ROYAL BLOOD
Brown, uneven teeth flashed as he burst into wild, hiccupping laughter, words tumbling from his mouth without sense or restraint.
"Have you ever seen a king," he slurred, raising his voice, "who marries five wives? I have one for you!"
He laughed harder at his own joke, long dark nails curling possessively around the wineskin clutched in his hand.
By the time Joya steadied her breathing,
She straightened and now saw him vividly, saw the way passersby skirted around him, some amused and some irritated.
"Get away from there, you fool!"