The bard continued:
Such a small trinket,
But she almost felled a king.
What did it look like?
The secret in the ring.
Her stomach dropped to her toes. A ring with a secret. Somehow, the musician knew. He knew what Dahlia had done. How? There’d been no decree or announcement of what she’d done. Perhaps he was a spy of Astera? Was this Bacti’s doing?
The thought turned her cold.
Olwen reached the bard and yanked his fiddle out of his hands before smashing it against the stone wall. Lia ducked behind the counter as chaos ensued. Daiz rushed Jaiix to Lia’s side.
“Stay down,valles. I’m going to take care of this.”
The giantess pulled a short sword from beneath her apron. Lia gaped at the shiny weapon as Diaz grabbed a club from beneath the bar with the other hand. She jumped up onto the counter above the girls and pounded her club against the bar.
So that was how all the dents were made...
“Listen, all you heathens,” Diaz shouted over the crowd. “No one is allowed to get rowdy in here but me.” The sound cut off immediately.
Lia crooked her neck so she could see the giantess point the sword at someone, her heartbeat rushing in her ears.
“You will not fight in my establishment. If you wish to punish the man, take it outside and make sure it is legal. No blood on my floors; no deaths at my door.”
“Sei, Lady Diaz,” Lia heard Olwen reply.
“As for you.” Dahlia flinched at the growl in Diaz’ voice. “We welcome all here, but not you. While we appreciate a bit of silliness and fun, we do not tolerate humiliation of our king, who has been fighting for both our kingdoms. Get out. I never want to see you again.”
“You stupidbentai! I wouldn’t sing here if it was the last place on earth,” the bard shouted.
Lia gasped out loud at the slur.
Diaz leapt off the counter and out of sight. There was a thunk and a muffled cry. “Take him out of here.”
Lia wrapped her arms around her legs and tried to tune out the screams as the bard was dragged from the tavern. The conversation slowly started up again.
Not a minute later did the giantess stroll back behind the bar, sheathing her short sword and stowing the club away. She dusted her hands off and held one out to Lia and Jaiix.
“What did you do to him?” the halfling asked, eyes wide.
“I broke a few ribs. He’ll be thinking about me for months to come,” Diaz replied with dark delight.
Dahlia stared at the carved doors. “What will they do to him?”
“The stars only know, but nothing good, I assure you.”
Lia swallowed hard.
If they were that brutal to a musician for singing about what Dahlia had done, what would they do to her?
Nothing good.
Chapter Twenty-One
Olwen
