"Because I exposed his affair that, he was having on his wife one time…" Maia smirked. When everyone at the table heard this, they all spat their drinks out on the table in laughter. "What?" everyone exclaimed. "Yes, because I was walking home from the palace one night, and caught him in the embrace of another woman, and when he saw me, I walked away. The next day, I had informed the King's guard whilst the King was at war because the King had instructed him to mind the guards, but he was having a fling, so I exposed him. The King found out shortly after and demoted him, the only reason the King kept him as an official is because he is loyal to the King, but word got out it was me to exposed him, since then, he blames me for losing his honour…." Maia as she raised a gentle smirk on the side of her lip, drinking her drink.
"It's…. not your fault, it was his own stupidity to lead him to be exposed, if it was me, any man who desires something forbidden would do it discreetly…" Xavier smirked as he folded his arms and looked down. The men wooed and cheered in agreement, "I like the way you think stranger" Kusava cheered. Maia hit him in the ribs, "ouhhh….hey I am just joking woman calm down…." Kusava chuckled.
"Is that the way you men look at women, just as something to play with?" Maia and Lilly grunted.
"Of course not, but women are a man's weakness…" Basker grinned. "Good for you!" Lilly grunted and blushed as she had a crush on Basker.
"Not all men are like that, you get some faithful types out there…" Tana said looking away, as she thought of a long lost love she one had for a man…
"Yeah….. faithful alright….." Maia shrugged as she drank her drink. "You've been a little off lately, is it because you are working back late at the palace?" Lilly asked. Maia put her cup on the table.
"What?" Maia questioned them, "Have'nt you heard the rumours? The King is ruthless! They say he is ruthless in battle and his enemies tremble just at his voice and his gaze, they say that just by his glare his enemies are able to turn into dust…" Lilly said with intrigue and mystery in her voice. Leon (Xavier) just sat there quietly, hearing their conversations. Maia swallowed a breath as she responded, "I don't believe those old wives' tales, Lilly," Maia said leaning back in her seat crossing her arms. "Oh yeah? Who's to say you haven't been spell bound by the King's eyes, hm?" Tana and teased. Maia grasped as she looked at Tana in surprise at her comments.
"Besides, in what way am I acting weird?" Maia asked. Kusava glanced at her for a moment, "you have been acting strange…Has the king… done anything to you, since you started to work late for him at night, you have been a little off lately?" Kusava asked sternly and concerned, "Nothing like that at all…" Maia said with a saddened tone of voice. "You sound almost dissatisfied…" Tana smirked in tease. "Shut your mouth Tana, I said it is nothing like that!…." Maia grunted and blushed.
"Perhaps you would want the King bed you, Maia, everyone notices the way you look at him whenever he is not looking, even I can tell you have some sort of…." Tana said when suddenly, Maia blushed and turned completely red and got up from her chair and tried to shut her up, "Tana I am going to smash your face!" Maia grunted in shame, when Xavier held her back, "Stop, Maia, it's enough!" he whispered to her to hold her back.
"Woah woah ladies, no need for violence now…." Basker and Kusava tried to ease the tension in the air at the table, pulling Maia away from Tana as Tana got up suddenly from their table,
"Yeah, I am sure Maia…your loyalty to the King is unquestionable..." Tana smirked and got up from the table.
Maia tried to get a loose from Xavier's grip as he held her. Xavier kept his gaze upon Tana as she walked out of the tavern as to why she teased Maia like that. "Maia…. is very close to me as a servant now… it is only understandable the other servants would be envious of her position being close to me…." Leon thought to himself.
"what is her problem!?" Maia grunted as Xavier let her go softly.
"Relax, Maia, she is just trying to get to you, she is just jealous that you work so close with the King" Lilly said handing Maia a new drink. "Not my fault the King asked me to serve him personally…" Maia said as she drank her drink. "Yes, it is Maia! You said, as you put it 'take my life instead of hers!" Kusava teased re-enacting dramatically what she said whilst she protected her cousin. "And the King literally took her life away from her, every, single, night…" Kusava leered at her as he said sternly yet sarcastically. "Oh not you too!" Maia grunted at him, "Hey, Kusava you don't need to make it sound so terrible…" Maia sulked.
"Yeah, Kusava, give the woman a break, she is trying…" Lilly and Basker defended. "besides, she gets to work for the most handsome King in all the Kingdoms… how fortunate are you Maia…" Lilly teased her. "Lilly!" Maia blushed. "whatever." Kusava shrugged.
"Enough!" Xavier said suddenly with authority in his voice. "Stop bothering the maiden…. She simply honours her King…. Leave her alone…." He said staring straight at them. "Xavier…." Maia said under her breath as she stared at him when he said this.
"Why… do her friends give her a hard time for serving me?" Leon thought to himself as he drank his drink quietly being among his servants under cover.
"Us aside, How about you, stranger, what brings you to Acalarah?" Kusava asked as he sighed whilst changing the subject, putting his arm around Maia softly, awaiting to hear his answer. "I am just visiting on family business" he said drinking his drink. "Oh, I see…. Well if there is anything you need here stranger; we are here to help" he said cheering him as he skulled his drink.
"the reason I been acting weird…. Is because I can't unsee what I saw last night…" Maia thought to herself but could not tell her friends as to not slander the King.
Suddenly the women of the bar surround Xavier and take him up to the bedroom upstairs of the tavern.
"Well, if you don't need our help, Xavier, we will be going now…" Kusava grinned as he put his arm around Maia, turning their backs on him, walking off with Maia from the table.
"Should we tell him?" Maia turned and whispered to Kusava to warn their new friend about the women, as they walk off together, that they were special prostitutes… Kusava turned around to look at the women surround this stranger, with a sarcastic straight forward face, "Nah, he will be fine, a man needs a few women once in a while" Kusava grinned and smirked, turning around to walk out of the tavern with Maia, suddenly, Maia punched his side, "Agh!!" Kusava grunted in pain, "maybe you need a couple of women now, do you?" Maia said with an eye brow raised, in a tease at Kusava, to which Kusava laughed, "Maia give me a break will ya? A man has needs you know…" Kusava said as he motioned with his shoulders in innocence as an excuse for manly needs. "you and your needs!" Maia grunted in sarcasm at his comments, as Kusava got on his horse, "I have to report back to Mars…." He said and rode off into the night. Maia walks back into the bar, as she needed to get a few things from the bartender she left there earlier that night, song comes on, "Nickelback; Bottoms up".
That night, Kusava goes to see Mars, "Kusava… what brings you here at this time of the night? Mars questioned concerned. "Mars… I want my freedom… " Kusava said to Mars sternly. "I…understand…." Mars and Kusava spoke together to discuss Kusava's plans. "What are you going to do about Maia? You do know as a servant, she can't leave….and… you have your duties to her as well…. Unless…. You can drop them and move on from your ancient tradition…and you both move on...." Mars smirked at Kusava, referring to an ancient custom between Maia and Kusava… Kusava looked down for a moment and thought about it, "I will cross that bridge when I come to it…" Kusava said in an affirmed tone of voice with a serious expression on his face.