Chapter 195 - 193: Gaining Attention

Chapter 195: Chapter 193: Gaining Attention

Drogger jerks his chin in the direction of the sparring ring.

The servant –Binny –looks decidedly alarmed to see him, and in an unfortunate display of poor sportsmanship, Hasbar tries to use his momentary distraction to disarm him.

​Instead, he winds up knocked on his back for his efforts –winded by a swift elbow to the stomach –sword sailing end over end over Gandy’s head in dramatic fashion.

​Drogger’s grip tightens.

​" Explain ." Never has a single word sounded so much like thunder.

​"...He uh, he’s with me," Khobi stammers out, and Drogger lets his expression speak for him.

​Explain better .

​" –Gurdet said it’s fine."

​Gurdet said it’s fine .

​Drogger despairs sometimes, he really does. And Rogard must get the sense that he’s on the verge of knocking their heads together because he jumps to Khobi’s rescue.

​"What Khobi means ~" he pipes up, with one of those bright, innocent smiles that he knows doesn’t work on him, "Is that in recognition of his...performance at the tournament –" It doesn’t escape Drogger’s notice that Rogard very obviously skirts around the word win , " –His Majesty let him make a request."

​That rings true. Tournaments generally offer gold to the victor, but men have been known to make requests for alternative methods of payment –land, status, their daughter’s hand in marriage...granted, of course, at the discretion of the king.

​"And you requested...?"

​"Binny," Khobi replies, "As my servant. So he could train with us."

​Well, that clears that up.

​And unfortunately, it also sounds like exactly the sort of thing Gurdet would agree to without informing him.

Not that he has any obligation to –he’s familiar enough with kings by now to understand that they do what they want, when they want –he just wishes Gurdet didn’t take such joy in meddling .

​Drogger relaxes his grip on their shoulders –only slightly –and turns his attention to the servant.

​"Is this true?" he inquires, making what he thinks is a decent effort at not letting too much of his ire show through, since it’s not intended for him.

Binny bows crisply, servant facade slipping back into place like a well worn skin.

It’s a little jarring, and Drogger wonders again if it’s something he should be concerned about.

​Perhaps not, but the fact that there’s a servant going around playing with knives and making his soldiers look bad definitely warrants reporting to Gurdet.

If only to avoid him learning about it via other means and holding it over him.

​"It is, m’lord." A couple of the soldiers even nod along, like they were privy to this information too and didn’t see fit to clear it with their superiors first.

​" -- Captain ," Rogard and Khobi immediately hiss, and he’s not sure whether to be pleased that they’ve corrected him, or annoyed that they’ve interrupted.

He decides it’s allowed to be both.

​"...And this is fine with you?" he asks, directing his question towards Binny and searching for any sign that he’s here against his will. He’s relieved to find none.

Quite the opposite in fact; while the young man is doing an admirable job at hiding his feelings, Drogger still gets the impression that he’s desperately praying that he won’t send him away.

​"Yes, Captain," Binny assures him, "It is. As long as it’s fine with you."

​They all wait in silence while Drogger ruminates on this information, and whether there is truth to the allegations that Gurdet has already given this his blessing.

It seems likely. Rules were rules, except when you were a king. If he decides it’s so, so it will be; regardless of any and all who might oppose it.

And Gurdet’s reasons for doing anything were arbitrary, if nothing else.

​"...As you were," he finally grinds out, deciding to let it slide but knocking Khobi and Rogard’s heads together anyways.

Not quite as hard as he usually would, though; just enough that they know they’re in trouble, and to have some respect for the chain of command next time they make trouble.

Because he has no doubt there will be a next time.

And while he doesn’t condone his training grounds being turned into a playground, he knows the face of a man who wants to be given a chance to be something more than he always has been, and what kind of hypocrite would he be to not allow him that much?

​Tell a man his whole life that he will be nothing, then sooner or later he’ll start to believe you. But if you tell him he can be anything, then maybe one day he’ll believe that instead.

...

The moment Drogger disappears from earshot, the soldiers let out a collective sigh of relief.

​"How are we not dead?" Gandy hisses, as Rogard and Khobi rub their heads and Montrel does a quick self assessment to make sure he’s still actually breathing, " Shit , I really thought Drogger was gonna kill us this time."

He pointedly bodies Khobi, "And it would’ve been your fault!"

​That’s fair. This had been his idea after all.

​"Well he didn’t , so it’s fine –" Khobi huffs, but Gandy is already turning his attention to Binny, still standing in the ring looking as though he’s not quite sure what to make of what’s just happened.

Hasbar is nowhere to be seen.

​" –And shit , where the fuck did you learn to fight like that?" Gandy queries, leaning over the fence to get a better view.

Binny just sends him a lopsided grin and shrugs.

​"...Beginner’s luck?"

​His answer makes Gandy cackle.

​"I like him," he declares, and grabs the fence with purpose, " Me next ."

​" –Hey, wait your turn ," Montrel complains, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt as he tries to hurdle into the ring.

​"It is my turn. That’s what me next means –"

​"Hey Rogard, tell this asshole that I was next –"

​Rogard would’ve loved to help Montrel out, but he’s not listening –too busy watching Drogger being swallowed up by the crowd; waiting to see if he looks back at him.

​(He does. And rolls his eyes when he sees that he’s been caught. It makes Rogard’s heart skip.)

​" –He’s even scarier in person," a voice remarks from nearby, and Rogard jolts out of his thoughts to find Binny leaning on the inside of the fence, catching his breath while Montrel and Gandy squabble over who gets to try their luck against him next.