"I'm dying" Raven lamented. "only a kiss of true love can save me "
"Best I can do is a high five of semi- cordiality"
After a lifetime of house arrest, River Verlice attends his niece's first birthday banquet, expecting nothing more than a quiet e...
"Lord Raven Alistair, King of the South, from Capital Sandgill"
All the hushed conversation in the hall gradually died down within a few seconds. If the mucians didn't keep playing their instruments, the banquet would have gone as silent as a cemetery.
River turned his head to see everyone's gaze fixated on two figures at the door. It was weird to see so many people's heads turned in the same direction, filled with the same thought: "The infamous Southern King is here."
Even in his stand at the farthest corner of the hall, River could make out a head of red hair, like a flag buoying in a sea of people.
Just how tall is this dude!?
The crowd parted, making way for the red-headed giant. He rapidly approached the platform, eating up the distance in a few long steps. He stopped next to River, not sparing him a look.
Or perhaps, from his vantage point, he didn't see the shorter boy. The man towered over River, Valour, and pretty much everyone else present at the banquet. His bright red hair fell across his back, neatly tied together by a black ribbon.
River couldn't take a proper look at his face without very rudely standing on his toes and looking up, but he saw that he wore a pair of silver-rimmed eyeglasses with a chain attached.
If his height and odd hair color were not conspicuous enough, the man was clad in a lavish black suit. His sparkling boots, pants, pressed undershirt, fine overcoat, and glinting accessories were all black. One glance at the Verlices's was enough to tell River how deeply displeased they were. Valour's jaw had tightened, while Mireya Huxley's mouth was agape at the sheer magnitude of his audacity.
In Northern Kingdom, black was avoided in auspicious events at all costs as it is the color associated with death and rotten luck. In South, however, white was the color of standard funeral garb, while black was only worn by noblemen and people of great political importance.
So while wearing black was offensive to Verlices, showing up in any other color on the spectrum would be offensive to King Alistair.
The Southern King gave the Northern King a graceful bow. King Lucian stood and decended the platform so as to honor and welcome a guest of the same position in power. He was followed closely by the Queen and the High Priestess.
The giant of a man took a step to the side, revealing a much shorter individual who had been obscured from River's field of vision until now.
What greeted River was the sight of the most exquisite man he had ever laid eyes on. He was about a full head taller than River and had a very unrefined, raw kind of attractiveness to him. With a slightly fuller bottom lip, a sharp jaw, a perfectly slanted nose, and sculptured features, it was impossible to resist stealing a second or even a fourth glance at him.
Someone had hopelessly attempted to gather his necklength mass of lustrous black hair into a low bun, but stray strands spilled from it, falling over his eyes. Or rather, eye, because one of them was covered with a black eye patch. The good eye shone brightly under hall lights in a russet shade of brown.
He wore black boots and tight-fitting black pants. The first few buttons of his black shirt came undone, exposing a scandolous amount of smooth, bare chest.
A long black overcoat bearing the silver insignia of a snake was draped haphazardly over his shoulders. Several obsidian rings glistened on his fingers. The man smelled like he had taken a soak in a barrel of wine before sauntering in.
The taller man introduced "Im Aithan Alistair, His Majesty's right-hand man."
A horrifying realization dawned on Riverl. This man, who dressed and carried himself like a rogue bandit from Capital Sandgill, was actually Raven Alistair, the king of the South!
If the red head was the king, the violation of the color code could be excused, taking how meticulously he dressed in into account. Not a thread or a single strand of hair was out of place on him. Even his nails were neatly clipped and filed.
Raven Alistair, on the other hand, looked like he slept on the side of a road.
He had a smug smile on his face as he tipped his head in greeting. He then immediately went to fold his arms across his chest and shift his whole weight onto one leg, his whole demeanor screaming arrogance.
River felt lightheaded from watching him break etiquette left, right, and center.
Mireya Huxley had gone red in the face; even Valour looked like he was about to slap some manners in the man. King Lucian inhaled deeply before addressing the pair.
"Welcome to the palace of Archton, King Alistair. I hope the journey here was not arduous.
Raven Alistair smiled. "Nay, it wasn't." . When Aithan subtly kicked his boot, he added, "Thank you."
He then stared intensely at the King, his gaze skimming over to the Queen, Valour, and Ayla, like he was trying to etch their faces in his memory. He then turned some more, and his eye fell on River.
He then turned back to speak to the king. But he snapped his head back at River.
They held eye contact for a couple of seconds. Then he whistled sharply.
"Who is this young lady?" He smirked.
River did not know which was more offensive, the misgendering or the coquettish whistle. Everyone turned their heads to look at him in unison.
The first to recover her wits was Ayla Yearwood. "She is a distant relative of mine, My Lord."
"Quite the looker, isn't she?" His smug smile widened, putting his sharp cannines on display.
He spoke like a true bandit.
Aithan Alistair removed his glasses with a sigh, as if he couldn't stand the sight of his king embarrassing himself anymore.
"We are honored to be here, Your Majesty," he said, waving a gloved hand. On that cue, a few gaurds brought in three chests and opened them in front of them. They were filled to the brim with gold. The coins glittered under the light-quite a sight.
"A very humble gift from us to Lady Azize," he said.
They engaged in polite small talk, while River stood there very awkwardly, hoping to be dismissed. His unease was growing with every passing second he spent under Raven Alistair's scrutinizing gaze.
A maid came along and served the pair wine. King Lucian picked up a cup as well and raised it, proposing a toast, as per tradition.
"It's my pleasure to have you both as my distinguished guests."
All three of them raised their cups and tipped them back.
Raven Alistair took in a mouthful of wine. Then soundly spat it out.
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The theme song is Saints by Echoes. Yes Author thought the theme song first and then the plot.
