Chapter 154: Chaper 152: Amaizing.

Gurdet, up on the royal dais, watches the scene with a degree of amusement, noting once again, the startling change that seems to come over Khobi Frost in the presence of his soldiers.

The rapport he’s developed with the men initially ordered to guard, and when necessary, capture him seems entirely harmless, but is still, at times baffling. In fact, now that he’s in familiar company he seems in unusually high spirits.

​Perhaps not so unusual, Gurdet has to concede.

​The boy did just accomplish something tremendous.

After what he did yesterday, he probably deserves to enjoy himself a little. It’s why he doesn’t immediately send Bongo to retrieve him from the crowd.

In all the times he’s laid eyes on him since his arrival in his castle, he’s never seen Khobi Frost truly let his guard down, yet tonight, as soldiers in their finest Crade maroon swarm in around him, he looks genuinely at ease.

Once upon a time such a sight would have filled him with fear, or at the very least heralded the beginnings of a brawl, but tonight he grins as they swoop in to greet him, accepting their congratulations and all the horseplay that comes with it, with pride.

The soldiers honestly cause a little bit of a scene, and from the way Bongo sighs, long-sufferingly, they should probably know better, but notably, he doesn’t step in to call them to order.

Almost like he approves. Or wishes he could be down there with them, to say what they’re saying.

​They’re all so lucky that Gurdet is such a generous king.

Xena is still conveniently occupied with another of her various suitors, so he grants them their moment of celebration and waits until the end of the song to send Bongo to break up their antics.

Everyone seems to periodically forget that this is an engagement celebration, so every now again it doesn’t hurt to bring at least one of the pair to be married in the public eye.

And if the fact that both parties went --and in Khobi’s case, defied all expectations --and won an event apiece , isn’t cause for celebration, then he doesn’t know what is.

​And there is still the matter of Khobi’s prize. Coin is the usual, and one that most men readily accept, but Khobi has never seemed the kind to want for gold, so Gurdet wonders what he would prefer in its stead.

The most obvious request would be to allow him out of his impending marriage, but clearly that’s something Gurdet can’t grant, and he has to know that.

​What, then, he asks himself, as Bongo extracts Khobi from the crowd, and escorts him across the dancefloor.

And Khobi, well he goes quietly, and with surprisingly little resistance; his shoulders back, and his head high.

He looks quite dignified, actually. Which is perfect, since no sooner does he reach the royal dais than Gurdet rises to his feet to address the crowd.

​He does so love this part.

​He stands, glass in hand, and waits for that beautiful hush to descend around him. And even when they’re all silent, he waits just that moment more to greet them, just to savour the feeling of a crowd hanging onto his every word.

​It’s a delightful feeling.

​Tonight is their final night together, he tells them, mournful. In the coming days they will leave his halls and depart for their own lands, but he hopes --he tells them --that their time here has forged and renewed bonds between their kingdoms, and that such bonds will endure, and foster lasting allegiances, and peace.

​It’s all garbage, because the allegiances of kings change with the wind, and tend to blow towards the strongest and with the most gold --but they love it.

And Gurdet adores feeding it to them. He knows that behind his back they’ll be calling him a fool --that deals with Silas are prone to turning sour, and that any arrangement that involves his nephew is doomed to fail, but what they seem to enjoy forgetting is that these days, a king doesn’t remain a king for very long by being an idiot.

​Just like he knows exactly what they’re saying, he knows exactly what he’s doing.

And so, with a smile, he toasts them. He thanks them for their company, and for their ongoing support of his kingdom and his family.

And then, with a real sense of grandeur, he asks the room to raise their drinks in toast; to the men who had fought so valiantly in the name of their lords, and to his family --his beautiful daughter, his absent nephew, and, he adds, as he presents Khobi to the room --to the man who is soon to become a part of it.

​All around the room, drinks rise to meet his toast, and Gurdet has to bite back a smile as his choice of words make Khobi’s expression sour.

​Some of his guests even applaud.

​Xena rolls her eyes.

​" --That was a bit much, don’t you think, father?" she remarks dryly, as he signals for the bards to strike up again, and life returns to the crowd as though he’d never disturbed it.

​"Nonsense, Xena."

​It’s like she doesn’t even hear him; she’s too busy gushing --or as close to gushing as a princess dare --over Khobi; complimenting his clothes, and apologising for her father’s rudeness, and asking how he’s faring after his fight.

He tells her he’s fine, but she’s her father’s daughter all right, and he’s pleased to see that she immediately sees through the lie.

After the gauntlet he suffered through the day before it’s impossible that he’s not hurting, and there’s a certain stiffness to his words and to the way he moves that tells of a body mutinying against an owner that has pushed it too hard.

​But he’s clearly trying to hide it, so neither of them comment further. Xena just says that she hopes he’s satisfied with the treatment he’s been receiving in the infirmary, and how absolutely exhausted he must be after so much fighting the day before.

He had the most fights, after all, and weren’t they just something marvelous to behold?

​"I really can’t say for sure," she says, with a smile, and Gurdet is a little surprised to note that it really reaches her eyes, "But I think that Loac liked fighting you."

And Khobi must hear the sincerity in her voice because he pauses --just a beat --to consider this, but he doesn’t seem surprised by her confession.

He just nods, like she’s confirmed something for him, and his answer is straight to the point, and just as sincere.

​"...I liked fighting him, too."

​(Gurdet is certain he hears Vogrid scoff under his breath.)

​Xena positively beams at him, and for a second she looks on the verge of gushing on about him, and her cousin, and the pair of them, but instead she takes a slow breath to measure herself, and searches for the words she really wants to say.

​What she comes up with is surprisingly simple.

​"Thank you," she tells him, eyes glistening, and Khobi looks mildly baffled by her sudden earnestness.

​"...For what?" he asks, confused, and even looks Bongo’s way as if he’ll give him a hint as to what exactly he’s done to warrant her gratitude.

​Bongo knows, but over the years he’s gotten awfully good at keeping his royal family’s secrets.

​"It’s nothing," she tells him, smiling down into her hands, and Gurdet wants to scold her. He’s sure he taught her to lie better than that.

" --It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen a fight like that, is all. You were amazing yesterday..."

She starts to trail off, but after a beat, corrects herself,

"You both were."