Rhetta clears her throat to change the topic and soothe Florian. "We need to find a change of clothes, these are filthy and will draw their own kind of unnecessary attention."
"Great idea but with what money? If you haven't forgotten we're flat broke!" Khio states, earning a rather piercing stare from Rhetta saying she didn't want to hear that kind of talk from the person who ordered a feast with no money. The mood dampens and becomes depressed at their financial situation. The group wallows silently, when every dish is quickly cleared by the waitress. She stacks every dish and plate on her tray. Florian pulls the small pouch holding the coins she acquired from the knights.
Florian offers up the small bag to the waitress "Miss will this be enough for the food?"
The waitress sets the tray onto the table and gently takes the pouch from Florian's hand. She counts the coins in the pouch and offers a tactful smile "It's still short by quite a bit." The waitress gives a soft pat on Florian's head and whisks the tray back to the kitchen.
The knights at the next table over had observed this transaction between the waitress and Florian. They stopped their loud conversation just to watch what would transpire, most thinking Florian would cry. They had been drinking, gambling, playing cards and enjoying their time thus far. One of the men in their company simply sat away from the table sipping unhurried on the same tankard and hidden by his hood.
"Hey pretty ladies. Join us for a round o' cards, yeah?" One of the drunken men slurred, he reached out to touch Khio.
"I'd rather beat you in a fight than leave it up to the chance of cards." Khio warned, the sharp remark left the man with wounded pride. The sense that he had just been undermined by a woman no less. The sharp words of her tongue quickly slapped the man into sobriety. Another knight witnessing the insult of his friend walked over to the table. His stature is somewhat smaller compared to his friend. Rhetta acted quickly, lowering Khio's head away from the sight of the knights.
It may have been the fact they were so drunk they did not even realize the escaped prisoners were drinking a table away from them. Rhetta knew, to the third order she probably wasn't recognisable as she always remained in her office, however Khio was always proactive and might be too familiar to them.
Rhetta's free hand tightened around her tankard, anticipating the need to use it. Khio stopped struggling and figured Rhetta did this for a reason, the knights never got a glimpse of her face. One could argue that Rhetta had forced Khio to bow in apology, but the enraged knights wouldn't accept that now, not when they were too riled up by alcohol.
"Huh?! You think someone like you could beat us?" His comment caused an eruption of laughter from all the knights at the mere mention. Having experienced their fair share of discrimination Rhetta and Khio were accustomed to being chastised and made into a joke by their fellow knights. It's nothing new, the redundant nature of the jokes and comments made it easier to ignore.
"Just leave 'em! It's a waste of our time. All of us already know that women can't contend against us."
"A better joke than women who become knights. They just wear the uniform for show, most of them guard a door without ever doing anything."
"They'd have an easier time if they just raise their skirts when their husbands call for it." The surrounding patrons look uncomfortable with the discussion from the knights table, the continuous commentary that arises with their vulgarity. The waitress sighs but continues running drinks for all the tables trying to save the atmosphere. Khio and Rhetta clench their fists, their patience and 'understanding' reaching its breaking point. Rhetta lets go of Khio's head, she doesn't care if they're damned for doing so. They are willing to take this outside and show these knights how to fight.
Khio is about to stand up, protest against their provocations and show them how they got their positions. Khio looks up...an absent seat where Florian sat, she freezes. Florian pours the remnant of her drink over the knight who initiated the conversation between them. The cloaked man shifts in his seat, leaning forward as if ready to intervene.
The table falls quiet. The passing moment of disbelief at the audacity, the burly knight stands up from his chair and towers over Florian. Trying to oppress and intimidate her with his bear-like stature and presence. Florian looks furious, not even flinching when he stands a hair's breadth from her. "If it's a feat of strength you want, I will take you up on the challenge." Florian jeers.
'This! Dammit, I'm an idiot. What am I doing? He is a bear, he's not human...I'm going to meet Kleminus sooner than I wanted. Why the hell did I pour my drink on him?' Florian appeared unfazed on the surface, however many thoughts ran through her head and cursed over her inability to once again control her temper.
"Little kids should shut up and sit down. Stay out of this runt." He taunts, a slimy grin spreading on his lips as he looks towards Rhetta and Khio "Why can't I go against them, it's fun to see a lady struggle now and then."
The words are crude and everyone can't hide their disgust before his terrible behaviour.
"Firstly, I'm not a kid. Don't treat me like one. Secondly, what are you offering if I win?" Florian gestures for money, looking over at the waitress who nodded, a silent indicator that in the spirit of gambling this type of conflict is allowed.
"Fine...Fine kid. You know how to keep a joke going, if you win you can have anything you want." He leans into Florian, his booze ridden breath lingering in her face "But if we win, won't you give us the company of those ladies?"
His words make her skin crawl, the perverse and crude provocation of the prize he wants is too much to stake a chance on. Khio waves her arm feeling for Florian, pulling her close. "What are you thinking? You're going to get hurt."
"I agree with Khio, you will get hurt. I know they're acting like intoxicated buffoons but they are imperial knights." Rhetta informs her, trying to deter Florian from her course of action.
"How am I supposed to leave it when they're insulting you like that? Besides, they pissed me off. Even now that man wants you guys as prizes...it's disgusting."
The gesture is kind on Florian's behalf but they look at each other, worried. The intentions were done in their best interest but letting a regular person go against the knights was just cruel.
"Rhetta, Khio. I want you to trust me, I can win." Florian pleads her case, she asks so sincerely it becomes hard to refuse. Rhetta and Khio could understand as they were doubted for their strengths and should the worst situation come to pass they are confident in their own strengths. They reluctantly concede.
Florian replaces her sad face with one of confidence "Leave it to me!"
She stomps to the knights table and puts her hands on the table carefully. The circumstances have her heart racing, not in fear but rather excitement. Even in the face of all of the people who mock her and laugh at her display all while anticipating her utter and humiliating defeat.
"Since it's strength you want, how about arm wrestling?" He chugged his drink between his laughter and sputtered.
"A delicate girl like that? You'll break her arm"
"I'm fine with arm wrestling." Florian begins rolling up her sleeves "However when I win, I'll be taking all the money you have on you right now. Two of you will relinquish your swords, those three will hand over their clothing and let's see...ah, and two horses if you came on any." Florian lists off her demands, her so called spoils of war should she win their bet.
Khio leans over to whisper something to Rhetta "For some raised in the temple isn't she a little too good at extorting people?"
Rhetta raises an eyebrow "I think it's because she was raised in the temple."
Their quiet discussion is cut off by the uproarious laughter.
"These damn drunkards! Everything's a joke to them" Khio spits, her earlier anger still simmering.
"You're pretty arrogant for a brat. Who in their right mind would bet so much on a single arm wrestling match?"
"Aren't you so sure that you're going to win anyway? So what if I demand a lot. I feel that if I won against someone so strong then I deserve an excessive prize." Florian jeered, taunting the man. All the knights holding onto their personal pride and refusing anything that threatens it; even the joking word of a civilian.
Rhetta looked on, seeing the obvious manner Florian provoked him, and trying to keep Khio calm, when her agitation heightened with her anxiety over Florian.
Florian glances over to the cloaked man, the one who throughout everything never uttered a word and only watched the situation unfold. She points at him, "He will be my opponent."
"The audacity of this kid! I'm sorry sir-" The knight apologised, lowering his head and scratching it awkwardly. The submission from the large man is unexpected. The quiet knight waves him away, stands and moves from his distant seat to the one directly across from Florian. He settles into his seat and pulls down his hood to reveal his face.
Khio sneaks a glance almost blurting out in surprise when Rhetta clasps her mouth shut with her hand. The knight turns to face the two of them and frowns. He has long red hair pulled back, piercing silver eyes that easily unnerved anyone who was on the receiving end of his gaze. He held delicate looking features typical of a nobleman with a deceptively larger build than his cloak showed.
"My apologies, my friend always feels the need to shout at handsome men." Rhetta blurts out quickly, the lie wasn't for the man in question but rather for the clueless knights around him. She already knew that he wouldn't be fooled.
'Why...Why are you here Axtor?' Rhetta winces, there is no way he wouldn't recognise her. Axtor Channing, the captain of the First Imperial Order. He is known for his great skill on the battlefield and notorious for never attending any formal gatherings or meetings, also the person who always, personally reported to Rhetta during her time as the imperial strategist...and her former fiancée.
"Captain, there's no need to trouble yourself, we can take care of this."
"That's enough." Axtor's cold voice hushed the knight, his ferocious gaze turning to Florian. "I do not know if you are sharp or foolish. I can say with full certainty that I am the strongest one here."
"I know." Florian calmly replies, 'I only chose him because I thought he was half asleep and super drunk...Seriously what is with my luck? It's okay you've got this.' She tries to calm herself down.
Rhetta and Khio look nervous after seeing the captain of the first order.
'He has a pretty face but that man is brutally strong...' Khio thinks, knowing that his skill instantly earned him the right to be appointed as the captain of the First Imperial Order. At the time it was called the New Order, and directly under the command of the emperor himself.
Rhetta grabs Florian's arm and reels her back trying to pull her out from her seat. "Enough, I can't let you go through with this Florian."
"What's the worse that will happen? I'll lose, maybe get a broken arm but my life isn't on the line here." Florian offers these words to reassure the two. What furthered Rhetta's worries is why Axtor hadn't said anything, not declared them to be arrested or anything of the like. There is no way he didn't recognise her.
Florian grins and flexes her arm "Trust me, if there is anything I'm confident in, it's my strength."