Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 55: Feast(1)

Alpheo looked at himself , he was as charming as a model.Most of the time , he wore chainmail, and breastplates, yet now he was dressed as elegant as a peacock.

Wrapped around his broad shoulders was a crimson silk cloak, its folds cascading gracefully down his back like a river of molten ruby. The fabric caught the light in such a way that it seemed to shimmer with a life of its own, it was beautiful . Beneath the cloak, he wore a doublet of midnight blue velvet, its plush texture making it soft to the touch .

His trousers were crafted from the finest black leather. Leather boots adorned his feet, their soles sturdy and worn out from countless hours of marching. As unfortunately among the gifts from the prince there were no new boots, so he used his usual ones.

Egil put two fingers in his mouth and whistled in jest "Is that a lord that blesses my eyes?" he quipped, smoothing the silk of his jacket with a satisfied grin.

"Nay, lords are supposed to be graceful; this one is as clumsy as a duck," Laedio added with a smirk, he too wearing silk for the first time in his life.And he found it rather comfortable

Meanwhile, Jarza struggled to find comfort in his silk jacket, the fabric straining against his muscular frame. Despite his imposing stature, the largest garment they could find still seemed too small for the black giant.

''Mine is as tight as iron''

"Curse your god that made you giant," Egil joked, flashing a cheeky smile. "Still sure you want to stay behind, Asag? There's bound to be good food and drink at the feast."

Asag, ever stoic, remained seated on Alpheo's bed, his response barely above a whisper. ''Someone gotta watch the men'' His companions knew better than to try to convince him otherwise, so they dropped the topic allowing the silent guy to do what he wanted.

"Want us to bring you something?" Egil offered.

" I am good," Asag replied quietly.

"Suit yourself. As for me, my dear companion, tonight I shall find someone to warm my bed," Egil declared, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"And you shall likely wake up with a knife at your throat," Jarza interjected, his tone serious.

"Father and brothers will come claiming your head when they discover their daughter or sister has slept with a mercenary," he added, a hint of warning in his voice.

"Can I count on my big black kind giant to save me ?" Egil teased, unfazed by the threat.

Jarza spat on the ground in response. "I will be the one to sharpen the blade,"

Clio gently cupped the black man's cheek, "You say that, but you would be the first to avenge him," he remarked.

"Aye, but by then he'll already be dead," the man replied bluntly.

"Good enough for me," Egil replied with a nod ''If I die make sure to avenge me , to he that does I will leave my belongings ''

Alpheo, sensing the need to redirect their focus, clapped his hands together, drawing their attention. "All right, boys, two months ago we were toiling in the dirt. Now, we eat and dine as nobles."

"Who would have thought?" Laedio mused, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Not me," Clio chimed in, sharing in the sentiment.

"Now, there are a few simple things you need to understand," Alpheo continued, his voice taking on a tone of authority. "High society is like a priest; by day, they condemn the whorehouse, and by night, they wander with night in search of whores for the night. They may mingle among themselves, but with us?" He paused, spitting on the ground for emphasis. "Their saliva is worth more than a few dirty mercenaries."

"Now, here's what you're going to do," he instructed, pointing his finger to each of them in turn. "You'll close your mouth and eat, but no alcohol," he directed, fixing his gaze on Egil.

"Why?" Egil questioned, his curiosity evident.

A finger was pointed at the blonde man "At the second cup of wine, you'll find a goat to fuck if no women are available and no man will stop you from finding one ," Alpheo retorted. He then shifted his attention to Jarza. "You, on the other hand, will glare at anyone who breathes," he instructed firmly.

Next, Alpheo turned to Laedio. "You will be as unpleasant as a cock in the arse," he declared.

"And you," he concluded, turning to Clio, "you are all right..." he added , prompting the man to smirk .

"These ones are members of high society," Alpheo began, his tone grave, "and the moment you so much as breathe wrong, they'll gladly toss you back into the streets. I want you all to stick close to me, like a virgin with his first cherry-popper. If you stray more than three meters away from me, I swear to the gods, I'll smack you in the head. And Egil, if I catch you so much as talking to a female, I'll gild you myself."

"Do it in the morning," Egil quipped nonchalantly, prompting a resigned sigh from Alpheo.

He sighed "I like all of you, and I see you as my brothers," Alpheo continued, his tone softening slightly. "If you won't do it for your own sake, then do it for mine. My poor heart would break if something were to happen to you.I want this feast to go as clean as possible, go ahead and stuff yourself with food but don't go bothering anyone . " His plea was met with a mixture of reluctance and resignation from his companions. Despite their protests, Alpheo had to resort to more pleading and the promise of a night in the warehouse, paid for by their boss, before they finally relented. It was a concession Alpheo was more than willing to make if it meant they would all leave the feast with all parts attached.

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