The way her name rolled off Snake’s tongue had Matthias’s stomach in knots. “You keep her name out of your filthy mouth,” he growled.
Snake laughed. “But oh what fun my mouth and her could have, Matthias. Think of all the places my lips could touch . . .”
He’d heard enough. Matthias grabbed the front of Snake’s jacket and yanked on him, so he was mere inches away. “If you ever lay a single finger on her, I will make it my personal vendetta to break every bone in your pathetic body. Are we clear? Now get out of my way.”
Snake laughed in Matthias’s face. “Now, those sound like fighting words.”
Matthias shoved the male from his grip and strode off towards the dining room, not wanting to waste another moment in his presence.
“You didn’t answer my question before?” Snake called after him.
Matthias halted and turned to face the advisor. “As much as I would love to see you suffer, I can’t be bothered tonight. So I guess my answer is no.”
Leaving Snake in the hall, Matthias continued his journey.
The room was almost full. It appeared his father had invited nearly the entire kingdom to join him. Most likely to have a large audience for the fights later.
The prince seated himself and filled his plate with food, only taking small amounts. He’d lost his appetite upon meeting Snake in the hallway. Music sounded through the room as his father began the beginning of the meal. Males and females of all shapes and sizes moved about the space, either dancing, eating, or laughing.
Matthias summoned for a Thorn to bring him more wine. The female scurried over and filled his cup with the deep red liquid and returned to her place against the stone wall. Her act reminded him of Adalia’s time in this place, and it brought an ache to his chest. The evening proceeded along and the prince counted down the minutes silently until he could leave. Everyone was getting drunker with each passing second, and Matthias watched on with satisfaction.
A bell rang through the kingdom and the entire room fell silent, all eyes on the king.
Time froze, and no one dared to breathe.
Matthias waited for the eruption to come. It had been a few weeks since the last bell rang for Lucius and when it had, his father had gone mental. His episodes lately were getting out of hand.
“To the pits . . .” The king shoved his plate of food in front of him. “NOW,” he roared.
Every single able-bodied person scattered from the room like chickens without heads. Matthias smirked; it was quite the entertainment.
“You too, boy,” his father thundered.
“Must I father? I’d much rather retire for the even—”
“Don’t you dare defy me. I said to the pits . . . now move.”
Matthias sighed, but rose from his chair. This evening was not going to plan at all. Maybe leaving once the fight had started would be a better idea.
The crowd moved down to the lower regions of the castle, where there was a large round room that held tiered seating all around the sides, perfect for viewing entertainment in the centre ring. This place had seen more than its share of death and destruction by the hand of his father. The prince seated himself beside the king. The thrones here were carved from large boulders of black obsidian. Hopefully, after a fight or two, his father would be satisfied and everyone could bugger off to their homes. Then Matthias could winnow out to the cabin for some peace and quiet.
The crowds chanted for fighters to enter the ring. Usually chosen by name picking from a hat. The winner was given a place of honour at the king’s table alongside a gaggle of eager females to tend to their wounds, at the very least.
Movement to his left caught his eye, and Matthias watched Snake slither in through the doorway. One day, he’d like to see someone take on Snake in a fight, and he hoped they would put him in his place once and for all. It wouldn’t be a simple task. Snake wasn’t a frequent fighter, but the times he did proved that he was skilled with his hands.
His father motioned for the fight to begin and two large soldiers entered the ring, both shirtless and armed with only their bare hands as weapons. They both took their stance and circled each other, one lurching forwards signalling the start, with a blow to his opponent’s jaw.
Matthias closed his eyes and imagined he was alone, in a cabin, in the woods.
Time passed quickly. With all the yelling and constant moving, there was always something or someone to watch. Fights like these could go on for hours though—lucky for Matthias, they were already three fights deep into the evening and the night would soon be over.
One opponent in the ring fell to the ground, unconscious, and dragged out as the bell rang. The winner was crowned victor. The noise from the crowd turned into inaudible murmurs as they waited for the next duo to be chosen.
“I challenge the prince to fight me!” A voice shouted above the hum.
Matthias sat up straight and skimmed the crowd, searching for the one who dared to challenge him. He met the eyes of Snake, and his blood boiled. The male stared him down with a smirk plastered across his face. Glancing at his father in hopes he would deny the challenge, but who was he kidding? . . as if his father cared.
The room chanted once again.
