her side. “Wasn’t one of your men in the tournament?” He snapped his fingers, trying to jog his memory. “The, uh…what was his name? Dog?”
“Enzo. His name is Enzo.” She turned to the Sovereign. “You give them silly names, I don’t understand.”
“He was released just halfway through the tournament, was he not?” The Ethyuan Monarch’s voice was smooth, his accent serpentine. “I imagine that gave you great shame.”
The Queen’s eyes shrank into slits. “My Enzo can break neck with one hand. I welcome him home with no shame.”
“The Dog was released by my Daughter’s command, not due to his performance,” the Sovereign cut in. “A reflection of Her poor judgment, I’m sure.”
The Monarch and Queen glared at one another before parting ways, gazing over the competitors curiously.
“Feel free to study them,” the Sovereign said. “Ask them your questions if you must, that’s what they’re here for.” Glowering, he gestured toward Tobias. “Just be wary of this one. He’s a miserable little shit.”
The Monarch chuckled. “So much bite in those words. There is a story there, I am sure.”
“None worth telling,” the Sovereign grumbled.
The girl from Trogolia trailed her fingers along Kaleo’s chest, while the Monarch squinted, looking Flynn in the eye. What purpose does any of this serve?
The Trogolian King’s head perked up from the end of the line. “How much coin are we working with? I’ve forgotten.”
“Fifty thousand,” the Sovereign said. “That’s the cap.”
“Oh yes, right. Should we start?”
“Nonsense.” The Monarch flicked his wrist. “If I am placing coin on one of these men, I will need to know my odds.”
Clarity hit Tobias in an instant. He curled his hands into fists, channeling his anger into his trembling palms.
They’re betting on us.
“The challenge tomorrow,” the Kovahrian Queen barked. “Describe it.”
“Simple, but barbaric nonetheless,” the Sovereign said. “Hand-to-hand combat. Fight to the death. Reward goes to the man who ends another.”
“All four will be pitted against each other, yes?” the Trogolian King asked.
“That’s right.”
“Oh, dumpling, how thrilling!” The girl with the pink hair pinched Flynn’s nipples before running her hands down his stomach. “The four of them wrestling and writhing. It’s practically primal!”
The Trogolian King chuckled. “Rosebud, sweetness, you can’t just go about touching them like that.”
“I can do as I please, I am Queen and your wife.”
Tobias nearly recoiled. Did she say wife? He studied the old man and his young rosebud out of the corner of his eye, and his gut heaved.
“They belong to Sovereign Brontes.” The King laughed as his wife fondled the men. “Have the decency to ask his permission first.”
“The Queen can touch whatever she’d like,” the Sovereign muttered.
“See?” Rosebud shot her King a glare. “I want to keep one. Just for the night, of course. They’re all so handsome…” She looked over at Drake and grimaced. “Well, not that one.” She flitted down the line, eyeing Kaleo up and down. “And this one has an awful lot of scars...” Grinning, she stopped in front of Flynn and Tobias. “I want one of these two. Which one has the largest cock? That’s the one I want.”
Her husband chuckled, turning to the Sovereign. “My rosebud is very spoiled, I can blame no one but myself.”
“Come now, you’ll love it,” she said. “You can watch, I know how much you enjoy that.”
Her husband elbowed the Sovereign in his ribs. “How much for the night?”
“What about both? Dumpling, ask if we can have both!”
“The competitors aren’t available for purchase,” the Sovereign said. “They must be kept strong for the tournament and pure for The Savior.”
“Tell us of their performance, would you?” The Ethyuan Monarch floated to the Sovereign’s side. “I have tried to keep abreast of the tournament. Your customs, they are fascinating, but news travels slowly.”
The Sovereign paced alongside the line, stopping in front of Kaleo first. “The Shepherd is an accomplished competitor, has the most kills thus far.” His eye panned to Tobias. “It was only days ago that he brought down the Hunter.”
Tobias’s thoughts screamed for violence, but he kept himself contained.
“The Dragon is impressive as well.” The Sovereign continued down the line, regarding Drake with pride. “His performance trails that of the Shepherd, though I count them as equals. The man’s rumored to be immortal.”
“Immortal?” The Monarch’s eyes lit up. “Very interesting.”
The Trogolian King pointed a pudgy finger at Drake’s bandages. “But he’s injured.”
“A scratch.” The Sovereign glared at Tobias. “Bumped into something stupid.”
“And all this...” The Monarch gestured toward Drake’s tattoos. “You are not opposed to his markings?”