DEVOTION - THE WEEPING MONK [PART 2 COMING IN AUGUST 2023]

CHAPTER TWO

Arthur chuckles. "That hurts."

Nimue chimes in. "Are you a sword for hire?" Arthur raised his eyebrow, impressed with her knowledge. "A knight milady." Immediately all three girls looked surprised.

"What? You don't believe me?"

Gwen laughed. "Uh, you just seem a bit young and scruffy for a knight. It's daunting." When she said those words immediately they heard a large group of men make their way towards them and interrupting their talk. An old drunken man immediately went behind Arthur.

"Lads, Arthur's found himself some nice country girls." The old man took a step closer to Nimue than towards Gwen. "Look at that fine skin." He placed his hand on the table dropping some two square shapes of dice. "Do you girls dance?" The man started laughing hysterically leaving Gwen uncomfortable being in front of him. Who is he to ask such thing to them?

"May, I have a go?" Nimue immediately asked. Gwen and Pym turned their eyes on her, shocked. "Are you crazy?" Gwen hissed but Nimue ignored her.

"You for five slivers?"

"I don't, I'm afraid." Nimue replied, curiously. "Well. . . " The old man trail, "We allow different wagers." He sat in front of Nimue sending a smile. Gwen knew this was a bad idea. Nimue always gets herself in trouble.

"How about we roll for a kiss?"

Pym immediately started getting up. "Oh, we were just leaving, actually."

"Fine." Nimue spoke loudly leaving both girls profoundly confused. "But if I win, I get ten slivers."

Arthur immediately turned to Nimue. "You can't win. The dice are weighted." He whispered to her. "Arthur, shut your mouth!" The old man hissed.

The old man then started smiling. He gave Nimue the dice. Then started speaking, "It's a very easy game, Nimue. The odds must be with you." Gwen whispered to her causing Nimue to nod at her.

"Just roll seven in any combination. Three and four, five and two. See? The odds favor you."
Immediately, Nimue smiled. She began to shake her hand, closing her eyes. Immediately,
she noticed her neck turning a little green. She saw how Pym noticed it touched her hair fixing it. As soon as the dice fell it landed on the exact thing that was needed. The man looked at Nimue in disbelief, and saw Arthur shocking.

"I just had rushed of dumb luck." Nimue spoke, causing Gwen to chuckle. The old man noticed it began to tense up. "Roll them again." Immediately, Nimue felt uneasy. "Why? I won?"

"Best two out of three. Seems fair." Gwen argued. "Those weren't the rules." Nimue argued back, flickering her eyes between Gwen and the old man.

"Roll again. Don't be a daft." Nimue tensed up. "Then it's 20 silver if I win." Gwen widened her eyes in disbelief at her demand. The old man looked uneasy turning to the group of men behind who disapproval of this.  "Can you believe this little maid, eh?" He then turned to her observing her. "You. With the white hair. I want her to become my second top, as well. Then, it will be worth it, as well. Her, two." Gwen immediately looked disgusted by the man.

"You can't bring her into this. She didn't do anything." Arthur defended her. The man smiled. "A deal is a deal." Gwen turned to look at Nimue who looked uneasy. Gwen knew Nimue wouldn't fail her, wouldn't let anything happen to her. Gwen silently nods giving Nimue approval.

The men started laughing behind the old man. "Are you mad? Gwen?" Arthur exclaimed. Gwen didn't face him. She knew what she was doing. Nimue wouldn't lose.

"Deal."

"Nimue, enough." Pym argued. Nimue took the dice and threw it on the table. All four of them looked in disbelief at the numbers the dice had landed on. The old man looked uneasy, in disbelief staring at the dice. Gwen turned to Nimue who proudly smiles at her accomplishment.