porch, ignoring the look of disdain the guards gave Luna.

“Are Ms Byrne and Mr Gallagher around? I’d like to discuss a few things with them.” Arthur stated.

“So the nuisance has returned, huh? The master is inside.” The guard turned away disinterested, leading Arthur and Luna inside the house.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, pushing her into the house.

Alexander and Clara looked up from their discussion, the relaxed expressions they wore shifting to one of disinterest when they saw Luna on her wheelchair, with the doctor behind her.

“After all the promises, you weren’t able to do anything either. As expected.” The Gallagher family head stated, sharing a look of disappointment with Clara.

He called for his grandsons, Anthony and Aaron, the first was to bring his chequebook and handle paying Arthur while the second was to take his would-be wife away.

“This is why you’re incompetent. You give your word then not only are you unable to fulfil the promise you made, you still have the gall to ask for your payment. Disappointment.” Alex clicked his tongue in disgust while Anthony signed and handed the cheque to Arthur.

“You seem to misunderstand, Gallagher. Luna Rhyfel isn’t yours to claim.” Arthur said with a smirk, tearing up the cheque and throwing it at the startled Gallaghers.

Luna and Clara both paid little attention to the enraged shouts of the Gallagher family head and his grandson, Aaron.

They were instead shocked as to how Arthur, a physician who was simply hired to help Luna with her condition, knew of her origins.

“You can stand now, Ms Luna.” Arthur leaned forward with a smile, reassuring the somewhat doubtful Luna.

Inhaling silently, she rose to her feet, instantly shutting the enraged man and shocking everyone present, except Arthur.

Clara rushed to Luna, holding her by her shoulders and inspecting her body while being surprised.

“Luna, my dear, what happened to you?! You’re standing again.”

She avoided the gaze of the Gallagher’s and turned to Arthur for reassurance, only returning her gaze to Clara afterwards.

“Arthur has been treating me for the past week, mother. He had specialised medicine given to me so I’ll never need to use a wheelchair again. I can walk now.” Luna choked out, the realisation of her current position dawning on her once more.

Since after the accident, her value in Clara’s eyes had severely diminished and at a point she began to view Luna as a liability.

Hugging her tightly, Clara cried out, “I’m sorry I couldn’t support you better, I should’ve been by your side through it all. Mother is sorry okay? Come, let’s catch up. I’ll let your fiance have you later.”

Clapping with a chuckle, Arthur stated, “What an amazing display, truly heartwarming. But as I said, Luna Rhyfel isn’t yours to claim.”

“And just who the hell do you think you are?!” Aaron barked angrily, grabbing a hold of Arthur’s shirt roughly.

“A-Aaron please! He’s the man who helped me!”

“And that gives him the right to speak to me in the manner that he did, right?!” Alexander shouted, turning his agitated glare from Luna to the stoic Arthur.

Glancing coldly at Aaron, Arthur said, “You have ten seconds to let go of my shirt, kid.”

“This guy, it seems you don’t get it.” Aaron growled angrily, tightening his hold on Arthur’s shirt.

Luna stepped forward with tears in her eyes, “Sir, Aaron, I’m sorry about everything but please let him go, he’s the sole reason I can walk now, please.”

“Watch how you speak to your future in-laws, you brat!” Clara yelled angrily, striking Luna across her cheek.

“I have had enough of it all! You claim to be my mother but you’ve never had my best interest at heart!” Luna yelled teary eyed.

“That’s the problem with young ones these days, they think they know far more than the ones who’ve lived longer than them, foolish lot.” Alex clicked his tongue in disgust, taking a seat while not averting his disdainful gaze from Luna.

“Time’s up.” Arthur said coldly, grabbing Aaron’s wrist and twisting it in an awkward angle.

He bent backwards with his face contorted in pain. “Let go!”

Shoving him backward, Arthur held his shocked gaze with a cold one, ignoring the comments of the others present.

“This drama has gone on for too long so I’m here to make a declaration and if the rest of the Gallagher’s are any wiser than this fool here, you’ll oblige. Are we clear?”

Noting that the onlookers were too shocked to speak, he reached for the briefcase he had brought along with him when he first arrived.

Tossing a few papers at the feet of both Alexander and Clara, Arthur stated, “You are both aware of the amount of dirt on your hands, if you don’t want everything you’ve built up to crumble at this instant, you’ll end all contact with Luna.”

Anthony stepped forward the calm demeanour he wore from the beginning morphing into one of anger, “You have been talking a lot of rubbish since you got here, just who do you think you are to make demands of the Gallagher’s?!”

Deciding it was time to reveal it, he replied calmly, “My name is Arthur Rhyfel and I am Luna’s one and only family member, you might consider me her brother.”

They couldn’t believe their ears, especially Luna and Clara. After all, as far as they knew, Luna had no more remaining family members alive. Yes, they were aware that Arthur had escaped on the night of the attack but she didn’t know if he had truly survived and she hoped for years that he would be alive and well.

“And as her family and with those gifts of mine to you, I have the right to end your marriage preparations. So that will be all.” He walked to Luna, taking her hand in his and guided her out of the house.

“Wait!” Alexander yelled, rising from his chair with the support of his cane.

“It seems you have forgotten how you should address your benefactor, Gallagher, or do I need to spell out how much I am helping you by not making the contents of those files public?” Arthur gave him a disinterested sidelong glance.

Sighing tiredly, Alexander replied, “You can’t just do this, even if she’s your family or not. Bring us a partner with greater potential or business than Clara Byrne and I will see to it that the Gallagher family never bothers you again.”

Arthur was about to reject the proposal, after all he had no reason to agree.to such. But the all too familiar chime of the system and the translucent window that read; [Accept and complete Gallagher's quest.]

“Very well.”