"Milord, do you recall the time I told you that participating in the fighting pits was an awful idea?" Oswin asked, resting his arms on the small wooden table the four occupied.
"Yes," Hector said, his voice containing an underlying slur.
"If you excuse my bluntness, milord, this is a worse idea," the loyal knight groaned, watching Hector tip his mug back.
"Nonsense!" Hector cried, drawing several glances throughout the tavern. "It's my birthday, and this is how I have chosen to celebrate it."
"But milord, was the grand party in the castle not enough?" Oswin protested.
"Are you kidding?" Hector sneered. "Hours of dancing with women I'd never met and am expected to marry was the last thing I wanted to do on my birthday. Spending an evening in a tavern with my friends, that's more my style."
"It says a lot about you that your three friends are a bodyguard, and two spies," Matthew murmured under his breath.
"Did you say something, Matthew?" Hector asked, setting his mug down. With his free hand, he waved a barmaid towards them.
"Only that milord should be careful about dismissing women at parties such as those," Matthew responded. On either side of him, Oswin and Leila nodded.
"Bah," Hector merely replied. He ordered another drink once the barmaid arrived.
"We're lucky you've done a good job at not becoming known to the public," Leila commented, casually glancing around the tavern for any patrons that might be giving their table too much attention. "Otherwise we'd never have peace in a crowded area like this."
Hector beamed, "Hah! Someone understands me!"
"I do believe that was a form of sarcasm," Matthew spoke.
Their Lord narrowed his eyes at the spy and grumbled, "Did you say something, Matthew? Or is all this background noise playing tricks on me?"
"I do believe I challenged you to a drinking contest," Matthew grinned, spur of the moment.
Hector blinked, and then waved down the barmaid again. Leila sighed and rolled her eyes, content to not partake in the alcohol. Inhibiting her senses had never been a pleasure for Leila. She continuously ordered random unalcoholic drinks.
Oswin slumped over, resting his forehead in his hands. "Please don't encourage him, Matthew."
What followed was the best example of how to take advantage of someone. Hector and Matthew each started off with their drinks. But as the mugs piled up, Matthew began to switch out his drink for Leila's, which did nothing to inhibit Matthew. It wasn't exactly a hard task, with Hector already being several drinks in before they began.
Matthew would describe it afterward as, "Easier than stealing a dead dragon's gold."
Leila chuckled despite the fact that she knew how angry Hector would be with her.
Oswin closed his eyes to mentally prepare himself for the hangover Hector would have the next day. And the lecture he was going to get from Lord Uther. Oh, was Oswin going to get it. Letting Hector slip away from the party, and now this?
Silently, Oswin began to pray, hoping that God or Elimine was listening.
Matthew, while admittedly somewhat tipsy, couldn't help but laughing. Hector joined in, completely unaware that he was the source of it.
The night ended with Oswin carrying out his Lord over his back while Matthew conspired with Leila on how to blackmail Hector with the night's events. Whenever Hector drank, it seemed he just got too honest. Tonight, he'd let slip that Eliwood was beating him in their spars. And Hector had had the gall to tell his brother he was winning.
A rather typical day for the four companions.
Author Note: I'll admit, not my best work XD But I was talking to King, and we got on the topic of Hector drinking. So I described what I thought it'd be like to drink with Hector, and halfway through I realized I had to write it.
Sorry it's short, but if it gave you a smirk, then yay!