To Us and Beyond the Stars

A Day of Offers

       "Your Majesty, you can't seriously be asking this of my *Captain." Azin snapped, looking furiously back and forth between us. 

   "Kresshtna, do you accept this bargain?" The king asked, and I blinked. This was a test, he wanted to see if he could bait me with my family. Over the nine years I've only been able to see them five times.  They were always used as pawns for me to do something, only in desperate situations. The rebels were getting under his skin. Badly. I smirked inwardly, not looking at Azin. 

  "My Lord King, I live only to serve you." I bowed at the waist, looking at the ground as Azin tapped out a message with his feet. Again, I hid my smirk on the inside. He wasn't happy, but he was going to make do with the situation. 'Drive up the price', so to speak.

   "None of my brothers are to interfere with her unless asked. No guards other than those that are granted permission. No spying," he spat the last word at Yandris, who merely blinked, "and if you break these, Kress gets to see her family twice for each offence and cut up the offended into little pieces." 

   Kilgrin took a moment, but narrowed his eyes at his brother. This would mean no involvement, else he was signing his own death warrant, if  the king agreed. Whom, the royal scoundrel, had just leaned back and was watching his sons bicker and throw daggers with their eyes. Seemingly amused, but not willing to show a sign of emotion. 

    "If you can get the job done that way Kresshtna, then the conditions have been accepted." He droned, bored already and waved hand, rings clinking together. Kilgrin clenched his jaw, but the issue was done with and to fight now was to be treason. With another wave, his rings jingling again in a maddening, clink clink, we were ordered out. 

     In the hallway, awkward silence settled around the dysfunctional family. Yandris was eyeing his youngest brother and rarely looking over at me with a general disinterest. Kilgrin, however, was looking with a hunger and need that made me shiver. Azin moved closer, watching Kilgrin as closely as he watched me. Yandris, oblivious to the exchange, only took a step toward Azin, reaching out an arm. Stopping halfway in the air and between the two of them, then put his arm down. I looked up Azin, who hadn't noticed, and chalked it up to Yandris wanting a hug, but didn't know how to ask for one. 

   "Tell me something. little brother," Kilgrin clicked his tongue, looking me up and down before tearing his eyes off me, "why must she do this all alone without any of our help?" 

   "She won't be doing it alone, dearest brother." Azin snapped, placing a hand on my shoulder, and Kilgrin sneered. Yandris watched on with wide eyes, but did nothing to quell Kilgrin's rising anger. 

   "Truly, because I would love to help her out with this assignment," Kilgrin smirked, slyly that some females might have found sexy, but I found repulsing, "given I will be here awhile."

   "She needs no male's help, certainly not yours darling brothers." Azin growled, jerking my shoulder back, to put himself in front of me like a shield. 

   "Azin-" Kilgrin started growling, pupils dilating to a slit and his scales flashing under his eyes. Yandris stepped forward and threw Kilgrin back, literally. Grabbed his faced and threw him back into the walls. Yandris, calm and collected as always, simply brushed off his hands and looked back to his youngest brother. He began to walk towards us, but instead of hitting us, he kept walking, patting Azin on the shoulder as he went.

   "I still don't understand why he's Father's favorite." Azin  huffed, and lead me back to his quarters.