Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1) ✔

Chapter 10: We Lack a Mage

King Bernard dropped both of his fists on the table in a childish tantrum of anger, "You're late! You're late! Why are you always late?!"

Rixen glanced briefly at his father, "Your ale is dripping, father."

"Do not call me that! Do not! Call me that!" King Bernard got up, his face turning scarily purple, slightly blueish, "And you're drunk! This is important! Oh, you useless piece of Orathian garbage!"

Danilo jumped over to the king, lingering around him like he was worried he might collapse. An angry sneer grabbed his beautiful face.

I stared at them with my eyes open, grasping the strange relationship unfolding in front of me. Rixen said nothing: he plopped on the plush cushions on the sofa in the corner, crossed his legs and his head slumped down, like he was about to fall asleep.

Danilo's voice pierced my ears, "How dare you behave like this? How dare you talk to a King like that? And how dare you come here wasted?! Do you truly care about nothing?"

Rixen raised his head, his hazy eyes rolling. A smile emerged on his upper lip, "He's sending himself to an early grave, I'm just helping out along the way."

Danilo leaped towards him, tension rising in the room.

Nickeltinker plopped on the chair next to me, boredom hanging off his pout, "How I love wasting my time watching petty men bicker over petty thrones."

The brute, Torvald, extended his long, muscled arm and blocked Danilo's way.

Torvald shook his head and grunted, "Ugh."

Danilo backed away reluctantly.

My voice dropped to a whisper as I leaned towards Nickeltinker, "And I thought women stirred drama."

The green-skinned boy chuckled.

The King coughed ungallantly and raised his arm, "Enough of this! We are here for a reason and I will not tolerate childish bickering."

Danilo simmered down, but the anger still flickered in his icy blue eyes. Reluctantly, I gazed at Rixen and regretted it momentarily.

He dropped both his hands over the backrest of the chair and looked over me shamelessly, "Has the perfect climate been treating you so badly that you had to come here?"

I swallowed the sudden fear, fighting the urge to expose his sobriety to the rest of the room. But no one could ever know about this strange curse that allowed me the knowledge.

Danilo's hand gently grazed my forearm, as if warning me not to say anything.

I bowed my head, escaping the yellow gaze from the other side of the room. I noticed Danilo's other palm on the hilt of his sword in a feeble attempt to defend my honour.

King Bernard hit the table with his flat palm, "Enough! Let us get to the important things. The trip starts tomorrow night. We're already behind schedule."

Danilo stepped forward, "Why hasn't the mage responded to our letter?"

Rixen cut in, "Because he doesn't give a shit."

"Watch how you speak in front of the Princess!" Danilo raised his calloused finger as a warning.

Nickeltinker palmed his face. Torvald moved closer to Rixen once more. And the King dropped both of his palms on the table, "Enough! Enough! Enough!"

No one said a word, but Rixen snickered, obviously wildly entertained.

The King cleared his throat, "We do not know why the mage hasn't responded. The bird never returned. So, it either died on the way or the mage took it."