Amongst Thieves

27.

The tournament field looked a lot larger once Maize stepped foot on the packed dirt, and the crowd surrounding it much more ominous. Their murmurs and hollers echoed across, back and forth ricocheting each other until the cacophony could no longer be drowned out by the pounding in her head and the hammering of her heart. But all of that seemed to deafen as Findara approached.

The Lady of Alynthi dragged behind her a two-handed broadsword, its blade drawing a line in the mud behind her as she approached an incredibly confused Maize. Immediately she put her hands in front of her, both defensively and to remind her she was unarmed, but the look in the other woman's eyes was dark and lethal like a demonic possession had taken over her mind. Perhaps it had, if she was truly going to do this.

"Whatever it is you think I did," Maize started as she kept her distance from Findara, backing up step by step. "You heard incorrectly. We don't need to do this."

"You have done nothing but embarrass me, my name, my court, and all of Dreduor the moment you stepped foot in that ballroom," she snarled as she continued in her approach. "And now you dare insult me on top of it?"

"I don't even know you!"

"But you seemed to know my husband well enough."

"What—" The insinuation was enough to have Maize pull her attention from Findara and find Cade up in his seat. The smug bastard was watching them with an amused smirk across a face that deserved to be punched. Gone was the injured man, who was in too much pain to even join them for dinner. There she saw the same shithead who betrayed his best friend when they were caught in a compromisable position and wanted to save his own ass. And now Findara thought she wanted him?

Maize bared her teeth. She should have challenged him the moment she saw him across the tournament field and finished the job on his other leg. That she even considered biting her tongue for Ress' benefit...

"Did your husband ever tell you how he knew Ress?"

Findara seemed taken aback that Maize dared speak to her, like she was going to accept the challenge without question. "Not that I owe you any explanation, but Restor is my husband's childhood friend—"

"—who can probably fuck Cade better than you ever could."

Findara paled before her complexion turned a vibrant red. "Cade would never. Restor took advantage of him, wanting him only for his money. For his position. He was nothing without Caden. That's why he's crawling back now, and that's why he owed Cade by being his proxy."

"So where is he now?"

"You tell me. You kept him away from his obligation. You have done nothing but embarrass my family name. You knew Restor was supposed to fight today. He owed Cade a debt. But your selfish, lowborn presence believes you actually have a say in any of this."

"You don't know me!" Maize felt like she was a parrot repeating the same thing over and over with the same lack of comprehension. "And you don't know Ress, or Cade for that matter, if that's what you really think what's going on."

"I know my husband better than anyone else in this world. Stop. Lying!"

With a groan, Findara lifted the broadsword up and brought it down hard between them. There was still enough space and Maize had plenty of time to step back and again, but that she still had the audacity to continue this spectacle.

"So why me?" Maize asked, deciding now was the ideal time to sidestep her way towards her own weapons cache. "Ress was Cade's proxy and he's not here. It looks like he's the one bringing shame upon your household— not me."

"I know it was you who kept Cade from fighting today. You orchestrated that attack on the Wild Hunt so he wouldn't be able to win Grand Champion."

"Why would I even care? I wasn't even there!"