The Sword that Binds (Book of Worlds 1) Read Free Page B

say he was in the prime of his life still, not over sixty. The old man was still better with the blade than any other in the entire keep, and possibly the kingdom.
    Sarena followed after him and walked toward the head of the table. The great hall was set up with one long table that stretched almost the entire length of the room, platters of food resting on it the entire way down. Altogether it was enough to seat and feed almost one hundred people, but barely half of that number were seated there tonight. They rarely used the great hall for anything besides festivals and feasts, and even then it was almost never entirely filled.
    The great hall was near the center of the keep, which meant there were no windows to let light in. Torch sconces lined the wall, while low hanging chandeliers were situated down the center of the room, casting a dim flickering light. Suits of armor were spaced evenly along the wall, with banners and tapestries between them. It was one of the most decorated rooms in the austere keep.
    Seated at the head of the table was her father, glaring at her as she walked towards her seat. Her grandfather would be seated to her father’s right, while to his left would normally be Sarena, but since the third prince was here tonight that seat would be for him, with her being one seat further down. She sat down and glanced at her father, waiting for an outburst about the sword at her waist. She had no doubt that he had seen it. Contrary to what she expected though, he did nothing but continue to glare at her for a moment before smirking. That was worrying. Anything that could make him happy enough to hold back a scathing remark could never be good.
    Soon enough the large double doors at the end of the hall opened and a group of soldiers entered, positioning themselves along the wall periodically, surrounding the entire hall. Sarena’s father stood up and motioned for the rest of the hall to follow. Within moments a short man in a ridiculous striped outfit entered and began to introduce the prince to the hall.
    “Make ready for the prophesied hero! Third Prince of the Realm! Future slayer of demons! Single-handedly won the battle of Veridia! Savior and saint...” The tiny man droned on for at least a full minute about all of the prince’s supposedly heroic achievements.
    Ha! And I’m sure that he managed to fight off ten assassins on his own when he was only three...And didn’t that war end before he was born? Was he commanding from the womb?
    After what seemed like an eternity to Sarena, the striped man stepped to the side and bowed so low that it looked like he was about to fall over. Behind him so pompous she knew he had to be the third prince stepped through. He was young, and of average height, with a generous stomach and flaxen hair that loosely fell over his ears. Dressed in a purple and gold outfit that should have embarrassed even the most confident of men, he strode into the hall and somehow managed to look down his nose at every person within. His otherwise bland face was made even more repulsive by the sneer that was a permanent fixture. When the prince finally arrived in front of her father, he stood and waited, expecting something from Adralin. Silence reigned throughout the room as the two stood staring at each other.
    “Is this how you treat royalty here in this run-down keep? Not even a bow for those above you?” The prince said while the sneer on his face deepened. “If it wasn’t for the fact that you promised me your daughter tonight I wouldn’t have even considered coming here. But how could I pass up a chance at tasting the famous warrior’s own heir?”
    Everyone within the hall stared in shock at the prince. It was common knowledge that the Garland line was not required to bow to the royal family - the throne relied on them to keep it safe. Not even the prophesied hero could demand them to lower themselves before him, especially when the only part of the prophecy he had fulfilled