The Kings' Attentions
Kai had been wrong in thinking Marius had his grandfather's blue eyes. King Trigon's were a few shades later, he discovered as his gaze clashed with him.
"You." King Trigon said.
"Do not open your mouth." Marius warned in a growl, pinning him with his own glare.
Marius didn't have to tell him twice. He did not want to have a conversation with his grandfather. He much doubted it would be a conversation anyway. More like an interrogation, really.
Kai wanted to throw himself under the table. He was sure that every pair of eyes in the room was looking at him, waiting to see what he'd do -including two monarchs'. No one would envy him his position.
"You will speak when spoken to, half-breed."
Kai almost groaned. He'd only just gotten Marius to stop calling him that to his face -now he'd have to hear it from his grandfather as well.
"I am his King. He answers only to me." Marius interjected firmly, eyes glowing. His tone brooked no argument.
It felt like a Tug-of-War, and he was the rope.
He thought Trigon would say another word of protest, but he leaned back in his armchair instead, arms resting on the arms. His eyes darted between Kai and his grandson.
"How peculiar."
Marius frowned, but did not say anything.
King Trigon gestured with the slightest move of his fingers. Two servants moved, each one holding a bottle. The servants filled the flutes and then returned to their posts. Another servant stepped away from the wall, holding a bottle.
Marius stopped him, saying, "He will not have any."
"Your Majesty." The servant bowed low then resumed his post.
Kai glared at Marius. The notion of dulling his senses -and fears- to this atrocious dinner had appealed to him, but Marius would not allow him this small reprieve.
Trigon chuckled.
He hadn't begun to drink and he was already acting drunk.
"How peculiar indeed," he said.
King Trigon picked up the flute.
Marius mirrored his action.
"To the half-breed." The White King toasted.
They both drank from their flutes at the same time.
Kai stared at his empty float forlornly.
The two kings began to eat.
Kai's eyes swept across the table laden with the strange delicacies once again assessingly. One of the dishes nearest to him was made up of what resembled caviar on lettuce-like seaweed, except these fish eggs were transparent, and there were... things swimming inside them. Hard pass. Next, he eyed a... What the hell was that thing? An octopus-squid thing? No way in hell he's putting that thing in his mouth.
He didn't see anything else that interested him. He was starting to miss poultry.
As Marius leaned to take a bite, he whispered, "Pretend to eat. We'll feed you later."
Even though Marius was talking to him as if he were a dog, he quirked up slightly at the thought of good food. The food he'd enjoyed in Marius's chamber had always been delicious -and relatively normal. Certainly no living fish eyes.
Marius was the first to stop eating. Kai, while pretending to eat, counted nine bites going into Marius's mouth. He wasn't enjoying his grandfather's choice in cuisine either, but apparently had the stomach to stomach a few bites.
Kai reached for the eggs and scooped a spoonful and splattered it on Marius's plate.
Their eyes clashed like a car crash.
Kai raised an eyebrow, daring Marius to eat the damn things. He was issuing a challenge.
For a moment, he thought the mighty King wouldn't concern himself with such a trivial challenge.
But then, without ever breaking eye contact, he scooped it up -every last piece Kai had dropped onto his plate- and put it in his mouth, chewed and then swallowed it all.
Kai made a face. "Ugh."
Marius's mouth twitched.
"Is our food not to your guest's liking?"
Kai inwardly groaned. Apparently he'd been heard.
"Nothing of yours is to our liking." Marius retorted, not the least bit concerned about offending his grandfather.
"Alright, you've feasted your eyes on him enough, haven't you? This dinner's over."
Marius wiped his mouth with a cloth and stood up.
So did Kai.
As Marius walked to the door, taking long strides as if he couldn't leave this place fast enough, his grandfather said something that completely stopped him in his tracks.
"I know that little sea witch of yours was the one to find him. Quite a useful fellow, that one."
This time, Marius declined to respond.
Kai's eyes narrowed at his back. He'd spent the entire dinner deflecting his grandfather's inquiries and accusations, but this time he was keeping quiet?
It seemed that his grandfather had a smoking gun on him.
Kai licked his lips.
And Sea witch? What witch? Someone like Erasmus?
"You must have us sit down for dinner with him as well. Your guest can come, of course." His grandfather continued, though Kai wagered he was not oblivious to how quiet Marius had grown, or how ramrod straight his back was.
Kai would give anything just to see his face right now.
Marius turned just the slightest bit toward his grandfather and nodded his head, "Your Majesty."
Kai still couldn't see his eyes.
His grandfather did the same. "Your Majesty."
They couldn't leave the White King's chambers soon enough.
*~~~~~~~~*
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