Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Destan stopped him from taking another shot when Camilla and Soren appeared at the tavern doors. All eyes turned to take them in. It wasn't usual for the general and lieutenant general to make an appearance out of their normal attire like they did then. They were in their metal and leather armor...which only meant one thing when they were looking for him.

Soren was the first to meet his eyes. The Fae male with deep bronze skin and brown eyes scanned over the tops of everyone's head before he found Jai. He even had an inch or two on Jai and towered over his mate, who stood on her tip-toes in front of him. She looked pissed and ready for a fight, which she was more than willing to have with Jai. Soren was always the voice of reason, while Camilla usually wanted to go in headfirst and sword swinging. They balanced each other out, the perfect pair to command Dalcaine's armies under Jai.

Soren put a hand on Camilla's elbow, nodding in Jai and Destan's direction. His general already had her blonde hair twisted up into a knot on the top of her head and her face done up with cosmetics as she usually did.

The hard set of her red painted lips told Jai he was right in assuming why they were there.

"Where have you been?" Camilla asked, taking a seat beside him and Soren beside Destan.

"Right here with my little brother," he slurred. "And if you're going to tell me what I think you are, I'm going to need another round."

Camilla reached over to cover the top of the tankard as he lifted it to his lips. He ended up kissing the back of her hand instead. She pushed it back down to the table, rounded up the rest of the tankards and glasses, and then moved them to her end of the table away from him.

"You need to sober up," Soren told him. "And quick. We leave once everyone is back at base."

"And when is that going to be?"

"I gave them three hours," Camilla answered. "And it would be highly inappropriate to see their prince, who is supposed to be leading them, completely shitfaced."

"That happens on a regular basis already."

"And the king knows more about that than you thought he did."

"How long is he sending us out for now?"

Camilla and Soren shared a look. After knowing them since they were all children and having the mating bond form between them when they were barely twenty years old, he was used to every look and knew the translation for almost all of them after a couple hundred years.

"Three months in Eld. We're going to help rebuild one of the smaller villages since they had an unfortunate accident with one of their Alzriade dragon babies."

"A baby Alzriade Black destroyed and entire village?" Destan questioned, eyebrows raised. "And they're just wanting to rebuild like nothing happened?"

Soren chuckled. "You'd be surprised at how often it happens. They're used to it down in Eld. I almost think they want them to destroy the villages. They're finally rebuilding everything with stone. You think they would have caught on by now. You should see one in battle, though. Any dragon for that matter. They're magnificent."

"You'd better keep him close, Cam," Destan grinned at the general. "Looks like you might have some competition with the beasts."

"Never. Besides, there's a reason he keeps me around," she said with a suggestive wink.

Both Destan and Camilla laughed as Soren closed his eyes and shook his head.

"If you have all the guardsmen you need, then why am I going?" Jai asked, interrupting the tangent in conversation. "I'm tired of going on these philanthropic patrols where all we do is help rebuild..." He hiccupped, shaking his head. "I don't want to be gone for three months. We've only been back in Ayveri for two weeks. I want to stay longer. Can't I...take a family leave of absence or something? And why am I asking you anyway? I outrank everyone."