Dark Queen: The Cybelline Prophecies

Chapter 60

"That wasn't very polite." Phillip said as he watch the lord of war land lightly on the roof.

Cybelline shrugged, "I don't like to be touched."

She looked around, "So all of this is mine now?" They looked at the vast arena littered with wood scrapes and moaning soldiers.

"Yes, well you are now one of the richest nobles in the city." Philip looked at her, "We thieves and spies worship The Fox God and his wife, Lady Haera, the lady of luck. I'm beginning to think that you might be her daughter. I've never met someone so lucky as you. You have earned in a day what some lords earn in a lifetime." He turned his face towards her with a bright, radiant smile that would've caused weaker men and women to fall under his charm.

"Now that you have all these things, why don't you give me back my gambling house?" Philip thought about Alma, the lady who was in charge of his purse and her daggers, and shuddered. He didn't know Cybelline would win this easily...or this quickly. Alma had given her a month and even that was a reach, as he knew the task had been impossible. Now he was faced with the possibly of losing a lot of money.

Maybe she would give him back his gambling house out of good will? He looked at Cybelline whose eyes lit up once she took a quick glance of House Garlish's account books. 

Cybelline was taking a bag from a clerk of the former Lord Garlish. Hearing his question, she raised an eyebrow at Philip.

"The only way you could get it back is if you win it off of me." Cybelline's smile was dangerously inviting. It reminded him of an ancient scroll with paintings of the trickster fox and luck goddess Haera. It said that only fools would bet against that smile. 

Philip shuddered, "Come, let's go see where old Ithos had run off to."

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Ithos was happily drinking mead and buying sweetmeats for his wife when he heard a loud BOOM. Far off in the distance, he saw a cloud of smoke and shook his head. He was glad the other boys had already returned and were napping at the inn. But where was Cybelline?

He began walking towards the direction of the explosion. A few men, out of breathe, huffing were already telling the tale. He stopped for a moment to listen.

"A lord...made like that! All of the sudden!" the storyteller was shaking so much in excitement that his fingers failed to make the snap sound. His sweaty face was pale with shock and awe as he described the happenings of the popular gambling house.

"Ere, what's this about?" A friend of the men asked, "What are ye talking about?"

"The Lord of War is here. And he was just kicked through a roof by the Queen's new favorite! We have a new lord" The sweaty man responded, he mopped his forehead. The other man gaped, "This means war. I gots to go home and get me wife out of here."

"A new lord" Another man scoffed, "he'll be dead by sundown. They say grown men piss themselves on the battlefield when they see that Lord of War a comin'."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The man who had seen everything said, "That new lord, he fought a giant beast and won." Ithos smiled and shook his head, he was worried for nothing, how could Cybelline be mixed up with that upstart hellion general?

Ithos sat down at a stall and ordered some mead, he would return to the inn soon. He enjoyed the quiet, peaceful time in the city, his only regret was that Myrai had chosen to remain in the ring with Miri and Ryion.

"Ithos!" A large hand slapped the old man's back, but the old man's hand remained steady, not a drop of mead spilled.

Ithos smiled as Cybelline took a seat across from him and scowled at Philip, "Lad, ye lucky i'm in a good mood, don't yet go slappin' me back like that again."