Internal: Viperpath (volume 1)

(16) Viperheart

As evening drew near, the candle-lamps on Queen Vestra's garden--set at regular intervals--began to be lit. Where Princess Azalea was sitting, she could watch as the servants lit them, one by one.

The princess's current gaze was somewhat distant, dispirited. She was still mulling over Rashid's earlier words.

"Where his mom had tended to his scratch wound that I'd helped cause, mine had me basically ruin a prospering shop's trade... Dammit, that look on Mina's eyes as I was about to leave- It cut, somehow..."

The Little Viper further wondered what Dastra would have said or done, had he but known what she had been forced to quietly endure.

Recalling again that princeling's innocent expression as he quietly took her tearful embrace some time after Mirani's most recent abuse, however, even the Pathfinder's fiery, graceless girl had some qualms about having to broach such a bitter fact.

"Heck, Das may be better off not knowin' Mom's vicious side at all..." Zal reflected, blinking away bubbling tears. "That said, it might also upset him that even his own sister would not be honest with him about that... especially since he practically holds no secrets with me..."

"Hello there, Zal," Mustafa's voice drifted to her, after what felt like eternity. The tone was casual enough to get her attention. "The flowers would not look as beautiful at this time, I take it. Even with these lamps."

"Oh... 'Sup, Akhi. Not my likeliest place to be, I know. Ne'er known ya to be so keen 'bout flowers, either."

"Beauty is beauty." The Lion Prince approached her, now standing close by her side. "At least you're not sulking where you can't be reached."

"Yer mom did 'er job damn-well 'ere, what can I say." The Little Viper sighed, not even trying to deny that she was sulking. "Sit with me 'ere, would ya?"

Mu obliged just as yet another lamp was being lit in the distance. His somber expression was not lost on the princess.

"Ya're not here just for the sights, Mu. Let's hear it."

"I've been through town today, you see," he began, after clearing his throat. "Decided I could do with an afternoon stroll, following that downpour."

"Fascinating."

"On my way back home I saw crowds gathered before a garb shop. It seemed it had been broken in."

Zal chuckled. "'Nother busy day for the basiras, then. That's exactly what they're bein' paid for, ya know what; to keep order. So? Did ya stop to watch those uniformed bunglers at work, or what?"

"I did stop by, yes. Why, those 'bunglers' even allowed me some privacy with the primary witness of that break-in, namely the lone shop assistant who was around during the time of crime... and guess what?" Mu trained a serious gaze at his sibling. "They implicated you."

The Little Viper met his gaze, unfazed, her determined expression illuminated further by a nearby candle-lamp's light. "Yeah, Mina was the only one on duty as I came along. Yeah, I did it, and in a doublet that wasn't even mine; 'twas Lei's, but that's squared up now, pretty much. Torn off ten or so dresses, I did, while leavin' everythin' else in place..."

"Fifteen dresses, so I've heard."

"See if I care!"

Mu tapped his sibling on the shoulder gently, leaning in. His gaze softened for a second. "Why, though? Your fire-eating bluntness is rather well-known, but rowdiness of this scale..."