"You look like my brother's captain," Red Coat told him.
"You should watch your tongue," Cavras snapped quickly.
Interesting how you could feel that sort of thing. A fight about to start. Ithacles had no experience to guide him but he was sure at that moment even a blind and deaf man would know what was going to happen. Something so palpable in the air. He knew the man was right behind him. And he knew that a large space was opening up behind that--room enough to move. Unfortunately.
"Face me," the voice said. He sounded too used to giving orders, and just as accustomed to having them followed through. For good or bad.
Ithacles panned across the faces in front of him. He knew Skandra's vote. Cavras looked stunned and angry and completely unsurprised all at once--a complicated mask that the soldier often wore. Vedette looked like a cat that was about to leap at something, her eyes all still wit.
"Well," Ithacles said. Louder than he had dared to speak moments before. "Orders is orders."
He stood slowly and placed a hand on the back of his chair. He placed it neatly square under the table before he turned around. But he did--turn around. The prince bit down on his teeth, clenched them together, and got ready for a sucker punch.