He scrutinized the situation.
The tall looking woman held the shorter woman tightly in her arms, hiding her away because she couldn't stop trembling.
Koul's eyes squinted in anger, knowing Armin must've done something to scare her.
While the tall woman's gaze was fierce. Her amber eyes stared coldly at Koul.
The hatred in her eyes were unmistakeable.
Now that's the look I'm familiar with.
Koul threw his head back, pouring his hair downward. He exhaled aloud, eyes squeezed shut.
Sigh. Why can't they just be sensible? He wondered in fatigue, referring to Armin and everyone who's disrespected his wives.
I know I'm the one who put them out there to be disrespected and looked down upon, but… why would they?
Everyone who's looked down on them… should I just gouge out their eyes?
Sigh!
Koul kept silent, having his moment. He remained still, simply exhaling in and out.
Prince Armin on the other hand, had a smile plastered to his face. His eyes were wide with thrill as he anticipated what Koul would say.
After some moments, Koul raised his head and turned to Armin.
"What did you do?" He asked, voice cold and slicing like a blade.
Armin's grin bloomed wider as he stared Koul in the eyes.
"You grace me with your presence this quick and this is what you ask? Bahahaha!"
A grating chuckle erupted from him.
"Y-your highness," one of his wives, the shorter one called, her lips quivering as she held onto the other woman.
Koul's eyes momentarily flicked toward his wives but quickly returned to the young man in front of him, the prince.
He didn't seem that older than Koul himself. Short brown hair and a face that bore a slight scar across the chin.
However, compared to Koul, he was fit. His toned muscles were bulging even in the thick clothes he wore.
Koul's gaze squinted, his anger not quelling.
"Your rowdy laugh doesn't answer the question I posed. What did you ?" Koul asked once more.
His demeanor was anything but cool, and the air around him was frigid.
Armin smiled, about to speak but the tall woman snapped forward.
"Your majesty," she called. "We were simply on our way to request of you to change our quarters. It has gotten too cold and small for us. But we met prince Armin here on our way. We dutifully paid our respect and turned to start leaving. But he roughly pulled us back, questioning why we would walk the same path as him."
She narrated calmly, but her anger was tangible.
"He went as far as to call Remi a whore just for how she looks. And he termed us as mere toys."
Koul dragged his eyes toward the said Remi, the short woman, who remained behind. Her arms wrapped around herself, and she was averting her gaze.
Her dress hugged her body in a way that her shape was portrayed clearly.
Koul narrowed his eyes, displeased.
That isn't a reason to call a woman a whore.
There shouldn't even be any reason to call a woman such a name!
Koul's gaze turned back to Armin. The chill sifting from his eyes were enough to ensnare everyone present.
"Oi you low budget bas—"
"Your majesty!" A loud call cut him short.
It was the elders. Three of them came in from the outside and walked up to Koul.
"Your majesty, you're here," one of them said as they walked over.
They were among the council elders that previously held a meeting with Koul. Seeing them, Koul's countenance worsened.
Noting their Lord's displeasure written clearly all over his face, one of the maids drew near Koul and spoke softly.
"They arrived here a little while after prince Armin."
So the elders were aware he was coming? They must be comploting together.
"Oh my! Did a commotion happen here?"
Feigned shock bloomed across the elders' faces, their eyes darting back and forth among themselves.
"Anyways, since his majesty is here, we should discuss whatever the prince has for us over some tea."
"Your highness, why don't you follow us. We'll escort you to the tea house," one of the elders said.
"Hmph!" The prince let out grumpily, walking past Koul with the girl and guards that followed him.
But before they could go any further, Koul spoke up.
"There will be no talks over tea. Escort him to the council chambers. If he has anything to discuss, we shall do it there," Koul said in a tone of finality.
A council elder wanted to protest but a flick of Koul's gaze toward him made him swallow back his words.
The prince's face contorted uglily, feeling disrespected.
The elders didn't let the moment stretch. They bowed and led the prince who clicked his tongue in annoyance away.
Koul turned back to his wives.
While Remi still avoided looking at him, the tall woman gazed coldly.
If Koul could interpret her gaze, it would've been 'reply us quick so we can get the fuck out of your presence.'
Her glare is endearing.
"Return to your quarters for the night. Come again tomorrow," Koul told them.
"T-thank you," Remi stuttered in a whisper from the distance.
Koul turned swiftly and walked away.
Certain he had gone far enough, he halted, turning swiftly to the vice captain who trailed behind him.
His face was still hard with simmering rage.
"None of my wives should ever be treated with such disrespect in their own home. Be it a prince or a king, put them down. Nothing of this sort should ever repeat itself again."
"Yes, your majesty," the vice captain bowed.
"Make sure to deliver this to all the knights," he added and continued his strides.
He arrived at the council chamber, entered and casually strode past the prince and the council elders to take his seat.
Over to one side of the chamber, the prince's knights stood firm. And beside the prince sat the girl with lime blond hair.
Her gaze was heavy on him, piercing amd quite unsettling.
He paid no attention to her and took his seat calmly.
The elders were a bit surprised to see Koul in dirty clothes. They weren't aware about his training.
They glanced at themselves, unwilling to believe Koul was about to start the discussion with a royal guest wearing such clothes.
"Your majesty, your clothes….you—"
"Let's hear it then," Koul interrupted sharply, settling comfortably on his chair. "… the reason you paid me a visit so late in the evening just after you left here with your father, caused a commotion and harassed my wives."
"Wives? Aren't they merely your toys?" The prince asked, erupting a laugh from the girl who sat beside him.
Koul's face remained stern, his demeanor unchanging.
"Oh pardon me if I spoke out of turn. You seize them so much like collections that I forgot they were still humans. I thought they were merely objects," he said again, laughing mockingly with the girl beside him.
The elders in the room kept silent, their faces a bit tense and awkward.
Although Koul remained calm on the surface, he was boiling furiously within. But he knew he had to keep a cool head, else he might act out of character and get a penalty.
"Surely, you didn't come all the way here from your home to merely jest, did you?" Koul asked, calm and collected. "Even fools on the streets know well about manners. But who am I to judge if it is the way of your kingdom."
Yeah, I shouldn't be lecturing anyone about manners when I lack it, but fuck it.
The smile on the girl's face faded completely and the prince's face twisted in anger.
"How dare a foolish fly like you talk about our kingdom like that?! This isn't simply an insult to me, but to my father as we—"
SLICE!
The whooshing sound of a blade hit their ears, cutting the prince short. The moment they all turned to where the sound came from, they were met with a horrific sight.
Dripping form the tips of Koul's vice captain's blade was crimson. And splattered across the floor was fresh blood.
In the pool of blood was a severed arm.
A screeching cry followed the next second as one of the prince's knights fell to his knees, screaming in agony and clutching the stump of his severed arm.
Koul's guard swung his sword aside, flicking blood from it. He slowly put his sword back in its sheath, his expression calm.
"You have no right to speak to our king like that," he began softly. "Might I remind you that you're merely a prince, whereas, he is a king… much like your father."
"One more word of disrespect from you, and it'll be your head that falls next."