The Wager

“What are you so happy about?” Melinir snapped at Nystar as he packed his belongings into his bag. He had a huge grin on his face.

“It’s just quite the opportunity.”

“Enlighten me. I just got banished from my home, and for some reason, you gave up everything to come along.”

“Do you not understand how lucky we are? We get to go on the pilgrimage of your greatest ancestor. We’re going to see all the sights Hellsmere has to offer. And when we return, we’ll not only be welcomed with open arms. Just think about Ardella. You return a hero, and she’ll kneel down and let you shoot your load all over her face.”

Melinir couldn’t help but chuckle at that last comment. Then he shook his head. “There’s a reason why Dolostos is such a legend, why nobody since has completed his pilgrimage. It’s fucking impossible.”

“Have some faith. Do it for Ardella. I’ll be doing it for someone else. Evalina is the only girl worthy of my heart.”

Melinir’s eyebrows raised. He wasn’t sure what to think of Nystar be so open about his love for his sister. He’d known it for a long time. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t approve, but he knew that Evalina would chew Nystar up and spit him back out.

“Besides,” Nystar said, “there’s plenty of fun to be had along the way. Just wait until you see the human girls. There’ll be sex every night until we reach the far corners of Hellsmere.”

Melinir’s face rose into a smile.

“How about a wager. See who can fuck the most girls on our pilgrimage?”

“What are the stakes?” Melinir asked.

“Hmm. Whoever wins gets to take Ardella to the ball when we return.”

“But I thought you were in love with Evalina?”

“Oh yes, I do. But Ardella is a gorgeous girl, I’d love to fool around with her first.”

Melinir glared at him for a moment, but Nystar returned a beaming smile.

“Don’t want to take me up? Are you a chicken?”

“Of course not. You’re on.” Maybe this was just something for the journey. Nystar had never shown any interest in Ardella before, would he really do that, to his best friend of all people as well?

They headed down the stairs and out of the palace, into the wood that led out of the town. Ardella passed them on the path.

“I shall miss you, fair maiden,” Nystar said to her as they came close.

“And you.” She smiled back at both of them. The sun shone golden rays through her beautiful hair. “And of course, Prince Melinir. I hope your pilgrimage is a success.”

She offered her hand, and he took it, looking up into her green eyes as he kissed the back of it.

“I await your return,” she said.

When she was gone, they headed further down the path, to the edge of Lorian. Archers stood at attention near the gates, their long bows touching the leaves on the ground.

Elowen looked at the pair of them as they readied to leave. Melinir hugged his brothers and sisters, except for Evalina, who only offered her hand to Nystar again. He kissed it, looking deeply into her eyes.

“I hope that you will be pleased with me, upon my return,” Melinir said.

“I hope you do this family proud.” Elowen said. There were no more words said, no hugs, nothing else but a sharp stare of those blue eyes. The wind made her silver hair sway, the sun shone on the large sapphire that sat in the centre of her headdress.

With that, Melinir and Nystar headed out of town. He gulped back the thought of never being able to return, of never seeing Ardella again, or losing his wager and Nystar fucking her when they returned.