The Temptation of Elminster - Ed Greenwood [83]
Nethrar had known wilder taverns in its time, but the days of golem dancers who ate their fees to enrich Ilgrist were gone, and the dens they'd done more than dance in were gone with them. The Goblet, however, was very much here…and those too afraid to brave its pleasures alone could always hire a trio of surly-looking warriors to guard them and make them…at least in their own eyes…seem a veteran member of a band of adventurers on dangerous business bent.
And there were the ladies. One such, a vision in blue silk and mock armor whose loops of chain and curves of leather did more to display than conceal, had just perched on the edge of a table not far from where Beldrune and Tabarast were nursing glasses of ruby-hued but raw heartsfire and grumbling, "Well aged? Six days, belike!" to each other.
Over their glasses, Beldrune and Tabarast watched the saucy beauty in the silks bending low over two young men at the table she'd chosen, giving them a view of the sort that older, more sober men have fallen headlong into before now. The two wizards cleared their throats in unison.
" 'Tis getting a might hot in here," Tabarast observed weakly, tugging at his collar.
"Over that side of the table, too?" Beldrune grunted, his eyes locked on the lady in blue. He flicked a finger, and through the din of chatter and laughter, singing and breaking glass, the two mages could suddenly hear a voice purring, as if it was speaking right in their ears: "Delver? Ingrath? Those names are… exciting. The names of daring men… of heroes. You are daring heroes, aren't you?"
The two young warriors chuckled and said something more or less in unison, and the saucy beauty in blue whispered, "How daring are you both feeling this night? And… how heroic?"
The two men laughed again, rather warily, and the beauty murmured, "Heroic enough to do a service for your queen? A…personal service?"
They saw her reach into her bodice and draw forth a long, heavy chain of linked gold coins that caught and held their hungry eyes as she flashed the unicorn-adorned Royal Ring of Galadorna.
Two sets of eyes widened, and looked slowly and more soberly up from the coins and the curves to the face above…where they found an impish grin followed by a tongue just darting into view between parted lips.
"Come," she said, "if you dare… to a place where we can… have more fun."
The watching wizards saw the two men hesitate and exchange glances. Then one of them said something, lifting his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner, and they both laughed rather nervously, drained their tankards, and rose. The queen looped her chain of coins around the wrist of one of them and towed him playfully off across the dim and crowded maze of tables, beaded curtains, and archways that formed the backbone of the Goblet.
Blue silk and supple leather swayed very close past the innocently tilted noses of Beldrune and Tabarast. When the second warrior had stalked past…hungry eyes, hairy arms and all…the two mages with one accord drained their heartsfires, turned to each other and turned red at the same time, tugged at their collars again, and cleared their throats once more.
Tabarast rumbled, "Ah…I think it's time to see the bottom of more than one tankard… don't you?"
"My thoughts exactly," Beldrune agreed. "After a keg or three of beer, now, mind you…"
Deep in the dimness behind a pillar in the Goblet of Shadows, an elf whose face might have been cut from cold marble watched Queen Dasumia of Galadorna tow her two prizes out of the tumult. When they'd rounded a corner, out of sight, Ilbryn Starym turned his head to sneer down at the two blushing old wizards, who didn't see him. Then he glided off through the Goblet toward the exit he knew the queen would use, taking care to keep well back and well hidden.
Rhoagalow had brought word of another murder and a knifing whose victim might live. Elminster had handed him a hand keg of Burdym's Best from the royal cellar and