The music in this ballroom was nothing but turtore to Lytio and the sight on the dance floor only added to his agony.
Somehow his gaze always found it way to two things.
First was Belladonna, as she glided smoothly on the dance floor, with the Dragon King holding her in his arms. The sight pinched his eyes, it felt like a thousand needles was being poked into his eyeballs continuously, the closer they got to each other. It seemed they were living in their own special place, their surroundings totally forgotten, along with the people in it.
For the misery the sight brought to him, his gaze would shift to the wine stand some distance away.
It would be foolish to get drunk for how lightweight he was, but for how much he was hurting, torn and weary, he didn't think there was anything more to fool if he wine was to make a fool of him.
Hadn't he already lost everything?
His electric eyed damsel.
There she was alive and well...
without him.
She should be his, in his arms, dancing with him, back in Inaymi but there was, living differently because of a mistake he had no control over.
Fate was cruel!
He rose his goblet to his lips but at that moment, someone bumped into him, making some of the fruit juice splash on his brown robe.
That was his most expensive one.
"I am deeply sorry, Head Lytio." The deep voice didn't sound one bit remorseful and when his mind was settled enough to recognize the voice and put a face to it, he understood why. "You just happen to be standing in the way, Golden Boy."
"Head Kuftan, how pleased I am to see you here." His voice held no excitement and the sarcasm was dripping from it, but that was intentional anyways. what he wanted anyways.
The bald man in front of him stroke his full black beard and Lytio glared, brushing his hand through his ful messy, curly, golden hair in response.
What one lacked, the other had.
Head Kuftan scoffed, the wrinkles on his face making themselves obvious when the small spiteful gesture turned into a sinister smile.
He offered Lytio an handkerchief but he eyed it with disgust and reached into his pocket for his own, trying to clean off the spill which left a wet patch behind.
"How is your mother?" Head Kuftan finally spoke.
"Bedridden," was Lytio's short response.
Could this man just leave? As if he wasn't already suffering enough misery for the day.
Head Kuftan tilted his head from one side to another, as if he had expected that exact response.
"I should get you another gobl---"
"I will fetch it myself, thank you, Head Kuftan." He turned to walk away but Head Kuftan spoke up quickly, giving him no chance of an easy escape.
"How is Inaymi? The lose of their previous leader must have come as a shock to them. It's been how long now? Two months? They must still be terribly shaken by it."
Lytio gnashed his teeth, his shoulders tensed as his anger grew but he managed to keep it from his face, as he turned to give Head Kuftan a response.
"Inaymi is well. You should worry about your village instead. I heard Zukanijan's water has been contaminated, leading to immerse lose, and the source of that is still unknown. I wonder who else it is that you have angered this time, Head Kuftan, as it is your nature to poke that old nose of yours where it doesn't belong."
Head Kufan smiled, a toothy grin that didn't reach his eyes.
"I am sure whatever problems my Zukanijan has, it is solvable but as for your Inaymi," he walked closer so that only Lytio could hear what else he had to say, "where we have village Head sons killing their fathers, the problem is an unending one."
Lytio balled his hands into fists.
He couldn't just keep his mouth shut about his stupid suspicion, could he?
His father had committed suicide, everyone knew that. One morning, they had found his body dangling from a tree, a strong rope tightly wrapped around his neck, his eyes bloodshot and blood dripping from his fingers.
Shortly after the death of his father, his mother had become bedridden with depression and an illness of the mind.
Earlier than he had thought, the responsibility of leading Inaymi had been thrown on his small shoulders.
He was too occupied with how wrong his life was going, he didn't need this right now.
"Your speculations hold treachery. You know how much conflicts this might cause between our villages if you go on speaking this blasphemy."
Head Kuftan did not say a word, instead he took a sip of his wine from his goblet.
He was drinking wine?
That only made Lytio even more angry.
"If you really want to prove that," he paused briefly, "I did what you claim, then report me to the Council of Village Heads, let them take my matter to the Dragon King for a day of trail to be pronounced. Let us stand trail, Head Kuftan. Let the Dragon King judge us when it is over. I will take whatever punishment if I lose but if you do, then you will equally suffer his wrath."
Council of Village Heads? Head Kuftan was shocked. The council of Village head comprised of every village heads and whenever two villages or members from different villages had an issue, it would be taken to the council. It had been a long time since a matter had been brought to them because the Dragon King would be the one to pass the judgement.
Everyone did their best to avoid that for obvious reasons.
Why walk right to the jaws of death? It was stupid.
It was Lytio's turn to give a sinister smile as he watched the colour drain from Head Kuftan's face, his excitement gone like it was never there to begin with.
Good.
"What is the worse thing that could happen to us? We will both lose our lives, most likely dragging our families lives into it. They would lose theirs too, for wasting the King's precious time on a stupid speculation that clearly has no standing. And our villages? When the end would come, would it even be worth it?"
Lytio signed, weariness making appearance in his chestnut eyes.
"I did not kill my father. For the hundredth time, Head Kuftan, I did not kill my father."
Head Kuftan's thick brows furrowed.
It was obvious he did not believe that and when Lytio caught up on it, his nose flared.
"But the more you talk about it, the more I wonder if you were the one who did it and camouflaged it as suicide. Of course, you didn't do it yourself. That would be too obvious. You sent someone. How many? Two? Three? Or one good man?"
"What non--"
"My father would have never committed suicide, he had no reason to." His hold on the shoulder of the man old enough to be his father tightened painfully. "If your conscience tauts you every day for your crimes and lying to yourself is the only way you are surviving."
Head Kuftan brushed his hand off immediately, his stance defensive.
"Why would I kill my own best friend?"
"Weren't you fighting over the villages boundaries a week before he passed away." Something glinted in his eyes. "There is your reason." Lytio arched an eyebrow at him, throwing back a response that left him speechless. "Now tell me, why would I kill my own father?"
The silence between them was deafening, the music that played in the background heightening the tension of the moment, then the clicking of the heels against the ground as it approached towards them, started slicing into the tension, till a voice spoke up and the surrounding was brought back to life.
"Darling, Bell is free now, let's go to her." Aniya's bubbling voice made it to his ears and he grimaced.
It had only been a couple of months since he had been made to hear it everyday and he was already sick of it. A smile played on his lips, his calm demeanour at play again, like a simple flick of his hand.
"Ah, Head Kuftan! It is so nice to see you." Aniya smiled to the man who have her a sincere smile in return.
"It is always nice to see you, Dove."
Aniya smiled in return but Lytio gave her no chance to continue talking, as he walked pass Head Kuftan, deliberating bumping his shoulder against the man's.
Aniya looked at him, confused, before she said an hurried apology and rushed away to catch up with her husband.
Zukanijan and Inaymi had always been close until Lytio's father died and an unexplainable tension rouse between them.
How strange.
They got to Bell soon, just as soon as their parents was standing in front of her.
A big family reunion.
Aniya rushed to give her an embrace, but Belladonna caught her arms immediately, bringing them down gently as she held her wrists for only as little as necessary, letting her go when she realized she was no longer at a fear of getting hugged.
With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she said to them, "well isn't it so good to see you again, my dearest family."