cross arm drinking

IN THE NIGHT

Some red eagle warriors filled a big tavern some where in the capital. Some where outside as the inside was full.

Morris called for silence by hitting his cup with a metal object.

"Good and bad news, my fellow warriors, after the last entries, which is non's batch, the unknown warriors seize to exist".

They murmured among themselves.

"Silence!, but the other part still remains".

"We all saw the last duel between loren sorock and dibengi necromancer".

Dibengi cleared his throat, "nigromeshisahius, senior".

"Oh yes, what he said, cheers to them!".

"Cheers",they chorused.

"Don't drink yet, some of us are at their post in the capital, cheers to them and us here!".

"Cheers!",they chorused.

" We went through training and learning of martial arts, we even learnt blacksmithing, with minimal breaks apart from the times to eat and to sleep at night, eating tasteless food.

The golden horse warriors met their families  7 days in a month,as they trained in the palace,nothing to worry about.We didn't see our families and some of us still haven't met them, but it wasn't to waste my brothers.

The golden horse warriors, the sons of powerful noble families all over the kingdom, of course, there are no girls, but look at us, you'll see vibrant women".

Some nodded thinking about their whole experience while Morris continued," from our seniors to the juniors before the last batch, we never defeated them in the inner duel and they looked at us like savages, it's only wealth that separates us, we are from this same kingdom, cheers to non, dibengi, loren and vitskit! ".

" Cheers",they chorused.

Morris continued," cheers to loren and dibengi, their duel was incredible".

" Cheers! ", They chorused.

" And a big cheers for loren for winning the final round".

" Cheers! ",They chorused.

" You can drink! ".

They sang the song of glory as they slam their cups on the table.

Dibengi was singing cheerfully and him, loren, vitskit and non sat in the same place.

" Refill! ",Dibengi yelled.

The tavern keeper refilled their cups.

Dibengi saw loren was not happy, so dragged him by his clothes slightly.

" You're suppose to be smiling right now, loren, sing! ",Dibengi yelled because the place was noisy.

Loren looked at dibengi with worry, "did you release your sword intentionally!".

Dibengi placed one of his arm around lorens neck," of course not,I lost grip of it!".

" Are you sure?!",loren asked.

" Yes,you won by luck!",dibengi yelled.

Dibengi looked at loren as he didn't still accept what he said.

" Do you feel indebted to me,loren!?"dibengi yelled.

Loren looked at him without saying anything.

" Let's drink for now!",dibengi intertwined his arms with loren's at the elbows,drank together and placed a kiss on lorens cheek.

Their arms were still intertwined after drinking,"do you know what cross arm drinking means?".

"Brotherhood",loren answered.

Dibengi laughed as he released his arms from loren and dropped his cup,"in your own words".

Non,vitskit,loren and dibengi walked with shaky legs as they held each other shoulders , half drunk, walking together outside the tavern.

They slept in loren's family house.

THE PALACE COURT

The king sat on the throne while prince keystone and prince nate stood infront of him.They were the only ones there,the guards and attendants were outside in the dark.

The doors were closed.

"Prince nate,are you better!",the king asked.

"I am grateful for your concerns,your majesty,but however,you are not".

"7th prince!,are you saying that am dying!",he yelled as his voice was hoarse.

"Long live,his majesty",prince nate and and prince keystone chorused.

"Your majesty,you've been hallucinating,you have eyes everywhere in the palace,I also have eyes.

you slayed an attendant who came to serve you food,saying that she is the late queen who has come to kill you,isn't that so?", prince nate asked flatly.

He slammed the arm of his throne with his hand and stood up,"7th prince!",he groaned ,he unsheathed his sword,rushed to Nate and placed it at his neck," do you think I can't kill you!".

Prince nate chuckled slightly with the sword still on his neck.

" Prince nate!",prince keystone yelled and bowed to the king while kneeling,"forgive him,your majesty,he doesn't know what he's saying.

Nate grinned,"Father,you acting like this,makes me think that the late queen didn't die from sickness.

did you perhaps....kill her?".

The king made the blade of the sword pierce through his neck a little,which made little blood to flow while prince keystone continued to beg him.

The king withdrew the sword from his neck.

" Your majesty,you have answered my question.

they are also rumors that the hallucinations didn't start now,and I also heard you've also started spacing out for a long time,who knows,it might happen the next time,when you're having a court meeting.

the officials of course will press you to get a crown prince,I just hoped by then you make a good decision,and this time,you won't just fail,by not protecting the crown prince".

He glared at prince nate as he walked back and sat on his throne," who do you think,it's capable of being the crown prince?".

" Your majesty,whoever you think,it's okay with us",prince keystone asked.

" But am afraid his majesty, doesn't even want a crown prince.

when I see you,I feel and I know,you want all the power,so let's skip this,and talk about the reports we have brought",prince nate said.

" Prince nate,watch your mouth in front of his majesty!",prince keystone pleaded.

Nate looked at him from the corner of his eyes,"I speak the truth,brother".

"You're courting death", prince keystone yelled.

Nate smiled,"I have been courting death for a long time,so even if I be with death now,what's the difference".

Prince keystone dragged prince nate and forced him on his knees,with his head down," plead,for forgiveness,7th prince".

Nate raised his head , glared at prince keystone and faced the king,"your majesty,forgive me".

The king didn't say anything and prince nate wondered if he should stand up.

"Heed to my decree,7th prince",the king commanded.

"From today henceforth,the 7th prince will attend all court meetings,no matter how weak he seems!".

"Your majesty!,you said I can only attend if I wish too!",prince nate raised his voice.

"Are you defying the king's command!, 7th prince!?",prince keystone yelled.

Nate was furious," I'll heed to your command,your majesty".

The king rested one of his arms on his knee  and glared at prince nate," good.at least you know who's the king.

you can stand,whatever report you have,say it in the court meeting".