She should have been glad that she'd been prevented a black eye, but only cold anger curled in her stomach. Whatever warmth the beautiful hall and fine punch brought was eradicated by her disgust with the entire group of them. A brawl was fine for the street, if it could not be avoided, but they were standing under the arch-filled ceilings of Gerard Hall. In the very heart of the Castel. During the Solstice Ball. Never, never would this happen in Eistocene under the eye of the High Lord. An officer would be publically beaten and humiliated for the offense of causing violence at a military event. The lack of discipline alone would be enough to ruin a man's career.
All of them were lucky to be White Riders. And that thought enraged her as much as their actions themselves.
Vera gently removed her arm from Eragos' grip, having caught her balance moments before. She couldn't bring herself to look at him yet. There was too much rage in her that she hadn't pulled under her control. Davril's scream rung out in the hall, effectively killing what conversations were left.
What would the Captain think?
She watched the young Rider attempt to stand and knocked Davril's legs out from under him with a vicious telekinetic sweep. What Riders stepped in to interfere were rebuffed by a force they could not see. It wasn't the way Vera enjoyed to use her talents, but it was necessary. If any of them were inclined to start more trouble, they would regret it without her ever throwing a punch. Foolish. Idiotic. Disrespectful. Vera picked up several linen napkins from the table.
"You would do well to stay down, Rider Davril," she said, quietly. Her voice was sharp as a fresh blade. "And lower your voice. You stand - or lay - in a hall built by a great Lord, who sacrificed pride and power to do what is right."
Vera dropped the pieces of white linen on the ground beside him, so that he might clean up his face and prevent more blood from staining the tile. If she were the Captain, she'd make him scrub the floor with his uniform and then force him to scrub his uniform until it was clean. It was unfortunate for all of them that she wasn't Captain. Agrippa was likely to think up something far worse.
Vera did not want to try to imagine it.
"No Rider is greater than another. Avoid giving offense, even to enemies. Respect those of nobility and elder years. If I need to recite the code we live by to any of you, you aren't doing justice to the laws you uphold or the people you protect."