The Traitor Queen

Chapter Twenty-One

Neither Mace nor I dared to answer, fearful of the rage present in Auron's eyes. Though, I suspected the escaped prisoner was allowing me to deal with my friend by myself, watching the chaos unfold with a smile like he always did.

The weaponsmith dug the blade deeper into Mace's neck, piercing through the skin and making a small droplet of blood run down the column of his throat. "You didn't sneak out of the blacksmiths very well. I followed you until you reached the stables and got on Cirrus to leave the castle grounds. I thought you needed some time to yourself, something to take your mind off of everything that's happened, so I gave it to you." His brow furrowed in a mix of pain and anger. "When you didn't come back, I was worried because I thought you might have passed out somewhere since you should have been resting. Never did I expect to find you here with him."

When Auron pushed his sword even further into Mace, the latter pulled out an arrow from underneath the table and thrust it up against Auron's chin. "Lower the weapon," he hissed. "I thought you were a good guy, only brought into this because your friends had dragged you here. Don't make me change my opinion on you."

Auron could only grit his teeth. "Think whatever you want of me, just stay away from Sabre."

Mace laughed, a maniacal sound. "I don't know what to tell you, but she came to me all of her own accord."

I spoke up, noticing the blood falling down my friend's neck too. "Mace was telling me what Icrodeia are actually after. I was trying to come to a compromise." My words did nothing to calm the rage building in him.

"Anything that wretch promises you isn't worth it. He's trying to use you! Can't you see that?" Sorrow that belonged to betrayal rattled his voice. I knew that pain all too well, I experienced it myself when my parents had sold me to another kingdom.

Making all of us jump, Forsythia disarmed both of the males with ease in a few smooth movements. She held out their weapons to their respective owners to take once nobody was in the position of being wounded anymore. "No violence in my tavern, you hear me? Two of you are good regular customers, but at the next sign of weapons or a fight breaking out, you're all being kicked out," the bartender snarled. There was something vicious about her that was truly terrifying. Forsythia turned to me once Auron and Mace had taken their belongings back. "Keep your men under control."

"They're not my..." I began, but she had already walked away to serve a customer waiting at the counter.

"Does Kayne know about this?" Auron motioned to Mace, his eyes scanning him up and down with disgust.

I shook my head. How would Kayne react if he found out? When he found out. He would be just as hurt and angry as Auron was, perhaps more. I could already picture the scene happening before me and it didn't end well.

Mace sat back down, staring at the two of us innocently. A naive dog that didn't realise it had done something wrong. "You'd do well by not trusting the fae. That prince may not have done anything bad for now, but it won't be long until his mother influences him into a path of cruelty."