Raphael was confused. No one could miss the black spider tattoo on Arjenâs cheek. Was it somehow visible only to him? Was it magic?
There was a moment of heavy silence as the two men stared at each other, and then Annette sighed and laid her hand on Arjenâs shoulder.
âPlease donât tease Raphael,â she said. âHe doesnât like it.â
âTease?â Raphael repeated, and she looked up at him apologetically.
The tense atmosphere vanished.
âIâm sorry,â Arjen said, with a shrug and a broad smile as he apologized. âClaire has been talking so much about you, I got jealous.â
Raphaelâs expression stiffened. He was too embarrassed to be angry, and he was more surprised than anything; no one dared to tease him like that, especially on first meeting. Raphael was head taller than most men, powerfully muscled, and he had always radiated the dangerous air of a predator that made even other men instinctively give way before him, as a lesser predator makes way for the greater.
Yet small and slender Arjen dared to tease the tiger on first introduction. Looking at his diminutive stature, Raphael wondered if he might be crazy. Or maybe he just trusted his intellect and the status he had attained in the Empire. OtherwiseâŠ
âŠArjen must trust Annette, the most beautiful woman in the world. Raphaelâs anger cooled quickly when he saw her looking at him anxiously. And besides, he should not be angry with his brother-in-law. Even without Annetteâs intervention, he had to restrain himself.
âI hope I havenât offended youâŠâ Arjen clicked his tongue as he saw Raphael restraining his temper. He was being strangely provocative, and at that moment, Claire stepped to his side and elbowed him in the ribs.
âWhatâs wrong with you?â She asked. âDo you have a crush on Raphael, too? I admit, Iâm at a disadvantage because of my natural talents, but you still have your own physical strength to recommend youâŠâ
âI understand that you are a woman who only thinks in terms of weapons,â Arjen retorted. âBut itâs been five days since we last saw each other, is it really necessary for you to praise another man in front of your husband?â
He faced his wife with a shy smile and kissed her cheek, a surprisingly affectionate display. Claire was taller than most women, nearly his height, and her strong jaw gave her an almost masculine beauty, a sharp contrast to Arjen, who shared his sisterâs delicate features. The only masculine thing about his appearance was that spider tattoo.
âI suppose anyone would wonder about it,â He told Raphael. âItâs been a few years since I got it, but most people in Deltium havenât heard of it. Theyâre always surprised, every time I come back. In the Chapelle Empire, the spider tattoo is considered taboo.â
His eyes met Raphaelâs again, his tone enigmatic. The explanation itself was a form of apology for teasing him, and as he spoke, Raphael noted the fatigued shadows under the other manâs eyes.
âThereâs a certain superstition related to some of the Empireâs oldest myths. They are all very afraid of black spiders, because they believe they are messengers of death, a warning that their god sends before he punishes them. They are afraid even speaking of it will bring down his wrath. Which is why no rumors of it have spread to Deltium,â he complained.
He was too busy to show his face in Deltium himself, to the point that he had missed his only sisterâs wedding. He could only return home once every few years. The people of his own nation only knew him by his fame, proud that a citizen of Deltium had achieved such success in the Empire.
His name was often spoken in aristocratic society, but few people actually knew him. Every time he came home, he endured the stares of others, as shocked as Raphael at his tattoo, because of all the stories the people of the Empire told of him, no one ever mentioned the large black spider on his face.