The crimson juice dripped from Ethyn's green tunic like dirty water from a mop. The red headed squire, however, was determined not to let his anger show.
Biting his tongue, Ethyn dabbed at the liquid with his equally soaked napkin.
Rhodri, on the other hand, was unwilling to stay silent. Handing the green-eyed man his own white handkerchief, the king looked sternly at the blonde squire. "I will hope for your sake that this was indeed an accident. I was young once too and did some foolish things myself, but to be a knight, you must act honorably. Do you understand?"
The reproach was for all of the aspirants as well as the knights at the table. If Nuall was acting childishly, it reflected poorly on all of them.
"Nuall will help his friend clean up," a stern faced knight offered up his squire.
Nuall gritted his teeth into a smile as he tried not to show his displeasure. But Ethyn could see the resentment in his eyes.
"Thank you, but I shall be fine on my own," Ethyn pushed back his chair and more liquid joined the growing puddle at his feet.
"No, Squire…Nuall, was it? Yes, Nuall shall attend you. It is the chivalrous thing to do after causing such a slight." The king made his judgment and there was nothing either man could do about it.
Nuall's chair scraped against the ground as he reluctantly stood and bowed. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
Ethyn swallowed his objection and hurried from the room without being dismissed. A lesser man would have paraded off with his new lackey to show his superiority, but this was not a victory Ethyn wanted.
As the young man exited the king's chambers and into the hall, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Nuall just had to be knighted the same time I was," Ethyn muttered angrily. "Are you against me all of a sudden, Hanna?"
A small wind tousled his hair, but dissipated as quickly as it came. 'Probably just a draft,' Ethyn convinced himself.
Looking down the hall, the redhead realized he had no idea which way to go. That is why when footsteps came up behind him, Ethyn turned quickly to ask for directions.
"Could you please direct me to… oh, it's you." The young man no longer tried to hide the disgust in his voice.
"Are you trying to make me look bad?" Nuall looked put out. "Leaving me behind like a discarded rag!"
"I left actual discarded rags behind because of the mess you caused!" Ethyn countered.
How was it that no matter what happened, in Nuall's eyes it was always someone else's fault?
"You are lucky all I did was leave you behind! You changed my name, mocked me and then spilled your drink to drown me. You done quite enough for one evening. Leave me alone and go back to dinner. I'll figure this out on my own," the redhead marched away from his nemesis but only made it a few steps.
"Are you heading back to your room to change? If so, you are going the wrong way…" Even still, the blonde squire was enjoying the other man's pain.
"Of…of course not. No…no need to change. The stain isn't that bad. I was just going to find the freshening area. All I need is a towel and a water basin." Ethyn began walking again, but less certain than before.
He turned around and met Nuall's smug grin.
"…I'm still going the wrong way, aren't I?"
"Unless you want to wash up in the throne room, yes." Nuall's face relaxed from his normal superior air. "Come on, the faster we do the, the faster we can both get back to the merriment."
Ethyn sighed. "Fine…"
The two young men trekked the other direction down the hall. Nuall made a couple of quick turns in the palace's labyrinth.
"How do you know where to go?" Ethyn was impressed and confused at how confidently the other man maneuvered through the passageways.
"My sponsor is summoned to the palace often. He made me memorize the layout of the castle so I would not make a fool of myself. Sir Cyneheard would have done well to encourage you to do the same." Nuall shrugged, convinced once again about his own superiority.
"Do not insult Sir Cyneheard. He is the most noble man I know." Clenching his fists and then releasing them, Ethyn narrowly avoided giving in to the urge to punch the other squire. Nuall was trying to get a rise out of him, and he would not win.
"Oh? So then he encouraged you, and you ignored him? That makes more sense." Nuall gave a sagely nod.
Rolling his eyes, Ethyn clicked his tongue. "You always have another jab coming, don't you?" The green-eyed man sighed. "Must be exhausting."
Caught off guard, the blonde man slowed down. "It is actually," he said quietly.
The walk finally ended in an alcove where two entrances split into the male and female washrooms.
"Look,"Nuall said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Little jokes here and there are how I make it through this mundane little life of mine. I don't mean anything by it. I hope you can forgive my rough edges. You hate me, don't you?"
Ethyn studied the other man for a moment. His mouth formed a thin line. "You almost had me…I'm not sure there is a remorseful bone in your body! If you put this energy towards being a knight instead of being a jerk, you could be quite successful."
Nuall's contrite pout faded away, replaced by his usual mischievous glint. He crossed his arms. "Now what would be the fun in that? Though I will give you credit, you are smarter than I give you credit for. Most people quickly buy my innocence. I'll bring the king back over to my side in no time. He will be begging me to marry his daughter before the week is out."
Ethyn couldn't believe that the other squire had made such a bold claim inside the king's castle. Didn't he realize there were servants everywhere? Or was he really that full of hubris?
"You have lost your mind!" The green eyed man had no idea that Nuall was so ambitious. It was a little frightening.
Nuall chuckled darkly. "Don't act like you don't have your own plans. That perfect little squire act isn't fooling anyone."
"I don't know what you are talking about…" Ethyn had only ever been himself. There was no act.
Nuall tapped his chin. "Now that I think about it, it would be better if we joined forces. Your noble knight routine would really give me some credibility…" The gears in the blonde man's head were spinning. "We would call a truce of course. Ragging on you is becoming tiresome anyway. What do you say?"
Ethyn's eyes opened wide. "No! You can do as you please, but I do not want to be caught up in your scheming." Ethyn was firm on this point.
Slightly disappointed, Nuall frowned. "Have it your way, but…"
"Step aside and let me pass. I can take it from here." Ethyn was done talking. From this point on, he wanted nothing more to do with the blonde squire.
Nuall reluctantly moved to his left. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
Grunting, Ethyn pushed past his dinner mate and into the washroom.
'Don't say I didn't warn you…he has some nerve! I told him not to mess up my name and so he has the king do it instead. I'll have to tell Cyneheard all that has happened. He will listen.'
The washroom was ornately decorated in soft pink tapestries. The small, delicate lamps provided the right amount of light and privacy for those who came to seek relief.
Ethyn ignored the room and headed straight for a basin full of water by a mirror. Finding a towel, he dipped it in the cool water and began to dab at his tunic. It was no use. He would need to take off his long shirt to get a better angle.
Pulling his tunic over his head the man allowed Nuall's taunts to enter his head once more. "The nerve of some people!" He grumbled.
"I'll say!" A woman answered him.
Ethyn looked up into the mirror. Behind him a brunette stood with an arched brow tapping her foot.
"What had he done?"