Chapter 52: Stabbed
"Well, that’s a long story." Rail shifted uncomfortably as Arkilla nudged him.
"So it is something important," Ren commented, taking another sip of her drink, a sip she shouldn’t have taken. It was a light drink, but for someone with her frail body, consuming too much was risky. Yet, she wasn’t in a good mood. Arkilla had made a remarkable effort to lift her spirits, but she couldn’t shake off the memory of her reckless kiss, and worse, the fact that she wanted more. She wanted him to kiss her back, harder, to do all the nasty things he’d so brazenly spoken of that night.
"What is wrong with you, Arkilla? She has the right to know her husband and his people better."
Arkilla relented when Ren gave her a pleading look. "Fine."
Rail didn’t hesitate to start. "The Serpent Clans are the descendants of Luther’s mother. They believe Luther is the older son and the true heir, so when he attacked us, they sided with him, betraying His Highness. Later, when your uncle helped us banish Luther back to the hell he came from, His Highness had two choices: execute them all or grant them mercy. The elders demanded execution for the Serpent Clans’ leaders but forgiveness for the commoners. So, he did just that. He executed the elders with Sunkiath fire and exiled their families. I remember your uncle warned him to kill all of them but he refused. As for the rest, His Highness chose to spare them. In gratitude, they offered him a woman from their clan as a gesture of loyalty."
He paused, suddenly realizing where the story was headed. Cursing under his breath, he wished he hadn’t mentioned this part.
"Well, that’s all!" He swallowed his panic with a gulp of his drink.
"Tell me the rest. How long ago was Luther defeated?"
Rail exchanged a nervous glance with Arkilla, silently pleading for help, but she only shrugged.
"Fifty years ago."
Ren frowned. "Alright, then how old are you, exactly?"