the giant’s body, ran up its torso, and channeled earth magic into his sword to make it sharper, give it more momentum, and not let up on that pressure as he sliced the Giant’s throat with a mighty swing.
The giant’s lifeblood started to flow, and he leapt down and rejoined the ladies. His heart was pounding, that had been… exciting.
“What happened to it?” he asked.
Tansya said, “My magic paralyzed him, it just took a few moments to kick in, since he’s so big. I imagine it numbed his hands first, which is why the club slipped.”
He grunted.
They took a few minutes to loot the giant’s lair, but the monster didn’t really have anything of value outside of the slaughtered cattle, and even that was going bad already so they left it. He didn’t think the Duke would doubt his story, but he cut off one of the giant’s ears to take with them. It was about half the size of his head, but it fit just fine in the sack he’d brought.
They headed back to the horses, and then back to the city.
Chapter Twelve
Duke Naris and Duchess Carmen were an old seemingly friendly couple, and actually the uncle and aunt of the king, making them his great uncle and great aunt by marriage. They seemed a bit wary of his dryad’s presence, but at the same time they also looked perversely disappointed the water nymph and succubus weren’t present as well. They did seem quite familiar with Cinder, and of course they thought she was a fire sorceress, and he wasn’t about to disabuse them of the notion.
It wasn’t his secret to tell.
After settling with the chamberlain and sending seventy more gold coins to his growing treasury, the duke had taken him into a lounge similar to the one he’d been in on multiple occasions in the King’s castle. The castle in the port city was a lot smaller, and only three stories high, but it was still more than grand in his mind.
He had no plans for the rest of the day until dinner with his wife and father-in-law back at the capital, and none for the next day either for that matter, so he didn’t begrudge their curiosity or seemingly friendly bullying to get him to stick around and chat his ear off all afternoon. He was on his third drink, or maybe it was his fourth, and he found himself enjoying the company of the second most powerful noble family of the kingdom.
He was a little curious what Shar and Nysa were getting up to, but he knew from the bonds they were well and safe, unconcerned and content.
Carmen shook her head as she studied Cinder, “You haven’t aged a day since I met you as a young girl. How’d you wind up travelling with the prince?”
She smiled, “Just lucky, I guess. I ran into him in a village, and I thought it prudent to get to know the next generation of rulers. He’s the most unique prince I’ve ever met, but he’s a lot of fun at a fight. As for my appearance, the fire magic keeps me young.”
Naris chuckled, “Fun fight? Still the reckless youth?”
She giggled, “Always, your grace.”
Naris turned to him, “There are dark mutterings coming out of Daca. Did the princess tell you there’s been another assassination attempt?”
He nodded tightly, “Last evening. They didn’t even get close this last time though.”
Naris said, “The prince’s councilor, your sister? Word is she’s trying to stir them up to march for war. Daca has always been expansionist, and I fear the emperor will use this as a platform to justify an attempt to swallow Uradia whole, along with the insult to his son by the refused treaty. So far he hasn’t done much, but there’s been whispers of shifting troops so he can free up an army’s worth of soldiers.”
Cinder said perhaps a little too sharply, “War with Daca is an inevitability and has always been coming. It was just a matter of time before they found some… any excuse. The princess has never been happier, has a strong husband that strengthens the kingdom, yet won’t interfere with her rule.”
He almost gaped at her random and heartfelt defense of him and his marriage to the princess. He hadn’t seen that coming at all, but then Phoenixes were hardly known for their predictability and steady emotions. Still, her words were just short of violent in nature, her tone barely maintaining the civility due to a noble of