Each year the Kingdom of Khearia throws a festival in remembrance of one of their most beloved kings who had tragically perished along with his wife and second son. His first son, Prince Fabian, was the only one to survive. Witnesses claimed his cro...
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"What in Khearia was that?" Thomas demanded of Riley as soon as the dining room door shut behind them. "That was reckless, Riley. Unbelievably reckless!"
ㅤ"What's happened has happened, okay?"
ㅤ"No! Not okay! You can't do fuck us all over like that and then say 'well, it's already happened now'— that's not how this works."
ㅤ"You should all be thanking me," Riley snapped. "Llwyd is alive, Duke Straton has changed sides, and we now know the Adeia temple is pulling the strings. The widows aren't even needed anymore, fuck them."
ㅤJames plucked a cloth from a maid walking past, ignoring her fearful wide eyes, using it to wipe most of the blood off his hands. His clothes had also become tainted. He hoped there were some spare.
ㅤ"And you," Thomas turned his accusations to James. "Killing a woman so violently like that, you're disgusting."
ㅤJames was unmoved by the insult. "Woman or not, she was a problem."
ㅤThomas clearly didn't see it the same way. His glower would've intimidated a weaker man.
ㅤ"You're achieving nothing by saying these things, Thomas," Riley said. "What's done is done."
ㅤJames agreed with such a sentiment. Riley had indeed been reckless, emotional and unpredictable, but the results had been good. They would be better off cherishing their good luck rather than scourging themselves into hysteria.
ㅤ"That's so easy for you to say when it was your fuck-up, Riley. If it had been any other one of us, you would be the one making a fuss."
ㅤRiley kissed his teeth, not entertaining such a claim.
ㅤThe others were horrified also, but Alex's feelings seemed more complicated than the rest of them. Stiff angry shoulders, clenched fists, a wounded expression on his face; as if what he'd seen was akin to betrayal. Unfortunately for him, James hadn't done anything to apologise for.
ㅤSo, without offering any empty words, James began to walk back to the guest room. The men cautiously followed.
ㅤ"You murdered her," Alex said.
ㅤJames kept walking.
ㅤ"Why the fuck did you do that?" Alex kept going. "She was pleading for her life."
ㅤJames stopped and turned to face Alex. "I don't understand what the problem is, Alex. She was Fabian's rat."
ㅤ"She had a daughter," Alex stressed. "She was trying to protect her family."
ㅤJames scrutinised him, his expression serious. "Don't you think you're being hypocritical right now?"
ㅤ"What?"
ㅤ"First time we met, I watched you slaughter several bandits. Do you not reckon they were also trying to provide and protect their families?"
ㅤ"That's different," Alex insisted, encroaching into James' space. "It was self-defence. I had no other choice. That was a careful decision I made. What you did was thoughtless!"
