A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 15-16

Anor 16th,3330 A.G

  Nara yawned; the last man who'd entered had one of the most boring issues she'd ever heard of. She didn't know it was possible for one person to be so dull, or to manage to do so while being passionate about something.

"Your grace-" he'd started off with a bow, his nostrils still flaring. A few moments later his near dweller came in, having pushed past the guards.

"Your grace whatever this man says is a lie!" His near dweller spit everywhere. "I did not build my fence on his property- and for that matter how can land be personal property? The farmlands around house Tomhend belong to you, but the farmers farm them and are allowed to take decent portions home depending on their family size. This greedy, blind bastard can't tell the difference from between our houses and behind his!"

Andre had found it amusing, but he hadn't been there for hours. No- he'd been training a couple of new recruits and had struggled not to laugh.

"Alright...both of you just...." Nara sighed. "What purpose were the fence built for?"

"To contain my garden." The fence builder said. "So the vegetables did not feel the need to sprout over on that fucker's land to feed him too."

Andre had looked like he were about to burst, and Nara didn't know what to say to these people- so she'd motioned for him to deal with them.

"Both of you are selfish, entitled fucks." Andre'd smiled. "So what if his fence is encroaching on your backyard by one single pace? And so what if some of your vegetables sprout over on his? It's not as if you need to eat much."

Andre's eyes has drifted down to the man's bulging stomach. "Here is what will happen. The two of you will go home, kiss and makeup- and never waste our queen's time again or I will cut you from chest to balls to see if human body fat really does look how Ysmen says, and I will crack your head open so she may study the stupidity so deeply rooted in your brain."

Both of their mouths hung open with no sound daring to escape. Eudo had to escort them out, and now Andre and Nara were left alone. Renard had been given the day's other exciting task; deciding which prisoners would be pardoned and who'd rot for a few months or years.

"Harsh." Nara commented. "I'm so proud of you."

"Of course you are." Andre mumbled under his breath, that particular smile brief. "About that other conversation we had this morning...."

"If anyone finds out, everything is fucked. I'm well aware." Nara interrupted, sitting up a bit straighter. Andre kneeled next to her throne, between her and Renards. "They will be very careful and after everything we talked about I trust the shipwright."

"Should you?"

"Excuse me?" Nara frowned. Andre took a while to trust people, but it weren't like him to openly admit it. "All he's doing for now is creating the blueprints and models. If Tiffan Raynerus were to somehow find out, she may even think I'm just creating one or two ships that can travel the short sea. Not... the actual amount."

"Gods I'd hope not." Andre mumbled. "But... as much as we both want to see her dead we... have to admit she isn't stupid."

"Do we?" Nara raised an eyebrow. "Even now, she believes me to be no more than a child. A dangerous child maybe, but one who will tire of this little 'crafting an empire' project and become entirely consumed by how much I want her head preserved on a spike. Only burned once it starts twitching....... The point is that I believe this woman is far less intelligent than you want to believe. She's no better than the fat man-"