The Knight's Eyes

46: DINNER with the DEVIL

Damn it, she felt her hands excrete extra sweat causing the dinnerware to feel slippery. She bit down on the patch of tea, swallowed, and regathered her thoughts.

She giggled, "Of course. You're such a gentleman aren't you? I'm just a bit nervous."

This seemed to work. His shoulders relaxed and he flashed his clean white teeth, "Oh, sweetheart, don't be. I want you to feel comfortable when you're with me."

They returned to eating. Hansel could strangle herself. She glanced at Sir Naveen who was staring at Edrich with great disgust. Now this made her give an honest smile.

A second pair of doors across the room burst open. All eyes turned to the intruders. To her surprise, King Edrich Von jumped with her in start.

"What in the gods name is this?" he shouted at Princess Javana who entered with not a care in the world of being disruptive.

Hansel's skin crawled with chills being in this woman's presence again. She may not have seen Edrich these past weeks, but every so often, she had a visit from the princess herself. They were awkward and tensed visits that always ended with her being injured in some form. Behind Javana followed a tall wraith wearing a cloak. Its eyes were slit with mischief and it had a pointed beard. A hat sat crooked on his head and strings of black hair fell down its shoulders.

"Nightingale is gone," Javana said slapping a fist against her blood red and charred black dress.

The warm air iced cold as they came to stand on the opposite side of the table. Hansel gasped at the unruly intruders and her mentioning the witch. She caught eyes with Edrich who looked ready to rip off the woman's head. He waved a hand in the air and his sweet sent gushed up her nostrils. She bit down on the green tea patch and the world spun. Blinking a few times, she returned to eating as if she had not noticed the intruders. The armsmen around the room left and the Triad Knights gathered in the middle of the floor too unaware of the intruders.

"What do you mean...gone?" he asked in pure shock, oblivious of the fact his betrothed was hearing every word.

"Do you remember the poison I've been working on?"

He thought for a while then remembered, "No, you didn't."

"I had Stein use it. The crippled fool. He was supposed to torch the castle once she was dead. Her castle caught on fire, but my orb is still glowing." Javana said her pretty face distorted.

"So she's alive...and gone?" Edrich said, the anger in his voice subsiding. He seemed to relax a bit. "I wanted her dead, Javana."

"You know that is Ludacris, Edrich. You know you send those men into the Doom thinking they will somehow kill Galasia, but that is impossible. You've made it impossible for them to do so, why? Why Edrich?"

There was a slight pause. Hansel glanced up from playing in her food at the king who looked rather annoyed. When he didn't answer Javana did for him, "Because you still love her."

Edrich shrugged and picked up his fork, "So what..."

Some of the juices forming in her mouth went down the wrong tube. She carefully cleared her throat and sipped her wine.

"So. I can see how it's holding you back- holding both of us back from the plans we once had," Javana said leaning close the man who went back to eating. "How long can this charade go, Edrich? You've played this game for too long."

"I still enjoy it," he eerily grinned.

Javana screamed at the king and pushed his plate away. It slid halfway down the table before crashing into a chair and spilling onto the floor. Edrich sharply inhaled and tightened his grip around his fork.