“I wasn't nosing about.”
“Well, you weren't supposed to be where I found you. Don't you have a cage or something?”
“I have rooms on the third floor.”
Soft laughter. “Rooms plural?”
“Yes, Tane gave them….”
“Nobody gave you anything. You're a slave. You can't own stuff. Were you going through my rooms looking for stuff to steal?”
“I have my own things. I've never stolen anything in my life.”
“Ohh yeah. Dad did say something about you being a pampered princeling or something.”
I'd had enough. Malin used to speak this way to servants when he was an adolescent. I’d had many words with him about it and he'd slowly corrected his ways. He still didn't treat them well, but he wasn't outright rude as he was being right now.
I pushed open the door. Malin stood in the center of the room looming over Kirion, his hands out in an aggressive manner. Kirion stood a few feet inside the door, hands crossed in front of him. At least his head wasn’t bowed. He had obviously taken on brats before.
“Malin. You’re home.”
Malin looked over at me. Kirion turned toward the door.
“Hey, Dad. Yeah, I got in about half an hour ago.”
I did not have to look at Kirion to know he was uncomfortable if not downright afraid.
“Why was your voice raised?”
He snickered. “I wasn’t yelling. But I just caught this one snooping around my stuff to steal it.”
I didn’t have to look at Kirion to know he was innocent of such a charge.
I let out a low hum. “I don’t think so.”
Out the corner of my vision, Kirion’s eyebrows rose.
Malin’s mouth turned ugly. “Excuse me. I was here. I saw him. You don’t believe me?”
“In fact, I don’t. He doesn’t need to steal. He has what he needs and whatever he wants he has access to.”
“Well, then, he was going to wreck everything!”
“And why would he have any motive to do that?”
“Because he’s nobody now. Maybe it makes him feel powerful.”
I took a step forward. I hoped it didn’t upset Kirion that I wasn’t asking his side of the story. But I knew fully well that Malin was extremely capable of digging his own hole.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave him alone. And if you can’t speak civilly to him, don’t open your mouth.”
“Dad? What?”
“You heard me.”
“But he’s mine. You gave him to me. I don’t need you to tell me what to do with him. I know what he’s for. I know that’s all he’s good for now.”
I turned away from him. “Come along, Kirion. Elias has lunch ready.”
