Righteous Anger (Okal Rel Saga #2)

4.2: Falling Out

"Highlord," Horth introduced himself at the door of Den Eva's, on the far side of UnderGelion. He was supposed to say something that allowed inferiors to deduce his birth rank from his pronouns, but he couldn't think of anything appropriate so he simply declared what he was.

The woman who greeted him accepted his solution with professional aplomb. "How can we serve you today, Your Grace?" she asked.

"Branst Nersal," Horth said, "and Tessitatt Monitum."

"They are here," said the woman, "watching the entertainment." She stepped aside to let Horth pass.

The Patron's Round was much as Horth remembered it, with novices in white togas waiting on Sevolites in a wide band surrounding a central, sunken stage.

A pair of dancers held the room's attention. The woman was a sleek blond with a stately figure. Her partner was a remarkably flawless youth with black hair and gray eyes, who had to be Von. Horth watched just long enough to figure out what made the young man's movements interesting, and decided that it was the way Von's fluid grace masked the strength behind them, making them look misleadingly effortless and casual. The room appeared to be enthralled, but Horth found something irritatingly clever about the way that Von's choreographed moves mocked the violence of a real duel. The props the courtesans used were not real swords, either — only showy replicas.

After dismissing Von's style as vaguely annoying, Horth found himself entranced by the female dancer, whose athletic body was sheathed in a skin-tight costume of blue and silver. He remembered his mission only when Von's body interrupted his view of her.

Branst and Tessitatt were at a table near the dance floor. Horth noted a couple of Red Vrellish nobleborns from Spiral Hall nearby. Most of the other tables were filled with small parties of Demish men. The last one was occupied by a group of Nersallian relsha, two male and two female. Satisfied that he had a rough grasp of the surrounding company, Horth headed directly for Branst.

"That's it?" Branst was saying to Tessitatt, with a contemptuous gesture in Von's direction. "You dragged me here to watch him dance? He's not even a grown-up!"

"That's not what his customers tell me," Tess said with a smirk. "They say he's even better off the dance floor."

"You haven't—" Branst began and stopped himself.

"What if I had?" she challenged. "It would be good for my reputation. And yours. We're keeping to ourselves too much."

"Yes, but a dancer!" Branst exclaimed, in disgust. "A child dancer!"

"Thirteen, in fact," said Tessitatt, choosing that moment to lift her head and say, "Hello, Horth."

"Horth!" Branst gave a start that caught the attention of their Nersallians neighbors. He followed up by pushing a chair out for Horth. "Sit down! Some wine for my brother!" Branst ordered a toga-clad child.

Horth's wine came in a glass horn with a matching metal base for putting it down on the small, round table.

The audience let out a collective "ooh" at something Von was doing.

"Will you look at that!" enthused Tessitatt.

"Big deal," Branst grumbled.

She scowled at him, "Don't be Demish."

"I'm not Demish!"

"But you are jealous."

"You're trying to make me crazy, aren't you?" Branst accused her.

"Here comes the finale!" said Tess, giving Von her full attention.

Branst was equally adamant about not watching. "How did you make out at breakfast?" he asked Horth instead.