The Fairest (Book #1)

43: Accusations

A scuffle erupted as Eron doubled backwards, stunned. Dargany grabbed Gris and tried to push him back, but the angry prince swung again. This time Eron saw it coming and avoided it easily. The Fiisen clenched his hand to strike back, but the temple guard threw himself in front of Eron to hold him back.

"You did this!" Gris shouted repeatedly. He fought against Dargany's hold.

"Calm down, Gris!" Dargany yelled.

"You asshole, I don't know what you're talking about," Eron growled, shoving the temple guard, who was determined to keep him from charging at the prince.

"You sent a soldier to kill Rasheem, and now he might die," Gris snarled, trying his best to brush off Dargany, but the soldier was stronger despite being a head shorter.

"That's absurd," Eron said, red eyes murderous.

"You sent someone to take Mageia and kill Hercones," Gris accused. "You're behind all of this."

"Hey now," Dargany jumped in. "You can't—"

"What do you mean, he's behind this?" Ser Conner asked, rising to his feet. His bloodshot eyes bore into Eron, prepared to rip him to shreds.

"You've gone insane to believe I had something to do with this," Eron sneered. "I've been working to regain control of your dumbass slaves."

"Rasheem told me the soldier mentioned you sent him," Gris said.

"What soldier? I don't know what you're talking about," Eron growled.

"Hey, hey now, Gris," Dargany said, giving him a careful look. "Let's stop and talk about this, okay? Let's go somewhere else and talk."

"There's no need to," Eron said, tugging angrily on his shifted breastplate. "I've done nothing wrong. You cannot blame me for this."

"Rasheem said you sent him—"

"How? I just found out he was trapped in your chambers and is in surgery. I don't know anything about him being harmed, you crazy bastard. You could've heard him wrong."

Gris clenched his hands at his sides and knew deep down in his soul that Eron was behind everything.

"I didn't. I will kill you if he dies!" Gris tried to pass Dargany, but he blocked him again.

"I had nothing to do with this, you stupid boy."

"Okay, why don't we take this into another room?" Lord Maurice proposed.

"Where is Mageia? What have you done with her?"

An irritating sound left Eron. "I had nothing to do with that girl."

"So why are you here?" Gris asked, wishing to punch the Fiisen again.

"I ran into him, Your Highness, and told him she was awake," the temple soldier said quickly, hoping to defuse the tension. "That's all!"

"See, you pathetic boy," Eron growled.

Gris felt his blood boil with wrath and lunged for the idiot commander. He slipped past Dargany enough to make another swing, but Eron ducked it again. Both the temple guard and the soldier tried to intervene, along with two soldiers jumping in to assist.

"Call me out of my name again, and I'll rip out your tongue and shove it down your throat!" Gris shouted, sharp with venom.

"You cannot accuse me of something I did not do."

"You're behind this. I know it." Gris shoved at the men holding him back. "Let me go," he ordered, but Dargany and another soldier almost lifted him off the floor and carried him out of the room and into the hall. They stumbled a bit over the fallen temple soldiers until they were in a clearing.