Lina narrowed her eyes and Bri gave her a wolfish grin. The top of Lina’s head came up to Bri’s chin but the Princess seemed so confident that Bri kept forgetting she was shorter until they were this close.

“Fine. I’m sick of this debate,” Lina muttered, hooking her axe back on her belt. “Just don’t get in my way and don’t talk.”

“Excellent.” Bri grinned, following after her. “Guarding your door all night would have been torture.”

“What you’re doing right now is talking,” Lina growled. She pulled her hood up again, hiding in its shadows as they rounded the corner. High torches flickered in a semicircle of light from the sandstone promenade. “Seeing as you’re here,” Lina whispered, “go be a distraction for me.”

Before Bri could respond, Lina shoved her, causing her to stumble into the circle of light. She snarled, wishing Lina would stop pushing her into these harebrained schemes. The guards gripped their pole axes, straightening their posture as they spotted her. Bri leaned into her stumble, putting on a drunken swagger, just as she’d done at the brothel.

“I think I’ve drank the cellar dry.” She slurred her words as she smirked at the guards, moving further into the light so that they had to turn away from Lina’s direction.

“Briata Catullus, the Eagle of Death,” the first guard snickered.

“Eagle of Death?” Bri smirked. “I haven’t heard that one before, but I like it. Maybe I should change the family crest to an eagle holding a skull. My mother would be so proud.”

“Why don’t you go and do that in your Eastern homeland, then?” The second guard set her weapon back on the ground, leaning against it as she leered at Bri.

“But think of all the fun we could have if I stayed here.” Bri looked her up and down and winked, relishing in the flustered look on the guard’s face.

The other guard cleared his throat. “Get out of here, Catullus, we’re working.”

“Fine, fine.” She chuckled, gesticulating wildly as she spoke. “I’m heading into town. Any good pubs I should visit?”

“The Rattling Bone,” the first guard called out as Bri stumbled her way toward the outer torches.

The other guard snickered.

“For some reason, I don’t think I’ll take your word on that,” Bri said, waving a drunken hand at them. “I hope you two have an exceedingly boring shift. Come find me when you’re done, Goddess.”

The first guard snorted and then paused, looking to the fae beside him. “Oh, come on. That can’t have possibly worked on you.”

Bri swayed over the lip of the patio and back onto the dusty road as she heard the guard defensively reply, “She’s charming.”