With each step the drunk general took towards Arlan, the prince's muscles could be seen tensing up. As the person closest to him, Drayce could clearly see his friend wavering.
Although the banquet hall was noisy, Drayce spoke in a low voice, using a small western dialect in order to make sure nobody else but the Prince of Griven could understand his words, "Remember the plan. Talk straight, looking into his eyes that will show you are not scared of him. Play hard to get and show you anticipate more from him. Challenge him."
Arlan frowned inwardly. He wanted to curse but couldn't show anger on his face as the general's sight was fixed on him. With gritted teeth, Arlan spoke in the same dialect, "Words of experience? It seems like you had spent many nights with him during your kingdoms' battles."
"If so, he wouldn't be standing here," Drayce scoffed.
"You kept him alive for me to see this day, you…."
However, their banter was rudely interrupted by a hearty pig-like laughter.
"So, you are the fortunate one for the night?"
Arlan didn't bow to the red-faced General Giles but stared into the drunk general's hungry eyes with a stubborn expression. "In this banquet hall, I believe no one can claim to be fortunate other than you, General Giles Seeiso."
The attention of everyone present in the hall shifted towards the general and the handsome man in front of him.
Though those men had pretty women beside them, entertaining them the way they wanted, they couldn't move their sights from Arlan's face. It wasn't just the handsome face or his lean physique; it was also the way he carried himself with confidence and pride, neither too servile nor arrogant.
"Oh! One with a temper. General is lucky tonight," whispered one of the officers to his subordinate.
"For the first time, I am tempted to take a man to my bed," said the other one. "I wonder if he can be tamed."
"I can exchange all these women for that one man."
"These village women are nothing compared to him."
"After the general's turn, I am taking him to my chamber."
Drayce's sharp hearing could capture all the murmurs going around, and he was thankful that Arlan couldn't hear them, or he didn't know what his friend might have done. Knowing his playful friend's angry side which rarely came out, he was sure they would be beheaded right away, plan be damned. After all, Arlan was a prince; he had the dignity of a royal.
General Giles smirked as his lecherous eyes scanned Arlan's alluring face. The general raised a rough hand to touch Arlan's face, but by sheer coincidence, the servant passing close to them tripped and dropped the wooden tray in his hand, shattering plates and food on the floor.
Of course, it was Drayce who made him trip by stealthily moving his sheathed sword to one side, interfering with the servant's feet. Drayce sure didn't want Arlan to be his queen.
"A-Apologies, General Giles." The terrified servant bowed again and again, begging the drunk man to show mercy on him.
General Giles glared at him, but he spared the servant as he was more interested in the beauty in front of him.
The servant took the chance to start gathering the scattered things on the floor in a hurry. Another servant helped him, and then they made their escape.
The general's lewd gaze moved from Arlan's face to his neck, then down to his muscular chest that was visible through the partially opened blue robe.
Arlan was thoroughly disgusted by this point, and it didn't help that the next word from the general was—
"Delicious!"
"That I am!" Arlan agreed with a saucy smile, which thankfully stopped the old general from moving his dirty gaze further down, or else, Arlan didn't know what he would have done.
He lamented how he somehow saved his thing from his friend's sword but now needed to save it again, and this time from this ugly pig-like general. Even though he was wearing clothes, the way the general appreciated his handsome appearance from head to toe, he felt naked and violated.
General Giles grinned at Arlan. "Quite a daring darling, aren't you? No courtesan had ever dared to cross me, and you didn't even bow to me."
"The night is young. It will not be too late to show you respect later, General. It depends on how the night goes; maybe I will give you more than a bow," Arlan responded with a playful smile, staring back at General Giles with a raised brow.
"Are you doubting if I can please you properly?" the general asked.
"As I have said, the night is young. General has many opportunities to erase my doubts," Arlan countered confidently.
"First, I'll make you bend in front of me, and later you will bow to me," said the Thevailes general, sounding confident about himself.
"Only the night can tell," Arlan said in a challenge.
"Interesting!" General Giles pulled out one tiny glass bottle sealed with a wooden knob from his pocket. "Do you see this?"
Arlan looked at it to know what it was.
The old general answered. "If I swallow a single pill from this bottle, it will be enough to keep you bowing the entire night. But as you are so special, I don't mind taking two of these so you can keep bowing to me for the next two days."
Arlan understood what it was and cursed this hellishly disgusting man in his mind, but he had to maintain his calm. Not showing any negative emotion on his face, Arlan could only laugh to hide his revulsion. "Alas! I can only wait in anticipation, but I might have to remind the General that you might have to empty an entire bottle down your throat."
"Too much confidence, huh? It seems like you have never come across someone like me." the general laughed again.
"Seems like General too has never come across someone like me. I'll make sure the General will never forget this night," Arlan with a smile that was not a smile. His words held a hidden meaning that only Drayce understood, but he did not pity the pig-like general.
"It will be fun to crush this confidence. How about we start now?"
"Best wine is served last, General," Arlan replied suggestively, "I would like to ask the General to let me serve him first with the Marquis's wine. I assure you that even the most ordinary wine will taste even better when served by me."
"Very well!" The Thevailes general agreed and turned to go back to his seat at the head of the banquet table.
Arlan murmured under his breath, "Find him fast. I don't have patience long enough to deal with this shithole."