Chapter 63: Pushing Bottons.

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Pushing Bottons.

Binny hasn’t known Khobi for very long, but for a while now he’s had the feeling that he’s just the kind of person who attracts trouble.

He’s known people like that, and is admittedly one himself, and the more time he spends with Khobi, the more convinced he becomes.

There’s really no other explanation.

He could be wrong of course, but it never seems like he goes out of his way to look for Rogard. He just finds him. Or gets found by him.

And now it’s happened again. They’d just been loitering in what should have been a perfectly safe corridor talking about the impending tournament and the sheer amount of gold Binny had heard rumour was going to be advertised as prize money (" More gold than I’ll ever see in my life," was how he’d put it), and who should come waltzing out of the nearby stairwell but Rogard Spidra, all gold and shining and flanked by his father’s men in brilliant blue.

They see each other, of course, which is just Binny’s luck, really, and he’s familiar enough with their brief but colourful history to know that there’s no way this goes well.

"Khobi," he says weakly, even as Khobi’s expression darkens at the mere sight of the guy. "Khobi," he says again, quieter this time, because Lord Spidra has no fondness for servants who speak out of turn, and his men are of much the same mind.

Predictably, Khobi doesn’t listen, and shakes his hand off him when he tries to pull him back. Rogard’s not being much help either --he’s obviously seen them but is leaning up against the wall pretending quite unconvincingly that he hasn’t. It’s pretty clear he’s expecting Khobi to start something, and Binny would like to give Khobi a bit of credit, but he does seem to have an unfortunate tendency to fall for taunts.

"Khobi, don’t start something --Khobi, no, Khobi --"

"Don’t worry, I’m just gonna talk to him," Khobi informs him in a flat and not at all reassuring tone, striding forward enough that Binny can use him to hide behind. Maybe it won’t be so bad? Rogard’s got backup, after all, and they’re armed, and --

" Hey pretty-boy."

Well, damn.

"It’s Rogard, but thanks ." Out of the pair of them, Binny’s not sure which of them looks the least happy to see the other. Rogard peels himself off the wall and squares up to Khobi, stance entirely hostile and expression frosty. "What do you want?"

"Nothin’," Khobi shrugs, clearly lying. "Just...haven’t seen you at the training grounds, is all." He frowns, and glances at the brutes hanging back in Rogard’s shadow. "Actually, don’t remember seeing you guys, either."

"And that’s supposed to matter to me because...?" Rogard retorts back icily.

"Drills from sunrise," Khobi reminds him, in case he’d forgotten, which Binny is pretty sure is impossible considering that the Second Captain had made it very clear that every able-bodied soldier in the castle was expected to report for dawn drills until he was satisfied with them. Which was, for a whole lot of poor, unfortunate souls, until further notice . "For everyone."

" Everyone ?" Rogard scoffs snidely, "Don’t say that like you’re one of us. They’ve given you a sword and let you out to play with the big kids, but everyone here knows you’re not a soldier." He shrugs, like it can’t be helped, like it’s not Khobi’s fault, and he pities him for it. "So stop kidding yourself."

It’s a pretty unclassy dig, and Binny’s expecting Khobi to be well incensed by it, but when he peeks out from behind him to sneak a glimpse at his face, he looks more irritated than angry.

"Guys like you really piss me off," he growls flatly, staring down Rogard, red eyes flashing. "You know, you talk a big game, but you didn’t beat me, remember?"

From the way Rogard’s handsome features sour, he remembers. And something must click for Khobi, because his mouth widens into a smug smirk.

"Wait, is that why you’re not hangin’ round the training grounds anymore?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Rogard sniffs, tone dripping with salt. But Khobi doesn’t buy it, and grins, like he’s suddenly figured him all out.

"...You scared I’m gonna show you up again?"

It’s pretty much the oldest trick in the book, but Rogard still falls for it, head straight over heels.

" Show me up ," he sneers, "You think that’s what happened?"

"Uh....yeah?"

Binny heard what happened. Saw some of it, even. And he’s with Khobi on this one. Obviously, Rogard sees things differently.

"...Think what you like," he snorts haughtily, gold eyes cold, and hard, "If the Second hadn’t come along, then --"

"Then what ," Khobi challenges, and Rogard’s eyes narrow.

"...Then things would’ve ended differently."

It’s quite the stand-off. Khobi’s the one that unclenches first, but it doesn’t make the scene any less tense, by any means.

"You think so, huh?" he remarks flatly, and the soldiers at Rogard’s back stiffen as he cracks some of the dust out of his knuckles. "Well, come down to the training grounds tomorrow then and we’ll see."

The soldiers at Rogard’s side shift restlessly, muttering between themselves and doing their best to usher him away from the scene before it devolves into something unbecoming. His father wouldn’t approve, they’re saying, but he’s having none of it, and from the dangerous way Rogard’s eyes flare as they shepherd him off, Khobi’s pushed the right button.

"Maybe I will."

He has to get the last word in. And Khobi, smirking, lets him.

Binny’s really quite torn. On one hand, he wants to bang his head against Khobi’s back because he’s pretty sure that challenging noblemen to duels is somewhat of a definition of ’getting into trouble’, but on the other, well, Khobi keeps things interesting, and he kinda wants to sit back and see what happens.

"I hope you know what you’re doing," he remarks apprehensively as the pair of them stare after Rogard’s retreating figure. He doesn’t look back, but his father’s soldiers definitely do, and that can mean nothing good. "Getting involved with Lord Spidra’s son. I don’t know if you’ve heard , but that family’s kind of a big deal in these parts."

"I’ve heard."

"Oh good," he chirps lightly, "Just checkin’. Coz yknow, most people wouldn’t be going out of their way to make enemies with some of the most powerful men in the kingdom."

"I’m not trying to make enemies," Khobi insists flatly, and honestly, Binny only half-believes him. "I just want to fight the guy."

"Most people would probably say that was the same thing," he sighs weakly, shaking his head. "What’s the big deal anyway, didn’t you beat him last time?"

"Hmm? Uhh, sorta?" Khobi actually seems a lot more bummed than he expected, considering that it was widely perceived that he had Rogard seriously outclassed. Are they talking about the same fight? "Pretty even, I guess? And to be honest, if he hadn’t’ve been out of practice...I dunno if I would’ve beat him."

It’s weird for Binny to hear Khobi doubt himself.

"Are you serious?" he squawks incredulously, "He’s still that good?"

"Hey, I don’t like it either," Khobi grumbles defensively, "But he’s good. Or was, at least. I can tell."

"So why did you challenge him to a fight??"

"...Because I want to fight him?" Khobi says it like it should be obvious, and the simplicity in his answer makes Binny laugh. A real laugh, too, because in a castle full of whispers and lies, it feels good to hear something so simple it could only be true.