Chapter 211 - 209: Arrogant Save.

Chapter 211: Chapter 209: Arrogant Save.

​Bongo is standing vigil at the enormous doors when they arrive.

He greets Khobi with a smile, and even dips his head to Binny as they approach.

​"Good to see you still in one piece," he tells Khobi, and sounds like he means it.

Khobi scoffs, like he’s a fool for thinking otherwise, but there’s no disguising the trace elements of a grin that appear as Bongo adds, stepping aside to let them pass, "I hear you’ve been working hard.

Keep up the good work."

​It’s not often that someone praises Khobi so openly. Or sounds so genuine saying it.

​It feels...really nice.

​Khobi doesn’t...really know what to make of that. So he just nods, jaw set, and ignores the sound of Binny trying to smother a laugh.

​The king and the princess are already seated when they arrive.

​Oddly, so is Loac. He’s already eating though –much to the princess’ obvious discomfort –and doesn’t even look up as they enter.

​"Good evening, Khobi," the king greets cordially, then addresses Vogrid, "You’re back so soon."

​"He was already dressed, Your Majesty."

​"Oh? Was he now?" Khobi finds his surprise mildly offensive, and Gurdet smiles when he notices.

"Join us, would you?" It’s not a request, so Khobi has no choice but to sit.

His compliance makes the king’s smile widen further, and he doesn’t like it one bit.

"It’s always so nice to see you looking so...appropriate."

​"...Thanks?" Khobi replies, not exactly sure whether or not he meant it as a compliment. It doesn’t feel like a compliment. If anything, it feels more like an insult.

​" –It’s a shame about your behaviour, though."

​His statement makes the room fall still; the silence broken only by the obnoxious –and rather tasteless –sound of Loac chewing.

Gurdet gestures for wine, and one of the servants hovering in the wings immediately apparates at his side to pour him some.

​"I thought we had an understanding, Khobi," he sighs, reaching for his goblet as Loac gestures for the servant to fill his up as well, "I really thought we were past all your senseless violence."

​"What are you talking about?" Khobi frowns.

​"An entire hallway trashed," Gurdet rattles off, gesturing for them to start eating, "Priceless artefacts destroyed. My people, traumatised."

​That rings a bell.

​"Oh." Khobi automatically glances across the table at Loac, and he’s not imagining the way blue eyes briefly flick up to him before focusing back on his food. He’s talking about the other day. " That ."

​"Yes, that ," Gurdet states, expression smiling but not in the least bit warm, "Well? Care to explain yourself?"

​There’s nothing to explain, really. It’s not like he’d gone out of his way to make such a mess. It had just kind of... happened .

He hadn’t even realised the extent of it until much later, when he was dragging himself back to his room and found them still cleaning up after him.

He’d felt bad about it, too. Not for the destruction, exactly, but that the servants had had to clean it up.

​"...I didn’t mean to break anything," he mutters. That should count for something, right?

The king gives him a dry smile from across the table. It feels a lot like nice try .

​"That doesn’t change the fact that you did ."

​Apparently not.

​The king sighs, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of meat and making a great show of ignoring the way his nephew is eating with his hands.

​"I thought we’d discussed how pointless it was you trying to escape," he continues, shaking his head like he can’t believe they’re here again, having this same conversation, "...And that I’d made myself clear on what would happen if you reverted to your old ways."

​Khobi splutters. That’s hardly fair! As far as he’s aware, he’s kept his word.

​"What?? I wasn’t trying to escape –"

​He’d left behind a mess sure, but it hadn’t been anywhere near the scale as what he’s capable of or what he’d done before.

Honestly, it could’ve been much worse.

​He figures it’s best not to mention that.

​Besides, the only reason things got so out of hand was –

​" --I made him late."

​"Excuse me?" Khobi’s not sure who looks more surprised at Loac’s interjection; the princess, the king, or him.

​"For training," Loac continues, licking his fingers clean as though he’s done nothing unusual.

Gurdet looks at him as though he’s grown an extra head, but Loac continues, nonplussed, "...He was just tryin’ to get there on time.

If you got a problem, take it up with Drogger."

​"...And the mess?" Gurdet presses, eyebrows shot so high up his eyebrow they’ve practically left his head, and Khobi watches, perplexed, as Loac pauses just long enough to glance up across the table at him, then keeps eating as though he hasn’t.

​"...That might’ve been me."

​" Might’ve been you." For some reason, Gurdet almost sounds amused .

​"I might’ve pushed him into some stuff."

​" You might’ve pushed him into some stuff ," he echoes, and Loac shrugs, like that’s all there is to it.

​"I was late too," he states, and then his tone changes; dips lower, to the depths that make the hairs on the back of Khobi’s neck prickle, as he adds, "...And he was in my way."

​The glare Khobi sends across the table begs to differ.

​You were in my way, is what it says, and while it’s hard to tell with how focused he is on his food, Khobi’s sure he gets the message.

​And he could swear the asshole is smirking .

​"I hardly think that justifies destroying decades of history," Gurdet points out, meaningfully eyeing each Loac and Khobi in turn. Khobi in particular.

"I won’t have my castle descend into chaos again." Khobi, for one, hears the implication loud and clear, but before he can defend himself, the princess comes to his aid.

​" –Oh come now, father," she chides, "Must you be so dramatic? No one was hurt, were they? You’re always going on about how ugly those old things are! And they’re obviously sorry."

It takes Khobi a beat to figure out just who she’s talking about; neither he nor Loac look particularly sorry. "You are sorry, right?" she presses, after a pregnant pause, and there’s no mistaking that .