The Mist and the Lightning. Part 14. Ви Корс

unclean survivors of Nikto and black mercenaries, several peasants from the militia of Prince Arel and several people of Marmer began to restore Crimson Rock. The soldiers Tol brought with him immediately became actively involved in the life of the Fort, and helped them. Since the confrontation with the Black Bey ended, and Bey himself perished in the village of swamp inhabitants, there was no longer a need to defend the territories in the Black City, so Tol, no doubt, brought with him almost all the warriors of Prince Arel. Borgan stayed in Lower to keep order, but Nikto sent almost a thousand unclean ones. The red prisoners were also involved in the work, and they tried very hard.

      Lis once again had an army, bigger and better than the old one! And everyone rejoiced, not doubting that the Ore town with its Diamond Mines would soon be in their hands.

      The main tower suffered least of all. The servants cleaned up rooms of Karina and Lis: they put everything in its place again, collected fragments of broken dishes and glass.

      Now there were no glass in their windows, however, as in the whole tower. But the weather was very warm, and it was quite possible to do without them if an incense burner for driving away insects was burning.

      Karina was more upset by the broken water pipe. The black and red warriors tried to fix it, but they didn’t figure out how to supply warm water to the rooms upstairs. Karina stood and watched as a pitiful trickle of cold water barely flowed from the tap when she heard loud screams and noise below in the square. She ran to the window and saw that Tol was entering the main gate, and Lila was sitting sideways in the saddle next to him. Tol, unlike Lis, didn’t hesitate and wasted no time, he organized a ferry and crossed the river to Riverside village, transported the servants, cooks, gunsmiths and everyone he left there, including his new wife. He also took a few of the prince’s people from those who didn’t die of hunger and typhus. And now Lila was sitting, huddled up to him, as tiny as a figurine in a beautiful dress and cape. The black mercenaries of Kors recognized her. They began to greet Lila. Karina heard their admiring cries and exclamations:

      “It's Lila! Royal theater actress!”

      One of the black warriors was already running across the square with a bouquet of flowers, where did they come from? Karina was shivering: “I will kill this bitch,” she thought in all seriousness. “Lis killed Tol’s first wife, and I will kill the second!” At the same time, she couldn’t take her eyes off what was happening, and now Lis was in a hurry to them, helping Lila to get off the horse. And the unclean ones, those who were repairing the gate at that moment, literally froze in a stupor. They have abandoned all their affairs and stand as bewitched. As well as Karina, frozen at the window. Lila seemed to be embarrassed by such attention to her person, or rather, at first, she accepted the flowers with a smile, and then, looking around and seeing the glances of the uncleans directed at her, she changed her expression. As if frightened, she quickly adjusted the cape on her hair and covered her face with the edge of the fabric.

      “Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!” Karina saw exactly how at that moment Lis raised his head and looked up at their windows. He saw Karina, and his eyes… he seemed to say to her: “You see how decent girls behave?”

      Karina drew back from the window, tears gushed from her eyes.

      “What a bitch! Fuck! Lis will now bring Tol and his bitch to us!”

      Karina rushed to her long-suffering burgundy dress, to her bag, where she kept her pearl earrings. “Heck! Heck! Heck!”

      15

      The fiend

      Don't fall prey to your own fears.

      Karina put on a burgundy dress and pearl earrings, pulled her hair up, styling it into a beautiful hairstyle with hairpins. She put on her makeup, borrowing a box of cosmetics from a slave who lived here before: she hid the traces of beatings under the tonal dye, beautifully emphasized the shape of her eyebrows with black and painted her eyes, making them even more expressive, and painted her lips with dark cherry lipstick to match the dress. She hadn't done makeup for so long, but as it turned out, she hadn't forgotten anything.

      Satisfied, she looked at her reflection – she was a real beauty and noble lady, in this form it would not be shameful to go to a ball at the palace. When Lis entered the room, Karina, who was sitting in front of the mirror, turned to him with a slight smile. And seeing her, Lis froze. He seemed speechless, and it was so unlike him. Karina looked a little condescendingly at his admiring face and adjusted her hair with a casual gesture:

      “Why are you looking at me so?”

      “Karina, how beautiful you are, Gods!”

      “Do you like me?”

      “Yes. Very much.”

      Lis continued to stand on the threshold, blocking the doorway, and the servant behind him, holding a heavy tray with drinks and snacks, impatiently shifted from foot to foot, not understanding the hitch, but not daring to move the master aside and go into the room, to finally free himself from a heavy burden. Finally Lis noticed him and awkwardly walked away, he looked confused.

      And Karina’s heart rejoiced:

      “Isn’t it bad that I painted my lips?”

      “No.”

      “Isn’t the lipstick too bright?”

      “No.”

      “Not sluttish?”

      “Karina,” Lis swallowed, “it suits you very much.”

      Karina looked at the tray full of treats.

      “And where are Tol and Lila? Have you called them to us?”

      “Yes. Now they will come.”

      Karina snorted dismissively:

      “Ah, got it.”

      And as Lis continued to look at her, she got up and carefully took several steps in high-heeled shoes, trying to fully straighten her knees. She spun in front of him:

      “Am I better than this actress?”

      “Who?”

      “Lila! What's wrong with you?”

      “Lila? She's just a city crazy!”

      “A-ha-ha, so you don't like her at all?”

      “Of course not! She is an ordinary commoner, cheap, don’t be jealous of me for her. This is silly. And you even insult me with this, now.”

      Karina’s face immediately ceased to be relaxed:

      “Sorry, I just said so.”

      He walked over and hugged her:

      “You're my queen!”

      “No! Don't kiss me! Lipstick smudges!”

      And Lis obediently pulled back

      Lis laughed, throwing his head back, so sincerely, absolutely relaxed, with his so bright red hair untied in a ponytail, disheveled. He laughed, and Tol hugged him and shouted:

      “Al, brother! Don't be stupid! Let's drink quickly! Al, you are my soul! Don't be slow, brotherly! Do you remember how we… and you know how frightened I was for you, when, do you remember, they cut off your Necker’s legs, and you fell off your horse straight to Bey under the sword! Remember?!”

      “I remember,” Lis smiled, “you saved my life then.”

      They drank and smoked everything that was at hand. Tol happily and actively shared news from the Black City, while not forgetting to lean on snacks from the Fort’s storerooms: meat ham, smoked fish and all kinds of sausages and cheeses. For dear guests, Lis ordered to bake fresh pies and rolls. Tol was on fire, today was his finest hour, because his usually haughty friend listened to him with interest and didn’t interrupt him. Karina was bored, Tol, as always, constantly bragged and attributed all the achievements to himself.

      “And I ordered to plant trees in Lower and on the Market Square, in the very center, to plant an oak! So that it grows huge! And we'll make a nest there, and put an eagle there! It