Chapter 695: Great tidings(2)
It didn’t take long for the guards to intervene. Before the struck lord could fully rise from the ground and retaliate, three men had already stepped in, each placing firm but respectful hands on his arms and shoulders.
Even so, Alpheo noted that the man’s rage wasn’t abating, it was only deepening. His chest rose and fell like a bellows, his jaw clenched so tightly a vein twitched in his neck.
And the humiliation he felt was only compounded by the imbalance of treatment. While he was being held back by three armed men, Egil, the cause of the trouble, stood behind a single guard,one who looked more like a chaperone than an enforcer, his hand lightly resting on Egil’s chest as if trying to soothe a drunken brother rather than restrain a belligerent lord.
Egil, for his part, didn’t appear bothered in the slightest.
A low murmur began to spread through the pavilion like a wave, and before long, a small crowd had gathered, nobles and soldiers alike craning their necks over shoulders and goblets to catch a glimpse of the unfolding scene.
Then the crowd parted like a curtain, and Alpheo arrived.
His gait was calm, almost lazy, but his eyes moved quickly between the men. He looked first at the Herculeian noble, then at the guards, and finally, with little surprise, landed on Egil.
"What’s going on here?" Alpheo asked evenly, his tone lacking any real curiosity. He already suspected the answer.
Storvium, whose name Shahab promptly whispered into the prince’s ear, straightened as much as the guards would allow, his voice pitched with frustration and a touch of wounded pride.
"Your Grace, this brute insulted my family and then struck me without provocation. In your presence. In the middle of your peace feast!"
Alpheo raised an eyebrow. He turned to Egil, who was swaying slightly and smelled of wine , though he seemed more lucid now that consequences were on the table.
"I did no such thing," Egil said, a hand lazily gesturing as though recounting a tale by firelight. "The good lord here was worried for his dear nephew, who followed the dog’s middle son in battle with the cavalry . I told him the truth: we’ve not found the body, which likely means he ran off with him on gods-know-where." He gave a crooked smile. "The prince’s boy is quite spirited, after all."