The Twelve Tables Ch. 21

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Josh Visits Nik.
13.5k words
4.84
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21

Part 21 of the 30 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 01/18/2013
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xelliebabex
xelliebabex
5,500 Followers

Authors Note: Thank you to everyone left comments or sent me feedback about previous chapters of this story. Thank you again to Margaret who proofread for me. ~ellie

*****

On December twenty-third Peri packed a few last minute things into a tote bag with the help of Madeline, who always seemed willing to help her in anyway needed. The two nannies would accompany them to the farm along with Bridgette who maintained both a nanny role as well as overseeing the kitchen staff.

"I think that's everything," Peri said looking around the room.

"I'm sure that if you have forgotten anything we will have enough there to make do," Madeline smiled.

"Have you been at the farm over the holidays before?" Peri asked.

"No Ma'am, but Heather says it is wonderful. I'm very excited to be able to accompany you," the young woman smiled widely.

"It's a huge celebration, and while my babies maybe a little young for most of the festivities I hope you will get to enjoy as much as you can," Peri said warmly.

"Come on ladies, it's time to get going," Dante came into the room to hurry them along.

"I'm ready," Peri smiled and walked toward him. "Did Josh's plane leave on time?" she asked.

"I haven't heard otherwise, so hopefully he will be back tonight," Dante took her hand and walked out with her.

They were the last to leave the house. A skeleton staff would remain for the holidays to keep the big house running and secure. When they arrived at the plane, the babies, nannies and luggage were already on board, and Madeline automatically took her place beside Eden. Peri had hated to pull rank with Bridgette but with all her other duties she couldn't be there for the smallest of her babies the way Madeline could. Peri had insisted she let Madeline and Heather do their jobs, and that Bridgette supervised the nannies along with the household staff which she wasn't doing effectively at that time. The change meant that Madeline could care for the elf-like Eden and assist Heather with her two brothers.

Heather though being older and having been with the tables for many years knew the value of Donati sons and was content when the shift in power came to the nursery. She eagerly took over as Bridgette stepped up to run the household staff not leaving as much time to attend the nursery. Bridgette had become even busier once Joshua employed extra staff to assist with the constant stream of visitors recently. Bridgette still favoured Eden above the boys but rarely showed it now, being content to help as needed. She was glad to be accompanying the family back to the farm so she could prove her worth to Antonia Donati, who had been sceptical of her appointment despite Andie's assurance that she would do well with Peri.

She watched as Dante led Peri into the plane and ensured her secure seating before taking his seat beside her. She didn't pretend to understand the relationship between Peri and the two brothers. She knew she was married to Josh, but it was as if little by little Dante had taken on that role as well. He shared the marital bed with the couple and doted on the children as if they were his own, particularly Blaze who had been named for his deceased brother. She wished for the times when she had first come to Peri's service where they had bonded, and she could ask those awkward questions without feeling like she was overstepping to much.

The babies first experience with air travel was not as successful as they had hoped. The take off had caused them all to cry as they lay strapped in the capsules. It was only as the flight levelled out that they could be picked up and calmed. Dante immediately claimed Blaze and brought him back to his mother. Peri held each of her children during the forty-five-minute flight as always being careful not to favour one over the others.

The landing was equally distressing for them and even though they were calmed easily, Peri went with them as they were shown to the nursery in the new cottage that had been purpose-built for her family. Antonia had accompanied them and after cuddling each of her grandchildren had spoken to Dante quietly as Peri fed them.

"I'd like you to stay here until I return please," Dante said solicitously, but she heard the tone in his voice and knew instantly that this was more of a command than a request.

"I'll stay," she said quietly so as not to disturb Cruze, who was feeding contently.

"This counts as the lunchtime feeding," he said to ensure she had no illusions about spending her days in the nursery with the babies no matter if they were distressed about their new surroundings. The nannies would bet there to comfort them. "I'll be back in half an hour," he said checking his watch and nodding. Then he left abruptly leaving her wondering what was going on with him.

It was barely five minutes later when Antonia returned and ordered the nannies out of the nursery. She picked up Eden from her cot and sat opposite Peri, who now nursed both of her sons. They'd talked every day on the phone about what her life would entail now and the expectations that would be placed on her once the announcement was made formally.

"Tomorrow when the other families arrive, you will need to prove you are everything we expect from the mother," she said. "You will need to take Emily and Carmen in hand over these two days." She smiled down at the bundle in her arms. "They will have the most resistance to your new role and have influence over their husbands. Well, Emily does, of that I am sure. Carmen only thinks she does." Antonia gave a small laugh. "Romeo sees his marriage as a business partnership; he chose her specifically for the qualities he thought the mother of the table would need."

"I understand though I am not sure they will let me take on the younger matriarch role," Peri said softly dreading the trial she had been given. Emily and Carmen had always shared that standing with the other wives it seemed and she would have happily let them until now. She hadn't told Josh or Dante that she was under as much supervision as they were at this time.

"Emily will be easy because you have triplets. Talk to her about the lengths you go to feed each of them and make them feel special as individuals. Having triplets is a miracle don't play that down for one second. Revel in it and mention it often in terms of how well you are coping and how little the nannies have to do. Even if that isn't true all of the time, use it and own it," Antonia advised. "You are a wife and mother and still in touch with the team you built at work; that deserves respect and will even make Carmen mellow toward you. She never had a career separate from her family."

I understand," Peri said slowly. "I have organised to sing with both Josh and Dante and Josh will do an extra one with me." They had spoken about Carmen's love of singing with Josh and Antonia had suggested that she to deprive her of that was a way to pull rank, if only slightly.

"It would be better if you did two with Joshua, but one will do, if you do the other with both of them," Antonia agreed. "Keep her at arm's length, don't let her give you advice about the babies. Remind her how special triplets are and that you are handling everything just fine."

"Are you sure about Bianca and Rosanna?" Peri asked.

"Rosanna has always known that Angelo was not destined for leadership and honestly once she finds out what his seat entails and the power that comes with it I think she will be one of your biggest supporters. I have hinted as much to her since the arrival of the triplets. Seek her out if you need help, no one is threatened by her standing in the family, but she is a strong and intelligent woman. A sister, that will be good to have on your side."

"I am glad there will be someone on my side. I feel like I am entering a tank of sharks or something," Peri laughed nervously. "Bianca?" she asked.

"Jules has been told already," she said thoughtfully. "It is part of his and Bianca's trial that they disclose this information to no one not even Romey. It will be a hard trial for him, but he will have Joshua and Dante to confide in once he is here unless he chooses Romey over Joshua and then there will be a challenge. I believe once she knows the high life in Prague is in her future Bianca will support you above everyone else, even Carmen. A challenge could see that future taken away."

"How will I know what she plans to do?" Peri asked.

"Secrets are so hard to keep. I imagine she will seek you out and talk to you just to be able to talk to someone. If she doesn't then you know, that she plans to challenge you." Antonia said smiling down at the baby in her lap who gurgled happily. "You make the most beautiful babies," she said wistfully. "You will need all the support you can get over the next decade or more so make these holidays count. They will be the basis of your power, not only here but within all twelve of the tables. Carmen, Bianca, Emily, Rosanna and even I all came from another table and as the power shifts they will look to us for information."

"As if this all wasn't daunting enough," Peri took a deep breath. "I love him that much," she said softly. "I will be all that you ask me to be and more because it's him that's asking in reality."

"And Dante?" she asked knowing that Peri had spoken of Josh.

"I have always loved him in some way, but I am still learning to love him in the way he needs me to," she admitted. "We never had that courtship," she tried to explain. "He came into my life when I was already in love with Josh, so it's different." She knew that honesty was always the best policy with Antonia, who had a way of seeing into her heart and mind.

"I felt the same way," Antonia admitted. "Christo was so very different to Joseph, softer somehow. Others will see only that angry, dark exterior he has worn for so long but I think we both know that he is a man who loves deeply, which is perhaps why he became so dark after Celeste betrayed him. Joshua, on the other hand, has a demanding persona but is seen as fair and ultimately good and kind but has a darker, unemotional side that can make hard decisions regardless of the cost and stick with them. I think they will balance each other out, much like my two loves. I have the feeling Dante and Josh have more similarities than most people realise as well. Take the time to fall in love with Dante. There is enough room in your heart for both of them. Trust me on that."

Peri thought about this without saying anything. She did love Dante. He was so similar to Josh in so many ways, but she could see what Antonia was saying about that hidden soft side. Joshua had it too, she knew. She considered if Antonia knew who had fathered each of her children despite the name on the birth certificate.

"Could you call Heather and Madeline back in please?" Peri asked knowing Cruze well and truly asleep on the twin feeding pillow that surrounded her and not wanting to ask the question about paternity. The boys were changed and put to bed while Eden was given a bottle.

"I will do what is needed," Peri assured Antonia as they left the nursery and walked into the living room. "I do love them both, and I won't let either of them down. When the table spoke to me, I promised to do whatever Josh asked of me. I realise now that he won't even know about some of the things I must do, and that worries me that I won't be able to pre-empt those necessities, perhaps with Dante..."

"That's why you have the Oracle," Antonia smiled as she saw Peri making the connections. "Like Christo, Dante is intuitive. Even if it's women's business talk to him about it. You may find he has better insight than anyone would give him credit for. He is the oracle for a reason, and you need to trust him in all areas of your life."

*****

Joshua stepped off the plane in Canberra and walked to the waiting car. He and his father had told Dino of his position in the Donati table on the flight down, and he had embraced the role almost joyously. It was what both he and Lucia had wanted and talked about often. Joseph took a car to the Battaglia stronghold to speak to the commander about the appointment and Josh got into a car with Dino bound for the Canberra women's prison.

Dino had the family connections to get them in and out without any record of their visit, and Josh was grateful. What he had to do didn't sit well with him, and he wanted to give Nik every chance to redeem herself.

"Well it's about fucking time you bothered to come," Nik spat as she was led into the small room where Josh waited. "What's he doing here," she indicated Dino, who stood in a corner listening but not interacting at all.

"Considering you almost killed my wife and the mother of my children, you should be grateful I am here at all," Josh said smoothly watching the reaction on her face.

"You married that bitch after what she did to me?" Nik was enraged.

"What did she do to you exactly?" Josh asked.

"I'm in here aren't I? Nik said as if he was stupid.

"After you almost killed her," Josh said calmly. "What exactly did she do to you to deserve that?"

"She tried to take your future. You could have been great. You could have had power and wealth beyond your wildest dreams. We could have had everything we ever wanted," she said with certainty. "That bitch ruined it all and took that away now you will be just one of the forgotten Donati swept away into the dust while bloody Ben makes a fucking mess of everything."

"I'm the new chair," he said quietly in the face of her tirade and watched as she stopped and looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "The only reason I was named new chair is because I married Peri, no thanks to you." Nik looked up to where the cameras watched them and back at Josh nervously.

"She's the new mother?" Nik asked licking her lips.

"We had triplets three months ago would you like to see?" he asked seeing her change in mood and thinking there might be a chance she could still care about him and be happy for him on some level. He placed his phone on the table turning it toward her and showing a photo of the three babies bundled together on Peri's lap.

"No!" she screeched. "No, it's not true. None of it is true! You need me, Joshua! You are nothing without me! No one ever cared about you. It was always me they loved!" Nik was incensed.

"Everyone loved me Nik," Josh shook his head. "It was you that always needed me to run interference. That's why no one has come in all these months. No one remembers you fondly now, not even me," he admitted sadly.

"They all adored me. You're living out some fantasy here. They called you Wah-wah because you were whiney little shit that Mama made them look after," she said smugly.

"The only brother who ever worried about you died a few months ago. Do you even care that Lio is dead?" he asked his temper getting the better of him.

"Lio's dead?'" Nik seemed to regain some semblance of her former self for the briefest of moments. "Fucking Matteo I knew he wouldn't be able to keep it together once Papa sent me down here!"

Josh couldn't keep the moment of surprise from his face. He straightened his expression just as quickly, but it wasn't lost on Nik who laughed maniacally.

"Hah, they didn't tell you did they?" She sneered. "Well, I'm as good as dead now anyway. If you don't find a way to kill me the Suebi will." She saw Josh narrow his eyes and was at least glad he knew about the Suebi now.

"So tell me, you know you want to rub it in," Josh challenged her.

"Oh no, my darling brother. I'll leave that as a surprise for you. I'm sad about Lio though. I guess that was my fault too. Matteo was probably an obvious ally to the Suebi and Lio was so in love he listened to the propaganda about our family and eventually tried to break it off with Matteo. Love does strange things to people. But I guess you know that if you married that stupid fat bitch."

Josh sat silently letting her speak. He knew she wasn't deranged. He knew she always had a plan, and he wanted to know what her current plan was. He was curious now about what had happened to Lio. As far as he was concerned, it was the freak car accident he had been told it was.

"I guess they found the evidence amongst my secret stash. Tell me how long did it take them to find it?" She asked seriously as if it was a matter of honour for her to know. "I doubt you even know what I am talking about, do you? The Suebi don't discriminate against women; did you know that? You don't have to be barefoot and pregnant for the best years of your life to be valuable."

Josh remained silent. In the last month, he had discovered that the twelve tables were not the only organisation involved in the shadowy world of political intrigue. There were as many as six although only the Suebi's worldwide network matched their own and seemingly always at odds an enmity had grown between them. The Suebi often attacked the younger more vulnerable members of the family and while their influence was barely felt in this far-flung corner or the world, it was obvious that they were becoming more active. Nik's hatred of the family laws had made her the perfect target.

At first impression, it seemed that Nik was telling him she had become part of the Suebi and had recruited Matteo. No wonder Lio had been so mad at her in the months before she was sent to the Battaglia. He realised that his visit alone once word got out of the changing of the chairs was enough to make her a liability to the Suebi. His analytical mind wondered why his father had let him come knowing the visit would make her even more of a liability to the Suebi.

"So you recruited Matteo and got Lio Killed?" Josh asked sadly.

"Oh grow up Josh, he was gay, the family would have ended him regardless of anything I did," she rolled her eyes at him. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Papa knew he was gay. He didn't care just like I don't care. You killed him, Nik. You killed the one brother who, aside from me, always listened to your excuses and forgave you," Josh dropped his head to his hands not having expected this revelation.

"I could have forgiven you almost anything. I even tried if not to forgive then to understand what you did to Peri. But I can't forgive this. You killed Lio with your stupid schemes. LIO!" his voice was anguished, and she blanched against his overt anger. "You should hope the Suebi come for you because if you ever get out, you don't want to face D.'s justice. No family will take you in now, so get comfortable because I was your last hope of ever getting out of here alive."

"You're so full of shit, my year of purgatory is almost up," she said once again rolling her eyes.

"You can't honestly believe that?" Josh looked at his sister incredulously.

"Look I understand that the Battaglia were pissed about Giorgio but seriously, he deserved it. So I'll do the year then Papa will get me out, and life can go back to normal," she said as if it all made sense.

"Nik listen to the words I am saying. I am the new chair, Papa can't help anyone now let alone get you out and even if he did, no family would take you after you admitted to having ties to the Suebi and recruiting Matteo. My wife and the mother of my children is terrified of you. In what world are you ever getting out of here?" He spoke slowly making sure she heard every word. "Papa has no power to help you now. I do. You no longer have any power over me. As of this moment, you are dead to me."

"Fuck you," she yelled. "We shared a womb. We shared a lifetime. You need me!" she said confidently. "You were always the weak one, don't pretend you can do anything without me."

"It's strange but since Lio's death, D. and I have bonded. We are closer than you, and I ever were. When we lost our twin, we gained each other. You've been replaced by someone who deserves my love and loyalty." Josh had become unemotional now. "We may have shared a womb but every moment after that you have taken everything from me and given nothing back. You are an embarrassment to the family and as with all detestable figures, you will be written out of the family history. When you die, you will not be a Donati. You will be Veronica Maris, with no known living relatives." He pronounced her sentence in a monotone devoid of any emotion.

xelliebabex
xelliebabex
5,500 Followers