Diana Of Alcotta (Yrsoreth Chronicles 1)

34 ♔ Rulers of the Sea

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Two people sat facing each other, nothing but a small round table with upside-down mugs with broken handles between them. One was a big man coated with tan on his skin and crossed scars on his naked chest. The other was way shorter and thinner, although the skin was a shade darker.

The short tension of silence between them filled the terrace where they are, with crashing waves, cries of seagulls, and ringing bells of arriving ships.

"This is the last, Biladur," the smaller one said, with sharp eyes that never left one of the two mugs that had a coin inside.

The big man called Biladur, despite the missing lower front tooth, grinned smugly. "Aye. You'll regret it." Then in a swift god-like speed, he mixed and interchanged the two mugs that it was almost impossible for the human eyes to follow.

The movements of the mugs added to more lines on the table that had thousands of beautiful scratches on them. Then Biladur stopped, so was the other man's eyes.

"Which is it, Sid?"

The other called Sid darted sight between Biladur's right hand tattooed with names of his five wives in each finger, then to the left that bore his wedding rings each.

"Open your mouth," Sid commanded.

Biladur shook his head and grinned. "Left or right?"

Sid leaned back and brushed the ear length hair away from the beautiful face. The vest-like clothing of velvet blue exposed the patterned tattoos from the neck up to the wrist. Sid took a swig of rum straight from the bottle like it was water and grinned. A golden tooth glittered brighter among the pearly white teeth.

Sid stabbed the oak table with the dagger just between Biladur's tattooed fingers and flung the same question, "Left or right?"

Biladur clicked his tongue, took something from his mouth, wiped it with his loose pants, and put it back on the table.

It was the coin, engraved with the empire's symbol of the Kraken.

Aside from being the seasoned general of the entire Levich empire, Biladur was famous for two things. Although polygamy and polyandry were allowed not just for the nobles but citizens as well, only a few were legally registered for its strict qualifications. Being married to five sisters for twenty years and harmoniously at that, this was one of Biladur's fame. The second was his fast hands. Aside from cutting a man in pieces in seconds, he was unbeatable in gambling.

"Pay up, old man." Except for Sid.

"Hold on. We didn't agree to this. I said if I win in the game of three, I'd be Lady Ana's companion instead of Fedimon. He ain't even a mage, aye?"

"Neither are you."

"But I'm strong. One swing and those Gran Dacchian fools will be cut finer than fish meal."

"We don't need to cut anyone... yet."

Biladur didn't reply, looked past Sid, to a woman who was patiently watching the wager. A few strands of her short black hair danced to the breeze, like how her loose red dress did.